Hanukkah and Christmas #MusicMovesMe

It's the first Monday of December and it's time for music!

 

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly.  Her co-hosts are: Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, and me. 

We'd love more music lovers to join us.  It's easy! All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video (there must be a music video).  And that's it!

Each month, except December, we have a guest conductor. Today we start our month of holiday music.

This is the last day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.  So why not start out with several Hanukkah songs?

This first song comes from a "holiday" album, which features both Hanukkah and Christmas songs.  Here is Barenaked Ladies and "Hanukkah Blessings".

"I Have a Little Dreidel" as sung by the Maccabeats explores how this children's song would be performed in different musical genres ranging from rock to rap to bluegrass to gospel, and more.

Finally, a song that has become a Hanukkah classic - Adam Sandler and his Chanukah Song. 

But wait, there's more!

One of my readers, Ann Bennett, told me about Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Greg Kurstin of The Bird and the Bee recording a eight day Hanukkah jam called Kurstin x Brohl:  The Hanukkah Sessions 2021.  Thank you, Ann! (For the complete set of 2020 tributes, click here).

Each of these jams features a song written or famously performed by a Jewish rocker (observant or not).  Last year's and this year's musicians paid tribute to include Lisa Loeb, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, the Ramones, and this Van Halen rocker.

This isn't a Hanukkah song, but I chose David Lee Roth (who is Jewish) and his Jump, performed by Grohl and Kurstin, as a kind of musical intermission. 

And now, Christmas.

With the anniversary of Pearl Harbor coming up tomorrow, I wanted my Christmas music to reflect the World War II era.

 

Bing Crosby recorded I'll Be Home for Christmas in 1943.  It's hard to believe that this song was banned, for a time, by the BBC out of concern that it would destroy troop morale. It's been covered by many artists.  Even now, the song remains popular.  The longing for home is timeless.

 

From October 1941, Sammy Kaye and Santa Claus is On His Way. 

Before Nat King Cole, there was Les Brown and his Orchestra with vocals performed by Doris Day: The Christmas Song. (It's from 1946, but I'm calling it World War II era). 

And that's a holiday wrap!

Join me again, same time, same place, next week, for more Music