There's Music In The Air!

I adore the holiday season, and the music that goes with it. How else do you explain accumulating dozens of recordings that can only be played for a few brief months of each year, even by someone known to seriously push the reasonable (like leaving that Christmas tree up until it’s well past the point of fire hazard, or thinking about decorating it with a heart motif to prolong its useful life)?

At its best, holiday music connects immediately with the child within us. Like a sorcerer’s potion, it can soothe even the most frenzied adult, bringing a smile to the face, a spring to the step, and the feeling that all’s right with the world. And without the music-in the mind or in the air-it wouldn’t really be Christmas. Here are some independent releases that will brighten your own holidays.

New This Year!

Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer—American Noel

Favorites From Holidays Past

Boys of the Lough: Midwinter Night’s Dream
Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven—Evergreen
John Cowan—Comfort & Joy
Empire Brass Quintet: An Empire Brass Christmas The World Sings
Steven B. Eulberg: Hark, the Glad Sound! Mountain Dulcimer Ensembles—Hymns for the Season of Advent
Five Chinese Brothers: A Window Shopper’s Christmas
Kerry Getz—It’s a Wonderful Life
Herdman, Hills & Mangsen: Voices Of Winter
The Hungry Monks—All Through the Night: A Celtic Celebration of the Holiday Season
Eileen Ivers—An Nollaig—An Irish Christmas
Jorma Kaukonen: A Christmas with Jorma Kaukonen
Susan McKeown and Lindsey Horner: Through The Bitter Frost And Snow
Darryl Purpose—The Gift of the Magi
Bonnie Rideout/ Maggie Sansone/ Al Petteway: A Scottish Christmas
Roomful of Blues: Roomful of Christmas
Deborah Schmit-Lobis—When the Sun Turns North
Mindy Smith—My Holiday
Southern Scratch: Chicken Scratch Christmas
Various—The Best of Celtic Christmas
Various—Vol. 2, Christmas Grass—A Celebration of Christmas, Bluegrass Style
Various Artists: Christmas at Mountain Stage
Various Artists: A Folksinger’s Christmas
Various Artists: Tinsel Tunes: More Holiday Treats from Sugar Hill
Various—Wonderland
Ilene Weiss: Weiss Christmas
Robin and Linda Williams—The First Christmas Gift
Joemy Wilson: Gifts III: Christmas Music from Around the World

Boys of the Lough: Midwinter Night’s Dream
1996, Blix Street

I’d keep this recording just for its “A Midwinter Waltz,” an evocative bit of songwriting that can pull my heartstrings at will, whatever the season. Whenever I play it, I can see a couple, dancing the final waltz of the great party, preparing to part and make their separate ways through the bleak night. And although a bleak northern Christmas is not part of my own holiday past, the Boys of the Lough (Shetland’s Aly Bain, Northumberland’s Dave Richardson, and Ireland’s Cathal McConnell and Christy O’Leary) are able to impart their own winter memories so well that I feel that it is. Against the forces of a powerful universe—cold, wind, rain, snow and ice—the people of the Celtic northlands wove a protective shield from the strength of their communities, their age-old rituals, and their songs and dances. Similarly, the Boys of the Lough have taken their own diverse musical traditions and woven a seamless collection of jigs, reels, ballads and waltzes that will warm you against the winter’s chill. Slainge. —Janet Marquardt

Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven—Evergreen
2008, Compass Records

No need to figure out if The Alison Brown Quartet is playing banjo jazz or jazzy bluegrass—this time they are playing holiday music! Not only do they mix genres, but many of the tunes are unique pairings of familiar songs. They blend “Carol of the Bells” with “We Three Kings,” “Here Comes Santa Claus” with “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” and “Skating” with “Feliz Navidad.” “Little Drummer Boy” takes on a Latin beat and you may have trouble remembering when “Sleigh Ride” wasn’t played with a banjo after you hear Alison Brown’s picking. It’s all very different and refreshing, but not too different. The Quartet is anchored by piano, bass and percussion—something we’ve all gotten used to with the “Charlie Brown Christmas” (no relation!). Brown’s banjo has a dulcimer-like ring at times and guest Joe Craven on fiddle and mandolin adds just the right touches of melody and sparkle. The production and recording alone make this album a perfect gift for that hard-to-please audiophile! Let it play, let it play, let it play! —Michael Devlin

Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer—American Noel
2008, Signature Sounds Recordings

The songs on this album were commissioned by a Mid-Western hardware chain as part of a holiday gift compilation. It would have been more fitting if the songs were commissioned by a chain of jewelry stores, because this album is full of gems and rare and precious sounds. Recorded by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer between 1999 and 2001, these songs coincide with the duo’s busiest time together as they produced Tanglewood Tree and Drum Hat Buddha and toured extensively. The songwriting genius of Dave and the interpretive excellence of Tracy combined with a their joyous approach to making music to make them the darlings of the acoustic scene. It also attracted the attention of Joan Baez, who took them on tour with her. The material on this album fits well with the the phrase they invented to describe their music, “post-modern mythic American folk music." The first song is Dave’s take on the “go tell the” genre, with his list including Herod, bankers, foxes, rabbits, wind, rain and philosophers old and gray. “American Noel” imagines the birth of a Savior in modern times “who will camp with the homeless under bridges in the dark.” “Giddyup Said Santa Claus” is country and western, wryly-humorous-with-a-dash-of-salvation song, as only Dave can write them. The most spiritually soul-satisfying song is “Footsteps of the Faithful.” I found myself nearly moved to tears as I sung along with the chorus, quite before I really had a grasp of the lyrics (something that has happened to me frequently when I first listen to particular songs by Dave and Tracy). The traditional music chosen for this collection fits well with Dave’s antique turn-of-phrase and Tracy’s singing and violin, especially on “The Ditchling Carol.” Tracy was still playing her old violin, the “Wounded Healer,” with its deeply resonant, almost human voice. I have seen this album referred to as a must for fans of the duo, which is true, but it is pretty much a must for any music lover. —Michael Devlin

John Cowan—Comfort & Joy
2009, E1/Koch

Bluegrass, Newgrass, Gospelgrass, Rock N’ Rollgrass ...that’s how his online bio begins. I would add R & Bgrass and Blue-eyed Soulgrass. Blessed with a fine tenor and the good sense to have listened and learned something from the best popular singers, John Cowan takes his band of fiddles, guitars and mandolins through a nice variety of Christmas classics. It’s nice that he doesn’t feel the need to take songs like “Ave Maria,” “The Christmas Song,” “What Child is This” and “O Holy Night” too far from their familiar settings. “Let’s Make a Baby King” has a funky gospel groove and his version of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” sounds like a hidden track from a Motown Christmas album. “Little Match Girl,” written by Cowan’s stepdaughter Jenny Anne Mannan, reminds me of something Dolly Parton would write. His sweet voice and the able accompaniment of his band and guest musicians make these heart-felt renditions worth a close listen and an easy choice for the background sound of your holiday party. —Michael Devlin

Five Chinese Brothers: A Window Shopper’s Christmas
1997, 1-800-Prime-CD
(No longer available from the manufacturer. There are still some around for sale.)
These are the guys who said in regard to their last album that they put the “fun” back in dysfunctional, so it is no surprise that all do not sleep in heavenly peace on their holiday album. In their songs, a suicide is averted by televised holiday specials, a child only wants “Daddy” for Christmas and people in a warm climate make angels in the sand. The band manages to stay a step away from being over the top with their humor, playing most of the songs in their accordion tinged, New Orleans on the Hudson style. Amidst the silliness and good-time music, is food for thought, but definitely no room for fruitcake.—Michael Devlin

Steven B. Eulberg: Hark, the Glad Sound! Mountain Dulcimer Ensembles—Hymns for the Season of Advent
1999, Owl Mountain Music

