[2026] Jazz numbers perfect for Christmas. From classic standards to original pieces.

Bah HumbugPentatonix

Pentatonix – Bah Humbug (Yule Log Audio)

Introducing an original Christmas song by Pentatonix, the three-time Grammy-winning a cappella group.

Released in September 2025, this track debuted as the lead single from the album “Christmas in the City.” Its title is taken from Scrooge’s famous catchphrase in Charles Dickens’s classic “A Christmas Carol,” and the song playfully portrays the holiday season from a curmudgeon’s point of view.

While laced with irony and humor, it ultimately flips the emotion toward the magic of celebration—a masterful structure.

The rich harmonies and beatboxing, created using only voices, deliver a sparkle reminiscent of a big band.

It’s recommended for those tired of the standard Christmas fare or anyone seeking a holiday number with a clever twist.

mother i’ll be latearon!

aron! – mother i’ll be late (lyric video)

Singer-songwriter Aron has been attracting attention with his “cozy pop,” a seamless blend of jazz idiom and pop accessibility.

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, he took to the guitar from a young age, and an encounter with an 80-year-old jazz guitar teacher deepened his passion for jazz.

In June 2025, he released his debut EP, “cozy you (and other nice songs),” on the prestigious Verve Records, earning buzz for his warm vocals and sophisticated harmonies.

The track included on his holiday EP, “a cozy christmas,” is an original song that portrays the bittersweetness of a Christmas spent away from family and a yearning for warmth.

Rather than flashy orchestration, it evokes the season’s atmosphere with an intimate, room-sounding combo feel—part of its charm.

More than sparkle, it offers a gentle spaciousness that embraces the loneliness of a night spent apart, and it lingers in the heart.

It’s a perfect song for those who want to spend a quiet Christmas.

Linus And LucyVince Guaraldi Trio

Vince Guaraldi Trio – Linus And Lucy

Vince Guaraldi, an artist who made a major impact on the jazz scene as leader of the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

While his reputation as a jazz composer is impeccable, his achievements in popular music are also remarkable—he released two Christmas songs that became worldwide hits.

One of them is Linus and Lucy.

In Japan, it’s known as the theme song for the Peanuts (Snoopy) anime, so some people may not realize it’s actually a Christmas song.

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The Christmas SongNat King Cole

Nat King Cole – “The Christmas Song” (1961)

Nat King Cole, the legendary jazz vocalist whose rich, warm voice is respected around the world.

He released several Christmas songs, but the most famous is The Christmas Song, which we’re introducing today.

It’s played frequently in Japan, so I think everyone has heard it at least once.

Although it’s a globally beloved Christmas song, it was actually written in the middle of summer.

I never would have imagined it was created in summer—what a surprise! (laughs)

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Christmas CheerAbbey Lincoln & Roy Hargrove

Christmas Cheer

Jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln, known as an artist deeply tied to the civil rights movement, and trumpeter/flugelhornist Roy Hargrove, a leading figure on the jazz scene since the 1990s, come together on an original Christmas number included on the compilation album “Jazz for Joy: A Verve Christmas Album,” released in October 1996.

Lincoln herself contributed the lyrics, making it not a cover of a standard but a piece imbued with her own words and emotions.

Hargrove’s flugelhorn offers a gentle, velvety tone that blends exquisitely with Lincoln’s shadowed, nuanced vocals, favoring warmth and lingering resonance over flashiness.

It’s recommended for those who prefer a quietly intimate Christmas rather than a glittering party song.