Season’s Greetings (a Blues Roots holiday songs redux times 3)

[Don D.]

Season’s Greetings! Wishing all of you the best of the rest of this year and a happy, healthy, productive 2023! If this sounds a little familiar, it is.

Lightnin’ Hopkins had quite a few Christmas songs

1953

1953

1962

1964

Robert Nighthawk 1964

Lowell Fulson

Ray Charles

Charles Brown (see full album at bottom)

Amos Milburn

Chuck Berry

Freddie King

Don’t miss this one…

Lester Williams (“Winter without your baby, you might as well be dead”)

Smokey Hogg

John Lee Hooker

Eddie C. Campbell

Lefty Dizz

Sonny Boy Williamson (the second Sonny Boy, Aleck Rice Miller)

Koko Taylor

Sonny Rhodes

Finis Tasby with Enrico Crivellaro

Etta James

Rosco Gordon

Albert King

B.B. King (see album at bottom)

Clarence Carter

Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

Paul Oscher

Carey Bell

Cephas & Wiggins

Canned Heat’s Christmas album…

Canned Heat’s “Christmas Boogie”

Little Ed and the Blues Imperials

Kenny Neal

Jimmy Witherspoon

Charles Brown’s Christmas Album

B.B. King A Christmas Celebration of Hope

Leroy Carr was a pianist and songwriter (“How Long, How Long,” “Blues Before Sunrise” among others), who lived a short but very productive life. Although this is an oversimplification and a generality, his music was largely responsible for the modernization and sophistication of the blues (he often teamed up with master guitarist Scrapper Blackwell, like on this song). Here’s a sad Christmas song from him.

Same title but a much lighthearted take, a whole different song.

Here’s a rocking Christmas song from the great Billy Boy Arnold.

Here’s another rocker from the Drifters.

Jimmy Liggins and His Drops of Joy

Mabel Scott with Les Welch and His Orchestra

Frankie Lymon

Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson and His Orchestra

Little Esther & Mel Walker with Johnny Otis’ Congregation

A very nice Christmassy R&B playlist

A sweet old one from Queen Victoria Spivey to close things up, sounds like her regular partner, Lonnie Johnson, on guitar.

Don D.

Topic

[sunjamr]

That’s a real treasure trove of blues Xmas songs, Don. I’ll be working my way through those when I get back home in a few days. Thanks for taking the time to assemble these!

Sunjamr Steve

[Don D.]

I’m glad you found this, Steve. I just found one more interesting tidbit and added it.

Don D.

[Don D.]

Adding a great one, so I put it in the main post next year, Kenny Burrell’s Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas

Don D.

[Don D.]

Here’s an interesting addition for this year. A few down the page, Louis Armstrong reads “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Don D.

[Don D.]

From Freddie King’s brother Benny Turner.

Not blues, but I think I want to include it next year. An instrumental Christmas LP by the heaviest hitters in the LA studio scene at the time. Pre-Wrecking Crew recording date by Wrecking Crew legends.

Don D.

[satellite]

Hello again Don, greetings from Nepal where there is no sign of Christmas…I’ll be digging into this when no-one is listening! Thanks for posting!

[Don D.]

Hello there satellite! Good to hear from you! Here’s one more that I’ll put in the main list next year. I hope you have a great holiday.

Don D.

[Don D.]

I’ll add these to the main list next year.

Ray Charles, The Spirit of Christmas

“Santa Claus, Santa Claus,” by Louis Jordan

Don D.

[Don D.]

Merry Christmas

Don D.

[Robert B]

Thanks Mr. Don D.
Great collection !
Rob

[Don D.]

Hey Rob, I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Here’s to a healthy and productive year to come!

Don D.

[Author]

Replies