This past January our Christmas Music community was shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Mitchell Kezin. Mitchell's enthusiasm for Christmas music collecting was unsurpassed, and equaled only by a few select members of our brotherhood. "Jingle Bell Rocks!", Mitchell's love letter to our collective passion, brought this love of the music and the drive to collect and share to a wide, appreciative audience. We saw ourselves in Mitchell's film (some of us literally Rob Martinez), and we were as excited as Mitchell himself to watch The Mighty Sparrow record "The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot".
I met Mitchell in 2014 in Overland Park, KS, at a screening of "Jingle Bell Rocks!". I and fellow Christmas music collector Greg Steele met Mitchell before the screening, and then he accompanied us to a local bar afterward for a beverage (or two, or so...). We (of course) talked a lot about Christmas music and collecting, and Greg and I were treated to a few backstories that didn't make it into the final cut of the film. Our hometown baseball team, the Kansas City Royals, were in the playoffs that October evening, for the first time in 29 years, and Mitchell energetically joined Greg and I as we cheered on the team while chatting about the music, the movie, and the musicians. We learned that Mitchell had been set to connect with James Brown, but the Godfather of Soul tragically passed away on Christmas Day 2006, before they could get together.
After the evening concluded, I gave Mitchell a ride to his hotel in midtown Kansas City. We talked about going crate-digging the next day, but unfortunately I had conflicts, so I missed out on the chance to hit the local record stores with Mitchell.
In addition to sharing the Christmas music collecting itch, Mitchell and I shared a birthday - August 10. Mitchell was a year older than I, and every year I would wish Mitchell a "Merry Birthday!" and he would respond with a hearty "Thank YULE!!!!". I missed that this year.
Like many others, Mitchell and I traded our annual compilation CDs each year. Being a First Class Unearther of Obscure Christmas Music, his annual MerryMix was always full of new (to me) music, and was a treat to be enjoyed year after year.
Christmas 2024 will have a void - the first time in many, many years to be without a MerryMix. Last year's MerryMix had a strong Las Vegas/Elvis theme, and definitely had that special Mitchell touch to it. If you were lucky enough to receive his 2023 MerryMix, take some time to give it a listen, and lift a glass of eggnog to our kinsman in Christmas Music, Mitchell Kezin. Rest in Peace brother.
Great post honoring our good friend. I always will think of him at this time of year with fond memories of the time you and I spent with him.
ReplyDeleteGreg S