I'll Be Home For Christmas

Album Review

Jazz pianist/composer/musical director David Leonhardt reminds his audience of his commendable skills on this holiday offering titled I'll Be Home for Christmas. Comprised of a core group of vocalist Nancy Reed, saxophonist Larry McKenna, bassist Matthew Parrish, and drummer Taro Okamoto, the David Leonhardt Jazz Group swings through holiday classics with a modern jazz perspective. Leonhardt's lyrical piano playing is often the highlight of each song; however, Nancy Reed's deeply rooted jazz vocals provide listeners with an alternative to the instrumental versions. Combined with a tapestry of stories told by McKenna's saxophone voice and Taro Okamoto's influential brushwork, her voice is definitely the bright spot on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." On the title track, we hear McKenna's saxophone on lead melody as Leonhardt lightly comps his reedy, raspy tenor. No holiday CD would be complete without the beloved "The Christmas Song," and Leonhardt has created a musical context that's as large with possibilities as his appealing piano playing. "White Christmas" ends the set with swinging rhythms and buoyant improvisations and phrasings. It is one of the most entertaining songs on the record. Overall, the entire CD is a great reappraisal of holiday classics that you're sure to enjoy.