Bob Thompson’s jazzy “Joy to the World”
Artist: Bob Thompson (www.colortones.com)
Album: “More Joy to the World” (Colortones)
Nine years after the release of the first set of holiday tunes culled from Bob Thompson’s annual “Joy to the World” production, Charleston’s beloved pianist has issued a second installment. And the opener, a beautiful, extended take on the traditional “March of the Magi,” proves the he’s got plenty of great material in the hopper.
Featuring his “new” band (drummer Tim Courts, bassist John Inghram, guitarist Ryan Kennedy and saxophonist Doug Payne) the tune begins with a drum cadence that leads into the minor-keyed melody and a full bevy of solos. Pay particular attention to Kennedy’s solo — a fluid and melodic ride that evidences how his playing continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
In addition to jazzy takes on “O Tannenbaum” and “The First Noel,” Thompson’s own “The Sleigh Bell Song” is another standout with Doug Payne providing the circular melody on his Ewi, and the solo section switching gears to 7/4 time. After Thompson’s solo “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” the disc ends with the sole pair of vocal tracks. Recorded in 2000, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” is the oldest track and features bassist extraordinaire Dwayne Dolphin along with one of Thompson’s rare vocal performances — a spoken rendition of the poem over a simmering, funky groove. Blues belter Toni Lynn Washington, Thompson’s 2002 guest vocalist, joins forces with The Appalachian Children’s Chorus to close out the disc with a mellow version of “Silent Night.”
– By Michael Lipton
