A Christmas Yuleblog

Li'l Wally - Dance Around The Christmas Tree With

2009-12-09T08:02:00.000-05:00

Last year, we shared out a great Christmas album (Jay Jay 1080) chock full of Polish Christmas songs and polkas by L'il Wally and his backing band The Harmony Boys. This album was discovered at Beverly Records in Chicago - one of the greatest vinyl stores left on the planet.

Earlier this year, I raided Beverly Records' famed WALL of Christmas music and came up with another gem from Chicago's very own polka king!

This album you're looking at was released a year or two earlier judging by the label numbers (Jay Jay 1026) and contains mostly Christmas standards with the full L'il Wally polka treatment. You've never lived until you've heard "Frosty", "Rudolph", and "Jingle Bells" with a polka beat!

However, the tracks you really need to listen to are the original tunes. "Merry Christmas Mom And Dad", "How Lovely Is Christmas", and "Dance Around The Christmas Tree" all have that familiar polka flavor but if you stop and listen to the lyrics, everything else fades away and you get some pretty Christmas tunes.

You be the judge... ah one, ah two...

Li'l Wally - Dance Around The Christmas Tree With

Happy listening...

Capt

The FPT Christmas Revue - December 3 - 20, 2009

2009-12-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

We are OPEN!

If you live in the NE Indiana / NW Ohio area and want to
see a Christmas revue like no other you've ever seen,
then this is your chance! Come on out!

Call the number on the poster to reserve your tickets!

If you've seen the show, leave us a comment
and tell us what you thought about it!

See you on the stage!

Rob
aka Capt

2009-12-09T06:12:00.000-05:00

To my family and friends:
Did you receive your copy in the mail yet?

If so, click here.

VA - The Town That Arrested Santa Claus

2009-12-07T08:31:00.000-05:00

It is no secret around here that I am not a kiddie Christmas type of guy. While other kids were listening to the Caroleers, Captain Kangaroo, and Peter Pan Christmas records, I was listening to a steady diet of easy listening Christmas music.

Over the years, I have shared out a few kiddie Christmas titles that many of you have enjoyed (i.e. A Pink Panther Christmas, The Pac-Man Christmas Album). Others I've posted because they struck me as odd (i.e. Alex Houston & Elmer, Irwin The Disco Duck).

This one I'm not sure what to think.

First, we have the jaw-droppingly inhumane cartoon cover that shows two cops hauling poor St. Nick off to the slammer. Directly above Santa, we can see two kids wailing in agony over the fact that Santa is about to get strip-searched and booked. Add an evil nemesis directly from the Snidley Whiplash School of Villains wringing his hands in delight off to the side and the stage is set.

As for the story, you can make up your own scenario judging by the cover. Obviously, the snake charmer has concocted a scheme that gets Santa arrested for his own personal agenda, only to be outwitted by a quick thinking kid or parent in front of a judge in a court of law, and Santa goes free just in time for his trip around the world.

Again, this is just guesswork. I merely dropped the needle on the record and ran. I didn't hear more than five seconds of this album during the transfer from vinyl to digital. And that five seconds was long enough for me.

How could anyone in their right minds buy this and play it for their kids at Christmas? Obviously someone did because I had to rebuy the album at a thrift store in Chicago for 50 cents.

Someone out there will find this album and say "WOW! I had this as a kid!" I'm interested in hearing from those people. To find out if this was a great album and listening experience for them or was it just the opposite. Don't be shy; we will have counselors on standby in case you need to talk to someone about this.

So without further ado...

Various Artists - The Town That Arrested Santa Claus

Happy listening...

Capt

The Chicago Swedish Glee Club - Songs At Christmas

2009-12-02T07:42:00.000-05:00

This second share for the 2009 Christmas downloading season is special in many ways. Let me explain.

The origin of the album is my original hometown of Chicago - home of my beloved Cubs, deep dish pizza, and multi-ethnic neighborhoods that blend together seamlessly into one giant melting pot by Lake Michigan. The fact this album was performed by Chicago Swedes should come as no surprise.

Another reason this album is special is because it's Swedish. Over the past several years, I've become friends with a fellow blogger/Christmas obsessive named Anna-Lena Lodenius. Hailing from Stockholm, Anna-Lena has been posting amazing Swedish Christmas fare at her blog Jul Igen - Christmas Again - be sure to visit and say hello! Hope you like this one Anna!

The final reason why this album is special is because it allowed me to re-establish an old acquaintance from my days as a used CD store manager. If you lived in the south suburbs of Chicago back in the day, you knew there was truly one record store for all of your rock/pop/R&B/indie needs.

That place was Record Swap in Homewood. It was one of the last great independent record stores of its era. And the man whose hand was on the throttle was its manager, John Laurie. I knew of John through my brother John - they were running buddies at the same high school and we were friendly competitors when I ran CD Exchange ("into the ground" as John would say).

Shortly after I left the Chicago era, Laurie left the store and its collapse was soon to follow. John decided to open up a new record store in the Lincoln Village area of Chicago and called it appropriately Laurie's Planet of Sound.

Earlier this year, I found the store, reacquainted with John, and found this album in their bin of Christmas music. Click on the link to see what I mean - heads up, most of those albums are LONG gone (darn it!) Still sealed in its original shrink wrap, this was in pristine condition and it was $4.

I wish I knew more about the Chicago Swedish Glee Club. It did have a website that I looked at several months ago but it seems that's been taken down. I would love to know more about the year it was recorded, what studio did they record it in, etc..

In any case, you're in for a treat. Side one is chock full of Swedish Christmas carols sung to the hilt by the fellows in the glee club. Side two is American Christmas carols and one gleeish version of "It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas"!

The Chicago Swedish Glee Club - Songs At Christmas

Happy listening...

Capt

Carlos Salzedo - Christmas Carols in Hi Fi

2009-12-01T12:02:00.001-05:00

Ta daaaaaaa!

Here's is my very first share of the 2009 Christmas downloading season. While on a search and rescue mission earlier this year, I found this album in a thrift store on the north side of Chicago. It was the only Christmas album in the entire pile of albums (and with this economy, 50 cents ain't too shabby!).

Released in 1956 on the Mercury label, Carlos Salzedo, a well-respected and renowned harpist of his time, plays 20 favorite Christmas carols ranging from "Adeste Fideles", "Jingle Bells", and "Silent Night". And as the cover states, they are in "Hi Fi", making the whole album THAT much more special!

Salzedo was a child prodigy, composing his first piece of his at the tender age of five! His love of music is in full evidence here as many of these tracks are "Concert Variations on..." (code for his own arrangements of the songs). Many of these last under 1:15 - this is a quick but fun listen!

Judge for yourself:

Carlos Salzedo - Christmas Carols in Hi Fi

If you are a fan of the heavenly instrument known as the harp, don't forget the other harp albums I've offered for your listening pleasure - DeWayne Fulton, Robert Maxwell, and Longstreth & Escosa.

