Monday, November 17, 2008

New Tony Bennett Christmas CD Great

The new Tony Bennett is great. I actually don't have it yet but checked some of it out and it's really great. Very smooth and jazzy. There seems to be some strings (violins, etc.....) in a bit of it too. It sounds very much like the jazzy christmas songs he did on his video back in the mid-nineties with the exception of having brass on this new cd. Very recommended and great to know that he's still got his voice.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Avalon Music Site - Great Exclusive Christmas Music Cd's

www.avalonmusic.com

This site has great, exclusive christmas releases under their own label, I believe. Several big band, jazz, and orchestra christmas music cd's, many with great vocals.

Check out the great female vocalist (with a voice like the wonderful female singers of the 1950's and 1960's), Janice Hagen and her christmas cd, NAUGHTY OR NICE.

And check out the great male singer, TONY PAGLIA, who also has his own orchestra (TONY PAGLIA & HIS ORCHESTRA) with a couple of big band christmas cd's he's released on this label (one cd - possibly a 2 cd set, he shares the singing duties with JANICE HAGEN).

Also check out THE STEVE WINGFIELD BAND and the couple of big band cd's he has out on this label.

A final and very important release to check out is the ROBERTO OCCHIPINTI & HIS ORCHESTRA christmas cd, CHRISTMAS MEMORIES. It's a very lush christmas cd with a pretty large orchestra by the sounds of it. There are lots of strings (violins, etc...) and has a resemblance to the orchestras of yesteryear, the Living Strings, 101 Strings, Nelson Riddle, George Melachrino, Henry Mancini, Percy Faith, Hollyridge Strings, etc......

Saturday, November 1, 2008

YouTube - sneeuwstorm (snow storm Dec. 16 2007)

When watching this video, click on the icon to enlarge the screen to get the maximum out of this video.



YouTube - sneeuwstorm (snow storm Dec. 16 2007): "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM6HP-QgbZY"

The Perfect White Christmas

EDIT: CHECK THE VIDEO ABOVE FOR THIS SNOWSTORM VIDEO IN THIS POST. AND CLICK ON THE ICON AT THE BOTTOM CORNER TO ENLARGE THE SCREEN TO GET THE FULL IMPACT OF JUST HOW BAD THIS STORM WAS.

This video is of quite possibly the worst, most ferocious snow Ottawa has ever had. 15 inches (approximately 37-38 centimetres) to 24 inches (approximately 60 centimetres) fell in Ottawa in this snowstorm, most of it in a crazy 6 hours, between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. It occured on sunday, december 16, 2007, just 9 days before christmas. You can be sure we had a white christmas in Ottawa. A very wonderful instrumental version of White Christmas plays with this video. Also note the howling winds that can be heard throughout the video. The blowing snow gave blizzard conditions for much of that 6 hour period.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as me as it shows what a perfect white christmas is supposed to look like.

November 1st, Christmas Season Officially Begins

Now that it's november 1st, the christmas season now begins (especially here in Canada since our next big holiday after halloween is christmas - Canada thanksgiving is back in october, remember).

So, let the christmas music begin in earnest.