My iTunes shuffle mode has been in a Christmas frame of mind recently, as evidenced by selections such as...
...1. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow-Joe Pass
(A breezy, straight ahead, jazzy instrumental, with Pass's guitar leading the way. From a consistently good, low-key album, "Six String Santa.")
2. Stir The Fire-John Kirkpatrick
(Lyrics, sung with booming conviction, about the importance of getting a fire started in Winter. Kirkpatrick makes the convincing case that a roaring fire when it's cold ranks up there with oxygen as a necessity.)
3. I've Just Seen A Face (Live from Louisville, Kentucky)-The String Cheese Incident
(Nothing tops the Beatles original, but this is a fun, expansive romp.)
4. Simple Gifts-Castlebay
(A fast-paced, angelic-sounding instrumental rendition.)
5. Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)-The Stylistics
(The Stylistics used this effective template multiple times in crafting their '70s ballads.)
6. Nice, Nice, Very Nice-Ambrosia
(A Kurt Vonnegut poem set to music, resulting in a compelling song about how everyone fits into this world and contributes something to it.)
7. How High The Moon-Sean Jones Quartet
(Please see my previous review of "We'll Meet Under The Stars." A muted trumpet is used effectively here.)
8. Ooh Oh-Keri Noble
(Accessible, universal lyrics about the heartbreak that life throws at you and grappling with how to handle it.)
9. Think I'm Gonna Feel Better-Gene Clark
(What The Doors might have sounded like if they'd emulated The Byrds.)
10. Country-Keith Jarrett
(One of Jarrett's most accessible performances, with excellent interplay between the piano and the saxophone.)
11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town-Dave Valentin
(My favorite version of this song; an energetic flute instrumental that kicks into a fun, mambo-flavored gear.)
12. When The First Snow Falls-Hagood Hardy
(A contemplative, piano-and-vibes tune that illustrates its title well.)
13. Still, Still, Still-Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner, director
(One of the quieter Christmas carols, sung with appropriate reverence.)
14. Adeste Fideles-Bonnie Rideout, Maggie Sansone & Al Petteway
(Bagpipes might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they work in this rendition. This unusual mix of instruments does the carol justice, making it sound almost like a Yuletide version of "Taps.")
15. Home Sweet Home-Rick Thum
(St. Louis-based Thum dulcimer artist Thum conveys the image of a happy home effectively.)
16. Bombshell-Sierra Hull
(As I noted in "Favorite pairs of segues VI," the sky's the limit for this talented mandolinist.)
17. Shaft In Africa-The Mighty Show-Stoppers
(A crackling ensemble builds on the essence of Isaac Hayes convincingly in this impressive instrumental.)
18. All I Want-Tierney Sutton
(Sutton capitalizes on the jazzy feel of Joni Mitchell's leadoff "Blue" song.)
19. There's A Train That Leaves Tonight-Mary Black
(Will the protagonist get on the train? Maybe. It sounds as though she probably will.)
20. Mr. Super Hip-Jamey Aebersold
(A cool way to learn to play the bass, as presented on the "Nothin' But Blues, Vol. 2: Jazz and Rock" instructional album. This could easily have been the theme from "Barney Miller." The seemingly incongruous "1, 2, 3, 4" countdown prior to the tune sets the stage perfectly, somehow.)
21. Come Saturday Morning-The Sandpipers
(For the incurably optimistic, retro idealist with his or her head in the clouds.)
22. Out Of Time-Erin Bode
(One of my favorite low-key Bode charmers that I'd like to hear in concert again. Her scatting at the 2:36 and 3:41 marks adds subtle spice to an already appealing groove.)
23. Mwana Talitambula-Regina Carter
(One of Carter's quiter efforts. A thoughtful violin performance, as usual.)
24. The Holly And The Ivy-Robert DeCormier Ensemble
(This carol has relatively sparse lyrics, and yet, it's one of my favorites. This ensemble performs it with just the right level of gravity. The last 18 seconds are particularly effective.)
25. Secret Place-Je Suis Animal
(Endearing, uptempo indie rock with a feel that brings to mind Film School's "Sunny Day.")
26. Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34--3. Alborada-Vivo E Strepitoso (Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy)
(A fast, stately movement, with violins conveying a spirited, anthemic feel.)
27. Time In The World-Colleen Green
(The '80s are back--or so one might think after hearing the synthesizer and wrapped-in-gauze vocals on this track from 2013.)
28. Winter Wonderland-Hagood Hardy
(An easy listening instrumental arrangement with an early '70s feel.)
29. The First Noel-Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
(This arrangement hits the appropriate midpoint between intimate and reverent.)
30. Bob's Theme-Nickel
(Air guitars were invented for just this type of indie rock instrumental.)
31. Chant Of The Wanderer-The Sons Of The Pioneers
(One of many reasons I'll miss Craig Ferguson's incarnation of "The Late Late Show" when it ends in two weeks: Five to six years ago, Ferguson opened a lot of his shows with lip-synched performances of disparate songs, ranging from Hanson's "MMMBop" to "Chant Of The Wanderer," often featuring members of his staff, puppets, and himself. Not just any host could pull off an entertaining, lip-synched rendition of an unlikely throwback tune such as this, but Ferguson did. It made me appreciate the campfire sing-along quality of the song in a way I didn't before.)
32. Higher Than Hope (acoustic version)-Daryl Braithwaite
(A take-on-the-world set of lyrics suitable for Olympic ceremonies. KYKY is the only station on which I ever heard the original version; that's puzzling, considering how uplifting and radio-friendly it is.)
33. Say Oh Say-Courtney Jaye
(As mentioned in my first "Favorite pairs of segues" post, this is a strong tune from 2013 with a '70s throwback feel.)
34. The Girl From Ipanema-Erin Bode Group
(From early in Bode's career; a solid cover that rivals Astrud Gilberto's famous take.)
35. Stone Crazy World-Wilson Pickett
(What does one do when the world goes mad? According to Pickett, the first step is to acknowledge the madness. After that...?)
36. Chick A Boom Boom Boom-Mocean Worker
(This track is the lyrical equivalent of eating potato chips--no real nutritional value but tasty. Just try to get it out of your mind once you've heard it.)
37. O Tannenbaum-The Norman Luboff Choir
(A dignified rendition that gives Christmas trees their due.)
