December

Not all great Christmas recordings are by the old crooners. Pianist George Winston’s 1982 album December—which falls between other seasonal albums Autumn and Summer—is a touching study of mood and consonance, giving off airy sonorities. Tracks like “Jesus, Rest Your Head” and “Night, Pt. 2: Midnight” conjure the stillness of snowy nights with soulful chords and chilled-out melodies, while “Carol of the Bells” uses the carefully orchestrated interplay between sprawling runs and its well-known ostinato line to evoke reverence and mercy.