© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Up To Date

The 10 Best Holiday Songs By Kansas City Artists

By Steve Kraske,
Mackenzie Martin
Published December 24, 2020 at 1:56 PM CST
Ways To Subscribe
Samantha Fish
One of Bill Brownlee's favorite Kansas City holiday songs is “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” from singer-songwriter Samantha Fish.

From jazz to folk, Kansas City has a rich collection of music for this time of year. Music critic Bill Brownlee recommends adding these to your holiday playlist.

  1. Charlie Parker — “White Christmas” from a 1948 radio broadcast
  2. Barnaby Bright — “If We Listen” from the 2020 album “Bleak Midwinter”
  3. Ida McBeth — “Kansas City Christmas” from the 1998 compilation album “The Kansas City Holiday”
  4. Samantha Fish — “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” a 2019 single
  5. Jay McShann — “Hootie’s Christmas Baby” from the 1992 album “Jim and Jay’s Christmas”
  6. Andrea Lewis — “Winter Wonderland” from the 2020 album “Have a Very Merry Christmas”
  7. Melissa Etheridge — “Light a Light” from the 2007 album “A New Thought for Christmas”
  8. Count Basie Orchestra — “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” from the 2015 album “A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas”
  9. Isaac Cates & Ordained — “Little Drummer Boy” from the 2014 EP “Carol of the Bells”
  10. Oleta Adams — “There’s Still My Joy” from the 2006 album “Christmas Time with Oleta”

Bill Brownlee is a music critic and blogger at There Stands the Glass and Plastic Sax.

Tags
Up To Date Talk ShowPodcastMusicLocal musicCharlie ParkerChristmasholidayWinterjazz
Stay Connected
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
See stories by Steve Kraske
Mackenzie Martin
Mackenzie Martin is a senior podcast producer at KCUR Studios and host of the podcast, A People's History of Kansas City. Contact her at mackenzie@kcur.org.
See stories by Mackenzie Martin
Support paywall-free journalism
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.
Donate Now