By Larry Nager
The Cincinnati Enquirer

As local holiday traditions go, none are more unpredictable than Over The Rhine's annual Christmas concerts.

In 1996, at its third annual Yule show, the original band was breaking up, and they blew it out with a taut, emotional evening. From then on, you never knew who - other than mainstays Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist - would be there, or what they would play.

OTR's holiday shows have taken more forms than Mr. Dickens' Christmas spirits - full-tilt rock, semi-classical, art-folk, neo-beatnik jazz poetry and more.

Friday at the Taft Theatre, they took on yet another incarnation - acoustic chamber folk-rock quartet. Along with their own acoustic piano and guitars, the couple added supple percussionist Will Sayles and virtuoso cellist Brian Standefer.

Ms. Bergquist also gave her inner torch singer free reign this time.

It came out in the first seasonal song of the night, the jazzy Detweiler ballad, "All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue" They then raised the Taft's temperature a few degrees with a sultry "Fever," as the singer stood center stage and smoldered through the classic, originally recorded for Cincinnati's King label (the duo cover the song on the King tribute, Hidden Treasures).

Their 100-minute show also featured some of their older OTR songs, the bohemian rap of "My Love is a Fever," and a folksy "All I Need is Everything," which was given a hootenanny flavor as the pair strummed acoustic guitars. They also did stripped-down versions of songs from their excellent Virgin debut, Films For Radio, including a fine "World Can Wait."

The Sayles-Standefer rhythm section provided versatile accompaniment, giving some songs an exotic Middle Eastern flavor, while others had restrained, jazz textures.

Mr. Standefer was an expressive soloist as well, playing a lovely "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" interlude in the middle of OTR Yule standard "Mary's Waltz."

Their traditional singalong finale included opening-act Bill Mallonee , as he and Ms. Bergquist traded verses on Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."

OTR encored with a couple more Christmas songs, the final song of the night being Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song," done as a duet. The couple had worked it up for the show, and Ms. Bergquist was tentative at first, getting the first verse wrong, stopping and starting again. From then in it was a right "Christmas," as OTR closed out another holiday show for 1,500 friends.

The only lump of coal in the OTR stocking was Mr. Mallonee's opening set. Used to playing in a band setting, the former leader of Vigilantes of Love is just not a solo act. Minimal rhythm guitar and so-so singing couldn't hold his 50-minute set together.

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