Happy listening...

Capt

Nothing In Moderation... except comments!

2009-12-01T10:17:00.002-05:00

Longtime readers of this blog will notice that comments haven't been popping up as fast as they once did in months past.

That's because the Christmas season is here and the Xmas robots are out in force. These are the people responsible for insightful comments like "I love Christmas. Too. I love Christmas Cards. Get them at (WEBSITE LINK)."

I reset the comments so that your comments must be approved by me before it gets to the blog. However, thanks to operator error, I've deleted quite a few REAL comments (do'hhhh!). So if you've posted a real comment here and you don't see it, feel free to post it again.

I've got the "Publish / Reject" buttons all figured out now... thanks for understanding!

Capt

Three Days Late and Several Dollars Out

2009-11-29T07:24:00.001-05:00

The 2009 Christmas downloading season is under way. I'm saddened to learn that my friend Ernie (Not Bert) had a computer hard drive crash and burn (I feel your pain - same thing happened to me five years ago.) Don't fret - his collection is so huge that anything he posts is worth a first or second look. In my case, it's the 203rd look.

Two days in and there are new releases all over the place. If you haven't bookmarked it yet, Santas Working Overtime does just that - finding all these new releases and highlighting them faster than any RSS feed can ever hope to do.

During these same two days, I discovered that two albums I was preparing to share... were already shared out! The first is this amazing chestnut:

Recorded in 1954, this 10" was the first full-length Christmas album for Messrs. Ferrante and Teicher. All of the eight songs on this album were later re-released on their "Adventures In Carols" album from 1956 (available to download @ FaLaLaLaLa.com).

Turns out Buster, who runs the great blog entitled Big Ten Inch Record, posted this album last Christmas and I just discovered it this Christmas. Disappointed? Yeah, a little. But his cover of this album looks way better than mine. And I'm sure his copy sounds better too.

But... I got him trumped. He didn't include a BACK cover. And I have one, yes I do! I sure do... well, I have SORTA a back cover... okay, I'll fess up. I have a damaged back cover... honest. You sure you want me to continue with this?

I found my copy at the bottom of an immense stack of vinyl at a flea market in northwest Indiana. It must have been down there for an eternity because anytime the stack shifted, was moved from a dusty shelf to a moldy carpet, the back cover bore the brunt of the friction.

You have been warned:

Well worth the $2.00 I paid for it, no?

As for the second album, I found this at Beverly Records in Chicago and thought I had won the lottery. Of all the nine or ten albums I'm planning on sharing out this Christmas, this was THE one that would wow the general public. That is until yesterday. A certain someone who's been mentioned here posted it to his blog.

Buster, you did it again! And Dorothy Collins asks that eternal question, "Won't you spend Christmas with me?":

This is a great album - easy on the ears as well as the eyes. For a great listen, go check out Buster's blog entry and get yourself a copy. You won't be disappointed. Hope this didn't cost you as much as it did for me (we're talking Andrew Jackson territory, folks!).

So this leaves me with about nine new Christmas releases that I'm hoping to start sharing just as soon as my schedule permits, including my 2009 edition of the Yuleblog Sampler.

There's plenty of Christmas music to be had... get out there and find it!

Capt

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

2009-11-26T12:20:00.000-05:00

Doris Day

Marilyn Monroe

Just wanted to sign on quickly to wish all of you a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Capt

The FPT Christmas Revue - In Rehearsal

2009-11-21T07:18:00.003-05:00

What is today? Saturday... okay. I've lost track of time!

For the past several weeks, a bunch of local Fort Wayne actors (myself included) have been furiously working on an upcoming Christmas production I had previously mentioned back in September.

It's under two weeks now until we are in front of an audience and the whole production is beginning to gel. It's been an amazing process and the cast is having loads of fun getting this on its legs.

I've been meaning to post some pictures that I took at rehearsal the other night... it SEEMS like it was the other night...

Gee, a guy with a white beard and a kid sitting on his lap - I wonder what this could be all about?

The staging of a large group sketch that leads off our show.

Another staging of a musical number. Note another guy with a white beard in the center. Forgive the silhouetted foreground figure - he's the director and I couldn't very yell at him to stay out of the shot.

During a rehearsal break, Joel D. Scribner, the director of the show, gives out notes and information to the attentive actors hanging on his every word.

Psst... Joel... this one's for the blog so look REAL important like...

We just discovered the other night that interest in the show has been strong. So strong that we added TWO extra shows to the schedule. Performances are now December 3rd through December 20th. For more info, check out First Presbyterian Theater's website.

Hope to see you down there - I think you'll love the show!

Capt

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 21 - Paul Jones Whiskey, 1942

2009-11-13T08:31:00.001-05:00

(Click on image to enlarge)

I'm hoping there are other Paul Jones Christmas camel ads out there... the search will continue!

What do you think?

Tito says: "Unbeknownst to Camel, 'Effendi' came from a family of Bedouin immigrants who were about to enjoy a marvelous meal of Camel Biryani for Christmas. 'God bless us everyone', exclaimed Little Jimmie."

Jonathan says: "How much PJ can your dromendary store?"

Any other opinions?

Capt

The Hipwaders - A Kindie Christmas

2009-11-06T08:23:00.003-05:00

This is the last of four new Christmas releases that I received at my P.O. Box that I'm reviewing this week. Ironically, this was one of the first of those four that arrived. It's been sitting patiently while I reviewed Emmanuel Shall, Kevin Koelbl, and Silvia Fleming, eyeballing me the entire time, tempting me with its artwork.

To quote the press sheet:

"Since 2004, The Hipwaders have performed their own original Christmas songs along with their 'wader-ized' versions of Christmas classics. Finally, the band got around to recording their original compositions for the holidays.

"Christmas music has traditionally always been "family music" and The Hipwaders carry on this tradition with their songs celebrating all aspects of Christmas with a special admiration for Santa Claus and his exploits. Some say The Hipwaders 'exploit' Santa - but that's for you to decide..."

Indeed it is... and I must admit, I'm pretty intrigued already...

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Santasploitation
Quick, fun 49 second track that opens the CD. Don't take my word for it:

2.) There's Too Much Good
Not sure if this qualifies as a Christmas song ("Silver Bells" is mentioned) but its sound is great and leads into...

3.) It's Wintertime
Again, not too heavy on Christmas but the winter sounds make up for it. Everybody dance...

4.) Santa's Train
WOW! Great song with a definite country feel to it! Well worth the train trip.

5.) Goodnight
A Christmas lullaby that I wished was sung to me when I was a kid (instead of the usual cries of "SHUDDUP AND GO TO SLEEP!").

6.) Wake Up
Natural follow-up to "Goodnight". I love this track but you decide for yourself:

7.) Yes, It's Christmas
For a brief moment, I thought this was R.E.M. - it has that sound! Standout track.