To find out more about mountain dulcimers and hammered dulcimers or to order this CD, please visit http://www.owlmntnmusic.com

Steve Eulberg is a busy guy. He made the mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer that he plays, teaches beginning dulcimer, has been commissioned to compose music and is a Lutheran minister. This album is actually based on Eulberg’s hymn-book published in 1993, Dulcimer-Friendly Worship, Vol. 1: the seasons of Advent. With all of these pursuits it is perhaps asking much that he would produce a lively, entertaining album, but that is just what he has done. This album is a joyful, if modal noise! The non-Western seven note scale and droning strings give decidedly eastern accent to the sound, which is beautifully recorded to capture the mysterious overtones. The tunes range from the familiar “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory,” to African-American spirituals and tunes from Sweden, Germany and the Philippines. In addition to multiple dulcimers, there are touches of bodhran, bass, guitar and Ashiko drum. This album of instrumental music would serve well as background music in the holiday season, yet if you serve it up for yourself as the main event, you will find your spirits soaring, and your ear intrigued.—Michael Devlin

Empire Brass Quintet: An Empire Brass Christmas The World Sings
1996, Telarc

There’s nothing more thrilling than the bell-like sounds of a brass quintet, the perfect vehicle for traditional Christmas carols. The Empire Brass Quintet easily could have played this album straight. Instead, they’ve turned themselves and their music inside out, combining forces with various instrumentation and percussion, and employing influences as far-ranging as Africa and the Middle East. An electronically charged, mostly instrumental offering from the internationally renowned musicians-Rolf Smedvig, trumpet; Luiz Garcia, horn; Scott Hartman, trombone; Kenneth Amis, tuba; and Mark Inouye, trumpet—this recording is subtitled in my mind as “Joy To The World, From the World—and Out of this World.” —Janet Marquardt

Kerry Getz—It’s a Wonderful Life
2004, World in Motion Records

This holiday album does not sound like a holiday album with lots of recognizable songs done in expected ways. While it is true that there is a traditional Christmas song or two, the majority of the songs have the personal themes associated with the singer-songwriter genre. The arrangements are also centered in the singer-songwriter-pop sound. In fact Kerry Getz sounds a lot like Dar Williams in voice and sound. Her singing has a magnetic quality and there is a nice variety from tune to tune. If you are a fan of this kind of music you will certainly want to give it a spin at your house every December. —Michael Devlin

Herdman, Hills & Mangsen: Voices Of Winter
1997, Gadfly Records

How fitting that the holiday season is celebrated with the magical harmonies of Priscilla Herdman, Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen (who have been musical friends since working together on Herdman’s 1987 release, Darkness Into Light). They describe their experience in the liner notes, “It is a rare and beautiful experience becoming siblings in song, so much like family we can scarce recognize our separate voices among the three.” Their harmonies are so pure and perfect that it is a shock to hear applause at the end of the songs and realize that they are carrying this off live. The material is a mix of winter songs sung acapella or with light accompaniment. Their spirit vitalizes the archaic phrasing of the traditional songs, while lighthearted songs like “The Frozen Logger,” the lickety-split tongue-twister “Proper Cup of Coffee,” “Mister Santa” and “More Wood” are sung with supple cheer. The album closes with the traditional “Lo, How A Rose.” As the last words “though midnight was the hour” hang in the air, serendipitously, a church bell tolls, to the gasp then delighted applause of the audience. This whole album is like an angel getting his wings! Great news-the trio plans to do a “Voices Of Winter Tour” every year for the foreseeable future! —Michael Devlin

The Hungry Monks—All Through the Night: A Celtic Celebration of the Holiday Season
2004, Hungry Monk Recordings

