Good Christmas Jazz - more than 1 release, so don't double buy
594312
This is an enjoyable and jazzy recording from 1989, when pure digital recordings on CD were relatively rare, and CDs were just getting mass appeal and reasonable pricing.  This CD boasts being a "Full Digital Recording", and was made using "Creative Audio's Random Access 'Tapeless' audio facility".  Yes, it's all synthesizers, and according to the liner notes, controlled by 2 IBM PCs, but don't let the mechanics of how the sound was generated detract from your enjoyment and the passion of the recording.  Although it's done in synth style, it's quite enjoyable.

(I may be biased here, since I do recall my excitement buying this CD back in '89 and enjoying it thoroughly then -- it may be seeping through to my enjoyment of it now.  I loved this CD then, but not as much as the Keith Foley's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Music-for-Christmas/dp/B000008AXU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Music for Christmas</a>&nbsp;from 1985, a recording that still sees the light of day every year at my house.)

"Joy To The World" is an upbeat jazz version that sets the tone for the rest of the tunes.  A laid-back version of "Little Drummer Boy" follows, with occasional, and the flow between songs from upbeat to chill is perfect for a relaxing holiday experience.

Be careful though, as this CD is also released as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Masters-In-This-Hall-The-New-Age-of-Christmas/dp/B00005RHSF/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Masters In This Hall: The New Age of Christmas</a>, with the only difference being the sequence of songs.  I posed an image of the CD, which has the full track listing, but here's the sequence in text:  1) Joy To The World,  2) Little Drummer Boy,  3) Good King Wenceslas,  4) All Through The Night,  5) It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,  6) Silver Bells,  7) We Three Kings of Orient Are,  8) Christmas Bells,  9) Pat-A-Pan,  10) He Shall Feed His Flock.

Also, there is a second Christmas CD available,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/New-Age-Christmas-Too-Masters-in-This-Hall/dp/B00000E7AY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">New Age Christmas Too: Masters in This Hall</a>.

As I write this review, the price on the (non-CD-R version) CD is $0.16 used.  Come on, is it really that big a risk to buy a copy??  Happy holidays all.
214565
Listening to MERRY CHRISTMAS, THE SUPREMES, is always a highlight of my Christmas season. This was a pretty ambitious project for Motown in 1965...

A handful of original tunes that are well-crafted, some traditional selections that are appropriate and well-done, a few upbeat, fun tunes that really stand out and feature "that Motown Sound." Full-scale orchestrations throughout.

Diana Ross played her part very well, although it would have been a tribute to the "other two lead singers" in this trio to get to sing a lead or two for posterity, and a real shame that they didn't get the opportunity.  Florence Ballard's one lead, featured on this expanded edition, on "Silent Night," is arresting, and gives a clue of what this singer could have accomplished with the right combination of song selection and direction.  And Mary Wilson's rich, smoky alto would have been optimal on a couple of featured leads.

"White Christmas" is a big highlight, with a truly beautiful orchestral arrangement [which I appreciate even more, now that I have THE original instrumental track, as featured on  Singing Machine's Motown Christmas Karaoke collection].  The background vocals are "supreme."

"My Favorite Things" began to be viewed as a quasi-Christmas song largely because it was featured on this album.  A cool, jazz-tinged arrangement.

"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" rocks out a bit, and features prominent, exciting, soulful background vocal parts.  A big highlight.

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Me," and "My Christmas Tree," both original tunes, make the most of Diana Ross' "vulnerability" and "innocence."  A little bit of drama, and very well done.

"Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer," gives Ms. Ross a chance to swing out a bit, and features exciting background parts, as well.

I often hear the Supremes' version of "Silver Bells" on the radio and in department stores during the holidays...and it is a fine version.  Although, for a tune with a joyful theme, it is performed here with a tinge of sadness, due to the misplaced slow tempo, and Ms. Ross' delivery.

In summary, this is a near-classic Christmas collection, and is LOADED WITH A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!  A real holiday treat.  [Revised in 12/2005]
487602
The compositions were nice to listen to.  Have a different sound that would typically be expected from traditional Christmas music.  Was a nice album to purchase at a discount, but most likely would not purchase at full price.
3584882
Honestly this isn't a bad little collection. All of the songs have good production value and though these are more traditional tunes theres a little bit of something there for everyone musically. If you want an instrumental piano interlude you can listen to Jim Brickmans Joy To the World. Want a peppy Spanish favorite? Youre treated to Jose Felicianos Feliz Navidad to kick off the album. Is CCM more your style? Youve got Amy Grants Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Not enough soul for you? Well then, check out Gladys Knight & the Pips Do You Hear What I Hear? The pop base is covered with Air Supplys The First Noel and there are a couple of country twangers in here too with Alabamas Tennessee Christmas and Lonestars Ill Be Home For Christmas. So if you like variety youll probably like this easy-on-the-ears Christmas collection. If you dont, avoid.
4458969
I looked through my Christmas collection and most of these tracks appear on other compilations that I already own.  I loved the first two in this series, but this one doesn't quite live up to the unexpected pleasures of the first ones.  Though these are great tracks, there's no reason to get it for only a couple of ones that I don't own.  Check your collection first!
3627153
Note that this is a straight re-issue of their first Christmas album (Christmas card).

