Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (1960) [1993]

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas is a charming, warmly humorous – and yes, swinging – set of classic Christmas tunes. The program is familiar, from bouncy singalongs like "Jingle Bells" to slinky ballads like a downright sexy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," but Fitzgerald treats each song with exactly as much respect as it deserves. And so Frank Loesser's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" is wistfully romantic and Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne's "Let It Snow" is kittenishly enticing. As always, Norman Granz's production avoids the schlock that drowns some holiday sets. This is as good as jazz Christmas albums get.

Tracks:

01. Jingle Bells [2:24]
02. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town [2:20]
03. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [2:58]
04. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? [3:35]
05. Sleigh Ride [2:58]
06. The Christmas Song [3:03]
07. Good Morning Blues [3:18]
08. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! [2:45]
09. Winter Wonderland [2:18]
10. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer [2:53]
11. Frosty the Snow Man [2:14]
12. White Christmas [3:01]