Another season for Merry and Bright is winding down. I hope that all of you enjoyed the interviews, shares, and other contributions to the world of internet Christmas music. I still enjoy doing this each year, bring my own spin to the collective.
Thanks to Lola G. of Death Hags and to Erin and Michael of the Honey Badgers for the great interviews this year - I loved getting to know more about you and your music.
Thanks to the Christmas music collecting family out there - Ernie, Brad, Rob, Martin, Greg, Hugh, Tim S, Tim N, Joanna and all the rest. Another wonderful CSODT series from Tim Neely - I learn about so many great new songs from you each year. Another exhaustive (literally, I'm sure) year of new music info from Stubby out on the Fa. And Ernie slayed it this year with the daily 45 song shares. Dude - I think you're close to having all the songs.
In the 2025 off-season, I'm thinking about turning the blog into an info space about three musicians I've discovered over the past year or so - Sonny Stitt, June Christy, and Teresa Brewer. I learned about Sonny Stitt in mid-2023 from an NPR story about the album "Boppin' in Baltimore: Live at the Left Bank". I've become a big fan of Mr. Stitt's music, and (as collectors are wont to do) have accumulated many of his records in the months since.
I've known about June Christy for several years, but it wasn't until earlier this year and the acquisition of a Mosaic Jazz box set of her Capital Transcription Sessions (with Peggy Lee) that I began to truly love her talent as a vocalist. A binge-buy of her records from a going-out-of-business records store a couple months ago has left me with a large catalog to explore.
I first heard Teresa Brewer on a couple of her albums recorded with Duke Ellington. She has a very unique vocal style, walking the tightrope between jazz and pop, and I've become very enamored with her music and have (again, the collector DNA) acquired a stack of albums to listen to in the new year.
My plan is to blog about the albums from these artists throughout the year, just to share their album information with everyone. I'm undecided about sharing the music, so no guarantees, but at minimum you'll get album covers, info, track lists, and a bit of light commentary about the albums. So if you want to know more about these great artists, check in here from time to time.
So, with that I'm signing off on the Christmas season, 2024, but I'll be back soon with Sonny, June, and Teresa.
My song of the year for the 2024 season is "White Christmas", performed by Anais Reno.
Anais Reno is one of the up and coming stars of vocal jazz. Her mature tone belies her 21 years on this earth, and, in my opinion, she deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as the incredible Samara Joy.
Anais recorded "White Christmas" with Adam Birnbaum. Martin Wind, and Keith Balla. Not only did they create a killer version of the classic Christmas carol that highlights Anais' sublime singing, they wove a tribute to the late Ahmad Jamal into the song, layering Irving Berlin's lryics onto Jamal's treasure "Poinciana". The creativity, the respect for Berlin's composition, and the reverence to Mr. Jamal make this my choice for song of the year.
My choice for Christmas Album of the Year is "Christmastime in Rio" by Romero Lubambo and Pamela Driggs.
"Christmastime in Rio" is my hands-down favorite new Christmas album of the 2024 season. Filled with joyous, happy renditions of old favorite Christmas songs and two original compositions, this album is a happy place for me, a smile with every song.
Romero Lubambo and Pamela Driggs are husband and wife, each with long histories as jazz musicians, especially in the Brazilian jazz genre. They made this into a true family venture, with their daughter Luisa joining in on background vocals and taking the lead vocal part on "Silent Night". Add in masterful piano accompaniment by Peter Martin and an outstanding band, and you've got a beautiful Christmas album.
I got to see Mr. Lubambo perform in Columbia, MO in October, with Peter Martin and Anat Cohen. I had pre-ordered "Christmastime in Rio" for a November 8 release day arrival. After the show I got to meet and chat with Mr. Lubambo and Mr. Martin (as well as Ms Cohen [my favorite musician]). I mentioned this album, and he seemed shocked and very pleasantly surprised that someone knew about it, weeks in advance of its release. Peter Martin called the piano solos beautiful, with a wink wink 😉 It was a pleasure to see them perform and have a quick meet 'n' greet afterward.
Runners-Up
Two other albums stand out to me as a measure of excellence in Christmas music this year. During the season when I listen to maybe 25% of my collection (on CD - nevermind the digital and vinyl), any album that gets multiple plays is pretty darned good. Both of these were excellent new albums this season.
"Tree Jazz The Shape of Christmas to Come" by Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O
My best wishes for all of you to have a safe and happy holiday with family, with friends, or celebrating the festive season in your own special way.
Later today all of our children, their spouses, a fiance, a very significant other, and our beautiful granddaughter will come together at our home to celebrate the season, a truly happy time for all of us.
