NEWARK, N.J. — Don Was is giving public-radio jazz fans a fresh way to soundtrack the season, curating an hourlong Blue Note Christmas playlist for NPR’s “Jazz Night in America.” Instead of leaning on the same standards that resurface every December, the Blue Note Records president stitches together rare cuts, deep grooves and a few stone-cold classics from across the label’s history, Dec. 18, 2025.
The episode, billed as “Have a Blue (Note) Christm
as with Don Was,” runs 56 minutes, 17 seconds and is hosted by bassist Christian McBride as part of Jazz Night in America. Producers Sarah Geledi and Trevor Smith frame it as a guided listen, with Was introducing the music and adding the kind of session-level context that turns a playlist into a story.
Don Was digs into the Blue Note vault for Christmas
The 11-song set moves quickly between eras and moods. It opens with Norah Jones’ “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones),” then keeps one foot in the present with Gregory Porter’s reflective “Everything’s Not Lost.” From there, it pivots to Horace Silver’s “Peace,” a reminder that a holiday show can feel seasonal without sounding like a mall.
Nancy Wilson’s “That’s What I Want For Christmas” brings pop polish, while Charlie Hunter’s take on “Christmas Time Is Here” loosens the grip on a familiar melody. Booker Ervin’s “White Christmas” swings with muscle, and The Three Sounds’ “Blue Bells” shifts the mood toward lounge warmth. The closing stretch leans spiritual: Duke Pearson’s “Silent Night” and Donald Byrd’s “Cristo Redentor” finish the hour with after-hours calm.
Listeners can hear the full program and see the complete track list via Jazz24’s episode page for “Have a Blue (Note) Christmas with Don Was”, which credits Don Was and Blue Note executive Cem Kurosman with selecting the set.
How Don Was has been telling Blue Note’s story for years
For Don Was, the holiday hour fits a longer pattern: he has spent years talking about Blue Note as more than a logo — a sound, a visual language and a mission built around artists’ freedom. In a 2014 RNZ interview marking Blue Note’s 75th anniversary, he described the imprint’s “excellence and coolness and authenticity” as something listeners can feel immediately.
A 2020 uDiscover Music interview traced that obsession back to his teen years digging for Blue Note LPs and treating liner notes like a map. A 2024 Everything Jazz conversation picked up the same thread, casting him as both caretaker and modernizer — protecting the catalog while pushing new releases and reissues that keep the label in the present tense.
That continuum is audible in this set. The playlist nods to Blue Note’s modern holiday offerings, including Jones’ album “I Dream Of Christmas”, while also spotlighting classic-era touchstones like Pearson’s “Merry Ole Soul”, long considered a signature seasonal statement from the label.
For listeners burned out on algorithmic holiday jazz, Don Was’ approach is disarmingly simple: treat Christmas like a session, not a slogan. The result is a Blue Note Christmas playlist that can sit in the background — then suddenly stop you in your tracks.
