Home » Jazz Articles » Top Ten List » Best Jazz Christmas Songs Of All-Time
Best Jazz Christmas Songs Of All-Time
"The Christmas Song" by 
Dexter Gordon
saxophone, tenor1923 - 1990
Master of the saxophone ballad transforms a holiday pop favorite into a soulful blues improvisation.
"Here Comes Santa Claus" by 
Ramsey Lewis
piano1935 - 2022
In their prime, Ramsey Lewis and his trio could make anything sound great. Here lies the proof.
"Jingle Bells" by 
Duke Ellington
piano
1899 - 1974"
data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
From Jingle Bell Swing (Columbia/Legacy) Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
Classic Duke sound and great choruses played with typical economy from his sidemen circa 1962.
"Skating" by 
Vince Guaraldi
piano
1928 - 1976"
data-original-title="" title="">Vince Guaraldi
From A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy) Vince Guaraldi
piano1928 - 1976
The melody captures the essence of the title in this masterpiece from the uncanny Guaraldi.
"Good Morning Blues" by 
Ella Fitzgerald
vocals
1917 - 1996"
data-original-title="" title="">Ella Fitzgerald
From Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas (Verve) Ella Fitzgerald
vocals1917 - 1996
A hipster-ish Ella swings the Basie blues in merry 6/8 time.
"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Ella Fitzgerald
vocals
1917 - 1996"
data-original-title="" title="">Ella Fitzgerald
From Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas (Verve) Ella Fitzgerald
vocals1917 - 1996
No one does this song better. The shyness and longing of Ella's persona are palpable.
"Christmas In New Orleans" by 
Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals
1901 - 1971"
data-original-title="" title="">Louis Armstrong with the Benny Carter Orchestra
From Hipster's Holiday (Rhino) Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals1901 - 1971
Louis recorded a lot of Christmas tunes. This one wins for the combination of Armstrong's obvious love for his subject and golden trumpet cadenzas.
"O' Tannenbaum" by Vince Guaraldi
piano
1928 - 1976"
data-original-title="" title="">Vince Guaraldi
From A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy) Vince Guaraldi
piano1928 - 1976
Guaraldi's elegantly stated theme and sudden shift to 4/4 create yuletide jazz perfection. Is this the most popular jazz song of all time?
"White Christmas" by 
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955"
data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker All-Stars
From Jingle Bell Jam (Verve) Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Every family should serve up some Christmas Bird.
"Snowfall" by 
Ahmad Jamal
piano
1930 - 2023"
data-original-title="" title="">Ahmad Jamal Trio
From Cross Country Tour 1958-1961 (Chess MCA) Ahmad Jamal
piano1930 - 2023
I've never heard a bad version of this aptly titled
Claude Thornhill
vocals1909 - 1965
Tags
Vince Guaraldi
Top Ten List
Ken Hohman
United States
Dexter Gordon
Ramsey Lewis
duke ellington
Ella Fitzgerald
Louis Armstrong
Charlie Parker
Ahmad Jamal
Claude Thornhill
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.Showcase
Buy Now
Featured
Darwin AI: Surivior Choice
By Alex Otey buy
Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
By Antonio Adolfo buyGiveaway
