This Sunday from noon to 4:00p.m., I'll be on air to host Christmas Becomes Eclectic for the seventh time. It's always a treat to share the trove of holiday songs in my collection with listeners. Since Hanukkah also falls on the same day this year, I’m planning throw in some songs to celebrate that holiday, too. This week’s Rhythm Planet show is a little teaser of the music I’ll be playing on Sunday.
We start with two new albums, from veteran jazz singer Kurt Elling and child-wonder Jackie Evancho, now 16 and a superstar.
Page Jackson puts it all together on the next song, “Happy Christmahanukkwanza.” See how fast you can repeat that!!
Flying south to the land of Aloha, we next hear the wonderful Cazimero Brothers do the island standard, “Mele Kalikimaka Ei Nei.” There’s a another tongue-twister to try out.
Lord Nelson, a famous Trinidadian calypso singer, sings a fun song I will ALWAYS play on Christmas Becomes Eclectic, “A Party for Santa Claus,” from a great Caribbean collection, Mas! A Caribbean Christmas Party.
U.K. singer Nick Lowe comes next, with “Christmas at the Airport,” a paean about all those of you who are waiting for flights on this busy holiday travel time.
Bluesman Detroit Junior then delivers “Christmas Day” from a holiday blues compilation, Blue Yule.
We next hear old chestnut “White Christmas,” but this one with the original intro verse Irving Berlin wrote about being in Beverly Hills but wanting to see snow.
Finally, the ever-beautiful “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” from Ryuichi Sakamoto, which was also the name of a movie he starred in with David Bowie.
Happy Holidays!
Rhythm Planet Playlist for 12/23/16:
- Kurt Elling / “Sing A Christmas Carol” / The Beautiful Day (Kurt Elling Sings Christmas)/ Okeh/Sony Masterworks
- Jackie Evancho / “Someday at Christmas” / Someday at Christmas/ Portrait/Sony Masterworks
- Page Jackson / “Happy Christmahanukkwanzaa!” / Pleroma Records
- The Brothers Cazimero / “Mele Kalikimaka Ei Nei” / Cazimero Christmas Favorites / Mountain Apple
- Lord Nelson / “A Party for Santa Claus” / Mas! A Caribbean Christmas Party / Rykodisc
- Nick Lowe / “Christmas at the Airport” / Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family / Yep Roc Records
- Detroit Junior / “Christmas Day” / Blue Yule / Rhino Records
- Barbara Streisand / “White Christmas” / A Christmas Album / Columbia
- Ryuichi Sakamoto / “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” / Coda / London Classic/MVP Japan
