Change Of Seasons

Moving over to the instrumental side of the Christmas Jazz equation, Tim Green and Trio Cambia opened Change of Seasons with "The Drummer Boy's" companion in pop piety, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" to surprisingly good results. In a session that strikes a winter celebration tone as much as a Christmas tone, the trio shows attention to arrangement and detail that makes each track sparkle. Each member of the ensemble plays two instruments so we get a serious round of musical chairs with Green shifting from the piano bench to the bass stool, Maegdlin going from the piano to the drum throne, and Vinsel moving between bass ad drums. There's never any drop in quality no matter who is where, nor any sense of what instrument is a particular musician's double. The repertoire is chary on seasonal favorites with Green and company favoring pop hits from the 1960s and '70s including "Everything's Alright" from "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Little Altar Boy," another nod to the Carpenters - are we on the verge of a spate of Carpenters tribute albums" - and "Time of the Season." Even two of the more usual adopted as a Christmas tune, and "Linus and Lucy" - date from that time. Yet the session doesn't feel dated in the least. It's a crisply rendered smartly delivered set that establishes a celebratory mood.