2. Little Town of Bethlehem
3. The Christmas Song
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Let It Snow
6. We Three Kings
7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
9. Green Sleeves
10. Oh Tannenbaum
11. Winter Wonderland
12. Christmas Time Is Here
13. I'll Be Home For Christmas
14. Oh Come Emmanuel AMAZON
15. Silent Night ARTIST SITE
Doug Munro is a critically acclaimed Jazz guitarist, as well as a composer, arranger, author and teacher. He's twice been nominated for Grammy awards and, since 1987, has released 11 albums under his own name while appearing on another 60 or so as a sideman, producer or arranger. He's worked with the best of the best, from Dr. John to Lonnie Smith, from B.B. King to Todd Rundgren. Among his most memorable multi-tasking efforts, 2003's "Boogaloo To Beck" and 2004's "Boogaloo To The Beastie Boys" are not to be missed.
For this Christmas effort, Doug leaves the funk behind and envisions a cornucopia of Christmas classics in the style of Hot Club Jazz legend Django Reinhardt. There's been something of a Django revival in recent years, and, in particular, there have been a handful of albums dedicated to marrying Django's gypsy style to the Christmas season since Django's own holiday output was sadly limited (most notably "Christmas Swing" and "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm").
Munro is accompanied by violinist Howie Bujese, who plays Stephane Greppelli to Doug's Django. Together, the pair bring spritely warmth to a wide palette of holiday fare. For my money, this outing shines most brightly on the carols "Little Town Of Bethlehem" and, in particular, "Oh Come Emmanuel".
Also along for the ride, the master of swing clarinet Ken Peplowski provides a welcome bounce to a handful of selections, absolutely owning "Winter Wonderland".
Vocalist Cyrille-Aimee Daudel gives us a happy surprise with her splendid vintage jazz take on the up-tempo "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", as well as a pair of less surprising but no less stunning vocal takes on the slower tempo "Christmas Time Is Here" and "The Christmas Song".
Hot Club Jazz, or Gypsy Swing, is a bit of a niche--even among jazz fans. And most Christmas libraries would likely find a need for only one or two albums in that style. That being the case, this one should be at or near the top of your list. Doug Munro's "A Very Gypsy Christmas" manages the style very well, providing both plenty of variety and oodles of authenticity. The best numbers here--"Oh Come Emmanuel", "Winter Wonderland", and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" to name three--would be welcome additions to any holiday playlist.
The official street date for this one is September 1, but you might just be able to pick it up now through CDBaby, who claim to have the album in stock as we speak.