Sunday Afternoon Listening Café #8

It Feels like Christmas Time, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

I have been caught up in the Christmas events whirlwind so you are getting this in the afternoon!

I am a big fan of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and this is their third (!) album of their take on Christmas classics. They are always more fun with some swing! I have been unable to find a source that has all the album credits so there are vocalists on the album that I can't find out anything about - if someone has a source I would appreciate it.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town uses their typical swinging arrangement, bringing a warm to classics. Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer uses a vocal trio that sounds like The Andrews Sisters off the top, then moves into a bouncy arrangement with a small vamp.

All I Want For Christmas uses the female vocals more and features a beautiful piano solo in the middle. It plays with speed to make it interesting. Jingle Bells uses the spelling section that is sometimes added in to frame the song.

It Feels Like Christmas Time is an original that has a nostalgic feel that is quite beautiful. It references Christmas classic shows and standard Christmas greetings.

Frosty the Snowman gets the New Orleans processional treatment which gives the standard a new life. Run Run Rudolph gets an arrangement that honours its Rock and Roll roots but still swings.

Scott Morris ( the voice sounds so different but can't find anything that says it's another vocalist) drops his range to do a good approximation of Thurl Ravenscroft for You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. He can't resist some commentary along the way. The instrumentals in the song are a delight.

Christmas Is Starting Now was written for Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation and after being featured on Disney albums it gets claimed by them here. It's a bouncy number, as you would expect from the band. Here’s the clip from the movie:

We Three Kings is a beautiful instrumental that my Mom and I had fun singing along to. The fantastic players of the band all get a chance to shine. The album finishes with Walking In A Winter Wonderland. This one gets a calypso beat and our faux Andrews singers are back.

Hope you have fun listening to this one!