It is curious that since the finish of the US presidential election and following Trump’s battle-cry ejaculation that America will once again say “Merry Christmas “, there has been a profusion of rambunctious exhibitions of the upcoming seasonal and religious holiday. Christmas – though never fully a spiritual event – has for either almanac or political reasons recently enlivened the commercial and social atmosphere with unprecedented gusto.
This does not disappoint me. I am an undisguised inamorato of the Christmas season, especially the music (Handel in particular), but also the scents, the colours, the child-like magic, the festive boards, the artistic Christmas cards, skating, tobogganing and the cinnamon-powdered eggnog. As for Christmas booze, the only alcohol of the season which ever captured my vote was Cognac or Dry Sack sherry though on Christmas morning my mother routinely served fresh squeezed orange juice replenished with vodka antecedent the customary breakfast of filet mignon, scrambled eggs and buxom croissants with salted butter and homemade peach jam.
What has sparked this intriguing development is the receipt yesterday of an email from an unknown source inviting me to purchase a vinyl album called “Jazz Piano Christmas” by Beegie Adair.
January 23, 2022 It is with deep and profound sadness we share the sad news that Beegie died today surrounded by those she loved and who loved her most dearly. Until her peaceful passing, she was fighting the good fight with her intellect and humor intact. The world has lost a true American treasure, but how tremendously fortunate we all are to have entered her sphere and to experience the joy of the music she created. Her entire life was spent using her exquisite talents to teach, entertain and inspire. By the body of work she created and through legions of her students, colleagues, fans and friends the world over, Beegie’s music will be shared and heard for generations to come. Rest in peace, and God speed, dear Beegie.
Not being a pure jazz listener I willingly admit that Beegie Adair has a talent for insinuating the schmaltzier angle of jazz music. Coincidentally Ms. Adair was born on the same day as I, December 11th, though 11 years earlier in 1937. And I cannot resist adding that I am writing this piece on the eve of November 11 (just to punctuate the importance of the number 11).
In 1961, Adair played in Printer’s Alley and became a member of a jazz band led by Hank Garland. She was employed as a session musician at the Noon Show on WSM-TV and on The Johnny Cash Show from 1969 to 1971.[4][7][8] On the Cash show, Adair accompanied performers such as Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Ray Stevens, Steve Allen, Chet Atkins, Cass Elliot, Vince Gill and Dolly Parton.
She formed the Beegie Adair Trio, which has sold more than 1.5 million albums.
Among Adair’s influences were George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Erroll Garner. In 2002, Adair released a six-CD centennial collection, The Great American Songbook Collection, with tunes by American composers such as Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael and Irving Berlin.
I mention the jazz interpretation of Christmas because the music is normally overtaken by George Frideric Handel or Bing Crosby.
Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
But when it comes to sitting by the fire and watching the falling snow on a late weekend afternoon nothing competes with some well-performed piano jazz of any description. It interests me too that Beegie Adair was named a Steinway Artist in 2002. Steinway has forever been my favourite piano. I previously owned a Steinway salon grand. There is positively no comparison to the others such as Yamaha or even the latest Steinway knockoffs coming from China. The attraction of Beegie Adair is however not the sound production of the piano; it is her peculiar and highly identifiable style. She is far more subtile than most jazz pianists; yet notwithstanding her melodic renditions her music never fades from attendance.