Jingle Bell Jazz

Side One

1. "Jingle Bells" – Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
2. "White Christmas" – Lionel Hampton
3. "Winter Wonderland" – Chico Hamilton
4. "The Christmas Song" – Carmen McRae
5. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Pony Poindexter
6. "We Three Kings of Orient Are" – Paul Horn

Side Two

1. "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" – Dave Brubeck
2. "Deck Us All with Boston Charlie" – Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
3. "Frosty the Snowman" – Dukes of Dixieland
4. "If I Were a Bell" – Manhattan Jazz All–Stars
5. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" – Marlowe Morris
6. "Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)" – Miles Davis (Bob Dorough, vocal)

The 1973 (Harmony ) and 1980 (Columbia) reissues replace side 2, track 3 with "Deck the Halls" by Herbie Hancock, recorded in 1969.

At the time of its release, Jingle Bell Jazz was reviewed in Billboard: "Unfortunately, this album is reaching the market too late to really be a factor this year, but it contains such a swinging, bright collection of jazz names, it certainly bears comment."[1]

Despite his unenthusiastic assessment of his contribution to Jingle Bell Jazz, Miles Davis recalled the recording session as the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with saxophonist Wayne Shorter:[2] "Columbia got the bright idea of making an album for Christmas, and they thought it would be hip if I had this silly singer named Bob Dorough on the album, with Gil arranging. We got Wayne Shorter on tenor, Frank Rehak on trombone, and Willie Bobo on bongos, and in August we did this album. The less said about it the better, but it did let me play with Wayne Shorter for the first time, and I really liked what he was into."[3][4]

Jingle Bell Jazz reached No. 28 on the Billboard Christmas Albums Chart on December 10, 1988.

The album was reissued twice on LP, in 1973 and 1980, with a track alteration and different cover art. Columbia has issued a CD called Jingle Bell Jazz with several tracks from the original LP and several newer tracks, with different cover art from both LP versions.