Jeff Hamilton Trio: “Merry & Bright” (2021) CD Review

Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” contains the line “May your days be merry and bright.” Jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton has used part of that line as the title of his new holiday album, though interestingly “White Christmas” is not covered among its tracks. But don’t worry, most, if not all, of the songs chosen will be familiar to you. And the music itself, for the most part, is merry and bright. Jeff Hamilton Trio released its first album back in the mid-1990s, and has put out several discs since then, including a few live albums. The trio on Merry & Bright is made up of Jeff Hamilton on drums, Tamir Hendelman on piano, and Jon Hamar on bass.

The album opens with “It’s The Holiday Season,” a song written by Kay Thompson. The trio delivers a cool rendition that swings and sways, and has a lively sound. There is plenty of holiday cheer here, even for those who might ordinarily want to give the whole thing a miss. This recording might be just the thing to get even the crustiest and most jaded of folks on board. That’s followed by an excellent version of “Caroling Caroling” which starts with some solo drum work, a delicious, interesting beat. The track then settles into that more familiar realm, but the drum work plays a prominent role throughout, and keeps the energy up. Merry and bright, indeed! And then we get “The Little Drummer Boy.” How could a drummer release a Christmas album and not cover “Little Drummer Boy”? It would be unthinkable. And I’m glad for that, because it’s one of my personal favorite songs of the holiday. This is an interesting version, with the drums at the fore, and some great work with brushes. The piano then gently plays that familiar theme below the beat, creating an interesting effect. And surprisingly, the piano and bass are the instruments that explore a bit here, with the drums holding steady. The track concludes with just drums, and yes, it is one of my favorites of the album.

Jeff Hamilton delivers a rather fun rendition of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” It is fairly faithful at first, which is fine, but gets more interesting approximately halfway through, with little bursts on drums, and then some wonderful work on bass before returning to that main theme. That’s followed by “Bright Bright The Holly Berries,” the only song on the album that was not all that familiar to me. Like “Caroling Caroling,” it was written by Alfred Burt and Wihla Hutson. It is also known as “This Is Christmas.” This version begins with some beautiful, soothing work on piano. Then, after a minute or so, Jeff Hamilton and Jon Hamar come in. There is a delightful warmth to the playing of all three musicians, and this ends up being a thoroughly enjoyable track. Then they give us “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.” And, you know, this album is good enough that I feel it could persuade me that the holiday season really is the most wonderful time of the year. I especially love that moment approximately halfway through when the track begins to swing. Soon after that, Jon Hamar is featured with a good lead on bass.

I love the way these guys open “Here Comes Santa Claus.” The first time I listened to this album, I actually didn’t recognize the song at first, and, yes, that’s a good thing. After all, this isn’t one of the best holiday songs. But I love what they do with it, particularly Tamir Hendelman’s work on piano. And the song has an unusual and wonderful rhythm, helping to make it one of the best versions I’ve heard. It is an unexpected delight. That’s followed by “Santa Baby.” It’s a bit odd to hear an instrumental version of this song, because its main selling point is usually the vocal performance. With many Christmas songs, I prefer instrumental versions because the lyrics aren’t all that good. But this song is an exception. That being said, these guys are clearly having a good time with it, especially when they get loose and jam, straying a bit from the main line. That’s when this version really shines. And there are short drum solos in the second half.

Things mellow out a bit with the album’s final two tracks. “O Tannenbaum” is so pretty, so warm, so gentle. This track does for me what I suspect much of the holiday music intends to do. That is, it fills me with a peaceful feeling, and a longing to be with family. It makes me want to tell those close to me that I love them, and somehow also makes me believe things are all right. That’s a lot for one tune to do, but Jeff Hamilton Trio delivers a beautiful and soothing rendition. The album then concludes with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” which also gives me that great and desired sense that we will somehow be okay. I’ve always preferred the earlier set of lyrics, which includes the lines “Someday soon we all will be together if the fates allow/Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” So much better than that vapid “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” line. But of course this rendition has neither line. It opens with a section with just piano and bass before easing into its main theme. This beautiful track is a perfect ending to this special holiday album.

CD Track List

1. It’s The Holiday Season
2. Caroling Caroling
3. The Little Drummer Boy
4. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
5. Bright Bright The Holly Berries
6. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
7. Here Comes Santa Claus
8. Santa Baby
9. O Tannenbaum
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Merry & Bright was released on November 19, 2021 on Capri Records.