The Manhattan Transfer -- The Christmas Album

 

Nope, this isn't another Reminiscings of Youth article. My personal opinion has always been that Christmas and jazz go together like hamburgers and French fries, and one fast food restaurant that has often brought that together is The Manhattan Transfer. And on this Christmas Eve, I've decided to finish off tonight's round of KKP stuff with one of my favourite music acts doing what they do best.

In November 1992, the famed vocal quartet released "The Christmas Album" which is filled with plenty of stylish jazz renditions of some of the most popular Christmas hits with the backing of an orchestra that would have Nelson Riddle smiling from the great beyond.

One fine example is the Transfer's take on "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!". A lot of folks would know this 1945 classic by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne from its Vaughn Monroe original when it was used at the end of "Die Hard". That one was quite the bouncy tune about snuggling up with the significant other as the fire and repeated ingestion of popcorn added to the warmth. The Transfer's rendition takes the jauntiness out and replaces it with silky-smooth and slowly simmering romance to really get those feelings of nestling up in the lodge. I wouldn't blame the happy couple in the song if they didn't get off the sofa until the 27th.

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" already has representation on the blog through Tony Bennett's most wonderful version from 1968. But this one by the Manhattan Transfer is also plenty of fun with the orchestra going all snazzy and swingy. With the additional subtitle of "Santa Man", it's very hep, and all of the gang have put their vocalese on full. It's just a shade over three minutes but they have managed to pack in a lot of melodic dynamite.

Speaking of Tony Bennett, he makes a guest appearance on "The Christmas Album" via his and the Transfer's take on "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)", a chestnut that probably has even more articles on KKP such as the iconic version by Nat King Cole. As with all of the other versions, this collaboration between Bennett and the Transfer brings up the nostalgic warm-and-fuzzies and the Normal Rockwell images of Christmas at home surrounded by a nightly winter scene and lots of family and friends.

Let me take this opportunity then to wish all of the readers, commenters and contributors to "Kayo Kyoku Plus" a very Merry Christmas.

Farewell and Thank You, Tony Bennett (1926-2023)

from Wikipedia

 

I'll just let him sing.

Tony Bennett -- Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

 

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone down in the United States. Hope the turkey and stuffing taste good. Secondly, since it is November 25th, it is time for "Kayo Kyoku Plus" to hit Christmas mode, so for the next month before the Yuletide finally arrives, I will be putting up some J-Xmas tunes from time to time. Coincidentally enough, today falls on a Thursday which is usually time for the weekly Reminiscings of Youth article, so why not mix a ROY and a Christmas tune?

So, let us begin. According to Wikipedia, the old chestnut "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" created by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie may have been first recorded in October 1934 thanks to banjoist Harry Reser and his band, and it became a humongous hit so I gather that the money came to town, too. For little ol' J-Canuck, most likely my first listening to the song came about from watching the 1970 Rankin & Bass TV special of the same name starring Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney and Keenan Wynn. Oh, how I hated the Burgermeister Meisterburger and how I rooted for the young red-haired Kris Kringle!

Some years later, my parents bought me the vinyl of "A Christmas Gift" by Ronco with all sorts of songs of the season performed by some of the best singers including Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand and Julie Andrews. Now that I've had a record player for the past several years, I have been listening to the old LP again every year around this time, and Track 2 for me serves as probably my favourite version of the oft-recorded "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"...the one that had been on Tony Bennett's "Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album" from October 1968.

I can say with some confidence that my interest in jazz in general and especially my love for Big Band Swing arose because of Bennett's smashing take on "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town". There is that mix of jazz swing and seasonal orchestral strings working hard behind the smooth dulcet tones of the one and only Tony, and that intro won me over immediately. Most likely, my ears exploded on hearing that brass section tear out of the stereo speakers for the first time. It just feels like the singer was on the Las Vegas stage on December 24th, and again going to that mix, fellow listeners and fans like myself must have enjoyed the classy horns blasting behind Tony while the strings sounded like a melodic version of a Hallmark card. 

There have been other jazz takes on "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" with folks like Diana Krall, The Manhattan Transfer and Michael Buble, but my sentimental favourite will always be the one by Bennett. It is for that reason that it feels particularly poignant this year since on reading that the singer has hung up his tuxedo or suit for the final time after one last concert and one last album at the age of 95. I'm not sure even at that age or with his battle against Alzheimer's Disease whether he wanted his retirement but he's certainly earned it and he's left us a legacy of great music.

For the kayo comparison this time, I've decided to bring in some of the award winners from the 10th Annual Japan Record Awards from 1968.

Grand Prize: Jun Mayuzumi -- Tenshi no Yuwaku （天使の誘惑）

Performance Prize: Mina Aoe -- Isezakicho Blues （伊勢崎町ブルース）

Best New Artist: Pinky and Killers -- Koi no Kisetsu (恋の季節）