ProJazz.net

Christmas ’64 is a 1964 studio album by the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Smith’s only album of Christmas music, it was reissued as Christmas Cookin’ in 1966.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow:
This Christmas jazz album has five selections in which organist Jimmy Smith is joined by a big band arranged by either Billy Byers or Al Cohn. The remaining selections feature Smith with a variety of trios; guitarist Wes Montgomery is heard on “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” one of two “bonus” cuts taken from other sessions that help to fill up this otherwise brief set. Smith is fine on “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and two versions of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and, even if nothing all that unusual occurs, the performances can serve as high-quality background music during the Christmas season (https://goo.gl/oWtC97).

Track listing:
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (Traditional) – 4:19
“Jingle Bells” (James Pierpont) – 3:15
“We Three Kings of Orient Are” (John Henry Hopkins, Jr.) – 3:45
“The Christmas Song” (Mel Tormé, Bob Wells) – 4:32
“White Christmas” (Irving Berlin) – 2:51
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 5:26
“Silent Night” (Franz Gruber, Josef Mohr) – 4:04
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” – 6:11

On 1992 CD re-issue only:

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (Frank Loesser) – 6:00
“Greensleeves” (Traditional) – 8:53

Personnel:
Jimmy Smith – organ, (all tracks), arranger, (tracks 2, 6, 8)
Kenny Burrell – guitar, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Quentin Warren – guitar, (tracks 2, 6, 8)
Art Davis – double bass, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Grady Tate – drums, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Billy Hart – drums, (tracks 2, 6, 8)
Margaret Ross – harp, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Joe Newman – flugelhorn, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Paul Faulise, Tommy Mitchell – bass trombone, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Chauncey Welsch, Jimmy Cleveland – trombone, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Ernie Royal, Danny Stiles, Joe Wilder, Bernie Glow – trumpet, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin, Donald Corrado, Morris Secon – french horn, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Harvey Phillips – tuba, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
George Devens – percussion, (tracks 1, 3-5, 7)
Billy Byers – arranger, conductor, (tracks 1, 4–5, 7)
Al Cohn – arranger, (track 3)

__________________________________

Released: 1964
Recorded: April 20 & September 29, 1964
Studio Van Gelder Studio, Englewwod Cliffs, NJ
Length: 48:51
Label: Verve
Producer: Creed Taylor