Confessions
Veronica Swift
Keywords
Reviews (2)
A green man review
2019
By
By
Gary Whitehouse
2019
"I'm not much of a fan of the holiday season in general (Thanksgiving excepted), and the vast majority of holiday music finds me reacting on a spectrum that runs from indifferent to mildly annoyed to seething with rage. However, I'm a big fan of big band jazz, which evokes the kind of nostalgia in me that apparently comes to most Americans at the sight of the first snowflake or the million-and-first rendition of the elevator-music version of "Silver Bells ... To my ear the arrangements of the more traditional Christmas caroles like "Silent Night" and "We Three Kings" don't work all that well, but your mileage may vary. But for the most part this is a very enjoyable program of holiday music, even for a Scrooge like me. Props to Marsalis for crediting the arrangers on each piece in addition to the soloists".
DownBeat
2019 December
By
By
Frank-John Hadley
2019 December
"Compiles highlights from the past four Jazz at Lincoln Center holiday shows. Key to the band's appeal is how assuredly it embraces famous carols ("Silver Bells", "We Three Kings") and less-common chestnuts ("Cool Yule", popularized by Louis Armstrong, and Percy Faith's "Brazilian Sleigh Bells", incorporating cross-currents of serious jazz business and seasonal gaiety). The Claude Thornton classic "Snowfall", arranged by Sherman Irby, defines elegance. Featured vocalists include venerated jazz veteran Catherine Russell, rising star Veronica Swift, Canadian treasure Denzal Sinclaire and the late, great Aretha Franklin, alone, singing and playing piano on "O Tannenbaum"".