Allan Harris: A Nat King Cole Christmas

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Allan Harris

A Nat King Cole Christmas

Pangea, NYC, December 19, 2025

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Allan Harris
Photo courtesy of the performer

The jazz vocalist and guitarist Allan Harris brought along his patented style of cool to Pangea for A Nat King Cole Christmas. While Harris said little about Cole during the show, Cole’s performer personality was certainly present in the choice of songs and the laid-back delivery of many of the numbers, whether they were ballads or incorporated jazz riffs. Along for the ride were a quartet of fine musicians: John DiMartino on piano, Brandi Disterheft on bass, Russell Markey on drums, and Rico Jones on saxophone. Each had their moment to shine, but it was Harris’ charm, the gentle humor, and the warmth that made the evening something special.

A magical “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Hugh Martin) featured lovely riffs from Jones and the easy-going Harris. On the other hand, “Blue Christmas” (Billy Hayes/Jay W. Johnson) had them getting down and living the rock-and-roll life. One of the highlights in a Harris show is his sharing of pieces of classic poetry and prose by writers such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Butler Yeats, and William Shakespeare. His rich, soothing voice caressed these words as they slid into the next song—sometimes related, sometimes not. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” led to a seductive version of “Moonlight in Vermont” (Karl Suessdorf/John Blackburn), that featured great phrasing and a lovely piano solo.

More fine musicianship was displayed with that non-Christmas Christmas special, “My Favorite Things” (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II). “The Very Thought of You” (Ray Noble) allowed Disterheft to demonstrate her musicality with a bass solo. Harris kicked off “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie) by encouraging the assembled with “let’s have some fun.” He got them to participate, not singing entire lines but singing specific words. This off-kilter approach made for some silly entertainment.

One of the jazziest moments was a rendition of “The Weary Blues,” a poem by Langston Hughes set to music by Harris. He also brought out his guitar for this moment, and there was some wonderful interplay with Jones. For a very special sound, he sang “The Christmas Song” (Robert Wells/Mel Tormé) with just piano accompaniment. A moving “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (Wilson Kent/Kim Gannon/Buck Ram) also began with just the piano, before the arrangement expanded to include the full band and a terrific, unexpected drum solo. There were many surprises throughout the evening that made it a perfect showcase for Allan Harris.

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Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Noble, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."