Welcome to a groovy Xmas!
Terje Biringvad | Oslo, Norway | 10/19/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Since Verve is now opening the vaults for more Jimmy Smith recordings from the '60's, this Christmas '64 album was long down on my wishlist for reissues. Since nearly all great jazz musicians have issued Xmas albums, there was no exception for the more popularized Jimmy Smith on Verve in the 60's. Good or bad? If you have the Christmas Cookin' album you can skip this CD since they're identical with just different cover (Christmas Cookin' CD has the original LP cover). Smith's great Blue Note trio members are the backbone on this album - Kenny Burrell/Quentin Warren on guitar and Grady Tate on drums and if add a big band with great arrangements - you have a best-seller album. For serious Smith collectors, this is an important release given the producer's effort making Smith a 60's "pop star" using big band and great B-3 organ interpretation format on dearly beloved Xmas tunes. The "Jingles Bells" are still lingering after Smiths boppish interpretation and Bing Crosby's trademark melody "White Christmas" swings like Mr. Berlin preferred it on Broadway. This is cool stuff, not a great JImmy Smith album, but watch out your mother-in-law's reaction on the upcoming Christmas dinner - it might be a memorable one! Great sounding and recorded B-3, so turned up the volume when you run around the Xmas tree."
I love this album
James Trammell | Detroit, MI USA | 12/01/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the only Christmas album I will ever play. I grew up on this album, because my dad always played his vinyl copy at Christmans time, which he actually purchased in 1964. I'm glad to have a copy on CD now."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1