Music for all the Christmases

When people ask me what my favorite kind of music is, I genuinely enjoy answering with, "Christmas music". I get so excited for this time of year every year and the music is a huge part of the reason why. It's a wonder that some of the best music in the world only gets played for a single month: in a society so enamored with overindulgence, we somehow manage to do a good job holding off on some of the most magical, romantic, spiritual, and purely enjoyable music of our culture's history until the time is just right.

Well, the time to indulge has come around again, so I'd love to share with you all some of my favorite Christmas albums in the hopes that you might just discover some new favorites of your own. Unfortunately, Christmas music is like any other kind in that there is just as much garbage out there as there is real treasure worth spending your time and money (and ears) on. And, for some reason, far too many retail outlets, radio stations, and other commercial interests given to playing Christmas music tend to favor playing the cheesy, the annoying, and the obnoxious.

So, in light of all this, I offer you my own list, hoping you might find the time to celebrate the season through listening: Christmas music, with it's unique power to remind us of the wonder of the season - through it's timeless & beautiful melodies, it's relaxed swing, and it's lyrical content - should be something we all cherish. I hope you find something in this list that enriches your Christmas this year and stays with you for all of the Christmases that follow.

Happy listening!

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Harry Connick, Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas
Whenever anyone asks me about Christmas records to buy or what my personal favorites are, this always seems to be the first to pop into my head. Connick's album embodies the very idea of the sounds of the season: his voice, his piano, his arrangements, his performance. The originals are just as good as the classics; this is one of the all-time greats. Also, be sure to check out Connick's other two Christmas records, What A Night!, and Harry For The Holidays. (Highlights: every single song.)

George Winston - December
This is it for Christmas piano. There are some great solo piano records out there for Christmastime, but if you can only have one, this is the one to have. In fact, if you can only have one George Winston record, this is the one to have. It's beautiful and peaceful, and the progression of the album from start to finish, song by song, is a masterstroke. (Highlights: Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head; Variation on the Kanon by Pachelbel; The Holly and The Ivy)

Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin - Christmas with The Rat Pack
Let's face it, along with Bing Crosby, the voices of the Rat Pack epitomize the sound of classic Christmas songs. This collection was put out on iTunes last year, and it's been a long time coming. Timeless and classic. I mean, who doesn't want to own the song that plays during the end credit roll of Die Hard? (Highlights: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!; The Christmas Song; I'll Be Home For Christmas)

The Ramsey Lewis Trio - Sound of Christmas
The modern concept of Christmas music wouldn't be what it is without the advent of jazz. Since the creation of the old Christmas hymns and carols, no style of music has infiltrated the season's celebrations like jazz, and we are all the more blessed because of it. This Ramsey Lewis record, from 1961, is one of the great demonstrations of the beauty of Christmas music in the hands of a jazz combo. Great playing and masterful arrangements and that feeling of age make it one worth owning. (Highlights: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town; What Are You Doing New Year' Eve?; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)

Chris Botti - December
Continuing on our jazz theme, but with a classical influence... Botti's bread and butter. He makes the trumpet the herald of the season along with some heartrending arrangements. This record has to be heard to be believed. There's jaw-dropping musicality on display here, but nothing ever gets in the way of the songs themselves. An astounding record. (Highlights: Ave Maria; Hallelujah; The Christmas Song)

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
I mean, do we really need to give a reason why with this one? There are few more timeless Christmas records than this - a must-have for any Christmas music fan. (Highlights: O Tannenbaum; Linus and Lucy; Skating)

Michael Buble - Christmas
What the Rat Pack was then, Connick and Buble are now: the modern bearers of the standards. Buble's vocal mastery is something to behold, and his Christmas record is an instant classic. His are the only versions of Holly Jolly Christmas and Santa Baby I will listen to, and, dare I say it, I even enjoy his version of All I Want For Christmas Is You more than Mariah Carey's original. Buble is the very definition of smooth, and people will be listening to his renditions for decades. (Highlights: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas; All I Want For Christmas Is You; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas)

James Taylor - At Christmas
Taylor infuses the sounds of the season with his classic folk style here, but also recruits the right people to help make the record jazzy, and the result is sublime. The record is relaxed, musically powerful, dynamic. The arrangements soar... you'll just want to sit and absorb it. An absolutely wonderful album. (Highlights: In The Bleak Midwinter; Auld Lang Syne; Go Tell It On The Mountain; Deck The Halls)



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