Want to know a wonderful Christmas present? Our five children, all adults, routinely get together for 'sibs happy hour'. They all get along so well and enjoy each others' company. Nothing better than seeing your children having fun together 😀
Here on December 23rd, I'm wrapping up sharing season with a pair of fine vintage albums, guaranteed to boost your Christmas spirit. As I was enjoying the early morning today with my canine buddies, coffee, and Christmas books, I listened to these albums. They were perfect for the moment.
That Happy Christmas Feeling - The Organ Orchestra
"That Happy Christmas Feeling" by the Organ Orchestra on the RCA Camden label, is as aptly titled as any Christmas album in my collection. The ten songs are all Christmas standards, smartly arranged, and indeed very 'happy' in the performance. This is an absolutely festive album, full of the sounds of mid-century America that we in the collector community find so nostalgic and heart-warming. This is absolutely a wonderful record!
I hope that you can find time in these last couple of days before Christmas day to download and enjoy "That Happy Christmas Feeling".
And the final share of this season is "Ring! Christmas Bells" by Arthur Lynds Bigelow, Bell Master Laureate, Carillon School of Mechlin Belgium and Bell Master of Princeton University. As with the Organ Orchestra album, "Ring! Christmas Bells" brings the sounds of Christmas 1960's back into your home. Twelve songs, including a few that are likely new to you, of organ and bells will fill your parlor (does anyone have parlors these days?) with fine performances of spiritual Christmas songs.
Mr. Bigelow performs on hand bells, carillon bells, and sleigh bells, all accompanied by organist Marjorie MacComb. Extensive program and performance notes on the album back cover provide you with a vivid picture of the sessions and song selections.
As you can see, the album has been well-loved over the years. The cover is held together with masking tape, but the album sound was quite good, although it may have a few more residual pops and clicks than usual.
This evening's album is "Weihnachten in Deutschland - Christmas in Germany". Christmas music from around the world seems to be very popular amongst the Christmas Music Collector community, and I share that affection. I love hearing the traditional songs from all over the globe. So "Christmas in Germany" is one of my favorites this year.
This is a German-produced record from the Electrola label. I believe the actual album title is "Von himmel hoch, da komm ich herr", which translates to "From heaven high, here I come, Lord".
The album contains 14 songs, performed by the Wolfsburger Chorgemeinschaft. Some will be familiar, some perhaps not. All are very enjoyable, and the album will make a fine addition to your Christmas music collection.
Please enjoy "Weihnachten in Deutschland - Christmas in Germany"
I have another interesting share for you today, as we're nearing final approach before Christmas Day. "The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas" is a 1983 record on the Starland Music label. It's a musical story album featuring nine songs interwoven into the story of the Ted E. Bear, who decides to stay up one year, even though it's bears' hibernation time, to see what this Christmas thing is all about.
What caught my eye in the record store was that Tommy Smothers is the voice of Ted E. Bear, and he does a wonderful job voicing the character. Vocal acting legend June Foray is also past of the cast, as are Louie Nye and Sue Raney.
This is an enjoyable little record. Those of us of a certain age will enjoy Tommy Smothers, and the rest can cozy up for a pleasant little Christmas tale.
Please enjoy "The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas"
Here we go with another new music roundup! These are some of the new music submissions to Merry & Bright for the 2024 season. Please check them out, and if you like what you hear, follow the artist's links to learn more and support the musicians. Thanks!
The good folks at Grey Duck Music have released an eleven song album titled "Echoes of the Season" This collection features a range of holiday-themed instrumental tracks that have all been featured in TV Holiday Films, all arranged by various artists. Music ranges from solos to small ensembles - all used as background source music for various movies in the past couple of years.
"Three Miles from Christmas Eve” is a hopeful and uplifting holiday original co-written and co-produced with Stephan Oberhoff (Quincy Jones, Jason Gould, Melissa Manchester).
Singer/Writer Jake McRawlings has been performing and recording for many years, living in many parts of the U.S., including Virginia, Tennessee and New York. He brings his special blend of voice and vantage point to make a unique blend of musical experience.
Charissa is a singer/songwriter from Burlington, Ontario, Canada, and is excited to share her first original Christmas song - "Wrapped in Paper". “Wrapped In Paper” celebrates the simple joys that make the holidays unique—those moments wrapped in love, family, and shared memories.
