Every Friday night we smooth our way into the weekend with music, the universal language. These selections demonstrate that despite what is being passed off as art today, there is plenty of really good music available. Come along and enjoy.

It’s tradition on this blog feature that at Thanksgiving time we highlight new Christmas releases. And we have some beauties again this year.

Let’s get started.

This singer is all of 28 years old. Dennis van Aarssen is a Dutch crooner known for swing and jazz-music accompanied by big band. He’ll remind you of Michael Bublé and Harry Connick Jr. Enjoy this millennial musical hipster!

Would like to tell you more about this young guy, but there’s not much out there. I suspect that will change.

You can find the above track on this CD.

Like Van Aarssen our next performer is also 28 years old, but unlike Van Aarssen she’s known worldwide. That’s because her first single sold 11 million copies.

The above track is on this new Christmas CD.

Now we have violinist, dancer and composer Lindsey Stirling. She began to study the violin after being influenced by the classical music records played by her father…AT THE AGE OF FIVE.,

This style of combining classical and rock (but mostly rock) is quite popular. Stirling capitalizes here in a rather attention grabbing video.

Stirling performs Dec. 13th at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee where she’ll promote her new album/CD.

Love this next act, an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived in 2004 that involves an occasionally changing lineup of classical and traditionally trained Irish female musicians.

The above is the cover of their latest recording. Celtic Woman will be at the Chicago Auditorium on December 11, 2022.

Saxophonist extraordinaire Dave Koz has produced a n umber of Christmas albums and usually does a Christmas tour annually accompanied by other contemporary jazz artists.

Koz appears with friends at the Chicago Theatre on December 8, 2022.

That’s it for this week.

Goodnight.

Sleep well.

Go out and buy a new CD this weekend.

“A Neil Diamond Christmas” is a specially artist-curated compilation of the greatest songs from Neil’s four beloved and best-selling Christmas albums.