Christmas & Holiday Music

CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY MUSIC 2014

By András Goldinger

New for 2014

CD Cover CD Cover CD Cover

It’s Christmas on Mack Avenue (Mack Avenue Records) – Over the last few years, the Mack Avenue label has assembled some of the best young jazz talent around. The variety of arrangements is wonderful: from Cyrille Aimée’s bouncy “Let It Snow!” to Cécile Salvant’s slow-ballad take on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Vibraphonist Warren Wolf uses the chiming sound of his instrument perfectly on “Carol of the Bell,” and pianist Aaron Diehl’s makes “Sleigh Ride” new again.  Another neighborly highlight is bassist Christian McBride’s version of James Brown’s “Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto,” with shout-outs to hometowns near and dear, and our own “Chocolate City” and U Street.

Renée Fleming, Christmas in New York (Decca) – What lifts Ms Fleming’s album are the contributions of her guests, mostly from the world of jazz. They include trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, pianist Brad Mehldau (both of whom contribute arrangements as well), trumpeter Chris Botti, vocalists Gregory Porter, Kurt Elling, and from the world of pop and Broadway, Rufus Wainwright and Kellie O’Hara.

An Americana Christmas (New West Records) – A good compilation featuring new recordings from young artists, and well-chosen tunes from older recordings. The highlights include Valerie June’s “Winter Wonderland,” and Nikki Lane’s “Fa La La La Love Ya.” The compilers did an outstanding job rounding up classics—like Bob Dylan’s crazy, border-polka version of “Must Be Santa,” and Emmylou Harris’s “The First Noel”—and ending the album with the Band’s “Christmas Must Be Tonight.”

CD Cover CD Cover CD Cover

Caitríona O’Leary, The Wexford Carols (Heresy Records) – Two collections of carols, published in 1684 and 1728, came from County Wexford, Ireland. Some are still sung; many of the original tunes have been lost. Caitríona O’Leary delved into their history, and sings beautiful renditions (“in both traditional and reconstructed versions”) with Irish instrumental accompaniment. On some carols, she is joined by Rosanne Cash, Rhiannon Giddens (the Carolina Chocolate Drops), and Tom Jones. There are wonderful historical notes that are a part of the beautiful, hardbound package.

Over the Rhine, Blood Oranges in the Snow (Great Speckled Dog Records) – The husband-and-wife duo of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist wrote new seasonal songs—and cover Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December,” whose spirit and themes echo throughout the album.

Folger Consort, Christmas in New Spain (Bard Records) – Lively early Baroque dances by Latin American and Spanish composers.

NOTE: From December 16 to 23, the Folger Consort will perform their annual holiday shows at the Folger Shakespeare Library; this year entitled A Renaissance Christmas: Music of Flanders and Italy, circa 2250.

CD Cover CD Cover CD Cover

Also:
Christmas at Downton Abbey (Warner Brothers, 2 CDs) – There is Mr. Carson reciting “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” and Lady Grantham singing “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” but most of this double album is a repackaging of classical stars Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Hampson, William Christie, and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.

Blind Boys of Alabama & Taj Mahal, Talkin’ Christmas (Sony Masterworks) – The Blind Boys of Alabama co-wrote some righteous songs, stressing the religious spirit of Christmas. Taj Mahal fronts the hard-rocking band (playing guitar and banjo), and sings on two songs.

Idina Menzel, Holiday Wishes (Warner Brothers) – From Ms Menzel, who starred in Wicked, and belted out the iconic song “Let It Go” in Frozen, comes a traditional seasonal album.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51afJy2NXyL._SL160_.jpg CD Cover CD Cover CD Cover

The Living Sisters, Harmony is Real: Songs for a Happy Holiday (Vanguard) – L.A. singer/songwriters do old-fashioned harmony in newly written songs

French Christmas (Putumayo)

Blues, Blues Christmas, Vol. 4, 1925 – 1962: In the Blues, Jazz, Do-Wop, Rockabilly and Gospel Spirit (Document Records, 2 CDs)

Irving Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, A New Orleans Chrismas (Basin Street Records)

 

A Few All-Time Favorites

Emmylou Harris, LIGHT OF THE STABLE (Reprise) – On this 1979 album, Emmylou combined traditional seasonal hymns, a couple of bluegrass favorites, and a few originals—all in beautiful acoustic arrangements. The all-star lineup features Ricky Scaggs, and harmony vocals by Sharon and Cheryl White, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, and Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Vince Guaraldi, A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (Fantasy) – First televised in 1965, the TV special—with jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi’s evocative music—has become a classic. “Christmas Time is Here,” “Linus and Lucy,” and “Skating,” have become new Christmas standards, and the beautiful arrangements of “What Child is This” and “Greensleeves” are still spellbinding.

