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OK, I’m seriously bummed.
One of my favorite Christmas albums, Christmas with Jorma Kaukonen, has gone missing. I’ve torn the place apart looking for it, but it’s nowhere in sight.
For those who don’t know, Jorma was the lead guitarist for the Jefferson Airplane (which he named) before he departed with childhood friend and Airplane bassist Jack Casady to found the quintessential hippie blues band Hot Tuna. I had never heard of Hot Tuna until almost 17 years ago, when one of my best friends introduced me to their stuff. I was immediately hooked and I’ve been to several shows over the years.
My favorite show was in Madison, Wisconsin, many moons ago. Things were pretty relaxed up there. During breaks, the drummer came out to the bar and ordered a round for the band and I chatted with him for several minutes. I had a chance to talk to Jorma after the show, and one of the things he told me was that the Christmas album was consistently his best seller.
The album includes some all-instrumental songs where Jorma’s chops as one of the finest finger-pickers alive can be heard. “What Child is This?” and “Downhill Sleigh Ride” are just two.
There are some traditional songs (”Silent Night”) and some serious jams (”Holiday Marmalade”), along with a couple of fun little throw-away tunes, like “Christmas Rule,” described by reviewer Jim Trageser as…
(A) hilarious, romping blues about Santa’s sleigh getting shot down by a too-high Christmas Eve fire, with the not-so-jolly bearded one showing up at the front door in a foul mood demanding the keys to Jorma’s pickup in order to finish his deliveries.
The Christmas album rocks, but it is not Jorma’s finest work, and may not be for everyone. You might want to start out with “Burgers” or “Live at Sweetwater” first (you can find song excerpts by clicking on the links here). That’s where my journey began. And what a fine journey it’s been.
Jorma also runs a universally acclaimed guitar school called the Fur Peace Ranch, and you can listen to free mp3’s of his weekly radio show by clicking here. I highly, highly recommend clicking that link.
I really need to find that CD.
What’s your favorite Christmas album?
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 2:44 pm
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Christmas in the Stars — A Star Wars Christmas album. Features such great hits as: What do you get a Wookie for Christmas, when he already has a comb.
Classic!
Comment by Frank Booth Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 2:59 pm
Not an album, but Robert Earl Keane’s “Merry Christmas From the Family” is inspired.
Comment by TomD Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 3:05 pm
Yeah. I did an REK Friday thing a year ago or so. I should do a post on that song next week. Classic.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 3:08 pm
I go from cutting edge punk and rock to syrupy sweet Christmas music. So admiting I like Jewel’s Christmas album is a little tough for me.
But her tone and musical style is truley spiritual and perfectly modern, yet very cool.
Chick album, uh - yeah, OK - I’m embarrassed for me too.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 3:18 pm
For my money, you still cannot beat Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — an oldie but greatie.
Happy holidays, Rich, to you and all your readers.
Comment by Anani Mouse Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 3:24 pm
I love The Christmas Attic (Trans-Siberian Orchestra). The lyrics are beautiful and full of the spirit of Christmas.
Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 3:41 pm
“The Spirit of Christmas” by Ray Charles. “Baby Its Cold Outside” is a classic.
I also listen to Ella Fitzgerald’s “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas.”
For a Christmas song with a political edge, try Steve Earl’s “Christmas in Washington” which is more of a political song than a Christmas song.
However, his “Nothing But A Child” is a great Christmas song.
Comment by Skeeter Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 4:20 pm
pretenders “2000 miles”.
so i was at the pretenders concert this week at the riv and - i kid you not - somebody in the beer line was talking about hot tuna… great band. find that CD.
Comment by cool hand claudio Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 4:36 pm
You can get an emusic trial and download Christmas with Jorma Kaukonen for free here:
http://www.emusic.com/album/10599/10599105.html?fref=150051
emusic is a legit company, you get the files as mp3s that you can play on any device (without any of that stupid digital rights management that itunes imposes and the followers of jobs accept like sheep). you can cancel your membership in the trial period, or become a paying subscriber if you like it.
they recently sold their 100 millionth song:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/16241937.htm
Comment by Frank the Frowner Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 4:57 pm
The new Hall & Oates Christmas album is great. Jimi Hendrix Little Drummer Boy is great too
Comment by Reddbyrd Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 5:49 pm
It is a family tradition to listen to the whole Little Drummer Boy album, the famous old version with the Simeone Chorale, while setting up the tree and ornaments. The rest of the CD is not too shabby either. It is definitely religiously inclined and puts one in a good frame of mind. Since LDB and “The Friendly Beasts” goes all the way back to my earliest memories of home and family, hearing it now never fails to turn me into a sobbing mess the first time I hear it each year. Sometimes I have to go listen to it in private a time or two to get over all the close family members no longer with us, but after that, it brings back so many happy memories and feelings, the holiday just isn’t complete without it. Music has true power.
