Christmas 2001

Christmas comes but once a year! American Routes digs into a bag of sound that’s been a year in the filling to bring you Christmas and seasonal music of the up, down, and off beat variety we hope you’ve come to count on from (not) Saint Nick and the crew. Plus Chuck Siler, a museum curator and visual artist, tells us about his experience as a Black Santa in 1968. Keep a cool Yule.

HOUR ONE

Christmas Day Detroit Junior
Christmas Party with Eddie G., Sony

Christmas Boogie The Davis Sisters
Hillbilly Holiday, Rhino

INTERVIEW: Robert Earl Keen

Happy Holidays Y'all Robert Earl Keen
Walking Distance, Arista

Cool Yule Louis Armstrong & the Commanders
What a Wonderful Christmas, Hip-O

A Party For Santa Claus Lord Nelson
Xmas Marks The Spot, Ryko

Blue Xmas Miles Davis
Jingle Bell Jazz, Columbia

Aguinaldo Jibaro Familia Colon with Edwin Colon
Folk Masters, Folkways

Instrumental: Silent Night The Asylum St. Spankers
A Christmas Spanking, Bloodshot

Silent Night Low
Low Christmas, Kranky

River Joni Mitchell
Blue, Reprise

Instrumental: Linus and Lucy Vince Guaraldi Trio
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Fantasy

INTERVIEW: Chuck Siler, educator, visual artist, and curator at the Louisiana State Museum

Back Door Santa Clarence Carter
The Original Soul Christmas, Rhino

Santa Claus is Coming to Town/White Christmas Jimmy McGriff
Ultra Lounge Christmas Cocktails, Capitol

Three Angels Bob Dylan
New Morning, Columbia

O Little Town of Bethlehem Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas, Universal

O Day Bessie Jones / Georgia Sea Island Singers
Songs of Christmas from the Alan Lomax Collection, Rounder

Auld Lang Syne Dejan's Olympia Brass Band
New Orleans Brass Bands: Down Yonder, Rounder

SEGMENT: Karen Glennemeier and Bruce Deihl

HOUR TWO

Open Bed: A Party For Santa Claus Lord Nelson
Xmas Marks The Spot, Ryko

Santa Claus is Coming to Town Joseph Spence
Living on the Hallelujah Side, Rounder

Santa Claus Is Skaing To Town Granville Williams Orchestra
Natty And Nice, A Reggae Christmas, Rhino

Santa Came Home Drunk Clyde Lasley & The Cadillac Baby Specials
Bummed Out Christmas, Rhino

Faraway Christmas Blues Johnny Otis
The Johnny Otis R & B Caravan/ Complete Savoy Recordings, Savoy

Santa Lightnin' Hopkins
Jingle Bells, House of Blues Christmas Collection, HOB

The Little Drummer Boy Lou Rawls
Billboard Greatest R&B Christmas Hits, Rhino

Good Morning Blues Ella Fitzgerald
Jingle Bell Jam: Jazz Christmas Classics, Rhino

Instrumental: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus / Jingle Bells Bossa Nova Eddie Dunstedter
Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails, Capitol

Blue Christmas Elvis Presley
Elvis Christmas Classics, RCA

White Christmas Otis Redding
The Original Soul Christmas, Rhino

Merry Christmas Baby Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry: The Chess Box, Chess/MCA

Christmas Party (intro to #21)
Christmas Party with Eddie G., Sony

Christmas Blues Canned Heat
Blue Yule: Christmas Blues and R&B Classics, Rhino

Instrumental: Little Cajun Drummer Boy Kristin Hersh
Xmas Marks The Spot, Ryko

Take the Star out of the Window John Prine
Diamonds in the Rough, Atlantic

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Fantasy John Fahey
The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Solo Christmas Album, Takoma

My Favorite Things John Coltrane
My Favorite Things, Atlantic