Sound of Christmas
{{About|the album by the Ramsey Lewis Trio|the album by Johnny Mathis|Sounds of Christmas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Sound of Christmas
| type = Studio
| artist = Ramsey Lewis Trio
| cover = Sound of Christmas.jpg
| alt =
| released = 1961
| recorded = October 1961
| venue =
| studio = Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago
| length = 29:05
| label = Argo
LP 687
| producer = Ralph Bass
| chronology = Ramsey Lewis
| prev_title = Never on Sunday
| prev_year = 1961
| next_title = The Sound of Spring
| next_year = 1962
}}
Sound of Christmas is an album of Christmas music by the Ramsey Lewis Trio, recorded in 1961 and released on the Argo label.[http://www.bsnpubs.com/chess/argo600.html Argo Records discography] accessed October 8, 2012 The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Christmas LPs chart.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MygEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Ramsey+Lewis+Sound+Of+Christmas&pg=PA92|title=Billboard Christmas LPs|page=92|volume=79|date=December 9, 1967|publisher= Billboard Magazine}} Lewis recorded a second seasonal album, More Sounds of Christmas, in 1964.
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
|rev2 = The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
|rev2score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Richard |authorlink1=Richard Cook (journalist) |last2=Morton |first2=Brian |authorlink2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) |title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |year=2008 |edition=9th |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-141-03401-0 |page=887}}
}}
Scott Yanow of AllMusic stated: "This is a pleasing, if rather brief (29 minutes) Christmas jazz album that was originally quite popular... fun and melodic, if not all that unique".{{cite web|author=Yanow, S|title=Ramsey Lewis: Sound of Christmas|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sound-of-christmas-mw0000201645|publisher=AllMusic|website=allmusic.com}}
Track listing
- "Merry Christmas Baby" (Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore) - 4:04
- "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - 2:11
- "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie) - 2:25
- "Christmas Blues" (Skitch Henderson, Ramsey Lewis) - 2:50
- "Here Comes Santa Claus" (Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman) - 2:41
- "The Sound of Christmas" (Riley Hampton, Lewis) - 2:22
- "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) - 3:18
- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Traditional) - 3:19
- "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) - 2:58
- "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" (Frank Loesser) - 3:27
Personnel
- Ramsey Lewis - piano
- El Dee Young - bass
- Issac "Red" Holt - drums
- String section arranged and conducted by Riley Hampton (tracks 6–10)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Ramsey Lewis|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1961 Christmas albums
Category:Christmas albums by American artists