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Kumar
November 25, 2015

Music for the holiday season

  • November 25, 2015
  • 56 replies
  • 15319 views
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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    56 replies

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    chicks
    chicks
    December 29, 2015
    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:

    KumarAuthor
    December 8, 2017
    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.
    jgatie
    jgatie
    December 8, 2017
    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. ;)).

      KumarAuthor
      December 9, 2017
      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.
      chicks
      chicks
      December 9, 2017
        KumarAuthor
        December 9, 2017
        Nice; made my day! Make it so:-)
        BCM
        BCM
        December 9, 2017
        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.
        KumarAuthor
        December 9, 2017
        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.
        BCM
        BCM
        December 9, 2017
        I did not know that. I know she played, but didn't realize she played for others. Need to check that out! Thanks, Kumar!
        KumarAuthor
        December 9, 2017
        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.
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