A quick note on the album of Chinese Christmas Songs I mentioned in an earlier post. By sheer happenstance the original ripper / sharer, Lee at Music You (Probably) Won’t Hear Anyplace Else, has re-ripped and re-shared it.
Bobby Vinton - Songs of Christmas
I’m a Bobby Vinton fan but this collection isn’t doing it for me this year.
Christmas with Ronnie Aldrich
Pretty nice piano-driven easy listening album.
A Jazz Christmas: Hot Jazz for a Cold Night
Solid compilation featuring Dave Brubeck, Stanley Turrentine, Benny Carter, and many more. Good stuff.
Johnny Cunningham and Susan McKeown - A Winter Talisman
A Celtic holiday “program” featuring words and music of the season. A really enjoyable listen.
Jackie Evancho - O Holy Night
4 track EP from classical crossover vocal prodigy who gained national fame from her appearance on America’s Got Talent, championed by legendary executive/ producer/songwriter/performer David Foster.
It’s good for what it is.
Mel Tormé - Christmas Songs
Despite beginning his career more than 60 years earlier, It took until 1992 for Mel Torme to release a Christmas album, which is a shame. I’m extra fond of this collection though since I had the pleasure of seeing him live a handful of times in the years surrounding its release (Though I don’t think he played any Christmas songs during those sets).
The Barolk Folk - Come Let Us Be Merry
Exceedingly pleasant collection of period flavored Christmas tunes from the UK and France. I’m going show great restraint now and not make a painful Hammered Dulcimer joke here.
Simply the Best Christmas Album
Surprisingly good turn of the century classical compilation from Warner Classics. Most collections labeling themselves “the best” are flat-out lying but this is pretty much the real deal. A very impressive collection indeed.
Christmas with Mario Lanza
Not a huge Lanza fan but very nice, in small doses.
Noel (2005)
Compilation on VIA Records featuring a few names familiar to me like Brent Bourgeois, Carolyn Arends and Buddy Miller & Julie Miller. Some nice rock/folk rock tunes here.
Anton Gregorio - Reflections on Christmas
Pan flute. Nah.
Christmas Treasures Beautiful Sounds of the Panflute and the Regency Orchestra
More, just slightly less awful, pan flute
Christmas Day with Sammy Kaye
Lovely old fashioned Christmas LP
Lump of Coal (1991)
Very mediocre Aussie alt-rock compilation Things aren't going well when a Crash Test Dummies song is the highlight of the album.
Christmas with Don Ho
Actually not an album but a rather unnecessary single (and bside)
Bobby Hachey - Noel Christmas
French Canadian country Christmas album. Has its charms but not something I’m likely to want to listen to again.
Granville Elementary School 1961 Christmas Program
A wonderful time capsule to a more innocent time. My old school produced albums like this all the way up until 1979. I don’t have any of my own alma maters LPs anymore so neat shares like this will have to suffice to light that nostalgic fire.
College of Emporia Chorale and The Toppers - Did Mary Know…
Graduating directly from Elementary school to Collège we have this collection of seasonal songs from The College of Emporia. It’s a decent representation of the genre, though it doesn’t carry the same nostalgic heft of Granville’s entry.
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
I was never a big Sesame Street kid but this is a cute album (and special that it's based on) that my kids always liked back in the day.