The descriptive title of this recording would make one expect, jigs, reels and hornpipes in various well-worn combinations—nice but not exactly something new for the season. True, there are the aforementioned traditional forms and familiar tunes, but the Hungry Monks follow their personal inclinations towards classical and other traditional music, making this collection a rich and varied experience. Hazel Ketchum on guitar, lute and bodhran, John Holenko on guitar and mandolin and Mary Taylor on violin are all exquisite musicians. Ketchum adds her lovely vocals to only about half of the songs, while the rest of the songs take their flavor from the subtly plucked and bowed strings and the recorder of guest musician James Carrier. This wonderful band is probably frequently overlooked as their best music straddles typically exclusive genres, but this holiday album should please just about everyone. —Michael Devlin

Eileen Ivers—An Nollaig—An Irish Christmas
2007, Musical Bridge/Compass

Champion Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers is certainly a dazzling player, but the lasting impression of this album is of its strong melodies and upbeat rhythms. The album begins brightly with sleighbells jingling adjacent to Tommy McDonnell's rich vocals on “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” The traditional Irish balad, “Don Oiche Ud I mBeithill” is blessed with the unmistakable vocals of Susan McKeown and an arrangement that begins with ethereal violin over the low drone of uilleann pipes, eventually to be joined by rhythmic guitar and flute—it's breathtaking! Familiar holiday tunes such as “The Wexford Carol,” “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring” and “Do You Hear What I Hear” all are given memorable renditions. “O Holy Night” is just Ivers alone with her violin... and I think that “the angel voices” could not sound any more beautiful! A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas album! —Michael Devlin

Jorma Kaukonen: A Christmas with Jorma Kaukonen
1996, American Heritage/Relix Records

With A Christmas with Jorma Kaukonen, the legendary blues guitarman has crafted a tasty plum of a Christmas album. Beginning with the all-new “Downhill Sleigh Ride,” you’ll find yourself happily free-falling into a downhome celebration. The classics are here, from the gentle jams of “What Child Is This” to the sweet calypso of “Baby Boy” and the warm and wistful “Silent Night.” And if you’re looking for something new, there’s the exotic “Journey of the Wise Men” and the bluesy “Holiday Marmalade,” a blend of all the standards buried in a spicy jam. “Christmas Rule” is a story song that will have you grinning equally at its tall tale and its marvelous licks. The hottest tracks here are the two absolute blues numbers, “Christmas Blues” and “You’re Still Standing.” On every track, Kaukonen is in his usually impeccable form, superbly accompanied by Mike Falzarano on rhythm guitar, mandolin, and vocals. Destined to become a holiday essential, along with the mistletoe and the eggnog. —Janet Marquardt

Susan McKeown and Lindsey Horner: Through The Bitter Frost And Snow
1997, 1-800-Prime-CD

This album would be stunning in any season. Lindsey Horner is the bass player in the Chanting House, and one might mistakenly think that this is just a Susan McKeown project with some of the band missing. Through The Bitter Frost And Snow is truly a collaboration between the two with Horner revealing himself as a lyric jazz bassist and McKeown melting a variety of musical styles in the warmth of her unmistakably Irish voice. The music moves so seamlessly from genre to genre, that it is easy to overlook the breadth of this musical experience. The material ranges from a song written by Henry VIII, to traditional Irish, to a rendition of Robert Burns’ Auld Lang Syne, to original pieces by both artists. As for the depth of the enjoyment there are two great surprises; one is how well McKeown sings jazz (having grown to expect the emotional power of her singing of other material), and the other is the virtuoso bass and multi-instrumental talent of Horner. Of the supporting musicians, Chanting House cellist Michelle Kinney plays on several of the tracks, as usual, the perfect accompaniment for McKeown’s emotive singing. Though the blending of cultural and musical influences in this recording are perfect when contemplating the peace of the season, you will probably want to hear this one year round. —Michael Devlin

Darryl Purpose—The Gift of the Magi
2002

The Magi, wise travelers bearing gifts, are not unlike the troubadours who travel afar bringing the precious gift of their music to their small but dedicated audience. The Magi seek for something obscure and sublime, a baby-king. Singer-songwriters seek the elusive truths of life in the poetry and music of their songs. Darryl Purpose is certainly a prince in this group.

