Letter From the Editor

Welcome to the Alexandroff Holiday Music Collection, an archive of annual holiday music compilations curated by Norman Alexandroff, with artwork by my daughter Lily. We began producing collections of holiday music back in 2005, following in the footsteps of our friend Michael Theobald. While Michael and I were both inspired by Steve Cushing’s annual Blues Before Sunrise Christmas spectacular, it was Michael’s discovery of the 2001 Rhino collection Swingin’ Christmas that really jump-started the exploration of the larger universe of Christmas music. Lily, who was age six at the time of the first holiday collection, volunteered to create the artwork for the CD, and a family tradition was born.

It is extraordinary just how much great holiday music there is out in the world to discover. For the last hundred years or so, there are dozens upon dozens of holiday recordings released every year. Most of these recordings are just plain awful, but there are also thousands of little gems hiding out there waiting to be unearthed. Over the years, I’ve purchased over 200 holiday music CDs, mostly focusing on traditional Gospel, Pre-war Blues, Big Band Jazz, Cajun and New Orleans Street Music, Rock ‘n Roll, Rhythm and Blues, ‘60s and ‘70s Soul, Doo Wop, Mambo, World Music, Hip Hop, Folk, Country, Classical, and the Great American Songbook. While the primary focus of the collections is showcasing an eclectic mix of Christmas music, the playlists also feature lots of seasonal songs, New Year’s Eve classics, and songs from other cultures celebrating the winter solstice. There are also occasional songs like Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that have absolutely nothing to do with the holidays, but sound like they possibly might, as well as tongue-in-cheek recordings about the prominent role of Jesus in our culture.

But what continues to propel the annual holiday playlists forward is the sad realization that the holiday music we are forced to listen in our public spaces every year is truly dreadful. There are some genuine classics by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Elvis Presley that have just been played to death, while Christmas songs by the mega artists of today are often dripping with so much manufactured sentimentality and bombast, they can literally make a person ill. 

The Alexandroff Holiday Collection is designed to show the world that there is so much great holiday music out there that it’s possible to make an awesome 80- 90-minute playlist every year and never play the same song twice. It is also designed to show that in our politically turbo-charged world, there is more in our musical and cultural traditions that unites us than divides us – the desire for peace on earth and good will to men (and women).

Looking forward,

Norman Alexandroff