Holiday Music

Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit like Christmas carols and other seasonal tunes. We've compiled some of our favorite albums - some new, some tried and true - all of which put a unique spin on holiday standards. There are even some original compositions that are perfect for the season.

You can listen to clips from many of these albums below, or you can visit Amazon and CDBaby to check them out.

Music & Mistletoe by Wayne Bergeron With The After Hours Brass ~ $8.99 from Amazon

Music & Mistletoe has 18 tracks of richly arranged, jazzy Christmas standards.

The brass and rhythm ensemble provides a non-traditional but fantastic sound for a wide variety of styles, including big band swing, bossa nova, Latin, funk and classical.

Wayne Bergeron is a Grammy nominated L.A. musician who plays trumpet and flugelhorn. Grammy nominee Tierney Sutton provides vocals on several tracks.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}

Beyond the Star by Michael Londra ~ $9.99 from CDBaby

You may know him from Riverdance on Broadway, but Irish tenor Michael Londra truly shines in his Celtic-influenced Christmas album, Beyond the Star.

The title track, Beyond the Star, is one of Londra's own songs. The Wexford Carol is an homage to his home town in Ireland, while Little Donkey is a recording from Londra's youth - he recorded it at age 10 with the Wexford Male Voice Choir.

Beyond the Star is a serene and ethereally beautiful album that captures the spirit of the holiday season with a seamless mixture of contemporary and traditional songs.

Listen to tracks at CDBaby and {shop now}

Believe by Ball In The House ~ $9.99 from CDBaby

Ball In The House really shakes things up with Believe, an urban-style, 100% vocal album for the holidays.

The album starts out with Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel which is revisited three more times. Jon Ryan provides vocal percussion and beatbox, Ryan Chappelle provides bass vocals, and Dan Szymczak, Dave Guisti and Aaron Loveland provide the upper voices.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is an excellent track that showcases the group's talents and distinctive R&B and gospel flair.

Listen to tracks at CDBaby and {shop now}

Bossa Nova Christmas by Jack Jezzro and Friends ~ $9.49 from Amazon

Bossa Nova Christmas by Jack Jezzro and Friends features bossa nova jazz arrangements by guitarist Jack Jezzro and his talented ensemble.

Beegie Adair is a stand-out on piano in Christmas Time Is Here, and the sultry vocals of Jamiee Paul on Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas are a delight.

If you enjoy jazz, Bossa Nova Christmas would make a great addition to your collection.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}

My Christmas by Andrea Bocelli ~ $8.99 from Amazon

In his newly released and first-ever holiday album, Andrea Bocelli gives us 15 tracks featuring his world-renowned vocals. My Christmas offers several charming duets with guest artists, such as Mary J. Blige on What Child Is This.

Other performers include Reba McEntire, The Muppets, Natalie Cole and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

My Christmas provides a lovely assortment of secular and religious Christmas classics with soaring vocals and lush musical arrangements.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}

Unwrapped by The Swingle Singers ~ $8.99 from Amazon

If you're a fan of Fox's Glee, you'll easily recognize the unmistakable a cappella sound of The Swingle Singers, a group of vocal virtuosos who've taken the world of music by storm for more than 40 years.

Unwrapped is a fabulously unique holiday album featuring several Christmas favorite, as well as some lesser-known but equally wonderful tracks.

Some personal favorites include The Swingle Singers' unique renditions of Joni Mitchell's River and Walking in the Air from the animated short film, The Snowman.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}

Hot Jazz for a Cool Yule by The Jim Cullum Jazz Band ~ $17.99 from Amazon

Hot Jazz for a Cool Yule by Jim Cullum Jazz Band

The Jim Cullum Jazz Band has long been revered in the world of jazz. Hot Jazz for a Cool Yule is a live recording featured on Riverwalk Jazz.

The album features an all-star cast of jazz legends and even the amazing talents of tap dancer Savion Glover.

The band is nothing short of amazing - and the Nutcracker Rag is a thrilling rendition that would get even Tchaikovsky's foot tapping. In our opinion, the Nutcracker Rag alone makes the entire album a worthwhile investment.

Listen to tracks at Amazon and {shop now}

Let It Snow by Chanticleer ~ $9.99 from Amazon

Unlike The Swingle Singers, Chanticleer ("An Orchestra of Voices") is a vocal ensemble blending 12 male voices ranging from countertenor to bass.

Though they normally perform unaccompanied, Chanticleer does incorporate instrumentation in Let It Snow; the harp and strings in Ave Maria simply yet elegantly enhance their vocals.

Chanticleer provides hauntingly beautiful and rich performances of 12 holiday songs, including a medley called Holiday Cheer, A Suite of Seasonal Songs.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}

Christmas - Plain & Simple by Michele Mclaughlin ~ $8.99 from Amazon

The title of the album, Christmas - Plain & Simple, truly captures Michele Mclaughlin's style.

If you enjoy solo piano music, you'll love the simple yet sophisticated style Michele brings to holiday classics.

This album is an ideal choice for background music at intimate seasonal gatherings or mellow holiday parties.

It's especially well suited to set a relaxed, peaceful tone for the holidays.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}

Rejoice! A String Quartet Christmas, Vol. 1 by Arturo Delmoni & Friends ~ $8.99 from Amazon

If you're looking for a break from vocal renditions of holiday favorites, Arturo Delmoni's string ensemble does a marvelous job with Rejoice! A String Quartet Christmas, Vol. 1.

This is only the first volume of several, and it has 24 beautifully orchestrated pieces, including less common songs like Gaudeamus and Es Is Ein Ros' Entsprungen.

Rejoice! is a personal favorite for background music at holiday meals - refined and sophisticated without being overdone.

Listen to tracks below or {shop now}