It's never too late for a groovy Christmas tune -- and this one is plenty darn groovy! "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" is done here as a weird sitar-heavy instrumental -- one that has these chunky, plunky percussion bits on the bottom -- all sounding very spare and stripped-down --... read more
One of the few great Christmas jazz albums recorded in recent years -- one with a classic sound that takes us back to 60s holiday jazz from Blue Note and Prestige! Harry Allen's working here in a no-nonsense mode with organ, guitar, and drums backing him up -- a lean and clean sound that really... read more
First, we'll confess, we've been in love with the Aqua Teens since first stumbling upon it, bleary-eyed, on latenight cable tee vee a bunch of years ago. OK, with that said, take with however many grains of salt our word that this is the absolute funniest comedy Christmas album we've heard in... read more
Vanessa serves up a contemporary gospel batch of Christmas tunes -- but also works here with some arrangements that are more traditional than some of her regular albums of the time. Titles include "Christ The Lord", "Drummer Boy", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "Ch... read more
A harmony heaven way to enjoy the Holiday! The group's version of Christmas has to be one of the best-ever recorded in rock and roll -- and given the undercurrent of sadness that was coming forth in their non-Holiday hits of the period, the style here is perfect to fit the melancholy mood of the... read more
An expanded version of the Beach Boys' legendary Christmas album -- a harmony heaven way to enjoy the Holiday! The group's version of Christmas has to be one of the best-ever recorded in rock and roll -- and given the undercurrent of sadness that was coming forth in their non-Holiday hits of the... read more
A sweet swinging Christmas from the legendary Tony Bennett -- a set that features some wonderful backing from the Count Basie Big Band, which includes a core quartet with Monty Alexander on piano! There's a really old school Holiday feel here -- the kind of Christmas record that could have been... read more
A sweet swinging Christmas from the legendary Tony Bennett -- a set that features some wonderful backing from the Count Basie Big Band, which includes a core quartet with Monty Alexander on piano! There's a really old school Holiday feel here -- the kind of Christmas record that could have been... read more
A warm, real and hokum free Christmas album from Carla Bley -- played with a depth of affection for the material on both the well known numbers and the excellent couple of originals! Karla alternates between spiritual resonance, and playful warmth, having a lot of fun with 20th Century holiday song... read more
Stop, mommy -- it hurts! This incredibly painful album features the whole cast of the Brady Bunch -- well, the kids only, really -- singing Christmas tunes like "The First Noel", "Jingle Bells", "Frosty The Snowman", "Silent Night", and "Little Drummer... read more
Not the great older Christmas songs Brown recorded for King, but still a nice R&B holiday record, made years later. 9 great Christmas numbers in all: "Coming Home To Mama For Christmas", "Peace At Christmas", "What A Christmas For Me", "No friend This... read more
A surprisingly cool collection of tracks that hides under the "Merry Christmas Baby" title of Charles Brown's big postwar Holiday hit -- but which instead includes a fair bit of later soul, blues, and gospel numbers recorded for Jewel and Paula Records! The package mixes things up nicely... read more
Excellent funky Christmas! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s -- 3 albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great comp brings together some of the best material from those years -- and nearly all the... read more
Excellent funky Christmas! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s -- 3 albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great comp brings together some of the best material from those years -- and nearly all the... read more
A 2 sided monster! Side one features James Brown's incredible Christmas tune -- one of our favorite ever, and a wonderful mix of swinging soul and catchy chorus -- a solid winner that still gets us every December! The flip's a rare instrumental -- bubbling and burning with some nice funky... read more
Why thank you -- we will! Kenny does too, as he grooves nicely and gently over arrangements by Richard Evans, perfectly crafted in that soul jazz mode of his 60s work for Chess -- not Kenny's most challenging format, to be sure, but proof that he often works better in a more structured environment... read more
A great holiday album from Ray Charles -- recorded in the 80s, but with a sound that's pretty classic all the way through! Ray's vocals are excellent -- with that raspy intimate quality that persists all through his later years -- and the sweetly jazzy arrangements work perfectly with the voice to... read more
Alvin, Dave, and crew continue their merry Christmas mayhem -- playfully delivering new versions of older Christmas favorites, all topped off by the mad studio wizardry of David Seville! If you can take squeaky-voiced rodents as much as we do, you'll love the album's versions of "Deck The... read more
June Christy --
This Time Of Year ... CD
Capitol/Collectors Choice,
1961. New Copy ....
$10.9911.98
June Christy's rarest album -- and one of the saddest Christmas records you'll ever buy! The set features all original tunes written for the album by the team of Connie Pearce and Arnold Miller -- and they're perfectly suited for June's late boozy style, much more lanquid than on earlier bouncier... read more
Petula Clark --
This Is Christmas ... CD
Collectors Choice,
1960s/1970s/1980s/1990s/2000s. New Copy ....
