ECM, 2009. New Copy
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
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Strut (UK), 1970s. New Copy
One of the coolest Christmas compilations you could ever hope to own -- but you probably guessed that already, from the cover image that pays tribute to a classic set from James Brown! The JB image is certainly well placed -- as most of the tracks here are deeply funky Holiday tunes -- the kind of
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Concord, 1950s/1960s. New Copy
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,
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Gemini, 2004. New Copy
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
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Columbia/Concord, 1985. New Copy
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
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Motown, 1960s/1970s. New Copy 2CD
Hard to argue with the title on this one -- because at 2CDs, and 51 tracks, the set's probably the biggest Motown Christmas collection ever! The package is filled with goodness from the legendary label -- the kind of Holiday tunes they first started cutting in the 60s, with great gems from the 70s
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Motown, 1970s. New Copy
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
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Williams Street, 2009. New Copy
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
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Verve, 1950s/1960s/2003. New Copy
We wouldn't wish misery on anyone during the Holidays, but if you've got to be blue during Christmas -- this is a good place to start! The set's a nice collection of older bluesy numbers, mostly from the 50s and 60s, offering a nice laidback take on Christmas -- one that gets past the pasted-on
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Cadet, 1966. New Copy
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
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Def Soul, 2007. New Copy
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
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Riverside, 1962. New Copy
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
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Verve, 1956. New Copy
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
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Argo, 1961. New Copy
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
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Verve, 1964. New Copy
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",
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Koch, 2001. New Copy
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
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Columbia, 2008. New Copy
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
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Columbia, 2008. New Copy CD & DVD
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
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Collectors Choice, 1960s/1970s/1980s/1990s/2000s. New Copy
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
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Muse, 1990. New Copy
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
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