This is my final night of Christmas musical selections that if I could be a radio program director for one day, I’d slide into the format.

Christmas music is love and Santa and reindeer and hippopotamuses and chipmunks and marshmallows and winter wonderlands and your favorite things. But the best and true Christmas music reminds us of why we celebrate, as they’ve been saying in recent times, “the reason for the season.”

Every year, Hallmark puts out a special Christmas CD featuring guest artists, normally backed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The great Diana Ross loved to tell the story of that first Christmas in, “It’s Christmas Time.”

Diana Ross is a contemporary artist lending her voice to that contemporary song. Let’s go back in time to a traditional French Christmas carol done in recent years by Michael Gettel. Sit back, relax, and enjoy Il Est Ne.

I close with the greatest Christmas carol of them all.

Christmas historian Bill Egan, a retired Navy photojournalist and resident of Flagler Beach, Florida, is a staff writer for Year 'Round Christmas Magazine and provides Christmas research for Charles Osgood of "The Osgood File" on the CBS Radio Network. Gabriele Wolf of ANTO Media Relations says that Bill Egan is the foremost "Silent Night" scholar in the U.S. and the Daytona Beach News-Journal says that he is one of the world's leading experts on the origins of this carol.

Egan wrote this piece, “The Song Heard ‘Round the World.”

(190) years ago the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar. On each of the six verses, the choir repeated the last two lines in four-part harmony.

On that Christmas Eve, a song was born that would wing its way into the hearts of people throughout the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is sung by untold millions every December from small chapels in the Andes to great cathedrals in Antwerp and Rome.

Today books, films and Internet sites are filled with fanciful tales purporting to tell the history of "Silent Night." Some tell of mice eating the bellows of the organ creating the necessity for a hymn to be accompanied by a guitar. Others claim that Joseph Mohr was forced to write the words to a new carol in haste since the organ would not play. A recent film, created for Austrian television places Oberndorf in the Alps and includes evil railroad barons and a double-dealing priest, while a recent book by a German author places a zither in the hands of Franz Gruber and connects Joseph Mohr with a tragic fire engulfing the city of Salzburg. You can read claims that "Silent Night" was sung on Christmas Eve in 1818 and then forgotten by its creators. Of course, the latter are easily discounted by manuscript arrangements of the carol by both Mohr and Gruber which were produced at various times between 1820 and 1855.

In this age of tabloid journalism, it's not surprising that some feel it necessary to invent frivolous anecdotes and create fables for a story that is quite beautiful in its simplicity.

You can read the entire article here about the history of this beloved, sacred hymn.

Here is a lovely rendition in a lovely setting of Silent Night by Andre Rieu. Goodnight, FranklinNOW. I wish you and yours a very joyous Christmas!

I continue my audio Christmas card to you with Christmas music you should hear more often but don’t. This is good background while you’re working at the computer, and if you hear something you like, it’s all available at your favorite record, I mean CD store.

Tonight’s theme is smooth and mellow. No Brian Setzer or Harry Connick, Jr. this time. Let’s start with Milwaukee native Daryl Stuermer.

Here’s a great version of “I Saw Three Ships” from David Arkenstone.

One of the best saxophone players in the word, so good that he has backed up numerous other performers on their recordings…..Tom Scott.

On the flute, Dave Valentin

Have you mellowed out? I think it’s nice to hear something other than Bing, Frank, Nat and Andy every once in awhile. I hope you enjoyed listening as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Goodnight, FranklinNOW and Merry Christmas!

In my "More music of Christmas" series, I've been trying to highlight holiday tunes you don't hear enough of, but should, especially with radio stations playing Chrsitmas music 24/7 since, it seems, Labor Day. Since it's a Saturday night, I thought I'd try to create a lounge-like atmosphere. The corresponding videos may not be anything to write home about, but the music, the music is the attraction with selections that take you back to a different time and lifestyle. So keep the tree lit, dim everything else, grab a Tom and Jerry or hot cocoa, relax, enjoy.

We begin with a married duo that were everywhere on TV in the 60's and 70's. Man, can they sing....Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.

I think Eydie Gorme's whispers can rattle windows.

Here's another phemoenal femal voice. A Benny Goodman discovery, her website says, "Critic George Hoefer of "Downbeat" magazine has called her 'the greatest white female jazz singer since Mildred Bailey,' and Leonard Feather in 'The Encyclopedia of Jazz' (Horizon, 1960) has described her as 'one of the most sensitive and jazz-oriented singers in the pop field.'"

She is Peggy Lee.

Regular readers know I'm an Elvis fan. The King recorded one of Peggy Lee's biggest hits and also sang it often in concert: "Fever."

Now something unique. This next performer couldn't get along with Glenn Miller and only played briefly with Jimmy Dorsey before forming his own big band that had an unconventional style and composition: one trumpet, one French horn, five saxes, and three rhythm. Ray Anthony pefromed for over six decades. It's a shame FM radio doesn't play, "Christmas Trumpets."





