🎄 Holidays! What new holiday CDs are you getting this year?

[Rudy]

I'm not buying many holiday CDs this year, but have the following on my radar...

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Dig That Crazy Christmas -- His albums are always a "fun" holiday outing, and I'm sure this one will be no exception. I have all of the songs from his last holiday recording, Boogie Woogie Christmas, along with the Japan "Luck Be A Lady" EP that included the extra tunes that appeared on the different versions of that album at different large retailers. Target had a "special edition" last year that added two more new songs as well.

Michael Franks: Watching The Snow -- This is actually Franks' newest recording since Barefoot On The Beach. This album contains new compositions by Franks that are based on the holidays and winter.

Diana Krall: Christmas Songs -- This one's with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, so it should be a treat. It would have been ideal if they'd have included the three holiday tracks from her Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas EP, along with "The Man With The Bag" which showed up as a bonus track on retailer Target's version of The Look Of Love.

Reverend Horton Heat: We Three Kings -- One of my favorite neo-rockabilly bands has a holiday CD out now. I can imagine the Reverend's good humor will prevail on a few of the tracks.

40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas -- Normally I avoid "tribute" CDs, but in this case, the project was overseen by jazz pianist David Benoit, who actually took over producing music for the Peanuts specials after Vince Guaraldi passed on. It features both guest instrumentalists and vocalists, so it should be a nice compilation!

 

[AM Matt]

I just bought Tony Orlando & Dawn "A Christmas Reunion". I also bought "Sounds Of The Season: The NBC Holiday Collection" (2005) with 5 exclusive tracks including Earth, Wind & Fire "Gather Round" (heard in commercial) & former Sixpence None The Richer Leigh Nash doing the remake of Frank Sinatra "Mistletoe And Holly". The price is only $ 5.99 only at Target stores & it is the red cover not the green or dark blue. Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[Mike Blakesley]

If any of you guys are into traditional country music, we have a young "rising star" here in town who has made a Christmas album. It's called "Patricia Ryan's Christmas" and you can order it, or listen to a couple of samples at www.patriciaryan-music.com. This girl is 19 but is really into the old-style country sound. She has 4 CDs out in total, and is quite the fixture on the fair circuit around here each summer.

 

[Mr Bill]

For me, just that Target CD with Sergio on it...

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

I've only picked up the new Setzer CD--the concert is Friday night, and we're braving the cold and the high crime to see him downtown. Probably will order anything else I want this weekend when I do my big Amazon holiday shopping order.

 

[Harry]

I've gotten two new CDs this year, one mentioned above, the Target CD called HOLIDAY JAZZ. Though we're all calling it a Target CD since that's who's selling it, it really doesn't mention Target anywhere on it. It's a Universal Special Markets disc, so it's somewhat refreshing to see a Sergio Mendes title linked with the modern day Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica address that A&M, as part of Universal, uses. At this point I've only listened to the Sergio track. Perhaps this week I'll find time to at least listen to the rest once through.

The other disc I've obtained is the COOL YULE - THE SWINGING SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS. This was brought to our attention here as being available through Dusty Groove since it had a Pete Jolly track on it of "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year". The question was as to whether this was the same track that appeared years ago on the old SOMETHING FESTIVE A&M compilation. I ordered it on the chance that it was the same and ascertained that indeed, this is the track from way back then.

There are a few other semi-interesting tracks on this disc, three by the Anita Kerr Singers including their take on "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle", and an instrumental called "Swinging Bells" by the Mystic Monks, which is sort of an early-day take on a Mannheim Steamroller-kind of sound.

I've also recently ordered the A&M UK '70s version of SOMETHING FESTIVE on LP from a seller on GEMM. It's a 2 LP set, with updates like "Merry Christmas Darling" from Carpenters and the Christmas tune from Shawn Phillips. I hope it arrives before Christmas, but if not, I'll save it for next year's plunge into holiday music.

Harry

 

[Rudy]

I picked up the David Benoit produced "Charlie Brown Xmas 40th Anniv" disc, but haven't listened to it yet. Michael Franks' "Watching The Snow" arrived today as well, and it's also sitting in my CD changer waiting for its turn in the rotation.

I also got the Capitol artists' compilation "The Best of Christmas". It's a case of my memory being a little fuzzy on this one--I had to skip through half of the songs on it, they're that bad. I remember just about all of the songs, but can't say I really like most of them anymore. Good thing it was only $5.99, although I still feel I overpaid.

 

[Mr Bill]

I picked up the Target Jazz one and volume 2 of the Capitol Ultra-Lounge Christmas CD. I'm still looking for the three Shout!Factory Christmas CDs which look like they'd make a nice set...

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

I picked up the Target Jazz one and volume 2 of the Capitol Ultra-Lounge Christmas CD. I'm still looking for the three Shout!Factory Christmas CDs which look like they'd make a nice set...

--Mr Bill

The yourmusic.com site has a three-disc set of all three Capitol Ultra Lounge Xmas titles for $17.97. ($5.99 x 3 discs, free shipping on all orders.)