$10.9911.98
A pretty sweet little collection of Christmas tunes from Petula Clark -- numbers from the 60s, 70s and 90s she had record -- plus a few brand new originals! Despite having recorded some wonderful seasonal material over the years, there has never been a full Petula Clark holiday release before this... read more
We can't think of anyone we'd rather have sitting round the Christmas tree than ol' Perry Como! The guy's more relaxed, laidback, trusting, and honest than any of our old relatives combined -- and all of his old barber charm comes through perfectly on this set of Christmas tunes from Como's... read more
The twin piano magic of Ferrante & Teicher really makes the Holidays come alive -- working here with full orchestrations that are heavy on strings, but leave plenty of room for the boys' pianos to ring out strongly! Side one is a bit more lush, side two a bit more playful -- and titles include... read more
A very different album than Ella's more jazz-based Holiday set for Verve -- recorded in a mode that's much more focused on the serious side of the season! The format here has Ella singing with larger backings in a style that has some slight gospel overtones, and which focuses on the broadest range... read more
A very different album than Ella's more jazz-based Holiday set for Verve -- recorded in a mode that's much more focused on the serious side of the season! The format here has Ella singing with larger backings in a style that has some slight gospel overtones, and which focuses on the broadest range... read more
A wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers -- working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia in a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland"... read more
A wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers -- working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia in a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland"... read more
A later Motown Christmas session -- recorded by The Four Tops in the mid 90s with a decidedly modern soul take on the sounds of The Holiday! Most of the numbers are traditional tunes -- both secular and spiritual -- and the group's producing their own work throughout the set. Aretha Franklin... read more
Aretha Franklin --
Joy To The World ... CD
Sony,
Early 60s/Late 80s. New Copy ....
$5.996.99
Christmas sounds, and a bit more too -- an interesting collection of material recorded by Aretha Franklin in the early 60s for Columbia, and in the late 80s for Arista! There's definitely a fair bit of Holiday tunes on the set, but they're also mixed in with a few standards too -- but these are... read more
One of the few secular, or partly-secular, recordings made by Al Green in the 80s -- a set of Christmas tunes that shows he still hasn't lost any of his warmth or special spirit! The set was done for Hi Records, but the backings are a bit more contemporary than Al's 70s work for the label -- never... read more
An amazing record -- one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss -- the best qualities that always... read more
Hollyridge Strings/Stu Phillips --
Christmas Favorites ... CD
Capitol/Collectors Choice,
1965. New Copy ....
$10.9912.98
Groovy Christmas instrumentals from the great Stu Phillips -- one of the most sublime sessions recorded by his studio group at Capitol Records in the 60s -- and that's saying a lot, given that they also took on music by The Beatles and Beach Boys! Stu brings a subtle sort of groove to his strings... read more
A sparkling 60s Holiday album from Lena Horn -- one that has her singing over some nicely jazzy arrangements from Jack Parnell, in a mode that brings out the most delightful qualities in both her vocals and the tunes! The set's quite groovy -- much more so than you might expect -- and it's a great... read more
A sparkling 60s Holiday album from Lena Horn -- one that has her singing over some nicely jazzy arrangements from Jack Parnell, in a mode that brings out the most delightful qualities in both her vocals and the tunes! The set's quite groovy -- much more so than you might expect -- and it's a great... read more
A salsa Christmas from Impacto Crea -- a set recorded right around the same time as Willie Colon's classic Holiday records of this nature! Ismael Miranda and Adalberto Santiago each sing lead on one track -- and the group features Antonio Rodriguez on piano and tres, Alfredo Rios on saxes,... read more
One of the greatest instrumental Christmas albums of all time -- a non-stop swinging affair from the legendary Alvino Rey -- recorded under his Ira Ironstrings tag while under contract to Capitol under his real name! The style here is a weird mix of the swinging bachelor pad styles you'd know from... read more
It's records like this that will keep us loving the Isley Brothers year after year -- and with such great Holiday tunes on the set, you can bet we'll be pulling this one out for many Christmases to come! Despite the slightly postured look on the front cover, the duo's sounding nicely laidback here... read more
