The Christmas Song is a legend in song-writing history. Written by Bob Wells and Mel Torme in 1945, it is widely performed.
They may have written to keep cool in the summer (songwriters do that) or just because they needed a song for Christmas (songwriters do that too) but it a great song in both lyrics and music.
First recorded by Nat King Cole (1946), it became a hit. Sadly you won’t get Nat’s voice in this version but you’ll love the chords of Richard Putnam’s arrangement.
This is a fun song, done with a nice country beat. It’s good for toe-tapping. And humming along.
Walking in snow is, of course, best done mentally. Actual snow is cold and wet. So sit back, maybe by a fire, listen to the sleigh bells and go walking in a winter wonderland.
I didn’t write this song. But like most musicians, I wish I had. The melody was probably a slave chantey. Most of the words came from John Newton, an 18th century sea captain.
I wanted to emphasize some of the complex rhythms of the songs origins. And was lucky enough to have Ron Powell do the percussions on this track. Ron was just off tour with Kenny G or Diana Ross. What he can do with a drum is incredible.
Think of yourself in a slave ship, pounding on anything you can find to produce rhythms to accompany your song. And then sing along.
This song was written by blues legend Thomas A Dorsey. He helped found northern jazz, Chicago jazz.
After the death of his wife, Dorsey was devastated. She died giving birth to their son, who died shortly after. I think you can still hear the pain he felt in his words: I am tired. I’m weak. I’m worn. [Read more…] about Precious Lord, Take My Hand