REVIEW:"Creole Christmas" at the DSO

Tonight, I went to the Max at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a special performance of "Creole Christmas" by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. I received the tickets courtesy of the DSO. If I had to sum up the entire evening in one word, it would be "Delightful".

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I got to the MAX a little early and I was able to catch the tail end of a pre-show performance by the Detroit School of Arts Civic Band which is comprised of teenage students. They were rocking the big band era music and they sounded fantastic!

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is from the Big Easy and their performance made me think of summer, gumbo, relaxing on the water, kicking back with an alcoholic beverage and taking things real easy. They played and sang a blend of old jazz favorites and holiday tunes, all with that New Orleans flavor. From "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate" to the Christmas song "Bells Will Be Ringing", the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's diverse range of songs just delighted everyone in the audience. During their jazzy New Orleans version of the gospel song "His Eye is On the Sparrow", everyone in the audience was tapping their feet to the music and a man behind me jumped up and started clapping to the music and singing his heart out - I cannot think of the last time I saw someone do that at the DSO!.

The evening ended with a New Orleans style funeral march to "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" (including the famed umbrellas) followed by the jazzed up version of the same song played by the band as they exited the stage into the aisles with the entire audience following behind them in a New Orleans style parade.

On the way out, people were in such a great mood that they were buying the band's CD " New Orleans Preservation Vol 1" to hold on to the memories of the evening. What a fun night!

The DSO will continue their fun holiday concerts this weekend with "Home for the Holiday" concerts on Saturday, December 19th and Sunday, December 20th.