Christmas Albums

[Eddie Sheehy]

Well Christmas is coming and it's time to dust off the Christmas music. Lots of Carolers need backing, old folks homes need cheering up etc.
I came across this album a few years ago and I must say the arrangements really lend themselves to mandolin, mandola, and OM/Bouzouki interpretation. The sound and feel is French/Canadian/Celtic. The album is "Christmas" by Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian eh!

What's your favorites?

[AlanN]

From a mando perspective, what jumps out:

Dawg - Acoustic Christmas
Butch - Evergreen

From a 'world' perspective:

Hipster's Holiday - my wife found this in a bargain bin - Etta James (Santa, Baby), Satchmo (Cool Yule), Bob Dorough/Miles Davis (Blue Xmas), Bird (White Christmas), Mel Torme (Christmas Song), etc - I can listen to this one all day

and the literally thousands of Christmas LPs, CDs, tapes out there

[Tracy Tucker]

Speaking of Christmas music (don't mean to hijack your thread here!), does anyone have a recommendation for an old-timey-sounding instrumental CD? With mandolin, banjo, dulcimer?? Having trouble coming up with anything.

Thanks!

[maj34]

Check out It's Christmas Time by Al and Aleta Murphy. Great country and bluegrass christmas songs, as well as some great holiday-themed fiddle tunes on fiddle and mandolin. PM me if you have a hard time finding it.

[Keith Erickson]

Emory Lester Christmas Carols :mandosmiley:

[JEStanek]

Tracy,

I have one with hammered dulcimer called Dulcimer Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/Dulcimer-Christmas/dp/B000003BLU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223821338&sr=8-9). The Amazon Search for Dulcimer Christmas turned up a bunch. You could check some of those (http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link_code=qs&field-keywords=dulcimer%20christmas&sourceid=Mozilla-search) out.

Jamie

Edit: I'll put in a plug for Allan Alexander's Christmas music for mandolin book and CD (http://home.earthlink.net/~guitarandlute/christmas_mandolin.html). Approachable arrangements for mandolin and guitar backing. Butch's Evergreen is great too. There are many on Mandozine in TablEdit (http://www.mandozine.com/music/search_results.php?searchfor=&tuneselectby=C&mandolevel=&category=Special&songkey=&artist=&transcriber=&sortby=T&sortorder=A&submit=).

[AlanN]

And thinking of Butch brings to mind the NME 90's Gifts. Cover shot has a gorgeous fern Loar. Full of musical Holiday goodness, they do Sleigh Ride, with incredible mando solos by Fred Carpenter, Richard Kriehn and Aubrey Haynie.

[Jim Murton]

Bela fleck and the flecktones just released a Holiday album.It is call "Jingle all the way"
It does have mandolin on it.Very good album.They play a very interesting 12 days of Christmas.

Jim

[Tracy Tucker]

Tracy,

I have one with hammered dulcimer called Dulcimer Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/Dulcimer-Christmas/dp/B000003BLU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223821338&sr=8-9). The Amazon Search for Dulcimer Christmas turned up a bunch. You could check some of those (http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link_code=qs&field-keywords=dulcimer%20christmas&sourceid=Mozilla-search) out.

Jamie



Thanks Jamie! Just what I was looking for.

My 2 favorite Christmas Cd's are Butch's Evergreen, and Come in From the Cold by Alan & Bonnie Epstein.

[danb]

Gregg Miner's A Christmas Collection (http://www.minermusic.com/cd_offer.htm) has lots of unusual instruments on it and is a fine listen. All instrumental

[TonyP]

My all time favorite is Modern Mandolin Quartet's Nutcracker Suite. It really does sound like it was written for a mandolin quartet.

[Red Henry]

I like the MMQ Nutcracker Suite a great deal, but it's also hard to beat the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble's magnificent "Gifts" Christmas CD. Whether you consider "Gifts" from a standpoint of musicianship, direction (Paul Zahn conducting), or recording and production quality, it stands out and is a favorite of my own Christmas listening. Also, it may be unique in having been released on Sony, a giant label in the industry.

