Sean Miller’s Jazz Pulse program is back and ContemporaryJazz.com Radio has it! Starting in early 2009, you’ll be able to hear it each week but the Jazz Pulse Christmas music program will be playing at times throughout this week. On the show: Brian Culbertson, David Sanborn, Al Jarreau, Jimmy Smith, Al Di Meola, Herb Alpert with Jeff Lorber, Steps Ahead, Spyro Gyra, Michael Franks, Special EFX, and Elgin Wells.

I’m putting together a show that spotlights new contemporary jazz holiday music as well as some of my favorites. You’ll hear the new seasonal sounds from Spyro Gyra, Bob James, David Sanborn, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Joyce Cooling, and Dan Baraszu & Joseph Patrick Moore. I’m pulling various cuts from a number of recordings from my collection for the show as well.

Both shows will run on Christmas Eve, beginning at 8 p.m. CST and again on Christmas Day at noon CST.

Listen/buy the download now on iTunes

Jeff Golub has independently released his holiday recording, Six String Santa. The recording is ten covers of popular seasonal tunes and can be downloaded (for $7.99 – nice) or purchased at his site. It’s also available for download from Amazon.

This is an online-only release.
Buy the download from iTunes

The popularity of the video got the attention of a recording label honcho and now SNC has a recording on Atlantic Records. The 14 songs are familiar favorites like “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and “The Christmas Song” and a couple of originals. I thought covering Brian Wilson’s “Little Saint Nick” was a good choice.

I’ve been given a MP3 of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High” for you to download. Click the play button after the YouTube videos to give it a try. If you like it, right-click the link and save the file. You can buy the CD or DRM-free download from Amazon by clicking the shopping cart in the player.

The video that started it all:

The journey from Indiana University students to major label recording artists:

Straight No Chaser – Holiday Spirits – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/Angels We Have Heard on High”

Between this and her rendition of “The Christmas Song” from the GRP compilation Making Spirits Bright, she’s getting enough songs for a full holiday record, inevitably titled Joyce to the World. Just kidding.

This season, there are two remix projects for the holidays. When the first Verve//Remixed came out, I contacted Verve and said, with their vault, Christmas music would be ideal for a remix project. I didn’t think it could go wrong. Oops. Verve//Remixed Christmas is out now. From the samples I heard – it was not to my liking. It’s got the usual Verve roster that gets remixed – Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and so on. Coal in the stockings for some of these remixers – there is no holiday spirit to be found on this collection.

Check it out at Amazon
Sample/download from iTunes

If your taste is really into electronica, you’ll enjoy Christmas Regrooved 2. It’s hit and miss for me. Misses are most of the covers of classic carols. I love jazz-influenced electronic music but I’m missing the jazz feel here. Still, there may be something of interest. A jazz sound isn’t a goal of this compilation so I can’t judge it as such.

Sample/Buy CD or DRM-free MP3s at Amazon
Sample/download from iTunes

Catch up on the other holiday recordings I’ve posted about this season. Click the ‘christmas’ tag link in the byline.