The following is a partial list of the Holiday Songs from my private stash that you might have heard this season on WLS-AM 890. I recommend all of them. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays! -John Howell
*Christmas In Killarney/Al Jarreau (Super talent)
*Let It Be Christmas/Alan Jackson (Nice original tune)
*Yule Swing/Anna Wilson (Great swinging chart)
*The Christmas Song/Arthur Blythe Quartet (Spirited)
*Jingle Bells/Arturo Sandoval (Best import from Cuba since cigars)
*Xmas In Jail/Asleep At The Wheel (Very funny; somewhat sad)
*Merry Christmas Baby/B.B. King (Smoking)
*Linus & Lucy/Béla Fleck & The Flecktones (So good)
*Feliz Navidad/Billy Joe Shaver (Billy Joe was an American treasure)
*Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo/Billy May (Billy was a genius LA arranger, very funny)
*The Christmas Waltz/Brecker Brothers w/Steve Kahn (Very hip, of course)
*You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch/Brian Setzer Orchestra (Very strong)
*Bach’s Bell/Canadian Brass (Classy)
*Christmas Time Is Here/Canadian Brass (Makes me want to drink)
*It`s Bad To Have The Blues (At Christmas Time)/Charlie Daniels (Charlie was a political nutjob, but one of my favorites musically)
*White Christmas/Charlie Parker (Pure genius)
*Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow/Dave McKenna (Used to watch Dave play in Boston dive bars)
*The Christmas Song/Dexter Gordon (My favorite tenor player)
*March of the Toys/Doc Severinsen (This is why I watched Carson)
*Jingle Bells/Duke Ellington (Duke: The greatest, period.)
*Santa Claus Is Back In Town/Dwight Yoakam (Tex-Mex Elvis)
*Santa Baby/Eartha Kitt (Madonna wishes she had this talent)
*The Secret of Christmas/Ella Fitzgerald (So great)
*Christmas Time Is Here/Eric Marienthal (I played with Eric at Berklee, he doesn’t remember me)
*For Christ’s Sake, It’s Christmas/George Strait (Great title)
*The Happy Elf/Harry Connick Jr. (Goofy, but cool)
*Happy Hanukkah My Friend/Grady Tate & Houston Person (Nice ballad)
*Brazilian Sleigh Bells/Harry James (I must have been drinking…not great)
*Deck The Halls/Herbie Hancock (Chicago’s own)
*Winter Wonderland/Huey Lewis (Very strong)
*We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Jerry Jeff Walker (Gonzo)
*Greensleeves/John Coltrane (Don’t be scared…just enjoy)
*Winter Wonderland/John Anderson (Such a voice, gifted)
*I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus/John Mellencamp (Stupid song, smart singer)
*Christmas In Prison/John Prine (Real pick me upper)
*Cool Yule/Kurt Elling (Chicago’s own)
*God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Lou Rawls (So cool)
*Zat You Santa Claus?/Louis Armstrong (Pops!!)
*Even Santa Claus Gets The Blues/Marty Stuart (Guy’s totally underrated)
*Christmas Medley/Maynard Ferguson (The Boss!!)
*I’ll Be Home For Christmas/McCoy Tyner (Creative…and then some)
*If We Make It Through December/Merle Haggard (Spoiler alert: The marriage didn’t survive)
*Santa Claus Is Comin to Town/Ray Charles (Brother Ray. Enough said)
*Winter Wonderland/Ray Charles (Great chart)
*Sleigh Ride/Richie Cole & Art Pepper Quintet (Self indulgent, but who cares?)
*O Come All Ye Faithful/Ricky Skaggs (Just beautiful)
*Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow/Ricochet (Nice, concise)
*My Favorite Things/Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass (Tribute to Coltrane)
*Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas/Roomful Of Blues (The entire album swings)
*Deck the Halls/Singers Unlimited (Chicago studio legends)
*Jazz Musician’s Christmas/Jack Sheldon w/The Tom Kubis Big Band (Very funny)
*The Twelve Days of Christmas (My Agent Gave to Me)/Jack Sheldon w/The Tom Kubis Big Band
*I’ll Be Home for Christmas/Tony Bennett (With Basie Band)
*Run Rudolph Run/Tractors (Earthy)
*Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy/Travis Tritt (Loads of talent)
*Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!/Wynton Marsalis (He’s better than me)
Merry Christmas, listen to something new, aim higher.
