Big Band Magazine - Magazine - Page 14
A Cradle In Bethlehem (Gregory Porter & Jazz At Lincoln Centre)
Back into this century and we find Gregory Porter in a live recording with The Jazz At
Lincoln Centre Big Band. This song has also been recorded by Gregory with a small
group in a lilting jazz-waltz style. The song dates from 1952 but became well known
on Nat King Cole's 1960 album, The Magic Of Christmas, which is very lush, full of
strings and angelic voices beautifully arranged by Ralph Carmichael, who also
famously scored the album that produced Let There Be Love with pianist George
Shearing.
But we digress. In this live version, arranger Chris Crenshaw puts us in a laid-back,
swinging 4 in the bar. The vocal is in the same key as Nat Cole's version, perfect for
Gregory's soulful baritone voice.
Some lovely gentle trumpet unison work helps to set the scene and we glide
serenely through the song. The line, 'While wise men follow through the dark, a star
that beckons them', in the second cadence, scans beautifully. The temperature rises a
little with a full chorus trombone solo with just rhythm backing. Gregory returns for
the bridge and then manages a key change that rises a semitone, then another and
then we enter an almost gospel like quality, before returning to the gentle opening
phrase.
The Nutcracker Suite (Les Brown & His Band Of Renown)
Finally, we have The Band Of Renown at the height of it's 1950's excellence. Regular
arranger Frank Comstock takes us for a 6 minute and 32 second journey through the
Tchaikovsky masterpiece. Such a clever interpretation. We manage to get a mixture
of swing and classical style effortlessly played by the superb musicians.
It starts with an up-tempo swinging ensemble, but soon a clarinet choir (including
bass clarinet), joins in a staccato quasi-classical segment, then back to swing with a
guitar solo before the full band re-enters with clarinets, discarded for saxes, in the
reed section. Next, we have a change of tempo with muted classical style trumpets
alternating with swinging saxophones. A brief tenor sax solo, before a bass clarinet
cadenza, leads us into The Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy played as it was originally
conceived on celeste with clarinets and muted trumpets.
Drums lead us into a fast 2 in the bar with some excellent trombone section playing.
Now into a rumba feel with muted trumpet and then a beautifully judged trombone
solo by Ray Sims and a moody atmospheric backing. Piano brings us into a mid
tempo swing feel before a pause and now into a breakneck 4 which rushes headlong
to a big finish. So the arranger has managed to stay faithful to the Tchaikovsky
original whilst making it sound as if it could have been written for a 17 piece big
band in the first place.
Have A Very Merry Christmas !