One of the best Motown Christmas albums ever -- a really playful romp through a set of classic Holiday tunes, all sung by the youthful Jackson 5 at their best! There's a charm here that's undeniable -- and the energy of the group at this point in their career makes the music way more than just a... read more
Holiday magic from The Jackson 5 -- a group whose youthful warmth made them one of the best acts to ever handle Christmas music for Motown! The set features rare tracks, plus the group's great Christmas Album for Motown from 1970 -- one of the best Motown Christmas albums ever -- a really playful... read more
An 80s crossover classic -- a set that's probably a bit more dated than some Holiday albums you might own, but which still got plenty of spins in plenty of houses back in the day! The Jets sing with just the style you'd expect from their curls -- sweet, soulful, and a little bit poppy too. There's... read more
An 80s crossover classic -- a set that's probably a bit more dated than some Holiday albums you might own, but which still got plenty of spins in plenty of houses back in the day! The Jets sing with just the style you'd expect from their curls -- sweet, soulful, and a little bit poppy too. There's... read more
A cool jazzy Christmas album from Etta Jones -- one that features laidback soul jazz backings, and a sound that's quite different than the usual Holiday set! Etta's vocals have all the blue tones you'd expect, and the backings are kind of an update of 60s soul jazz styles -- played by two... read more
One of the goofiest Christmas albums you'll ever hear! Spike cut this one with his City Slickers in the mid 50s -- and it's kind of got the feel of a TV show gone crazy. Many of the songs start out in a sweet mode -- often with vocals by a female singer or kids -- but then a lot of them go very... read more
One of the goofiest Christmas albums you'll ever hear! Spike cut this one with his City Slickers in the mid 50s -- and it's kind of got the feel of a TV show gone crazy. Many of the songs start out in a sweet mode -- often with vocals by a female singer or kids -- but then a lot of them go very... read more
Warm 60s television sounds from The King Family -- that copious collection of singers that features the core King Sisters at the start, then expands to include their kids and most of their other relatives as well! These are the kind of tracks that really take us back to the kind of TV specials... read more
A relatively ambitious Christmas album from Gladys Knight & The Pips -- done in a rich style that's clearly meant to be more seriously reverent of the Holiday than their usual soul hits of the time! The best numbers here are the ones that are the most laidback -- letting the group drift... read more
Although recorded a bit later than some of Gladys Knight's better-known Holiday work, this album's actually our favorite of the bunch -- because it's got a looser, more soul-based feel that gets beyond some of the overdone modes of earlier Christmas work! Gladys is clearly trying to get more... read more
Have yourself a very old school Christmas with Kurtis Blow reminding you what Christmas is really all about! Actually, this is just "Rappin' Blow" with a small holiday intro edited onto the front end.... read more
It's Miss Patti's Christmas, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are along for the ride to make sure things come out right! But unlike in the old days, the newly-reinvented Jam/Lewis team has a great ear for subtlety here -- and they help keep the album in just the right spot -- unique enough to really... read more
Christmas Soul from the great Patti Labelle -- a CD that brings together her first full Christmas album, plus a number of bonus singles -- making for a nicely stuffed 16 track collection! These early 60s sides have a sweet, warm, innocent sound that's completely wonderful -- a soulful girl group... read more
An instant Holiday classic from Ledisi -- the kind of all-soul Christmas record we haven't heard since the 70s! Ledisi's great at any time of the year, but she really sounds wonderful here in this seasonal set -- working with producer Rex Rideout in a batch of tunes that still have all the deeper... read more
A classic -- and probably one of the best-selling Christmas jazz albums of all time! Ramsey and his classic trio with Redd Holt and Eldee Young serve up a tight set of grooves based around Holiday favorites like "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Winter Wonderland", "Here... read more
The follow-up to Ramsey's famous Sounds of Christmas album -- and even better than the first! The record features Ramsey's trio with Eldee Young, plus guest work by Cleveland Eaton on bass and a young Steve McCall on drums! Plus, a number of tracks feature larger backing by a jazz group arranged... read more
One of the first ladies of Christmas pop is back in fine form here -- singing soulful versions of a host of "neoclassics" -- contemporary Holiday tunes from the past decade or two! Darlene Love's been remembered strongly year after year for her annual Holiday performance on David... read more
