RoCM Christmas Playlist: 20 Dec 2025

Another year, another Christmas edition of RoCM. I hope the holidays are treating you well. Personally, I try to use the holidays to take some stock of the things for which I am the most grateful – and to realize that some of life is enjoying the small moments while you can. If that seems a bit obvious, well… then… I don’t have much else in terms of wisdom to share.

And on that note…

Here’s the playlist. Don’t forget that you can listen to the RoCM online at KCSB-FM’s website and there’s an online archive available for two weeks after the show airs.

Time	Artist	Song	Release	Song note
4:00:32 PM	Vince Guaraldi	O Tannenbaum	A Charlie Brown Christmas	Vince Guaraldi – piano Fred Marshall – double bass Jerry Granelli – drums
4:06:37 PM	Mars Williams	Carol of the Drum / Bells / O Come Emmanuel / Joy to the World	Mars Williams Presents: An Ayler Xmas, Vol. 2	Mars Williams – Saxes, Toy Instruments Josh Berman – Cornet Fred Lonberg-holm – Cello Jim Baker – Piano, Arp Synth, Viola Kent Kessler – Bass Brian Sandstrom – Bass, Guitar, Trumpet Steve Hunt – Drums, Percussion
4:27:19 PM	Ryuichi Sakamoto	Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence	From Ryuichi Sakamoto Playing the Piano 2022	Ryuichi Sakamoto – Piano
4:33:02 PM	William S. Burroughs	The Junky’s Christmas	Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales	The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy – Music William S. Burroughs – Voice
4:50:10 PM	Tom Waits	Silent Night-Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis	Austin City Limits 12-05-78
5:00:14 PM	Robert Earl Keen	Merry Christmas From The Family (Live)	No. 2 Live Dinner	Rich Brotherton, Robert Earl Keen – Acoustic Guitar Mark Thomas Patterson – Drums Bill Whitbeck – Electric Bass Bryan Duckworth – Fiddle Robert Earl Keen – Lead Vocals Lloyd Maines – Steel Guitar
5:05:39 PM	John Coltrane	My Favorite Things	Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up	John Coltrane – tenor and soprano saxophone Jimmy Garrison – double bass Elvin Jones – drums McCoy Tyner – piano
5:28:18 PM	John Zorn	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas	A Dreamers Christmas	Marc Ribot − guitars Jamie Saft − keyboards Kenny Wollesen − vibes, chimes, glockenspiel Trevor Dunn − bass guitar, double bass Joey Baron − drums Cyro Baptista − percussion
5:34:28 PM	Frank Villafranca and Andrew D. Gordon	Have Yourself A Merry Avant Garde Christmas Medley	Single	Frank Villafranca – Saxophone Andrew D. Gordon – Keyboards
5:43:57 PM	Charlie Parker All-Stars	White Christmas	Live at the The Royal Roost	Charlie Parker – saxophone Kenny Dorham – trumpet Max Roach – drums Al Haig – Piano Tommy Potter – Bass
5:52:07 PM	Tom Lehrer	(I’m Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica	The Remains of Tom Lehrer
5:53:54 PM	Tom Lehrer	A Christmas Carol (Live)	An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer, Live