Jump to content

Christmas Jazz


vibes

Recommended Posts

I'm a big fan of Christmas music, and am looking to expand my collection of Christmas jazz. I would appreciate recommendations, especially for items currently in print.

Here are a few things I either have or am looking to buy soon:

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

Kenny Burrell - Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas

Vince Guaraldi - Charlie Brown Christmas

Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin'

Ramsey Lewis - The Sound of Christmas

What else is out there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 81
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

One of my favorite holiday recordings that you might not be familiar with is An Uptown Christmas. Recorded between 1984 and 1988 for the Uptown label, it features the likes of Frank Wess, Charlie Rouse, Johnny Coles, Claudio Roditi, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Barron, Jack Sheldon, Sahib Shahib, Carl Fontana, Al Cohn, Richard Wyands, Walter Davis Jr., Barry Harris, Don Sickler, and Maria Muldaur. 'Tis the season to swing!

Sleigh.gif

Edited by jazzshrink
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my favorite holiday recordings that you might not be familiar with is An Uptown Christmas. Recorded between 1984 and 1988 for the Uptown label, it features the likes of Frank Wess, Charlie Rouse, Johnny Coles, Claudio Roditi, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Barron, Jack Sheldon, Sahib Shahib, Carl Fontana, Al Cohn, Richard Wyands, Walter Davis Jr., Barry Harris, Don Sickler, and Maria Muldaur. 'Tis the season to swing!

:o Oooooh!

This looks like a good one. :tup

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oddly, the one Wynton Marsalis CD that I REALLY like is his Crecent City Christmas Card. I always smile during "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", where after Jon Hendricks sings "And I've bought some corn for popping" he slips in "Poppidity Poppidity Pop".

Any CD with Eartha Kitt singing Santa Baby can't be that bad either...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really, I dislike Xmas music immensely. Way too much of it heard as a kid. .. being a PK has some hazards.

That said, I'll echo the admiration of "Crescent City Christmas Card," and the Duke Pearson which is amazingly hip. And I really like Marcus Roberts' "Prayer for Peace."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just picked up this one:

724358464627.jpg

This is the first time I've ever heard a Stan Kenton album. First impressions? This is some of the liveliest Christmas music I've ever heard. Both my wife and I thought it sounded like a marching band. Are all Kenton albums like this? Anyway, the sound is pretty good, but I think it'll take a little while for this one to grow on me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got the Uptown Christmas CD from Chuck several weeks ago & will vouch for it as well. :tup The Joe Pass mentioned earlier is also good, and I can't wait to hear the Pearson once the new Mosaic Select arrives.

The Bill Evans Verve box has a very funny version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" on which Evans sings. That's one of my alltime favorite holiday jazz tracks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bill Evans Verve box has a very funny version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" on which Evans sings. That's one of my alltime favorite holiday jazz tracks.

I just got through playing that for my wife, so it's funny that you should mention it. It is very fun to listen to.

I wish he would have recorded some other Christmas tunes. I have four different versions of him playing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," but have never heard of him doing any other Christmas-related material. I've often wondered why he liked this particular song so much...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My top pick is Jingle Bell Jazz on Columbia. It’s actually a two-fer combining the previously issued God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen and Jingle Bell Jazz. One undocumented bonus; Dexter Gordon’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” contains about two minutes of playing edited from the version issued on God Rest Ye.

· Dexter Gordon “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

· McCoy Tyner “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”

· Arthur Blythe Quartet “The Christmas Song”

· Heath Brothers “Our Little Town”

· Paquito D’Rivera “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”

· Wynton Marsalis Quintet “We Three Kings Of Orient Are”

· Duke Ellington “Jingle Bells”

· Lionel Hampton “White Christmas”

· Carmen McRae “The Christmas Song”

· Pony Poindexter “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer”

· Dave Brubeck Quartet “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”

· Lambert, Hendricks and Ross “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie”

· Miles Davis “Blue Xmas”

· Herbie Hancock “Deck Halls”

Prestige Christmas Collection is also worth a quick mention.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's one I stumbled across over at CDBaby.com

Rick Gallagher: A Sleigh, a Song, and a Baby Boy

A Must have collection of freshly rearranged Christmas classics performed by a swinging, yet sensitive trio with percussion.

Rick Gallagher is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and teacher. A native of Pittsburgh, he began his musical studies at age ten, and started his piano training at age sixteen. He received a bachelor's degree in music from Duquesne University, and studied with David Budway for eight years.

Gallagher is noteworthy for his classic jazz style, creative arrangements, and his memorable originals. His influences include Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Red Garland, Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, Benny Green, Ray Brown, Miles Davis, George Shearing, and David Budway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...