Christmas Jazz Albums

[joshuakennedy]

I'm looking for some recommendations on good Christmas jazz. 

Some albums I've already heard that I enjoy: 

Beegie Adair Trio - Jazz Piano Christmas

Butch Thompson - Yulestride

Christmas Break - Relaxing Jazz for the Holidays (V/A)

Dave Brubeck - A Dave Brubeck Christmas

Eddie Higgins Trio - Christmas Songs

Ellis Marsalis - A New Orleans Christmas Carol

Harry Allen - Christmas in Swingtime

Jack Jezzro - Bossa Nova Christmas

Kenny Burrell - Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas

Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful Christmas

Oliver Jones - Yuletide Swing

Oscar Peterson - An Oscar Peterson Christmas

Putamayo Presents: A Jazz & Blues Christmas (V/A)

Putamayo Presents: A New Orleans Christmas (V/A)

Skafish - Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Wynton Marsalis - Christmas Jazz Jam

Yule Struttin' - A Blue Note Christmas (V/A)

 

What am I missing? 

Edited November 29, 2016 by joshuakennedy

[Teasing the Korean]

Shorty Rogers and Duke Ellington both did their own arrangements of The Nutcracker. 

If you are open to vocals, I highly recommend This Time of Year by June Christy. 

[jlhoots]

Looks like you have enough. 

[joshuakennedy]

  On 11/29/2016 at 11:49 PM, Teasing the Korean said:

Shorty Rogers and Duke Ellington both did their own arrangements of The Nutcracker. 

If you are open to vocals, I highly recommend This Time of Year by June Christy. 

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Thanks for the recommendations. I am open to vocals, but I'm fairly picky. I'll check it out, though. 

  On 11/29/2016 at 11:51 PM, jlhoots said:

Looks like you have enough. 

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LOL

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 11/29/2016 at 11:58 PM, joshuakennedy said:

I am open to vocals, but I'm fairly picky. I'll check it out, though. 

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It was a concept album made up of 10 original songs, not your typical Christmas fare.  Arrangements are by Thee Great Pete Rugolo. 

[GA Russell]

I recommend the Joe Pass album Six-String Santa.

[danasgoodstuff]

Both Bobby Timmons' and Don Patterson's Holiday Soul albums have been reissued (that's right, Prestige gave two successive catalog numbers the same name!).  Neither is genius, but the're both good, greasy fun.  Solid 'B's.

[clifford_thornton]

Is that organissimo holiday album still around? 'Tis good.

[felser]

[JSngry]

That Carla Bley thing has been in the annual rotation since its release, and I'm a Bing Crosby guy fwiw.

[felser]

My favorites cross-genre are The Rotary Connection - Peace, and Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas, Johnny.

[duaneiac]

based upon the albums you liked, I'd also recommend:

Maybe or maybe not to your taste, but highly recommended:

I'll probably have more ideas once I officially break out my boxes of Christmas CDs for the year.

 

[Big Beat Steve]

Along the lines of "Jingle Bel Jazz"; I'd also recommend

- "Mr Santa's Boogie" (Savoy Jazz SJL 1157, vinyl)

- "Hipsters' Holiday" Rhino R2 70910

 

And then for something a bit different:

- Hot Club of San Francisco: "Hot Club Cool Yule" Azica AJD-72242

[JohnS]

Jimmy Ponder - A Guitar Christmas.

Anyone mention Duke Pearson's Merry Old Soul or Blue Note's Yule Struttin'.

[Big Beat Steve]

Yule Struttin' is in the thread starter's list.

[Teasing the Korean]

An NPR Christmas is an inadvertently funny album title. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

  On 11/29/2016 at 11:49 PM, Teasing the Korean said:

Shorty Rogers and Duke Ellington both did their own arrangements of The Nutcracker.

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In 2001, the Classical Jazz Quartet created an interesting version of The Nutcracker. The Classical Jazz Quartet is Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Stefon Harris on vibraphone and marimba, and Lewis Nash on drums. Bob Belden was the arranger. Well worth picking up if you're a fan of these songs.

  On 11/29/2016 at 10:18 PM, joshuakennedy said:

I'm looking for some recommendations on good Christmas jazz. 

