The table is set, the lights are turned down just the right amount to make the room sparkle and the cheesy Christmas decorations are hidden in another room – leaving only the very tasteful decorations you share with company.

Now shove the kids in another room with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and enjoy one night as an adult.

Hit shuffle on your Christmas Party Playlist and in the words of my favorite Jazz DJ Larry Smith “Sit back, relax, and let’s swing together.”

 

A Swinging Jazz Christmas Playlist

The top links go straight to YouTube (at the bottom is the complete YouTube playlist)

The starred links* go to  iTunes so you can download your own

 

Merry Christmas Baby – Kenny Burrell and Richard Evans
*Merry Christmas Baby – Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas

Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Bill Evans
*Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas

We Three Kings – Ralph Sutton, Jim Galloway, Milt Hilton and Gus Johnson*
*We Three Kings – Christmas Jazz Greats (Extended Version)

White Christmas – Oscar Peterson
*White Christmas – An Oscar Peterson Christmas

Silent Night – Ellis Marsalis
*Silent Night (feat. Bill Huntington & Jason Marsalis) – A New Orleans Christmas Carol (Gold Edition)

What Are You Doing New Years Eve? – Ramsey Lewis
*What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? – Sound of Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas – The Four Freshman*
*I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Snowfall

The Christmas Waltz – Beegie Adair
*The Christmas Waltz – Jazz Piano Christmas

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman – Butch Thompson*
*God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Yulestride

Oh Good Grief – Wynton and Ellis Marsalis
*Oh, Good Grief! – Joe Cool’s Blues

Christmas is Coming – David Benoit*
*Christmas Is Coming – 40 Years – A Charlie Brown Christmas

O Christmas Tree – Russell Malone
*O Christmas Tree – Martha Stewart Living Music: Jazz for the Holidays

Christmas Time is Here – Vince Guaraldi
*Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) – A Charlie Brown Christmas (Expanded Edition)

We Three Kings of Orient Are – Oliver Jones
*We Three Kings of Orient Are – A Celebration in Time

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Oliver Jones

Jingle Bells – Jimmy Smith
*Jingle Bells – Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas

The Christmas Song – Peter White
*The Christmas Song – Songs of the Season

 

Or listen to most of the list here by clicking play!

Thanks for listening!