Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 271 - Introducing Some Christmas Classics That Leaves the Heart Feeling Warm and Fuzzy

The season of Christmas songs is here!

The footsteps of December are already approaching. Before we know it, the season when Christmas songs begin to fill the streets. So this time, I would like to introduce some albums compiled as a collection of Christmas songs that are truly worth listening to.

Countless Christmas albums are released every year, and this season is expected to be a full-on release rush. As for the content, it’s a real mixed bag. Some are hits, others are misses. If we’re going to listen, we want high-quality albums filled with great sound from skilled musicians. Here, I would like to introduce such wonderful albums and songs.

After all, Christmas songs are essentially standard songs we’ve been hearing since we were children. Heartwarming Christmas songs are a must-have item in December. When the temperature drops, it’s almost like a kind of winter wear, and it’s no exaggeration to say that they feel as comforting as a cashmere scarf. The many beautiful melodies that were unknowingly imprinted in our memories make us feel nostalgic and warm the moment they reach our ears. Let’s explore albums and songs like those.

■ Recommended Album: Fourplay SNOWBOUND (1999)

Released in 1999, this is a masterpiece by Fourplay and an album themed around Christmas. With the classic sound of Christmas bells inserted throughout, it’s filled with a strong holiday atmosphere.
Tracks such as “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Amazing Grace”overflow with the Christmas spirit.
These Christmas songs are performed by master musicians Bob James, Larry Carlton, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason, and needless to say, the results are outstanding.
Sophisticated performances paired with sophisticated arrangements. It has a musical cohesion and persuasiveness rarely found in concept albums.

Recommended Track: “SNOWBOUND”

Among all the songs on this album, this is the most unexpected and noteworthy track. This piece elevates the quality of the entire album by several levels. The reason is that the songwriters are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, members of Steely Dan.
Compared to Fourplay’s usual tunes, this one has several extra twists and layers, making it feel almost unusual for them—and because of that, it tightens and enhances the feel of the entire album.
Another interesting point is that the piece is performed not by Fagen and Becker themselves, but by Fourplay. The sound is completely different from that of Steely Dan.
The chorus “Snowbound～♪” repeats in the A section, over which Larry Carlton’s guitar and Bob James’s electric piano overlap. There are moments when you might think, “Maybe this isn’t really a Christmas song,” but the “Snowbound～♪” chorus consistently pulls you back into Christmas mode. It is a Christmas song, yet it carries an unusual quality that feels oddly enchanting.
The electric piano Bob James plays is likely not a Fender Rhodes but a Yamaha digital synthesizer Motif, designed to emulate the Rhodes sound. It has a distinctive digital character that a real Rhodes doesn’t possess. In fact, this kind of tone may suit a band like Fourplay better than a traditional Rhodes would.

Recommended Track: “CHRISTMAS SONG”

When it comes to Christmas songs, you naturally want to hear a vocal track. The one who delivers the vocals on this standard number, with his distinctive phrasing, is Eric Benét.
Eric Benét, born in 1966 in the U.S., is known for his soft, sweet velvet voice. His style is infused with jazz and gospel that carries a unique warmth. When it comes to smooth numbers, his compatibility with this band is second to none.
Bob James’s electric piano solo is outstanding with his signature sense of timing. The moment where Larry Carlton’s guitar solo is layered with Eric Benét’s scat singing may well be the biggest highlight of this track. After that, the scat transitions into a synthesizer pad that moves to the background behind the guitar. It’s an arrangement that’s quintessentially Fourplay.
In the outro, when Benét alters the melody with a tasteful fake, Bob James follows with a fill on electric piano that intentionally plays slightly “outside”. It’s a stylish touch.

■ Recommended Album: Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin’ (1964)

Released in 1964, this is a masterpiece Christmas album by Jimmy Smith on the Verve label.
The producer was the great Creed Taylor. This album was created with the combination of a big band with Jimmy Smith’s Hammond on organ, which was a groundbreaking concept at the time. This album showcases Creed Taylor’s sharp insight as a producer.
I believe that Jimmy Smith identified the direction for his later hit album THE CAT with this album.
Christmas songs pair extremely well with the Hammond organ, which at times creates a moody atmosphere and at other times delivers a luxurious musical presence.

Recommended Track: “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

Here you can hear Jimmy Smith’s one-and-only Hammond playing. Accompanying the organ is Kenny Burrell on guitar.
The ensemble of these two jazz masters alternates between harmonizing with the melody and moving into backing, using a versatile approach that turns this piece into a bluesy yet fun Christmas song.
Jimmy Smith’s solo is rooted in classic blues and makes extensive use of his signature fast runs. It’s a performance that serves as a textbook example of Hammond organ playing.
Sonically, the sound is very dry, with no apparent use of a Leslie speaker. Reverb is kept to a minimum. Normally, one might spin the Leslie for long tones or add vibrato, but here, neither vibrato nor chorus is used.
The deliberate choice to maintain a dry sound may have been directed by Creed Taylor. Even so, the performance doesn’t feel flat thanks to Jimmy Smith’s unique sense of rhythm.

Musicians, Albums, and Recommended Tracks Featured This Time

• Artists: Bob James, Nathan East, Larry Carlton, Harvey Mason, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, and others
• Albums: SNOWBOUND, Christmas Cookin’
• Recommended Tracks: “SNOWBOUND”, “THE CHRISTMAS SONG”, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

⇒ List of synthesizers

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