Dance R&B Pop Siren Max Rae suddenly has gone from undiscovered singer-songwriter to bursting on the scene in an explosive way. Now in honor of the holiday season, she is releasing her Christmas Now EP, featuring “ First Cry (A Christmas Song)” and cover of “Holly Jolly Christmas.” Rae states, “This cover really shows the quirky side of myself that I love to tap into and that my fans have really engaged with. With this song being so “Holly Jolly” I thought this picture would create the perfect marriage and cover to the song. “
"Countdown to Christmas" invites listeners to revel in the joyful anticipation of the holidays. With a catchy melody and an energetic beat, Brett takes us on a merry journey that's a delightful reminder of the magic of the season, making it the perfect addition to any holiday playlist.
"Christmas is my favorite holiday and that anticipation during the entire month of December is pure magic no matter how old you are," Brett shared. "'Countdown to Christmas is all about celebrating those moments that bring us joy - the first snowfall, the anticipation of Santa coming, or decorating the Christmas tree."
The track showcases Brett's signature style, combining pop sensibilities with heartfelt lyrics that evoke cherished memories while embracing a modern flair. Produced by Michael Cummings, formerly of 80's hairband, McQueen Street, this single promises to be a festive anthem that everyone can sing along to.
I'm very excited to share tonight's album with you. It is the Original Cast Recording of the NBC Broadcast of Gian-Carlo Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors". Premiering on the NBC Television Theatre on Christmas Eve, 1951, "Amahl and the Night Visitors" was the first opera commissioned specifically for television broadcast.
The story is of Amahl, a young crippled shepherd boy who lives with his mother. They are visited one night by the Magi, on their journey to Bethlehem. The Magi are in need of food, drink, and rest when they encounter Amahl and his mother. The story of their visit is a wonderful, uplifting tale. The opera is performed by extraordinary singers, accompanied by an excellent chorus and orchestra.
Here in Kansas City, the Lyric Opera presented "Amahl..." for several years, with an interesting twist. The character performances were done by the Paul Mesner Puppets, his talented puppeteers bringing the story to life (I know one of the puppeteers, who had the role of "mothers right arm"). Members of the Lyric Opera were to the left of the elevated stage performing the singing, and an ensemble from the Kansas City Symphony was to the right for the musical score. The production was in a small venue, seating only about 200 persons at most, so we were very close to the performers and set. I attended this amazing production twice, always feeling like it was one of the best events of the Christmas season.
In addition to a digital transfer from the vinyl album, I have scanned and added as a PDF the program notes brochure that was included with the album, featuring the entire libretto as well as information about the opera and the original production.
I believe that this recording is available on CD, so I'll ask that if you listen to this and fall in love with it, please go ahead and make a purchase of the CD or other digital media. My audio files are simply Side 1 and Side 2 - I didn't feel right trying to break it up into smaller tracks.
The Wildwoods, a folk/Americana trio from Lincoln, Nebraska, have released a new EP of Christmas songs for the 2024 holiday season. Christmas Through the Years features the Wildwoods' original song "Somewhere in the Snow", a wonderful cover of Fleet Foxes "White Winter Hymnal", and three traditional Christmas songs, "White Christmas", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and "Christmas Time is Here".
Astute readers of Merry & Bright may recall that we featured the Wildwoods' Christmas song debut in 2023, for their release of "Somewhere in the Snow". We are thrilled that they have come back in 2024 with the EP.
"White Christmas" is an adaptation for folk trio of The Drifter's version, and it's exquisite. "White Winter Hymnal" gloriously shows their talents as performers and arrangers, putting a Wildwoods touch on the Fleet Foxes song, with vocals that are beautiful and tightly complementary with their instruments. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is soft, sublime, and touches the heart.
Christmas Through the Years is available to stream on all the usual streaming services.
Tonight's share is an interesting one, and one that I was thrilled to acquire from a local record store in the process of closing up shop (the owner was retiring, and all stock [except for a few that he was holding back to sell on Discogs] was 70% off on the day I found this).
The Alcoa Singers, a choral group of employees of Alcoa, was first formed in 1961, according to internet resources. This album, "An old-fashioned Christmas", features 11 Christmas favorites performed by the chorus. However, the headlining songs are eight numbers from "The Stingiest Man in Town".
Alcoa has a long history with "The Stingiest Man in Town". In 1956, Alcoa was the presenting sponsor of a television presentation of "The Stingiest Man in Town", starring Basil Rathbone as Scrooge, and also featuring Vic Damone and the Four Lads. This was the first musical adaption of "A Christmas Carol", and also a very early color television broadcast (probably before there were many television sets that were capable of color reception).