Time to get smooth.

I mean.......smooth,

Real smooth.

I'm talkin........

Smmmooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth.

In 1959, this future Grammy winner appeared on "The Dick Clark Show," and in the 60's opened for the Beatles at their stadium concert in Cincinnati. Before truly hitting it big, like many performers, this silky-voiced singer had to work in less than glamorous spots.

About the 60's, his website says, "During this period, (he) began his hip monologues about life and love on 'World of Trouble' and 'Tobacco Road,' each more than seven minutes long. Called 'pre-rap' by some, for (him) they grew out of necessity. 'I was working in little joints where the stage would be behind the bar. So you were standing right over the cash register and the crushed ice machine. You'd be swinging and the waitress would yell, 'I want 12 beers and four martinis!' And then the dude would put the ice in the crusher. There had to be a way to get the attention of the people. So instead of just starting in singing, I would just start in talking the song.'  His 'raps' were so popular that 1967's 'Dead End Street' won him his first Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance."

Lou Rawls died January 6, 2006. What a voice.

You may not have heard of him or recognize his name, but there's no doubt you've heard his work. Percy Faith had monstrous success with lush orchestral arrangements. We just herad Lou Rawls with "Christmas Is." Same title, different song from Percy Faith.

OK, string players, enter. Good stuff here in this medley from the Hollyridge Strings.

OK, here's a musical question for you. Have you ever heard of Eddie Dunstedter?

Does he sing?

Play an instrument?

Lead a band?

You say you've never heard of Eddie Dunstedter?

Well you're in for a treat.

IT'S BOSSA NOVA TIME! (Just click on the play button on the video to the right when you open the link)

Thank you, music lovers!

Time to close our Christmas Lounge. I hope you've enjoyed these rarely heard tunes. We end with a Billy May version of a Christmas classic. By the way, if you enjoyed this edition of, "More music of Christmas," most of the selections are available on the "Christmas Cocktails" CD.

Have a great evening, and Merry Christmas!

EVERYBODY MAMBO!

My wife and I just spent our babymoon in the 50th state. Right along with the tropical breezes and warm temperatures were plenty of seasonal decorations and lots of holiday music. This could be construed as audio and/or video torture, but given our climate as of late, I thought it would actually be nice to share some tunes Jennifer and I saw performed in Hawaii. 

Bing Crosby recorded 6 Christmas songs with the Andrews Sisters for Decca Records. Here's the well-known 1950 tune, "Mele Kalikimaka." (If this becomes too painful and you must turn away, I think I understand).

In 1968, Tony Bennett recorded a Christmas album entitled, “Snowfall.”  Other than some recordings for a special Hallmark CD a few years ago, Bennett hasn’t recorded a Christmas album in 40 years. This Christmas season, Bennett has released, “A Swingin’ Christmas” that also features the Count Basie Big Band.

According to Bennett’s website, “’Tony Bennett: A Swingin' Christmas was recorded live on the stage of Bergen Pac in Englewood, NJ, keeping with Bennett's mandate to embrace the live aspect of performing in the recording process. The Count Basie Orchestra joined Bennett for the sessions and jazz pianist Monty Alexander took on the role of Count Basie at piano.”

Tony Bennett is one of the few, if only crooners left from a golden age of great male vocalists.Over 80, he still can belt it out a great song. Here's Bennett singing from his new CD on the Today Show:

Earlier tonight, ABC broadcast one of the greatest Christmas TV classics, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Throughout the enchanting half hour, Charlie Brown desperately searches to find the true meaning of Christmas. His tiny friend, Linus, supplies the answer.






So much great music in that animated special from Vince Guaraldi. Everyone's doing it today, from solo pianists to symphony orchestras. Here's a version you don't hear much, if at all, on your nearest radio station. The jazz quartet Fourplay is a highly talented group comprised of Larry Carlton, Harvey Mason, Bob James, and Nathan East.

No fancy video here with ice skaters and lights and snow drenched pine trees. Goodnight, FranklinNOW and Merry Christmas! Just sit back and relax to Fourplay's, "Christmastime is Here."

I so very much wanted to create a series of blogs this year as I did in 2007 highlighting Christmas music. Time this season just didn't allow me to produce the blogs in the manner I wanted to. Instead, for th next several days right up until Christmas, I will sign off my blog with a song I find special or enjoy and hope you will, too. I might even toss in a number I consider obscure that deserves more exposure and radio play.

The newest Christmas CD in the Fischer collection this year is the incredible ELVIS Christmas Duets CD. The CD features a remixed version of a rockin' Christmas classic, performed the way only the King could. I believe Elvis' version of this popular toe tapper is the best ever. Written back in 1934 and a favorite among the big bands, the song enjoys tremendous airplay today. Please enjoy the 2008 version by Elvis, then go out and buy the CD.

Go ahead. I dare you to try not to sing along. Goodnight, FranklinNOW, and Merry Christmas.