Classic Jazz Christmas Music to Get You in the Holiday Spirit
Looking for some classic jazz Christmas music to get you in the holiday spirit? Look no further! Here are some of our favorite tracks to help get you feeling festive.
Christmas Jazz Standards
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and of course, music. Jazz music is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. There are so many great Christmas jazz standards that are perfect for any holiday party. Here are some of our favorites.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a Christmas song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Garland’s recording has since become a standard. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.
The song’s original draft had a different opening line: “It may be your last / Next year we may all be living in the past.” Blane was unhappy with the first line, so Martin changed it to “Have yourself a merry little Christmas / Make the yuletide gay.”
merry little Christmas / Let your heart be light / From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
“The Christmas Song”
One of the most popular and enduring Christmas songs of all time, “The Christmas Song” was written in 1944 by Mel Torme and Bob Wells. With its warm, nostalgic lyrics and smooth, jazzy sound, “The Christmas Song” has become a holiday classic that’s cherished by fans around the world.
“The Christmas Song” was originally inspired by Torme’s observations of holiday shoppers rushing around to find the perfect gifts, and the lyrics paint a picture of a winter wonderland filled with all the trappings of the season. The song’s signature sound is created by its use of jazz chord progressions and melodic styling, which gives it a unique and timeless feel.
Over the years, “The Christmas Song” has been recorded by some of the biggest names in music, including Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Sting, Christina Aguilera, and Jennifer Hudson. No matter who is singing it, “The Christmas Song” is sure to fill you with holiday cheer and get you into the spirit of the season.
“White Christmas”
“White Christmas” is a jazz standard written by Irving Berlin. It was first sung by Bing Crosby in the 1941 film “Holiday Inn.” The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Nat King Cole. It is a holiday staple and is sure to get you in the holiday spirit!
“Winter Wonderland”
“Winter Wonderland” is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Dick Smith. The original version was sung by Richard Himber and his Ritz-Carlton Hotel Orchestra. The most popular version, recorded by Bing Crosby in 1945, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Perry Como, Dolly Parton, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Patti LaBelle, and Andy Williams. It has also been featured in numerous films and television shows.
“Jingle Bells”
One of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, “Jingle Bells” was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857. It’s been recorded by everyone from Bing Crosby to the Boston Pops Orchestra, and has been a holiday staple for generations.
More Modern Jazz Christmas Songs
It’s that time of year again! The holidays are just around the corner, and what better way to get into the holiday spirit than by listening to some festive music? If you’re looking for something a little different than the traditional holiday music, then you’ll want to check out some of these classic jazz Christmas songs.
“Christmas Time Is Here”
One of the most popular modern jazz Christmas songs is “Christmas Time Is Here” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. This song was originally written for the 1965 animated special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The song has a kind of wistful, nostalgic feeling to it that has made it a holiday favorite for many people.
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
This song was originally written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. It was first recorded by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra in 1946, and has been covered by many artists since then. The most popular version is probably the one recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1950.
The song is about a couple who are trying to enjoy a winter evening indoors despite the cold weather outside. “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!” is repeated several times throughout the song as a way of expressing the speaker’s hope that the snow will keep falling so they can stay inside together.
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
One of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was written by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie and first performed on radio by Eddie Cantor in 1934. The following year, it was recorded by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra with vocalist Bing Crosby. Since then, it has been covered by countless artists, from Frank Sinatra to Bruce Springsteen.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
One of the most popular Jazz Christmas songs, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane for the 1944 musical Meet Me in St. Louis. The original version of the song was more ominous, with lines like “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” But Judy Garland, who sang the song in the film, asked Martin to revise it to be more hope-filled, and he came up with the now-famous lines “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” and “Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.” The melancholy original lyric has occasionally been revived—most notably by Michael Bublé on his 2011 album Christmas.
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Written by songwriting duo Frank Loesser in 1944, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has become a holiday classic, covered by everyone from Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews to Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé. The song tells the story of a man trying to convince a woman to stay with him on a cold winter’s night, and has been interpreted as being about both flirtation and date rape. In recent years, some radio stations have banned the song due to its controversial lyrics.
