🎄 Holidays! What's your first Christmas album to hit the turntable?

[Mike Blakesley]

So when you pull out your stack of Christmas albums, which is the first one you play? Or do you just grab at random?

I tend to play a compilation CD I made a few years ago, which includes all of my absolute favorites, first. But not a Christmas goes by that I haven't spun Herb's CHRISTMAS ALBUM, both Carpenters disks, my home-made best-of Mannheim Steamroller (the only disk of theirs I really enjoy these days), a couple of Arthur Fiedler/Boston Pops disks, and of course George Winston's DECEMBER.

 

[seashorepiano]

I'm definitely giving Something Festive a spin tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Dave]

I ordered the Various Artists' LP, Country Christmas, which I forgot what Label it was on; some kind'a "Special Products" one, I think...

After seeing it advertised on TV and how I loved hearing Jimmy Dean's "Blue Christmas", Liz Anderson's "Jingle Bell Rock", Willie Nelson's "Frosty The Snowman", Marty Robbins' "Little Drummer Boy" and Ferlin Husky's "Jingle Bells"...

My copy seemed to have gotten scratched up after being played All Those Holiday Seasons, so fortunately I years later, I found one in better condition than I must'a treated mine...



Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I usually set up my little artifical Christmas tree on December 1st, and the TJB's Christmas Album is always the first thing played while I do that. Afterwards, I usually kick back with a beverage or two and put on Something Festive, a jazz compilation I made called Christmas Jazz, then Ella Fitzgerald's Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas. And if I get ornery enough I'll spin A Star Carol by (gulp) Tennessee Ernie Ford (it's an old childhood fave of mine).



Capt. Bacardi
...spikin' some egg nog online...

 

[Harry]

It's a tradition with me to spin SOMETHING FESTIVE as we tool around in the Chicago area on this Thanksgiving weekend, and this year is no exception. We started it earlier today driving around locally and have made it through side one of the LP. On the CD, I've got an expanded version with some other A&M Christmas tracks.

This year, I began the Christmas music a bit early, because I was transferring some of the songs to mp3. So earlier this week was when I actually started hearing the Bing Crosby's and the Nat King Cole's along with the Mannheim Steamroller's and the Boston Pops.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Mannheim Steamroller fans - there is a new album this year, CHRISTMAS SONG. I haven't heard it yet but the samples sound like classic Steamroller.

It also has one vocal by Olivia Newton-John, and a music-box version of "Christmas Traditions," a song from an earlier MS album.

Anyone heard the new one? and what are your impressions?

 

[Mr Bill]

Not so much an album, but my own iTunes playlist containing the TJB Christmas Album and a variety of tunes form my collection -- from Lounge to Bowie/Crosby and my IRS and new wave faves...

--Mr Bill

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Well for Lp's, my first was over the thanksgiving holiday playing the Acoustech Mastering LP by Keith Gray and Steve Hoffman of A Charlie Brown Christmas limited edition at 45rpm.

But I had played Carpenters Christmas Portrait on CD a few days before that and of course Olivia's new CD Christmas Wish became available at Target Stores a few weeks ago and I had to open that and play it of which I am so impressed with.

As a plug, you can catch Olivia performing a few pieces from her new Christmas CD on 2 upcoming tv specials. A Christmas Special - Entertainment Tonight (yes that is the ET entertainment tonight's) airs in the USA, Dec 8 2007. Then she performs on the Holiday Celebration at Ford's Theatre airs in the USA, Dec 19 2007, ABC.

Usually I don't get my Christmas music out till Dec 1 but this year it was earlier. I blame Olivia for all of this. :bigsanta:

 

[Mike]

This is my entire Christmas music CD collection. I usually start playing them after the first of December and for sentimental reasons I’ll probably start with The Andy Williams Christmas Album.

Herb Alpert & the TJB – Christmas Album
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops – Holiday Pops!
Diana Krall – Christmas Songs
Al Hirt – Have A Merry Little Christmas
Steve Tyrell – This Time Next Year
Jane Monheit – The Seasons
The Beach Boys – Ultimate Christmas
Frank Sinatra – The Christmas Album
Chris Botti – December
Kenny G – Faith
Johnny Mathis – The Christmas Album
Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dean Martin – Making Spirits Bright
The Andy Williams Christmas Album
Michael Bolton – This Is the Time, The Christmas Album
The Ventures’ Christmas Album

Happy Holidays,
Mike

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Here's my list:

Herb Alpert & the TJB: Christmas Album
Carpenters: Christmas Collection and the "special" edition of Christmas Portrait
Mannheim Steamroller: Christmas, Christmas In the Aire, Christmas Extraordinaire, Fresh Aire Christmas, plus my homemade collection which I call "Christmas On Aire"
Various: Something Festive (the Rood mix version)
Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops: A Christmas Festival
George Winston: December
Various: Windham Hill Christmas
Various: Narada Christmas Collection
Various: NOW Christmas: 3 volumes
Hall & Oates: Home for Christmas
Chicago: 25
Ken Griffin: The Organ Plays at Christmas (homemade CD from old LP - childhood classic)

I'm sure there are more....I'll need to add to this list when I get home to where my CDs are.