WHERE WILL YOU BE THIS CHRISTMAS? 24 Recordings from 1917-1959 (Dust to Digital) – Compiled by WAMU radio host and music scholar Dick Spottswood, this is a spectacular and revelatory collection. It’s filled with, as Dick writes, “Southern fiddles, jazz bands and blues singers, festive music from Puerto Rico, Italy, Ukraine, and Trinidad (some great calypsos)…[There is] equal time for sacred and secular, for Christ and Santa Claus, and for respectable and rowdy.” Every song is a delight and a true wonder from long ago. Do not miss this great CD.

Yo-Yo Ma & Friends, SONGS OF JOY & PEACE (Sony) – The lineup is amazing: Renée Fleming, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Joshua Redman, members of the Silk Road Ensemble, fiddler Natalie McMaster, bagpiper Cristina Pato. There are four improvisations on Dona Nobis Pacem, featuring Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile; the Assad Brothers; Paquito D’Rivera; and Chris Botti. Politics & Prose’s all-time best selling holiday album.

 http://i43.tower.com/images/mm123373957/james-taylor-christmas-cd-cover-art.jpg  http://i43.tower.com/images/mm106408346/sings-traditional-christmas-carols-pete-seeger-cd-cover-art.jpg

The Duke Ellington Orchestra, THREE SUITES, featuring The Nutcracker Suite (Columbia) – Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote complex and witty arrangements for the best-known pieces from Tchaikovsky’s grand ballet score, bringing out new tonal colors and adding a lot of swing. Highlights include “Sugar Rum Cherry” (a reworking of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”), “Arabesque Cookie” (“Arabian Dance”), and “Danse of the Floreadores” (“Waltz of the Flowers”). This is a gem.

James Taylor, AT CHRISTMAS (Umg Music) – JT teams up with jazz arranger Dave Grusin for one of the coolest, swinging-est albums of holiday tunes. With an ace band and a string and woodwind section backing him, Taylor sings the first bluesy version of “Jingle Bells,” and gives us “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” complete with the seldom-heard verse.

Phil Spector, A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU FROM PHIL SPECTOR (Sony) – Originally released in 1963, this is one of the greatest Christmas albums of all time. Producer Spector was at his peak in creating his “wall of sound,” and the over-the-top renditions of holiday hits by the Ronettes, the Crystals, and Darlene Love will never be surpassed.

Pete Seeger, Traditional Christmas Carols (Smithsonian Folkways) – From 1967, Pete sings, with banjo and guitar.

Many of these titles are displayed downstairs.

 

Favorites From Recent Years

Nick Lowe, Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family (Yep Roc Records) – Singer and songwriter Nick Lowe’s album conveys both the fun and the melancholy of the holidays (as well as the tender, sardonic and sentimental sides).  . The traditional songs are given fresh arrangements: a “Texabilly” take on “Silent Night” (complete with Farfisa organ and horn section), a swinging, bouzouki-strumming version of “Rise Up Shepherd,” and a rockabilly take on “Children Go Where I Send Thee.” There’s the cool jazz of “Hooves on the Roof” and covers of songs by Boudleaux Bryant and Roger Miller, among others.  Nick’s three originals include scenes both modern (“Christmas at the Airport” and “A Dollar Short of Happy”) and traditional (“I Was Born in Bethlehem”—a low key autobiography narrated by Jesus himself).

Elisabeth Mitchell, The Sounding Joy: Christmas Songs In and Out of the Ruth Crawford Seeger Songbook (Smithsonian Folkways) – Elisabeth Mitchell (and her family and musical friends) have created a most heartwarming Christmas album. She takes songs from composer and folklorist Ruth Crawford Seeger’s 1953 songbook, American Folk Songs for Christmas, and creates arrangements perfect for listening and for sing-alongs. Many of the songs look at the story of Mary and her baby from many American regional traditions: from old English folk songs that survived in Appalachia to a ring shout from the South.

John Zorn, A DREAMERS CHRISTMAS (Tzadik) – Composer and saxophonist John Zorn assembled a versatile band to mix jazz with lyrical “exotic lounge” and surf guitars. Piano, bass, drum, and guitar are here, but it’s the vibraphones, chimes, glockenspiel, and percussion which give the album its charm. It will bring a smile to your face, whether you’re roasting chestnuts, opening presents, or recovering from the office holiday party.

