What’s your top 5 Christmas albums ?


It’s snowing here in Michigan today. Got me into the Christmas spirit. Curious what’s your favorite 5 Christmas albums.

I will get the ball rolling 
Ray Charles- The spirit of Christmas 
Vince GuaraldI Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas 
Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin
Various Artists- Blue Christmas (BlueNote)
Aguanko - Latin Jazz Holiday in Havana





Ag insider logo xs@2xbiketony
There are two that Nancy and I have listened to for over 25 years (Just played them last night for the first time this year). Nat King Cole on Capitol and Crescent City Christmas by Wynton Marsalis on Columbia. This was recorded at the heights of Wynton's appreciation of Ellington. Fantastic recording!
*the stereo version of the phil spector "a christmas gift for you" album. the mono version to me sounds like a wall of mud. 
*john klein- a christmas sound spectacular [carillon americana]
*star of wonder- san francisco choral artists
*the soulful strings christmas album
*the supremes christmas album
@biketony  -  do you have more info on Aguanko - Latin Jazz Holiday in Havana? I cannot find the artist or an album of this name.
dayglow, I don't play it all year, but I do usually do a Xmas in July set, and I play it fairly often after Halloween and ALWAYS in December.

Here was my stream from July this year...and there are a couple or three more on my Mixlr showreel.

Bird Peterson - Opening Montage
Ray Conniff - Ring Christmas Bells
Ferrante and Teicher / Les Baxter - Sleigh Ride / Santa Claus Party
Jazz at Lincoln Center - Brazilian Sleigh Bells
Los Straightjackets - Linus & Lucy
Coppola & Casella - The Little Drummer Boy
The Ventures - Scrooge
Ella Fitzgerald - Jingle Bells
The Count Basie Orchestra - Let It Snow
Jody Nardone Trio - Charlie Brown Theme
David Grisman - Auld Lang Syne
Koko Taylor - Merry Merry Christmas
Keb’ Mo’ - Santa Claus, Santa Claus
The Soulful Strings - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
Bela Fleck - Twelve Days Of Christmas
Wynton Marsalis - Carol Of The Bells
Jon Batiste - Christmas In Barcelona
Pete Fountain - Jingle Bell Rock
Keely Smith - Christmas Island
The Ramsey Lewis Trio - Merry Christmas Baby
Kenny Burrell - My Favorite Things
Miles Davis - Blue Xmas
Jimmy McGriff - From Jimmy With Soul
James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto
Louis Armstrong - Zat You, Santa Claus
Rotary Connection - Christmas Love
Joseph Washington Jr. - Shopping
The Whispers - Funky Christmas
Cyndi Lauper - Christmas Congo
Sia - Ho Ho Ho
Tele Novella - Purple Snowflakes
Kylie & Frank - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Seth McFarland - Mele Kalikimaka
Lindsey Stirling - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
Tracey Thorn - Joy
Saint Etienne - Gonna Have A Party
Book Of Love - We Three Kings
Trebuchet - Dashing To The Gym
Colbie Caillat - Christmas In The Sand
Samantha Fish - Run Run Rudolph
Mindi Abair - All I Want For Christmas Is The Blues
Tom Petty - Christmas Al Over Again
Jack Johnson - New Axe
JD McPherson - Twinkle
The Mavericks - Christmas Time Is
Squirrel Nut Zippers - My Evergreen
Canned Heat - Christmas Boogie
The Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble - My Favorite Things


https://mixlr.com/jasonc/showreel/xmas-in-july
gueuze_dude I assume you play Christmas music throughout the year? I might have 30+ Christmas recordings on vinyl and compact disc. You have given me an idea to play only Christmas recordings on the last 2 weeks of December for vinyl nights.

roxy54
, Each of those cubes hold about 90 records. A discogs search of the word "christmas" in my collection leaves 317 results, with not all of those records being actually in the database. It’s not a contest though, we just love Xmas music!!!