Also, while discussing Christmas mandolin, don't forget Butch Baldassari's groundbreaking "Evergreen" project from several years ago! While not carried out on an orchestral scale, it's very well done and quite enjoyable. And Butch has kept it available.

Red


PS-- I am not unprejudiced. My Nashville-based uncle John Hedgecoth is playing mandocello on the "Gifts." Good stuff,too.

PPS-- Pity, though, that after the first pressing of "Gifts", Sony let the project go out of print with no prospect of ever pressing more. The CD will be its own Christmas legend someday.

[Keith Erickson]

Rhonda Vincent- Beautiful Star :mandosmiley:

[Rob Wallace]

No mando, but Robin Bullock's "A Guitar For Christmas" is simply stunning.

[Alex Orr]

Emmylou Harris - By The Light of the Stable (or something like that..)

Ricky Skaggs on mando and fiddle, Sam Bush may also be on there. Emmylou's voice is pristine. The a capella version of The First Noel brings tears to my eyes and gives me goose bumps every time I hear it, it's that beautiful.

Not much, if any, mandolin, but Sufjan Stevens did a Christmas album last year (or perhaps the year before) that was fantastic. I actually don't care for much of that guy's stuff, but this was really, really entertaining. "Get Behind Me, Santa" is one of the better song titles I'd heard in a while.

[Keith Erickson]

Skaggs Family Christmas is another one on heavy rotation around our house during the holidays.

[Gerard Dick]

Tracy, Try "Christmas on the Mountain". All instrumental ; mando guitar dulcimer b#%jo dobro. My wife put it on and in less than 5 minutes the urge to play along got the better of me. Great old timey sound.

[Wolfboy]

No mando, but Robin Bullock's "A Guitar For Christmas" is simply stunning.

Well thanks very much, glad you liked it! (I've got a new one in the works for this year that will have some mando on it...)

Here's one of my favorites, with mando and bouzouki content: Al Petteway and Amy White, Winter Tidings. http://cdbaby.com/cd/whitepetteway4

BTW, the Modern Mandolin Quartet's recording of the Nutcracker Suite on Windham Hill is out of print as far as I know - but it appears that a more recent lineup of the MMQ (with Matt Flinner instead of Mike Marshall) has re-recorded it: http://cdbaby.com/cd/mmq

[mandocrucian]

I made my own compilations of winter/Christmas/solstice music a couple of years ago. I couldn't locate the lists on the archives (and post that link) so here again are my compilation track listings. (Mostly from UK folk-rock and folk albums.)

Track Song Artist (Album-albums)

DISC 1
1 Fire & Wine Ashley, Steve ( Stroll On )
2 Spirit of Christmas Ashley, Steve ( Electric Muse )
3 Gower Wassail Steeleye Span ( Ten Man Mop )
4 Winter Winds Fotheringay ( Fotheringay )
5 Winter Song Lindisfarne ( Nicely Out Of Tune )
6 We Sing Hallelujah Thompson, Richard ( I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight )
7 Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow Pegg, Dave ( The Cocktail Cowboy Rides Again )
8 Inside Jethro Tull ( Benefit )
9 Old Horse Carthy, Martin ( Collection )
10 Here We Come A Wassailing Nicholson, Lea ( Horsemusic )
11 Romjulsganger Bukkene Bruse ( The Sweetest Rose )
12 For Such Generous Gifts Bukkene Bruse ( The Sweetest Rose )
13 German Song Collins, Shirley & Dolly ( For As Many As Will )
14 Moon Shines Bright, The Collins, Shirley & Dolly ( For As Many As Will )
15 Now Be Thankful Fairport Convention ( Full House (bonus) )
16 A Christmas Song Jethro Tull ( This Was (bonus), A Little Light Music, Christmas Album )
17 Sun Never Shines On The Poor, The Thompson, Richard ( Hokey Pokey )
18 Gaudete (45 mix) Steeleye Span ( Below The Salt )
19 Cherry Tree Carol, The Pentangle ( Solomon's Seal )
20 Feast Of Steven Heron, Mike ( Smiliing Men With Bad Reputations )
21 The Holly and the Ivy Steeleye Span ( 45 single mix )
22 Benedictus Strawbs ( Grave New World )
23 Ring Out Solstice Bells Jethro Tull ( Songs From The Wood, Christmas Album )

