With these sweltering temperatures and the recent smoke that was rolling in from the Canadian wildfires, you may be finding yourself reminiscing for a simpler, cooler time: Christmas season. Ah, there’s nothing like the beautiful white blanketing of fresh, pristine snow over a landscape to put you in a good mood. And the festive, glowing red, green and golden Christmas lights strung on every house. Returning home to see your family and relatives, and share some good cheer. But alas, it is still July, not December, so why not celebrate Christmas in July with some of our most beloved holiday tunes?

Blue Christmas – John Di Martino, Lonnie Plaxico, Wayne Escoffery, and Willie Jones III

“Blue Christmas” is one of my favorite holiday tunes; it just pulls at the heartstrings while also having such a catchy melody. And this jazzy instrumental rendition, from Night is Alive’s album Christmas Ain’t Like It Used To Be, showcases the saxophone while also allowing you–the listener–to take center stage and sing if you’d like! Turn on this tune with your family in the car and you can all sing along together!

Ding Dong Merrily On High – The Bill Cunliffe Trio with Ralph Moore

This original Christmas song from Night is Alive’s album Christmas in the Dog House provides a wonderful ambience to help you relax and unwind after a long day of work. Maybe your job involves being outside, so you come home drained and exhausted from the heat. Enjoy Bill Cunliffe’s lovely piano while you ease yourself into the cool air conditioning!

This Christmas by Night is Alive Featuring Teddy Horangic and Frank Lacy

This groovy rendition of “This Christmas” will be sure to get you up and dancing, and singing along with the stunning vocalists! It may be July, but you can use your imagination to pretend that it’s December. Imagine that you’re returning home for the holidays with a new lover beside you. “Hang all the mistletoe / I’m gonna get to know you better.”

Snow – The Bill Cunliffe Trio with Ralph Moore

There may not be any snow outside your windows right now, but you can dream with this song that captures the magic of snow. Maybe to celebrate Christmas in July this year, you make some fake snow and use it to craft some cute little snowmen, or a snow-covered cottage! Before you know it the weather will cool, the leaves will change and then the magical snow will fall, blanketing our lives and landscape.

Night is Alive’s Home for the Holidays Playlist on YouTube

There are so many wonderful Christmas songs that NiA decided to compile them all together into a few 6 hour-long playlists on YouTube that offer you the coziest setting for your home. Let the fire crackle in the digital fireplace, and allow the jazz holiday tunes to wash over you, while you get all snug on the couch and read a good book this July.

Check out this music and more on Night is Alive’s albums page.

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild