Duke Pearson - Merry Ole Soul (1969) [2014 SHM-CD Blue Note 24-192 Remaster] CD-Rip

Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and the latest 24bit 192kHz remastering. One of the strangest albums ever recorded for Blue Note – and one of the coolest, too! Duke Pearson recorded this set in 1969 – during the middle of his last productive period of activity, at a time when he was doing some tremendous genre-crossing jazz that really broke from his earlier styles.

The set's got Duke on acoustic piano and celeste – backed by a rhythm section that includes Bob Cranshaw on bass and Mickey Roker on drums, plus Airto on percussion! The sound's more open, more free than you'd expect for a Christmas album – extremely soulful overall, in a mode that makes for some great readings of "Sleigh Ride", "Wassail Song", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "Jingle Bells", and "Little Drummer Boy". CD features a bonus track – "Old Fashioned Christmas"!


Tracks:

01 - Sleigh Ride
02 - Little Drummer Boy
03 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
04 - Jingle Bells
05 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
06 - Go Tell It On The Mountain
07 - Wassail Song
08 - Silent Night
09 - O Little Town Of Bethlehem
10 - Old Fashioned Christmas (bonus track)

Personnel:

Duke Pearson - piano, celeste
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Mickey Roker - drums
Airto Moreira - percussion