If you are into guitars then the Merry Axeman that Steve Vai produced is excellent.
Merry Xmas and Happy Listening. |
My favorite is still The Chipmunks. |
The Blind Boys of Alabama just released an Xmas CD. |
"Blue Yule". Blues, blues, blues Christmas |
A Charlie Brown Christmas on SACD--I still prefer the vinyl, but this gets part of the way there. |
It's now new but Christmas Extroardinaire by the Mannheim Steamrollers has great sonics and is fun to listen to. |
There are a couple of albums, with Keith Harring graphics on the covers, which contain X-Mas songs covered by contemporary artists. I have them on LP, but they must have been released on CD as well.
Both are nicely recorded/performed and great fun to listen to.
Ours are in storage (can't look up the label), but they should be easy to find on a web search.
As we also celebrate the Jewish holidays in our household I have been collecting Shlomo Carlebach recordings to play this year (only have two LP's so far). Shlomo is an awesome performer that my wife turned me onto (never heard of him before). |
Wilson Pickets version of Jingle Bells always gets the season kicked off for me - 'Good God Almighty...Sleigh' |
Here are my favorites, from the PROJEKT label:
Excelsis v.1 a dark noel (1995)
Excelsis v.2 a winters song (1995)
Excelsis v.3 a prelude (2001)
Here is link:
http://www.projekt.com/projekt/product.asp?sku=PRO00062&dept%5Fid=10 |
|
Thank you for your comments. I purchased the Blind Boys CD, it is very good. Also purchased the Alligator record Genuine Houserocking Christmas, this just was released. |
Besides The Blind Boys (which is excellent), new this year is a Moody Blues disc "December" and a Jethro Tull (can't recall the title). My personnal favs are more traditional though, A Robert Shaw Christmas, Angels On High (Telarc) and Christmas Night, Carols of the Nativity by The Cambridge Singers and John Ritter (Collegium). |
If you like swing style music, I think you will like this. It spends a lot of time in our CD player over the Holidays. I also gave it as gift, and the recepiant loved it.
Also, Arron Neville's Soulful Christmas is very good as well.
Regards. |
Big_ed, did you forget to tell us the swing disc's name? If you like Jimmy Buffet, he's got a Christmas disc that's got some fun numbers ("Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum"). |
Sorry. It mus have been cut off in the title. The name of the swing disc is:
Dean Martin's - Making Spirits Bright
Regards! |
No new releases to suggest. But if you like Rennaisance music, then The Boston Camerata's "A Rennaisance Christmas" is fantastic. |
I'm a lover of Christmas music and have about 20 CDs of it. But the two I keep returning to again and again, year after year, are (1) Joy to the World, Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus, on RCA (recorded 1971-72), and (2) Joy to the World, Richard Condie conducting the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, with the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble and Percussion (and organ), on CBS/Sony (recorded around 1970). Both feature arrangements by Arthur Harris, who gets my vote as the all-time champion arranger of Christmas music. I won't make any claims that they have state-of-the-art sound, but if you like traditional Christmas music, I think you'll love these. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD has the most beautiful "O Come O Come Emmanuel" you will ever hear. |
Joan Baez, "Noel" is a classic.
Also, recordings of the Service of Lessons and Carols from Kings College, Cambridge. |
Here are two gems, not easy to find:
1. Etta James, "Twelve Songs of Christmas" (Volume 1);
This is an audiophile quality CD. Appropriately heavy, but tuneful bass, great dynamics. Excellent piano from Cedar Walton, and absolutely superb horn arrangements make this CD special, IMO. Then, there is Etta's sometimes hoarse, gravely, past-her-prime voice which works, even when she mangles some French lyrics on "O Holy Night", her presentation is so subtle and controlled, yet full of emotion, that it could get a few atheists to convert. She does all the standards, some in her normal blues repertoire. Others are done in their typical ballad form. Overall, a highly-nuanced interpretation by Ms. James. This may be one, if you can find it, that you'll want to take out and play not just in November and December. This is some of Etta James best work ever.
2. "A GRP Christmas Collection" -
A Christmas sampler put out by the label who were in the forefront of Smooth Jazz revolution, including performances by Chick Corea, Dave Grusin, Lee Rittenour, Dave Valentin, Tom Scott, David Benoit, Gary Burton, Kevin Eubanks and Dianne Schuur, among others.
Not the type of jazz which I ordinarily listen to, but it works here. Great sound, like the Etta James CD. Mine is a promotional copy, not for sale, which I picked up in the very early 90's. Don't know if it was ever sold commercially.
|
i still play Phil Specter's Christmas Album at the start of my party. It is so classic and fun. i will check out the Etta James one...I say at the Monterey Blues Festival and I loved to watch/listen to her. |
