It’s an Ed Palermo Christmas! God Bless Us, Everyone!
It’s an Ed Palermo Christmas! God Bless Us, Everyone!
An eclectic combination of familiar and new Christmas songs and a sprinkling of the usual suspects. Ed's original compositions shine!
It’s an Ed Palermo Christmas! God Bless Us, Everyone!
Artist: The Ed Palermo Big Band
Label: Sky Cat Records
23 tracks / 58:34
Like most of The Ed Palermo Big Band’s recent albums, It’s an Ed Palermo Christmas! God Bless us, Everyone! Is more than just a collection of neatly-performed songs arranged for big-band. The 23 (!) tracks include narrations, song fragments and reprises weaving through the traditional Christmas songs, holiday instrumentals, originals by Ed, and the usual suspects lurking in the bandleader’s wheelhouse (Zappa, Tull, Springsteen, Rascals, etc.). The end result is a non-traditional Christmas album that will please some, confuse others, and no-doubt offend a few – but you’d expect no less from Palermo, who’s pictured on the cover as a somewhat overwhelmed and harried Santa toting a suspicious-looking sack spilling over with toys, including a rubber chicken, a trumpet, and a snake. Expect a musical sackful of surprises…
After a brief narrated welcome to the project, the band launches into a fine ‘Toyland’-like arrangement of Zoltan Kodaly’s “Viennese Musical Clock,” which is followed by Zappa’s “Let’s Make the Water Turn Black” with new lyrics (sung by Palermo Big Band regular, Bruce McDaniel) that set up a narrative about Palermo’s band members. “How Can I Be Sure This is Candy’s Room?” is one of those mash-ups that only Ed can pull off, combining Springsteen’s “Candy’s Room” with The Rascal’s “How Can I Be Sure,” and Zappa’s “Cruising For Burgers.” Like I said – not your average Christmas album. The arrangement swings and Ben Kono’s tenor sax solo is outstanding.
“God Bless Us, Everyone,” the first of Palermo’s original compositions, is a delightful Christmas instrumental, warm and engaging, laced with delightful flute-play and rich ensemble playing by the horns, guitar and bass. Greg Lake’s “I Believe in Father Christmas” is given a respectful, powerful treatment, building up to a military cadence by the end.
Getting a little more traditional, Ed and the band perform a respectful rendition of “Little Drummer Boy,” with vocals by Nina Hennesey. Flutes and trumpet licks abound over a military snare. “Sofa/Away in A Manger” follows, pairing a Zappa standard with one of the most gentle and innocent of all Christmas songs – it works amazingly well, as Palermo weaves the two melodies seamlessly in and around each other. Robbie Mangano offers a powerful rock/blues guitar solo to round out the piece.
A brief reprise of “Candy’s Room/Cruisin’ For Burgers,” featuring the always-astounding Katie Jacoby on violin, leads up to a straight rendering of Zappa’s wonderful “Toads of the Short Forest” as only the Ed Palermo Big Band can do it, with a surprise vocal reference to “Toyland” sung by Nina Hennessey. Phil Chester on Soprano Sax and Ted Kooshian on synth absolutely shine. In contrast, Palermo’s “Christmas Carol” is a warm, reflective, melodic instrumental that feels like Christmas Eve by the fireplace watching the snow fall outside the window. “Rootny and Scrootny, the Christmas Babies,” the third of four Palermo originals, is whimsical, intricate, fun, and inspired by Ed’s grandchildren. Next, Ian Anderson’s “A Christmas Song” features vocal chameleon McDaniels channeling Jethro Tull. Ed’s fourth and final original here is the beautiful “Dustin’s Lullaby,” starting off with piano and sounding quite regal and a bit Procol Harum-ish - very beautiful piece which makes a good argument for an album full of Palermo originals. From the sublime to the …less sublime, we have Mike James sounding like an angry Sinatra singing “Dominic the Donkey” in full Italian-American swagger!
“Tiny Toy Soldiers” (Darius Milhaud) takes us back to Toyland for a brief tour just before the band swings Tchaikovsky with “Nut Rocker,” featuring Ted Kooshian on tack piano with the full band pushing him. A brief reprise of “I Believe in Father Christmas” ends by incorporating a “merry Christmas to you” right out of “The Christmas Song.” So, there you have it – some of it, anyway. A cornucopia of Christmas music by The Ed Palermo Big Band.
The album sounds bright and clean and is beautifully produced by Ed Palermo and Steve Jankowski. The album artwork is done by Cal Schenkel, a name that should resonate with all Frank Zappa fans, since Schenkel is responsible for some of Zappa’s most iconic album covers (of course, Schenkel incorporates photography by some *ahem* fine photographers).
A Santa-sack full of kudos go to Ed’s magnificent crew: Cliff Lyons (alto sax, clarinet), Phil Chester (alto sax, flute), Bill Staub (tenor sax, clarinet), Ben Kono (tenor sax, flute, Oboe), Barbara Cifelli (bari sax, bass clarinet, mutant Eb clarinet), Ronnie Buttacavoli (lead trumpet), John BailAugie Haas (trumpet), Bobby Spellman (trumpet), Charley Gordon (lead trombone), Mike Boschen (trombone), Matt Ingman (bass trombone), Christopher Olness (Bass trombone), Katie Jacoby (violin), Bob Quaranta (piano), Ted Kooshian (electric keyboards), Paul Adamy (bass), and Ray Marchica (drums). Of course, the whole crew is led by Ed Palermo, bandleader, arranger, and alto sax.
-Bert Saraco
You can see concert photography by Bert Saraco (including pictures of The Ed Palermo Big Band in action) at the link below.