The Statler brothers had two trademarks - great harmonies and great original songs, both of which are in evidence on this, the first and best Christmas album they recorded.

Like many others, they decided to include some Christmas classics here. Jingle bells is slowed down, but not too much, and it works brilliantly as a change from the standard speed, but I wouldn't want everybody to do it like this. They also do great versions of other classics, some of which are cleverly strung together in A Christmas medley.

The six Statler originals are very much what you would expect from them if you are familiar with their other music - and they are all great songs. I don't know of any covers of these songs, but that's just another reason to buy this CD.

This album will appeal particularly to fans of traditional country music, but the Statlers have a very easy on the ears style and should appeal to anybody who likes geat harmony singing.
3310211
~ This CD is simply Lou's classic Christmas recording of 1967 re-packaged and re-issued.  Except this time they left off two tracks. Although the music here is great, the two star rating is because you can get more music with better sound by going to the great Lou Rawls Christmas CD "Merry Christmas, Baby" from 2006.  That CD contains all 11 tracks from "Merry Christmas, Ho! Ho! Ho!" plus nine more tracks.  See my complete review of the CD&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Merry-Christmas-Baby/dp/B000HC2P7C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Merry Christmas Baby</a>&nbsp;here on Amazon.
1498006
I got this CD a couple of years ago and there are about 6 songs on here that I could not do without during the Holidays. Some mix albums seem to completely wash out the traditional songs. Most of the music on Christmas Remix 2 has the right balance of traditional and hip/funk to please a broad range of listeners.
1464011
This is an enjoyable album but when I ripped this to store on my computer, my disc was messed up. Did this happen to anyone else?

The manufacturer, Rhino, and Amazon need to note that the tracks play songs that don't match their titles. When you listen to samples on Amazon, for example, it plays "Please Come Home for Christmas" on the one that says "Jingle Bell Boogie," etc.

It took me quite some time tonight (3 hours) to figure this all out. I deserve a credit for a free CD or something, what a pain!

Here are the corrections:

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" should be "Happy New Year"
"Happy New Year" should be "Santa Claus"
"Santa Claus" should be "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"
"Santa Claus, Santa Claus" should be "Christmas Time Pt. 1"
"Christmas Time Pt. 1" should be "Jingle Bell Boogie"
"Jingle Bell Boogie" should be "Please Come Home for Christmas"
"Please Come Home for Christmas" should be "Merry Christmas, Baby"
"Merry Christmas, Baby" should be "Christmas Holidays"
"Christmas Holidays" should be "Merry Christmas Darling"
"Merry Christmas Darling" should be "Santa Claus, Baby"
"Santa Claus Baby" shoulde be "Blues For Christmas"
"Blues For Christmas" should be "I Want My Baby For Christmas"
"I Want My Baby For Christmas" should be "I'll Be Home For Christmas"

If I am not a very unique case, I am surprised no one else noticed this??? A the very least the order plays wrong on Amazon's listening sampler.
1449379
Christmas playlists can always use some freshening up, and this CD is an ideal choice for jazz lovers, and for others as well. Brass ensemble - in this case, two trumpets, french horn, trombone, and tuba, with the occasional addition of bass and drums - is an essential sound for the holiday season.
Gary Slechta's arrangements are clever. In "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" he manages to work in quotes from "Bluesette" and Charlie Parker's "Confirmation." "O Christmas Tree" is an easy swing with a walking tuba line. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" has the feel of "Killer Joe," and "Winter Wonderland" has a familiar blues background. Slechta also created sensitive treatments of old favorites like "O Come All Ye Faithful," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and "Christmas Time Is Here."
A couple of new tunes are added to the traditional lineup. Guest vocalist Tierney Sutton renders the appealing ballad "Christmas Is the Warmest Day of the Year." (She also sings on an upbeat version of "Let It Snow.") Trumpeter Deb Wagner Bergeron sings the novelty tune "Santa Baby" while husband Wayne adds the trumpet solo.
Naturally, this is a completely different listening experience than Bergeron's other recordings - and that's just as it should be. A Christmas collection is not the place to highlight extreme trumpet playing. If you've ever played your Christmas jazz playlist for a non-jazz audience, you've probably gotten the response, "That doesn't sound Christmassy." This collection of 18 tunes has the advantage that it sounds Christmassy and jazzy at the same time.
968396
All the music on this download is good.
I had second thoughts before buying this one,  but I'm glad I got it.
Christmas will be a little Jazzier for me this year.
4885530
I actually enjoyed this album quite a bit, many of the songs are pretty typical. However, "christmas+techno" is a limited genre, and there are four compilations that have fundamentally the same track list. Not cool.
635756
COMPLETE TRACK LISTING:

