What's your Favorite Christmas song to Play? Why?

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R.

This one. https://app.box.com/s/w94l4rb33g3e5zpnttkjcrr20jwqbab1

Oh, you are serious.
I think my favorite one to perform is Christmas in Dixie. Just a pleasant, feel-good song.
https://app.box.com/s/9abefujwba7z65w9sd62prztabr3fen2

My favorite one really is one I wrote years ago. It reminds of a place in time that was bittersweet.
http://donmasonmusic.com/donchristmas.mp3


My other favorites are the "real" Oh Holy Night and Pretty Paper.

Don
Went to your site, listened to Don't worry about me. It sent chills threw me. I don't know who is better you or Marty Robbins. Really enjoyed
Rc Bellotti

Wow, RC, that is the best compliment I've had since my wife asked me to marry her. Thank you so much.
I am more successful than Marty because I'm still alive. He is one of my musical heros!

All Xmas songs are special I love to play them all,....
but especially Lou Monte's "Dominic the Donkey" which always sends me into childhood.

Yeah, I enjoy listening to Fran from time to time .

chas

I always loved this one too, really brings in what Christmas is all about......especially the feeling put into the vocal at the ending wow!!

Actually it depends on my mood, a slow and majestic one like Holy night or a modern and more uptempo song like felice navidad or Rudolf...

But i agree with Donny, i love them all, and together they create that feeling of the most wonderfull time of the year..

White Christmas – Oh Holy Night – Jingle Bells --- Silent Night. Each one brings me to a part of the Christmas holiday.
Some make you smile; some bring back the happy part of the holiday – and some make me feel like a child again; and at my age that’s one hell-of-a-job. (smile)

All together they tell the story of Christmas; thank you Gary.
John C.

Here's what I include in our Christmas set, spaced out over the course of an hour:

Jingle Bell Rock
Santa Baby
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Mary's Boy Child
I Wanna Hippopotamus for Christmas
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming To Town

Merry Yule, Y'all!

I love all the Christmas Carols and Hymns". Played them all, but oddly it is more of an Easter piece that gives me the "feel" or majesty of Christmas. Through the years I just love finding any local church or event that is presenting Handel's Messiah. I find it is mostly presented here locally at Christmas time, so I relate to it more during this season.

The "Hallelujah Chorus" is the ultimate piece for me. The bigger the better, full choir and orchestra. One of my favourite organ pieces to play. Funny, one of YouTube's first flash mobs was done in a local mall near me and I am acquainted with several members from that local Niagara Choir and heard several times in a professional setting. I would of loved to have been there to hear and witness it at the time, but it is understandable that it was orchestrated under secret. Check it out if you want. Still one of the finest on YouTube, and you more than likely ran into it over the past few years.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

Have a happy and safe Holiday (Christmas) Season,
Marcus

That one tugs at me too, Marcus. Before the war, my dad was a first tenor with The London Welsh Male Voice Choir and he knew this piece by heart. How I wish they'd recorded it.

Mine is The Christmas Song written by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells ...I have a nice arrangement that works well with the Live!JazzBallad I have created on the trusty Tyros4.

Mel Tormé's rendition is still my favorite.

Ian

Was waiting, and Ian hit it out of the park. Torme was GREAT; in this case, both as a writer and performer.

My all-time favorite holiday song. No surprise that Ian is the member who identified this one as his favorite.

Class act for sure.


Russ

I'm with you Ian.
Eddie

OK, Ian, we're waiting for you to post a recording of The Christmas Song. At least I am.

BTW: It's among my favs also.

We're waiting,

Gary

Do it Ian! I think it's on everybody's favorite list.

Russ, while we have your jazz ear, could you put up a few tips on some of the gorgeous altered, passing, and alternate chords that go so well in classics like The Christmas Song? Would be highly appreciated. Cheers!

Here's the chords I've been using for years, but they may not paste on the forum correctly.

C Dm6 Em Am
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
C C6 C7 Fmaj E7
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Am Fm C B7
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
Emaj7 Bb G G7 C
And folks dressed up like Eskimos, everybody knows

C Dm6 Em Am
A turkey and some mistletoe,
C C6 C7 Fmaj7 E7
Help to make the season bright.
Am Fm C B7
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Em Am C G C
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

Gm Am7
They know that Santa's on his way;
Bb Gm Am7
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
Ab Bb
And every mother's child is going to spy,
D7 Fm6 G
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

C Dm6 Em Am
And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
C C6 C7 Fmaj E7
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Am Fm C B7
Although its been said many times, many ways,
F C Dm G C
Merry Christmas to you

Gary

Guys, I'm in Louisville, in session on an annual report session for a national Pizza chain. Will be here for two more days.

This is a really stacked time, with 27 jobs and 3 sessions before the end of the month.

I'll get to this as soon as I can.


And, thanks for asking!