Comment by Gregor Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 6:05 pm
Me want to download Jorma’s Christmas CD because it sounds so cool! But it is out of print, itunes doesn’t have it, and this emusic outfit wants my cc# before they bill me. Can someone send it to me for free?! Thanks
Comment by Henry Krinkle Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 6:30 pm
My mother subjected me to the same Christmas over and over and over while I was growing up, and so there are certain albums which, if I ever hear them again, will make me scream bloody murder.
I like listening to choirs sing them when there’s some tv special, or live, or something, but I cannot stand those pop star Christmas albums.
Tone deaf kids running around caroling are kind of cute, too, actually (if you can get over the tone deafness).
Favorite satirical song has got to be the Denis Leary Christmas song. I can’t post the lyrics, because Rich would delete them for obscenity (gotta love Leary, though).
Comment by Angie Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 7:26 pm
Choirs, tone deaf kids, and Denis Leary’s R-rated Christmas song.
Let’s hear it for appreciation of diversity in music. lol
Comment by Angie again Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 7:28 pm
There is a Christmas CD from the early nineties called “A Lump of Coal.” Covers of Christmas classics from great alternative bands (The Primitives, Drunken Boat, Crashtest Dummies). Must be checked out for the memorable rendition of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Henry Rollins. Truly beautiful and haunting.
Happy Holidays everybody.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 8:16 pm
Oh, and “A Peanuts Christmas.” Beautiful.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 8:17 pm
Timeless Christmas, by Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, a Christian big band. Very cool.
Comment by Hal Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 8:46 pm
A Very Special Christmas. Not only do Bono and Bruce wail, but it contains the single greatest Christmas song ever recorded, Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis.”
Proof of its brilliance: “It’s Christmas time/in Hollis, Queens/Mom’s cookin’ chicken/and collard greens.”
Oldskul, baby, oldskul!
Comment by Jacques Strappe Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 8:57 pm
hot tuna’s first album is still my favorite. if you don’t know jorma, you don’t know jack — still a favorite t-shirt. i dl’ed a lot of their live shows when they were still up on etree, some of which are monumental.
as for christmas albums, i’m still partial to four albums that have since gone missing (too many moves, i guess): the first three grp christmas albums and one (who’s name i completely forget but thankfully i got for my parents so one day i’ll “remember”) more winterish in theme with a guitar and viola (iirc). i also have a homemade disc of christmas-ish recordings, both live and studio, of al di meola, john mclaughlin, paco de lucia and julian bream that i play periodically…
Comment by bored now Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 9:53 pm
===i also have a homemade disc of christmas-ish recordings, both live and studio, of al di meola, john mclaughlin, paco de lucia and julian bream===
Wow. I would love to hear that one.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 15, 06 @ 10:03 pm
For a pop Christmas, you cannot do better than the Phil Spector Christmas Album, which includes Darlene Love’s Christmas (Baby please come home).
Comment by ChuckAmuck Saturday, Dec 16, 06 @ 12:23 am
Christmas with the Cambridge Singers and the London Sinfonia. The best of the English cathedral choirs (members are friends who sang in King’s Chapel Choir while students at Cambridge University in England). Absolutely breath-taking voices, harmonies and renditions. I like old, different carols, like “Lo How a Rose E’re Blooming” and “Good Christian Men, Rejoice - sung in Latin, and the old German favorite, “Stille, Stille, Stille.”
It all makes me think of the reformed Scrooge and Tiny Tim.
Comment by Martha Mitchell Saturday, Dec 16, 06 @ 12:51 am
Rich, go to Recycled Records in Springfield and see if they have the same CD. If they don’t, I’m betting Mark Kessler can order it for you. They are the best at tracking down older and out of stock music.
Comment by Little Egypt Saturday, Dec 16, 06 @ 9:27 am
Not sure if it ever made it onto an album but the most surreal Christmas duet of all time had to be Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing the Little Drummer Boy - I remember it from a tv special from years ago.
Comment by Just the Facts Saturday, Dec 16, 06 @ 10:10 pm
“Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Cockburn Christmas” for sure, maybe a little Mathis on the side.
Comment by Calypso Sunday, Dec 17, 06 @ 1:34 pm
Christmas With Elvis was and still is a classic. It had White Christmas AND Blue Christmas. I don’t have it any more either. It was a cassette and finally failed….oh well, it left me with fond memories.
Comment by NoGiftsPlease Sunday, Dec 17, 06 @ 4:55 pm
MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER “CHRISTMAS” CD. New wave christmas carols that will keep the tempo upbeat. Makes me not want to write tickets.
Comment by proud state copper Sunday, Dec 17, 06 @ 7:50 pm
marcus roberts christmas album - great piano jazz
mahaila jackson - need we say more?
Comment by The Horse Monday, Dec 18, 06 @ 9:46 am