my favorite christmas albums

I just checked and I have 45 albums worth of Christmas music. Yes, that's probably excessive, but then, so is the rest of my music collection. I certainly don't listen to them all on a regular basis, but I will listen to them when I feel the need for some Christmas cheer. It could be July and 100 degrees, but that doesn't matter to me. Good music is good music, right?

45 albums gives me a lot of variety. Here are some of my faves, in no particular order:



Kenny Burrell - Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas

Kenny Burrell is probably my favorite jazz guitarist of all time, and this gem from the mid-60's is a good example of why. No lyrics on this one--just some great guitar and a big band in the background.



Frank Sinatra - The Sinatra Christmas Album

There's something very nostalgic about this one for me, but I can't quite put my finger on why. It's not like my parents had this or played it when I was growing up. It's nice to hear Sinatra in this context, as it's a stark contrast to the hard-nosed persona that he had outside of his music.



Tony Bennett - Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album

More nostalgia, and without good reason. I've been familiar with this album less than 10 years, and it's quickly moved to the top 2-3 of my favorite Christmas albums. It just wouldn't be Christmas without Tony Bennett.



Stephanie Osborne - Victorian Christmas

I learned about this one on one of my music bulletin boards, and I'm glad I did. It's a very laid back, dreamy set of Christmas songs on solo harp. Great for a quiet afternoon in front of a Christmas tree.



Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker

No introduction necessary here. This version, conducted by Antal Dorati, is my favorite performance and it has excellent sound quality, too.



Anonymous 4 - Wolcum Yule

I don't know who these people are (certainly the name doesn't tell you much), but this is a great album that I found on sale on some random website a few years ago. It's a set of traditional English and Celtic Christmas carols, and it has a quiet, baroque vibe to it. Another great one for a lazy holiday afternoon.



Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Hands down, this is my favorite Christmas album of all time. I listen to it year round, every year. The day I first found this on CD was one of the happiest days of my life. Each listen is a step back into my childhood and simpler, happier times. I watched the TV show multiple times every year, and still watch it at least once a year even now. I have 3-4 different masterings of the album, and it never gets old. Oh, and by the way: Vince Guaraldi's other albums are well worth checking out. He wasn't the greatest or most famous jazz pianist ever, but he tended to play upbeat, engaging tunes. Maybe "sunny" is how I would best describe his style. That he lived on the West Coast shines through on every album.

Got a favorite Christmas album that I haven't mentioned here? Let me know.