The straight-ahead jazz album of seasonal standards dropping November 29 will be celebrated at a December 13 concert at Boston’s Regattabar.
For many, Christmastime is a feeling more than a religious occasion and jazz singer Penni Layne ventured to capture the enchanting feelings of the holiday season and set them to music via a ten-song setlist comprised of classics and an original song that she wrote with her coproducer Larry Jackson. Backed by a jazz quartet, Layne’s “Warm in December” arrives on November 29 from Upside.
Layne, Jackson, and pianist Michael Kanan entered New York City’s famed Sear Sound studios equipped with fresh acoustic jazz arrangements of nine holiday chestnuts curated by Layne, who first began ruminating on the album’s playlist last Christmas.
“I wanted to record and produce, along with my husband/collaborator Larry Jackson, an album that stays true to the lyrical intention of these songs and evokes holidays past for the listener. We also aimed to showcase a sound of minimalism and timelessness, which is why we thought the medium of a jazz quintet was the perfect canvas,” said Layne who was flanked by Kanan, Neal Miner (bass), Greg Ruggiero (guitar), and Keith Balla (drums).
After opening with the fun frolic “Winter Wonderland,” the title track swings and is permeated with allure.
“I first heard ‘Warm in December” as sung by Julie London. I love her soul, her musical interpretation and simplicity as well as her sex appeal. She’s a goddess in my book and she teases that in this song. Like ‘if you get with me, I’ll keep you warm,’” said the Boston-based Layne, who grew up in Alexandria, Virginia and summered on the South Carolina coast.
For Layne, like so many of us, our earliest memories of the wonder and beauty of Christmas come from childhood. She is immediately transported back to that idyllic time at the first strains of Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song.” Feeling that “this song is the essence of the holidays in song form,” she recorded her own sterling rendition for the album.
“Let It Snow” is Layne’s playful invitation to beckon the gods to blanket the holidays with the delightful white stuff.
Layne and Jackson composed “At The First Snowfall” during the height of the pandemic, a unique time in history during which families were encouraged to stay apart instead of coming together.
“To be frank, this song was conceived as a practice to cultivate gratitude during a time of uncertainty. I was not feeling very Christmas-y. Larry and I were spit-balling ideas of what makes us happy at Christmastime and what images it conjures up in us. This song wanted and maybe even needed to be written. I think it speaks to the heart at any time, but at that specific time, it addressed the longing, sadness, fear, and confusion we felt being separated from family and friends, and it healed us, if even for a little while,” Layne shared.
Layne’s mother instilled in her “a love for songs that cut deeply,” which is why she recorded “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
“This song, originally written for the soldiers wanting to be home during the holidays, is the truest song on the album. I hoped to honor it vocally,” said Layne whose voice throughout the album croons with rich warmth, grace, emotion, and joy.
The lesser known “I Love The Winter Weather” is just as happy and romantic as the more popular tunes on the collection.
“I love that it’s a love song to cuddle up close to. This song just makes for ‘mitten-wearing, let’s-wrap-up-in-some-blankets-in-front-of-a-fire’ goodness!” Layne said with a smile.
It doesn’t get any more romantic and intimate than “A Christmas Love Song,” on which Layne derived inspiration from Rosemary Clooney’s earnest and transcendent rendition.
“I love the lyrics to this song because really, as adults, we don’t need any ‘things’ anymore. We just need someone to love and someone to love us,” said Layne.
Her version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is set to a bossa nova beat.
“This song has been imprinted on my consciousness since I was incredibly young. I first saw Judy Garland sing it so woefully in ‘Meet Me In St Louis’ and it’s probably one of the very first Christmas songs that I ever learned all the words to. Although it can be interpreted in a sad way, I have always loved it upbeat and more hopeful, so we recorded our version as a lovely little bossa nova,” said Layne, who closes the album with the merry “Sleigh Ride.”
Layne, Jackson (bass), GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Bijon Watson, keyboardist Ryan Claunch, and drummer Steve Bankuti will perform music from “Warm in December” at an album release concert on December 13 at the Regattabar in Boston, not far from where they studied at Berklee College of Music (Boston-born Watson attended the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School).
Layne has a passion for singing pages culled from the Great American songbook, striving to honor those songs by performing them “with respect and integrity.” And she’s just as ardent about R&B and, unexpectedly, EDM. In fact, she has an R&B collective called Penni Layne & The Wonder Boys and she indulges her EDM persona under the PLM moniker, the latter with high-energy mixes from producer Andrija Gavrilovic.
“My music covers three genres: jazz, contemporary R&B, and EDM. I have always felt like a crossover artist in the jazz and R&B realms. I love performing and honoring old and original standards, but I also find that the grit and feel of R&B speaks to my soul. Both jazz and R&B are vastly important outlets for me. The EDM arm was born from taking the songs written for my R&B group and reimagining them with dropped beats and remixes. If it’s a quality song, I think it can hold up to a little manipulation, so it’s very cool to hear the finished pieces,” said Layne, who is at work on multiple projects that she aims to release in 2025.
Until then, Layne is eager to share cherished holiday memories to foster the festive feelings of Christmas through “Warm in December.”
“This holiday album is the product of childhood memories and magic. My parents always tried to make Christmas a special time of year given that the other 364 days were tied to financial responsibilities, personal challenges, and the worries of being adults. It was a time we truly came together as a family and so the season and its soundtrack have been etched on my heart. We have passed these traditions onto our children. ‘Warm in December’ is a love letter to my husband, my family, past and present, and to anyone who believes in miracles.”
The “Warm in December” album contains the following songs:
“Winter Wonderland”
“Warm in December”
“The Christmas Song”
“Let It Snow”
“At The First Snowfall”
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas”
“I Love The Winter Weather”
“A Christmas Love Song”
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
“Sleigh Ride”
For more information, visit https://pennilayne.com.
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