Christmas Songs (Diana Krall album)

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.[1]

Christmas Songs
Studio album by Diana Krall featuring The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra
Released	October 26, 2005
Recorded	2005
Studio	Capitol (Hollywood, California) Ocean Way (Hollywood, California)[lower-alpha 1] Sony Music (New York City)[lower-alpha 1] Schnee (North Hollywood, California)[lower-alpha 1]
Genre	Jazz Christmas
Length	35:10
Label	Verve
Producer	Tommy LiPuma Diana Krall
Diana Krall chronology
The Girl in the Other Room (2004) Christmas Songs (2005) From This Moment On (2006)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Tom Hull	B[3]
Jazzwise	[4]

Tad Hendrickson of JazzTimes stated, "Krall gets a ton of help on her Christmas album from the well-drilled Clayton–Hamilton Jazz Orchestra as well as from the usual peeps in her own bands. The singer doesn't work too hard to sell it, preferring to stay in the pocket, and the solos are short all the way around, but it all sounds swingin', fun and jazzy".[5] John Bungey of The Times noted, "If your idea of a perfect Yuletide is Jimmy Stewart on the telly and Bing on the radio, and you believe that, musically, it's all been downhill since 1955, then Krall's album will suit perfectly".[6]

Dave Gelly and Nail Spenser of The Observer wrote, "If you feared the worst after hearing Diana Krall's last, rather droopy CD you can cheer up, because this one proves she hasn't forgotten how to swing after all. Corny idea or not, it is a terrific jazz-vocal album that will raise your spirits now and for several Christmases to come".[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Jingle Bells"	James Pierpont	3:26
2.	"Let It Snow"	Jule Styne Sammy Cahn	4:02
3.	"The Christmas Song"	Mel Tormé Robert Wells	4:24
4.	"Winter Wonderland"	Felix Bernard Richard B. Smith	3:15
5.	"I'll Be Home for Christmas"	Kim Gannon Walter Kent Buck Ram	3:08
6.	"Christmas Time Is Here"	Vince Guaraldi Lee Mendelson	3:35
7.	"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"	J. Fred Coots Haven Gillespie	2:54
8.	"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"	Ralph Blane Hugh Martin	4:19
9.	"White Christmas"	Irving Berlin	4:32
10.	"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve"	Frank Loesser	4:10
11.	"Sleigh Ride"	Leroy Anderson Mitchell Parish	3:26
12.	"Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep"	Berlin	3:41
Total length:			35:10

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Christmas Songs.[8]

Musicians

• Diana Krall – vocals (all tracks); piano solo (tracks 1, 2, 7, 12); piano (tracks 3–6, 8–11); arrangement (tracks 3, 9)
• Jeff Clayton – alto saxophone solo (track 2); flute solo (track 5)
• Ira Nepus – trombone solo (track 2)
• Anthony Wilson – guitar (tracks 3, 9, 12); guitar solo (track 4)
• John Clayton – bass (tracks 3, 9); arrangement (tracks 1-5, 7, 10, 11)
• Jeff Hamilton – drums (tracks 3, 6, 9, 12)
• Rickey Woodard – tenor saxophone solo (track 4)
• Ben Wolfe – bass (tracks 6, 8)
• Russell Malone – guitar (tracks 6, 8)
• Assa Drori – concertmaster (tracks 6, 8, 12)
• Jules Chaikin – orchestra contractor (tracks 6, 8, 12)
• Gerald Clayton – piano (track 7)
• Stefon Harris – vibes (track 9)
• Tamir Hendelman – Fender Rhodes (track 10); piano (track 11)
• Gilbert Castellanos – trumpet solo (track 11)
• George Bohanon – trombone solo (track 11)
• Alan Broadbent – piano (track 12)
• Randy Waldman – keyboards (track 12)
• Robert Hurst – bass (track 12)
• Emil Richards – percussion (track 12)
• Johnny Mandel – arrangement, conducting (tracks 6, 8, 12)

The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

• Jeff Hamilton – drums
• Robert Hurst – bass
• Anthony Wilson – guitar
• Gerald Clayton – piano (track 7)
• Tamir Hendelman – piano (track 11); Fender Rhodes (track 10)
• Jeff Clayton – lead alto saxophone, flute
• Keith Fiddmont – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Rickey Woodard – tenor saxophone solos, tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Charles Owens – tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Adam Schroeder – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
• Rick Baptist, Sal Cracchiolo, Clay Jenkins, Gilberto Gilbert Castellanos, William Barnhart – trumpets
• Ira Nepus, George Bohanon, Ryan Porter – trombones
• Tommy Johnson – tuba
• Rick Todd, David Duke, Joe Meyer, Brad Warnaar – French horns
• Joe Porcaro – percussion

