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December 11th, 2005 Edition #388 Previously 
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Special
Presentation: A Café
Jazz Christmas ! |
Complete playlist:
One Year Ago:
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Highlights Hour One CD: Snowbound (1999) |
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Baby,
It's Cold Outside - Vanessa Williams & Bobby Caldwell:
Almost an instant classic, this selection was written by the noted songwriter Frank Loesser and first appeared in the film Neptune's Daughter released in 1949. The track was an Oscar-winning composition and was performed twice in the movie, once by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban and then by Red Skelton and Betty Garrett. In the years since, it's been recorded hundreds of times including versions by Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong & Velma Middleton, Diane Reeves & Lou Rawls, Elle Fitzgerald and many many more. However, one of our favourite treatments remains this effort from Vanessa Williams & Bobby Caldwell. It first appeared on Williams' Star Bright release in 1996 and then on Caldwell's Timeline - The Anthology Part 1 a couple of years later. It was also released as a single to radio just over a year ago. Regardless of which source you go to for this track, it's well worth the effort as it's perfect listening for the holidays! CD: Star Bright (1996) Label: Mercury Sites: Vanessa Williams ; Bobby Caldwell |
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Silent
Night - Al Jarreau & Lee Ritenour:
As the story goes, it was just a few days before Christmas in 1818 that Joseph Mohr, the pastor of a small church in Austria discovered the church organ was broken. This was viewed as highly catastrophic as it meant no music for Christmas Mass. That Christmas Eve, Mohr visited Franz Xaver Gruber, a friend who lived a nearby town, bringing with him a poem he had written a couple of years earlier. He hoped that Gruber who was the church choirmaster and organist, could set the poem to music. Within a matter of a few hours, Gruber composed the melody for "Stille Nacht", which was set for two voices with guitar & choral accompaniment, and helped Mohr perform it for the first time on December 25th, 1818. In the nearly 200 years since that time, the melody has been somewhat modified on a few occasions. It's been translated from its original German into hundreds of languages, it's been recorded literally thousands of times and it's become one of the most celebrated selections of all time. As such, it would seem only fitting to have two of the most celebrated artists in Smooth Jazz collaborate on the track. Al Jarreau is the only vocalist in history to be presented with Grammy awards in three different categories and in 2001; he was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Lee Ritenour for his part has received 17 Grammy nominations, he's been named #1 in numerous guitar polls, and he's recorded several gold albums. Combine the talents of these two outstanding performers and you have one of the finest interpretations of this most beloved Christmas Carol! Jarreau's styling preserves the mood of reverence while Ritenour incorporates a terrific Latin groove which brings this selection squarely into the 21st century! CD: Making Spirits Bright (2001) Label: GRP Sites: Al Jarreau ; Lee Ritenour |
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| Highlights Hour Two | ||
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Driving
Home for Christmas - Chris Rea: |
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Winter
Wonderland - Hiroshima: |
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Do
You Hear What I Hear? - Rauder & Hobbs: |
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| After Hours ~ Exclusive to our Web Site: | |
| Ho Ho
Ho! No need to ask if you've been naughty or nice, I know that you've
been very nice! So as a special treat you're getting a full hour of great
uninterrupted seasonal music with no annoying chatter from me whatsoever.
So just click on the paw on our audio page for music and click on the
paw here for a complete playlist. |
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