About this product

Product Identifiers

Record LabelCD Baby, Cdb

UPC0641444058624

eBay Product ID (ePID)25046041820

Product Key Features

FormatCD

Release Year2009

GenreXmas Vocal

ArtistChris Dawson

Release TitleStridin Through Christmas

Dimensions

Item Height0.40 in

Item Weight0.18 lb

Item Length5.60 in

Item Width4.90 in

Additional Product Features

Number of Tracks15

Number of Discs1

TracksJingle Bells, Silent Night, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Oh Christmas Tree, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, What Child Is This (Greensleeves), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Sleigh Ride, The Christmas Song, Away in a Manger, We Three Kings, Let It Snow, White Christmas

NotesWhat Others have said about Chris Dawson's Christmas Album 'A master of stride piano. You've never heard holiday tunes like this before!' -Alan Broadbent Two-time Grammy winner "So beautifully played. A lovely album" -Dick Hyman Seven-time MVP Award Winner, NARAS 'Marvelous playing. Let's hear it for clarity of line, melodic phrases, tone and touch. Let's hear it for Chris Dawson's beautiful recording!' -John Clayton Grammy-Award winning Bassist "Terrific. Poise, clarity and balance. Brings these chestnuts to life. Clean as a whistle! -Dave Frishberg Four-time Grammy Nominee 'Eloquent. A joy to listen to and a must have Christmas album.' -Bob Sheppard Grammy-nominated Jazz saxophonist "Beautiful. His touch and tone will make you stop what you are doing." -Alan Pasqua Pianist and Professor of Jazz Studies, USC "Fresh. Delightful. Swings tastefully!" Scott Yanow, Author of Jazz On Record "Harmonically beautiful arrangements. The music is timeless." -Gary Foster World class Jazz Saxophonist STRIDING THROUGH CHRISTMAS Liner Notes Jazz and Christmas songs have long had a mutually beneficial relationship. Recordings of Yuletide favorites allow jazz musicians to reach a wider audience than usual, and their improvisations help to keep the Christmas songs alive, vital and swinging Chris Dawson has been playing Christmas tunes for years. "I have a lot of fun with them and treat the songs as if they were jazz standards from the 1920s, 30s and 40s by well known composers. I try not to think of these tunes as Christmas songs but as standards that Gershwin, Irving Berlin or Walter Donaldson wrote, asking myself 'how would I play them?'" A professional from the age of nine, Chris started out with ragtime, stride piano and swing. In high school he was introduced to the more modern music of Bill Evans, Lennie Tristano, Bud Powell and others. He studied with Cedar Walton at USC, met Alan Broadbent who became an influential mentor, and studied arranging with John Clayton. Since then Chris has been just as at home at classic jazz and swing festivals as in more modern settings. He considers his influences to include Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Nat Cole, Hank Jones and Bill Evans but actually plays in his own open-minded style. Like Dick Hyman, Chris can switch effortlessly between styles while still sounding like himself. Fellow pianist Alan Broadbent has called Chris, 'a master and unsung hero of improvised stride piano.' Chris's piano artistry combines prodigious technique with a great capacity to swing. He is equally at home with soulful ballads and racehorse tempos. Hopefully this is just the first in a continuing series of albums that showcase his remarkable talents. On Striding Through Christmas, Chris Dawson performs fresh versions of 15 Christmas songs. The variety is impressive, as is the consistently high quality of his interpretations. The delightful program begins with a joyful stride rendition of "Jingle Bells," a song that sounds like a 1920s or New Orleans jazz standard. His thoughtful rendition of "Silent Night" is modernized without losing the essence of the melody. The relaxed swing of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas," taken at a perfect medium-slow tempo, is worthy of Teddy Wilson. "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" strides happily, displaying the joy felt by children at the beginning of the Christmas season. Chris' walking bass line on "O Christmas Tree" really makes the piece swing. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" has rarely cooked at this level, with Chris' light but insistent striding turning this into a romp. Since "What Child Is This" is based on the traditional English hymn "Greensleeves," he combines them during an introspective treatment. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," often played as a ballad, it treated as a medium-tempo swing standard. "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (made famous by Gene Autry) is one of the happiest of all Christmas songs. Chris takes it as an uptempo stride showcase. One c