Geri Allen, A CHILD IS BORN (Motema) –This is a beautifully programmed set of instrumentals played on solo piano and other keyboards. Interspersed with meditative seasonal songs, spirituals, and a jazz standard are two short original vocal pieces. From the beautiful cover etching to its final notes, this CD captures the “wonder and mystery” of the Christmas season.

Matt Wilson, MATT WILSON’S CHRISTMAS TREE-O (Palmetto) – Drummer Matt Wilson has come up with some of the wittiest arrangements of holiday favorites. Every cut is a winner, from the beloved chestnuts to lesser known treats (“Happy Xmas [War is Over]” and “Mele Kalikimaka”). Wilson’s trio uses a palette of sound: reedman Jeff Lederer plays saxophones and clarinets galore, plus piccolo and toy piano, and bassist Paul Sikivie holds down the bottom. Fun and fresh.

Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow (Anti) – Kate Bush’s CD is like an enchanting book of seven wintry tales (it’s even packaged in a thin hardback). Thematically and sonically related, each of Ms Bush’s spacious songs of longing sets a mood and envelopes the listener.

Carole King, A Holiday Carole (Hear Music) – A mother and daughter collaboration: Carole King brought in Louise Goffin to choose some holiday songs and produce the album. Ms King puts her heart into every song, including “This Christmas,” “My Favorite Things,” “Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday,” “Chanukah Praye.”

Holidays Rule (Hear Music, $18.98) –  This is a very generous Christmas present indeed: seventeen songs by a stellar cast of younger stars (The Punch Brothers, the Civil Wars, Rufus Wainwright and Sharon Van Etten, Calexico, Eleanor Friedberger), plus a couple of wily veterans (Irma Thomas with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Paul McCartney). Andrew Bird closes this wonderland of song with a spare “Auld Lang Syne.”

She & Him, A Very She & Him Christmas (Merge Records) – M. Ward and TV and movie star Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) present a sweet and very laid-back set of tunes. Spare instrumental backing supports Ms Deschanel’s soft voice. You expect the pop gems associated with Elvis, NRBQ, Brenda Lee, and the Beach Boys, but Matt and Zooey also tip their hat to the golden age of songwriting as well.

Joshua Bell, Musical Gifts from Joshua Bell and Friends (Sony Classical) – Joshua Bell takes a page from the very successful Yo-Yo Ma playbook: gather a group of great singers and instrumentalists and make a holiday album. My favorites on the collection include two featuring cellist Steven Isserlis (“Ave Maria” and “Baal Shem: Simhat Torah”), and the vocal group Straight No Chaser’s “Nutcracker Medley. Others along for the ride are Renée Fleming, Plácido Domingo, Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, and Alison Krauss.

Pink Martini, JOY TO THE WORLD (Heinz) – The “little” big band, Pink Martini, has always arranged songs with wit and inventiveness, and lead singer China Forbes can sing in many languages. I guarantee you’ll hear songs that are on no other holiday disc—sung in Hebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian, Ladino, Chinese, German, and Italian (Verdi!).

Diana Krall, Christmas Songs (Verve) – Krall sings the seasonal chestnuts, plus a lesser-known Irving Berlin song, “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep.” She is accompanied by the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra in arrangements by John Clayton.

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, JINGLE ALL THE WAY (Rounder) – Collaborating with Tuvan throat singers, and the great clarinetist Andy Statman, banjo master Béla and the Flecktones come up with the freshest arrangements.

Sting, IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT… (Deutsche Grammophon) – Sting’s album is a quiet and thoughtful set of songs on the themes of winter and the yuletide season in the British Isles. Little-known carols are mixed with music by Purcell, Praetorius, as well as adaptations of Schubert and Bach.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle, The McGarrigle Christmas Hour (Nonesuch) – When a family caroling session includes Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, and friends like Emmylou Harris, the results are sure to be special. The album mixes two French carols, traditional songs, and seasonal originals.

 

A Jazzy Christmas

Charlie Byrd Christmas Album (CD) ~ Charlie Byrd (Artist) Cover Art A Dave Brubeck Christmas (CD) ~ Dave Brubeck (Artist) Cover Art A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra (CD) ~ Frank Sinatra Cover Art

Many of these titles are displayed downstairs.

Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (Verve) – Recorded in 1960, the First Lady of Song swings the classic holiday tunes like no one else. Every generation of jazz singer has studied this classic.

Charlie Byrd, THE CHARLIE BYRD CHRISTMAS ALBUM (Concord) – The great jazz guitarist.

