Broadcast: December 22, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
Listen to this episode: Click here
This episode emphasizes the more laidback side of holiday music; even "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" gets a cool-jazz treatment from the Dave Brubeck Quartet, while Joe Pass delivers a reflective guitar version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and Paul Desmond joins the Modern Jazz Quartet for a poignant reading of "Greensleeves."
There are some little-heard and unconventional seasonal tracks such as Judy Holliday's "It Must Be Christmas" and hardbop pianist Horace Silver's "Peace," and tasteful nods to standard holiday-jazz fare such as Vince Guaraldi's "What Child Is This" and two of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's arrangements from The Nutcracker Suite. Perfect for paying homage to the holidays in the mellowest of moods.