Technical

• Tommy LiPuma – production (all tracks); co-production (tracks 6, 8)
• Diana Krall – production (all tracks)
• Johnny Mandel – co-production (tracks 6, 8)
• Al Schmitt – recording, mixing
• Steve Genewick – engineering assistance, Pro Tools
• Koji Egawa – engineering assistance
• Bill Smith – engineering assistance
• Brian Vibberts – engineering assistance
• Dave Swope – engineering assistance
• Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab, Ojai, California

Artwork

• Hollis King – art direction
• Coco Shinomiya – design
• Sam Taylor-Wood – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2005–2006) Peak position Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[9] 4 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[10] 27 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11] 75 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[12] 90 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[13] 2 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14] 26 French Albums (SNEP)[15] 52 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 34 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[17] 13 Italian Albums (FIMI)[18] 35 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[19] 78 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 16 Polish Albums (ZPAV)[21] 9 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[22] 4 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[23] 44 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 15 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 28 UK Albums (OCC)[26] 155 UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[27] 5 US Billboard 200[28] 17 US Top Holiday Albums (Billboard)[29] 1 US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[30] 1 US Traditional Jazz Albums (Billboard)[31] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2005) Position Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 83 Chart (2006) Position Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[33] 36 US Billboard 200[34] 139 US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[35] 2 Decade-end charts Chart (2000–2009) Position US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[36] 14

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[37]	Gold	15,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[38]	2× Platinum	200,000^^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[39]	Gold
Poland (ZPAV)[40]	Platinum	20,000^*
Portugal (AFP)[41]	Gold	10,000^^
United States (RIAA)[42]	Gold	500,000^^
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

1. Additional recording

References

1. "Diana Krall: Christmas Songs". Amazon. United States. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
2. Collar, Matt. "Christmas Songs – Diana Krall". AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
3. Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Diana Krall". TomHull.com. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
4. "Diana Krall – Christmas Songs". Jazzwise. January 10, 2006. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
5. Hendrickson, Tad (January 12, 2005). "Diana Krall featuring the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Christmas Songs". Jazz Times. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
6. Bungey, John (December 2, 2005). "Diana Krall: Christmas Songs". The Times. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
7. Gelly, Dave; Spenser, Nail (December 11, 2005). "Diana Krall, Christmas Songs". The Observer. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
8. Christmas Songs (liner notes). Diana Krall featuring The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Verve Records. 2005. B0004717-02.CS1 maint: others (link)
9. "ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums – Week Commencing 19th December 2005" (PDF). The ARIA Report (825): 21. December 19, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "Austriancharts.at – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
11. "Ultratop.be – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
12. "Ultratop.be – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
13. "Diana Krall Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
15. "Lescharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
17. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2005. 50. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
18. "Italiancharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
19. クリスマス・ソングス | ダイアナ・クラール [Christmas Songs | Diana Krall] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
21. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
22. "Portuguesecharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
23. "Spanishcharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
24. "Swedishcharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
25. "Swisscharts.com – Diana Krall feat. The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra – Christmas Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
26. "Chart Log UK (1994–2010): Alex K – Kyuss". Zobbel. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
27. "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
28. "Diana Krall Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
29. "Diana Krall Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
30. "Diana Krall Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
31. "Diana Krall Chart History (Traditional Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
32. "Årslista Album – År 2005" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
33. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Jazz & Blues Albums 2006". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
34. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
35. "The Year in Music & Touring 2006 – Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. Vol. 118 no. 51. December 23, 2006. p. YE-80. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
36. "Jazz Albums: Decade End Chart (2000s)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
37. "Austrian album certifications – Diana Krall – Christmas Songs" (in German). IFPI Austria. February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
38. "Canadian album certifications – Diana Krall – Christmas Songs". Music Canada. December 7, 2005.
39. "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2005" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
40. "Polish album certifications – Diana Krall – Christmas Songs" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. February 8, 2006.
41. "Top 30 Artistas – Semana 52 de 2010" [Top 30 Artists – Week 52 of 2010] (in Portuguese). Artistas & Espectáculos. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
42. "American album certifications – Diana Krall – Christmas Songs". Recording Industry Association of America. February 17, 2006. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.