Still in ORIGINAL SHRINK-WRAP (opened). Vinyl plays nicely (play-graded). Cover looks great, a few creases, light scuffing and discoloration along opening edge (front/back); sticker residue on shrink-wrap on front near top right. Inner-sleeve is original (generic white). Spine is clean and easy-to-read. Little shelf-wear along top/bottom-edge and corners. Opening is crisp with signs of light use and a few divots. 1984 pressing with alternate cover art. (Not a cut-out.)
Christmas Album is a late-1968 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. It was the group's eleventh release. The LP edition of the album was issued twice. The original edition had the cover photography filling the front and back sides of the album jacket. For the reissue, the photos were reduced to half size and placed in the center of a white background. The album contains a mixture of popular Christmas-season music, mostly American secular standards. Exceptions include the Bach piece Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, and a traditional Hispanic number, Las Mañanitas. The latter song's arrangement, provided by marimbist Julius Wechter, is near identical to one used by Wechter's Baja Marimba Band several years earlier, on their 1965 album For Animals Only. The songs's title literally means The Little Mornings; the song is traditionally sung on the morning of one's birthday celebration, or the day of a religious figure such as a saint (or, in this case, Jesus). The cover features the image of Alpert, who is Jewish, dressed as Santa Claus while playing his trumpet. Collaborating with Alpert in the production was his usual cadre of musicians: Nick Ceroli (drums/percussion), Bob Edmondson (trombone), Tonni Kalash (trumpet), Lou Pagani (keyboards), John Pisano (guitars/mandolin) and Pat Senatore (bass). Perennial sideman, Julius Wechter, appears on marimba and percussion. Alpert provides lead vocals on The Christmas Song and The Bell That Couldn't Jingle, and there are also appearances by a studio choir and string instruments, arranged by Shorty Rogers.