2. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
3. Christmas Blues
4. Yule That's Cool (Cool Yule)
5. Santa Baby
6. What Will Santa Claus Say
7. At The Christmas Ball
8. Christmas Night In Harlem
9. Merry Christmas Baby
10. Zat You Santa Claus
11. Winter Wonderland
12. Gee Baby Ain't I Good For You
13. Christmas At The Oasis
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This may be (but may also not be) the last "major artist" Christmas album release of the year; unless you count the twice delayed Perry Como set, there's nothing on the announced schedule that would qualify. Maria Muldaur has been a part of the general consciousness since she burst on the scene in 1973 with "Midnight At The Oasis", and she was singing for years before that (her first major label recording was with the Even Dozen Jug Band in 1963). She's worn many styles through the years, but is largely thought of these days as a Jazz, Blues, and Folk singer. For this live set, she choose to focus on the Jazz and Blues and she includes pretty much every song you'd want to hear a veteran Hot Blues/Jazz Mamma singing live at Christmastime. There's the obligatory "Santa Baby" (how could she not?), Charles Brown's immortal "Merry Christmas Baby" and Mabel Scott's "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus". She covers 3 tunes most frequently associated with Satchmo, "Christmas Night In Harlem", "Cool Yule", and "Zat You Santa Claus?". Knowing her stuff, Muldaur also sings Bessie Smith's "At The Christmas Ball", Louis Prima's "What Will Santa Claus Say", and the Eva Taylor classic (see the front page video) "Santa Claus Blues" (here labeled "Christmas Blues" and wonderfully recorded by Muldaur previously as "No Money No Honey"). There have been long-running debates over whether certain songs (such as "My Favorite Things") belong in the holiday canon, but one old standard that's been sneaking in since at least the Christmas Jug Band did a holiday parody of it and is sure to offend purists is "Gee Ain't I Good To You", which Muldaur includes (on her, though, it looks real good). Finally a pair of what sound on the samples like instrumentals from the band (live show, you know) and the album's title cut, a holiday reworking of Muldaur's signature hit.
"Christmas At The Oasis", the CD, is being sold only at Muldaur's live dates at present, though it should ultimately be available through her web site. We'll change that link above from gray to green when it is. On the samples, Maria's voice sounds pretty good for someone of Social Security age. And the material certainly suits her. A studio album might have been more exciting for collectors, but fans will eat this up and well they should. And collectors know that it's not as if Muldaur never recorded a Christmas song before; she's done several. If you can't wait for the hard copy, the major digital vendors await you.