8.) Tinsel & Lights
There's not many modern songs that detail Christmas decorations, photos, and the small nuances that make up Christmas. Until now... Another standout track.

9.) Wake Up (reprise)
Quick instrumental version of track six (see above) that has a video game feel to it that has me chuckling.

10.) Christmas Vicuna
GREAT JUMPIN' ICEBERGS!!! Latin-flavored tale of a lonely vicuna in Peru who wants to join Santa's sleigh. Amazing, clever, and a whole lotta fun!

At their official blog this past Tuesday (official release date of this album), head Hipwader Tito Uquillas writes "It's the day that's been over 20 years in the making. Really. A couple of tracks from "A Kindie Christmas" date from the late '80's and, like a good fruitcake, have been properly aged to perfection. OK, I can't believe I just wrote that either."

I can't believe I cut and pasted that, either.

The album is a genuine gem of Christmas tunes - all original, some more Christmas than others, fantastic sounds throughout. It was worth the 20 year wait. Well done, 'Waders, one and all!

XM Satellite has been playing The Hipwaders' kiddie CDs for some time now and I suspect their seasonal Christmas stations will be cranking out their holiday fare. I only wish several of the tracks make it onto terrestrial Christmas radio to give us a break from the same 20 - 30 Christmas songs on shuffle mode.

Capt

Emmanuel shall come to thee - Noël

2009-11-05T09:07:00.001-05:00

This was the third new Christmas release to arrive at my P.O. Box. Unfortunately, no press sheet or additional material accompanied the CD. So it was off to their Facebook page to find some threads of info off their wall. A post on October 25th states "this album is currently the top-selling holiday album at CD Baby!"

I clicked on the CDBaby link and found the answer to several of my questions:

"Emmanuel Shall Come to Thee is a Chicagoland collective of musicians led by composer Matthew Prins. The group incorporates classical, folk, new-age, orchestral, jazz, and minimalist influences into their progressive interpretations of familiar works.

"Featuring 19 new holiday arrangements and compositions by composer Matthew Prins, Noël fuses a myriad of influences into a Christmas album quite unlike any heard before. Performed primarily by Prins and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Nelson, Noël features a harmonious blend of hand bells, hand chimes, carillon, strings, woodwinds, and brass, as well as the talents of vocalist Amy Yassinger."

While there, I found yet another review from the good folks at ChristmasReviews.com:

"With just a hint of new age drama and a gentle heart, Nöel is touching in its understated brilliance....[T]he most striking fact about Nöel is its integral construction and execution. The tracks flow seamlessly, one into the next, and remind one of butter being stirred into hot fudge, swirling and glistening, warm and sweet."

Well... this could be interesting...

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Verbum supernum, prodiens.
Played on the carillon and lasting 39 seconds... understated intros are sometimes the best!

2.) O come, all ye faithful.
The different arrangements sound amazing but as it moved past the four minute mark, I was done.

3.) The holly and the ivy.
This instrumental is beautifully constructed and executed with all elements firing on all cylinders.

4.) Good Christian men, rejoice.
A 21st century take on a 14th century carol - excellente!

5.) Who mourns in lowly exile here.
Take the first few measures of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and repeat. Different.

6.) Infant holy, infant lowly.
Another well-constructed carol - very good work all around.

7.) Carol of the bells.
Harp, hand bells, chimes, carillon, soft piano all meld together into a great instrumental version of this song. Skipping back to hear it again...

8.) God bless ye merry, gentlemen.
Right as I was thinking "it's stretching a bit" around the 2:30 mark, Yassinger's sweet vocals arrive. Good save!

9.) And ransom captive Israel.
The woodwinds on this track make the song - a definite change of sound! I like the way they keep playing with the arrangements...

10.) Let all mortal flesh be silence.
The steady cannon drumbeat and church bells with snatches of "The First Noel" coming through gives this one ambiance deluxe!

11.) 'Twas in the moon of wintertime.
I thought I had switched on Mike Oldfield for a moment... another well done, well arranged carol!

12.) O come, o come, Emmanuel.
This one lasts just around 1:30... why so short?

13.) What child is this?
Shades of Philip Glass! This one's going to need several re-listens as well... Amazing track from start to finish!

14.) Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella.
At 36 seconds long, this is the shortest track on the CD.

15.) Sleep, holy babe.
Very pretty - I will need to look for this carol in my church hymnal and show it to the music director there.

16.) Until the Son of God appears.
Some of these tracks have a transition feel to it (see tracks 5, 12, and 14 above) and I'm guessing this is one of them.

17.) Holy night.
A re-working of "Silent Night" that I didn't warm up to at first. After another listen, it clicked - nicely done.

18.) Rejoice, rejoice... o Israel.
The transitions culminate with this loop track that repeats over and over and over...

19.) Benedictus Agnus Dei (hundredfold).
Which leads into this loop track (6:45 !!) that's a disappointing way to end the CD.

When I first got this CD, I had my doubts - the track list looked very public domain. The fact that really scared me was CDBaby's recommendation that if you like Mannheim Steamroller, you'd like this album. After listening to this, I'm glad to report it's nothing like Steamroller's synthesized purile pop.

Producer/arranger/musician Matthew Prins really deserves a congratulatory pat on the back. There are some tracks on this album that are sheer artistry and deserve to be heard. He chose some wonderful carols forgotten by the passing of time (when was the last time you heard "Good Christian men, rejoice" on the radio at Christmas time?) and given them new life.

Yes, there were some tracks that rambled but I'm willing to overlook them. Emmanuel Shall could have made a Christmas CD with the usual mix of safe carols and Christmas pop standards. Instead, they made a unique album that mixes new age, jazz, orchestra, and even minimalism with Christmas. Listen for yourself - click on the link!

Kudos to Prins, A.J. Nelson, and Amy Yassinger for top notch work!

Capt

Kevin Koelbl - This Is Christmas Time

2009-11-04T10:08:00.001-05:00

This is the second of four new Christmas releases that I recently received at my P.O. Box. Thanks to the good people at Phil Putnam Public Relations for sending me the CD and cover sheet.

Kevin Koelbl (pronounced "cable") has had a long and varied career in music. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, Kevin went on to leading roles at various regional theatres across the country.

Some of the shows Kevin's appeared in include "Carnival", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "The Fantasticks", "A Little Night Music", "Beauty and the Beast", "Oklahoma", "Anything Goes" and "Show Boat" with legendary MGM star Van Johnson in the early 1990s.

This led to his co-starring role with Michael Crawford ("Phantom of the Opera" no less) in the Las Vegas megashow "EFX", once the most elaborate and expensive show ever to play in Vegas. After Crawford left the role, Koelbl took over the role and held it down until the producers brought in ex-Partridge Family heartthrob David Cassidy.

