My Christmas Mix

There are only a few absolutes in my life, and one is absolutely no Christmas music before Thanksgiving (we can talk about absolutes later)... So now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I thought I would blog about my favorite Christmas songs. So here we go in no particular order:

1. Christmastime is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio

- Quite possibly one of the most beautiful Christmas songs every written. Imagine yourself on a snowy night sitting by the firelight in silence with people you love.

2. Let it Snow - Ella Fitzgerald

- One of the best renditions of this song I know. Ella is smooth and perfect. And, I love this song... especially living in LA where it never snows. It makes me miss the East Coast.

3. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Dean Martin

- Fun song, and Dean's voice is relaxed and conversational. It's a perfect fit for this song.

4. Cool Yule - Kurt Elling

-Fun song. "You're gonna flip when you see ol' St. Nick play a lick on a peppermint stick."

5. Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

- It's a classic, what can I say. Some other great renditions: India Arie and Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Mel Torme, Vince Guaraldi.

6. Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

- It's kind of a cult classic. Not one of the nostalgic pieces, but it's a lot of fun to listen to.

7. Christmas is Coming - Vince Guaraldi Trio

- I guess you should listen to this before "Christmas is Here." But I like "Christmas is Here" better...

8. Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

- Kind of sexy if I'm allowed to say that.

9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2

- Classic raspy/shouty Bono in a Christmas song. Can you ask for more?

10. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Steven Curtis Chapman

- One of my favorite Christmas hymns. It has such power and emotion in the melody, and SCC does a great job with this one.

11. O Holy Night - Mariah Carey

- Another favorite Christmas hymn, and Mariah rips is in a freaky way. Is that whistling or singing?

12. Jingle Bells - James Taylor

-Nice twist on a classic. It's funky...

13. Soulful Christmas - James Brown

- How can you not like a Christmas song where the singer thanks his fans for buying his albums and coming to his concerts?

14. Sleigh Ride - Ella Fitzgerald

- All of the above about Ella applies.

15. My Favorite Things - Diana Ross

- I never understood why this is a Christmas song... because it says "mittens" and "packages?" Anyway, Diana's version is classic. It's got attitude and swings real nice.

On a side note, as you listen to Christmas music this season, listen to how many different Christmas songs actually quote Jingle Bells at some point. The most obvious one is Nat King Cole's Christmas Song.