
Anyhow... I'm strolling through the Internets one day and I came across an absolutely brilliant piece of writing. I wish I could write so well. Not long, mind you, but brilliant. It was called "Christmas Song Blues (Confessions of a Jealous Jewess)" and it was a blog post from Isabel Rose. I hope you'll go read it (and her other fabulous posts), but the gist is Isabel spoke of her love of Christmas songs and lamented the lack of Hanukkah songs. Lamented the lack of Hanukkah songs AND the lack of modern interpretations of the ones most people know. So she took matters into her own hands and cut the version of "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" that, hopefully, you're listening to right now. It's a beautiful Jazz reading, complete with vibraphone, sleigh bells, a cold wind a-blowing and some original lyrics. She even weaves in echoes of "Carol Of The Bells" that dance their own special Hora with the song's traditional melody. (If the song runs out, hit repeat. And, later, don't forget to look for the Zebra with menorah stripes in the video; it's pretty cool.) "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" by Isabel Rose is available on Amazon and iTunes and it deserves a place in your holiday collection.
I did comment on Isabel's post that there is some Hanukkah music out there. But she's right that, outside of Adam Sandler, you're not going to hear it on the radio or in the malls.

Last year, Hanukkah coincided with Thanksgiving and that was weird, but this year's holiday convergence is nigh on perfect. The first night of Hanukkah is December 16th. Do the math. Hanukkah's gonna roll right into Christmas. How cool is that? I can think of no better track to kick off the holidays--all of them--than "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" from Isabel Rose. You want that song on your wall. You need that song on your wall. (OK, A Few Good Men allusion not my best effort.) Get it from Amazon or iTunes. If it does well enough, maybe we can convince Isabel to record an entire Hanukkah album. Check out Isabel's other fine records, "Trouble In Paradise" and "Swingin' From The Hip", as well. And there's lots of good reading on Isabel's website and her Facebook page. (And don't forget to look for the zebra in the video). L'chaim.