Several years later, Koelbl recorded his first album. "Somewhere In Time" was released in 2000 to good reviews and opened more doors in the music industry for Kevin. Along the way, he never lost his love for live performances and his time was split between the studio and the stage.

Earlier this year, Kevin went into the recording studio and recorded the album you are looking at. Working in L.A. with some master professionals (John Bisharat, Matt Harris, Ray Brinker), he wanted an album of lush collection of Christmas classics re-imagined with a modern twist. Drawing on his deep love of jazz, cabaret, and Christmas, this is the end result.

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Smooth, jazzy, upbeat version of this song - Kevin's voice reminds me a little of John Davidson. Fine rendition.

2.) Snowfall / White Christmas
The two songs are perfect counterparts. Koelbl sandwiches "White Christmas" with "Snowfall" It works!

3.) This Is Christmas Time
Original title track written by Steven Santoro. Lyrical walk through the Christmas season that meanders but stays on the path.

4.) Snow (duet with Heidi Godt)
Move over Bing, Danny, Rosemary & Vera-Ellen... Kevin and Heidi have a trainload of fun with this rendition!

5.) Welcome Christmas / Christmas Time Is Here
Dr. Seuss meets Charles M. Schulz, at last. Another teaming of Christmas songs complemented by Kevin's fine singing.

6.) Happy Holiday
This one's so closely associated with Bing Crosby that many artists don't even attempt it. Kevin's jazzy version will open some ears.

7.) O Holy Night
This one's a little too Manilow for me (arrangement wise).

8.) The Little Drummer Boy
WOW! The drums, percussion, and bass give this a Caribbean feel throughout. A standout track.

9.) The Christmas Song
As in yesterday's post, any version that adds the intro gets extra points. Nicely done.

10.) Count Your Blessings (duet with Tami Tappan Damiano)
What was a small intimate duet in "White Christmas" is a full blown Broadway love ballad on this album - disappointing.

11.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Add an acoustic guitar accompaniment, the long lost intro to the song, and you get an excellent rendition.

12.) Sleigh Ride
Starts with bass and Kevin's voice - then they crack the jazz whip and off on a great sleigh ride. Nice trip!

13.) Silent Night
The press sheet states "and an arrangement of 'Silent Night' like you've never heard before". Yep. You can hear every production dollar in every note. And inbetween, the intimacy and power of the song gets drowned out by Michael Bolton-type swelling and singing. Ouch indeed. The song is called "Silent Night" for a reason.

14.) Merry Christmas
In 2006, Bette Midler led off her Christmas album with this long-forgotten song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. Here, Kevin ends his album with it, very stylishly and elegantly.

Koelbl writes on his liner notes: "Every year there always seems to be the usual hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas." To which I agree. During this journey, there are always a thousand and one things to do and process while preparing for December 25th.

And in a sense, that's what this album is. There are some fine moments on this drive with some occasional jolts that assault your attention. Like any good driver, you don't take your eyes off the road and the drive continues one smoothly.

Koelbl is a very talented singer and some of the arrangements left my head scratching. But never once does his voice fail to deliver and his time behind the wheel was pretty good.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, he will be performing a special concert on November 20th to celebrate the release of this CD. For more info on the concert and where to order of copy of this CD if your local music store doesn't have it, visit Kevin's website.

Capt

Silvia Fleming - Love For Christmas

2009-11-03T07:47:00.000-05:00

Silvia Fleming has been surrounded by music all her life. That's not surprising considering she had a mother who was a professional singer and a father who was an electronics engineer and a music manager for his wife.

Needless to say, her mother's influence instilled a deep love of Big Band tunes, jazz, and all of the great American standards by George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, and Irving Berlin. Fleming combined her love of singing with the study of classical piano and received a B.A. in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton.

Last November, Fleming released this album which got a tremendous review from our friends at Christmasreviews.com:

"Silvia Fleming has one of those honey-sweet voices that are just made for singing jazzy, romantic easy listening pop tunes. And with occasional support from the great Sam Levine on alto sax, she is able to deliver a sound that supports the romantic aspirations of 'Love for Christmas'.

"Although Ms. Fleming is primarily striking a romantic pose, she delves more into sacred music here than one might expect. I particularly enjoyed her sweet and reverent More Than A Child. The Joy of Christmas was also quite quite lovely. Though her voice is a bit more sultry, these renditions are reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, and fans of Carpenter will most likely enjoy Silvia Fleming's 'Love For Christmas'."

A voice of reminiscent of Karen Carpenter? Oooooo...

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Silvia's voice is rich and mellow (like Karen's) and the longing in her voice suits the song's mood perfectly.

2.) Christmas Time is Here
With a great arrangement by Tim Hayden and another dose of Fleming gives this Vince Guaraldi chestnut a new spin that I enjoyed.

3.) Love for Christmas
The title track was written in 1998 by two Caroles (King & Bayer Sager) and recorded for King's 2007 deluxe album. The message is timely in this economically depressed season.

4.) Santa Baby
Silvia won't make you forget Eartha Kitt but she'll definitely hold your attention with this Christmas classic.

5.) The Other Side of Christmas
Unique original Christmas song (written by Tim Hayden) that reminds us about the secular side of Christmas intruding on the real meaning of Christmas. Enjoyed this one quite a bit.

6.) In a Lowly Manger Sleeping
Lovely reworking of this standard Christmas carol. Her voice gets more rich and mellow as I continue to listen.

7.) I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
If only more artists would make standard Christmas carols like this more accessible... wonderful rendition.

8.) More Than a Child
Different arrangement showcases Fleming's vocal attributes to a "T".

9.) My Grown Up Christmas List
CONFESSION: I've never been a fan of this song (too adult contemporary for me). Silvia does a great job but I couldn't warm up to it.

10.) The Joy of Christmas
WOW! We need more original songs like this - the Christmas songbook needs new blood! Very, very nice!

11.) What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
Any version of any Christmas song that adds the intro gets an extra star from me. This is exquisite - my favorite track on the album.

I must admit, the review from Christmasreviews.com made me think of Karen Carpenter quite a bit when I listened. However, if I hadn't read that first before listening, I would have declared the second coming of Karen Carpenter.

Fleming has a wonderful Christmas album here and should you want a copy for yourself, CD Baby has it for sale or you can head over to Silvia's website to listen to samples from this album and learn more about her.

Thanks for the CD!

Capt

OFFICIAL DISCLOSURE - (Thanks, FTC!)

2009-11-02T09:54:00.002-05:00

On September 21, 2009, I typed a blog entry that dropped a hint that I would be interested in reviewing new Christmas releases BEFORE December 25th. Indeed, I received four new Christmas releases that were sent to my P.O. Box by members of the music industry.

Then the other shoe dropped.

On October 5, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission issued new guidelines regarding the blogging community: "The long standing principle that "material connections" (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed."