Alcoa kept ties with "The Stingiest Man in Town" over the years, and songs from the production became staples of the Alcoa Singers' repertoire. In 1979, this album was released, featuring the Singers' performances of highlights from the musical, and the collection of other holiday favorites.
I had no idea that "The Stingiest Man in Town" had a life before Rankin-Bass. We never stop learning about our Christmas musical history!
Please enjoy The Alcoa Singers "An old-fashioned Christmas"
Wow! I am falling behind in the ol' bloggersphere this year. I'll make it up over the next week, for sure. To catch up just a bit, I'm going to give you two secret shares tonight. These are albums I prepped for sharing, and then found them on Spotify. I think that both of them are not highly played and probably lack the recognition that they deserve. So, I'm going to go ahead and share them without fanfare (or identification). Do me a favor - once you download and listen, if you love them, go to Spotify and give them a play or two, add them to a playlist, do whatever you can do to support the artists.
Good Sunday evening (or whenever you may be reading this) to everyone. Here is the first (of a meager few...) share of the 2024 season, "Christmas Time with the Harlem Children's Chorus".
I found this record earlier this year at Willa's Books and Vinyl, a black-owned business here in Kansas City, focusing on books by black authors, books about black persons, and records by black musicians. Miss Willa, the store owner, is a local treasure, and has an immense knowledge about black literature and music. When I was in her store, we had a great conversation about jazzman Sonny Stitt and the great author/poet Langston Hughes (in fact, I came away with an excellent edition of Hughes' "Tambourines to Glory"). Willa is looking to retire in the upcoming year, and the fate of her store is as yet unknown. KC people - if you're aiming to make a visit to Willa's, do it quick.
Back to the record -- this is a really outstanding collection. Many times 'chorus' records can be a little tough to enjoy, but this is an exception. Great song selection, excellent performances and recording. There's a lot to like here.
There are some of the usual Christmas carols, but also some welcome surprises, such as "Black Christmas", "Donde Esta Santa Claus", and "Christmas is for Children".
Please enjoy "Christmas Time with the Harlem Children's Chorus".
The Honey Badgers, Erin Magnin and Michael Natrin, have been making beautiful music for over 13 years. Calling Delaware their home, they take their duet harmonies and guitar/fiddle driven Americana-folk music all along the Eastern seaboard, with regular forays westward, performing at folk music gatherings, house concerts, and in intimate venues across the USA. A few years back the Honey Badgers recorded a few Christmas tunes which captured the attention of the Christmas music collector community, as well as the folk music audience.
Erin and Michael returned to making holiday music in 2020 and 2021, with the release of two singles, "In the Bleak Midwinter" and their original "Warm Winter". Along the way they have released a steady stream of outstanding folk albums and singles, all available from their Bandcamp site.
I've been a fan of the Honey Badgers for many years, and earlier this year I got to meet them at the fabulous Australian bakery/cafe Banksia. They were passing through Kansas City on the route between Manhattan KS and Knob Knoster MO, and made time for a quick lunch and meet 'n' greet. You will never meet nicer folks than Erin and Michael. During our lunch I pitched the idea of a blog interview, and they enthusiastically agreed. And so, here we are - my interview with the Honey Badgers!
Der Bingle meets The Honey Badgers
Links to all of their web presences follow the interview. Please take a few minutes to listen to the Honey Badgers and (as I always say) if you like what you hear, do your part to support these excellent independent musicians (i.e. buy their music!).
Merry & Bright Interview with The Honey Badgers
Merry & Bright: Hello Erin & Michael! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for Merry & Bright!
The Honey Badgers: Thanks for chatting with us. It feels like we just saw you in person, but somehow that was all the way back in February! MB: Let’s start with a quick ‘getting to know you’ question. How did The Honey Badgers get started? How long have you been doing the music thing as a duo?
HB: We started performing together as a duo in July of 2011, which means we’ve been performing for 13 years now. Our first gig together, where we jokingly came up with our name, was a competition to play the local folk festival. We made the finals and have been performing with the name since then. In 2019, we both quit our corporate jobs and began performing music as a full time job. MB: Back in 2012, you released a Christmas EP, “Christmas with The Honey Badgers”, featuring “What Child Is This”, a short but reverent “Silent Night”, and a lovely performance of “O Holy Night”, plus a very amusing “Meowtro”, your closing message to your fans. It’s been a few years ago now, but what can you tell us about choosing the songs and creating this EP?
HB: Great question! We found a list of public domain music and picked a few of our favorites. Those are all songs that we grew up singing along to. We tracked that EP in my college apartment and pulled the whole project together pretty quickly. It was a lot of fun. It’s definitely a snapshot in time - I think we’d both perform those songs quite differently today.
