That brings us to the end of this year’s BlueNotes All Jazz Christmas. I’m so glad you joined me for this special evening of celebration. As we slow down to observe the holidays, I want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and holiday season and for all good things in 2024. And I especially want to say “thanks” for supporting BlueNotes this past year on IPR. As always, I owe a great debt of gratitude to Sean Ashcraft for producing BlueNotes and making me sound good throughout the year. BlueNotes will be back on Saturday, January 27 at 8pm with a program entitled “Winter Jazz.” I hope you ..read more

Ellis Marsalis, the patriarch of the Marsalis family jazz dynasty with “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Here’s a final selection from Ella Fitzgerald’s 1960 Christmas album, a blues number called “Good Morning Blues.”  ..read more

Dave Brubeck on solo piano with “What Child is This?” I want to play one more New Orleans jazz artist this evening – this is Banu Gibson with the New Orleans Hot Jazz Band and “I’ll be Home for Christmas ..read more

From his album “December Morning,” that was saxophonist Mark Douthit [dow thit] one of the Green Hill Records jazz artists. There are some songs played at the Christmas holiday that listeners often remark, that’s not a Christmas song. “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” is one. Although some of its lyrics can be construed as to pertaining to Christmas. Another song is “A Child is Born” written by Thad Jones in 1969 to celebrate the birth of his daughter. Lyrics were added later by Alec Wilder. Over the years, it’s found its way into the Christmas lexicon and even Spotify today inclu ..read more

David Benoit with “Carol of the Bells.” You’re listening to the BlueNotes All Jazz Christmas on IPR. I’m Larry Beck.  ..read more

Did you see what I did there? Back-to-back tracks of “Winter Wonderland,” the second a vocal by the wonderful Diana Krall. A good Christmas song bears repeating. Here’s one of those nontraditional Christmas songs, a beautiful ballad written by Joni Mitchell, covered here by Herbie Hancock and Corrine Bailey Rae. It’s called “River.”  ..read more

Chet Baker had a long recording career before his death in 1988. I believe he only recorded one Christmas album although he did issue several holiday singles. Here he is from 1953 with “Winter Wonderland” which was recorded on location at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, thus the crowd noise you hear ..read more

Tom Scott and Jose Feliciano’s standard “Feliz Navidad.” Is it possible that song is 53 years old? Jose recorded it in 1970. During the 20th century, two ladies vied for the title “Queen of Jazz,” Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. In truth, they were both royalty in their own rights as they concentrated on different jazz styles, Holiday with bluesy ballads and Ella with more popular fair, including The Great American Songbook. Here she is with “Let It Snow!”  ..read more

Welcome back to the second hour of the BlueNotes All Jazz Christmas on Indiana Public Radio. I’m Larry Beck. If you listened to BlueNotes last month, you heard our tribute to Tony Bennett. We’ll start this hour with Tony and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”  ..read more

The king of smooth jazz, Kenny G with “Sleigh Ride.” And that brings us to the end of the first hour of the BlueNotes All Jazz Christmas on Indiana Public Radio. But there’s lots more to come. In our second hour, we’ll hear more New Orleans Christmas celebration and tracks from Ella Fitzgerald’s landmark Christmas album.  Taking us to the top of this hour and a short break is the New Birth Brass Band with “Santa’s Second Line.” Stay with us ..read more