Name: Matt Wilson: Christmas Tree-O
Start: 2024-12-13T20:30:00-05:00
Location: 45 Crown St, New Haven, CT, United States, Connecticut 06510

Matt Wilson - drums; Jeff Lederer - saxophone; Paul Sikivie - bass
Tree Jazz- The Shape of Christmas to Come Palmetto 20242 The year 2024 marks the 60th birthday of the beloved drummer, composer, and bandleader Matt Wilson. It also celebrates the 15th anniversary of one of Matt’s acclaimed ensembles, the Christmas Tree- O, featuring multi-reed legend Jeff Lederer and revered bassist Paul Sikivie. The band performed their first concert on December 9, 2009, in Brooklyn, NY. They then recorded their seminal album, Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O, at Maggie’s Farm studio on a snowy May day in 2010. The album was released in the fall of 2010 by Palmetto Records. Since then, the band has performed extensively across the United States and Canada. Their annual sold-out engagements at the Jazz Standard (now held at Dizzy’s) have become a New York City holiday tradition.
The band has featured a range of music legends as guests, including Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, Joe Lovano, Kurt Elling, Aaron Diehl, Christian McBride, Esperanza Spaulding, Nels Cline, Camilla Meza, and Cecile McLorin Salvant. In June 2024, the trio traveled through icy highways to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to record their second album, Tree Jazz: The Shape of Christmas to Come. A week later, after the thaw, they welcomed the Treedom Singers—Mary LaRose, Audrey Wilson, and Gregory Rodriguez—to add their vocal magic to the recording.
The Selections:
1. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day- This is a Christmas classic inspired by the US Civil war era poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Our arrangement features our fine bassist, Paul Sikivie.
2. Do You Hear What I Hear? / Under Pressure- Many folks get stressed out during the holiday season, so I decided to combine a Christmas classic with a classic by Queen and David Bowie.
3. Mariah Parusha- Another sonic concoction honoring pop diva Mariah Carey and the avant-garde saxophone legend, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre.
4. Good King Wenceslas- I would to dedicate my arrangement of this song to my dear friend, mentor and master drummer, Jeff Hamilton. Jeff is one of greatest wire brush players in jazz history.
5. Up on the Rooftop- What can we say? WE LOVE ORNETTE COLEMAN!
6. Si Me Dan Pasteles- This is a Puerto Rican Christmas song brought to us by our virtuosic reed player, Jeff Lederer. Pasteles are pastries shared by friends during the Christmas season.
7. Rocker- A contra-fact by Gerry Mulligan on the Leroy Anderson classic, Sleigh Ride. I supply the horse whinnies.
8. 8 Little Candles- Is a Ladino Hanukkah song traditional associated with the Sephardic Jewish community.
9. Shine Your Light- A new Christmas song by Jeff Lederer. It was inspired by a poem by Yoko Ono, Light Piece. Our hope is that it becomes a holiday anthem that inspires folks to offer kindness to our world.
Few musicians embody the spontaneous energy of jazz quite like Matt Wilson. The New York-based drummer combines buoyant zeal, idiosyncratic style, infectious humor, joyous swing and an indomitable spirit of surprise, making him one of the most in-demand players and educators on the modern jazz scene. He leads many distinctive ensembles: the Matt Wilson Quartet, Arts & Crafts, Honey and Salt, Big Happy Family, Topsy Turvy and the Christmas Tree-O.
Matt Wilson was named 2018 Musician of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association and his album, Honey And Salt (Music Inspired by the Poetry of Carl Sandburg), won 2018 Album of the Year. He has appeared on over 460 albums and has played with an impressive array of jazz legends. Wilson has released 14 acclaimed recordings as a leader and his latest album, Hug!, was released in August of 2020. The was named one of the top albums of 2020 by the NY Jazz Record and many other publications. Wilson’s commitment to jazz goes far beyond his estimable skills as a drummer, composer and bandleader.
Also a renowned educator, he is on a tireless mission to foster a lively and deep connection between music and people, whether they be playing or listening to it. Wilson is on faculty at the New School, San Francisco Conservatory, SUNY Purchase and Sarah Lawrence College. Matt Wilson resides in Baldwin, NY and is the proud father of four children.