various artists - GET READY FOR A GROOVY AND BLUESY CHRISTMAS [2024]

 

We're not feeling the Christmas spirit (yet) this year. We usually begin dabbling in the season's music just after Thanksgiving, playing favorites from Christmases past and wading through the stack of new acquisitions we've amassed. This year, we pre-ordered four holiday titles and made plans to write them up as we listened to them for the first time. So here we are; neither our head nor our heart is fully in the game, but we designed the artwork and downloaded the cover art, so we might as well do this.

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Part of our annual Holiday music tradition here at The Hideaway is auditioning the latest release(s) from Elizabeth Chan as well as the always excellent Bear Family Seasons Greetings Christmas compilations: 

 

Big City Christmas [2016]

Christmas On The Countryside [2017]

Have Yourself A Swingin' Little Christmas [2018]

Yulesville! [2019]

Heading For The Christmas Ball [2020]

Christmas On The Range [2020]

Here Comes Santa Claus [2021]

Have Yourself Another Swingin' Little Christmas [2022]

Santa Swings... The Windup [2023]

 

We found out about the label's Get Ready For A Groovy and Bluesy Christmas a couple of months after it had been released in July so by the time we ordered it, it was already on backorder. The disc arrived in early November and was promptly added to the stack of 2024 Christmas discs that had been hiding beneath the monitor. The album features 28 great tunes from the golden age of rhythm 'n' blues and blues, a balanced mix of well-known and obscure recordings.

01 Jackson Trio with The Ebonaires–Jingle Bell Hop

02 The Moonglows–Hey Santa Claus

03 Ray Agee–Merry Christmas, My Love

04 The Drifters Featuring Clyde McPhatter And Bill Pinkney–White Christmas

05 Moose Jackson–I'll Be Home For Christmas

06 Joe Turner's Orchestra–Christmas Date Boogie

07 Hank Ballard & The Midnighters–Christmas Time For Everybody But Me

08 B.B. King–Christmas Celebration

09 Lonnie Hewitt–You've Been A Bad Little Girl

10 Louis Jordan And His Orchestra–May Every Day Be Christmas

11 Freddie King–I Hear Jingle Bells

12 John Greer–We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo

13 Cecil Gant–Hello Santa Claus

14 The Voices–Santa Claus Baby

15 Bill Doggett–Winter Wonderland

16 Titus Turner–Christmas Morning

17 Hank Ballard & The Midnighters–Santa Claus Is Coming

18 The Marcels–Merry Twist-Mas

19 Huey "Piano" Smith & His Clowns–Rock And Roll Santa Claus

20 Billy Ward And His Dominoes–Christmas In Heaven

21 The Voices–Santa Claus Boogie

22 Sonny Boy Williamson–Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues

23 Lightnin' Hopkins–Santa

24 Jimmy Butler With The Blues Express Orchestra–Trim Your Tree

25 Jesse Belvin–I Want You With Me Xmas

26 Washboard Pete–Christmas Blues

27 Charles Brown–Please Come Home For Christmas

28 Big Maybelle With The Ernie Wilkins Orchestra–White Christmas

This disc fits right in with the previous offerings from the festive folks at Bear Family. So much so that there might even be some repeated tracks from previous discs in the Seasons Greetings series. Even if they were repeating themselves that don't bother us none. The tracks feature more than a few legendary artists from 1948-1964, including both sides of a rare 1955 Cash Records single by The Voices. We prefer the groovy tracks to the bluesy tracks but all are welcome here at The Hideaway. Get Ready For A Groovy and Bluesy Christmas will be getting more spins for years to come.