Arguably, the greatest Christmas movie ever made is Irving Berlin’s star-studded White Christmas.  The video (above) is the grand finale from that motion picture, guaranteed to catapult you into the Christmas spirit … in case you’re not already there.  Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney appeared in full-throated splendor, while Vera Ellen––whose real strength was in her dancing––had her singing dubbed by a young lady named Trudy Stevens; the only exception was the “Sisters” duet, where Rosie Clooney sang both parts! Below (left) is Snow, another Irving Berlin tune specially written for the picture. Below (right) is the classic restaurant scene from A Christmas Story, where Ralphie and his family discover ‘Chinese turkey.’

Just (below), I have brought The Christmas Show forward from our Jazz Scene Podcast page … featuring songs for the season by Maynard Ferguson, Tony Bennett, The Swingle Singers, Mel Torme, Count Basie, The Gene Harris Quartet, Lou Rawls, The Manhattan Transfer, Kenny G, Billy Taylor, Carol Sloan, plus a few of my own thoughts about the magic of Christmas. Finally, at the (bottom) Kenny G takes a stroll down memory lane with clips from five of the best traditional holiday movies ever. There’s good reason they are viewed continually by millions every year … nothing compares, period! With Hollywood icons like Burgess Meredith and Jimmy Stewart in the background of Kenny’s gently nostalgic performance of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, the experience is nothing less than pure emotional magic.

Admittedly, except for “The Christmas Show,” much of what you hear here may not be jazz … but IT’S CHRISTMAS! May you enjoy every minute of this uniquely wonnnderful time of year, and have the Merriest of all Christmases with the ones you love!