Luther, John Edwards, Margie Joseph, & Others --
Funky Christmas ... LP
Cotillion,
1976. Very Good ....
$8.99
An excellent album of soulful Christmas tunes -- one of the best 70s Holiday albums we can think of! The big highlight is the work by Luther -- the perennial classic "May Christmas Bring You Happiness", a 70s Christmas tune on a par with "This Christmas", and his mellower "... read more
Classic holiday tunes from Henry Mancini! Hank's working in a mellow Holiday mode here -- using fuller arrangements than usual for the session -- to match the auspicious nature of the event! The first half is in a more popular mode that's in keeping with some of Mancini's themes for soundtracks... read more
Boozy magic from Dino -- and a really great batch of tunes that will take you from Christmas all the way through January! Most of the work is from the classic album Winter Romance -- a set that has Dean eschewing the standard sound of the holiday, and going for more of a "winter romance"... read more
Boozy magic from Dino -- and a really great batch of tunes that will take you from Christmas all the way through January! Dean eschews the standard sound of the holiday, and goes for more of a "winter romance" approach -- singing about snowtime love and wintry opportunity, and bringing a... read more
An 80s collection that features older Holiday recordings by Johnny Mathis -- mostly music cut during his early famous run on Columbia Records -- when Johnny's heavenly vocals made things pretty darn spiritual sounding all year long! The arrangements are relatively full -- a fair bit of strings on... read more
Rudy brings new meaning to the phrase "the stockings were hung with care"! Even the sacred date of December 25th is no match for Rudy -- who works his usual raunchy magic on the Christmas season.... read more
A cool double-length Christmas set from the mighty Wayne Newton -- recorded here right at the cusp of his later young years at Capitol Records! The core Newton groove from the Bobby Darin-supervised years is still nicely in place -- that undeniable charm that Wayne had right from the start --... read more
A real standout Christmas soul session from the 80s -- a decade when the soul Christmas album seemed to almost fall by the wayside! Alexander's working here with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis -- and although the sound's a bit contemporary, the spirit of the holiday more than shines through, thanks to... read more
A real standout Christmas soul session from the 80s -- a decade when the soul Christmas album seemed to almost fall by the wayside! Alexander's working here with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis -- and although the sound's a bit contemporary, the spirit of the holiday more than shines through, thanks to... read more
A real standout Christmas soul session from the 80s -- a decade when the soul Christmas album seemed to almost fall by the wayside! Alexander's working here with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis -- and although the sound's a bit contemporary, the spirit of the holiday more than shines through, thanks to... read more
The Partridge Family take on Christmas hits both old and new -- working here with Wes Farrell arrangements in their sunny, sing-song style of the 70s! David's handling lead vocals on most of the tunes, but the rest of the group are always ready to back him up -- and the best moments here are... read more
Rahsaan Patterson --
Ultimate Gift ... CD
Artistry,
2008. New Copy ....
$16.9917.98
A surprising step for Rahsaan Patterson, but a great one too -- an album of Holiday music that shows a whole new side of his talents! The album's every bit as soulful as earlier work by Rahsaan, but it also shows some different modes as well -- tunes that are catchy, captivating, and destined to... read more
A classic Christmas set from Elvis -- recorded with a mix of tunes that show the popular and spiritual nature of the holiday. Elvis sings with the Imperials Quartet on many numbers, in a white gospel sort of way -- and titles include "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day", "Silver... read more
The warm voice of Jim Reeves makes these holiday tunes sound mighty nice -- especially considering that the arrangements here are by Bill Justis and Chet Atkins! Jim may not be our favorite country artist on other material, but he does a great job of sending these tunes home for the holidays with... read more
Like the title says, this is Pete Rodriguez's Christmas album. You might expect a lot of soppy Christmas carols, but still, the groove's pretty groovy, and there are a few nice boogaloos -- so forget the holiday component of this one, and check it out for the Latin grooves. Titles include "Bo... read more
Rotary Connection --
Peace ... CD
Cadet/One Way,
Late 60s. New Copy ....
