Modern Christmas Recordings

While the 1950's and 1960's had the heart of the easy listening/crooner christmas recordings, there are a number of modern day artists providing that very same/similar sound today, in the 2000's. Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble, and John Pizarelli aside, a small list of other modern day artists are:

1) DAVID GUIDICE - CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

Fans of Harry Connick Jr. should really like David Guidice as his vocals sound very similar to Mr. Connick's. Not only that but like Harry Connick Jr., David guidice arranged the songs on this cd and also plays piano.

This David Guidice cd is more 'pure' jazz rather than the full big band/orchestra that Harry Connick Jr. employs in his music so David Guidice is definitely a breath of fresh air yet still somebody with a familiar sound.

David Guidice really knows how to sing and I'm certain he may be the greatest talent out there that remains unsigned (by a major label at least). Incredible!

Every song is great and with the exception of 2 songs, all the musical backing is by a jazz trio (which includes David Guidice on piano). The two exception songs employ synth sounds by David Guidice which is pretty much fake strings/fake orchestra sound. While I usually don't like this, it works decently onthese two tracks which are Mr. Guidice's originals.

There are three original songs on this cd and the two aside from immediately above, a third original christmas song is performed with just the jazz trio and Mr. Guidice's incredible vocals.

Every song is great, some highlights are the opening medley of HAPPY HOLIDAY/IT'S THE HOLIDAY SEASON which is nice and upbeat jazz yet with a very smooth and warm atmosphere. SNOWBOUND is another highlight and continues upbeat yet warm sound. It is also very romantic. WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEARS EVE is also similar to the above songs minus the upbeat sound. It is slower and more relaxed and smooth. Also very romantic. Both SNOWBOUND and WAHT ARE YOU DOING ON NEW YEARS EVER are my favorite versions of each of them, they are just incredible.

All I can say is I recommend this cd 100% and is one of my favorite christmas recordings of all-time, and that's out of hundreds of christmas cd's I own.

2) ANDREW HELLER - CHRISTMAS WONDER

For fans of Robert Goulet, this cd has Andrew Heller singing with his incredible vocal talents, like a broadway singer (or, as mentioned above, like Robert Goulet). It has an orchestra with

5 Sites For Christmas Music

If you want to buy christmas music, check these sites out:

www.cdconnection.com

www.cduniverse.com

www.amazon.com

www.ebay.com

www.ccmusic.com

CCM Music

Gonna have to head over to CCM and request a couple of new albums I would like to have released on cd for christmas 2009. Let's hope for some great ones again this year!

Christmas Come....And Christmas Gone!

Another great christmas has come and gone. Lot's of new great christmas music. My favorite new ones this year were (and probably in this order):

1) John Klein - A Christmas Sound Spectacular (1959)
2) Roger Williams - Christmas Time (1959)
3) Voices Of Walter Schumann - Voices Of Christmas (1955)
4) Ames Brothers - There'll Always Be A Christmas (1957)
5) Guy Lombardo And The Royal Canadians - Sings The Songs Of Christmas (1960)
6) Bing Crosby - Christmas Album (1972)

If you can find any of these (some are easy) and like that easy-listening, 1950's - 1960's style of orchestra/chorus/crooner christmas music, then these would all be for you.

New Top 25 list

This will be much shorter than my previous top 10 list from a month or two back as I will not be havin any ties. This isn't a definite list as I'm still debating on some of them whether they should be one or two up and vice-verca..... except for #1. It is definitely #1. So, the list can always change from time-to-time as the more I put on each individual one, the more I either like it or dislike it and thus, the order can change and some that aren't even on the list at the moment may be added at some point while some on the list could actually be deleted (though that would be tough since they're all so good). And bear in mind, this is out of over 200 christmas cd's, records, and cassettes I own.

1) Living Strings - The Spirit Of Christmas (1963)
2) Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians - The Meaning Of Christmas (1961)
3) John Klein - A Christmas Sound Spectacular (1959)
4) Roger Williams - Christmas Time (1959)
5) Jackie Gleason - Merry Christmas (1956)
6) Mitch Miller - Holiday Sing Along With Mitch (1961)
7) Living Strings And Living Vocies - White Christmas (1968)
8) The Voices Of Walter Schumann - The Voices Of Christmas (1955)
9) Geoff love - The Geoff Love Christmas Album (1972)
10) Perry Como - Seasons Greetings (1959)
11) Kate Smith - The Kate Smith Christmas Album (1966)
12) Connie Francis - Christmas In My Heart (1959)
13) Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas (1958)
14) Steve Lawrence And Eydie Gorme - That Holiday Feeling (1964)
15) Lawrence Welk - 22 Merry Christmas Favorites (compilation from the 1960's?)
16) Living Voices - The Little Drummer Boy (1965)
17) Percy Faith - Christmas Is (1966)
18) Living Voices - Sing Christmas Music (1962)
19) Living Strings - The Sounds Of Christmas (1970)
20) Henry Mancini - A Merry Mancini Christmas (1966)
21) Ames Brothers - There'll Always Be A Christmas (1957)
22) Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians - The Sounds Of Christmas (1959)
23) Perry Como - Sings Merry Christmas Music (1950's?)
24) Norman Luboff Choir - Christmas With The Norman Luboff Choir (1964)
25) Guy Lombardo - Sings The Songs Of Christmas (1960)

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.

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......