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Cyrus Chestnut is actually in town and is going to be doing a Christmas concert tomorrow night at the Wortham Center. I don't know if tickers are still available or not. For those that like modern big band jazz, the Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the US Air Force and one of the best big bands in the country period, puts out a Christmas album every few years. You can listen to lo-fi recordings from the link below. Or for a small donation ($20) you can download all the albums in hi-fi. http://rewindplay.com/airmenofnote/sounds/sounds.htm
Keith L. Cooper "A Guitar's Carol" Incredible classical guitarist, this video doesn't do him justice at all. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJ6DklsJwvQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJ6DklsJwvQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
nice! He's amazing on piano. If you get a chance you should go! Another one for the acoustic freaks... David Grisman's Acoustic Christmas is great!
Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas Extraordinaire Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve Mannheim Steamroller - A Fresh Aire Christmas Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve and Other Stories Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas in the Aire you get the picture... there's also my beloved Dr. Demento Christmas CD which I drag out every year.
I have about 30 albums. Start with the Time Life Treasury of Christmas ($10 at timelife.com). It is a 2 cd set (about 40 songs) of all the classics by some of the best artists (Bing, Frank, Nat, Burl Ives, etc.). This is a can't miss move. Second the Charlie Brown/Vince G. and the Etta James albums. If you want a little, well alot, of electric guitar with your christmas cheer, Merry Axemas is excellent. If you like it a little jazzy, Ella Fitzgerald has an excellent album. Country I like Willie Nelson's Pretty Paper and Randy Travis. Trans Siberian Orchestra, Squirrel Nut Zippers, BB King, Jethro Tull all have decent but not stellar efforts IMO. The Very Special Christmas series has decent but not great albums. Enjoy!
posted this elsewhere, but these guys are great, just bought the CD (you can find it on amazon, or youtube has a link. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2Fe11OlMiz8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2Fe11OlMiz8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> tony bennett's Snowfall is a classic. both luciano "the refrigerator" pavarotti and leontyne price made wonderful christmas albums, the latter with the veinna boys choir, vienna phil, and karajan conducting. the roches have a great christmas album, as does dianna krall, with the clayton-hamilton jazz orchestra, one of the premiere modern big bands, and worth checking out in their own right. sinatra, ella, john pizzarelli if you're in a traditional mood, joe williams and freddy cole (nat's brother) two other great ones. and if you really want to get down, buy a recording of the messiah , hansel and gretel , or the nutcracker.. the linked versions above are all excellent.
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I like this: John Denver with the Muppets! Neil Diamond christmas album Jewel christmas album and these two: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_D0DTn6S3Xk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_D0DTn6S3Xk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q9Pt8pYw6FQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q9Pt8pYw6FQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
