Christmas Jazz Jam

Christmas Jazz Jam
Studio album by Wynton Marsalis
Recorded	January 6–7, 2009
Genre	Holiday, jazz
Length	68:31
Label	Compass Productions
Producer	Jeff Jones

Christmas Jazz Jam is a holiday studio album by Wynton Marsalis, released in 2009 through Compass Productions. Guest musicians on the album include Wessell Anderson on alto saxophone, Vincent Gardner on trombone, Victor Goines, Wycliffe Gordon and Herlin Riley on drums.

In 2009 the album reached peak positions of number six on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart, number nine on the Top Holiday Albums chart, and number nineteen on the Top Independent Albums chart. In 2010 the album reached number 125 on the Billboard 200.^[1]

Background and composition

Christmas Jazz Jam marked Marsalis' first holiday album in twenty years. For the album, Marsalis assembled a group of ten musicians to perform uncredited arrangements of twelve holiday standards.^[2] Following "Mary Had a Baby" are traditional New Orleans jazz-style renditions of "Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont) and "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson).^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Los Angeles Times	[2]

Kirk Silsbee of the Los Angeles Times awarded the album three of four stars and called the arrangements "smart yet not ostentatious".^[2]

Track listing

Wynton Marsalis performing in 2009

1. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 4:50
2. "Mary Had a Baby" – 4:03
3. "Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont) – 4:43
4. "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson) – 5:24
5. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (John Wesley Work, Jr.) – 7:08
6. "O Christmas Tree" (Ernst Anschütz) – 7:25
7. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Phillips Brooks) – 7:21
8. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks) – 6:05
9. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 5:30
10. "Good King Wenceslas" (Thomas Helmore, John Mason Neale) – 6:49
11. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane) – 7:08
12. "Greensleeves" (traditional) – 2:05

Charts

In 2009 Christmas Jazz Jam reached peak positions of number six on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart, number nine on the Top Holiday Albums chart, and number nineteen on the Top Independent Albums chart. In 2010 the album reached number 125 on the Billboard 200.^[1]

Chart (2009)	Peak position
Billboard's Jazz Albums	6
Billboard's Top Holiday Albums	9
Billboard's Top Independent Albums	19
Chart (2010)	Peak position
Billboard 200	125

Personnel

Wycliffe Gordon

• Wessell Anderson – alto saxophone
• Jessica Barrios – photo stylist
• Walter Blanding – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
• Jason Dale – engineer
• Vincent Gardner – trombone
• Justin Gerrish – assistant engineer
• Victor Goines – clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
• Wycliffe Gordon – trombone, tuba
• Roberta Gumbel – vocals
• Paul Jarman – design
• Jedimaster – supervising engineer
• Jeff Jones – producer
• Cookie Jordan – make-up
• Jonathan Kelly – music copyist
• Joanne Levey – assistant producer
• Fernando Lodeiro – assistant engineer
• Evan Manners – assistant engineer
• Wynton Marsalis – trumpet
• Shinobu Mitsuoka – assistant engineer
• Raymond Murphy – production coordination
• Paul Nedzela – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
• Dan Nimmer – piano
• Herlin Riley – drums
• Genevieve Stewart – production coordination
• Meghan Thornton – production coordination
• Andy Tommasi – audio consultant
• Don Vappie – banjo, guitar, vocals
• Reginald Veal – bass
• Courtney Wagner – stylistic assistant
• Rob Waymen – photography

See also

	Christmas portal
	Jazz portal

• Best-selling Christmas/holiday albums in the United States
• Christmas carol
• Christmas songs introduced in theater, television, and film
• List of Christmas carols
• Wynton Marsalis discography

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Christmas Jazz Jam: Charts & Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/christmas-jazz-jam-r1691607/charts-awards. Retrieved November 4, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Silsbee, Kirk (December 10, 2010). "Holiday jazz CDs". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-holiday-jazz-cds-20101210,0,3419454.story. Retrieved November 4, 2011.