Holiday Soundtracks
Last night I had my son running back and forth as I pulled out all the Hanukkah-appropriate music. Perhaps it's some small annoyance for the neighbors to hear eight nights of wailing clarinets. My wife stood by at this annual ritual, particular as I pulled out the one album I will play all the time: Old World Beat by Klezmer Conservatory Band.
It was Summer last year that my wife notice that I reliably listen to the same few albums on every holiday that comes around. After all, it was Independence Day, and for the umpteenth year in a row we were listening to Erich Kunzel conducting Aaron Copland's Rodeo as we drove to CT to see my in-laws. And on the way back we listened--also for the umpteenth year in a row--to Woody Guthrie.
I don't know why I am so reliable on this, or whether its weird or not. I have lots of Klezmer and American music, but I tend to cycle through the same few albums on the holidays.
So here are my reliable holiday soundtracks, by holiday. Some of them have obvious tie ins. Some carry personal meaning.
Hanukkah:
Klezmer Conservatory Band, Old World Beat
Itzhak Perman, In the Fiddler's House
New Year's Eve:
REM, Automatic for the People
Valentine's Day:
Sibelius Symphony N. 2
Ben Webster. Stormy Weather
Passover:
Klezmatics, Jews with Horns
Philip Glass, Akhnaten
Emil Zrihan, Ashkelon
Cinco de Mayo
Rolas de Aztl
It was Summer last year that my wife notice that I reliably listen to the same few albums on every holiday that comes around. After all, it was Independence Day, and for the umpteenth year in a row we were listening to Erich Kunzel conducting Aaron Copland's Rodeo as we drove to CT to see my in-laws. And on the way back we listened--also for the umpteenth year in a row--to Woody Guthrie.
I don't know why I am so reliable on this, or whether its weird or not. I have lots of Klezmer and American music, but I tend to cycle through the same few albums on the holidays.
So here are my reliable holiday soundtracks, by holiday. Some of them have obvious tie ins. Some carry personal meaning.
Hanukkah:
Klezmer Conservatory Band, Old World Beat
Itzhak Perman, In the Fiddler's House
New Year's Eve:
REM, Automatic for the People
Valentine's Day:
Sibelius Symphony N. 2
Ben Webster. Stormy Weather
Passover:
Klezmatics, Jews with Horns
Philip Glass, Akhnaten
Emil Zrihan, Ashkelon
Cinco de Mayo
Rolas de Aztl
Comments
Herb Alpert - Christmas Album Herb Alpert music played in my parent's house all year, and at Christmas this was always in heavy rotation. A classic.
Bert Kaempfert - Christmas Wonderland This album is indispensable, at least to me. It's just not Christmas without it.
Edit: Wha??? Is this out of print too? So many Amazon reviewers wrote the same as I did above. A travesty.
Don Janse - The Little Drummer Boy This album has been released under several titles. It's out of print but i've seen it on a music blog for download. Just sayin'. I love this album so much that I ordered the vinyl from a used record place.
and remember everyone can celebrate Chrimus