In the blink of an eye, we are at the end of another year. The year 2023 will be over, and everyone feels anxious about something in a world of constant conflict. At the very least, I want a warm heart to enjoy music. Perfect for the season, here are three albums I have been listening to frequently.
#235 Christmas Album by Talented Singer Samara Joy
A Joyful Holiday / Samara Joy
(Imported LP ⇒ Verve-5828569, CD ⇒ 5828568)
Among emerging young singers with excellent singing ability, Samara Joy is one of the most talented. She released this Christmas album for the 2023 season. It is a mini-CD with six songs, but the LP version was also released simultaneously, and I recommend listening to it on LP. I introduced Samara Joy’s album “Linger Awhile,” which was released in the summer of 2022, in Column No. 65 (♯218). It was a fantastic album that won the Grammy Awards for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” and “Best New Artist.” In this Christmas album, Samara sings Christmas songs perfectly with her lustrous and spontaneous voice and sensitive expressions.
The lyrics of ＜Warm in December＞ are summarized as “I’ll keep you warm with my love in December, so do the same for me.” Bob Russell wrote this song for Julie London, and Samara Joy also loves the music. ＜Twinkle Twinkle Little Me＞ is a pop song sung by The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and others, and the much-talked-about pianist Sullivan Fortner plays the piano with his touches gently accompanying Samara. Other classic songs such as ＜The Christmas Song＞ and ＜O Holy Night＞ are also featured. It is a beautiful Christmas album by the singer of the moment.
#236 Heartwarming Winter Album by Nicki Parrott with Her Soft Singing Voice
Winter Wonderland / Nicki Parrott
(Venus Records LP ⇒ VHJD-256, CD ⇒ VHCD-78272)
Nicki Parrott smiles in front of a warm fireplace with a gift in her hand. I have also introduced some of her albums (♯23 and ♯158). This album was recorded in 2012 at Avatar Studios in New York and is available on CD. Then, a newly remastered LP version was released in September 2023. Nicki is a vocalist born in Australia and moved to New York in her 20s. She has selected music based on seasonal themes for her “Spring,” “Summer,” and “Autumn” albums, and this is the “Winter” edition of the series.
Most Christmas pieces have warm and friendly melodies, for which Nicki’s soft voice is perfect. Along with such classics as ＜Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas＞ and ＜White Christmas＞, she selected numbers, including Louis Armstrong’s ＜Christmas In New Orleans＞, and ＜Blue Christmas＞, which was made famous by Elvis Presley. She even showed scat singing in Peggy Lee’s ＜Winter Weather＞. Nicki, who is also a top-notch bass player, played superb bass solos in pieces such as ＜My Favorite Things＞. The great Houston Person plays the tenor saxophone for the album. Nicki’s older sister, Lisa Parrott, who is two years older than her, plays the baritone saxophone, adding to the jazzy atmosphere. The new mastering of the LP by Venus Records, which advocates “Hyper Magnum Sound,” invites us into the exquisite world that only analog LPs create, with firmly realistic sounds.
#237 Bob Mete’s Natural Piano Sound
MY QUIET PLACE / Bob Mete Trio
(MUZAK MZCS-1444)
The sleeve of this album also features a fireplace, and the warm atmosphere of the album is conveyed through the beautiful room with a traditional atmosphere. Pianist Bob Mete lives a quiet life on his vast ranch in Earlysville, Virginia, in the eastern United States. As a professional musician, he teaches young players and writes music for television, commercials and films, but he rarely leaves his hometown.
Bob recorded this album in a studio built on the sprawling ranch. The private music created amid abundant nature is endlessly calm, gentle, and casual. The original pieces, recorded between 2010 and 2020, sound like environmental music and are perfect for background music in winter. Bob Mete had another album, “First Snowfall,” which was his debut in Japan and was indeed a winter-themed solo piano work, but here I dared to pick up this duo/trio album.
About the Author
Masamichi Okazaki
Surrounded by various kinds of music from his childhood, Masamichi Okazaki joined Waseda University Modern Jazz Club. He started contributing articles to music magazines when he was a student. He covers wide range of music not only trad, modern and contemporary jazz, but also from pops to classics. He writes liner notes for CDs and LPs, and is a regular contributor to “JAZZ JAPAN,” “STEREO,” and others. He joined a big band, “Shiny Stockings,” as a saxophone player. He is a director of The Music Pen Club Japan (MPCJ).
