JAZZ PIANO TRIO CHRISTMAS
I have to tell you I am way off my game tonight because of that play (you know the one) from the Mets game. I'm steaming about it and Torre's ruling just makes it worse ("Yes, the Dodgers are guilty of an illegal play. And, as punishment, I'm awarding the victory to the Dodgers."). What a maroon. By the way, any mention of baseball in the comments (even if you're on my side) will be deleted. So don't. Just don't.
But I promised myself I'd get this up today. So here goes nothing.
Zone music and Poke music are production houses, which is to say that their bread and butter is providing music for other media projects. Now, in my day (yes, I'm old enough to have an "in my day") and as a disc jockey and production director, that meant lots of well produced jingles and well produced instrumental beds for commercials. These days, production houses serve up music for a full range of media--television, movies, the Internets--including full length songs. Who knows? Maybe you're looking for a certain kind of song for your TV show, but don't want to have to negotiate for the rights of a million seller. Not only is using, say, "Call Me Maybe" going to cost you some serious coin, odds are its going to get even worse when you go for syndication and DVD rights. That's why the WKRP box set can't say its exactly as originally aired--they couldn't get the music rights to some of the songs for DVD. Easier just to contact a production company and whip up the kind of song you're looking for and have all of the future uses for that song licensed up front at, generally, affordable fees.
If you were wondering what the modern day equivalent of Tin Pan Alley or the Brill Building would be, its probably the production houses. Zone and Poke, in particular, are dedicated to creating production music that doesn't just lay in the background. They employ a great many talented composers and artists. Throw a couple of them in a room, tell them the kind of thing you're looking for and see what they come up with. I've always had great respect for songwriters who can do that--writing to demand. It ain't easy.
But I promised myself I'd get this up today. So here goes nothing.
Zone music and Poke music are production houses, which is to say that their bread and butter is providing music for other media projects. Now, in my day (yes, I'm old enough to have an "in my day") and as a disc jockey and production director, that meant lots of well produced jingles and well produced instrumental beds for commercials. These days, production houses serve up music for a full range of media--television, movies, the Internets--including full length songs. Who knows? Maybe you're looking for a certain kind of song for your TV show, but don't want to have to negotiate for the rights of a million seller. Not only is using, say, "Call Me Maybe" going to cost you some serious coin, odds are its going to get even worse when you go for syndication and DVD rights. That's why the WKRP box set can't say its exactly as originally aired--they couldn't get the music rights to some of the songs for DVD. Easier just to contact a production company and whip up the kind of song you're looking for and have all of the future uses for that song licensed up front at, generally, affordable fees.
If you were wondering what the modern day equivalent of Tin Pan Alley or the Brill Building would be, its probably the production houses. Zone and Poke, in particular, are dedicated to creating production music that doesn't just lay in the background. They employ a great many talented composers and artists. Throw a couple of them in a room, tell them the kind of thing you're looking for and see what they come up with. I've always had great respect for songwriters who can do that--writing to demand. It ain't easy.
CHRISTMAS AT THE PIANO
So, anyway, to make a long story just a tiny bit shorter, the folks who run Zone and Poke, having accumulated a mighty, mighty library of songs and sounds, decided to dip their toes in the waters of retail. Just a handful of select titles so far. but a few of those are Christmas albums. And that's my cue.
The first one I stumbled upon was "Jazz Piano Trio Christmas". I gave it a quick listen and really thought it was well-done. Very listenable. Not Bill Evans or Coltrane but, for my taste, a far sight better than most anything from some labels I could name (but won't). Just really nice light, jazzy, piano centric tune-age. Actually, its precisely the sort of thing I listen to most around Christmas time. So I put it on The List.
Then I found "Christmas At The Piano"--which is much more traditional solo piano stuff. As they released that one retail last Christmas, I didn't delve too deeply (we're mostly about the "new" around here). But I can think of a couple of people who, in the past, were looking for just this sort of thing. Those of you with your hands up may proceed to Bandcamp. Don't worry. The rest of this piece will be here waiting for you when you've had the chance to check it out for yourselves (I can tell how tired I am right now by the fact that I just realized that "yourselves" ends in "elves"--so it's a Christmas word, eh?).
The first one I stumbled upon was "Jazz Piano Trio Christmas". I gave it a quick listen and really thought it was well-done. Very listenable. Not Bill Evans or Coltrane but, for my taste, a far sight better than most anything from some labels I could name (but won't). Just really nice light, jazzy, piano centric tune-age. Actually, its precisely the sort of thing I listen to most around Christmas time. So I put it on The List.
Then I found "Christmas At The Piano"--which is much more traditional solo piano stuff. As they released that one retail last Christmas, I didn't delve too deeply (we're mostly about the "new" around here). But I can think of a couple of people who, in the past, were looking for just this sort of thing. Those of you with your hands up may proceed to Bandcamp. Don't worry. The rest of this piece will be here waiting for you when you've had the chance to check it out for yourselves (I can tell how tired I am right now by the fact that I just realized that "yourselves" ends in "elves"--so it's a Christmas word, eh?).
