Christmas Break (Relaxing Jazz For The Holidays) [Remastered] - Various Artists

Advantages: Great jazz tunes from the Golden Age
Disadvantages: None

...a little something to this pure piece of jazz-blues piano work that makes up this excellent tune. Solitude by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra begins strangely with what sounds on this recording by what sounds like some off-key piano playing. Then the rest of the orchestra slowly join in. I fear that this recording is marred by damage to the masters, as it seems to have some problems. Even so, it shows what Duke an his court could do. Speaking of royalty in jazz, the next track is King Oliver with Rhythm Club Stomp. This is re-mastered for digital stereo and seems to have benefited from the experience. It could be this might be one of the accidental stereo recordings that was discovered. Apparently it was the habit of some record producers to use two sets of recording equipment on a recording session, as insurance against an equipment... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic range of great tunes and songs
Disadvantages: None

...My late Father would have approved of this CD. For this, he would have said, was real Jazz. "Not like this modern rubbish!" My father's idea of real Jazz was music by the greats of the 1920 and 1930s. Jack Teagarden, for example. Mezz Mezzrow, was another of his heroes. And perhaps some of the early Louis Armstrong. Well, two out of three ain't bad. There's no Mezz Mezzrow on this CD, but there is plenty of Jack Teagarden and some early Louis Armstrong, too. There's also Lester Young and Artie Shaw, too. I have to agree with my dad. This rocks. Well, perhaps not rocks, but I think you know what I mean! Jack Teagarden's jazz is the ultimate in smoooooth jazz. Until he really wanted to become lively, then it was as if you were listening to an entirely different orchestra. The first two Jack Teagarden and his Orchestra tracks... Read review

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Advantages: Great lyrics | Very funny | Very original
Disadvantages: Some weak tracks | Will offend | Hard to find

...’t worth the hassle in a hilarious few lines and from which the beat of the song picks up. Ends on a touching note and little Kyle are happy again. How sweet. 7. I Saw Three Ships | Shelley Marsh (1.02) ‘Shelley got up and killed that turd on Christmas day in the morning’ Stan’s sister plays the piano and sings a solo of this traditional Christmas song. However with her ‘headgear’ and Stan and Kyle in the background distracting her its not going to go too smoothly. A nice break up from the heavy chorus songs of before it settles the album down quite well. 8. It Happened In Sun Valley | Stan & Wendy (2.21) ‘It happened in Sun Valley not so very long ago’ South Parks own babes in the woods have their very own Christmas duet. Signalling the (nearly) mid point of the album this song really packs a punch musically... Read review

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