Homeboy Sandman - 12 Days of Christmas & Dia de Los Reyes

Tracklist:
1. First Day of Christmas
2. Second Day of Christmas
3. Third Day of Christmas
4. Fourth Day of Christmas
5. Fifth Day of Christmas
6. Sixth Day of Christmas
7. Seventh Day of Christmas
8. Eighth Day of Christmas
9. Ninth Day of Christmas
10. Tenth Day of Christmas
11. Eleventh Day of Christmas
12. Twelfth Day of Christmas
13. Día de Los Reyes

VA - Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party, Vol. 4

Dear Santa, we just loved "Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party," Volumes 1-3 [TRLP-9013, TRLP-9027, TRLP-9050], and we have really tried to be good this year! Please bring us a whole 'nother album's worth of rare and obscure Christmas-themed funk and soul!

When the third volume of "Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party" was released in 2015, everybody involved was certain that it would be the final one. For years, the curators had been looking for "Christmas Rare Grooves" until they finally realized there was nothing left to discover that would justify a fourth volume. Sure, it would have been an easy task to dig through the catalogues of major labels to come up with 40 minutes of more-or-less trivial Christmas soul music. But who on earth would want that kind of album? Since the foundation of Tramp Records in 2003, the label has gained a high reputation as one of the very few German reissue labels of obscure funk, soul, and jazz music. 99% of the songs originate from 7" singles, the small and handy standard-format of the 1960s, which, like Santa's sleigh magically circling the planet on Christmas Eve, spins at forty-five revolutions per minute on the turntable.

So, what can you expect from this, the fourth volume of a series which had ostensibly been completed with only three volumes? After some seven years of digging across the world wide web with open ears and eyes, never tiring of the hundreds of (mainly) shitty songs, hoping to find that kind of monster soul or funk track that constituted the hallmark of the previous volumes, the compilers slowly and surprisingly began to see a fourth volume taking shape. Finally, after more than two thousand days, a complete album's worth of quality tunes had been discovered and secured for release.

"Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party Vol. 4" contains a highly diverse selection of obscure Christmas songs. For example, take Bey Ireland's garage-mod-rocker "All I Want For Christmas Is A Go-Go Girl," is something to get you go-going around the tree! Do you prefer mirror-balls to tinsel? Check out Bill Deal with Pure Pleasure. Too fast? How about the dazzling-melancholic "I Won't Be Home For Christmas"? Do you prefer rap music while you wrap presents? Then your choice is going to be Hot & Sassy. Old-School-Hip Hop at its best. Every single song has a compelling reason to be included in this extraordinary selection. Not least is the opening track by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Their contribution represents the soul sound of the 21st century. Charming soul music with sociocritical lyrics, something you rarely find in the current musical landscape.

Even though the selected tracks that the two compilers and their worker elves proudly present on "Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party Vol. 4" are unbelievable, they are very real and will be the surprise gift from Santa this season that can be enjoyed year-round! It took seven years to complete, but believe us when we say it was well worth the wait. Merry Christmas, everybody!

Tracklist:
1. Sharon Jones - Ain't No Chimneys in the Project (feat. Dap-Kings)
2. Wayne Champion - It's Xmas Time
3. Bey Ireland - All I Want for Christmas Is a Go-Go Girl
4. Hot & Sassy - Christmas Strutt
5. Bill Deal - It Feels Like Christmas (feat. Pure Pleasure)
6. Ray Williams - Santa Claus (feat. Space Men)
7. Ruth Harley - Christmas Is
8. Sam Applebaum - The Year Around Christmas
9. Tiny Powell - Christmas Time Again, Pt. 1
10. Tiny Powell - Christmas Time Again, Pt. 2
11. Major Handy - I Won't Be Home for Christmas
12. Bobby Peterson - Christmas Presents
13. Ruth Harley - Santa Baby
14. Fred Sabastian - Everybody Is a Santa Claus

Amanda Whiting - A Christmas Cwtch

First Word Records are very proud to bring you 'A Christmas Cwtch', the brand new album from highly-acclaimed Welsh jazz-harpist, Amanda Whiting.

Expertly crafted with love, care and dedication, 'A Christmas Cwtch' takes on assorted classics from the likes of Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, Holst and Tchaikovsky, and re-presents them with original arrangements by Amanda and her accomplished trio. The end result is a 14-track selection pack of feel-good seasonal jazz-harp magic, including recent singles 'Peace Piece' and 'Skating'.

Amanda says "just mention Christmas and you hear Guaraldi, Bill Evans and the sound of sleigh bells and harps. It's my favourite time of year and the music evokes everything warm and cwtchy. Sparkling lights, mince pies, mulled wine and nostalgia around the tree."

On the word 'cwtch', Amanda explains that "a 'cwtch' is the most important word to Welsh folk. It's a hug, with a little squeeze. It's a feeling. It's cosy, loving and safe. I wanted this album to hold you, cwtch you and allow you to indulge."

Inspired by artists like Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Amanda is a classically trained virtuoso, well established in the UK jazz scene, with releases on Jazzman and Albert's Favourites.

Her most recent projects were released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label, First Word; 'Beyond the Midnight Sun' (with label-mate and Welsh Music Prize nominee, Don Leisure) and the hugely popular 2024 album 'The Liminality of Her', which received widespread praise in outlets such as Jazzwise, Mojo, Clash, Bandcamp, AllMusic, Somewhere Soul, HHV, Apple Music and Harp Column.

She has had wide support on the airwaves from tastemakers such as Cerys Matthews (BBC 6 Music), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), Deb Grant (BBC 6 Music), Patrick Forge (NTS), Soweto Kinch (BBC Radio 3), Kev Beadle (Totally Wired), Tina Edwards (Soho Radio), Laurent Garnier (FiP) and Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2).

'A Christmas Cwtch' exemplifies Amanda's talent and personality simultaneously, celebrating an array of her favourite things; the harp, her Welshness, her love of jazz, her love of classical music and her love of Christmas. This album is an absolute delight, and the perfect soundtrack for the season. An essential stocking filler!

Tracklist:
1. The Night Before (Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Intro)
2. In the Bleak Midwinter
3. Christmas Is Coming
4. Christmas Time Is Here
5. Sugarplum
6. Happiness Theme
7. Little Elfy
8. Skating
9. Peace Piece
10. Deck the Halls
11. The Christmas Song
12. O Christmas Tree
13. We Three Kings
14. Has He Been? (Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Outro)