Change Of Seasons

Trio Cambia's Change of Seasons is an intriguing critter for a couple of reasons. First, it's not quite a holiday album, as its title suggests, these eight tracks include holiday tunes, seasonal church hymns and even a few pop standards. Second, front man Tim Green and his two sideman - Mark Maegdilin and Jake Vinsel - alternate instruments and therefore deliver several variations of their "trio" sound.

Green trades off between piano and bass; Maegdlin is equally comfortable on drums and piano; and Vinsel bounces from bass to drums.

The result is never less than tasty, as their album-opening approach to "Do You Hear What I Hear?" demonstrates; Green dominates the melody line on piano, with the other two shading the arrangement just so.

Maegdlin takes over on piano for a slightly faster version of "A Child Is Born," with Green offering deft counterpoint on bass while Vinsel keeps the tempo lively. This track undergoes a tempo shift about midway through, and the second half genuinely cooks: definitely the album's peppiest number.

In great contrast, the consecutive "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow" and a Green original, "Meditation I: Winter Morning," form a contemplative medley. Both are short tracks: Vinsel bows a somber bass on the first, while the second is a quiet, pensive piano solo by Green.

In between these holiday-esque tracks, the trio also delivers pleasant covers of "Everything's Alright," from "Jesus Christ Superstar," and the Zombies' 1960 hit, "Time for the Seasons."

My only complaint? The album is too short. At roughly 38 minutes, these guys certainly obey the old stage adage: They leave us wanting more.