Christmas 64

Jimmy Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 1964
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B000B8ITB8
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,773 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Jimmy Smith, Christmas '64

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to a groovy Xmas!, October 19, 2006

By 

Terje Biringvad "HammondFreak" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christmas 64 (Audio CD)

Since Verve is now opening the vaults for more Jimmy Smith recordings from the '60's, this Christmas '64 album was long down on my wishlist for reissues. Since nearly all great jazz musicians have issued Xmas albums, there was no exception for the more popularized Jimmy Smith on Verve in the 60's. Good or bad? If you have the Christmas Cookin' album you can skip this CD since they're identical with just different cover (Christmas Cookin' CD has the original LP cover). Smith's great Blue Note trio members are the backbone on this album - Kenny Burrell/Quentin Warren on guitar and Grady Tate on drums and if add a big band with great arrangements - you have a best-seller album. For serious Smith collectors, this is an important release given the producer's effort making Smith a 60's "pop star" using big band and great B-3 organ interpretation format on dearly beloved Xmas tunes. The "Jingles Bells" are still lingering after Smiths boppish interpretation and Bing Crosby's trademark melody "White Christmas" swings like Mr. Berlin preferred it on Broadway. This is cool stuff, not a great JImmy Smith album, but watch out your mother-in-law's reaction on the upcoming Christmas dinner - it might be a memorable one! Great sounding and recorded B-3, so turned up the volume when you run around the Xmas tree.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Jazz Christmas Albums, December 23, 2010

By 

Brian Egras (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas '64 (MP3 Download)

Over the years, we have collected a repertoire of about 30 Christmas CD's which span across jazz, soul, and quirky. I have to say that Jimmy Smith's Christmas '64 might be my favorite. The renditions are fresh and SMOKIN'!!! Every song strikes a groove and is a great jam. If you want a CD to break the monotony of bland Christmas music, this is surely it. On the other hand, if you want a more traditional Christmas jazz CD, try Ella or even Oscar Peterson (which are also both very good).

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this album, November 30, 2006

By 

James Trammell (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christmas 64 (Audio CD)

This is the only Christmas album I will ever play. I grew up on this album, because my dad always played his vinyl copy at Christmans time, which he actually purchased in 1964. I'm glad to have a copy on CD now.