Ten noteworthy Yuletide selections heard this morning:
KOSI (Denver, CO)
- Winter Wonderland-Anne Murray (Murray's voice is ideal for capturing the charms that are unique to Winter.)
- Silver Bells-Martina McBride (As with Anne Murray's "Winter Wonderland," there are no surprises or unnecessary embellishments in the vocals. McBride sings a faithful, comforting rendition.)
KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)
- Sussex Carol (On Christmas Night); I Saw Three Ships; Silent Night; Festive Cheer (Isthmus Brass/John Stevens, conductor) (An appealing cross-section of the group's approach to energetic and quieter carols. It's unusual to hear any ensemble segue "Sleigh Ride" with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," as Isthmus Brass does in "Festive Cheer.")
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Trombones-L.A.) (The trombones are appropriately mighty and regal here.)
- Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day; Rejoice And Be Merry (The Cambridge Singers/John Rutter, conductor) (A natural segue of tempo and feeling.)
WXPN-2 (Philadelphia, PA)
- Let It Snow-She & Him (Zooey Deschanel's vocals mesh appealingly with the walking bass line.)
- The Inexcelsis Polka-The Continentals ("Angels We Have Heard On High," played as a whimsical showcase for accordion and tuba; it works better than you might guess.)
- Winter Wonderland-Booker T. & The MGs (Organ renditions of Christmas tunes don't get much hipper or slicker than this.)
- Do You Hear What I Hear?-Warren Wolf (Warm yet sobering vibraphone; this is an interesting, unusually tempered take on this carol.)
- Sleigh Ride-Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (This brisk arrangement is apparently intended for sleighs pulled by especially fast horses. Bluegrass-style banjo and jazz combo stylings might not sound like a natural blend, but they blend especially well here. Kudos to WXPN-2 for taking such a deep, diverse dive into Christmas music; I've been impressed by the wide range of familiar and obscure renditions I've heard so far.)