DISC 2
1 Trilo Lena Willemark & Ale Möller ( Nordan )
2 Coventry Carol McCandless, Paul ( A Winter's Solstice III )
2 Snow Is Lightly Falling Nightnoise ( A Winter's Solstice III )
3 Mariam hun er en Jomfrureen (Virgin Mary) Bukkene Bruse ( The Stone Chair )
4 Nedeleg war ar mor (Christmas At Sea) Ensemble Choral du Mout du Monde ( Noels Celtiques )
5 A Little Child Lien, Annbjørg ( Felefeber )
6 Witchwood Strawbs ( From The Witchwood )
7 Cantiga, A Madre Do Que Livrou Sansone, Maggie ( Ancient Noels )
8 When as The Rose of Jericho/A Year Begins Of Joy and grace/To us A Little Child Is Born (XV Dutch carols) Sansone, Maggie ( Ancient Noels )
9 Journeyman's Grace Fairport Convention ( Angel Delight )
10 Villvinter (Wild Winter) Lien, Annbjørg ( Prisme )
11 Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow Jethro Tull ( Christmas Album )
12 Heinilla härkien kaukalon (There In The Manger) Kaasinen, Mari & Sari ( Can We Have Christmas Now? )
13 Poor Old Horse Muckram Wakes ( A Map Of Derbyshire )
14 Raider Plainsong ( In Search of Amelia Earhardt )
15 Snöflöjt (Snow Flute) Möller, Ale ( The Horse & The Crane )
16 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Fantasy Nicholson, Roger ( Noesuch For Dulcimer )
17 People Used To Donovan ( Open Road )
18 Ashen Faggot Wassail Collins, Shirley ( )
19 The King Steeleye Span ( Please To See The King )
21 Lord Of The Dance Carthy, Martin ( Bonny Black Hare & Other Songs )
22 Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil (That Night In Bethlehem) Na Fili ( Three )
23 Farewell, Farewell Fairport Convention ( Unhalfbricking )

DISC 3
1 Bewcastle Prior, Maddy & Rick Kemp ( All Through The Year )
2 Lament & Jig: Valencia Jig/The Apples In Winter Woods Band ( The Woods Band )
3 January's Snows Woods Band ( The Woods Band )
4 January Man Jansch, Bert ( Moonshine )
5 Lord Franklin Pentangle ( Cruel Sister )
6 Frozen Man Fairport Convention ( Old New Borrowed Blue )
7 Christmas Eve Irvine, Andy ( Rainy Sundays, Windy Dreams )
8 Fire At Midnight Jethro Tull ( Songs From The Wood, Christmas Album )
9 Apple-Tree Wassailing Song Watersons ( )
10 Christmas Hare Watson, Roger ( Pick & The Malt Shovel, The )
11 Down In Yon Forest Bolton, Polly ( All Through The Year )
12 White Mountain Genesis ( Tresspass )
13 Weathercock Jethro Tull ( Heavy Horses )
14 The Plainsman Fairport Convention ( Rosie )
15 The Snows They Melt The Soonest Gaughan, Dick ( Handful of Earth )
16 Rain & Snow Pentangle ( Reflections )
18 Turning Into Winter Jack The Lad ( Jack The Lad )
19 Lyke Wake Dirge Pentangle ( Basket of Light )
20 Candlemas Carol Ashley, Steve ( Stroll On )