Dave Brubeck, A Dave Brubeck Christmas (Concord) – Beautiful solo piano

A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra (Capitol) – Recorded in 1957, this is a highlight from Frank’s Capitol years, with very hip arrangements by Gordon Jenkins.

Christmas with Sinatra and Friends (CD) ~ Frank Sinatra (Artist) Cover Art

Christmas with Sinatra & Friends (Concord) – A good compilation that also includes primo tracks from Ray Charles & Betty Carter, Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, Rosemary Clooney, and Mel Tormé

Mark O’Connor, An Appalachian Christmas (Omac Records) – Over the last thirty-odd years, fiddler Mark O’Connor has been a champion bluegrass player, and a first-call studio session-man, played hot jazz and chamber music, and collaborated  with scores of artists, such as Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, and Renée Fleming. All of them are featured in this mix of vocals and instrumentals done over the decades, plus a few more recent tunes with vocalist Jane Monheit and mandolinist Chris Thile.

Louis Armstrong & Friends, CHRISTMAS COLLECTION (Hip-O) – Besides Louis singing “’Zat You, Santa Claus?” “Cool Yule” and “Christmas in New Orleans,” you also get Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” and gems from Mel Tormé, Louis Jordan, and Peggy Lee.

James Brown, The Best of Christmas (Polydor) – The funkiest Christmas ever

 

Classical Favorites

 Sacred Songs (CD) ~ Andreas Delfs (Conductor) Cover Art

Bach: Cantatas for Christmas Box Set (SDG, 6 CDs) – This is a wonderful boxed-set collection (at a reduced price) by John Eliot Gardiner conducting his Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists. It collects the Cantatas for the Christmas season taken from the year-long Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2250. A few of the soloists include Magdalena Kožená, Bernarda Fink, Michael Chance and James Gilchrist. Individual titles include  Bach: Cantatas, Vol. 14 (SDG) includes the Cantatas for Christmas Day and the Second Day of Christmas, and Bach: Cantatas, Vol. 15 (SDG) presents the Cantata for the Third Day of Christmas

Renée Fleming, Sacred Songs (Decca)

Anonymous 4, THE CHERRY TREE (Harmonia Mundi) –The four women of A4 bring sing carols and songs, both from medieval England and colonial American inspired by the miracle ballad, “The Cherry Tree Carol.”

Chrismas with the Tallis Scholars (Gimmel) – A double CD for a low price, this is a fine introduction to one of the premier groups in Renaissaince music.

Medieval Christmas (CD) ~ Medieval Christmas / The Orlan... Cover Art

Harmonia Mundi Budget Re-issues, displayed downstairs:
Paul Hiller, Orthodox Christmas: A New Joy; Anonymous 4, Wolcum Yule and On Yoolis Night; Orlando Consort, Medieval Christmas.

 

Music For Hanukkah

’Twas the Night Before Hanukkah: The Musical Battle Between Christmas and the Festival of Lights (Idelsohn Society, 2 CDs) – The Idelsohn Society is a label started by four young record collectors with the aim of reviving forgotten artists and making new connections in Jewish music. Their latest explores Hanukkah, “from a festival reclaimed by young Americans in the 1870s to its full-throated explosion in the 20th century as the Jewish alternative to Christmas.” Themes of acculturation vs. communal identity abound.

The first CD includes wonderful Hanukkah songs from the Klezmer Conservatory Band, Woody Guthrie, Stanley Adams, Gladys Gerwitz and Ella Jenkins. The second CD explodes with some of the greatest songs in a venerable tradition: Jewish artists recording Christmas songs. Danny Kaye, Eddie Fisher, Bob Dylan, Herb Alpert, Benny Goodman, Richard Tucker, even the Ramones are all here (Babs is missed). As with all Idelsohn projects, it comes in a cheeky package with lots of notes

The Klezmatics, WOODY GUTHRIE’S HAPPY JOYOUS HANUKKAH (JMG) – While living in postwar Coney Island (and inspired by his mother-in-law, the Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt), Woody Guthrie wrote many Jewish-themed lyrics. The Klezmatics provide clever arrangements, and the band in full happy Hanukkah spirits.

Finally, I recommend any of guitarist Tim Sparks’s three CDs of traditional Jewish melodies from around the world, “from Yemen to the Caucasus, from Krakow to Tin Pan Alley.” Neshamah is for solo steel-string guitar; Tanz adds bassist Greg Cohen and percussionist Cyro Baptista; and, finally, At the Rebbe’s Table adds guitarist Marc Ribot on nylon-string guitar and cellist Erik Friedlander to the trio. All of Spark’s albums are wonderful for year-round listening. (All three are on the Tzadik label.)