My Top 5 Jazz and Blues Christmas Albums
By Mark Arnold
For me one of the things that makes
Christmas time so special is the music. Judging from the popularity of
Christmas music this is true for many of us. As a Jazz and Blues fan I
particularly like Christmas songs styled in those genres. Every year Tammy and
I add a CD or two to our collection and we have accumulated a number of them,
so I thought I would let you know what I consider are the top 5 Jazz and Blues
Christmas albums of all time. Here they are, starting with number 5:
Number 5: Dianna Krall Christmas Songs
Artist: Diana Krall
Label: Verve, 2005
We
picked this one up a couple years ago and it has been one of our favorites from
the moment we played it. We are big Diana fans generally and this CD does not
disappoint. Diana does a fabulous job
swinging her way through a dozen holiday standards ranging from “Jingle Bells”
and “Let It Snow” to “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” and “Count Your
Blessings Instead Of Sheep”, the latter included as a tribute to Rosemary
Clooney who sang it in Tammy’s favorite Christmas movie “White Christmas”.
Diana is great on piano of course and she is backed by a great band , the
Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. An added bonus is that when you buy the CD you
get to look at the great pictures of Diana on the front and back cover and in
the liner notes. The girl is a knockout!!!!!
Number
4: Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas
Artist:
Ella Fitzgerald
Label:
Verve, 1988 (from sessions recorded in 1960)
This
one would make the top 5 of anyone’s jazz/blues Christmas list; the
incomparable Ella Fitzgerald blows your holiday socks off. This CD starts off
with “Jingle Bells”, just like Diana Krall’s does, and when you hear Ella you
will also hear the impact she has had on later jazz interpreters (like Diana
Krall). Specifically check out Ella’s versions of “Good Morning Blues” and
“What Are You Doing New Years Eve” (They are my personal favorites) but the
whole CD is great. The Frank DeVol Orchestra backs Ella on all of the cuts.
Number
3: Jingle Bell Jam: Jazz Christmas Classics
Artist:
Compilation, 18 different artists or bands
Label:
Rhino, 1994 (from sessions recorded between 1948 and 1991)
Back
around 1998 or so my stepson Aaron gave this CD to Tammy and I for Christmas. I
am not big on compilation CDs and I just thought it would go the way of many
CDs given and received at Christmas. (After a few months sold or exchanged at
the CD store, if they’ll take it.) That’s what I thought until I played it. Now
I would never think of selling it. There are too many artists on this CD to
mention them all but every single track (all 18 of them) are exceptional. Those I would specifically
highlight are Duke Ellington (who
unfortunately never recorded a Christmas album) performing “Jingle Bells”,
Charlie Parker and his band performing a beboppy version of “White Christmas” (recorded on Christmas
Day of 1948), and Booker T and the MGs with a soulful version of “Merry
Christmas Baby”. These are all great but for me what takes the cake on this CD
is Lou Rawls’s interpretation of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. Once
you hear Rawls sing this tune every other version will pale in comparison…I
guarantee it. And don’t mistake this
version with a later version Rawls did for a Christmas CD he released in 1993.
This version was recorded in 1967 and the band behind Lou swings while his
voice is in perfect form. You can’t beat it.
Number
2: Roomful Of Christmas
Artist:
Roomful Of Blues
Label:
Bullseye Blues, 1997
If
you are not familiar with the band “Roomful of Blues” you should be. Back in
the mid ‘90s I got really revitalized on music, particularly the blues, and as
a result became familiar with a blues/jazz guitar player named Duke Robillard.
( I have since become a huge fan of Duke’s and see him live whenever he comes
to Seattle.) Duke founded “Roomful…” in 1967 with fellow musicians from their
home state of Rhode Island and the band has been swinging and rocking ever
since (though Robillard left them in 1980). In “Roomful Of Christmas” the band
performs a set of 10 songs, most being holiday standards but several you may
not recognize unless you are well steeped in R and B artists and history.
Regardless, the band is in top form on all of them and you will find yourself
toe tapping if not outright dancing as the band rollicks its way through the
songs. The vocals by Sugar Ray Norcia are particularly good. If you like
“jump”blues and swing, which I personally love, you can do no better than
“Roomful of Christmas”..which is why it is number two on my list.
And now …drum roll if you
please…my number ONE Jazz/Blues Christmas Album of all time:
Number
1: Cool Christmas Blues
Artist:
Charles Brown
Label:
Bullseye Blues, 1994
I just can’t think of Christmas without thinking of
“Cool Christmas Blues” by Charles Brown! If I had this record in vinyl it would
be worn through by now. Charles Brown is a blues piano playing virtuoso who was
born in 1922 and died in 1999. Basically he had two careers, one in the mid 40s
to mid 50s in which he established himself both as a great bluesman and also as
a recording artist and live performer. During this time he had several national
hits. As rock and roll came on the scene later in the ‘50s Charles faded from
popularity but in the late ‘80s and on into the ‘90s he made a come back,
recording 8 albums between 1990 and his
death in ’99, including 1994’s “Cool Christmas Blues”. For me this recording is
the definitive Rhythm and Blues Holiday album. I love piano blues anyway and
Charles will have you singing and bouncing to the music, whether he is playing
any of the traditional songs included in this collection, or the two famous
holiday songs he penned himself; “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Please Come Home For Christmas”. I
guarantee you will love them all, if you love the blues, and so I have awarded
Charles Brown and his “Cool Christmas Blues” number one status on my list.
There you go…the top 5
Jazz/Blues albums of all time. Check ‘em out yourself and see if you agree.
Happy Holidays
Mark Arnold
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