Sharin' the Brass

This in my final share of the year.  Not the final post, though.  I have a couple more coming before bringing down the curtain on the 2025 Merry & Bright performance.  

This share is an album that probably everyone reading this blog already has.  It's a thrift store classic, indeed a classic in every sense.  It's fun, it's upbeat, it's rousing.  It can only be Christmas with the Mexicali Brass.

Ten songs, you know them all, mariachi'd up, brassed to perfection.  And (dare I say) what an album cover 😊

Enjoy Christmas with the Mexicali Brass!

Whaddya Know! More New Music!

And the new music keeps rolling in 😊 

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Nate Kushner and Major Metals - "Tinsel"

Leading off our final new music post for this season is the very interesting, eyebrow-raising, perhaps not for the kiddies, EP from Nate Kushner and Major Metals Tinsel.

Tinsel treats us with four very original songs, "Eyes Wide Shut and Die Hard 2", "Lemmings (Fa la la la la la la Lemmings remix)", "The New Years Shoes", and "This Christmas (Onny Hathaway version)".  

Nate Kushner is a New York based singer-songwriter and producer releasing "experimental and comedy-adjacent" music as Major Metals.  Let me just quote Nate about his songs - it's easier that way.

• Eyes Wide Shut and Die Hard 2: a vibraphone driven Christmas jazz
original about finding comfort in a couple of very unconventional holiday
movies. You'll have to listen to find out which movies.
• Lemmings (Fa la la la la la la la Lemmings remix): a cursed celesta and
jingle bell reinterpretation of an older not-Christmas track.
• The New Year’s Shoes: a short acoustic sequel to Christmas Shoes, taking
the story to its logical conclusion
• This Christmas (Onny Hathaway version): a drop D sludge and doom cover
that keeps the vocal sincere.

This seems like something Christmas Underground would dig, but I haven't seen it there (yet).  I enjoyed this EP a bunch.  Slightly demented, highly amusing, undeniably seasonal.  Don't let the holiday go by without checking this one out.  

Tinsel on Bandcamp

Major Metals website

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Bailey Pickles and Shelley Harland - "All I Want Is You"

From Bailey Pickles and Shelley Harland comes a new original composition, "All I Want Is You".  Direct from Shelley's Instagram:

Thrilled to share my new collaboration with the very talented and sweetest
of souls @baileypickles (yes the incredible new composer for @beastgames
@beastgames_season_2 ) we had a lot of fun in the studio writing this for
you and hope it brings all the warm and fuzzies during the Christmas
Holidays.   So grateful Enjoy Shells

Shelley Harland website

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Jodi DiPiazza - "The First Christmas Day"

Musical prodigy and autism advocate, Jodi DiPiazza, has just released her debut single, “The First Christmas Day.” Just in time for the holidays, the classically trained composer and singer’s ballad recounts the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, set to an emphatic piano flourish highlighted by her expressive sincerity and dynamic vocal refrain.

Jodi DiPiazza website

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Holidays with Skitch

Today's share is Winter Holiday by Skitch Henderson with the New York Philharmonic.  Skitch Henderson had a long, renowned career as a pianist, composer, and conductor of pops-style orchestras, including the house orchestra for NBC's Today Show and The Tonight Show, during both the Steve Allen and Johnny Carson eras (preceding Milton DeLugg and Doc Severinsen).

Winter Holiday is an excellent recording, and one could add a 'wink wink' to 'Winter', as the album's sides are songs for a snow holiday (side A) and a sun holiday (side B).  The Snow side includes old favorites "Winter Wonderland", "Moonlight in Vermont", and "Sleigh Ride", and two by Prokofiev, "Winter Holiday" and "Troika". 

Flip to the Sun side for "Caribbean Polka", "Macarenas" (no, not that), "Never On Sunday", and four others.  What a creative approach to a Winter Holiday album!

For our Christmas song enjoyment, the Snow Holiday tracks are exceptional, particularly "Sleigh Ride".  Skitch arranges and conducts expertly, and the New York Philharmonic performs exceptionally.  This is a fine album for your holiday enjoyment.

Please enjoy Skitch Henderson's Winter Holiday

David, Not Jack

Tonight's share is Merry Christmas, by David Frost and Billy Taylor.  Orchestra, guest soloists, "Special Gift" performances by Gerri Granger, some narration by David Frost.  It's an interesting album, all in all pretty good Christmas music.  Well arranged and performed by all.

The tracks include six (plus a reprise) Christmas standards, mostly the popular spiritual classics and including the beautiful 'Wexford Carol', and four composed by Billy Taylor, plus a poem by G.K. Chesterton, recited by David Frost.

Those of us who grew up in the '70s and '80s must remember David Frost, who passed away in 2013.  His presence as a journalist, host, and entertainer was unmissable.  He touched many areas of popular entertainment, as evident by this record.  I think you'll enjoy the package Mr. Frost and Mr. Taylor put together for us.

Please enjoy Merry Christmas by David Frost and Billy Taylor

Feliz Navidad!

Today's album is, along with the previously-shared Teresa Brewer, a top share for this season.  Mi Cancion de Navidad by Los Alegres de Teran was a surprise find at a local Half Price Books.

I was very pleased with the music on this album.  It's rare (in these parts anyway) to find a Christmas album with a track list of completely unknown songs.  These aren't Spanish language versions of good ol' American chestnuts.  Instead, these are Mexican Christmas songs through and through.

