Christmas Songs blended to Standard Tunes
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So several years ago I found that the Brazilian Standard "Triste" closely follows the form of "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Some embellishment in the bridge, but for the most part it works. So I call out at Christmas time for during gigs and have the ensemble play Triste and watch them (and the audience) become mesmerized when I start playing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" during the repeat through the head. Kinda like giving the room an unexpected Christmas present.
CAN ANYONE SHARE (AND LETS COMPILE) SONGS THAT WE CAN USE ON GIGS DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
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Another: Miles Davis "All Blues" adapted to "Jingle Bells" This one I could find on YouTube so I cannot take credit for this blended tune:
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One more: On Sunday when I was practicing with "A Fine Romance", I started improving a solo and found that "I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Clause" not only works but works so well, that I am wondering if the person writing "I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Clause" actually adapted this from the Kerns classic!
Seriously, use this YouTube recording of "A Fine Romance"
then sing the lyrics of "I Saw Momma..." So you bet I am using this for gigs!
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep
She thought that I was tucked up
In my bedroom, fast asleepThen I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night -
Always thought mash-up of Sing, Sing, Sing! , Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, and In the Hall of the Mountain King would be fun!
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What you are looking for is "Christmas song partner songs." Partner songs are what you call two songs that have exactly the same chord changes, so that you can have two people (or two groups of people) sing them (or play them) at the same time, resulting in some nice harmonies and countermelody effects.
Choirs sing "partner songs" all the time (something I learned in previous jobs I've had where I taught both band AND choir. If you do an internet search for something like "Christmas partner songs," you will find some results for what you are looking for. Here's a good list of these that I found with a quick search: http://musicedresources.weebly.com/35-partner-songs--rounds.html Not all of the partner songs listed there are Christmas partners, but a good number of them are. If you search some more on the internet, you can probably find even more lists of partner songs like this.
"Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas" have exactly the same chord progression, and therefore this is a case of 2 partner songs that are BOTH Christmas songs. (Both songs were written by Johnny Marks.)
The way that choirs usually perform partner songs (and what would also probably work great for your jazz combo) is to first have everyone sing (play) song #1 all the way through, then immediately everyone then sings (plays) song #2 all the way through, then divide up the ensemble so that half (or some) are singing (or playing) song #1 while the other half of the group are singing (or playing) song #2.
