Sounds of Winter Solstice and the Holidays
It’s the season of cold weather, darkness, solstice, and… holidays. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Years ahead. A time of celebration and contemplation, family and friends but also some broken hearts and Christmas blues. From cold weather and cold-hearted blues of Snooky Pryor, Big Maceo and Aretha Franklin to the warm side of the season with Louis Jordan and Ella Fitzgerald, Wille Nelson and Elvis. And Hanukkah sounds from Bela Fleck and Andy Statman. Plus, we explore Santa’s exploits, fallibility, and possibility with songs from Baltimore’s Fat Daddy, Tampa Red and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Merry Xmas and more from American Routes!
HOUR ONE
Open Bed: Blue and Sentimental Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie, Verve
Chilly Winds Don't Blow Nina Simone
Pastel Blues, Phillips
California Dreamin' Bobby Womack
Fly Me To The Moon, Capitol
Winter Time Blues Big Maceo
The King of Chicago Piano Blues, Arhoolie
Nine Below Zero Snooky Prior
Snooky, Blind Pig Records
Cold, Cold Heart Aretha Franklin
Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington, Sony
Instrumental: Snowbird on the Ash Bank John Hartford and Texas Shorty
Old Sport: Texas Shorty and John Hartford, Small Dog A-barkin
My Window Faces the South Willie Nelson
Country Favorites-Willie Nelson Style, RCA Victor
Snowbird Hank Snow
Snow in All Seasons, Sony
Golden Rocket Alice Stuart and Snake (Live)
YouTube
Going Down the Road Feeling Bad Doc Watson
The Esseential Doc Watson, Vanguard
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad Big Bill Broonzy
The Big Bill Broonzy Story, UMG
Instrumental: Baby It's Cold Outside Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery
Christmas Cookin'—Jimmy Smith, Verve
Winter Weather Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee
The Best of Benny Goodman fefaturing Peggy Lee, Sony
Baby It's Cold Outside Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Ella: The Legendary Decca Recordings, UMG
Winter Wonderland Elvis
The Classic Christmas Album, Sony
Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday William Bell
The Very Best of William Bell, Stax
The Hanukkah Waltz Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Jingle All the Way, Rounder
Shabbos Nigun Andy Statman
Old Brooklyn, Shefa Records
The Sounds of Silence Simon and Garfunkel
Wednesday Morning 3 AM, Columbia
End Bed: Rockport Sunday Tom Rush
The Circle Game, Warner
HOUR TWO
Open Bed: Santa's Second Line New Birth Brass Band
A New Orleans Christmas, NYNO
Hey Santa Claus Moonglows
Rockin' Little Christmas, Geffen
Fat Daddy Fat Daddy
A John Waters Christmas, New Line
A Rootin' Tootin' Santa Claus Tennessee Ernie Ford
Christmas on the Range, Capitol
Christmas and New Years Blues Tampa Red
Death Might Be Your Santa Claus, Sony
Instrumental: Feliz Navidad Los Straightjackets
The Straightjackers—Complete Christmas Songbook, Pacifica
Merry Christmas Baby Chuck Berry
St. Louis to Liverpool, Chess
Blue Christmas Belton Richard and his Musical Aces
Merry Cajun Christmas, Swallow
Jingle Bells/Greetings from Esquivel Esquivel
Equivel—Merry Christmas from the Space Age Bachelor Pad,
Bomba De Navida Ismael Rivera
Feliz Navidad, Concord
La Parranda Fania Hector Lavor, Tomo Toro, Daniel Santos
Hector, Yomo Y Daniel Feliz Navidad, Fania
Instrumental: Good 'Swing' Wenceslas Count Basie
A Very Swinging Christmas—The Count Basie Band, Concord
Please Come Home for Christmas Charles Brown
Charles Brown Sings Christmas Songs, Gusto
White Christmas Otis Redding
Soul Christmas, Atlantic
Every Day will be like a Holiday Carole King
A Holiday Carole, Rockingale Records
Last Month of the Year Fairfield Four
Standing in the Safety Zone, Word Entertainment
O Holy Night Irma Thomas
Walk Around Heaven: New Orleans Gospel and Soul, Rounder
Greensleeves John Coltrane Quartet
Ballads, Verve
End Bed: We Three Kings The Ramsey Lewis Trio
More Sounds of Christmas, Verve