The Gift of the Magi brings Purpose back to the format of his fine Same River Twice, just voice and guitar, with the tasteful accompaniment on fiddle and guitar by Darryl S and others. Purpose’s playing wells from the melodies in a dazzling flow of fingerpicking. He sings with the skill of a man who has made a living in front of live audiences for many years. The warm tenor is a conduit of wonder, yearning, joy and the whole range of feelings brought on by the season.

The gifts of this musician are mostly the songs of his friends. A gem among these is the late Dave Carter’s “American Noel.” Like so many, Purpose felt blessed to have know Carter and there is something very special and loving in this rendition of his song. “Mary & Joe” written by Christopher Smith is a very human look at a couple who worked out the difficulties both miraculous and mundane with common sense and love. My favorite song is Purpose’s own “You Must Go Home For Christmas.” It is a redemptive narrative of a man who awakens under a public Christmas tree and realizes that he needs to return “to reunite the family I divided.” Every time I hear the part of the song where he phones home to ask for forgiveness and there is a pause on the line before she answers, I feel myself saying, “Please say yes!”

This album is a true gift from a modern Magi. —Michael Devlin

Bonnie Rideout/ Maggie Sansone/ Al Petteway: A Scottish Christmas
1996, Maggie’s Music

If you’re looking for an album that’s miles and centuries away from the commercialized holiday that assaults you on every trip to a shopping mall, then pop this CD in the player. Like the icy bite of a wintry wind, there’s a stark beauty to the musical interpretations here that will cleanse your spirit and send you in search of hearth and home. Fiddle, bagpipe, hammered dulcimer and acoustic guitar, played solo or in a perfect combinations, transport you to the moors of Scotland and invite you to partake in a far simpler celebration of the season. The selections are alternately soothing and energizing, and the playing masterful. Well matched against champion fiddler Bonnie Rideout’s power, Petteway’s silken guitar and Sansone’s lilting dulcimer more than hold their own. The trio is well complemented by piper Eric Rigler and cellist Abby Newton. From well-known carols, to lesser known but marvelous Scottish numbers, each song is well chosen and played. Their rendition of “Auld Lang Syne“-in three incarnations, each beautiful and unique-will let you hear this perennial favorite as if for the first time. —Janet Marquardt

Roomful of Blues: Roomful of Christmas
1997, Bullseye Blues

It’s never too early to indulge in holiday cheer. Jump blues/R&B strips off the plastic and tinsel making the seasonal excess exciting and fun. Nobody does that better than the best little big band in the land, Roomful of Blues. Their swinging and swaying bluesness brings new pizazz to Christmas classics and blues themed with same. The interplay of multi-saxophones and driving rhythm blends with tasteful guitar cookery, highlighting the neo-crooner tone of Sugar Ray Norcia’s vocals. From Fats Domino’s “I Told Santa Claus” and the syncopated joyfulness of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” virtually every hepcat holiday hurrah is explored. An atmospheric blue groove invests “Good Morning Blues” while Chuck Berry rockabilly energizes “Run, Rudolph, Run.” Lowell Fulsom’ s blue swing closes the platter with “I Want To Spend Christmas With You.” Hey, you cool dudes, hot mamas and assorted younguns, you got yourself rolling, rollicking fun in a Noel spirit. Grab your honey, move back the furniture and spin that old Yule, you all. Roomful’s gonna grab your soul and won’t let go. —Mark Gresser

