It’s beginning to look (and sound) like Christmas everywhere you go once again. Store shelves are stocked with the sights of the season, what with all of the decorations and holiday present deals out there already. The annual holiday shopping ads are everywhere on television again, and they are full of those familiar holiday tunes, too. Even global retailer Target has in its weekly ad this week, lots of Christmas music for sale. Speaking of all the seasonal music that is now available, the George Gee Swing Orchestra’s new holiday covers collection, Winter Wonderland joined this year’s mass of seasonal music offerings Wednesday. This 10-song compilation is an intriguing presentation that will find very specific audience through its covers. Perhaps the most notable of the record’s covers is that of the traditional song, ‘Jingle Bells.’ The compilation’s finale, it will be discussed shortly. The collective’s cover of the Frank Loesser standard, ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?’ is another notable addition to the record and will be examined a little later. The group’s take of the famed ‘The Christmas Song’ is also of note here and will also be examined later. Each song noted here does its own to make this collection worth hearing. When they are considered along with the rest of the record’s entries, the whole becomes a work that a very targeted audience will appreciate.
Winter Wonderland, the new holiday music collection from the George Gee Swing Band, is an intriguing offering from the group. Its unique takes on so many holiday standards will appeal to a very specific targeted audience. The most notable of the songs that will find appeal among those audiences is the record’s finale, the cover of the timeless traditional, ‘Jingle Bells.’ The song starts off slightly subdued in its opening bars before really kicking into gear from there, with various members of the group getting their moment to shine. The swing approach taken here is a perfect fit for the song, which has been taken in the swing direction by other acts across the musical universe. Between the solos, the steady time keeping from drummer Chris Latona, and the support role of pianist Steve Einerson, the whole herein produces a catchy song that is sure to appeal to plenty of listeners.
The group’s take of the classic Frank Loesser tune, ‘What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve’ is its own notable addition to the record. Having been covered by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Bette Midler, The Carpenters, and even Rod Stewart among so many others, this song is a beloved work, needless to say. John Dokes’ velvety vocals pair here so well with the support from Einerson and Latona to make this subdued composition so engaging. It is also about the only point in the collection in which the group does not come across as a lounge act. What can be really well said of this cover is that it stays true to the approach taken by those noted artists and so many others. In all honestly, the arrangement performed here is much closer to the 1949 rendition from The Orioles than any of them. It has that same almost poppy vibe in its gentle swing. Keeping all of this in mind, it proves to be another highlight for the record that will engage and entertain audiences.
One more positive to note here is the group’s cover of ‘The Christmas Song.’ Thanks to legendary singer Nat “King” Cole, ‘The Christmas Song’ has become an immortal part of the American songbook’s “Holiday music” chapter. It has been covered countless times over the decades by the likes of Mel Torme and Judy Garland, Nat’s daughter Natalie, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Buble, Andrea Bocelli, and countless others, each time to so much acclaim. The cover performed in this case takes listeners back to some of the sounds of the 1960s through its horn line and drums. Dokes’ vocals, in this case, come across somewhat over the top even in their simplicity. There is something in the instrumentation that works with his vocal performance to give the song an honestly almost too schmaltzy effect. That aside, it still does work at least to a point. To that end, it does serve as its own point of interest in this record. When it is considered along with the other songs discussed here and alongside the rest of the record’s entries, the whole herein makes Winter Wonderland maybe not a wonderful addition to this year’s field of new holiday music compilations but still worth hearing at least once.
George Gee Swing Orchestra’s brand new holiday music set, Winter Wonderland, is an interesting offering from the multi-member organization. It proves itself intriguing because of the approach that the orchestra takes to the familiar standards that make up the record’s body. As the songs examined here show, there are some high points, though much of the record gives the songs something of a lounge style and sound that will appeal to a very specific audience. To that end, those noted listeners will find plenty to like here though the other songs will appeal to a wider range of listeners.
Winter Wonderland is available now. More information about Winter Wonderland is available along with all of the George Gee Swing Orchestra’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.GeorgeGee.com
