OK, nice shopping list, but which particular Xmas songs do you folks play yourselves ?
OK, nice shopping list, but which particular Xmas songs do you folks play yourselves ?
writing about music
is like dancing,
about architecture
I have been kinda partial to Emmylou Harris's " Light Of The Stable " for a couple of decades now . Gets a pretty heavy rotation this time of year . But I am extremely biased !
'09 Passernig A5
'82 Kentucky
'05 Deering Sierra
'81 Gold Star maple archtop
'79 Guild D-35SB
'98 Gibson J-100
Mid 1890's German fiddle
Another good one with some fine mandolin playing is An Americana Christmas which features Ronnie McCoury, Norman and Nancy Blake, Vassar Clements, James Bryan, and Roy Huskey Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/An-Americana-C...28322&sr=301-1
Me and Bryan Dunn do John Prine's "Christmas in Prison".
http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-in-Prison/dp/B006NGBEU0
I like, "Santa Claus the Original Hippie," by Homer and Jethro.
I also really love, "Christmas Times is Here," by Steve Vai (no mandolin, but great anyhow).
I think, "We Three Kings," by Spinal Tap is a hoot!
There's an awful-lot of great Christmas music. Much has been listed.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
A couple disks I've been playing every Christmas for a long time are:
Christmas with Mandolins, Ugo Orlandi, Alessandro Bono et al. Lots of material arranged for mandolin orchestra (Arts Productions, 1999);
Christmas in Croatia, 2 CD-Set, Duquesne University Tamburitzans. For years I played mandola in a tamburitzan band for Christmas mass at a Croatian Catholic parish in Johnstown, PA. We played many of the songs on the CDs.
Others that are fun are: "Evergreen- Mandolin music for Christmas" (Cactus Records),"An Americana Christmas" (Winterharvest) with N and N Blake, R McCoury etc.,"Gifts" by Nashville Mandolin Ensemble (Columbia),"The Sound of Angels" by Dayton Mandolin Orchestra,"Snowed in With a Mandolin on Christmas" by Inez Lancaster and "Where Will You Be Christmas Day?"(Dust to Digital) with one tiny mandolin contribution. Sorry if these have been listed earlier. Doug in Vermont
Here's one that hasn't been mentioned that I've enjoyed for years: "A Mandolin Christmas" by John Darnall. Twelve Christmas standards done with a really warm, folksy, comfortable vibe. Sounds like a bowl-back mando with sparse, but tasteful, backing mostly on on finger-picked acoustic guitar, bass and assorted other instruments.
One of my favorites is Alan & Aleta Murphy's "It's Christmas Time." Lots of great mandolin and fiddle, plus former Bluegrass Boy Bob Black plays banjo and 5-string resonator guitar. I don't know that it's available from the typical online sellers, but PM me if you're interested in tracking down a CD. I can help you get in touch with the artists.
Marc
Just seconding jethro Tull. 'A Christmas song' is just, to me, sublime.
"When I heard what Socrates had done on the lyre, I wished indeed even [I had done] that...but certainly I labored hard in letters!" - Cicero, "Cato the Elder on Old Age"
Weber Gallatin Mahogany F
19th Century Ferrari(?) Bowlback
Early 20th Century British Mandoline-Banjo & Deering Goodtime Tenor
1960s Harmony Baritone Ukelele
The Magic Fluke Flea Soprano Ukelele (in 5ths!)
1910 German Stradivarius 1717 copy, unknown maker
1890(?) German Stradivarius 1725 copy, G.A. Pfreztschner, maker
Don't forget "Sugar Plums", a Christmas compilation on Sugar Hill Records. Tim O'Brien, Red Knuckles, Doyle Lawson, Peter Rowan, Bluegrass Cardinals, Seldom Scene... lots of mandolin. But, maybe my favorite Christmas song ever, Doc Watson singing "Christmas Lullaby".
Interesting trivia....the photo on the cover of "An Americana Christmas" has one of my guitars on it, a 12 fret koa 000-45. Gruhn had the guitar at the time, and I believe provided the photo of the instruments for the cover. This was one of my first dozen or so instruments. Quite a kick when I saw it years ago!
Lynn
You can find Sugar Plums here..... other places too, I'm sure.
http://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Plums-Ho.../dp/B000000F20
Another great Christmas CD. "Comfort and Joy" by John Cowan. Produced by Walter Carter. Walter plays mandola and mandocello, Matt Flinner on mandolin, Shad Cobb on fiddle.
http://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Joy-Jo...omfort+%26+joy
Thought I'd save these for possible future reference, the recording art we're using on the Cafe home page. Links to purchase points for these can be found in the opening post.
Last edited by Scott Tichenor; Dec-20-2012 at 7:38am.
Not just to listen but also good for learning:
Allan Alexander´s book/CD "Christmas Musik for Mandolin"
http://home.earthlink.net/~guitarand..._mandolin.html
Our own F5Loar did a Christmas recording, if I can find it, I'll post a photo. Trouble is, all the instruments on it are old sounding....
Gotta add one of my absolute favorites: Winter Tidings by Al Petteway and Amy White. A goodly amount of mandolin (Amy) and bouzouki (Al), along with guitars, Celtic harp, piano, Appalachian dulcimer, percussion and whatever else they feel like picking up. Definitely one of my desert island Christmas CDs.
In the only-has-mandolin-on-one-track-but-worth-having-anyway category: Winter Solstice: A Windham Hill Collection has a beautiful medley of "Even So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come/Sons of Eve Reward My Tidings" by the Modern Mandolin Quartet that's worth the price of the CD. Lots of other nice non-mando stuff on there too, by Windham Hill regulars like George Winston, Liz Story, Will Ackerman, etc.
And in the plugging-our-own-recordings category I'll just mention my Christmas Eve is Here - mandolin and/or cittern on six out of sixteen tracks. Hope that qualifies!
I'm just tickled to be included on any list.
Spencer
Bluegrass and White Snow by Patty Loveless.
Nice recording Robin! Glad you plugged it - I just bought it on itunes!
Adam
www.santabarbarasessions.com
www.adamphillipsmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/santabarbarasessions
Collings MT2
Big Muddy M2
Collings MT Mandola
Weber Gallitan Octave
Picotte Mandocello
Here's my favorite, A Gift of Song by Mason Williams. Many pieces have a mandolin, fiddle, guitar, ukelele. All songs are acoustics only, no voices.
I think, therefore, I pick.
I just got Jesse McReynolds' Christmas CD, 'A Mandolin Christmas', and am really enjoying it. Order from his website http://jimandjesse.com/merchandise.php.
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