Yuletide Hideaway by Karrin Allyson should not be hidden in the corner of the WEMU stacks. This is one of the finest Christmas jazz recordings released in a great while.
Singer-pianist Karrin Allyson collaborates with lyricist-composer-keyboardist Chris Caswell, guitarist-composer Rod Fleeman and her Kansas City compatriots for a recording that is novel and creative yet warm and comfortable due to the long relationship she shares with her musical friends. Yuletide Hideaway contains exceptional original songs including the title track and three others: Winter Oasis, Christmas Bells Are Ringing and You’re All I Need For Christmas. Jazz fans will be pleased by her inclusion of the rarities, Snowbound by Dave Frishberg and It’s Love, It’s Christmas written by Bill Evans in 1956. Traditionalists will appreciate her wistful versions of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and Christmas Time is Here. If you love the songs of the season, you will want to curl up next to the fireside with a warm beverage and take in the soothing and charming treat of Yuletide Hideaway by Karrin Allyson.