TOM GRANT/REBECCA KILGORE: Winter Warm

Tom Grant/Rebecca Kilgore

Winter Warm

© 2007 nu-wrinkle

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The warm glow from this Christmas record will last well into the summer months. Winter Warm is a treasure from two Northwest jazz icons. Pianist Tom Grant has produced over twenty albums of chart-topping smooth jazz.

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Rebecca tours the world with her own band and has sung on over 30 records. Famed guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli has said of her “If Benny Goodman were alive today, he’d hire Becky to sing in his band.” Dick Hadlock, author and jazz host on KCSM-FM, San Mateo CA says that Rebecca “has refined her vocal gifts and stands now….as a leading interpreter of America’s classic popular songs.” She has toured with the famed pianist, humorist-composer Dave Frishberg and they have recorded together as well. He says of Rebecca “she has a great sense of swing…and a heartfelt unpretentiousness.”

Tom Grant has toured the world with such jazz greats as Joe Henderson, Tony Williams and Charles Lloyd. Jeff Lorber says “Tom is a terrific improviser and writer. He plays with an inventiveness, elegance and economy. He is one of the best players on the scene today.” He has recorded on Verve Forecast, Windham Hill and many smaller labels and during the 80’s and 90’s had sales of 30-50 thousand units on various titles.

The material on this Holiday record reflects Rebecca’s unique gift for finding little-known song gems. The title track “Winter Warm”, is a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song whose only prior recording is by the relatively obscure 50’s artist, Gale Storm. Another great track is the singularly quirky (and jazzy) Frishberg winner, “Snowbound”. Tom and Rebecca do a charming duet on a slightly obscure Sinatra classic called “Christmas Dreaming.” Another rare beauty is “A Song for Christmas” which Rebecca sings with a tenderness that touches the soul.

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  • My new favorite Christmas CD
    author: Lizann J Schultz

    I will play this CD all year long. Rebecca and Tom breathe new life into every selection and show off their unbelievable talent. This one is a must have for any fan of Rebecca Kilgore or Tom Grant!

  • WINTER WARM
    author: Aaron Arnold

    While the world has us conditioned to only listen to Christmas and winter songs between Thanksgiving and Christmas, just hearing WINTER WARM for the first time in the middle of that period makes me long to have it endure among my music collection year round. It brings out the best in two remarkable talents, and celebrates the season by giving us a few renditions of songs we likely to not be all too familiar with, and revitalizing songs we thought we couldn't possibly find any room to grow with, which of course they do. The title song is the greatest among the revelations, a buried Bacharach/David treasure that both Grant's playing and Kilgore's vocals bring out the heart and soul of. It's a shame many of the songwriters whose work is represented aren't around to hear this cd, as I am certain they would feel their song is performed in a manner they would have seen ideally fit, such as Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's "A Christmas Waltz." I was always blown away by how you can hear Ronnie Spector smile while she is singing her classic rendition of "Sleigh Ride," and I can't tell you how endearing it is more than forty years later to hear Becky Kilgore do the same, add even more charm and appeal, and with a rendition that seems more attuned to what composer Leroy Anderson would have had in mind for a vocal version. As a tailend baby boomer, I have a special place in my heart for "Christmas Time Is Here," having gone from hearing it annually in the Peanuts television special, to the slowly growing discovery of how it stands well on its own, and the songs journey in my mind has reached its highest peak with a celebration of the enchanting melody and the simple yet deep message of the song, with Becky Kilgore making every word count, and Tom Grant doing the same for every note. The holiday season has just gotten a whole lot better thanks to these two grade A musicians.

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