Tagged: Holiday Special

Airs Wednesday, December 26 at 11:00 a.m. Imagine a musical party that celebrates the hopes, dreams and joy that animates seasonal festivals the world over. That is what inspired Yo-Yo Ma to create "Songs of Joy and Peace: The Yo-Yo Ma Holiday Party" with a remarkable group of friends. Hosted by John Schaefer, this one-hour holiday special combines the joy of music with the gift of discovery as shared and performed by friends old and new. James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, Renee Fleming, The Silk Road Ensemble, Jake Shimabukuro and others discuss the collaborations they recorded with Ma.

Airs Tuesday, December 25 at 10:00 p.m. It's a very merry jazz Christmas with an hour of some of the best holiday jazz. We’ll talk with jazz historian Bill Sears about some of the off-the-beaten path jazz takes on your favorite holiday classics, and chat with our producer Lou Blouin about the Christmas duet that brought jazz icon Bing Crosby and rocker David Bowie together. That plus a conversation with pianist Eugene Marlow about his recent jazz reworking of some classic Hanukkah music, and tunes from Duke Ellington, Hammond B3 pioneer Jimmy Smith, Vince Guaraldi, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, are all coming up on this Special. 

Airs, Tuesday December 25 at 9:00 p.m. NPR Music brings you another great concert from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis, Jason Moran, Geri Allen, and Taylor Eigsti, and other artists perform their favorite holiday songs.