It seems a requirement for a musical artist to produce a Christmas Album:

Bing Crosby a White Christmas.
Frank Sinatra a Jolly Christmas.
Ella Fitzgerald a Swinging Christmas.

Then there is Death Row Records and Snoop Dogg with “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto”:

Holla at ya folks, boy, it’s goin’ down
Ain’t no help from no elves, just Tha Dogg Pound
And we passin’ out gifts, blazin’ up spliffs
Christmas on the Row, can you dig it?

And don’t forget Herb Alpert, born ninety years ago in East LA to Jewish parents who immigrated from present-day Ukraine. Raised in a family of musicians, Alpert picked the trumpet at age eight, eventually playing at USC and the US Army before launching a music career. But what lane?

After hearing Clifford Brown, Alpert knew he couldn’t break through as a traditional jazz musician. Inspiration came from listening to Les Paul’s multitrack guitar recordings. So he tried it with “The Lonely Bull” overdubbing his trumpet, taking inspiration from traditional mariachi music, creating a day of bullfighting with cheering crowds.

The song was a hit and eventually Alpert became Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. And in 1968 he released his first Christmas album, an album where a Jewish trumpeter plays Christmas music a la mariachi. What more could you want?

The album has traditional songs like “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bells.” There is also the sacred “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and traditional “Las Mañanitas” which is actually a Mexican birthday song. Personally, I like the one song that isn’t even a holiday song, “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music.

The song starts off with a chorus oohing and aahing before the drums kick in to launch a peppy version that requires champagne instead of whiskers and woolen mittens. The song packs plenty of holiday spirit before it slooooows, as if it drank too much eggnog and turned melancholy.

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad

But then Herb remembers his favorite things and ends the song not feeling so bad.