December 13: Elvis

Elvis - Christmas Peace

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Elvis.  Not all of his stuff, of course.  But, overall, I'm a big fan.  I love the skinny rockabilly Elvis.  I love the fat, jumpsuit-wearing Elvis.
And I especially love Elvis Christmas music.  His style just works really well.  He's able to take these songs - both old and new - and mold them to his style.  When I hear these songs, I have a hard time believing they could be done any better.  And, for the most part, that is the case.

I know there are a number of Elvis Christmas collections, but this one is my favorite.

"Blue Christmas"



"Santa Claus is Back in Town"



"Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)"

December 12: Jessica Ripka

Jessica Ripka - Manger Songs

With only 4 songs (only 3 of which are Christmas songs), this is a pretty short Christmas album.  But it packs a punch.  There's not a bad song on here.  Ripka's unique piano and vocal stylings provide a fresh take on "Joy to the World", "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and "Silent Night".  You've never heard these songs done in this style, and you're unlikely to ever hear them like this again.

It's a free download over at her Bandcamp page, but any donations go to AIDS relief efforts in Africa.  I highly recommend you check it out and donate what you can.




Full disclosure: Jessica is a friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to work with her on a remix on her most recent album.  She's a fantastic musician, and a great person to boot.

December 11: Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin'

As past selections have shown, I'm a fan of quite a few jazz Christmas albums.  Having heard the same songs done a million times with very little variation, I find myself drawn to albums that shed new light on those songs.  A fresh take, as it were.  As a general rule, jazz - good jazz, at least - offers a fresh take on standard songs.
This is one of those albums.  I love Jimmy Smith's organ style, and it comes through here.  He pairs with a big band on a number of the tracks, but this album is at its best when Smith's organ is in the foreground.  This is a solid album, and it's perfect for this time of year.
One of my favorite tracks on here is his rendition of "Jingle Bells", but, unfortunately, I couldn't find a clip on YouTube.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"



"Greensleeves"



"Silent Night"

December 10: Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas

5 discs.  42 tracks.  Granted, that's a lot of music to get through, but it's worth it.  The songs were all recorded pretty quickly, so there's a certain ramshackle, lo-fi quality to most of it.  But there is a lot of great stuff.  Even the Christmas standards are seen through a new light.  And there are a lot of original tracks, most of which are terrific.
That's not to say the entire thing is great.  There are a few clunkers.  But, overall, there are more good songs than bad songs here, and more than a few amazing songs.
It's also worth noting that one of my favorite Christmas songs is "Once in Royal David's City", but it's rare to find it on an album.  But it can be found here in two versions: instrumental and vocal.

"Put the Lights on the Tree"



"Come On!  Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!"



"Once in Royal David's City"



"Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)"

December 9: Vince Guaraldi

Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't love to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.  I don't even particularly enjoy Peanuts, and I love watching this.  There are a handful of movies I watch every year to get myself into the Christmas spirit, and this is one of them (for what it's worth, Die Hard and Bad Santa are also on that list).
As good as it is, it would be nothing without the music. And Guaraldi nailed it.  The music is perfect for the movie, and it's great to listen to as a standalone Christmas album.  I love it.

"O Tannenbaum"



"Christmas Time is Here"



"Skating"

December 8: She & Him

She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas

My love of Zooey Deschanel is very well known, and my love of M. Ward is fairly well known, so it shouldn't be a shock that I love this album.
But this album feels different from their first two albums.  Where those were all dressed up in pop dressing, this is a pretty stripped-down affair.  Sure, there are songs with a lot going on, but, for the most part, this album finds Zooey singing lead while Ward plays guitar, a little piano, and sings a little background.  It's a warm, bluesy, intimate Christmas album.  And I adore it.

"The Christmas Waltz"



"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"



"Blue Christmas"

December 7: Dave Brubeck

Dave Brubeck - A Dave Brubeck Christmas

Sadly, Brubeck died a couple days ago.  He was one of my favorite jazz pianists, right up there with Thelonious Monk and Oscar Peterson.
This entire album is solo piano.  It's beautiful.  It works perfectly for a snowy December day, or to put on in the background while you sip hot cocoa and open presents.  It's a great album for the season.
It doesn't quite put me in the same mindset that Vince Guarldi's Charlie Brown Christmas does, but it's close.
RIP Dave.  We'll miss you.

"Homecoming / Jingle Bells"



"Silent Night"



"Winter Wonderland"