A Cherry, Cherry Christmas

Living in Arizona for the winter has its benefits. However, at Christmas time, we begin to wish we could see snow (not feel the cold or drive on the ice!). We turn on our Christmas carol radio stations, and even have downloaded all our favorites holiday songs to my new iPod Touch.

Although there are many of the new generation of singers who put out Christmas albums, we still prefer the old standards, especially White Christmas, written by Irving Berlin, and sung by Bing Crosby. No other version can top that one, but I have many other versions downloaded for variety.

This year we got an early Christmas gift from friends: Neil Diamond's latest, A Cherry, Cherry, Christmas. Always fans of Neil, we loved the new album. My wife said, "Isn't he Jewish?", to which I replied, "So is Irving Berlin" who wrote the quintessential Christmas song. No matter, I thought as I mentally went through my list of Christmas songs I had downloaded. I had picked one from Barry Manilow, a couple from Barbra Streisand, and one for Carly Simon. Today I probably will download a few new ones from good Old Bob Dylan, and maybe even Bette Midler.

I might even pick up a few from Kenny G, with his wailing sax.

You might have guessed the theme here by now. All of these great Christmas "carolers" are Jewish! Isn't that great that Christmas itself transcends religion with these folks? My next blog will be about all the Christian singers who have done Hanukkah albums.

Merry Christmas to all.