This Year's Case of the Holiday Spirit

It's the show before Christmas. Every year I try to serve up something special... or at least off the beaten path. 

The holidays are a time when embrace (or at least tolerate) a well-known rotation of seasonal songs. We turn a blind eye to cute and indulgent tropes... we even allow occasional cheesiness, and of course big tugs on our heartstrings. In that spirit I offer today's mix.

I try each year to pick a batch of songs from the international playbook that conjure the emotions we associate with the holiday season and holiday music. Jolly, sentimental, and holy sounds are welcome today.

I start off today's set with some rootsy island fare; it somehow adds up to a jolly winter vibe, not unlike the Jamaican bobsled team. I'll play a suite of festive themes from the classic Dom Salvador LP "Som, Sangue e Raça" before we end the first hour with a set of holiday slow jams.

The second hour today starts to call up the holy... we'll hear some spiritual chants as we build to a 3-song set from the stunning 1992 debut LP of South African jazzman Bheki Mseleku, "Celebration," issued on vinyl for the first time ever this year. We wrap up today's set with some joyful jazzy serenity.

Happy holidays, see you next week with my annual New Year's Jazz show.