What’s your top 5 Christmas albums ?
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. |
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. |
This is the Xmas section in my record collection. I'd guess that it's between 350-400. https://flic.kr/p/2k9WFPF |
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 |
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 |
Add: "What if Mozart Wrote Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Hampton String Quartet, RCA Victor https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Wrote-Yourself-Little-Christmas/dp/B0030E9WM0 |
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! |
