The Christmas Ephemera parade marches on! This is a good one. Sony Music has just surprised us all with the release of a long-lost holiday jazz album from 1954. A Cool Yuletide by Urbie Green is available RIGHT NOW in digital and streaming formats. I love discovering old Christmas gems, and  A Cool Yuletide by Urbie Green is no exception.

A Cool Yuletide by Urbie Green was recorded in 1954, and hasn’t really been heard much since. Sony Legacy has done a wonderful job remastering this long forgotten gem, especially considering its obscurity. They’ve done an amazing for a recording of this vintage. It could have been recorded yesterday. This could be the soundtrack to your Christmas get-togethers or for relaxing by a cozy fire. It’s perfect for fans of jazz, Christmas music, or both. Especially both.

Don’t trust me; trust the text from the promotional video:

“A Cool Yuletide is a mellow collection of eight classic Christmas tracks, tastefully arranged and performed. For Christmas music fans, jazz lovers, or both, this album is a winner.

In December of 1954, “X” Records (a subsidiary of RCA Victor) released a 10-inch LP by jazz trombonist Urbie Green, featuring an ALL-STAR lineup including Al Cohn (saxophone), Joe Wilder (trumpet), Mundell Lowe (guitar) and Milt Hinton (bass).

Featuring 8 Christmas classics, Billboard proclaimed the collection “Pretty entrancing on the jazz kick.”

Inexplicably, despite being one of the finest examples of Christmas music in the modern jazz idiom, the album has remained OUT OF PRINT for almost seven decades. Until NOW!

For the first time in 65 years, Sony Music/Legacy Recordings has pulled the original mono master tape from the vault.

Recently, these pristine, high-fidelity analog recordings were transferred and remastered in high resolution by world-renowned Sony Music engineer Mark Wilder.

The results are MAGNIFICENT, and we’re pleased to announce that this dazzling historic classic is now available for download and streaming at all major digital service providers.”

A Cool Yuletide by Urbie Green and His All-Stars: You Need This

While digital platforms make releasing these old recordings easy, I hope Sony decides to release A Cool Yuletide by Urbie Green on CD or vinyl. I love that they’ve made this available, but something this delightful requires a physical presence. A record cover this amazing deserves a real record cover!  I mean, just look at that beauty. The music inside is just as good, I assure you.

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