Album Review: A Holiday Celebration of Light from Andrea Brachfeld

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Album:  A Holiday Celebration of Light 
Artist:  Andrea Brachfeld
Label: Pacific Coast Jazz
Release Date: November 13, 2026
Website:   www.andreabrachfeld.com

Composer, improviser and flautist Andrea Brachfeld has established a body of work that moves between Latin and straight-ahead jazz settings seamlessly.  Her 2026 project A Holiday Celebration of Light is a compilation of holiday standards, spiritual hymns, and original works, some of which are written by Brachfeld.    Accompanied by  pianist, arranger, and co-producer Bill O’Connell, bassist Blake Meister, drummer Eric Kennedy, and special guest Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, Brachfeld showcases her personal approach to a selection of novelty tunes and  originals that focus on rhythmic clarity, melodic trimmings, and improvised dialogue.  

Vince Guaraldi's familiar theme song “Christmas Time Is Here,"  best known from the Peanuts's animation, features an emotive interplay between Brachfeld's flute and Wycliffe Gordon's trombone that sinks deep into the listener's mind.  Switching to a Latin persuasion with the samba rhythm of "O’ Hanukkah, Sevivon," Gordon's trombone jumps out at the listener intermittently as Eric Kennedy's drums sow vibrating tremors.

Straddling the divides between traditional motifs displayed in "Ma’oz Tzur" to the improvised romps of "Angels We Have Heard on High,"  the bluesy funky grooves of O' Connell's catchy ditty "Ho Ho Ho," and the soul jazz musings enshrouding "Silent Night" in a spiritual framework, Brachfeld reaches out across the jazz spectrum.  Not a one tonal artist, she likes a variety in her jazz from spicy Latin to soulful grooves, lulling melodies, and funky romps.  A smorgasbord of complementing flavors, Brachfeld's holiday project inspires the listener to indulge in a variety of musical aromas this season.

Musicians:
Andrea Brachfeld - flute, alto flute and vocals
Bill O’Connell - piano
Blake Meister - acoustic bass
Eric Kennedy - drum set, percussion
Wycliffe Gordon - trombone, vocals, and spoken word

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