Deborah Schmit-Lobis—When the Sun Turns North
2010, Dancing Elk Music

The literally striking first note of this album sets the tone for this extraordinary album. A Tibetan bell is struck, and as its reverberations purify into a sustained note, Deborah Schmit-Lobis’ 1895 Steinway joins in on the same sustained chord. This loving approach to sound together with a passion for thoughtful composition and improvisation on classical and popular melodies makes Schidt-Lobis’ music a unique experience. Although this album has been marketed to New Age outlets, it stands equally just outside the classical and jazz genres. In addition to the piano we hear oboe, English horn, alto and tenor sax, violin and didgeridoo. The music is arranged, composed and recorded to maximize the space around each instrument to allow the listener to hear their overtones blend. In particular, the didgeridoo is played with such subtlety that it makes uses of it in other music sound like vuvuzelas! Sprinkled among the improvisations are bits of highly recognizable melody for the first-time listener to latch onto, such as “The Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” The rhythms of the music make it perfect for sitting by the tree as the snow falls outside, or contemplating taking the sled out for a few flops down the hill. The sophistication and clarity of Schmit-Lobis’ musical vision make this an accessible and consistently rewarding listen. —Michael Devlin

Mindy Smith—My Holiday
2007, Vanguard Records

Mindy Smith has been making quite a splash for someone who prefers to be considered a singer-songwriter. Her debut album has been a big seller, spurred by appearances on the late-night TV shows and song placement on trendy prime-time series. The attention is much deserved because she is quite a good songwriter and a skilled singer with a captivating voice. She seems equally comfortable with her pop-rock version of “I'll Be Home for Christmas” as she is with her intimate take on “The Christmas Song.” To say that her version of this song is among the very best is an indication of how remarkable this album is. Consisting of six original tunes and five holiday standards, some of the original tunes are so memorable that they could become Holiday standards. In particular, the sultry “What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?” and softly jazzy “Santa Will Find You” would be welcome additions to any radio format around the holiday season. I can easily see this one spinning on my player soon after Thanksgiving every year! —Michael Devlin

Southern Scratch: Chicken Scratch Christmas
1994, Canyon Records

If the pressures of the holiday season leave you somewhat desperate for a smile, then this recording will prove irresistible to your facial muscles. In fact, it’s virtually impossible to listen to Chicken Scratch Christmas and not start a two-step. Chicken Scratch, or “waila” (from the Spanish, “to dance“) is the social music of the Tohono O’odham Nation (Desert People) of Arizona’s Sonoran desert. Originally based on acoustic fiddle bands which adapted European and Mexican tunes, the typical chicken scratch line-up now consists of button accordion, alto saxophone, electric six-string and bass guitars, and drum kit. Providing the accompaniment to all-night feasts that begin at sundown and end at sunrise, the generally self-taught musicians play a variety of all-instrumental music around staple rhythms that include mazurka, scottische and cumbia, and an easy walking polka. You’ll be enchanted by the genuineness of this recording and the Chicken Scratch versions of your favorites, including “Rudolf,” “Feliz Navidad” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” —Janet Marquardt

Various—The Best of Celtic Christmas
Narada, 2002

Narada’s impressive roster of Celtic talent is the source of this satisfying collection of Christmas music. Variety is the key here. Disc One starts with Cathie Ryan singing “It Came Upon a Midinight Clear” with her beautiful Irish voice, followed by Kathy Mattea’s interpretation of “Christ Child’s Lullabye,” which does not feel Celtic at all, even with Dougie MacLean’s arrangement. Add in a guitar and whistle tune and an ethereal medieval carol before you get to your first jig by the Boys of the Lough. Natalie MacMaster checks in with a lovely piano-based lament “Get Me Through December,” that only obliquely refers to Christmas, but is sure to resonate with those who get worn down in the season of joy. Maddy Prior’s bodhrán and whistle heavy “I Saw Three Ships” is refreshing in a primal way. “Silent Night” is beautiful in Gaelic in the harp-backed voice of Mairi MacInnes. Altan and John Whelan lend their talents and Bonnie Rideout wraps things up with a fiddle and pipes rendition of Adeste Fidelis. You can play this one in the background at a Holiday party, but you owe it to yourself to crank it up when you are all alone and in need of a treat.

