I'm not sure if anyone's aware of this gem of a very brief Christmas album, but Anita O'Day - a jazz singer with whom I'm pretty unfamiliar - apparently recorded a set of seasonal tunes with a trio of musicians sometime in the 1970s. Those songs are being/have been released on CD in 2013 as Have A Merry Christmas With Anita O'Day and I must say, this set is quite magical!

All the write-ups I've read regarding this album describe it as "rare" and "groovy." Well, rare it is since I can't find any information about the album's original release IN the '70s. However, groovy, it ain't. This is straight up vocal jazz done in an extremely traditional style. That makes this just over 25-minute long album sparkle and shine with an instant nostalgic glow.

Intrigued? Browse on over to Amazon and purchase a copy!

Now, can anyone shed some light on Have A Merry Christmas With Anita O'Day? Is this CD a reissue of a vintage LP or is this the first time these recordings have been released in any format? I love it either way, but I'm curious as to the origin of this album.