Crafty Christmas

Trumpeter/flugelhorner Nathan Eklund organized the recording sessions that produced �Crafty Christmas� (OA2 Records OA2 22096) as a holiday gift to his parents; I�m pleased that he elected to grant the project mainstream distribution.

Eklund leads a quartet � joined by Oscar Perez, Fender Rhodes and piano; Tom DiCarlo, bass; and Shawn Baltazor, drums � in a sweet collection of straight-ahead, mostly gentle arrangements. These nine tracks run long, granting plenty of opportunities for improv; several open with Eklund�s soulful lead on horn, followed by bass and keyboard solos.

Eklund�s horn work is particularly sweet, almost contemplative, on expressive readings of �Silent Night� and �Christmas Time Is Here,� both of which also afford Perez nice solos on Fender Rhodes. The musical dynamic switches a bit for �Greensleeves,� which finds Eklund on flugelhorn and Perez on piano; the result is tender, almost melancholy at times.

The moody, slightly mysterious arrangement of �O Come, O Come Emmanuel� opens with a gorgeous bass solo from DiCarlo, but things get a bit stratospheric when Eklund�s horn turns uncharacteristically squawky; �I�ll Be Home for Christmas,� despite guest singer Kevin-Anthony�s gentle vocal, also is a trifle overwrought. But these are minor quibbles; the overall package is tasty and tight, reflecting the sort of smooth melodic bond that results when four well-rehearsed musicians get together.