Ekimi - The Next Noel (1990)

As the subtly surreal cover and the ambiguous title imply, this is not an album for purists. Ekimi (named after a Congolese word meaning "calm peaceful feeling") is a group based around the talents of pianist Billy Larkin and bass player Chris Dahlgren, both classically trained musicians currently involved in the Cincinnati jazz scene. Following their desire to create "a new context" for Christmas music, they offer very liberal interpretations of carols like "We Three Kings" and "Silent Night" with Dahlgren's fluid electric and acoustic bass and Larkin's jazzy piano freely improvising around the unique melodies. Singer Kathy Wade adds smokey vocals to the original ballad "Snow" as well as to the gospel chestnut "Go Tell It on the Mountain," while on four tracks Chris Philpotts provides tonal coloring with oboe, recorders, and English horn. "Good King Wenceslas" features a dramatized reading by Gary Barton of the inspirational story told in the song over piano and bouncy string bass, while the 11-minute version of "The Little Drummer Boy" effectively marches along to a percussive bass beat, with background synthesizer chords creating space for the sensitive piano themes that dance around the melody. The strangest piece is a downright bizarre rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" featuring electronically processed basses, with the lead line sounding oddly like a distorted electric guitar, to a rhythmic accompaniment provided by percussive piano in combination with what sounds like a muted dulcimer. If you are looking for something wilder and more daring than the normal Christmas fare, look no further.