I haven't seen such a thread here and it seems to be a good time to start one.
I doubt there is much value in suggesting the pop carols and tunes by all the usual suspects; I reckon that albums that are unusual and not in play everywhere all day and night will be more interesting.
That said, a first list:
1. Paolo Fresu, Jazzy Christmas - excellent trumpet playing
2. Another excellent trumpet album for the season is by Tine Thing Helseth, My heart is ever present
3. Kurt Elling kicks off the 15 songs album Blue Christmas, a Blue note selection
4. Nana Mouskouri's The Christmas Album has many well known songs with a twist as well as a few sung in French, German and Greek
5. Hot Club Cool Yule, Hot club of San Francisco
6. Have yourself a soulful little Christmas, Kenny Burrell
7 Six string Santa, Joe Pass
8. Let it swing: A Jazz Christmas with Verve
9. An Oscar Peterson Christmas
On the more religious side:
1. Catholic Latin Classics - Richard Proulx and the Cathedral Singers
2. Advent at Ephesus - Benedictines of Mary
3. On Yoolis Night - Anonymous 4
4. A Baroque Christmas - Boston Camerata
5. Veni Emmanuel - Classical Academic Press, all in Latin and all the better for that
6. Christmas Music from Medieval and Renaissance Europe - Sixteen and Harry Christophers
7. A Boston Camerata Christmas - Worlds of early Christmas Music
And a couple of different strings albums:
1. Christmas - Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, on the Indian Sarod. Christmas music on an Indian instrument, by a Muslim maestro, can't get more diverse or secular than that!
2. John Fahey's Christmas Album
If anyone has any new and unusual music for the holidays, please write about it here:-).
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I really like that one because it isn't all Mistletoe and Holly and White Christmas and the rest of the traditional songs. Beautiful instrumentation. Another one along those lines is Yo-Yo Ma's Songs of Joy and Peace. Not 100% Christmas tunes, but it fits well in the theme.
Another tradition breaker: "Christmas Music/Metal Madness 2: The Nutcracker Suite Arranged for Electric Guitar & Rock" by Christmas at the Devil's House.
Probably not something that one would want to play for a high society gathering, but it is an interesting juxtaposition of cultures.
Probably not something that one would want to play for a high society gathering, but it is an interesting juxtaposition of cultures.
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Jaimee Paul ... Christmas Time Is Here. Fantastic vocal over some sweet jazz.
BCM wrote:
Jaimee Paul ... Christmas Time Is Here. Fantastic vocal over some sweet jazz.
Indeed: very nice and a good way to kick off a new playlist from Apple Music:-).
Jo Stafford ... Happy Holiday. Nice, easy-listening, 40s-style jazz lush with strings and brass... and that voice. Jo Stafford was incredible, and never disappointed. This one takes me heartily back to being a kid at my grandparents at Christmas... grampa spinning the LP on his old console stereo that never seemed to work consistently.
Lee Ann Womack... The Season For Romance. Country singer with an interesting voice that, to me, doesn't really sound country. And this album is far from country also... Great vocals, great jazz and easy listening backing music. In addition to you guys, especially Kumar, Sirius' Christmas channels have been opening some great doors for me this holiday season in terms of new music.
Roger Whitaker's Last Farewell is a song that I have liked a lot for decades now. I discovered his Christmas album only this year: Christmas with Roger Whitaker. Excellent addition to an expanding playlist and thank heavens for random shuffle.
The Last Farewell takes me back to my childhood... circa 1975 or so. That is the first song by Roger that I had ever heard by him and I instantly fell in love with that voice. His music is more folksy, and his Christmas album removed from the traditional stuff, which makes it all the more interesting and enjoyable to me. Good call, K.
The only good song missing from that album, available on compilations, is his Ding Dong Merrily on High, and worth looking for.
I have always found The Last Farewell to be very evocative: "fragrance of these islands", "my ship be torn apart upon the sea" being just two examples.
I have always found The Last Farewell to be very evocative: "fragrance of these islands", "my ship be torn apart upon the sea" being just two examples.
And a good time now to wish everyone here a great and music filled festive season! May no Sonos set up suffer any music stoppages:-).
The perfect Sonos Christmas album? ;)
Kumar wrote:
Good find! Is it any good, considering it won't do hi res?:-)
Not sure, found it on a Christmas thread elsewhere, by a poster with great taste, so probably.
Another, a capella group called Sonos:
It's that time of the year again, and with my newly discovered love for the Blues, a couple of new recommendations that probably won't have been overdone before the start of the holidays, like other holiday music often is:
1. B.B. King - A Christmas Celebration of Hope. Back door Santa is a must listen:-). As are other chestnuts with the beat of the Blues.
2. Alligator records Christmas Collection and A Genuine House Rocking Christmas: Koko Taylor belting out Merry Merry Christmas on the first, and Little Charlie's Its Christmas time again( Spend, Spend, Spend) on the second.
1. B.B. King - A Christmas Celebration of Hope. Back door Santa is a must listen:-). As are other chestnuts with the beat of the Blues.
2. Alligator records Christmas Collection and A Genuine House Rocking Christmas: Koko Taylor belting out Merry Merry Christmas on the first, and Little Charlie's Its Christmas time again( Spend, Spend, Spend) on the second.
My personal favorite (and not because back in the 80's I used to hang out in the coffee shop down the street from her home on Beacon Hill just on the oft chance she would enter. I never did anything like that. ;)).
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For new catchy tunes not worn out, that therefore make a nice change - the French have their own such. Starting with Il est ne le divin enfant. Tino Rossi, with Petit Papa Noel is also as good a starting point as any.
Been really digging Ella's Swinging Christmas this season. Eddie Higgins is still a favorite. No Christmas is complete without hearing the Carpenters' Christmas Portrait from 1978. No one tops Karen's voice on anything since.
BCM wrote:
No one tops Karen's voice on anything since.
One of the great voices for sure; but did you know she was also once voted best rock drummer? At one time she thought herself to be a drummer who sang. And not just rock, she was able to play drums for Brubeck's Take Five as well.
I did not know that. I know she played, but didn't realize she played for others. Need to check that out! Thanks, Kumar!
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dJUnh6N8-U
Strangely enough, the first time I came across her was on hearing her " Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". A song that stuck itself in my mind for a long time.
Strangely enough, the first time I came across her was on hearing her " Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". A song that stuck itself in my mind for a long time.
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