Joel Paterson. (Izzy Fincher/CU Independent)
Silver tinsel scintillated in the red and green stage lights. Cardboard cutout Christmas trees with bulbous ornaments hid behind the amps and a painted cartoon Santa grinned from the kick drum. Amid the cheesy holiday decorations, Joel Paterson and JD McPherson jammed with jazzy, rock �n� roll Christmas tunes at the Fox Theater Sunday.
With his retro jazz style, Paterson made Christmas classics playful and free of the stereotypical cringe. His set, which ranged from �Jingle Bell Rock� to �I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,��did not �test the limits of Christmas music tolerance,� as Paterson had jokingly warned. One audience member even claimed Paterson �made Christmas great again.�
Onstage, Paterson was a guitar magician. He seamlessly wove his live riffs into pre-recorded, multi-layered tracks, creating an impressive one-man-band effect. His cleverly rearranged tunes from his 2017 album �Hi-fi Christmas Guitar� fit the stage perfectly, allowing him to build off the recorded melodies and add in percussive chords for emphasis, with playful licks for fun.�
Paterson�s style combined retro trademarks with unexpected improvisations and clever voice imitation. In �Silver Bells,� he imitated Bing Crosby�s smooth, suave baritone while the recorded steel-string guitar mimicked Carol Richards� clear, refined tone. Often he traced the melody exactly at first, then unexpectedly diverged into jazzy chords or decorations, keeping the interest without lyrics. Paterson clearly loved his whammy bar � his definite trademark. On every long note, he flourished the whammy bar, smirking to himself in satisfaction.�
Midway through the set, Paterson left the Christmas tunes. From Bing Crosby�s upbeat �Nightrider� to the groovy �Blue Smoke� and a few Beatles covers, Paterson showed his jazz and Western swing influences. His cover of �Honey Pie,� released on his 2019 album �Let it Be Guitar! Joel Paterson Plays the Beatles,� brought a surfy, cheerful touch to the iconic Beatles song.
JD McPherson. (Izzy Fincher/CU Independent)
Unlike Paterson, JD McPherson and his band did not �make Christmas great again.� McPherson’s original Christmas tunes, from his 2019 album �Socks,� were predictable and unimaginative. His attempt to parody Christmas stereotypes resulted in an equally cringe-worthy �bad boy� album. He earnestly sang about being a naughty boy, not liking ugly Christmas sweaters and the romantic holiday spirit, with lyrics lacking in irony or humor. �
The blasting drum kit didn�t help with the musical dilemma. The driving beat for most of the Christmas songs drowned out the funky, jazz riffs on the keyboard, saxophone and double bass, leaving a bare texture of aggressive percussion and shouted vocals.
On his non-Christmas tunes, however, McPherson showed his retro rock �n� roll roots, especially with �Northside Gal.� The drummer calmed down, opting for a lighter touch on the high hat, and the funky harmonies and riffs emerged. The bass player slapped notes out maniacally, his hand flying more than a foot off the fretboard, while the saxophonist rocked away with brassy, raucous notes.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Arts Editor Isabella Fincher at isabella.fincher@colorado.edu.�
