Merry Magic
Eric Reed's adventurous holiday spirit and wicked technique combined with his generous improvisational gifts and good taste in selecting vocalists Erin Bode andPaula Westwill reward jazz fans looking for some surprises in their holiday music making. Reed's keyboard excursions (mostly with a trio) touch on the traditional carols, hymns, and standards but his own fanciful "Angels in the Snow" and his brave treatment of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"--where he turns that usually upbeat chestnut into a torch ballad--proves his bag is deep as Mr. C's. The ladies also do pleasant takes of old standbys. On "Santa Baby," West and Reed suggest a saucy tango while "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" with Bode is ripe for radio. And that cutting love song "After The Holidays" lets West shine as a prominent interpreter. But to show he has a sense of humor to go with his cool chops and acute sensibility (check out the piano solo on "The Christmas Song" and his monster grooving on "Little Drummer Boy" played up-tempo with a touch of swing), Reed brazenly delivers a snippet of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" with a churchy and cheesy organ blast that will knock you into the next year. --Martin Keller