Disc Two is a re-release of The Night Before…A Celtic Christmas by Dordán, a quartet that blends a baroque sound with Irish Traditional music. Although this disc does not have the easy hook of familiar carols, it is nonetheless an engaging listen. Harp, flute and whistle weave a beautiful tapestry of peaceful, yet at times danceable music. It is interesting to note that although these traditional Irish melodies connect to no popular mass culture Christmas songs, they convey a spirit that make them perfect for the season.—Michael Devlin

Various—Vol. 2, Christmas Grass—A Celebration of Christmas, Bluegrass Style
2004, Koch Entertainment

The artists on this collection include Dolly Parton, Rhonda Vincent, Doyle Lawson and The Larkins. There are such familiar songs as “Silent Night,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” as well as several not so well known songs. Although a few of the songs are in the more pop-influenced, sweet Alison Krauss mode, most of the songs are more traditional bluegrass. If you are a hard-core bluegrass fan, Christmas Grass is quite a find with solid playing and harmonizing throughout. —Michael Devlin

Various Artists: Christmas at Mountain Stage
1995, Blue Plate Music

Broadcast nationally on more than 120 stations, Mountain Stage is a weekly two-hour live performance radio show featuring three or four guest acts. Half of the magic behind the concept is the diverse nature of the performers, and the other half is the thrill of the live performance-the energy, the creativity and the spontaneity. That essence is perfectly captured on this disc. While several of the songs here are available elsewhere in studio format, these performances are special. Kathy Mattea’s extraordinary vocals on “Christ Child Lullaby,” the perfect if offbeat harmonies of The Roches’ “Star of Wonder” and “Winter Wonder-land,” and the bluegrass swing of Tim and Mollie O’Brien’s “Papa’s on the Housetop” are all exhuberantly in the moment. Sandwiched between these songs are unusual gems like Michael Martin Murphey’s “Cowboy Christmas Ball” and “Good Night Ladies/Auld Lang Syne,” featuring cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell’s recitations, David Morris’ downright downhome “Silent Night” on autoharp, and the very real-life performances of the Cappella Bell Choir, courtesy of the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, West Virginia. Fans of the radio show will appreciate the performances by the regulars like Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage Band and Bob Thompson. —Janet Marquardt

Various Artists: A Folksinger’s Christmas
1995, Vanguard

“A Folksinger’s Christmas” is a well thought out merging of two absolutely classic holiday albums. From Joan Baez’s 1966 “Noel” come “Mary’s Wandering,” Silent Night,” “Cantique de Noel,” “Little Drummer Boy,” and “Away in a Manger.” From Odetta’s 1963 “Christmas Spirituals” come “Poor Little Jesus,” “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and “What Month was Jesus Born In?” Vanguard has supplemented the collection with holiday tracks from folk music’s heyday, with the Weavers, Jackie Washington, and Erik Darling. Like the homemade angel atop your tree, this album evokes the charms of all your Christmases past. —Janet Marquardt

Various Artists: Tinsel Tunes: More Holiday Treats from Sugar Hill
1996, Sugar Hill

Fans of bluegrass know they can count on Sugar Hill for some of the best down home music on record-superb traditional players with a penchant for the slightly offbeat twist. With a well-done blend of sugar and spice, Tinsel Tunes is the ideal Christmas offering from that label. Traditionalists will love Jerry Douglas’s expressive dobro and Mollie O’Brien’s heartbreakingly beautiful vocals on “In the Bleak Midwinter” and the tight harmonies of the Nashville Bluegrass Band’s “Christmas Story” and the Laurel Canyon Ramblers’ “Christmas is Coming To Town.” Mandolin fans have their choice of Sam Bush’s frenetic “Sleigh Ride,” Chris Thile’s lyric “Bring a Torch,” and Mike Marshall and the rest of Psychograss’ wistful “On a Quiet Night.” A capella lovers get the outstanding gospel sounds of “Last Month of the Year,” combining the talents of The Fairfield Four and the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Chesapeake, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Lonesome River Band, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen also offer up gems. But this disc is a must have for Robert Earl Keene’s sketch of a very un-Hallmark holiday in “Merry Christmas from the Family.” In a live performance ably supported by a near delirious crowd of revelers, Keene captures the spirit of Christmas as healer of all families, no matter how dysfunctional. —Janet Marquardt