Some albums I've already heard that I enjoy: 

Beegie Adair Trio - Jazz Piano Christmas

Butch Thompson - Yulestride

Christmas Break - Relaxing Jazz for the Holidays (V/A)

Dave Brubeck - A Dave Brubeck Christmas

Eddie Higgins Trio - Christmas Songs

Ellis Marsalis - A New Orleans Christmas Carol

Harry Allen - Christmas in Swingtime

Jack Jezzro - Bossa Nova Christmas

Kenny Burrell - Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas

Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful Christmas

Oliver Jones - Yuletide Swing

Oscar Peterson - An Oscar Peterson Christmas

Putamayo Presents: A Jazz & Blues Christmas (V/A)

Putamayo Presents: A New Orleans Christmas (V/A)

Skafish - Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Wynton Marsalis - Christmas Jazz Jam

Yule Struttin' - A Blue Note Christmas (V/A)

 

What am I missing? 

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You have to get yourself a copy of Scott Hamilton's "Christmas Love Songs". Great "late night" Christmas Jazz. It gets regular play at my house around the holidays.

Also, both Milestone and Uptown did nice Christmas compilations that have some nice tunes. Milestone comp is called "Christmas Songs" and the Uptown Records comp is called "An Uptown Christmas".

[Teasing the Korean]

  On 11/30/2016 at 11:27 AM, Kevin Bresnahan said:

...Bob Belden was the arranger...

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That's all I needed to know!  

[JSngry]

This one, glad tidings for all!

 

[Ted O'Reilly]

I've always liked this one:

"AllMusic Review by Ken Dryden

Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass add plenty of spice to this Christmas jazz CD, not only with superb, fresh charts but a few surprising selections. The rich brass and reeds carry the deliberate rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which segues into a perky Latin-flavored chart of "I'll Be Home for Christmas." "Away in a Manger" is not the commonly heard melody but one first written in 1887, though the music will likely be familiar, even if one doesn't associate it with the well-known lyrics. The lush setting of "The Christmas Song," which likely set Mel Tormé and Bob Wells for life with royalty checks due to its many recordings, showcases the leader's valve trombone and pianist David Restivo. "My Favorite Things," originally written for The Sound of Music, has gradually been transformed into double duty as a Christmas carol; this swinging interpretation works very well. Johnny Mandel, the composer of many memorable melodies, deserves greater recognition for his gorgeous piece "A Christmas Love Song"; this arrangement deserved to help put it on the jazz map. Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass consistently delivered first-rate music throughout their existence, this holiday CD no exception."

 

...and here's another brassy one:

[duaneiac]

The Stan Kenton album is essential listening every Christmas for me.  If you like big bands, this is another good one, if a bit obscure

And some other recommendations:

I don't know if this one ever made it to CD:

 

[sidewinder]

  On 11/30/2016 at 7:17 AM, JohnS said:

Jimmy Ponder - A Guitar Christmas.

Anyone mention Duke Pearson's Merry Old Soul or Blue Note's Yule Struttin'.

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The Duke Pearson will be in heavy usage at my place - courtesy of the Pearson Mosaic Select. A really nice album !

[Big Beat Steve]

  On 11/30/2016 at 5:26 PM, duaneiac said:

The Stan Kenton album is essential listening every Christmas for me. 

 

 

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I have plenty of Kentons but not this one. Maybe I accidentally passed it up at special sales here in the past. I just checked the track listing in a 1986 catalog of Creative World reissues - and, yes, I'd sure like to hear "O Tannenbaum" or "O Holy Night" as played by the Stan Kenton mellophonium orchestra of 1961. (No sideswipe intended - the one Kenton mellophonium orchestra LP I have sounds much less overbearing to me than many scribes made this band out to be)

Edited November 30, 2016 by Big Beat Steve

[JSngry]

fwiw, the Kenton Christmas album makes no attempts at being jazz (or "jazz"). It's all pretty straightforward "brass chorale" type stuff. Not unlike his National Anthems Of The World thing.

[Big Beat Steve]

Thanks. Makes it easier for me to NOT regret not having that one.