Compelling Christmas and non-Christmas tunes heard today:
'60s Gold
- Needles And Pins-The Searchers (I'm glad there's still an outlet for this tuneful, relatable oldie. Rhythmically, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" by The Byrds segues well with it.)
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
- The Sound Of My Room-Lari Basilio (Atmospherically, this uptempo track reminds me of Michael Hedges.)
Elevations
- Learn To Fly-Vitamin String Quartet (The drive of this Foo Fighters tune lends itself even better to an orchestral arrangement than I would have guessed.)
Heart & Soul
- Show Me Your Soul-Lalah Hathaway & Robert Glasper (Lyrically and vocally empowering.)
Holiday Instrumentals
- The Christmas Song-Glenn Miller Orchestra ("Good night and Merry Christmas, everyone. The Bright And Merry Ballroom is closing for the evening. Before it does, though, here's one more festive slow dance number...")
- Up On The Housetop-Beegie Adair (Adair lays down a swingin' beat on the piano, and there's room for a saxophonist to shine, as well. This is possibly the hippest jazz version of this I've heard.)
Holiday Pops
- Ding Dong! Merrily On High-Chanticleer (Stately, crisply enunciated vocals convey the inherent joy and fun of this carol.)
Jazz Holidays
- Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring-David Benoit (Reverential piano and guitar.)
- Oh Tannenbaum-Barbara Dennerlein (Dennerlein takes an appealingly laid-back approach to this tune on the organ. It wouldn't be out of line to think of her rendition as "Oh Groovy Christmas Tree.")
- Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town-The Carpenters (I like that Karen Carpenter's approach to these lyrics isn't hectoring. Too often, this tune is sung with too much of a, "Tut, tut. You'd better be good or else," attitude. Carpenter's vocals, however, convey a more refreshing, "Hey, you know how this goes. Just be good, and Santa will reward you," attitude.)
Luna
- O Pato-Eliane Elias (Smooth, beguiling uptempo piano and vocals. Basia's "An Olive Tree" would sound great after this.)
Piano Instrumentals
- Closing Rhyme-Chad Lawson (An effective way to mimic a racing heart; this tune is fit for life's tense but exciting moments.)
Soul Town
- Friendship Train-Gladys Knight & The Pips (A very of its time, i.e. 1969, sentiment that still needs to be heeded today.)
