Feel the stillness of snowy winter nights

Not all great Christmas recordings are by the old crooners. Pianist George Winston’s 1982 album December—which falls between other seasonal albums Autumn and Summer—is a touching study of mood and consonance, giving off airy sonorities. Tracks like “Jesus, Rest Your Head” and “Night, Pt. 2: Midnight” conjure the stillness of snowy nights with soulful chords and chilled-out melodies, while “Carol of the Bells” uses the carefully orchestrated interplay between sprawling runs and its well-known ostinato line to evoke reverence and mercy.