Mando-centric Christmas/Winter Holiday CDs

**mad dawg** · Nov-04-2004, 12:45pm

I only have one mando-centric Christmas CD (Baldasarri's Evergreen Christmas, which I recommend highly), and want to expand my collection. What Christmas or Winter Holiday themed CDs featuring mandolin family instruments do you recommend?

(CDs with companion notation books are a plus, but not required.)

**mandofiddle** · Nov-04-2004, 12:59pm

Grisman has a CD out called David Grisman's Acoustic Christmas CD. It's not the longest CD timewise, but it is REALLY good IMO.

Homegrown Music

**delsbrother** · Nov-04-2004, 2:50pm

Not 100% mando, but how about Greg Miner's stuff?

**J. Mark Lane** · Nov-04-2004, 2:53pm

I second the Grisman CD. Very nice. But my favorite Christmas CD is one put out by The Roaches years ago. I forget the title, but it's easy to find. They used to do a Christmas performance every year at The Bottom Line in NYC. I went for a number of years. It was like a family reunion each year (fans and performers). Really a wonderful evening, not only in terms of the music (awesome), but also in terms of the warmth and "Christmas spirit." It's too bad they stopped doing it.

Mark

**Django Fret** · Nov-04-2004, 4:09pm

"Gifts" by Butch Baldasarri and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble is simply wonderful.

A new favorite one of mine that I just got is Marilyn Mair's (Mair-Davis Duo) "The Sounding Joy".

**Don Grieser** · Nov-09-2004, 11:09am

Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum have a CD out called "Winter's Grace" I believe. It features winter solstice and Christmas themed songs, and Tom plays some great mandolin and mandola on it. I got to see them perform some of it a few years back. Great music.

**PaulD** · Nov-09-2004, 12:44pm

Well... it's not mandolin music, but it is acoustic Christmas music; Christmas Guitars from Windham Hill. It's a variety of artists including Emily Remler, Larry Coryell, Michelle Shocked, Taj Mahal, etc. I only have a bootleg copy on Cassette

, but it's one I would like to purchase on CD. It would be worth having a good copy with the liner notes.

Paul Doubek

**JamesBryan** · Nov-09-2004, 12:54pm

W/in the last couple years by the New Mandolin Quartet in Colorado, great players, Steve Mullins and Dawn Watson :

http://www.rhythmmuserecords.com/nmq.html

**Eugene** · Nov-09-2004, 1:30pm

As I do every year this arises, I will recommend Gregg Miner's A Christmas Collection, seconding delsbrother above. Gregg plays over 100 different instruments himself on these ranging from unplayable depression-era pseudo-zithers (like the ukelin and temoloa) to real zithers, to lute kin, to harp-guitars to oud, to charango...of course, mandolins abound including wee German pochette mandolins, a Calace mandolyre, and the classic suite of Gibsons. As I've written elsewhere, Gregg's arrangements are living breathing things that flirt with ingenious wit. Mandolin or not, it's all great fun and sounds mighty tasty.

**mikeomando** · Nov-09-2004, 9:01pm

Is it that time again already? For this thread, I mean. You can't go wrong with "The Nutcracker Suite" by The Modern Mandolin Quartet. "Winter With Mandolins" By Simon Mayer is also one of my favorites. For non-mando content "Ella wishes you a swingin' Christmas" by Ella Fitzgerald is a jazzy treat. "Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits" by The Vince Guaraldi Trio always gets to my musician friends when I spin it.

Someone recommend some Hannukah music that has mandos.

**mikeomando** · Nov-09-2004, 9:02pm

I mispelled "Simon Mayor" in the above post. It's "Simon Mayor". There's only one...

