Christmas Songs (Diana Krall album) explained

Christmas Songs
Type:	studio
Artist:	Diana Krall featuring The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Cover:	Diana Krall - Christmas Songs.png
Border:	yes
Recorded:	2005
Genre:	Jazz Christmas
Length:	44:52
Label:	Verve
Producer:	Tommy LiPuma Diana Krall
Chronology:	Diana Krall
Prev Title:	The Girl in the Other Room
Prev Year:	2004
Next Title:	From This Moment On
Next Year:	2006

Christmas Songs is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer Diana Krall, performed with The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. It was released on October 26, 2005, by Verve Records. This is Krall's first full-length album of Christmas songs (not counting her 1998 EP Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas), and her first studio album with a big band. The album was released on vinyl for the first time on October 14, 2016.^[1]

Critical reception

Tad Hendrickson of JazzTimes stated, "Krall gets a ton of help on her Christmas album from the well-drilled Clayton–Hamilton Jazz Orchestra as well as from the usual peeps in her own bands. The singer doesn't work too hard to sell it, preferring to stay in the pocket, and the solos are short all the way around, but it all sounds swingin', fun and jazzy".^[2] John Bungey of The Times noted, "If your idea of a perfect Yuletide is Jimmy Stewart on the telly and Bing on the radio, and you believe that, musically, it's all been downhill since 1955, then Krall's album will suit perfectly".^[3]

Dave Gelly and Nail Spenser of The Observer wrote, "If you feared the worst after hearing Diana Krall's last, rather droopy CD you can cheer up, because this one proves she hasn't forgotten how to swing after all. Corny idea or not, it is a terrific jazz-vocal album that will raise your spirits now and for several Christmases to come".^[4]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Christmas Songs.^[5]

Musicians

• Diana Krall – vocals ; piano solo ; piano ; arrangement
• Jeff Clayton – alto saxophone solo ; flute solo
• Ira Nepus – trombone solo
• Anthony Wilson – guitar ; guitar solo
• John Clayton – bass ; arrangement
• Jeff Hamilton – drums
• Rickey Woodard – tenor saxophone solo
• Ben Wolfe – bass
• Russell Malone – guitar
• Assa Drori – concertmaster
• Jules Chaikin – orchestra contractor
• Gerald Clayton – piano
  • Stefon Harris – vibes Tamir Hendelman – Fender Rhodes ; piano
• Gilbert Castellanos – trumpet solo
• George Bohanon – trombone solo
• Alan Broadbent – piano
• Randy Waldman – keyboards
• Robert Hurst – bass
• Emil Richards – percussion
• Johnny Mandel – arrangement, conducting
• Chris Walden - orchestrations

The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

• Jeff Hamilton – drums
• Robert Hurst – bass
• Anthony Wilson – guitar
• Gerald Clayton – piano
• Tamir Hendelman – piano ; Fender Rhodes
• Jeff Clayton – lead alto saxophone, flute
• Keith Fiddmont – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Rickey Woodard – tenor saxophone solos, tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Charles Owens – tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Adam Schroeder – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
• Rick Baptist, Sal Cracchiolo, Clay Jenkins, Gilberto Gilbert Castellanos, William Barnhart – trumpets
• Ira Nepus, George Bohanon, Ryan Porter – trombones
• Tommy Johnson – tuba
• Rick Todd, David Duke, Joe Meyer, Brad Warnaar – French horns
• Joe Porcaro – percussion

Technical

• Tommy LiPuma – production ; co-production
• Diana Krall – production
• Johnny Mandel – co-production
• Al Schmitt – recording, mixing
• Steve Genewick – engineering assistance, Pro Tools
• Koji Egawa – engineering assistance
• Bill Smith – engineering assistance
• Brian Vibberts – engineering assistance
• Dave Swope – engineering assistance
• Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab, Ojai, California

Artwork

• Hollis King – art direction
• Coco Shinomiya – design
• Sam Taylor-Wood – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2005–2006)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[6]	4
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[7]	78
US Traditional Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[8]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2005)! scope="col"

Position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[9]	83
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[10]	7

Chart (2006)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)^[11]	36
US Billboard 200^[12]	139
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[13]	2

Decade-end charts

Chart (2000–2009)! scope="col"

Position
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[14]	14

See also

• List of Billboard Top Holiday Albums number ones of the 2000s

Notes and References

1. Web site: Diana Krall: Christmas Songs . . United States . January 1, 2017.
2. Web site: Hendrickson . Tad . Diana Krall featuring the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Christmas Songs . . January 12, 2005 . July 17, 2018.
3. Web site: Bungey . John . Diana Krall: Christmas Songs . . December 2, 2005 . July 17, 2018 . subscription.
4. Web site: Gelly . Dave . Spenser . Nail . Diana Krall, Christmas Songs . . December 11, 2005 . July 17, 2018.
5. Christmas Songs . liner notes . . . 2005 . B0004717-02.
6. ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums – Week Commencing 19th December 2005 . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20060119130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20060120-0000/issue825.pdf . dead . 2006-01-19 . . 825 . 21 . December 19, 2005 . May 8, 2020 . National Library of Australia.
7. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/101427/products/616521/1/ . ja:クリスマス・ソングス ダイアナ・クラール . Christmas Songs Diana Krall . ja . . March 9, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160309084657/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/101427/products/616521/1/ . March 9, 2016.
8. Diana Krall Chart History (Traditional Jazz Albums) . . January 29, 2021.
9. Web site: Årslista Album – År 2005 . sv . . March 19, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160328005116/http://www.sverigetopplistan.se/netdata/ghl002.mbr/lista?liid=83&dfom=20050001&navi=no . March 28, 2016.
10. The 2005 Year in Music and Touring – Top Jazz Albums . Billboard . 117 . 52 . December 24, 2005 . YE-68 . 0006-2510.
11. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Jazz & Blues Albums 2006 . . March 8, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160309052311/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/JazzandBluesAlbums2006.htm . March 9, 2016.
12. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006 . Billboard . March 8, 2016.
13. The Year in Music & Touring 2006 – Top Jazz Albums . Billboard . 118 . 51 . December 23, 2006 . YE-80 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
14. Jazz Albums: Decade End Chart (2000s) . Billboard . March 13, 2016 . subscription.