Failure to do so could mean fines up to $11,000 per post.

I quickly called my lawyer (a genial fellow whose name I can't use - otherwise he'd sue me) and asked what I needed to do. He informed me these new FTC guidelines take effect December 1st of this year. All posts after this date will need a quick disclosure clause - no statement is needed on any prior posts.

After driving home from his office (a shabby place), I began to think about all of the CDs I've received and reviewed here. Only one came to mind that caused an ethical dilemma.

Back in 2006 - the first year of this blog - I received at my P.O. Box a package from an unknown person. Inside was a Christmas CD (with some tantalizing artwork), a cover letter, and a business card. Paper-clipped to the business card was a neatly folded $10 bill.

I placed the entire package into a US Mail priority mail envelope and sent it back to the return address listed with a note: "Sorry, I do not review anything by or with a dead president".

OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1.) I swear or affirm all of the following statements are true.

2.) Many of the albums or CDs I have reviewed at this blog since January of 2006 have been my own purchases, gifts given to me by friends or family, or have been downloaded online.

3.) In each blog entry since January of 2006, I have always disclosed the origins from which the albums or CDs came from - usually in the first sentence or paragraph of the entry.

4.) There have been 14 specific past blog entries in which I have received a promotional CD - either from the artist themselves or from a member of the music industry who had the authority to send the CD to me.

In each of these cases, I received a FREE promo CD and occasionally various press materials (cover letters, business cards) to review the CD. Nothing else additional was included in any of this packages.

5.) I have added a new label entitled "Promotional CD" below - you may click on this link to read all of the entries in which I have received nothing other than a free CD in exchange for a review. All future posts in which I receive a CD via the P.O. Box will have this label as well.

Having said all that, the four new reviews will be posted starting tomorrow.

Capt

A Yuleblog Timely Reminder

2009-10-31T08:01:00.000-04:00

Daylight savings time in the United States
is coming to an end this year.
It ends Sunday morning at 2 AM.

Be sure to adjust all of your clocks
before you go to bed tonight -
remember fall back - an extra hour of sleep!

Capt

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 20 - Montgomery Ward & Co., 1924

2009-10-30T01:53:00.002-04:00

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like.

I will attempt every Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection.

I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it.

Several months ago, as I was attempting to complete the reorganization and cataloguing of all of my vintage Christmas ads, I visited Antiques on Broadway near downtown Fort Wayne. This shop usually has a gem or two to be unearthed.

In the basement of the store sits a booth that contains three folding tables of vintage ads, all carefully organized and wrapped in plastic for your protection. Many was the time I browsed the table that contained "Christmas ads" and "Celebrity ads".

I would seldom look at the other tables because each ad was usually in the $4 to $10 range. The double paged ads were always on my wait list but at $10 - $15 a pop, I could wait a long time. Once in a blue moon, I would break down and purchase an ad at full price.

On the day of my visit, I approached the table and noticed a yellow piece of paper with crude handwriting attached to one of the tables: "SALE - ALL ADS - $1". My transformation into Fred C. Dobbs was instantaneous and I nearly shrieked with delight.

For the next 45 minutes, I thumbed through every ad at every table, finding nuggets along the way. In addition to the usual LIFE, Look, and Saturday Evening Post ads, this dealer had sliced up vintage magazines dating back as early as the 1910s!

I was delighted but saddened as well. Any issue of any magazine printed before 1935 are becoming more and more rare and expensive. Being a collector of December issues for their Christmas ads, I would have loved to seen the entire issues from which these ads came from.

Which brings us to our ad of the day. It's hard to imagine now but back in 1924, the retail industry was dominated by two stores - Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward & Co., both headquartered out of Chicago, Illinois. Ward's revolutionized the business by introducing their legendary catalog in 1872, the first mail-order business of any kind in the world:

(Click on image to enlarge)

In essence, this was the first Internet - the catalogs allowed anyone to order anything and have it shipped anywhere in the USA and Canada. Catalog sales accounted for nearly 60% of Montgomery Ward's business at one point and kept their coffers flush into the 1960s.

Ask anyone over the age of 30 about those magic Fall / Winter catalogs, overflowing with toys and games. These were dream books - the perfect way to create a list for Santa. I can recall one year making a list, complete with catalog numbers, and handing it to Santa. I never did understand the incredulous look on Santa's face.

And there's something to be said for pre-1930s advertising. Usually in black & white, great detail work, a not too dominant picture, and lots and lots of text for you to read. No pretention whatsoever. This is an ad you definitely need to see close up.

What do you think?

Capt

Anonymous - Two Christmas Songs - UPDATE

2009-10-25T00:46:00.002-04:00

We got a response!

Click here for the updated story and link!

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 19 - 1847 Rogers Bros., 1938

2009-10-16T11:45:00.001-04:00

(Click on image to enlarge)

The giving of silverware as Christmas gifts is seldom done in this day and age. Several decades ago, it was all the rage. Whenever I think of silverware, images of Harpo Marx and Curly of the Three Stooges trying to conceal stolen silver on their person come to mind.

But what caught my eye on this ad was the caption above the picture of the "happy" family and that very same picture. Study this carefully for a moment... I'll wait for you.

The sardonic part of my mind studied this picture for a long time and came up with dozens of alternate captions of my own. This led me to believe you might come up with your very own captions or comments as well. Give us your best shot...

What do you think?

DivaMom says: Dear, I've brought home my secretary to stay with us this Christmas. Surprise!

Jonathan says: I love it! It’s the very least you could do after I’ve slaved over a hot stove all week so that you may eat with proper silverware!

Tom says: We can melt them down into bullets when the werewolves attack.

Any other opinions?

Capt

Anonymous - Two Christmas Songs

2009-10-10T09:20:00.006-04:00

My thoughts exactly, Grommit!

A few weeks ago, I posted an update that got quite a bit of response both online and off. More updates are in the works as well as reviews of several upcoming Christmas releases that arrived at my P.O. Box.

However, there was one package that stood apart from the rest. There was no return address and no post office markings anywhere on the envelope. The presumably Pitney-Bowes label had no evidence of its origin. I could post a photo of it but after reading the cover letter, I won't.

The cover letter was informative. The Times New Roman font was utilized, printed from MS Word (again presumably), and was left unsigned. I suppose I could go all "CSI" and dust for fingerprints and DNA while doing my best David Caruso impersonation but I won't.

The text of the letter:

"Hey Capt! Long time reader here - love the blog!

You are putting on a Christmas play and I wish you have a great run! I've been involved in theater nearly all my life and wanted to share something with you that I know you'll appreciate.

I was involved with a dinner theater for many years that put on an annual Christmas show. We spent many hours fine tuning the songs, the choreography, and putting on a great show up on its legs.

The owner of the theater thought he was a great talent. Every year, we had to deal with him inserting himself into the show several weeks after the start of rehearsals. His involvement usually threw the delicate balance of the cast into chaos and slowed the gathering momentum of the rehearsal process.