**jefflester** · Nov-10-2004, 5:10pm

I can't remember how much mandolin there is on it, but "A Christmas Heritage" is nice. The newgrass supergroup "Newgrange" before they started calling themselves Newgrange (Mike Marshall, Tim O'Brien, Darol Anger, Alison Brown, Todd Phillips, Philip Aaberg).

http://www.amazon.com/exec....s=music

**StingerT125** · Nov-10-2004, 5:25pm

I recently picked up a few from eBay, the Grisman one, the Baldassari one, and another called 'A Mandolin Christmas'. I am enjoying all three.

**JimRichter** · Nov-10-2004, 6:16pm

One of my favorites was a Target CD from a couple years back called Tis the Season, A Bluegrass Christmas. This was in their display of around 30 niche Christmas CDs. Though it never said it on the front cover, the back covered showed "produced by Peter Ostrushko." Excellent album where Peter O. does all the mandolin and maybe the fiddle (can't remember), then there's singing and traditional bluegrass instrumentation provided, I think, by musicians in the St. Paul area. Don't know if Target still sells it.

Jim

**EasyEd** · Nov-10-2004, 6:24pm

Hey All,

My favorite Christmas CD is easily Patty Loveless Bluegrass White Snow - I look forward to Christmas if for no reason other than to play this CD. The title song and Christmas at Grandma's House are my favorites. Highly recommended. Oh an plenty of mando.

Take Care! -Ed-

**KevinM** · Dec-01-2004, 12:49pm

On our turntables:

An Americana Christmas- features Norman and Nancy Blake, Ronnie McCoury, Roy Huskey Jr. etc. etc. great stuff

my fave "Oh Christmas Tree" for hardcore Monroevians. This one had me headed out the door to get albums by Open Road and James King.

Christmas Grass, with Del McCoury and other notables,

The Bells of Dublin - the Chieftains

Frank Sinatra Christmas album. Ring a ding ding.

and the essential: Christmas Cocktails Vols. I and II - awesome in the breadth and scope of its cheesiness.

**J. Mark Lane** · Dec-02-2004, 6:30pm

Got my Marilyn Mair CD today. Wonderful! Highly recommended!

Mark

**Django Fret** · Dec-02-2004, 9:05pm

After bringing out and listening to the Christmas CD collection, I have to recommend one of my favorite mandolin songs of all time. "E'en so, Lord" on the Windam Hill "A Winter's Soltice II" by the Modern Mandolin Quartet.

I would buy this CD again just for this song, and you can hear a nice excerpt at Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec....=glance

I wish they would do more songs like this on a CD someday...

**mad dawg** · Nov-20-2005, 10:21am

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I would revive this thread instead of starting one anew.

Also, I am surprised it is not in this thread even though someone posted a link to is last year, but here is a link to Oy to the World (a Klezmer Christmas). (I just pulled the trigger and ordered it for this year.)

**mad dawg** · Nov-20-2005, 10:27am

Ooops -- I should have done a better search -- 8-string Keith already started one for this year here.

**mandocrucian** · Nov-20-2005, 11:16am

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album

**Mace** · Nov-20-2005, 11:35am

Christmas at Doobie Shea with the Tony Williamson Trio.

**violmando** · Nov-20-2005, 5:05pm

I will second the votes for MMQ, Grisman, Baldasarri, and MY ALL TIME favorite the Jethro Tull Christmas Album--bought it in Chicago 2 years ago and I listen to it nearly year-round!
Yvonne

**Martin Jonas** · Nov-20-2005, 5:26pm

My favourite Christmas album is by Horslips: Drive The Cold Winter Away. The title tune is really easy to play on mandolin and sooo nice! Available on CD, and going cheap through amazon.co.uk "marketplace".

Martin

PS: In the process of getting the above link, I noticed that the long-awaited Horslips DVD is now out. If you remember Horslips from the 1970s, get this!

**Fred Keller** · Nov-21-2005, 10:59am

My absolute favorite is Dakota Dave Hull and Kari Larson: The Goose Is Getting Fat. All instrumentals, TONS of vintage instruments, and incredible playing. Kari Larson has the most incredibly tone-ful right hand. You can order at www.dakotadavehull.com.