Christmas Eve standouts:
KDHX 88.1 FM
- The Darkness Is Falling/Away In A Manger-Kim Robertson/Virginia Kron (It was pleasant to hear a harpist and cellist play two different arrangements of "Away In A Manger.")
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen-Loreena McKennitt (McKennitt's epic, sweeping vocals and the Celtic instrumentation bring out the underlying turbulence of this carol's minor key better than almost any other version I've heard.)
- The First Noel-Nossa Bossa Nova (Relaxed Portuguese vocals against an instrumental backdrop that wouldn't be out of place on a smooth jazz station. I'm pleased that despite the turbulence at KDHX, the long-running program, "Folks Of The World," has survived and thrived on Sundays.)
WSIE 88.7 FM
- O Tannenbaum-Gary Burton (Burton's vibraphone playing gives the tune a cool strut it doesn't usually have. This is perfect mall walking/window shopping music.)
- I'll Be Home For Christmas-Chris Botti (The unusual backing for this version made me think Don Henley was about to sing "The Last Worthless Evening," but it suits this carol better than I anticipated. Botti's tone on trumpet is smooth, as usual.)
- Winter Wonderland-Monday Off with Bucky Pizzarelli (A catchy rhythm section supports uptempo, Manhattan Transfer-style vocals.)
WFUN 96.3 FM
- Joy To The World-Praze 1 (Neither the vocalists nor the instrumentalists skimp on the joy here. This might be the fastest version of this carol I've ever heard.)
- O Holy Night-Nat King Cole (Cole's version of "The Christmas Song" still gets massive airplay today. As deserved as that is, I'd contend that his richly sung renditions of "Away In A Manger" and "O Holy Night" deserve equal time.)
K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing-Philadelphia Brass Ensemble (The short, mighty prelude sets an appropriate tone for this regal-sounding rendition.)
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer-Hampton String Quartet (Not just any ensemble can make a children's Christmas song sound like dinner music that was composed in the late 1700s.)
- Christmas Is Coming-Vince Guaraldi Trio (I could never hear these infectious alternating piano rhythms too often. Kudos to the station for playing this less than 40 minutes after "Skating," another highlight from "A Charlie Brown Christmas.")