But what could we do? He was the guy who signed our checks. We were forced to tolerate it year after year.

During the last Christmas show I was involved with, the longtime sound board guy had had enough. He purposely recorded the theater owner's isolated body mike which was always kept low and buried behind the cast - listen and you'll know why. This was shared it out among several of the cast members and has become a cult classic in our theater community.

(LAST SENTENCE WITHHELD)!"

Shades of Linda McCartney!

I listened to the two songs and they are... hmmm... let's say they rank right up there with Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow, Wendy Rose, and the infamous version of "O Holy Night" that's been floating around cyberspace.

However, I'm puzzled - I'm not sure what the intentions of the sender of the package. Did he want to share this with me to play in the comfort and privacy of my own home? Did he want to get back at the theater owner in some small way and sent it to me so I could share it online?

I am asking the person or persons involved who sent me this package to send me an additional letter to seek out what their intentions are.

Please note that I removed the last sentence of the letter in the text above. Supply me with the last sentence word for word and I'll be able to spot the real person and their true intentions.

This hopefully should prevent 200 letters coming in saying "I'm the guy who sent you the package and it's okay to post it!" If you're tempted to try and guess, I ask you to save your postage for something else.

Let's hope we get a real response!

UPDATE 10/25/09: I received only one response and it was from the person (or persons) who sent it to me. They indeed did provide me with the last correct sentence of the aforementioned letter which was "Break a leg this Christmas!"

This new letter also provided me with an e-mail address that put me in touch with the gentleman who made the serendipitous recordings. The sound man asked me not to share one of the songs since it contained elements within it that would easily identify the source.

He gave me permission to share the other song and sent me an excerpt of another that I could use as well. So here is my first offering for the 2009 Christmas downloading season - brace yourself, William Hung. You got competition!

Anonymous - Two Christmas Songs

Happy listening...

Capt

A New Yuleblog Update? Really?

2009-09-21T17:20:00.000-04:00

Yeah, really! Let me see if I remember how to do this...

Several months ago, I decided to make a few changes in my life. I wanted to work less behind the computer, get into a diet and exercise regiment to lose some weight, work on ten different projects that I have neglected for far too long, and participate in two special projects with two lucky rolls of the dice.

My batting average so far: 3 for 14 = .214 average.

I succeeded in working less on the computer and did start working out at the gym right before school ended and summer began. Have you ever tried to take your three kids to the gym for a workout? It ain't pretty. However, a month ago, my youngest daughter began kindergarten and I've been hitting the gym pretty regularly. It's a work in progress.

The ten projects I wanted to accomplish are mundane things like what to transfer to DVD from my 1,500+ VHS tapes in my collection, etc.. There were a few Christmas projects on the list as well: transfer new Christmas albums to digital, start burning some of the 100-125 Christmas albums I downloaded over the past two years, etc..

This would have meant spending a significant amount of time - you guessed it - behind the computer. So I went 0 for 10 in this respect - a big fat goose egg.

As for the two special projects. The first came and went in May. It was a disappointment that I wasn't included in the project but after hearing from people about the final result (what a sad, sad story), I'm glad I wasn't involved. And to quote Mr. Gump - "That's all I have to say about that."

Now to the second special project. Towards the beginning of 2009, several of the higher ups at the theater group I volunteer for knew of my love for all things Christmas. They approached me and asked if I would be interested in collaborating with them on a Christmas play.

Throughout most of the summer, I've been gathering material suitable for a church theater revue. Tracking down the sheet music for obscure Christmas songs has been daunting at times. I've also been writing skits, researching Christmas origins and traditions for adaptation, and squeezing all of it into a two hour show.

One of the highlights for me has been contacting several of the artists of the songs I wanted to use. Mona Abboud, the woman behind the song "The Pretty Little Dolly" (ignore the video and listen to the song), gave me her blessing to use the song in the show.

Larry Nestor, the clever gent who wrote and performed "Santa Doesn't Smoke Anymore", sent me a trunk load of songs to use for the show. Two of his songs (including his anti-tobacco holiday ditty) will be used. Larry has promised to even drive down from Chicago to Fort Wayne to see the show!

Last but certainly not least, I made the decision to include "Green Chri$tma$" into the show. Several phone calls were placed to Stan Freberg's office but I got no response. I was ready to remove it from the show when a voicemail on my cell phone in July changed all that.

I'm pleased to announce that we have permission to dramatize his 1958 masterpiece - quite possibly for the first time on the stage. Uncle Stan also confided to me a never before told story behind the making of "Green Chri$tma$" that will be revealed on stage as well (Thanks Stan and Hunter!).

For those theater people around Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio, auditions for the show will be held Saturday, September 26, 2009 at First Presbyterian Theater (downtown Fort Wayne) at 1 PM. We're looking for 25 to 30 people in the cast (all ages) and eight to ten children (ages eight to fourteen). Hope to see you there!

Since I'm going to be extremely busy with this show in the next several months, this means the yuleblog will be subdued leading up to Christmas. I will be posting some pictures from rehearsals of the show and what really goes on in the green room backstage (future cast members: you've been warned).

I have about five or six new Christmas albums ready now to add to the sharity list. I don't expect to be posting much more than that. I will attempt to post some new vintage Christmas ads that I've rediscovered sitting in my basement but can't promise a thing.

To the good people in the record industry who sent me new Christmas releases last year: I thank you for sending me the CDs and I didn't review as many as I wanted to. I will do everything in my power to review new submissions to my P.O. Box BEFORE the calendar reaches December 25 even if this means banging them out at show rehearsals (hey, I know the director, okay?).

Now you're caught up. Maybe I can start production on my annual Christmas CD now...

Thanks for visiting and reading!

Capt

Vintage Christmas Ads Pt. 18 - Borg, 1955

2009-04-03T16:10:00.002-04:00

In addition to collecting Christmas music, I have collected nearly 1000 vintage Christmas ads over the years. Many of these include celebrities, radio, television, cigarettes, liquor, modern appliances, and the like.

Occasionally on Friday from here until I run out, I will feature an ad from my collection.

I invite you to add a fun comment, witticism, clever remark, or observation in the comments section provided. Any comments deemed worthy of repeating will be included into this entry where all the world will see it.

It's been quite a while since I've posted something here. After my Chicago trip, I began to look at the calendar year ahead and plan out what needs to be done in the upcoming weeks and months.

All that took a back seat to my back seat. It's been nearly 10 years since I became a stay-at-home dad. Whenever I was done tending to my kids or in between laundry cycles or whenever I got a free day home from my theater volunteer work, I would sit at the computer.

At times, I would work on my Christmas music collection. Sometimes I would work on this very blog. A lot of times I would surf the Internet as a means of escape from my daily duties. Once a day is fine. When you're doing it six or seven times a day for nearly a decade, your body does some strange things.