MB: Let’s move ahead a bit: in 2021 you gave us a wonderful original single, “Warm Winter”. While not technically a Christmas song, it’s full of wintry imagery – ice, cold winds, bare branches, footprints in the snow. Can you tell us the story of “Warm Winter”?
HB: We wrote Warm Winter in February of 2014 as both a love song and an ode to winter, centered on how even a freezing winter can feel cozy and warm with the right person. Erin was experimenting for the first time with the alternate guitar tuning of DADGAD, and thought it sounded just like a quiet winter day, sparkling with snow. For a few years we only performed it every once in a while during holiday-adjacent shows. Late in the first winter of the pandemic we decided that it was about time to finally record and release it. We bundled up and filmed a music video for it as well, immediately following a snowstorm, which resulted in us both almost freezing our little fingers off.
MB: I’ve saved my personal favorite for last – your just-before-Christmas 2020 release of “In the Bleak Midwinter”. This is one of the seasonal songs that I love most, and your rendition is simply beautiful. Christmas 2020 was the (first) pandemic Christmas. Did the circumstances of that year lead to your choosing to record and release this, as, for many of us, the year and season were bleaker than most?
HB: The weight of the pandemic was definitely a huge part of what made us decide on recording this song. Earlier that year, we were guests on a podcast and the host asked us to contribute a tune for the holiday episode. Our usual cheery favorites didn’t feel quite right in 2020. We landed on this after again looking at a list of public domain holiday tunes. It was certainly topical for the year and we’re really happy with how the final version sounds.
MB: Your arrangement of the song seems so heartfelt. Christina Rossetti’s lyric “Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow on snow” is so perfect. What was your approach to arranging this canonic song into a Honey Badgers’ tune?
HB: Thanks! Making something fit our specific folky sound is sometimes challenging, but always fun. We were originally playing this with a traditional 4/4 timing, then Michael jokingly started playing the song with the 6/8 guitar part that is on the recording. He was just messing around, playing it really fast and silly, but then we realized - wait a second, that sounds kinda cool! With that guitar part the song has a bit more movement, feels more hopeful, and maybe a little less solemn. After that it felt natural to fit in the rest of the folky instruments; Erin on violin, and Michael with the “tasteful” banjo. We can never resist doing a signature Honey Badger trade-off of verses, and ending with some sweet harmonies. “Snow on snow on snow” is our favorite part too, especially with Erin’s high harmony at the very end of the song.
MB: You’re really good at this Christmas-music thing. Do you have any other Christmas songs in the works? Merry and Bright totally supports more Honey Badgers holiday music 😃
HB: You’re too kind! I think we’ve finally almost recovered from releasing a full length (non-Christmas) album this past June, so maybe it’s time to start thinking about our next project… maybe a “Christmas with The Honey Badgers: Part 2” next year? Stay tuned! Speaking of the new album, there are a few songs on it that could be fun for this time of year: “Bring With You Nothing”, our ode to community and being there for each other, and “She Awakes”, a reminder that out of the dark winter comes new life and light.
MB: Erin & Michael – thanks again for your time and your music. Have a very happy holiday season!
HB: Thanks so much for the interview! Have a great holiday ❄
Saint Nick is a new holiday release from jazz pianist Nick Bhalla. Hailing from Minneapolis, Nick describes his music (on his Bandcamp site) as "sad jazz". While his arrangements are more solemn and serene than, say, rousing New Orleans style jazz, his song selections for Saint Nick are perfect fits for his reserved piano lounge style.
"Saint Nick" album cover art
A particular favorite of mine from the album is "My Favorite Things". Nick begins this piece with the classic song from "The Sound of Music" that has made its way into the Christmas music canon*, and skillfully segues into the beautiful "Edelweiss". It's a lovely performance.
Saint Nick is eight contemporary Christmas carols, including the fine selections "The Christmas Waltz", "Christmastime is Here" and "Toyland" alongside standards "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song". Nick's interpretations and performances are excellent, making for a very enjoyable addition to 2024's new Christmas releases.
Please enjoy Nick Bhalla performing "Christmastime is Here"
Four songs from Saint Nick are available on all streaming platforms, but the entire Saint Nick album is available exclusively on Bandcamp. If you enjoy what you hear, please consider purchasing the album and supporting an independent musician with a few of your holiday dollars. Der Bingle thanks you for supporting independent music.
* It's taken me a while to come around, but yes, I now consider "My Favorite Things" to be a Christmas song. If Tony Bennett sings it for Christmas, then it is.
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