Favorite Christmas Recordings

[jbtsax]

I have several Christmas albums I enjoy each holiday season, but they are all contain vocals as you will see from my list. Does anyone have any favorite jazz Christmas albums that also include purely instrumental arrangements?

My favorites are:

Christmas The Singers Unlimited
Christmas Together Ella & Louis
Christmas Songs Diana Krall


John

 

[Merlin]

The Boss Brass Christmas album is stellar!

Harry Connick's Christmas recordings are all terrific (he's got 3 of them out.) My personal fave cut from them is "Frosty the Snowman" from "Harry for the Holidays". It's absolutely kick-ass!

 

[Gandalfe]

There are so many good ones to pick from I'm hard pressed to pick three.

• Accoustical Christmas - Brad Benefield (local musician)
• Christmas Celebration - Mannheim Steamroller
• Best of Christmas in the Northwest - various local musicians

Due to budget concerns I only picked up two holiday CDs. Both exceeded by expectations:

• December - Chris Botti
• Enya - And Christmas Came

Now I'm thinking about some of the sections on this thread.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Several years ago, See's Candies issued an LP titled SONGS OF CHRISTMAS by Turk Murphy's San Francisco Jazz Band. The issuing company was Merry Makers Record Co. I play my record every season. DAVE

 

[Merlin]

• Christmas Celebration - Mannheim Steamroller
• December - Chris Botti

We got the Chris Botti disc too, and I like it as well. Any of Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas discs are well worth having.

I'm playing soprano sax in church a few times over the Christmas season, and I'm using some of the Mannheim Steamroller pieces.

 

[bpimentel]

• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Christmas - this one gets my vote for best Christmas album EVER.
• Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I like some of Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas stuff, but I find his rendition of the Schubert Ave Maria to be painful.

 

[pete]

Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas.

+1.

 

[sideC]

Otis Redding - White Christmas
The Drifters - White Christmas
Percy Faith - Christmas Is
Lou Rawls - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra - The Christmas Waltz
Nat King Cole - O Holy Night
James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto

 

[Merlin]

+1.

+2!!

 

[Carl H.]

Make that +3

We also like a Dino/NK Cole combo disc I think we got at Kohls a few years ago.

 

[tjontheroad]

I cry when I hear Boots Randolph's solo on "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree". If only I had that much tone !!!

+1 for Harry Connick's Christmas. Everything on that recording is great.

James Taylor's version of "Deck the Halls" is also very cool.

Sooooo many

btw... can we get a Santa emoticon?

 

[Steve]

a little late .. but TJ mentioned Boots. I have his Christmas album on my MP3 player the last couple of years. Great style and colorization .. can listen to that album anytime of the year.