In short, I'm fat and I need to get healthy. I'm finally devoting my free time to working out. I've found a fitness club that I like and I'm doing my best to get there at least three times a week. If this means no updates here at the blog now, next week, month, or for the rest of the year, so be it.

In that spirit, I recently purchased this ad that I originally found online at Flickr. When I saw this ad there, I knew I had to get it - it perfectly sums up my current battle of the bulge:

(Click on image to enlarge)

When I showed this ad to my wife, she rolled her eyes - it was the first time I got her to do that with anything Christmas related in a long time.

What do you think?

Ernie says: Resistance is futile! Ha-ha. Get it? Borg...

Lauren says: Although if my significant other gave me that ad (or a scale) as a Christmas gift I think he would get more than an eye roll!

John Marshall says: That is pretty crazy to think some advertiser felt that a good gift would b a weight scale. I am guessing they didn't sell to many of those scales that year.

RachelFranco says: Merry Christmas! You weigh a whopping 400 pounds! Eat less turkey and dance more!

Any other opinions?

Capt

When Irish Eyes Are Searching ... for Christmas LPs

2009-03-16T16:32:00.001-04:00

In March of 2007, I travelled to Chicago sans wife & kids to search through the bowels of Chicago thrift stores, flea markets, and rare record stores to search for Christmas LPs for my collection. This past weekend, I travelled again to Chicago sans wife & kids to do the exact same thing.

Upon learning the news, the Chicago River turned green with envy (keep reading).

My weekend trip began last Friday and I stopped at various flea markets and antique stores along the Lincoln Highway from Fort Wayne to Chicago. I walked away with two Christmas albums (both have been shared out by our friend Ernie (Not Bert) - keep reading).

After getting to Illinois, I went to a thrift store location that two years ago had just opened, had one entire corner of their store reserved for LPs, and yielded a good portion of the titles I shared out last year. Upon my return this year, their selection was reduced to an eight ft. folding table with about 10 milk crates full of LPs. Sadly, I walked away with nothing.

Such was the case at many of the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores that were once my salvation when it came to Christmas LPs. I pressed on to the next location, then then next, and the next only to discover little to nothing for my troubles.

These stores used to have teeming vinyl bins, so fully compact that you couldn't slide your fingers inbetween albums. They are now being replaced by two or three milk crates with a smattering of LPs and only when they are empty will the stores accept more donations of albums. One suburban Goodwill store has not only stopped carrying vinyl for resale - VHS and CDs are strictly forbidden as well.

I was getting majorly depressed. So I decided right then and there to head to the mecca of all Chicago vinyl stores - Beverly Records on Western Ave. I spent nearly 45 minutes going through their nine boxes of Christmas 45s then asked entrance to the backroom and its famous wall of Christmas LPs.

I wrote about this wall in July of 2007 when I posted "A Polka Christmas" by Li'l Wally. Then the wall measured eight feet in height, 12 feet in length. I'm happy to report it's still there and OVERFLOWING onto other temporary shelves. After spending two hours at the wall, I was euphoric and came away with a good pile of albums.

I had originally planned on coming to Beverly on Sunday before I left for home but overheard one of the employees talking about the South Side St. Patrick's Day Parade. This was a March 17th Chicago tradition that I had forgotten about. "You won't even get near the store" was the direct quote.

Indeed, Irish eyes were smiling on my decision to head to Beverly Records that day - still the best place in Chicago for vinyl (thank you Dreznes family!).

On Saturday, I headed into Chicago to visit even more thrift stores and ran into the phenomenon known as the St. Patrick's Day parade and traditional dying the Chicago River green for the day:

This made travelling by car through Chicago miserable thanks to the many streets closed for parade prep and the parade itself. Thankfully, I stayed north of the river and searched through thrift stores there. Again, not much luck of the Irish in the way of LPs or Christmas albums.

I then headed to Laurie's Planet Of Sound in the Lincoln Square section of town. The owner of the store was a former acquaintance of my brother John and I and it was good reconnecting with him again. He did manage to have a good selection of Christmas LPs (including a mono copy of the Three Suns "A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas!" for $2) and I walked away with a short stack of LPs.

By now, I was getting tired of driving the streets of Chicago. I needed a pick me up. So I headed over to Nuts on Clark, several blocks from Wrigley Field, and home to the best caramel & cheese corn on the planet. I picked up some gift bags for the wife & kiddies (and a small taste o' my own), and kept driving south on Clark Street.

There are some places in the world that are truly heaven on earth. One such place for me is 1060 W. Addison Street. I have spent many days there with my family and friends. I have encountered joy, heartbreak, misery, anger, hysteria, nausea, and ever-flowing optimism from this corner on the North Side. It's a landmark, it's Valhalla, it's a ballpark. Its name is Wrigley Field:

On this day, Wrigleyville was alive thanks to the hoards of returning residents and tourists fresh off the "L" from the parade, wearing leprechaun derbies and green beads, heading to various bars for more alcohol consumption and mating rituals. Wrigley sleeps knowing that more of the same is coming in under a month when the Cubs return for another season.

I headed west on Addison to a little curio store 3/4 of a block from the ballpark called Yesterday's. It continues to sell old LIFE magazines, movie stills, film posters, vintage memorabilia, and baseball collectibles - a nod to its famous neighbor up the street. I picked up a few magazines that contain vintage Christmas ads that will continue to be a feature here.

After spending a full morning and afternoon in the city, I headed back to my hotel room to nap and get ready for another trip. That night, I spent an evening with Groucho at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet, Illinois.

Frank Ferrante is perhaps the greatest Groucho Marx interpreter / impersonator this planet has known since the original Groucho was still smoking cigars. His recent tour brought him to Joliet and I couldn't pass up the chance to take in his wonderful show and laugh again and again at the genius of the one, the only...

I got a great front row seat (thanks Frank!) and watched as Jim Furmston, his pianist, played a rickety, badly out of tune grand piano to perfection. Frank hit the stage, transformed into Groucho, and explained that he was sharing the same stage Groucho, Chico, and Harpo used back in 1935 to fine tune their upcoming movie "A Night At The Opera".

The audience and I had a great time and it was great catching up with Frank and Jim after the show. We exchanged gifts (two vintage Marx Brothers stills from Yesterday's went to Frank - Jim gave me a copy of a children's book he did the music for), more laughs, and danced until the cows came home.

Yesterday morning, I awoke late and went to my final two thrift stores that were on the road to Indiana and home. I came away with nothing thanks to the minuscule selection of LPs both carried.

I stopped at one flea market and found a copy of Spike Jones' "Let's Sing A Song Of Christmas" in fair condition. I asked the elderly vendor for a price and he quoted $15. "Nope, too much money" I thought out loud. The vendor was a wee bit miffed - "That is the book price for that album."

