Last-minute stocking stuffers?

Two new albums debuted this month, definitely of interest to Guaraldi fans.

In addition to this post, both also have been added (after the fact) to this year’s December 1 update of “The Sincerest Form of Flattery,” so you’ll want to check out how they scored.

 

Meanwhile...

 

This first newcomer, I must confess, was a bit of an eyebrow-lift.

 

Welsh musician Amanda Whiting is the first known person in the UK to obtain a Master’s Degree of Jazz in harp ... an achievement that initially seemed an oxymoron.

 

Jazz harp? Seriously?

 

And yet she definitely proves it, with the seasonal and heavily Guaraldi-influenced A Christmas Cwtch. That latter word is Welsh for cuddle, or embrace, which perfectly describes this lovely album.

 

Whiting is backed by the jazz duo of Aidan Thorne, bass; and Mark O’Connor, drums and percussion; their contributions mostly favor quiet shading and comping. Lucia Capellaro also adds soft cello touches during a leisurely reading of “In the Bleak Midwinter.”

 

Whiting opens and closes her album with fleeting solo riffs on “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” cleverly subtitled (respectively) “The Night Before” and “Has He Been?” The album’s quieter tunes are highlighted by her contemplative improv bridges, as heard in the moody, mysterious “Sugarplum”; a sweet and wistful handling of the Peanuts “Happiness Theme”; and a solemn arrangement of Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece.”

 

Whiting borrows Guaraldi’s familiar arrangements for “The Christmas Song,” “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Skating” and “O Christmas Tree.” The latter opens with solo harp — just like Guaraldi’s solo piano — and then Thorne and O’Connor kick things into a nice, mid-tempo swing. And if you still doubt a harp’s ability to fit in this environment, pay attention to Whiting’s jazz chops during the improv bridge.

 

She’s equally feisty during a vibrant run at Guaraldi’s “Christmas Is Coming,” which boasts cool walking bass; and the appropriately brisk handling of “Skating,” where her harp cascades evoke snowfall just as successfully as Guaraldi’s keyboard runs. The latter’s swing bridge is particularly cool, as also is the case with the lengthy trio improv bridge in “We Three Kings.”

 

The occasionally sassy chops aside, this is primarily “pretty jazz,” meant to be enjoyed during the quiet shank of an evening, perhaps while imbibing a final glass of eggnog after a boisterous party. But whatever descriptor is employed, this album definitely belongs in everybody’s collection of holiday music.

 

I can’t say the same of the next one.

 

The Commercialists — a Wisconsin-based trio consisting of Anthony Deutsch, piano; Clay Schaub, bass; and Patrick Morrow, drums — is one of many regional U.S. combos that have brightened the holiday season with annual performances of Guaraldi’s music from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Deutsch and his mates have been a popular seasonal draw at numerous venues for slightly more than a decade, and the just-released A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live at The Jazz Estate was recorded at that club on December 22, 2023.

Deutsch is a firecracker pianist with serious chops, best showcased on his trio’s covers of “Linus and Lucy” and “Skating.” But that’s getting ahead of things; the album (appropriately) opens with a Guaraldi-esque arrangement of “O Tannenbaum,” beginning with quiet solo piano and then building to a gentle trio number that grants Schaub a lovely bass solo. “My Little Drum” is next, again sounding like Guaraldi, until Deutsch strays into fresh territory with a vibrant keyboard bridge that offers hints of the familiar melody. 

 

“Christmas Time Is Here” and a peppy “Linus and Lucy” are equally engaging. “Skating” opens with a solid waltz beat, and Deutsch’s keyboard cascades sparkle; the lengthy keyboard bridge improv is backed by feisty walking bass, as the tempo increases ... then everybody brings the tune home.

 

Alas, this album subsequently goes off the rails.

 

After introducing the melody in “Christmas Is Coming” (mislabeled on the CD jacket), Deutsch and Schaub wander through a long, increasingly tedious bridge that shoots into the outer stratosphere. A mélange of “The Wassail Song” and “The Christmas Song” begins as Deutsch vocalizes the first tune in overly melodramatic fashion, after which he slides into “Christmas Song” with exaggerated pauses. The sidemen enter, with Schaub’s bass handling a bridge against Deutsch’s irritating, Keith Jarrett-style moaning and mumbling. At just a few seconds shy of 9 minutes, the band’s handling of this medley is beyond self-indulgent.

 

But Deutsch isn’t finished. He also talks/sings/mumbles his way through an equally lamentable reading of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” which might have made the Jolly Red Elf skip this town entirely.

 

The album concludes with a “surprise” bonus track, as Deutsch leads the venue patrons through a group sing-along of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sings,” the way A Charlie Brown Christmas concluded. I’m sure this was a sweet touch in person ... but it doesn’t quite work as an album finale.

 

All told, uneven at best.