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
But then I alighted on this little gem--"Christmas Crackers". I quick skipped around--generally the first thing a DJ does in "auditioning" a record--and liked what I heard, overall. Lots of variety (I like that). Good energy (I like that, too). A couple of the tracks caught my ear and got a full listen (like that juicy soul number up top, "I'll Always Be There").
When I learned it was from a production house, I knew I was going to have to listen to the whole thing straight through. I kind of wanted to anyway--things like "flow" are important to me. Does the record hold up as an album or are there just a few tracks you need to pull out? Does it work as foreground? Background? Both? Questions I like to have answers for when I'm reporting back to you.
If you couldn't tell when I referred to it as a "gem", I liked "Christmas Crackers" quite a bit and quite a bit more than I was expecting to. As a production set, "Christmas Crackers" was put together in 2011, but this year is the first time its been offered to retail buyers (you know....us). Does it work as an album? Yes. How's the flow? Quite good, actually (which isn't easy when so many genres are represented). The songs are almost all originals. And it works as both foreground and background. Are any of these tracks going to make people forget "White Christmas". I don't think so, but what is?
But, for most regular visitors to this web site, here's the real deal. Let's say it's, like, December 1 and your back is against the wall finishing your mix disc for when the family and friends come over for the annual holiday gathering. It needs something--just one thing--and you know the kind of thing you need, but can't conjure a specific track. This album, right here, is a perfect resource to have on hand. What do you need? An instrumental piece like they made in the heyday of EZ music--strings and those ethereal singers in a beautiful yet light and bouncy orchestral track? Try "Christmas Magic". Perfect fit. Something to evoke the spirits of Sinatra or Elvis? Several good choices for that (though I'm partial to "It's Christmas Again" for Frank and "And The Year Is Ending" has a definite "In The Ghetto" vibe to it). Need a Glam Rock song? Yeah, its in there ("Ho Ho Ho Happy Holidays"). How bout some folky talkin' banjo novelty thing? Yep, that too ("A Banjo Is For Life"). And not only is all that and more on "Christmas Crackers", the physical CD even tells you the mood and style of each track (this is fairly standard for production music). For example, track four is described as a "jolly traditional Christmas song with male crooner vocal".
But wait! There's more! The physical CD also includes shorter "work parts"--vocal and instrumental bits of song, stingers and other things I can't wait to discover (disclaimer: I don't have the CD in hand, yet, but I'm assured they're on there as pictured). I haven't counted, but there would seem to be enough of them to max out the number of tracks a CD will allow. OK, if you were never a DJ, you may not understand how psyched I get for stuff like that. But an awful lot of you have been DJs. You get it, right? And, for the rest of you, going back to that hypothetical mix disc, maybe you just need a ten second bit for a transition. Or just ignore them. But I'm telling you, that is a seriously cool feature.
"Christmas Crackers" is definitely something I'd recommend checking out. And, if you like what you hear, you might as well get the physical CD (it isn't much more than the digital version). Personal faves are "I'll Always Be There", "Christmas Magic", "And The Year Is Ending", and "Ghost Of Christmas Time". "The 3 Wise Men Are Calling" rocks like a party in Vegas that didn't stay in Vegas. And I also really liked the Bluesy "Get This Christmas Party On", but its very short and I was left wanting a bit more. You can find "Christmas Crackers" on Bandcamp. They're in the UK (so just realize that 1 British Pound = around a buck and a half).
When I learned it was from a production house, I knew I was going to have to listen to the whole thing straight through. I kind of wanted to anyway--things like "flow" are important to me. Does the record hold up as an album or are there just a few tracks you need to pull out? Does it work as foreground? Background? Both? Questions I like to have answers for when I'm reporting back to you.
If you couldn't tell when I referred to it as a "gem", I liked "Christmas Crackers" quite a bit and quite a bit more than I was expecting to. As a production set, "Christmas Crackers" was put together in 2011, but this year is the first time its been offered to retail buyers (you know....us). Does it work as an album? Yes. How's the flow? Quite good, actually (which isn't easy when so many genres are represented). The songs are almost all originals. And it works as both foreground and background. Are any of these tracks going to make people forget "White Christmas". I don't think so, but what is?
But, for most regular visitors to this web site, here's the real deal. Let's say it's, like, December 1 and your back is against the wall finishing your mix disc for when the family and friends come over for the annual holiday gathering. It needs something--just one thing--and you know the kind of thing you need, but can't conjure a specific track. This album, right here, is a perfect resource to have on hand. What do you need? An instrumental piece like they made in the heyday of EZ music--strings and those ethereal singers in a beautiful yet light and bouncy orchestral track? Try "Christmas Magic". Perfect fit. Something to evoke the spirits of Sinatra or Elvis? Several good choices for that (though I'm partial to "It's Christmas Again" for Frank and "And The Year Is Ending" has a definite "In The Ghetto" vibe to it). Need a Glam Rock song? Yeah, its in there ("Ho Ho Ho Happy Holidays"). How bout some folky talkin' banjo novelty thing? Yep, that too ("A Banjo Is For Life"). And not only is all that and more on "Christmas Crackers", the physical CD even tells you the mood and style of each track (this is fairly standard for production music). For example, track four is described as a "jolly traditional Christmas song with male crooner vocal".
