christmas music


I'll go ahead and take some darts to mention christmas music this early in the year, but what are some of your favorite christmas albums? I can't necessarily speak for sonics with these choices, as I don't have a vinyl rig currently, but these sure take me back to listening to some LPs with my family as a child. I have to vote for the Elvis christmas album (as a friend once told me, "it's not christmas until elvis says so") and Andy Williams christmas LP. I am anxious to hear some of your choices. I just bought Josh Groban's christmas cd in anticipation of the holiday season.
bigsam2
I grew up with the Maguire Sisters' Christmas album. It was always our favorite. I've never seen it on cd but I've probably outgrown it by now. My 3 teenage daughters probably have also. Dan
I'm not a big fan of Christmas music but I'd have to say Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong". It offers both sonics and musical enjoyment to please any audiophile.
I don't mean to be offensive, but you have to know this site has some heavy hitters and throwing out Andy Williams......well. This seems like schlock, when there is so much great Christmas music out there, well performed and produced.

Try some great Christmas music such as Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall, Ella Fitzgeral, "A Jazzy Wonderland" with the likes of Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Joey DeFrancesco. Cyrus Chestnut & Friends or "A Concord Jazz Christmas 2" which opens with Maynard Ferguson.

The Proprius recording Cantate Domino is a perennial favorite. Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields with Neville Marriner performing the Nutcracker is classic.
Hope this enriches, it's not meant to insult.
Johnny Mathis for me hands down, I enjoy a little " Schlock " during the holidays.
Christmas Time is Gears,Art Bernstein and Chuck D'Aloia find it on line and buy it!I play it through the whole year.
"Rejoice! A string quartet Christmas" Vols 1-3 on John Marks Records, now out of print but available at Archiv or on Amazon.

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Kings College Cambridge, on EMI I think.

David
A modern Christmas classic, fun for kids and adults, Vince Guiraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
here's last year's Christmas music thread. It may provide some reminders including some of my fav's in no particular order:

Trans Siberian Orchestra
Vanessa Williams
GRP Christmas Collection
Emmylou Harris

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"An Austin Rhythm and Blues Christmas" is the antidote for shopping mall music. Kim Wilson singing and playing harmonica with The Fabulous Thunderbirds doing "Merry Christmas, Darling" puts the X in Xmas.
Various Artists - Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas (recording level a bit hot but wonderful twist on the holiday. If you like John Fahey's work, check this out)

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (noisy recording, but oh that voice)

The Morman Tabernacle Choir - The Morman Tabernacle Choir Sings Christmas Carols (LP)

Robert Shaw and Robert Shaw Chamber Singers - Songs of Angels - Christmas Hymns and Carols (audiophile quality recording of Christmas classics)
Howard Blake "Walking in the Air" from The Snowman" - this piece is a modern composition and is haunting and beautiful!

I have several versions but I am a complete nut for every genre you can imagine...of course you can get Jingle Bell Rock if you like...that is what most people listen to.
The Jethro Tull Chritmas album is excellent. Also try Buck Owens' Christmas album. And the Nutcracker--I've listened to The Sir Charles Makerras LSO one for years, but just ordered the new "Favorite Selections from The Nutcracker" on SACD with Eric Kunzel and The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, which everyone is raving about. I LOVE Christmas music!! For the 2007 season, I just ordered The Beach Boys Christmas, Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," and John Fahey's 1st Christmas album.
Synthfreek is right. Fahey's Christmas record is pretty definitive.
Some others I like:
•Charles Brown - Cool Christmas Blues on Rounder
•David Grisman - David Grisman's Acoustic Christmas on Rounder
Love her or hate her, my favorite is Celine Dion's These Are Special Times. I think it's an incredible Christmas cd.

Second place: Sarah Mclaughlin's Wintersong

Third place: Boney M Christmas of course!

calgarian
Charles Brown--Blues Christmas, Bing Crosby Christmas album, Chipmunks Christmas album, Santa Claus is Coming To Town Soudtrack (Burl Ives), Charlie Brown Christmas, Run, Run, Rudolph--Keith Richards version.

Many many versions of this song, but this one by Doris Day has those reach out and touch vocals.

 

 

@cd318 Thanks for resurrecting this thread. What other good recordings made since the OP 2007 can people offer for perusal? I just picked up the Eddie Higgins Trio's Christmas Songs (2004), an immaculate Venus pressing, that's been spinning a lot this year. 

Al Hirt and Ann Margaret,  The Beauty and the Beard, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

Resuscitating this older thread, there are plenty of excellent Christmas Music choices.

 

Happy Listening!

James Taylor at Christmas cd. Excellent version of Baby it's Cold Outside with Natalie Cole, and great sound.

Apologies in advance that this recommendation isn’t an album while realizing this thread is from 2007, but we’ve been enjoying SomaFM’s Department Store Christmas - kind of like elevator music for Christmas (great background music).

bought ALL the hair christmas, metal christmas,death metal christmas cds yers ago, im glad, they are going for its money these days.

 

they are proper christmas ones, not crazy, except for the death metal christmas.

regular ones are kicked  up a notch, and played well. we like rock in this house, so the traditional stuff we save for midnight mass.

@cd318 it is my understanding that White Christmas is the most requested song ever.

 

Best Xmas music CD is the merry Axeman first CD.  But I am a geetar player so what is not to like.

 

 

Since the OP mentioned Josh Groban back in 2007, here he is with one of his best.

A tremendous voice that would sound great anywhere, anytime.

 

A friend recommended this video to me and I must admit I was surprised at the sheer amount of Christmas classics that were recorded way back in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Best news of all is that they might be out of copyright by now.

It’s a pity that UK shops (+public places) don’t play as much popular Christmas music as they once did because of the Special Music Licence required these days.

 

 

Christmas can be real tough sometimes but in the end we always try. 

What else is there better to do?