Verve Presents Very Best of Christmas Jazz

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas CDs, although in the hands of the right artist they can be enjoyable to listen to.  I did put a Christmas blog on the home page of the site that features lots of Christmas pickings.  I was mainly using it as a test while I learned this whole blog thing and getting it to post to the website itself.  That being said I ran across what I think would be a decent Christmas CD so I thought I would post it here.  A variety of good jazz artists, including Coltrane and Basie and even Bill Evans.  I don't own it yet so I can't make a definitive judgement call but from the looks of it I'm sure it is worth the money.

More information..

Verve Presents: Very Best of Christmas Jazz Rating: List Price: $11.98 Sale Price: $10.99 You save: $0.99 (8%) Market Place $6.89 Buy Used From $6.95   by Universal Release Date:   23 October, 2001 Sales rank:   35920 Catalog:   Music Media: Audio CD ASIN:   B000050J48 UPC:   731454906722 Store:   Amazon.com Usually ships in 5 to 6 days

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Songs List of Verve Presents: Very Best of Christmas Jazz

Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Ella Fitzgerald Merry Christmas, Baby - Kenny Burrell Christmas Eve - Billy Eckstine Here Comes Santa Claus - Ramsey Lewis Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Joe Williams Greensleeves - John Coltrane The Christmas Song - Mel Torme `Zat You, Santa Claus? - Louis Armstrong Winter Wonderland - Shirley Horn Santa Claus Is Comin` To Town - Bill Evans Good Morning, Blues - Count Basie Jingle Bells - Jimmy Smith Silent Night - Dinah Washington A Child Is Born - Oscar Peterson

Reviews for Verve Presents: Very Best of Christmas Jazz

I`m The First?? I bought this cd last year and I love it!! This cd is a collection of classic performances by Verve`s elite. The opening track is not Frank DeVol, who did indeed produce the track, it`s Ella Fitzgerald. Another error found on this site is the artist listing for "The Christmas Song". It`s Mel Torme`s performance here. A couple of tracks reappear here, they were featured on Verve`s release of "Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas" probably repeated here because of artist merit and performance. One such noteable track is Oscar Peterson`s moving rendition of "A Child Is Born." Verve released a contemporary jazz Christmas album a few years ago and it featured such artists as Betty Carter and Shirley Horn. Shirley`s performance of "Winter Wonderland" was lifted from that project and is here. The song is treated like any other Shirley would do, and the result is, well, seductive in an innocent way, the Shirley way. "`Zat You, Santa Claus" by Louis Armstrong has been featured on many budget Christmas releases, but the version here is so well restored it sounds like it was just recorded; the mastering of this disc as a whole is breathtaking. Jimmy Smith`s "Jingle Bells" is pure camp, the song arranged as a Hammond b3 piece, "Silent Night" is made even more sacred by Dinah Washington`s searing vocal. This album is an excellent highlight of holiday performances by the living legends and those who have passed, of jazz and should not be overlooked by fans of the jazz genre and Christmas music.