Cool Yule

10 Jazzy Christmas Songs

By Steve Calderone

there are some great songs but they will pose a challenge for less than medium-advanced players.

I am always looking for new arrangements and this one helps a little for the busy gigging Holiday season. Be prepared to do a lot of reading (if not a jazz person), getting used to the 'color chords' and many chord progession changes. Some of the classic songs are nicely...

arranged like "The First Noel", although the introduction eighth note patterns sound "wrong" it works itself out towards the middle and end (esp. with a cool 'walking bass line' in the LH. Just be prepared to start working on these pieces early enough if you want to perform them at a holiday party or recital. Recommended for advanced students or young adult pianists who have training in reading rhythms well. With degrees in Music Ed/Piano performance, it wasn't as good as I had hoped based on the title cover/inside look, and I still usually go back to Jim Brickman's "Christmas Themes" and am now exploring arr. Mark Hayes that give the same jazzy feel, but aren't as complicated when reading.

I thought these were very well done, in some cases. beautifully done, jazz versions of much loved Christmas carols. It would be perfect at a party, or as encores to a seasonal recital. There are challenges here, to be sure, but a piano player willing to send a few mintes...

"wood-shedding' them will be rewarded with some delightful music. It also serves as a good springboard for one's own improvs. I recommend it.

I ended up giving this to a friend who plays better than I do. I didn't realize that the syncopation was more than I could quickly read... perhaps I was just too lazy by the end of the Christmas season. I was hoping to have something that took a...

familiar carol and "jazzed it" some... that I could sightread. It's likely worth it if I had taken more time to really figure it out. I am not sure what the different piano playing abilities really mean; it's fairly subjective. For me, this was not an intermediate piece. But then again, maybe I should practice more!

Good, but hasn't just blown me away. But not bad - got ideas flowing for my daughter as to how she could jazz up some pieces.