Christmas Time is Here

The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra includes several jazz faculty members of the University of Tennessee and—in spite of the old dictum that “those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach”—these cats can really play! Chief among the 17 musicians on board are tenor saxophonist Gregory Tardy and bassist Rusty Holloway (who both take solo honors on a lively “Deck the Halls”), and Hammond B-3 player Dan Trudell (who roars into action on a supersonic “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and, with alto saxophonist Tim Green, puts some soul into “A Not-So Silent Night” ). Vance Thompson, the group’s founder and director, wrote the arrangements for the 12 selections here and plays flugelhorn on “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” which also features vocalist Jill Andrews. The most ambitious entry is “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” which features two choirs—a Methodist church choir’s a cappella “high church” introduction leads into the ensemble’s funky version (with solid underpinning by bassist Holloway) followed by the rousing gospel style choruses sung by an Evangelical Presbyterian choir. Tchaikovsky’s “Russian Dance” (from The Nutcracker Suite) is the band’s flag waver with solos by Mark Tucker (alto sax), Thompson (trumpet) and more stunning work by bassist Holloway. A very welcome addition to the Christmas-jazz genre.