If you’ve never experienced Ella Fitzgerald, it is surprisingly this holiday recording, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, that could well serve as an introduction to her incredible voice and interpretive powers.  She puts a fresh, hip and swingin’ twist on a collection of often overplayed holiday classics.  “Jingle Bells” has an infectious pace that sets the tone for the rest of the album: the mood is lighthearted and easygoing, without slowing to a dirge.  Casual horns flavor up “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” while a hip little vocal section spices up “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”  Frank DeVol handles the musical side of the proceedings.  The only tune that is out of place is “Good Morning Blues,” a bit “out there” among the other holiday selections on the disc.  (Something for Ella’s more fervent fans, but not for casual listeners.)  A solid album otherwise from start to finish, something that can be enjoyed even by non-jazz music lovers.

For my own personal taste, Christmas/holiday music should be fun.  And what could be more fun that one of our favorite and most beloved animated cartoon series:  Peanuts?  We all are familiar with the Charlie Brown Christmas album that has been a perennial favorite among many.  This collection, Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits, is a lesser-known CD release that collects a fair number of tunes that have appeared on various Peanuts holiday specials over the years.  Neither “Surfin’ Snoopy” nor  the “Charlie Brown Theme” appear on the aforementioned album, yet they both made an appearance in the Christmas special.  Where else can you hear the “Thanksgiving Waltz” (where Snoopy and Woodstock prepared their own version of a Thanksgiving dinner), or “The Great Pumpkin Waltz?”  For good measure, the familiar “Linus and Lucy” theme makes an appearance, along with the timeless classic “Christmas Time Is Here” (both the vocal and instrumental versions).  The sound quality of this compilation is all over the map, due to it being pulled from numerous sources.  But it is the only compilation of this music you can find, and invaluable for fans of the Peanuts specials.  As it is out of print, it can be located as a used recording, or ordered as an MP3 download via Amazon.

Whatever way you can find it, make sure to grab one for your collection.  It is the perfect companion to the original A Charlie Brown Christmas album, which is still a classic no matter which way you look at it!  “Christmas Time Is Here” has to be one of the best of the non-traditional holiday songs to have been penned in the last several decades, with countless cover versions having appeared since its original release.  One can’t help but chuckle at the music as familiar scenes from the Peanuts special play back in our minds while the music spins, such as “Christmas Is Coming” during the chaotic rehearsals for the Christmas play.  This is worth getting in any form; it’s a tried and true classic at Casa Rudy!

For the upcoming holiday season, I will be featuring a different Christmas or holiday-themed album each day.  While they will be in no particular order, my top favorites will be featured toward the end of the series around December 25th.  Featured are classic recordings and a couple that are more recent.  Check back for the latest installments, beginning tomorrow!