Coloring Club Plus — 12/10/19

Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million albums worldwide. On December 11, 2009, Billboard magazine named her the second Jazz Artist of the Decade (2000–09), establishing her as one of the best-selling artists of her time.

Krall is the only jazz singer to have had eight albums debuting at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums. To date, she has won three Grammy Awards and eight Juno Awards. She has also earned nine gold, three platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums.

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.

“Christmas Time Is Here” is a popular Christmas song written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi for the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of the first animated Christmas specials produced for network TV in the United States. Because the song became a hit, two versions were included on the album A Charlie Brown Christmas: an instrumental version by the Vince Guaraldi Trio [the one included here] and a vocal version by choristers from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California.

[Verse 1]
Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

[Verse 2]
Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

[Chorus]
Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there
Christmas time is here
We’ll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year

[Chorus]
Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there
Christmas time is here
We’ll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Songwriters: Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi