Nils Landgren: Christmas with my Friends IV

A Christmas album from Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren and his friends isn’t quite an annual tradition – it just feels that way.

Prolific, upbeat and shamelessly populist, Landgren is the Richard Clayderman of jazz but in a good way, in the tradition of musicians like Louis Armstrong, Stan Getz or Pat Metheny who have the temerity to play music that is, you know, happy.

One might imagine, after three previous Christmas albums, that Landgren and co would be casting around for repertoire, but as usual, the song choices are a spiced blend of the sublime and the ridiculous, from Duke Ellington's masterwork of gospel, Come Sunday, to George Michael's masterpiece of banality, Last Christmas.

Too sweet for everyday, but once a year, a little light Landgren hits the spot.

[ actmusic.com ]