1. Ben Stein - "Introduction"
2. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - "Christmastime with Kevin and Bean"
3. Blink-182 - "I Won't Be Home For Christmas" *
4. Jerry Springer - "Jerry Christmas"
5. Save Ferris - "Christmas Wrapping" *
6. Royal Crown Revue - "Hey Santa"
7. Trey Parker & Matt Stone - "Mr. Hankey Holiday Cheer"
8. Barenaked Ladies - "Xmas Time (Oh Yeah)"
9. Ralph Garman - "Christmas When You're Dead" *
10. Mark Davis with Kevin & Bean - "Some Quality Time with Comedy Legend Bob Hope"
11. Cherry Poppin' Daddies - "Butch the Gay Santa Claus"
12. Andy Dick and the Bitches of the Century - "Santa's Yule Log" *
13. Tyra Banks & Bean - "Holiday Message"
14. Brian Setzer Orchestra - "Jingle Bells"
15. Home Grown - "Christmas Crush" *
16. Jon Stewart - "A Very Hanson Christmas" *
17. MxPx - "Christmas Day" *
18. Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Carolina Christmas" *
19. 1000 Clowns - "I Hate Fruitcake"
20. Ben Stiller - "Holiday Message"
21. Kids of Widney High - "Christmas is the Time (To Show Your Love)"
22. Harvey Danger - "Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)" *
23. Everlast - "Blues for X-mas" *
24. Kevin & Bean Show - "Family Greetings"

Most of the content on this particular collection is filler at best and crapola at worst.  There are some gems on here though, thus the 3 star rating.  To make it easy for you, I have put a star (*) after the tracks that are worth listening to.  That way, it can help you determine whether it is worth purchasing for you.  Really, the best songs on here that you can't get elsewhere are "Santa's Yule Log" by Andy Dick, and "Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas" by Harvey Danger.  The other songs that are absolutely great might be rare, but are not necessarily exclusive to here.  And if the list of songs are up now for this release on Amazon, don't be a jerk and click not useful for my listing, because when this was written, there was no track list, and the list you see is a result of me first putting this up here.  Have a good Christmas.
450956
This is a fantastic jazz album which just happens to be filled with great Christmas tunes.  It fun to listen to, and even people who don't normally like Christmas music really enjoy this CD. I'm so glad to have found it.
200613
Apparently I do not have the original.  I cannot, therefore, speak to the wonderfulness of that or of the first re-issue.  However, the CD I have has the Wynton Marsalis Quintet's version of 'We Three Kings'.  Having listened to this for the second time this day (25DEC08), it is my opinion that this tune may be THE most exciting modern jazz rendition of a Christmas carol that I have yet to hear.  I say that as someone who owns a fair amount of jazz Christmas music.  With all due respect to the reviewer who said that maybe it would have been alright to omit "Wynton (he has his own Christmas album, anyway)".  I say ... listen to it again.  Very exciting stuff.  BTW, I also really dig the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Classical-Jazz-Quartet-Play-Tchaikovsky/dp/B000H8RVD4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Classical Jazz Quartet Play Tchaikovsky</a>&nbsp;recording.  Check it out!
1552187
The music on this album is uniformly superb and a joy to hear. No quibbles there. In fact, if you love jazz piano trios, give the sound samples on this page a listen and you'll probably be hooked.

Here is the caveat: This is half of an expanded album that was released during the same era as this one:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Kenny-Drew-And-His-Progressive-Piano/dp/B000WKYEQ4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Kenny Drew And His Progressive Piano</a>. To be sure, this album was, indeed, issued with with only the tracks listed in the sound samples.  It was also released as The Modernity Of Kenny Drew (Norgran MGN 1002) during the same era.

Tracks on this album were recorded in Los Angeles on September 2, 1954 by Kenny Drew on piano, Gene Wright on bass and Lawrence Marable on drums.

One final caveat: before making a final purchase decision  I recommend that you first check out&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/6-Classic-Albums/dp/B0071XS4C0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">6 Classic Albums</a>, which is a six album set of Drew's work that includes this album. The price difference is surprisingly modest considering the vast difference in the number of tracks.
3394293
Kenny has recorded five Christmas albums - four solo and one with Dolly - but this was the first one he did. It includes an excellent mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar.

The most familiar songs here are White Christmas (the Bing Crosby classic), When a child is born (the song that gave Johnny Mathis his only UK number one hit), O holy night (one of the most popular carols) and My favorite things (originally sung by Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music).

Before you get to them, there are some great songs, of which Carol of the bells is a cover but the others might all be originals. Kenny must like Sweet little Jesus boy a lot - he re-recorded it for the Gift, one of his other Christmas albums, but I particularly like Kentucky homemade Christmas (about a poor family determined to have as good a time as they can) and Kids (about the people who enjoy Christmas most).

This was a great start to Kenny's career as a singer of Christmas music.