Till Brönner - Christmas (2021) [CD-Rip]

With his new album “Christmas”, trumpeter Till Brönner in trio with pianist Frank Chastenier and bassist Christian von Kaphengst creates a puristic album full of chamber music intensity and refreshing expansiveness. Songs from different decades and genres like “Jesus to Child”, “Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier” or “Jingle Bells” combine them to an intimate listening experience. Relevant art is always a mirror of its time and the circumstances in which it is created.

On “Christmas” Till Brönner succeeds in creating a unique melange of currentness and timelessness. “The past few months have made us all realize,” Brönner explains, “what is really important in life. We wanted to implement this realization within the music as well. Slowly, life is returning to a certain normality, where small celebrations in the inner circle are finally possible again. After this special year, we have deliberately decided against an album with bombastic-overloaded cover versions for glittering celebrations, but instead try to create a special, an almost intimate Christmas mood with a small ensemble. “Christmas” features Till Brönners stylistic arc from German Christmas classics like “Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier” to thoughtful pop moments like the touching cover of George Michaels “Jesus To A Child” to elegantly loungey late-night remakes of American evergreens like “Jingle Bells” or “Christmas Time Is Here.”

The latter is given a very special melancholic touch by none other than Max Mutzke with his soulful vocals. “By the mid-1960s, the Vietnam War was in full swing. Written at the time of the civil rights movement, this piece contains a certain melancholy despite its brittleness. I had a long talk with Max about the track. He, too, is an intuitive guy who is comfortable in a variety of genres. He immediately hit the right note,” sums up Till Brönner.

Tracklist
01. Jesus to a Child
02. Stille Nacht
03. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
04. Christmas Time Is Here (feat. Max Mutzke)
05. Maria durch ein Dornwald ging
06. Jingle Bells
07. Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier
08. O Tannenbaum
09. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
10. Silver Bells
11. O Little Town of Bethlehem
12. La-le-lu (Nur der Mann im Mond schaut zu)