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Jazz to Enjoy in Winter: Not Just Christmas Songs—Timeless Classics and Performances [2025]
When it comes to jazz that suits the winter season, many people think of the various beloved classics that are cherished as Christmas songs.
And because the nights are long, it’s a season that pairs well with introspective tracks you’ll want to listen to closely.
In addition to standard numbers, jazz-style arrangements of famous Christmas songs are also popular.
In this article, we’ll cover those staple Christmas tunes while also picking out jazz numbers recommended for winter.
From pieces that explicitly take winter as their theme, to numbers perfect for solitary reflection, and even cheerful tracks that make you forget the cold, we’ll include original songs by rising young artists who have been attracting attention in recent years!
Jazz to Enjoy in Winter: Not Just Christmas Songs—Great Tracks and Performances [2025] (1–10)
Warm DecemberNEW!Samara Joy
Samara Joy, a multiple Grammy winner and one of the most talked-about vocalists in today’s jazz scene.
Born in 1999, she grew up in a musical family steeped in gospel, and with a silky voice that carries on the legacy of greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, she continues to share the allure of jazz with younger generations.
Her cover of a Julie London classic, included on her 2023 Christmas EP “A Joyful Holiday,” is a heartwarming number that feels especially right for the colder months.
Despite the simple trio of piano, bass, and drums, the spacious arrangement and her meticulous vocal delivery blend beautifully, filling the winter night with a gentle warmth that feels like a quiet companion.
It’s the perfect track for moments spent with someone special, or for those times when you want to relax alone and immerse yourself in music.
Linus And LucyNEW!Vince Guaraldi Trio
A perfect performance for long winter nights, this lighthearted jazz number by the Vince Guaraldi Trio has long been beloved.
Included on the December 1964 album “Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” it has become widely known as music for the Peanuts animations.
Its hallmark style features a lively right-hand melody dancing over a repeating left-hand rhythm, blending elements of West Coast jazz and Latin for an inviting, approachable sound.
Also featured on the classic Christmas album “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” it’s a track that brings warmth to the cold season.
Recommended when you want cheerful background music or to immerse yourself in the nostalgic world of the animated series.
December (ft. Andra Day)NEW!Robert Glasper Feat. PJ Morton, Sevyn Streeter
Robert Glasper, known for his innovative blend of jazz and R&B, released the holiday EP “In December” in November 2023, featuring both covers of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks.
Among them, the song featuring Andra Day is a lyrical number that captures the quiet loneliness that follows a breakup.
The powerful vocals interwoven with delicate piano tones create a sound that speaks to the feelings of spending a night alone behind the glitter of the holiday season.
Glasper has said, “I wanted to express not just the ‘Christmas-ness,’ but also the emotions people carry during this time,” and this track truly embodies that intention.
It’s a recommended listen for winter nights when you want to quietly reflect on yourself.
Keep OnNEW!Alfa Mist
This is a track by London-based pianist Alfa Mist, included on his debut album Antiphon.
It’s a piece that fully showcases his musicality, shaped by his background as a hip-hop beatmaker who taught himself piano.
Centered around the Rhodes piano, it features a serene ensemble where horns like saxophone and trumpet intertwine with guitar and bass.
Its calm, medium-tempo groove and spacious arrangement create an introspective atmosphere that makes you want to listen closely on a winter night.
Released in March 2017, this work can be seen as emblematic of his style, which emphasizes improvisation and emotional expression.
Why not give it a listen when you want to spend some quiet time alone with music?
Turn On The LightsNEW!Jamie Cullum
This piece, themed around a light that illuminates the winter darkness, portrays the hope and joy of the Christmas season.
Centered on Jamie Cullum’s piano performance, the sound layers strings, horns, and orchestral percussion in a dazzling, celebratory blend.
Released in October 2020 as the lead single from the album “The Pianoman at Christmas,” it was recorded at Abbey Road Studios over five days with 57 musicians.
Expressing the feeling of kindling a light as we emerge from the dark days around the winter solstice, this track stands out from typical Christmas staples as an original, distinctive holiday number.
It’s a perfect recommendation for those who want to be wrapped in warm light and music on a cold winter’s night.
WinterNEW!Chip Wickham
Chip Wickham, a saxophonist/flutist from Brighton who’s also made his mark on Manchester’s club scene, spans a wide musical palette from spiritual jazz to beat music.
This track from his September 2022 release Cloud 10 is a soothing number, graced by gently drifting flute tones.
The woodwind melody, flowing like quiet water, evokes both the stillness of winter and an inner warmth.
While inheriting the tradition of modal jazz, it exquisitely fuses the refined sense of rhythm unique to contemporary UK jazz.
It’s a piece you’ll want to savor alone during the cold season—an uncanny experience that makes a deep warmth well up from within amid the chill air.
Nocturne (Interlude)NEW!Laufey
The instrumental piece included on Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey’s album “Bewitched,” released in September 2023, is striking for its piano-centered arrangement that cherishes silence and space.
Blending her classical training with a yearning for jazz, the sound is distinctly hers and perfectly suits the long nights of winter.
As a lyricless interlude, it offers listeners time for deep breaths and introspection, helping to organize the album’s overall emotional arc.
It is also featured in the film “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl,” which captures her performance with an orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, allowing the serene live atmosphere to be appreciated on screen.
Highly recommended for winter nights when you want to shut yourself away and engage deeply with music.