Russ

That'd be great, Russ. We know you're one busy guy, so whenever you get the time and inclination. I know we'd all look forward to it.

Gary, thanks for your input, too. That's pretty much the way I've dabbled with it over the years, but it'd sure be nice to get some of the more 'luxurious' voicings in there.

Here's about what I do:

Christmas Song - Mel Torme
Tempo: kEY: C DATE: 1946

C6 G7 C6 F, G7
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
C6 Gm7 C F
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
Am Fm6 C F#m7
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
B7 E F#m7 Bb Eb G7
And folks dressed up like Eskimos, everybody
___________

C6 G7 F F-G7
knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
C6 Gm7 C F F7 - Eaug
Help to make the season bright.
Am Fm6 C F#m7
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
B7 Em7 A7 Dm G7 C6
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
_______________

Gm7 C9 Gm7 - C9
They know that Santa's on his way.
C7 Gm7 C F
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
Fm7 Bb9 Eb
And every mother's child is gonna spy,
Am7 D7 G7
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
___________

C G7 C F - G7
And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
C Gm7 C6 F
To kids from one to ninety-two.
Am Fm7 C Am7 B7
Although it's been said, many times, many ways,
F7 C Am7 Dm,G7 C
Merry Christmas, to you.

I enjoy almost all Xmas songs.
But one of been especially fond of lately is the Eagles version of
Please Come Home For Christmas

youtube

Merry Xmas. Happy holidays to all

Don,

Where in heaven's name did you ever find that rendition of "O, Holy Night"? That song has always been one of my Christmas favourites. I'm concerned I may now be "scarred for life" after witnessing the performance you posted. My daughter and I could hardly stop laughing. Not knowing any better, she asked me if it was you.
Don't worry! I quickly straightened her out on that by playing her one of your recent song postings.
I'm sure you got everybody's attention with that mp3.
If that guy "singing" was serious, we should all pray for him.

God Bless,
Don

We have been posting that version here on SZ for many years...
it's a classic.

Yes, I saved it several years ago. Have to drag it out each December to officially kick off Christmas season. It never fails to leave me in tears!
Thank you for clearing my name with your wife!

What style(s) you all using for Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire. ?

Tx

I find Love Song works pretty well. I use various ones just to check them out. There are quite a few that will work just fine depending on what you feel like doing!

I use the acoustic jazz style on the S-950, second variation, tempo of 72. For the right hand, I use a jazz guitar and for the bridge, I use the default OTS sax voice.

Works for me,

Gary

Add some major 7ths....a few minor 9ths....walk a few minor progressions at the right time and Don's version works great.

Ho Ho!


R.

I think we do a lot of this without it being written down. You gotta FEEL it as you go.
Did you hear about the little girl who asked Santa for a baby sister? He told her "Sure, send me your mother"!

1. Rudolph the red nosed wino.

2. Clyde, the brown-nosed reindeer (he was directly behind Rudolph when Rudolph came to a sudden stop).

chas

I like ALMOST all of them ... I play "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" only by request because 1) I LOVED my Grandma, and 2) my WIFE is a grandma ! ...

Figured I would jump in with both feet, and post this ... I use a 'SLOW
SWING BRUSH' style on the Pa900, and recorded on the kb ...

That's really pretty Tony! You still have a wonderful voice and the 900 sounds great!
Here' $5.00 tip, do another one!

That's a wonderful compliment from you, Don ...THANK YOU ... but be careful what you wish for ...

nice job Tony thanx for sharing...
you might wanna try a half key higher.
classic song well done Merry Christmas!

Thanks Donny ... I could do it a little higher, but I like doing the modulation at the end and playing from Bb to C is easy and requires little work for a song I only play one month out of the year ...

Very nice job, Mr. Mads. Some smooth singing in there.

Tony, I would say this is the best song I've heard you perform in the many years that I've known you. Excellent vocals and playing.

Gary

Wow Tony. That is beautiful...If you sang at Gary's Jam, I have forgotten what a great voice you have.
Thanks for posting.
Eddie

Tony, very nice work!!

He sang at mine, and it was fantastic. The boy has some vocal chops!

Great job, Tony. Playing all those jazzy chords and singing at the same time is quite an accomplishment. Playing and vocal chops were both top notch.
God Bless,
Don

AWW ... thanks, guys ... all those compliments make me blush ...



Yes, Eddie, I sang at Gary's, but I think we were all overshadowed that day by the late, great Joe Ayala ...



I told you be careful what you ask for ... here is a new favorite of mine (with a glitch or two): "A CANDY CANE CHRISTMAS" by Darius Rucker (remember 'Hootie and the Blowfish'?)

Great song Tony! Not a song I do, but I sure do enjoy your version!
I have another $5. here; keep 'em coming!

UH, do you have a paypal account ?!? ...

No habla ingles.

tienes una cuenta de PayPal ?!?

oday ouyay eakspay igpay atinlay?

aypay alpay