Holiday Music Thread
- Thread starter Zeeba Neighba
- Start date
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
My wife really doesn't like Jose Felliciano's "Feliz Navidad" but I love it
It's really quite a simple song and kind of dumb
But either because it's so simply done, or because it was released in 1970 when I was young and impressionable OR simple perhaps it has a bounce-inducing joy that makes me smile - I dunno why but it's oddly one of my favorite holiday songs
Cut and paste this post in the Random Music Thoughts section and substitute "Feliz Navidad" with "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey"
It's really quite a simple song and kind of dumb
But either because it's so simply done, or because it was released in 1970 when I was young and impressionable OR simple perhaps it has a bounce-inducing joy that makes me smile - I dunno why but it's oddly one of my favorite holiday songs
Cut and paste this post in the Random Music Thoughts section and substitute "Feliz Navidad" with "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey"
Nickyboy
Staff member
Animal, The Swedish Chef and Beaker Star In The Muppets "Ringing of the Bells" - That Eric Alper
This threesome of incomprehensible Muppets does their best to share Holiday Cheer. Watch Animal, the Swedish Chef and Beaker sing their hearts out in their rendition of “Ringing of the Bells.”
www.thatericalper.com
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Kenny Burrell - Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas (1966)
People who enjoy the soul jazz genre (and hey was just listening to Alligator Boogaloo earlier this week) would really dig jazz guitarist's foray into Christmas music.
Interestingly as far as jazz Christmas albums out, there's a lot of piano/keyboard entries (Guaraldi, Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Smith) and guitar entries (George Benson, Burrell, Joe Pass) but not as many Christmas horn/sax albums
People who enjoy the soul jazz genre (and hey was just listening to Alligator Boogaloo earlier this week) would really dig jazz guitarist's foray into Christmas music.
Interestingly as far as jazz Christmas albums out, there's a lot of piano/keyboard entries (Guaraldi, Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Smith) and guitar entries (George Benson, Burrell, Joe Pass) but not as many Christmas horn/sax albums
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Michael Charles Smith ~ The Nutcracker Suite for Marimba Quartet (2013)
Very well-done. A bit of a novelty item; however, the novelty wears thin as the Suite progresses.
By the time "Winter" arrives, I'm tapped out, and cannot completely enjoy "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
I suppose there's a reason why Tchaikovsky decided to orchestrate the score and not have it set for solely marimbas.
Very well-done. A bit of a novelty item; however, the novelty wears thin as the Suite progresses.
By the time "Winter" arrives, I'm tapped out, and cannot completely enjoy "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
I suppose there's a reason why Tchaikovsky decided to orchestrate the score and not have it set for solely marimbas.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays (2004)
Dean Martin - The Dean Martin Christmas Album (1966)
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas (1967)
Tis the season to resurrect this ol' thread - starting to get my Christmas on. No surprises here (though I havent' broken out the Barenaked Ladies in a few years - not afraid to bring some levity and irreverance in there (and unlike many Christmas albums the originals are good)
Ella's earlier "Swinging" Christmas album is one of my top 3 or 4 holiday albums, but a seven years later, she would show her vocal chops on more traditional, reverent material - I haven't spun it in years, but very good.
Dean Martin - The Dean Martin Christmas Album (1966)
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas (1967)
Tis the season to resurrect this ol' thread - starting to get my Christmas on. No surprises here (though I havent' broken out the Barenaked Ladies in a few years - not afraid to bring some levity and irreverance in there (and unlike many Christmas albums the originals are good)
Ella's earlier "Swinging" Christmas album is one of my top 3 or 4 holiday albums, but a seven years later, she would show her vocal chops on more traditional, reverent material - I haven't spun it in years, but very good.
Ojai Sam
Staff member
Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire - Holiday Inn & Blue Skies (soundtrack sessions, rec. 1942 & 1946, VJC comp. 1990)
Vintage Jazz Classics went all the way back to the studio "practice" master discs before dialogue and sound effects were added. This makes not just for the best audio quality but also spares us the ravages of excising stray sounds and dialogue.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Vintage Jazz Classics went all the way back to the studio "practice" master discs before dialogue and sound effects were added. This makes not just for the best audio quality but also spares us the ravages of excising stray sounds and dialogue.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin' (1964)
Tends to be more jazz Christmas albums by jazz keyboardists - Smith's is a really enjoyable one throughout. Unlike say Oscar Peterson or Dave Brubeck who did holiday albums later in their careers, Smith was at his peak combining big band and small combo arrangements.
Tends to be more jazz Christmas albums by jazz keyboardists - Smith's is a really enjoyable one throughout. Unlike say Oscar Peterson or Dave Brubeck who did holiday albums later in their careers, Smith was at his peak combining big band and small combo arrangements.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Missed this thread last year, but hey! It's December and the holiday season again - so starting out my listening with this classic 60 years old this year (as is the TV Special) - both still timeless but man makes ya feel old.
