December, as you might imagine, is a pretty awesome month for Christmas music enthusiasts. For one thing, it’s the one month each year when we can safely acknowledge our interest in seasonal music. Playing "Jingle Bells" in May rarely goes over well. It’s also a great time to expand our collections. Not only does December bring new releases from some of the world's biggest entertainers, but literally hundreds of new tracks from struggling and independent artists are made available for little or no cost via the internet. Of course, this is also the season when folks like me circulate their “Christmas comps” – mix tapes of myriad styles and sensibilities. In the few short years I’ve been following holiday music, I’ve already developed a list of favorite collectors whose mixes I especially enjoy, and at or near the top of my list is Andy Cirzan. An executive for one of the country's leading concert promoters, Andy’s been sending his annual mix to friends and business associates for more than 20 years, and his product rarely disappoints. Happily for us, Andy’s also the featured guest this time each year for a special holiday edition of Sound Opinions, the Chicago Public Radio rock music talk show hosted each weekend by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Andy serves as Sound Opinions’ very own Kris Kringle, playing selections from his latest holiday CD, and discussing his collection and holiday music in general. This is one show I look forward to all year, which is why I wanted to mention it here. The Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular airs this Saturday, December 16 on stations across the country and is also available via podcast. Check the Sound Opinions website for details.
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