Tom Culver: Pretty Christmas Lights

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Tom Culver

Pretty Christmas Lights

Tom Rolla’s Gardenia, West Hollywood, CA, December 9, 2016

Reviewed by Mary Bogue for Cabaret Scenes

Tom Culver Photo: Angie Clement Cromwell
Tom Culver
Photo: Angie Clement Cromwell

Santa is real in the form of Tom Culver who delivered an overflowing gift bag of Christmas music that we’ve waited a whole year to receive, with new and glittering songs leaving us wanting to open this present again and again. Helping convey this night of magic was his amazing Musical Director Rick Hils on piano, who innovatively arranged and co-wrote standard-worthy Christmas songs which were served up with brilliant drum work by Jack LeCompte, warm bass by Tim Emmons and iconic harmonica wailing by Mike Rosen.  

Culver easily unwrapped “Winter Weather” (Ted Shapiro) as a medley with “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” (Irving Berlin) with perfect phrasing, thrilling the sold-out crowd. Then he gave us a thoughtful “Are You Going Away for the Holidays?

,” which he wrote with Hils. Culver easily switched from soft and glowing lyrics to movie-score-ready twinkling rhythms, such as “I Love the Holidays,” and excited the audience with the Latin-influenced “It’s Christmas Time in Brazil,” both written by Culver and Hils. His flair for Latin rhythms and Hils’ brilliant arranging created quite the treasure with “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne) and added sparkle with LeCompte’s and Emmons’ incredible stylings.

The perfect Santa, in a voice evocative of whiskey and cinnamon, Culver brought inventive interpretations of standards, remarkable storytelling and commitment to the lyrics that brought the room alive with love. Saving the best for near-last, he shared his “Pretty Christmas Lights” (written with Hils), the title cut from his new CD—a toe-tapping beauty that gave a heart-warming and friendly radiance, full of cheerful imagery and sung in his luscious style, landing in the sweet spot of all that is Christmas. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus — and he writes songs and sings, too!

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Mary Bogue

Mary Bogue’s journey into the world of jazz began in 1981 when she was accepted by the Monterey Jazz Festival to cover the event as a writer. It was there that jazz tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate introduced her to the legendary vocalist Helen Humes. Their interview, later published in Jazz Dispatch and distributed at the Playboy Jazz Festival, marked the beginning of Bogue’s deep connection to jazz and storytelling. One unforgettable moment came when Humes introduced her to Count Basie, saying, “Bill, this is my friend Mary. Mary, this is Bill.” That simple introduction sparked a lifelong love for jazz and a passion for writing. Among her early interviews was a conversation with the legendary Les McCann, a connection that would come full circle years later when McCann joined Bogue on her debut album, Don’t Go to Strangers, released in 2012. The album, celebrated with a launch party hosted by KJZZ, gained national airplay and recognition. Her follow-up albums, Blue Smoke and One Night of Sin, further solidified her place in the jazz world. In 2015, Bogue was honored as a Living Legend of Jazz and recognized by the Duke Ellington Society, the United States Congress, the State of California, and the City of Los Angeles. Her cabaret career took off at the iconic Gardenia in Hollywood and continued in New York at the Metropolitan Room. That same year, she joined Cabaret Scenes Magazine as a reviewer of both cabaret shows and CDs, continuing to champion jazz and cabaret through both performance and the written word. In addition to her accomplishments in music and journalism, Mary is also an accomplished visual artist. She has designed album covers and created a wide range of artwork, including oil paintings of blues singers and expressive watercolors. Her visual work, much like her music, reflects her deep passion for the soul and spirit of jazz and blues.