Using the Google, I translated the song titles, although even my very rudimentary Spanish skills gave me a pre-translation good guess.

Noche de Paz - Silent Night

Feliz ano Nuevo - Happy New Year

Mi Cancion de Navidad - My Christmas Song

Amarga Navidad - Bitter Christmas

Paloma Nuelve a Tu Nido - Paloma, Return To Your Nest

And so on.  I don't quite get all the translations in a cultural sense, but that notwithstanding, this is a very nice album from Mexico filled with songs celebrating the holiday.

Please enjoy Mi Cancio de Navidad.

Son of New Music for 2025!

More new music for your 2025 holiday season!

Will Tynan - "O Christmas Tree" 

Lifelong musician, sometime entrepreneur and venture capitalist, occasional corporate coach, and world traveler (performing his music along the way), Will Tynan has stepped into the world of Christmas music in 2025, releasing a fine interpretation of one of our favorite carols, "O Christmas Tree".  Instrumental guitar with light accompanying strings and percussion and backing sound effects create an engaging soundscape.  Reverence to the original melody juxtaposed with more whimsical segments make this one of my favorites this year!

Stream "O Christmas Tree" on Spotify

Will Tynan website

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Mine & The Maker - "Christmas Will Not Be Forgotten" 

Mine & The Maker is the creation of songwriter Tessa Laszlo. The "mine" is where the lyrics and stories begin, and the "maker" shifts with collaborators who turn the words & ideas into something larger - songs that carry memory, grief, & healing into the world.  Mine & The Maker has a new song this season, "Christmas Will Not Be Forgotten"  It's a nostalgic Christmas song with a classic crooner feel and timeless holiday mood, written as a vow in song form to loved ones who've passed that Christmas will not be forgotten!

Stream it on Spotify!

Mine & The Maker on Facebook

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Jeff Meegan and David Tobin - "The Season's Back Again"

Jeff Meegan and David Tobin are bringing back their 2006 release The Season's Back Again, a 7 song album of original Christmas songs in a rousing big band style.  

Emmy Award–winning vocalist/composer Jeff Meegan and BAFTA-affiliated composer/orchestrator David Tobin are officially reviving their beloved holiday masterpiece The Season’s Back Again, reigniting a Christmas tradition cherished by families across the globe. Originally recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studio 2, the album returns just in time for the 2025 holiday season—bringing with it the warmth, nostalgia, and lush cinematic elegance that made it an instant classic.

Long regarded as one of Meegan & Tobin’s most heartfelt holiday projects, The Season’s Back Again features standout performances from Jeff Meegan, Steve Memmolo, Lydia Harrell, and the ensemble of Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, Sara Brimer Davey, Kevin Fox and Nick Girard. Together their voices collectively shape the album’s glowing, timeless sound. Its revival arrives at a moment when audiences are craving comfort, connection, and tradition—positioning the album as a must-hear highlight of this year’s holiday soundtrack.

Think Harry Connick Jr, think Squirrel Nut Zippers, think Glenn Miller.  It's energetic, it's fresh, it'll have you toe-tapping. If you're a big band fan (or even if you're not), check out The Season's Back Again, available on all the usual digital platforms.

Stream it on Spotify

Teresa Brewer "At Christmas Time"

Today's share is one of my top two featured albums this season, At Christmas Time by Teresa Brewer, a 1957 release on Coral Records, her label for the first 10+ years of her long career.

Teresa Brewer is a relatively recent "discovery" for me personally.  I first learned of her a couple years ago from the album "It Don't Mean a Thing If You Ain't Got That Swing", which she recorded with Duke Ellington.  Then last year I found an album she recorded with Mercer Ellington (featuring an excellent "Ring Dem Bells), and from there I began to explore her work, picking up a number of her albums at the local purveyors of used records.  

So of course, I searched her discography for a Christmas album.  At Christmas Time is her only Christmas record, and it, sadly, was not to be found ay my usual vinyl haunts.  But, I did find it online (either eBay or Discogs - I don't recall which), and made the purchase.  So exciting!

It shipped quickly, last year, from Canada.  Some of you may recall the Canada Post strike that took place last year.  The record was shipped, made it one stop along the way, and then was delayed for a few weeks before the strike ended.  Happy ending though - once the strike was over, At Christmas Time made it to my home.

At Christmas Time is a very unique album.  It is all original songs, and is interspersed with dialogue with Ms. Brewer's children.  It makes for a very homey, cozy feel.  The songs are in Teresa's wheelhouse in terms of vocal style and song composition.  "Umpteen Days Until Christmas", "Christmas Cookies and Holiday Hearts", and "The Gingerbread House" and my personal favorites.  All in all, this is one of my favorite albums in my vinyl collection.

Teresa Brewer has a unique singing style, full of sass and style, perfect 50's/60's pop.  I think that there is a bit of 'love her or no-thanks-I'll-pass on her' amongst the general population of music lovers.  I fall definitely on the 'love her' side, although there a few songs that wear out their welcome quickly (check out "I Gotta Go Get By Baby").  I continue to explore her musical catalog, and greatly enjoy her work, spanning from the early 50s into the early 90's.  (She has a great guest-host episode of The Muppet Show too)

For the share, I decided to separate out the dialogue bits from the songs, so there are a whopping 29 tracks.  I thought that this would make a better listening experience than either including the dialog with the song tracks, or having just two files for the two album sides.

I hope you enjoy one of my favorite shares this year, Teresa Brewer's At Christmas Time.