Cutting into the annual 24 Hours of Christmas programming for my own holiday edition of Capital Radio, I tried to concentrate on somber, more solemn numbers appropriate for the day rather than dazzle dazzle of jingle bells. Themes of “Christmas Day is Here” were much favored over “Christmas time is coming.”
Nice to have Coltrane take up 10 minutes right off the bat, and was quick to turn to acoustic readings of carols from such Washington D.C.-born guitar aces as John Fahey and Jorma Kaukonen.
Bing Crosby was heard twice; and a third time in a favorite parody. Laura Nyro, Marvin Gaye and The Flaming Lips each raised issues sadly relevant today; and Sufjan Stevens directly refuted the aspirational greed of Burl Ives’ “Silver & Gold.” Recent pop classics were given different takes by groups from D.C.’s Dismemberment Plan to the Candy Butchers/
The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” got a gloriously wrongheaded rendition from the Irish Tenors (too soon?) and Esquivel provided a pair of sendoffs at the end.
Here’s the setlist:
Capital Radio, Dec. 25, 2023, 1 – 4:30 p.m.. cygnusradio,com
“Jesus Christ,” Big Star
“The Last Month of the Year,” The Staple Singers
“If I Get Home on Christmas Day,” Elvis Presley
“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day,” Nick Lowe
“Greensleeves,” John Coltrane Quartet
“Christmas Must Be Tonight,” The Band
“Waking Up On Christmas Morning,” The Smithereens
“Medley: The Holly and the Ivy / The Cherry Tree Carol,” John Fahey
“My Holiday,” Mindy Smith
“Merry Christmas, Baby,” Phoebe Snow
“Christmas in My Soul,” Laura Nyro
“Baby Boy,” Jorma Kaukonen
“Christmas Kindness Song,” Imagene Peise
“A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So),” The Flaming Lips
“New York Holiday,” Josh Rouse
“Feelin Sorry,” My Morning Jacket .
“O Holy Night,” Trombone Shorty
“Christmas Boogie,” Sugar Chile Robinson
“God Bless Us All,” NRBQ
“Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas,” Carla Thomas
“Silver and Gold,” Burl Ives
“Justice Delivers Its Death,” Sufjan Stevens
“The World at Christmas Time,” Susan Cowsill
“This Christmas,” The Dismemberment Plan
“All I Want for Christmas is You,” Mike Viola & The Candy Butchers
“Christmas Time is Here,” Mayer Hawthorne
“This Good Night is Still Everywhere,” Dustin Kensrue
“Christmas Caller,” Beach Bunny
“Christmas Wrapping,” The Waitresses
“Merry Christmas Baby,” Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers
“Christmas Time Blues,” Roy Milton & His Solid Senders
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” Ryuchi Sakamoto
“Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth),” Bing Crosby & David Bowie
“We Three Bings,” The Three Bings
“Fairytale of New York,” The Irish Tenors
“Merry Christmas Baby,” Southern Culture on the Skids
“Merry Christmas Everybody,” Oasis
“Señor Santa,” Y La Bamba
“Les Trois Cloches,” Ben Keith & Friends featuring Neil and Pegi Young
“May Ev’ry Day be Christmas,” Irma Thomas with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
“Wrong Way to Celebrate,” Rev. Edward W. Clayborn
“I Want to Come Home for Christmas,” Marvin Gaye
“Gee, Ain’t I Good to You,” McKinney’s Cotton Pickers
“Christmas Day,” Squeeze
“Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby,” Amos Milburn
“Winter Wonderland,” Chet Baker
“Good Morning Blues,” Count Basie & His Orchestra (remix)
“The Christians and the Pagans,” Dar Williams
“Winter Song,” Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
“Valley Winter Song,” Fountains of Wayne
“Yah Das Ist Ein Christmas Tree,” Mel Blanc
“Frosty the Snowman,” Esquivel
“Auld Lang Syne,” Esquivel
“Happy Holidays,” Bing Crosby [Beef Wellington mix]
Capital Radio returns Jan. 1, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET at www.cygnusradio.com. Also available on the cygnusradio.com app, available free at iTunes or ApplePlay.
