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Holly Jolly X'masu


Jun 25, 2020

Welcome to Episode 5 of Holly Jolly X'masu! In this episode, I talk about Jackey Yoshikawa’s “Christmas With Blue Comets.” This record holds special meaning for me. The cover on the version I bought was also used for their 7” Christmas single. I loved the cover the first time I saw it and was determined to somehow own a copy. When I was contemplating my first purchase of Japanese vinyl, finding this album for sale helped convince me to go ahead and take a chance. The album lived up to the cover. The others I purchased in that same lot were equally good, which really sparked my fascination with Japanese Christmas music.

One of the greatest covers ever!

I’m releasing this on Leon Day. As I explain in the episode, Leon Day is the unofficial halfway mark to and from Christmas. For some, it’s a fun tradition. People will bake Christmas cookies, start shopping or planning crafts, or possibly play some Christmas music (around my house, that wouldn’t differentiate it from any other day of the year).

While researching this episode, I found that there was a real-life Leon Day as well. It turns out, he was one of the most talented players in the Negro Leagues. Considering all that’s going on in the country right now, I wanted to devote a small portion of this special episode to the late Mr. Day.

One of the greatest players ever!

Getting back to Jackey Yoshikawa, I hope you enjoy his music as much as I do. “Christmas With Blue Comets” is one of my favorite Japanese Christmas albums and, in my opinion, can hold its own against the Ventures or any other similar band. At the same time, it’s accessible and mainstream enough that it should appeal to just about everyone.

Jackey Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets on The Ed Sullivan Show

Next month, I’ll have a special Christmas in July episode where I’ll cover Japanese Christmas songs that mention summer, or have a more summery feel. I have some fun songs lined up already, but if you have any suggestions or recommendations, feel free to send them my way.

Any feedback on this episode would be appreciated. If you’d like to recommend an album for a future episode, drop me a line and let me know.

Remember, I've added a button to my Ko-fi page. If you'd like to support me one cup of coffee at a time, a donation is only $3. Any donations received will be put towards purchasing new Japanese Christmas music to review for future episodes. Thanks!