The Greatest Christmas Album of all time!

Today marks the birthday of one of America's greatest singers and performers, Frank Sinatra. While ole blue eyes left us 11 years ago -(Heather and I were actually in Sicily when Sinatra died-and we will never forget that day)-he lives on-especially during the Christmas Season. Matter of fact it wouldn't quite be Christmas for me without Sinatra. Growing up as an East Coast Italian American, Sinatra's music touched so many aspects of my life-but especially Christmas. When I think back to Christmas in Connecticut as a ragazzo I remember Sinatra warming up many a cold December night. I remember Streisand, the Chipmunks and Autry too, but they don't quite instill the nostalgia and ethnic pride in me as Frankie does! I am a romantic and I love tradition-especially cultural traditions-they keep a society and people together-and give them purpose (Hands in air-snap fingers-recall Tevye belting out "Tradition!" -I love Fiddler on the Roof). Every Christmas season I have my own traditions-especially when it comes to music and film-and the top 10 Christmas albums that I play over and over again-and never tire are the following-

1. The Sinatra Christmas Album
2. Christmas with Frank and Bing
3. George Winston-the Music of Vince Guaraldi
4. Christmas with Johnny Cash
5. The Christmas Song-Nat King Cole
6. The Chieftons-the Bells of Dublin
7. Bruce Cockburn-Christmas
8. New England Christmastide
9. Classical Christmas-Baroque Christmas
10. Swinging Big Band Christmas

What are you favorite Christmas albums and holiday tunes? And don't you just love those J-i-n-g-l-e bells?!