My Favorite Christmas Songs Continued...

Disclaimer: This is my list, though not in order, and some of you may have never even heard of some of the songs on it although I'm confident you have. Your list will differ so let me know how.

The Little Drummer Boy - Johnny Mathis

Push play on the You Tube video before reading.

When I was a boy I would listen to this song over and over and over. One time, I had my sister Katy lift up the needle from the record after each line so I could write down what was sung. I memorized the song this way. That Baby Jesu line was a real head scratcher.

I know this is a very repetitive song. Some would even call it mundane. Some would, not me. I don't know why this song has always meant something to me. I love it for it's ultimate "it's not the size of the gift that matters it's the thought that counts" attitude. Here was a little boy who had nothing to give except the gift of music. And with that, he made the Christ-child smile; at least that's what the song says. I dare to think every time I attempt to give the gift of music somewhere the Christ-child is smiling.

Youtube is the greatest thing ever. I found "The Littlest Christmas Tree" and now Johnny Mathis singing "The Little Drummer Boy". I have the version with Bing Crosby and David Bowie all ready to go on the music player, which isn't a bad version at all, but I needed to hear Johnny.

The next song on my list:

Skating - The Vince Guaraldi Trio

After listening to Johnny, hit the play button on the music player. It's the triangle pointing right.

Of course "Linus and Lucy" is the big song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas Special" but I like this tune as much if not more. It's like "Whip It" by Devo or "Shout" from Tears for Fears. Everybody knows those songs. The people who follow Devo or Tears for Fears probably never listen to those songs because they are overplayed. And we can't understand why people can't just see the greatness that is Devo or Tears for Fears and listen to some of their other masterpieces.

Enter "Skating" by The Vince Guaraldi trio.

Listen to the melody. Listen to the piano. It sounds like snow falling. Then the piano interlude where the notes quickly ascend in three separate allegretto entities. Close your eyes. You can actually see someone with their hands clasped behind their back skating leisurely on a frozen pond somewhere...where the ponds freeze. I prefer to think of it as Minnesota, from where Charles Schultz hails, or New England since to me that is the epitome of Christmas.

You can't help but lose yourself in the meditative freedom expressed in this arrangement, like the Peanuts characters in the movie, gliding so freely, smoothly and gracefully on the frozen pond in the pristine greyness of winter. Boy, that sounded pretentious. I'm keeping it anyway.

This is one Christmas Album I listen to all year. It's simply good jazz music.