Tho' Thought Matters . . . .

I haven't been listening to much music lately. Nor have I been thinking about what matters either. Nor have I been reading much, except for the New Yorker. I have looked at a few films via cable - I'm very impressed by Julianne Moore and her acting, she seems to take on serious and dangerous rôles, e.g. in the films Chloe and Savage Grace. I'm not a "film person", though I did enjoy Part 1 of the Woody Allen PBS documentary. Could it be that I'm anxious about Black Friday? Not a chance. I do get rather nostalgic as we roll into the holiday weeks. I haven't yet turned on my Christmas way-back music juke box yet, but I'll get there. I thought that I might share with my readers(!) my all-time (partial) list of favorite holiday tunes.

But first I'll begin with two sweeping claims: Anything by J. S. Bach and the entire Lady in Satin album by Billie Holiday.

Now the list:

"Merry Christmas Baby" by Charles Brown - Greatest Christmas Tune Ever, surpasses "The Christmas Song"!

"BeBop Santa Claus" by Babs Gonzales
"'Round About Midnight" by Babs Gonzales with Jimmy Smith's Trio
"Green Sleeves" by Bill Smith (c) with Jim Hall (g)
"Do You Miss New York" by Dave Frishberg
"La Mer" by Patricia Kaas
"The Christmas Song" by Pharoah Sanders
"Autumn in New York" by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
"My Favorite Things" by Sarah Vaughan
"Green Sleeves" by John Coltrane
"Bluesology" by Milt Jackson & MJQ
"Vocalise" Paul Desmond & Milt Jackson
"Money Honey" by The Drifters
"Yusef's Mood" by Yusef Lateef
"Birdland Story" by Eddie Jefferson & James Moody
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Paul Bley
"It's the Talk of the Town" by Coleman Hawkins
"It's the Talk of the Town" by Herb Jeffries
"You Send Me" by Leon Thomas & Hank Crawford
"Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Oliver Lake
"My Girl" by Hamiet Bluiett
"Manhattan" by Lee Wiley
"Lush Life" by Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane
"Guess Who I Saw Today" by Nancy Wilson
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" by Jimmy Smith Trio
"Some Other Time" by Tony Bennett & Bill Evans
"Thanks For The Memories" by Gretta Keller