Christmas '64

Christmas '64
Studio album by Jimmy Smith
Released	1964
Recorded	April 20 & September 29, 1964
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewwod Cliffs, NJ
Genre	Jazz, Christmas
Length	48:51
Label	Verve
Producer	Creed Taylor
Jimmy Smith chronology
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1964) Christmas '64 (1964) Monster (1965)
Alternative cover / title
1966 LP re-issue as Christmas Cookin'

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. ^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

A review on AllMusic said that "Compared to most Christmas albums, this is plenty groovy, with lots of Smith's trademark dexterity and bop runs on offer." ^[1] An AllMusic review of the reissued Christmas Cookin', by Scott Yanow said that "...even if nothing all that unusual occurs, the performances can serve as high-quality background music during the Christmas season". ^[2]

Track listing

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

Bonus tracks on Christmas Cookin' 1992 CD reissue

9. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Frank Loesser) – 6:00
   • from Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo
10. "Greensleeves" (Traditional) – 8:53
    • from Organ Grinder Swing

Personnel

Musicians

• Jimmy Smith – organ, (all tracks), arranger, (tracks 2, 6, 8)
• Kenny Burrell – guitar, (tracks 1, 3–5, 7, 10)
• 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)

Technical

• Creed Taylor – producer
• Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
• Val Valentin – director of engineering
• Bob Irwin – mastering
• Hollis King – art direction
• Sherniece Smith – art producer
• Acy Lehman – cover design
• Howell Conent – photography

References

1. "Christmas '64". Allmusic . Retrieved March 23, 2015.
2. "Christmas Cookin'". Allmusic . Retrieved March 23, 2015.