Various Artists: Portrait of Bill Evans
Victor VICJ-81171
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

It was with no little trepidation that I tore the cellophane off Portrait of Bill Evans, one of JVC’s latest XRCD24 releases, and loaded the disc in my CD player. How does one create a tribute album to a jazz pianist, especially one of Evans’s colossal stature? But here, pianists Eliane Elias, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, and Brad Mehldau attempt to invoke Evans’s spirit -- his quiet lyricism -- and, for the most part, succeed. Hancock’s original "Gotta Rhythm" falls far short of the mark, but Mehldau’s two numbers, along with Elias’s "Come Rain or Come Shine," make up for it and then some. The sound is big, abundant with energy and inner detail. There is more leading-edge bite than with most JVC XRCDs, which always sound warm and robust. I would love to have seen pianist Jessica Williams included here; she’s a natural for a Bill Evans project. But this CD surprised me -- I’ve been listening to it over and over….Marc Mickelson

Anonymous 4: Wolcum Yule
Harmonia Mundi 807325
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

The recently disbanded Anonymous 4 was a quartet of women who sang mostly medieval songs and motets. On this holiday release, first released on CD in 2003, they came a bit forward in time to sing some traditional English, Irish, and Scottish carols and dances, and into the present for Christmas anthems by Benjamin Britten, Peter Maxwell Davies, Richard Rodney Bennett, and Geoffrey Burgon. The four voices weave a most appealing musical tapestry, and Alexander Lawrence-King provides imaginative and colorful accompaniment on a variety of harps. Their performances together are impeccable. The sound is broad and reverberant, thanks to the rear channels, but is not lacking in necessary detail. The joyous yet delicate interplay of voices and harp on such tracks as "I Saw Three Ships" and "Can Wassel (Wassail Song)" bear full witness to that. The booklet contains full texts and better-than-usual notes….Rad Bennett

Holst: The Planets
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Walter Susskind, conductor.
Mobile Fidelity UDSACD-4005
Format: Hybrid Multichannel SACD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

There is no lack of good recordings of this popular work on SACD and DVD-Audio, but this one is exceptionally lyrical and well recorded. Conductor Susskind doesn’t neglect the angry rhythms of Mars or the impish rhythmic patterns of Uranus, but his forte is in bringing out the singing line. Mars has seldom sounded so melodic, or the middle section of Jupiter so nobly lyrical. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra plays like a world-class ensemble, producing moments of revelation. Surely, the opening strings in Jupiter have seldom been so well articulated. The engineers for the original quad vinyl release were Johanna Nickrenz and Marc J. Aubort, and their beautiful work has been lovingly transferred to this 4.0-channel SACD. Listen to the clarity of the opening of Mars -- both the rhythmic strings and the struck gong are singularly clean and clear. In the final movement, Neptune, Holst calls for an offstage women’s chorus; the engineers have placed it in the surrounds for an eerie and mystical effect. This placement also allows the tinkly harp and celeste figuration in the front channels to be heard without straining. Neptune alone makes this Planets worth buying….Rad Bennett

The Yellowjackets: Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration
Heads Up 3090
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Christmas music is one genre I typically can’t stomach for long -- I can take only so many new interpretations of "Silent Night" or "The Little Drummer Boy." Still, I figured the Yellowjackets’ knack for invention would offer a twist on these old chestnuts. My hopes were only partially fulfilled. Although Peace Round: A Christmas Celebration is pleasant, there was no point in this ten-song set at which I experienced something special. That’s not to say that the music isn’t well performed or produced -- it just isn’t as engaging as I’d hoped. The Yellowjackets’ musicianship and the CD’s mood and excellent production values do elevate this clichéd group of songs from the mundane into the realm of tasty time filler. But Peace Round will not get your foot tapping, as do most of this jazz group’s original efforts. These Christmas jingles are best enjoyed as background music against the crackle and warmth of a fire….Anthony Di Marco

Hiroshima: Spirit of the Season
Heads Up 3089
Format: CD

Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment

Eclectic instruments and a gentle hand make this Christmas effort from the Japanese jazz-rock group Hiroshima a very enjoyable and relaxing experience. Much of the credit goes to the disc’s wistful aural atmosphere, supported by a trio of traditional Far East instruments and Western guitar. Who knew life could still be wrung from songs as tired as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"? Soulful vocals also contribute to a freshness that serves to invigorate this Yuletide effort. Even "The Little Drummer Boy" gets a whack of life, via weighty Japanese taiko drums. The sound is excellent, with just a tad of excessive brightness on some cuts. Drum strokes and bass guitar are deep and tight, and often penetrated the floorboards of my living room. I was ready to be disappointed by yet another half-baked Christmas album. Instead, I found that this surreal experience placed me in a very peaceful state of mind -- and being at peace is what the spirit of this season is all about….Anthony Di Marco