Repost: (Less Than) 30 Days Out from Christmas: Jingle Bell Jazz
Jingle Bell Jazz was one of the coolest albums of Christmas music ever. Originally released in 1962, this unassuming little compilation featured an all-star cast of jazz luminaries like Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and others.
It was reissued on vinyl but now it has disappeared into the mists of time. The original Jingle Bell Jazz was issued by Columbia in 1962 (its cover featured a red Santa sack with gifts) and the reissue from 1980 (cover pictured above) only appeared on vinyl LP.
In 1985, the label combined Jingle Bell Jazz with another album God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen, and the resulting CD entitled Jingle Bell Jazz is a distillation of both.
Aficionados prefer the original vinyl-only versions of the album, probably because the CD reissue leaves out some crucial artists. So, as our Christmas gift to you, here are some new digital files from the original Jingle Bell Jazz, plus some other cool jazz Christmas tunes.
MP3: “Jingle Bells” by Duke Ellington
MP3: “White Christmas” by Lionel Hampton
MP3: “Winter Wonderland” by Chico Hamilton
MP3: “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” by Pony Poindexter
MP3: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
MP3: “Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) by Miles Davis
MP3: “Deck The Halls” by Herbie Hancock
MP3: “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Marlowe Morris
And some other nice jazz holiday tunes:
MP3: “Greensleeves” by John Coltrane
30 Days Out 
December 24, 2012 at 10:31 am
I had a beat up cassette (which no longer works) of the 1980 release in college. How I have missed these tunes! THANKYOU! iTunes version of the 1990 CD is not complete. *grumble*