 

[seashorepiano]

I almost went to a Ken Griffin tribute concert in Massachusetts a few months ago, which was sponsored by a Hammond X-66 organ fan club.

 

[Rudy]

So when you pull out your stack of Christmas albums, which is the first one you play? Or do you just grab at random?

Usually a week or a few days before Xmas, I pull out a few things to spin. First one is usually a random pick from among a handful of favorites:

TJB: Xmas Album
Mancini: A Merry Mancini Xmas
Vince Guaraldi Trio: Charlie Brown Xmas
Brian Setzer Orchestra: my own compilation from his two Xmas CDs
John Pizzarelli: Let's Share Xmas
Various: Something Festive (my own CD compilation based on the A&M sampler album)
GRP Xmas Vol. 1
David Benoit (either or both of his holiday CDs)

For a change of mood I'll get out something like Ella Wishes You A Swingin' Xmas or Jimmy Smith's Xmas Cooking. The Manhattan Transfer's album is nice as well. A Time-Life set called Jingle Bell Rock has a lot of 50s and 60s tracks on it, and I like about half of them. Can't stand just about anything in pop/country music recorded in the past 25 years or so, so you'll find little if any from that. Got a few on Telarc from my jazz reviewing days, all nice stuff but nothing I play too often.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Let's don't forget the Jazz To The World CD, featuring Herb and Jeff Lorber doing "Winter Wonderland". There's some other goodies on that disc as well.




Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike]

I have two “Pete Jolly” itunes downloads from “Jazz Yule Love”.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
O Tannenbaum

It’s good stuff; it’s to bad that he didn’t put out a complete Christmas album.

Mike

 

[seashorepiano]

I'm giving Something Festive [LP] a spin as I type this. The arrangement of "Winter Wonderland" is great. "The Christmas Song" with B66 wins me over every time. It's other-worldly.

 

[audiofile]

I have two “Pete Jolly” itunes downloads from “Jazz Yule Love”.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
O Tannenbaum

It’s good stuff; it’s to bad that he didn’t put out a complete Christmas album.

Mike

I saw that Pete Jolly track Most Wonderful Time Of The Year on a compilation at Borders a couple of years back. I bought it because I thought it was the same version on Something Festive. It wasn't. It was still good, but not classic.

 

[Harry]

I have two “Pete Jolly” itunes downloads from “Jazz Yule Love”.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
O Tannenbaum

It’s good stuff; it’s to bad that he didn’t put out a complete Christmas album.

Mike

I saw that Pete Jolly track Most Wonderful Time Of The Year on a compilation at Borders a couple of years back. I bought it because I thought it was the same version on Something Festive. It wasn't. It was still good, but not classic.

The Pete Jolly track of "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" that was first heard on the SOMETHING FESTIVE! album can be found on a UK/EU CD compilation called COOL YULE THE SWINGING SOUND OF CHRISTMAS that came out a few years ago. It's not listed on the US Amazon, but can be found as a used item on Amazon uk.

Harry

 

[Dave]

I really thought you meant "Which is the First Christmas Album that You Ever Bought", in which case it was the album I posted above... Really thought you meant, "Hit, Past Tense"...

So this is the First One to Hit (Present Tense) my turntable this year!...:

:bigsanta:​

Dave

 

[Harry]

Did someone take the Krayolas out of the "wreck" room?

Harry

 

[Mr Bill]

Did someone take the Krayolas out of the "wreck" room?

--Mr Bill

 

[Dave]

Did someone take the Krayolas out of the "wreck" room?

--Mr Bill

Duh, what Krayolas?! Here, --you fixed it...!, --I fixed it...!

...Look UP!

Dave

 

[JMAR5]

Natlie Cole

GRP Christmas with Yutaka & Patti Austin

 

[Rudy]

Natlie Cole

GRP Christmas with Yutaka & Patti Austin

Volume 1, correct? That was always a favorite around here. Even non-jazz folks enjoyed it. Lee Ritenour's "White Christmas" and Kevin Eubanks' "Silver Bells" are the two highlights for me, along with the Yutaka "This Christmas". The later volumes were OK, but didn't quite have the same magic the first one did.