Various—Wonderland
2002, Signature Sounds

Christmas has gone acoustic with Wonderland, a collection of seasonal songs by a variety of folk artists. If you are tired of hearing the same carols over and over again, Wonderland is an excellent choice to add some spice to your holiday music. Some of the artists include Richard Shindell, Erica Wheeler, and Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer. Much of the music is original, acoustic, and definitely beautiful to listen to at any time of the year. Partial proceeds from the sale of this CD goes towards the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.—Paula E. Kirman
[Editor’s note: Louise Taylor’s version of Jessie Winchester’s “Let’s Make a Baby King” is by itself, reason enough to buy this album.]

Ilene Weiss: Weiss Christmas
1997, Gadfly Records

Weiss’s previous two Gadfly releases, Outside and Curious (1991), and Obliviously (1996) show a songwriter with the ability to wittily cut through the accumulated assumptions of modern life and deliver some truth. It is not surprising that she gets to the heart of what makes Christmas so meaningful and maddening. Weiss runs the gamut from the irreverent “His Initials,” and the wonderfully sexy “Xmas At The South Pole (Tonight),” to songs that explore the true meaning of Christmas in particularly human terms. My favorite of these is “Talkin’ To The Wrong Guy,” in which a girl whose parents are fighting, brings her wishes to the department store Santa, where she is confused by the assembly line nature of the experience. That night, “The sugar plum visions in her head were clouded by betrayed devotion.” In the middle of the night the Savior appears to her and says, “Santa’s just like other men—try to pardon his behavior./ Let’s give your wish another try./ I know it’s nothin’ you could buy./ You were just talking to the wrong guy.” “The Santa Rap” lampoons the notion of the omniscient, disciplinarian Santa presented in “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” Her Santa is funky and aware that “Crying is a form of ventilation,” and understands “When you’re mad/ And all that you can do is pout/ I understand you don’t have/ any other way to work it out.” This outstanding look at Christmas is enhanced by the production work of Peter Gallway and guest appearances by The Roches, David Roche, Anne Hills, Loudon Wainwright III, and Julie Gold and many fine instrumentalists. —Michael Devlin

Robin and Linda Williams—The First Christmas Gift
2005, Red House Records

You may have heard Robin and Linda Williams on one of their frequent visits to A Prairie Home Companion. Their effortless harmonizing is the result of more than three decades of singing a blend of traditional acoustic roots music. This album is wonderful whether you have it on in the background during holiday celebrations or turn it up and listen closely when you are alone. The playing is as sure and warm as you would expect from these fine musicians and their friends. The tunes are mostly originals and arrangements of traditional songs, with covers of songs by Roger Miller, John Prine, Steve Earl and others. I’ve been playing this one a lot and the songs are slowly becoming a part of what will always be my favorite Christmas music. “Shotgun Shells on a Christmas Tree” is a new Christmas classic for me! Essential! —Michael Devlin

Joemy Wilson: Gifts III: Christmas Music from Around the World
1990, Dargason

Like the sweet strains of a music box, the hammered dulcimer has a fairy-like quality that perfectly suits the holidays. Accompanied by Celtic harp, guitar, flute and fiddle, Joemy Wilson introduces carols from every corner of the globe, weaving an all-instrumental tapestry of beauty and charm. From Czechoslovakia to China, Poland to Puerto Rico, the more unusual carols provide exquisite counterpoint to the more familiar ones from Ireland, Scotland and England. All are joyous celebrations of the Christmas spirit throughout the ages. —Janet Marquardt