But wait! There's more! The physical CD also includes shorter "work parts"--vocal and instrumental bits of song, stingers and other things I can't wait to discover (disclaimer: I don't have the CD in hand, yet, but I'm assured they're on there as pictured). I haven't counted, but there would seem to be enough of them to max out the number of tracks a CD will allow. OK, if you were never a DJ, you may not understand how psyched I get for stuff like that. But an awful lot of you have been DJs. You get it, right? And, for the rest of you, going back to that hypothetical mix disc, maybe you just need a ten second bit for a transition. Or just ignore them. But I'm telling you, that is a seriously cool feature.
"Christmas Crackers" is definitely something I'd recommend checking out. And, if you like what you hear, you might as well get the physical CD (it isn't much more than the digital version). Personal faves are "I'll Always Be There", "Christmas Magic", "And The Year Is Ending", and "Ghost Of Christmas Time". "The 3 Wise Men Are Calling" rocks like a party in Vegas that didn't stay in Vegas. And I also really liked the Bluesy "Get This Christmas Party On", but its very short and I was left wanting a bit more. You can find "Christmas Crackers" on Bandcamp. They're in the UK (so just realize that 1 British Pound = around a buck and a half).
1. It's Christmas Again - Christopher Mann/Paul Sandrone
2. Get This Christmas Party On - Jessica Banks/Craig Warnock/Sean Hennessey
3. Christmas Magic - Christopher James Harvey
4. Happy Christmas Everyone - Christopher Mann/Holly Murray
5. I'll Always Be There - Phebe Edwards/Alex White/Matt Twaites/Richard Kirstein/Nick Kidney
6. The 3 Wise Men Are Calling - Tom Cook
7. It's Snowing Outside - Paul Sandrone
8. On Christmas Night - Christopher Mann/Tom Cook
9. Hold Me Close - Tom Cook
10. A Banjo Is For Life - Toby Macfarlaine/Paul Rawson
11. Don't Take My Xmas Tree - Jessica Banks/Craig Warnock/Sean Hennessey/Ben Townsend
12. Silent Night - Christopher Mann/Joss Peach
13. Ho Ho Ho Happy Holiday - Wayne Murray/Paul Rawson
14. At Christmas Time - Wayne Murray/Paul Rawson
15. I Sure Love Christmas Day - Amy Brown/Wayne Murray/Paul Rawson
16. Silent Night (Music Box) - Joss Peach
17. Santa Claus - Christopher Mann/Tom Cook
18. Ghost Of Christmas Time - Paul Sandrone
19. It's Christmas Time - Tom Cook
20. Special Christmas Time - Tom Cook
21. To Be With You At Christmas - Jimi Ashmore/Rob Ashmore/Joss Peach
22. Ding Dong Merrily On High - Paul Sandrone
23. Silent Night (Female Vocal) - Heather Cairncross/Joss Peach
24. Away In A Manger (Music Box) - Joss Peach
25. And The Year Is Ending - Tom Cook
26. Auld Lang Syne (Solo Piano) - Joss Peach
2. Get This Christmas Party On - Jessica Banks/Craig Warnock/Sean Hennessey
3. Christmas Magic - Christopher James Harvey
4. Happy Christmas Everyone - Christopher Mann/Holly Murray
5. I'll Always Be There - Phebe Edwards/Alex White/Matt Twaites/Richard Kirstein/Nick Kidney
6. The 3 Wise Men Are Calling - Tom Cook
7. It's Snowing Outside - Paul Sandrone
8. On Christmas Night - Christopher Mann/Tom Cook
9. Hold Me Close - Tom Cook
10. A Banjo Is For Life - Toby Macfarlaine/Paul Rawson
11. Don't Take My Xmas Tree - Jessica Banks/Craig Warnock/Sean Hennessey/Ben Townsend
12. Silent Night - Christopher Mann/Joss Peach
13. Ho Ho Ho Happy Holiday - Wayne Murray/Paul Rawson
14. At Christmas Time - Wayne Murray/Paul Rawson
15. I Sure Love Christmas Day - Amy Brown/Wayne Murray/Paul Rawson
16. Silent Night (Music Box) - Joss Peach
17. Santa Claus - Christopher Mann/Tom Cook
18. Ghost Of Christmas Time - Paul Sandrone
19. It's Christmas Time - Tom Cook
20. Special Christmas Time - Tom Cook
21. To Be With You At Christmas - Jimi Ashmore/Rob Ashmore/Joss Peach
22. Ding Dong Merrily On High - Paul Sandrone
23. Silent Night (Female Vocal) - Heather Cairncross/Joss Peach
24. Away In A Manger (Music Box) - Joss Peach
25. And The Year Is Ending - Tom Cook
26. Auld Lang Syne (Solo Piano) - Joss Peach
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