Check this out!  This is Jimmy McGriff's super rare Christmastime album.  I have a copy, but the first few seconds of each side is unplayable due to a defect.  

https://mixlr.com/jasonc/showreel/jm-christmastime
The only Christmas song I like is Dr. John playing and singing Silent Night on Dr. John plays Mac Rebbenac, which is a great record, BTW.  Solo piano and voice only.  
I just played a new LP tonight that was audiophile quality which is rare in a Christmas album. It was The Kacey Musgrave Christmas Show. Quiet clean dynamic. 
gueuze_dude,
If that is a picture of the whole collection, it's more like 180, not counting the multi-record boxes. Still, it looks like I have some catching up to do!
Around 130 Christmas albums in my collection, currently. It is hard for me to pick a Top 5. However, it is easy for me to pick The Top One: The Magic Of Christmas by The Soulful Strings. This album has the most inventive and catchy arrangements (without going into over-the-top, zany territory) that I have ever heard Christmas music-wise. I'd like to give honorable mentions to Herb Alpert's Christmas Album from 1968 and Have Yourself A Soulful Little Christmas by Kenny Burrell. For Christmas music played in a straight-up classical sense I suggest these two albums: The Charlie Byrd Christmas Album and Music Of Christmas by The Empire Brass. Of course, there are several artists who have the definitive version of a particular song (Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis come to mind, and already mentioned by others above) but in terms of having an album by them that I would place in the Top 5 or Top 10 -- there is some pretty stiff competition. Finally, I'd like to mention a few songs that I think are unappreciated gems worth seeking out: "A Girl Named Noel" by Jim Nabors; "He's Gonna Take Away Our Christmas" by Robert Goulet; "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" by The Beginning Of The End; "Christmas Must Be Tonight" by The Band. 
I was never able to tolerate that chipmunk singing, but I know people who enjoy it.
I love Christmas music, and I have about 60 CDs, which, while not a huge collection is probably more than the average person. I think that most good artists that have wanted to make a Christmas album have made something enjoyable, but there are few that are what I would call masterpieces.
In that category of beginning to end masterpieces that have the ability to conjure the most beautiful Christmas thoughts and emotions, I will nominate only three:
Glen Campbell - Christmas. (On the Icon Label) It was out of print for many years and only available from England for around $100.00 for the CD. It was originally called  "That Christmas Feeling". His voice, the song selection and the arrangements are just impeccable.
The Carpenters - Christmas Collection. What can I say? It is just a beautiful 2 disc set Lovingly arranged by Richard with wonderful orchestrations and Karen's heavenly vocals. 
Randy Travis - Old Time Christmas. I am not even a fan of country music, but this disc transcends the genre. It's just beautiful and his voice is sublime. This one is also what I would consider a real demonstration quality recording. Not a very long collection, but every song a gem. 
As much as I love many orchestral collections as well as collections of classic vocalists like Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis and of course Nat King Cole, whose classic disc I don't really list because we all know it so well; For me, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without these three.
Jimmy McGriff - Christmastime
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Saint Etienne - A Glimpse of Stocking
Sia - Everyday is Christmas
David Grisman - David Grisman's Acoustic Christmas

There are five that I love, but I'd have a hard time picking five best.
Barbra Streisand - A Christmas Album (1967)
She & Him - A She & Him Christmas (2011)
Christmas in the Heart - Bob Dylan (2009)
Louis Armstrong & Friends ‎- What A Wonderful Christmas (1997 comp)
Vince G... none better. 
Plenty other decent ones, but a Charlie Brown Christmas IS Christmas. Just received a new copy on vinyl. 
Nat King Cole of course
Carpenters double disc set
Randy Travis, Old Time Christmas
Glen Campbell, That Christmas Feeling
Vince Guaraldi
Ella Wishes You a Swing'n Christmas
Christmas with The Rat Pack
Louis Armstrong & Friends - What a Wonderful Christmas
Nat King Cole - A Christmas Together
A Catchy Christmas
Christmas In New York- London Cast
Christmas, Bring Us
Christmas Clear
Christmas Light
Creole Christmas - Traditional fare with a unique Cajun flare.
Carpenter’s Christmas Portrait - Karen’s voice!
Harry Connick Jr - When My Heart Finds Christmas
A Rockin’ Little Christmas
God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen
The Nat King Cole Christmas Album
This is like the three best female vocalist question. I could come up with more but after Jennifer Warnes what is the point?