Certain flea marketers strictly go by the book - anything Elvis is always $10 to $15 more expensive than anything else on his ship shod table of treasures. My weekend of trying to find Christmas albums was ending in an argument over a Spike Jones record. It was time to call it quits. Later that evening, I arrived home to many hugs from my family.

Overall, I came home with about 20 albums in total - half of which have already been posted along the sharity network:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Albums pictured from top to bottom (my reviews where applicable):

The Three Suns - A Ding Dong Dandy Christmas (MONO)

Eddie Dunstedter - Christmas Candy (review)

Jan Garber - Christmas Dance Party (STEREO) (review)

Robert John Carwithen - The Bells On Christmas Morn

Lorne Greene - Have A Happy Holiday (review)

The King Family - Christmas With

Thurlow Spurr & The Spurrlows - Christmas: Time For Song (review)

Peter Wood Singers - Jolly Christmas Songs (review)

Andre Kostelanetz - Wonderland Of Christmas (review)

The Holiday Bells - Ring The Bells On Christmas Day

One moment - that "Holiday Bells" album of mine is different than the one I just linked. Hmmm... And my King Family album is in stereo while the linked copy is mono... differences, differences.

So I have several new albums to add to the share stack - which all depends on my schedule with my family, two special projects that are beginning to see the light of day (details will be released when I'm officially able to), and the production of my annual Christmas CD. Wait and see.

I didn't find as many new Christmas LPs like I hoped but the wild Irish ride was well worth it. Thanks you wife and kids for allowing me a few days of R & R - back to the regularly scheduled life already in progress.

Capt

Old Hawaiian Christmas (SeaWest Records)

2009-03-11T13:51:00.001-04:00

Last week, I reviewed a Christmas comp that was the last present I received last December. This CD was the very first present I received.

Back in November, my good friend Martin Johns sent me his annual Christmas comps (which I'll be reviewing some time down the road). Inside the box was a wrapped Christmas package that read "DO NOT OPEN 'TIL DEC. 25". I dutifully tucked it under the tree and there it remained until Christmas morning.

What went through my mind on Christmas morning as my kids tore through their gifts with this CD staring at me in the face? I remembered reviewing Martin's 2005 comp "No Rain, No Rainbow: A Contemporary Hawaiian Christmas" and mentioning this very CD when reviewing a version of "Jingle Bells" in Hawaiian:

WOW! "Jingle Bells" in Hawaiian! Featured on the 2001 comp "Old Hawaiian Christmas" which is OOP? I'm about to cry here...

I also remembered that a year earlier, I sampled a track from Martin's comp for my 2007 Christmas CD - the hilarious track of the SeaWest Artists trying to record "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" played on the ukulele that came from this very CD.

I wanted to give Martin a hug - this was totally unexpected, I was thrilled to no end, and it added another great Christmas memory to a long line of Christmas memories. Without a doubt, it was the best wrapped Christmas CD I had ever received:

As you could tell by the date on the picture, I had a hard time opening this one up - the wrapping was such a festive part of the CD. But how does one listen to the music? I finally opened the CD and the cats had a field day with the ribbons.

I wish there was more I could tell you about SeaWest Records - their website seems to be offline, their recording studios in Pahoa, Hawaii are still open by all accounts, and searching for other releases on their label has come up short. Can anyone add any details?

I did manage to find a mini-review of this album from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin along with other Hawaiian Christmas releases in 2001. But nothing else much. Sooooo...

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Leka & D Nui of Ka'u - Old Hawaiian Christmas
This reworking of Lee Greenwood's "Lone Star Christmas" isn't too Hawaiian nor too Christmas. Next...

2.) Kevin & Joe of Pa'ani Pila - Mele Kalikimaka
This is a fool-proof song; you can't really screw it up and Lord knows many have tried. These guys do a fine job with their version.

3.) Bryan Kessler - What Child Is This?
A simple acoustic guitar with added surf effects gives it just a touch of a Hawaiian feel. Okay.

4.) Bradshaw Ellis of Pu'uwai - Po Hemolele
A lone ukulele, Bradshaw's fine tenor, add some great backing vocals, and you have an amazing Hawaiian version of "O Holy Night".

5.) Bruddah Smitty - Please Come Home For Christmas
With a great song and above par singing voice, how can you go wrong? From note one, it sounds like the entire band is on a programmed synthesizer churning out the beat (despite a fine harmonica solo). A canned feel throughout...

6.) Ken Emerson & Jordyn Pung - (Walking In A) Winter Wonderland
Ken plays the lap steel guitar and Jordyn shows an amazing maturity for a then-8th grader on vocals! The end result is a great version of this winter song!

7.) D Nui & Leka of Ka'u - Pretty Paper
Now we're talking - the guitars give it the Christmas feel and the fine Willie Nelson lyrics are sung well!

8.) Bruddah Smitty - Christmas Big Island
WOW! Very good original song by Smitty - no band in a can here!

9.) Ken Emerson & Orchestra - O Holy Night
Ken's guitar talents are on full display with both acoustic & lap steel guitar - the orchestra is fully synthesized and detracts whenever Ken isn't playing.

10.) Alicia Bay Laurel - Festival Of Lights
Man, this is so tranquil and Christmas-ey, I can't stand it! Laurel especially composed this song for this album and it deserves to be heard! Absolutely wonderful.

11.) Na Leo 'o Leilani - Jingle Bell Rock
To quote the liner notes: Na Leo 'o Leilani are a group of friends who got together at the recording studio... just for fun. [Producer] Rick played the guitar, ukuleles, and bass (all at the same time)... what a guy. Why not join us and 'sing along' with Jingle Bell Rock! I pass judgement on this one.

12.) Kevin & Joe of Pa'Ani Pila - Po La'i'e / Silent Night
Sung in English, Hawaiian, and both toward the end. Very reverent and Hawaiian all at once.

13.) Lindsey Trinidad - Merry Christmas Darling
Lindsey was a 16 yr. old high school student at the time of recording. Many synthesizers in effect.

14.) Ka'u featuring D Nui - Kani Na Pele / Jingle Bells
Sung straight in Hawaiian - this is more fun than a one horse open sleigh ride!

15.) SeaWest Artists - We Wish You A Merry Christmas
It gets funnier every time I hear it. Aw nerts!

This Christmas CD is out of print so if you can find a used copy, grab it because the pluses outweigh the negatives on this comp. Some tracks were great, others good, a few bad. But even the bad tracks have their moments to those without a Hawaiian Christmas ear.

"Old Hawaiian Christmas" is the 17th Hawaiian Christmas CD in my collection - Christmas organ took over as the largest sub-genre in my collection a while back. If I were to add two or three more Hawaiian Christmas CDs, it's right back at the top of the list. I have found a new goal for 2009!

Martin, many many mahalos for this gift. I'm glad to have it but even more happier to have you as a friend.

Capt