Cranbrook Christmas Jazz

Speaking of music in the church, Christmas-themed jazz worship services seem to be gaining traction across the country. The Rev. Bill Carter, who holds forth at the aforementioned First Presbyterian Church of Clark's Summit, has led his Presbybop combo in a Christmas Eve jazz concert for many years now.

A few states west, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, famed jazz bassist Rodney Whitaker and his sextet have made a tradition of joining the Christ Church Cranbrook Choir, shortly before December 25 each year, for a Christmas jazz performance. The collaboration proved popular enough to generate an album, Cranbrook Christmas Jazz.

This is a extensive album — more than 70 minutes — with most tracks granted long arrangements that allow plenty of time for solo showcases. Many are forceful and challenging; this is jazz in the purest sense, far removed from a supper club vibe.

Although the album's 14 tracks are dominated by vocals, two are instrumental, including the opener: "Personent Hodie," an obscure Medieval chant that became a popular processional hymn when arranged by Gustav Holst in 1916. It's a showcase here for all the players in the combo, with Whitaker and drummer Michael Reed providing a polyrhythmic foundation that grants a solid backdrop for solos by Timothy Blackmon (trumpet), Len'I McKinney (sax), Chris Glassman (bass trombone) and Rick Roe (piano).

Roe's solos, shading and deft comping are a highlight throughout the entire album. He opens "Winter Wonderland" — the second instrumental — with a deliciously clever deconstruction of the melody, in a solo that runs almost three minutes before the arrangement switches to swing time when he's joined by Whitaker and Reed.

Guest artist Vanessa Rubin's warm, earthy vocals highlight five tracks, starting with her heartfelt handling of "The Christmas Song," which grants Glassman a lovely solo on bass trombone. Rudin's wistful reading of "Christmas Time Is Here" is equally sweet; she pauses long enough for brief solos by everybody, with Blackmon's muted trumpet adding a contemplative touch. Her approach to Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born" is positively reverential, with Whitaker's bass and the horns supplying gentle shading.

Rudin shifts into sassy jazz mode for a Calypso-hued arrangement of "Little Drummer Boy," fueled by Reed and Whitaker's infectious beat. Toward the end, Rudin and McKinney enjoy a delightful "call and response" via scat and sax.

The choir enhances the album's three liturgical songs: "Silent Night," with some lovely shading by Whitaker; "O Holy Night," which grants all the musicians brief solos; and "In the Bleak Midwinter," backed solo by piano and drums, and featuring a solemn vocal by Tom Shilakes.

Christopher McDole's melancholy vocal on "It's Easy to Blame the Weather" — which Billie Holiday recorded back in 1939 — is somewhat ill-served by the playful swing arrangement and Blackmon's cheerful trumpet solo. Rubin tackles "My Favorite Things" with feisty panache, and its arrangement sneaks in a slight touch of Coltrane.

But there's nothing "slight" about the album closer — a sassy reading of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" — with its "Killer Joe" ambiance. Rubin leaves no doubt when she name-checks that jazz classic, following Glassman's killer trombone solo ... after which she warbles a line or two from almost a dozen other Christmas carols, before everybody brings the tune — and the album — to a rousing finale.