Track Listing

1. Carol of the Bells
2. Silent Night
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. Little Drummer Boy
5. We the Three Kings
6. Oh Tannenbaum
7. Sleigh Ride
8. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
10. Winter Wonderland
11. Jingle Bells
12. O Come All Ye Faithful
13. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #188201 in Music
• Released on: 1989-07-20
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com essential recording
Christmas jazz albums come and go with each end-of-year holiday season. And while they may make for good soundtracks to that holiday spirit, rarely do they stand up as much more than that, and certainly not as anything approaching a serious listen. While the material here may be rendered in the familiar Christmas spirit of good cheer (check out Wynton Marsalis on the back cover with mismatched green and red socks decking out his white suit), and the songs are in the familiar Christian tradition of the holiday, the arrangements are fresh and are delivered with memorable turns on "Silent Night" by opera diva Kathleen Battle, and on "Sleigh Ride" by Jon Hendricks. The playing is spirited and the material is dealt with in a manner suggesting great care in both delivery and arrangement. --Willard Jenkins

Customer Reviews

This is an exquisite holiday CD
I picked this one up 5 years ago and have enjoyed it every Christmas since. With the exception of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (I don't know what he was thinking on that one), all of the songs are exceptionally well-crafted. This is a perfect CD for trimming the tree. Along with A Motown Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Jingle Bell Jazz, this is a holiday essential.

Great jazz...that happens to be a Christmas recording
This is hands-down the best Christmas recording I've ever heard. A lot of artist feel it necessary to record their favorite Christmas songs and this is no exception. However, Marsalis takes the music to the next step and the result is nothing short of brilliance. With the soothing operatic voice blending perfectly with his trumpet on 'Silent Night' to the bass lines of 'Twas the Night' bringing the song to life - this entire CD is a treat and will immediately put the holiday season in your heart. Cresent City Christmas Card truly is part of Wynton's impressive resume - and not just an isolated Christmas recording. If you're a Marsalis fan - this CD is a must.

Merry Christmas!
I really enjoy playing this one when it gets to be this time of year. It's a well-played Christmas album. I especially enjoy the version of "Silent Night" with Kathleen Battle, "Carol Of The Bells", "Let It Snow", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland" and of course "Twas The Night Before Christmas". I thought it was cool how Wynton did the narration along with the music. He sounds good on here. Check this out along with the Tonight Show Band's Christmas album for these purposes.