The Gathering
Amber Inn, 2020
8/10
The always impressive jazz vocalist Amber Weekes returns with her first Christmas album, where she’s joined by esteemed Los Angeles musicians including Paul Jackson Jr., John B. Williams and Josh Nelson, among many others.
“The Christmas Waltz” starts the listen and immediately sets the mood with Weekes’ sparkling, pristine vocals guiding the dreamy, elegant jazz setting where warm piano, soft percussion and strategic brass are in attendance, and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” follows and brings Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar to a calm and expressive display of soaring strings alongside Jackson’s intricate 6 string work with some bossa nova nods.
Halfway through, “Some Children See Him” displays much atmosphere as bagpipes, strings and backing vocals from Ernie Fields Jr. complement the emotive landscape, while “What Are You Doing New Years’ Eve” benefits greatly from Jacques Lesure’s guitar on the bluesy influenced song craft. “Winter Wonderland”, one of the album’s best, then has Weekes putting a playful and sublime spin on the classic with fun saxophones stabs.
“Let It Snow” and “The Gathering” bookend the listen, where the former showcases Weekes’ strong, versatile pipes amid Andrew Carney’s trumpet and keys from Tony Capodonico and Sammy Cahn, and the latter exits with several vocalists in a busy delivery that even recruits a violin solo from Mark Cargill.
An ideal disc for entertaining during the holidays, The Gathering brings both traditional and obscure songs to a festive and extremely precise environment as Weekes and company resonate warmth and comfort.
Travels well with: Ellen Edwards- A New York Session; Diane Moser- Birdsongs