DISC 4
1 Footprints In The Snow Muleskinner ( Muleskinner )
2 Rain & Snow Muleskinner ( Muleskinner )
3 Fields of November Blake, Norman ( Fields of November )
4 Last Train From Poor Valley Blake, Norman ( Fields of November )
5 Chicken On The Snowbank Bryan, James ( The First of May )
6 Star of Bethlehem Bryan, James ( The First of May )
7 Queen of the Earth and Child of the Stars/ Roving on Last Winter's Night Stecher, Jody & Kate Brislin ( Our Town )
8 Roses In The Snow Harris, Emmylou ( Roses In The Snow )
9 Dire Wolf Grateful Dead ( Workingman's Dead )
10 28th of January, The Fuzzy Mt. Stringband ( Fuzzy Mt. Stringband )
11 Legend of the Captain's Daughter Siebel, Paul ( Jack-knife Gypsy )
12 Snowball Country Gazette ( Don't Give Up Your Day Job )
13 Cold Rain & Snow Grateful Dead ( Grateful Dead (first) )
14 Malpas Wassail Song Watersons ( For Pence and Spicy Ale )
15 Another Christmas Song Jethro Tull ( Christmas Album )
16 Aqualung Jethro Tull ( Aqualung )
17 Arthur McBride Brady, Paul ( Paul Brady & Andy Irvine )
18 Month of January Tabor, June ( )
19 Lord Franklin Burke, Kevin & Micheal O Domhnaill ( Promenade )

Niles H

[Tracy Tucker]

Tracy, Try "Christmas on the Mountain". All instrumental ; mando guitar dulcimer b#%jo dobro. My wife put it on and in less than 5 minutes the urge to play along got the better of me. Great old timey sound.

Thanks for the suggestion, Gerard! I'll check it out. =o)

Tracy

[nathan]

7 Cantiga, A Madre Do Que Livrou Sansone, Maggie ( Ancient Noels )
8 When as The Rose of Jericho/A Year Begins Of Joy and grace/To us A Little Child Is Born (XV Dutch carols) Sansone, Maggie ( Ancient Noels )


Ancient Noels is a fantastic album. If you like this one, I would also recommend Ensemble Galilei's A Winter's Night.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Anyone familiar with An American Christmas (http://www.amazon.com/American-Christmas-Norman-Blake/dp/B001KNFXVC), and all instrumental CD featuring Norman Blake, Vassar Clements, Ronnie McCoury, and others? I am on the verge of ordering it, since I figure I can't go wrong with that line-up, but has anyone out there listened to it?

[violmando]

If you like Django style stuff, the Gypsy Hombres "Django Bells" is phenomenal! And I mentioned a Rondalla one in another thread this morning, too. I tend towards the unique instrumental ones...I'll give a second for "Ancient Noels" and Ensemble Galilei----if you like those, you might also like "A Winter Solstice with Helicon." I have just TOO many favorites to list! Yvonne

[MandoSquirrel]

"Christmas" by Bruce Cockburn, like the first post said. I also like Grisman's "Acoustic Christmas" & Emmy ou's "Light Of(or is it "At"?) The Stable".
Then there's also "Joyful Tidings" by the Mair Davis Duo, featuring Marilyn Mair on mandolin.

[surfnut]

For old time / country with dulcimer look up SMOKEY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS.
My favorite Christmas album is SUGAR PLUMS-HOLIDAY TREATS from Sugar Hill a compilation.
I, just tonite, loaded a Christmas playlist 9.5 hours long onto the computer.
My wife loves this stuff.

[Martin Jonas]

Whenever this thread comes around, I recommend "Drive The Cold Winter Away" by Horslips, a mostly-instrumental christmas album from 1975, and uniformly wonderful (as well as most untypical of the band, being all-acoustic).

Also worth searching out are the three Christmas albums that Maddy Prior has recorded with the Carnival Band. And of course Phil Spector...

Martin