Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Every December for more than a decade, the critically acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and an all-star roster of guest vocalists have explored the canon of holiday standards to perform new and traditional arrangements of Yuletide favorites. These concerts have become a seasonal tradition among jazz lovers and families. Assembled highlights from these historical performances are now available on disc for the first time. Special guests on “Big Band Holiday” are some of today’s commanding voices in jazz including Rene Marie, Cecile McLorin Salvant and Gregory Porter.
Following up on their Grammy winning release “Life in the Bubble,” Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band is offering up its very first holiday release, “A Big Phat Chritmas: Wrap This.” Long-time fans will delight as the band digs into ten exciting new charts by the Grammy winning arranger, from the hard swinging “Santa Baby” to the contemporary vibes on “Carol of the Bells” and “The Little Drummer Boy” and the turbo charged swing of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” featuring the celebrated a capella vocal group take 6. The disc also showcases rousing solo contributions from band members Eric Marienthal, Wayne Begeron, Andy Martin, Trey Henry and others.
Also this week, trumpeter Etienne Charles celebrates the Christmas season with classics from the Caribbean, American and European holiday 
songbooks on “Creole Christmas”; the Brian Setzer Orchestra unveils its fourth swinging holiday release, “Rockin’ Rudolph”; and saxophonist Doug Webb is “Home For Christmas” with his first holiday offering.