$3.999.99
One of the coolest Christmas albums ever -- a tripped-out classic from Chicago's legendary Rotary Connection! The album's every bit as wonderful as any of the group's non-Holiday sets for Cadet Records -- and maybe even has more to offer, given that the euphoria of the season is thrown into the... read more
Philly classics for the Holidays! The legendary Christmas Jolllies set by the Salsoul Orchestra was one of the label's biggest-selling albums -- originally recorded in 1976, and pressed again and again over the years -- and eventually remixed even stronger in the early 90s. Vince Montana is at... read more
The second Christmas Jolllies set by the Salsoul Orchestra, but unlike the first volume, which was under the guidance of Vince Montana, this second volume has Patrick Adams at the helm! The sound is kind of a disco Christmas if you can imagine that, with nicely grooving versions of "Joyful... read more
A great 12" of Philly disco numbers for your holiday party! Vince Montana heads this little Christmas and New Year's disco project -- pushing the Salsoul Orchestra with that great full sound he had at the time -- a blend of strings and soul that could be kitschy, but comes off great on these... read more
Two numbers pulled from the second Salsoul Orchestra Christmas album -- produced and arranged by the mighty Patrick Adams! Both tracks are nice and long, and we're especially partial to the "Christmas Suite", which is a syncopated romp through Holiday themes that runs for almost 8... read more
Jack Ashford handled this obscure little record of Christmas disco tracks -- and the sound is similar to some of his own work on the Magic Disc label, although with the requisite Christmas touches!... read more
A pretty cool little Christmas record -- one that really reminds us of some of the more tripped-out Holiday outings from the late 60s! Eban Schletter mixes up voices and electronics in a really heavenly blend -- definitely the Cosmic Christmas promised by the title, with an eerie outer space sort... read more
Textbook Red Simpson readings of Christmas tunes -- 18 wheels of shuffling Bakersfield rhythms and endearingly twangy holiday cheer! Red's best remembered in the mainstream for novelty truck driving honky tonk tunes, but thankfully more than a few folks know that he's truly a master of the... read more
Frank Sinatra's first run of Christmas work -- material recorded for Columbia Records in the late 40s, but quite similar to his better-known Holiday sides for Capitol in the 50s! As with that work, the style here is quite respectful of the spirit of the season -- more reverent than playful,... read more
One of the greatest Christmas albums of the 20th century -- a rich tapestry of sadness and longing from Ol' Blue Eyes himself! Sure, most folks think that Christmas albums are supposed to be cheery and celebratory -- but Frank, coming off of his best Wee Small Hours years at Capitol, rightly chose... read more
A very sweet and well chosen compilation of Christmas gems from Frank Sinatra & friends put together by Sinatra's peeps and Concord Records -- featuring some of our personal favorite cheerful swingers by Frank, and more from Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, Ray Charles & Betty Carter,... read more
Singers Unlimited --
Christmas ... CD
MPS,
1972. New Copy ....
$10.99
A groovy batch of Christmas carols from the Singers Unlimited, harmonizing in their trademark mellow, jazzy style over some nice arrangements by group member Gene Puerling! The feel is very sweet -- fantastically harmonic, and set to impeccable MPS production -- and most of the tunes here are... read more
As cookin a Christmas album as you'll ever find! Jimmy works with Billy Byers to craft some sublime instrumentals that have his Hammond interpreting Christmas classics like "We Three Kings", "White Christmas", "Silent Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen",... read more
A saxophone soul Christmas with Jimmy Sommers -- a set that's actually much more straight jazz than most of his other records, and a nicely understated album with a really classic feel! Jimmy blows straight, and just a bit smooth -- and gets acoustic backings that swing along gently, as he... read more
A rare little Holiday tune from the Poets Of Rhythm -- recorded as a brief one-off back in the 90s, but done with a thumping funky groove that reminds us of classic 60s Christmas work by James Brown! "Santa's Got" has a really really heavy bottom -- with some of those nice dubby touches... read more
A great little album of Christmas tunes -- handled by this heavenly group of Chicago soul studio musicians! The great Richard Evans heads up the group -- and as usual, he brings a sound to the recording that pushes the material way past its roots, using the string-heavy instrumentation of the... read more
A vintage Holiday recording from The Staple Singers -- a set recorded back in the group's earliest, rootsiest days! The sound here is quite spare -- no surprise, given that the session was done by Riverside Records, at a time when the label was pushing the gospel-influenced quartet onto folk... read more
A repackaged version of one of THE classic Motown Christmas albums -- with 4 bonus tracks! The set features the Supremes at their height, with production by Harvey Fuqua and arrangements from Gene Page, HB Barnum and Ernie Freeman. The whole thing's incredibly soulful -- and the only thing... read more
A Motown Christmas double-header -- 5 tracks each by two of the label's best groups of the 60s! Diana Ross & The Supremes sing "Silver Bells", "White Christmas", "My Favorite Things", "My Christmas Tree", and "Joy To The World" -- and The... read more