Holiday Music Countdown: Number 9, hope there’s oil under your rose vine

It’s rather a jolt, after a weekend of holiday parties and meeting up with family and friends, to find oneself back at work on a Monday — and to realize that there’s still more than a week to go until Christmas. Even so, the month rushes on, and the countdown of my favorite holiday songs …

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 10, a star dancing in the night

It’s Sunday night, and there’s a winter wonderland outside. Cold, cold, cold, and snowy enough to make up for the lack of precipitation we’ve had so far this winter. Inside it’s warm, and I’m drinking a cup of hot cocoa and listening to Christmas music. Let’s have another song for the countdown, shall we? (Find …

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 12 and 11, country melodies and city swingers

Yesterday I went to two Christmas parties with fun friends, and in the crazy rush of getting from place to place I missed posting a song for the holiday music countdown. So let’s have a double-helping tonight — extra nice for a snowed-in Saturday evening. (Find previous holiday countdown posts here.) 12. Christmas for Cowboys …

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 14 and 13

Onward with the music countdown! We’re counting down my favorite holiday songs this month. (Find previous posts here.) 14. (Everybody’s Waiting for) The Man with the Bag (Kay Starr; Brian Setzer Orchestra) I don’t have much information on this song, I’m sorry to say. But I love it for its humor, swing, and sassy attitude. …

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 15, a childhood classic

Continuing my countdown of my twenty-five favorite holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) 15. Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi Trio) At about this point each December, I sit myself down at the piano in my living room and pull out a couple of books of music. "Christmas Favorites," "Holiday Classics," "Modern Holiday Classics," "Easy Christmas …

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 16, and I wanna see a lot of snow

Another December day, and we continue to count down my twenty-five favorite holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) For a gloomy Monday, we bring up a decidely upbeat tune: 16. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Lena Horne) I mentioned the other day that for a long time I wanted to be …

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 17, with the Velvet Fog

Counting down my twenty-five favorite holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) 17. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting by an Open Fire) (Mel Torme) Mel Torme co-wrote "The Christmas Song" with Bob Wells in 1944. From the Wikipedia article: "I saw a spiral pad on his piano with four lines written in pencil," Tormé recalled. "They …

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 19 and 18, ladies night

Continuing my remarkably self-centered countdown of my favorite 25 holiday songs. (Find previous posts here.) I skipped posting a countdown song yesterday, so today we get two. And what do you know! It’s ladies night. (Yes, the feeling’s right.) 19. 2000 Miles (The Pretenders) I used to want to be Chrissie Hynde. Now I realize …

Holiday Music Countdown: Number 20, with diamond rings underneath the tree

20. Merry Christmas Baby (Lou Rawls) Christmas is supposed to be a happy time. Really, really happy. That pressure for everyone to be happy may be what brings some of us to long to hear the blues. "Merry Christmas Baby" was written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore, and popularized by blues singer Charles Brown …

Holiday Music Countdown: Numbers 22 and 21, with troubadours, the King, Bing, and a thin white duke

Continuing my highly-subjective countdown of the 25 best holiday songs. (See previous entry here.) 22. Blue Christmas (Ernest Tubb and His Texas Troubadours, Elvis Presley) Elvis wasn’t the first person to sing "BlueChristmas." It was recorded by Ernest Tubb in 1948 and became a country standard. qr3rPSUtQgI Of course, there’s a reason why people think …