Sad Christmas

Rock Christmas - The Very Best Of
Various Artists

The crazy holiday season is upon us, and us blues lovers might be a little reluctant to have the soundtrack at our holiday party be the same old songs that everybody hears on the radio. There is a cool bluesy solution to this conundrum: Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, an R&B Christmas from Richard Weize Archives. This CD provides well over an hour of Christmas-themed entertainment that includes 29 vintage songs in a format that both you and your guests will appreciate!

For the past 41 years, Rodney Crowell’s holiday traditions have included reading Clement C. Moore’s iconic 19th century poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (or “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”), to his children and grandchildren on Christmas Eve. This year the singer-songwriter adds a soundtrack to that tradition in the form of his first-ever holiday-themed LP, Christmas Everywhere, out November 2nd on New West Records.

This collection of standards and original works is a must for any family at the holiday season. The Muppets are entertaining in any case, and Jim Henson's spin on classic songs like “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and "Christmas is Coming" will keep you smiling. Even if you don't have children, it is a welcome change from many “standard” Christmas albums that are often overplayed at this time of year.

"Christmas Memories" is the 2nd Christmas album and 57th album by singer Barbra Streisand, released in 2001. The album reached #15 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and has been certified as Platinum, her 28th platinum disc in America. Sales have now reached 1 million copies in the USA.

Barbra Streisand makes a point of noting that she completed this, her second Christmas album, before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, even going so far as to list the recording dates (July 19-September 7, 2001). And listening to the disc, you can see why. If great artists sometimes demonstrate an uncanny ability to take the temperature of the times with their work, this one can be said to have anticipated the dramatic change in mood that the terrorist attacks occasioned. Christmas music always mixes the celebratory with the nostalgic, some of its classic songs dating from the World War II era when families were separated and feared they might not be reunited. But Streisand's Christmas Memories accentuates that tone well into melancholy.

Here's a fun Christmas compilation from Ace Records that includes all ten tracks from the exceedingly rare 1962 LP 'Twas The Night Before Christmas by Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns. Here's a review of that album:
One of the most unique Christmas holiday albums of all time, this was recorded in 1962, after Huey "Piano" Smith's small string of hits and the departure of lead singer/secret weapon Bobby Marchan from the ranks. But the band kept rockin' and the vocals are ably handled on this disc by Gerri Hall, "Scarface" John Williams and even Huey himself on the title cut. Six of the ten songs from the original album were written by Smith, and tracks like "Happy New Year," "Almost Time for Christmas" and "White Christmas Blues" closely mirror the melodies and arrangements for some of his better known hits like "We Like Birdland," "For Cryin' out Loud" and "Little Liza Jane." Even old stand-bys like "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night" get the Crescent City groove applied to them here. Adding guitar to the Clowns' regular sax- and piano-dominated New Orleans sound is Mac Rebennack, who also chimes in vocally on "Doing the Santa Claus." –Cub Koda, All Music Guide

A Christmas Fantasia is a collection of carols and fantasias written (mainly) by Ralph Vaughan Williams and his friends and former students. The exception is a new carol composed by the album's director, William Vann, setting a poem by Ivor Gurney.

Mercury Nashville's Kacey Musgraves will release her very first holiday album. Christmas album from US country songstress with guests including Willie Nelson & The Quebe Sisters, Leon Bridges. Inspired by Bing Crosby, the Andrew Sisters, Nat King Cole and the classic sounds of the 40s, 50s and 60s, 'A Very Kacey Christmas' features the Grammy Award-winner's charming take on classic standards, as well as four original tracks to put her personal perspective on the holidays.