In 2005, I came up with a very personal and self-indulgent Christmas Tradition … one that I now look forward to every year with escalating anticipation. My husband doesn’t aid or abet my little secret tradition (actually, he calls it an addiction). I think he’s kind of worried about where it’s going, knowing my slightly obsessive personality. He’s also discovered that he’s powerless to stop it.
What’s my secret Yuletide passion, you ask? Spiked eggnog? Homemade fruitcake? Old Christmas movies? Nay. For the past ten years in a row I have bought myself a new Christmas CD. I always start the hunt in early December, and great excitement is wrought out of doing the research and narrowing it down to my “pick” for the year. After the purchase is completed, the music from my growing Christmas album collection becomes the background to life in our little bungalow, whether family members and visitors like it or not. Let’s just say they’ve learned to live with it.
So here they are…my annual selections from the past ten Decembers, starting with the first Christmas CD that I bought one decade ago.
In 2005, the Canadian group Barenaked Ladies were going full tilt, and Barenaked for the Holidays (released in 2004) was their first album recorded at Steven Page’s farmhouse studio. “O Holy Night” played on a Hammond organ always makes me happy (and reminds me of watching a baseball game) – and take a listen here to their very catchy version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings” with guest vocals by Sarah McLachlan.
In 2006, James Taylor released At Christmas. I’ve long enjoyed his warm, mellow voice and fine guitar fingerpicking, so this album was a fairly easy choice and still gets lots of plays in our household. Taylor’s stomping, growly version of “Jingle Bells” is funky and fun, and I really like his take on the old gospel standard “Go Tell It on the Mountain”.
In 2007, along with many other folks, I bought Halifax-born Sarah McLachlan’s best selling album Wintersong, released in 2006. The clarity and beauty of her voice on traditional songs like “What Child is This”, “Silent Night” and “In the Bleak Midwinter” still give me chills of delight, and her version of Joni Mitchell’s “River” is, in a word, glorious.
In 2008, I picked up A Charlie Brown Christmas, released in 1965 by the inimitable Vince Guaraldi Trio. Not sure how I survived Christmas before 2008 without its soothing wonderfulness. ‘Nuff said.
In 2009 I decided to go down the jazz route, and famed trumpeter Chet Baker’s Silent Nights (first released in 1987, a year before his untimely death) turned out to be a very sweet Christmas treat indeed. With Mike Pellera’s super smooth piano vibes and Christopher Mason playing gorgeous alto sax, this album provides the perfect backdrop for decorating the Christmas tree.
Here’s a little taste of Chet Baker, from a live recording in 1964:
2010 found me still in a jazzy, albeit slightly more upbeat mood, so what more could one want than Ella Fitzgerald’s Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas? First released in 1960 and re-mastered in 2002, it features the First Lady of Jazz wrapping her incredible voice around holiday tunes like “Winter Wonderland” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, stamping them with her own unique Ella-vated style.
In 2011 I was already a fan of She & Him, the American indie duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward – and was delighted to find out that they had released a Christmas album, A Very She & Him Christmas. Her lovely alto voice, and him’s fluid acoustic guitar go together as naturally as turkey and cranberries. I especially like the ukulele accompaniment on “Silver Bells”, and their flipped-around version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”.
2012 found me on the look out for new Canadian musicians, and The Tribehouse Christmas Compilation album came to my attention via good friend and artist Carrie Harper, who did the artwork on the album. All proceeds from this project went to the Kelowna Food Bank, and it features some great musicians in the Okanogan area. Standouts for me were Joshua Smith’s charming guitar and vocals on “Snow” and Michaela Burger’s soaring tune called “A Silent Night”.
In 2013 I was looking for something different and deeper, and my search led me to a monastic order of Benedictine nuns living in rural Missouri. Their debut album, released in 2012, is called Advent at Ephesus, and includes Latin and English hymns and Gregorian Chant. The Sisters’ meditative and medieval blend of voices truly captures the prayerful expectation of the Advent season. I consider this album one of those wonderful, enriching gifts that sometimes fall into your lap.
Here’s a great little video about the Sisters’ lives and music:
In 2014 I made a very happy musical find by the name of David Ian. Born in Toronto and a classically trained pianist from the age of 5, he switched to jazz piano in his teens. Next up, he became lead guitarist in the Christian band Church of Rhythm, which eventually led him to help form Grammy-nominated rock group Superchick. In 2011 he put together a small jazz combo, and with vocals from Acacia (of the sister duo Tal and Acacia) and Andre Miguel Mayo, released Vintage Christmas. I love, love, love every song on this album. It makes me feel merry and bright.
This year, 2015, I bought two EP’s (which I justified because they only have a few songs on each) and I’m really happy with both my choices. Canadian Daniela Andrade’s The Christmas EP is a little treasure that was released in 2013. Her exquisitely simple, stripped-down Christmas songs are so great to sing along with – especially in the car. And then I discovered (oh, joy!) that David Ian had put out an EP with five more jazzy Christmas carols, featuring Acacia and Andre Miguel Mayo again. This one is called Vintage Christmas Wonderland. Life is good.
Now where did I put my eggnog?