Missed this thread last year, but hey! It's December and the holiday season again - so starting out my listening with this classic 60 years old this year (as is the TV Special) - both still timeless but man makes ya feel old.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Missed this thread last year, but hey! It's December and the holiday season again - so starting out my listening with this classic 60 years old this year (as is the TV Special) - both still timeless but man makes ya feel old.
I have always loved this one.
Whenever I hear "Christmas Time is Here," I am reminded of sitting in the main entrance hall of St. Johns College in Santa Fe about 15 years ago - probably because they were playing the album, and also probably because Christmas time was there.
Deck the Halls with Vince Guaraldi
Most holiday Muzak seems to do little more than contaminate the air, but the contributions from the musician behind “A Charlie Brown Christmas” remain comparatively fresh.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
A Christmas Gift to You from Philles Records (1963)
Toss up yesterday between Charlie Brown and this great one. Never tire of it. Darlene’s Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” gotta be in the top 5 of Christmas Songs of the last century.
Toss up yesterday between Charlie Brown and this great one. Never tire of it. Darlene’s Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” gotta be in the top 5 of Christmas Songs of the last century.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
15 more days and hitting the classics
Bing Crosby - Merry Christmas (1955)
Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas (1958)
Not much originality in naming Christmas albums back then. Two of, maybe, the 6 albums my parents had in their immense stereo cabinet growing up so bring back a lot of nostalgia
That stereo now has a sheet over it and, in its probably nonfunctional self, acts as a table for family photos and piles of whatever. But back in the day, it spun Christmas carols through the house
Bing Crosby - Merry Christmas (1955)
Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas (1958)
Not much originality in naming Christmas albums back then. Two of, maybe, the 6 albums my parents had in their immense stereo cabinet growing up so bring back a lot of nostalgia
That stereo now has a sheet over it and, in its probably nonfunctional self, acts as a table for family photos and piles of whatever. But back in the day, it spun Christmas carols through the house
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
15 more days and hitting the classics
Bing Crosby - Merry Christmas (1955)
Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas (1958)
Not much originality in naming Christmas albums back then. Two of, maybe, the 6 albums my parents had in their immense stereo cabinet growing up so bring back a lot of nostalgia
That stereo now has a sheet over it and, in its probably nonfunctional self, acts as a table for family photos and piles of whatever. But back in the day, it spun Christmas carols through the house
"Immense stereo cabinet?" Are we related? We had one o' those too. Many in the burbs back then had such things.
I thought I'd look for images and found out they are still being made with audiophile-grade or similar components, supposedly.
Take The Standard, for example (for about $12K):
The Standard | Modern Record Cabinet + Sonos | Wrensilva®
Discover The Standard by Wrensilva, a vinyl record console combining vintage design with modern HiFi sound, Sonos audio & record storage.
wrensilva.com
Or, one can move on up (cue, The Jeffersons) to other models:
Record Player Cabinets | Modern Record Consoles | Wrensilva®
Explore Wrensilva's HiFi modern record turntable cabinets with Sonos® functionality, ample album storage & premium audio.
wrensilva.com
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company nor do I receive a commission. I just stumbled upon their site this morning.
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Just:
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Ultimate Christmas Collection
For years my Methodist church has had a main Christmas eve service with the spin of a "quiet contemplative Christmas". Our new pastor was not keen on the idea but got some passive aggressive pushback from the church's music director as I think he didn't want to push the choir members to come on Christmas eve (he will be singing this year along with one other person instead of the whole choir). He also complained he didn't have the budget to hire other singers/musicians.
Granted he DID find the budget for a Christmas cantata this weekend that sparks some controversy as many members don't enjoy.
Why am I boring you with church politics? I dunno
I just miss a good old blowout Christmas service and felt wistful when I heard the big (granted sometimes over the top) arrangements of the MTC
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Ultimate Christmas Collection
For years my Methodist church has had a main Christmas eve service with the spin of a "quiet contemplative Christmas". Our new pastor was not keen on the idea but got some passive aggressive pushback from the church's music director as I think he didn't want to push the choir members to come on Christmas eve (he will be singing this year along with one other person instead of the whole choir). He also complained he didn't have the budget to hire other singers/musicians.
Granted he DID find the budget for a Christmas cantata this weekend that sparks some controversy as many members don't enjoy.
Why am I boring you with church politics? I dunno
I just miss a good old blowout Christmas service and felt wistful when I heard the big (granted sometimes over the top) arrangements of the MTC
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Season Greetings From Perry Como (1959)
From the pomp and bombast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to the avuncular stylings of Mr. Como.
Another favorite from my folks' old monstrosity of a stereo cabinet.
From the pomp and bombast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to the avuncular stylings of Mr. Como.
Another favorite from my folks' old monstrosity of a stereo cabinet.
