You long-time readers of this space – all two of you! – will recognize that today is a red-and-green-letter day at the ol’ Just Charlie hacienda. It’s the day that Christmas music officially makes its debut for the year!

Go ahead…call me crazy if you want. Tell me it’s too early. Tell me I’ll be tired of it before Halloween. Tell me it’s too hot for Christmas music. Tell me all that if you must. I can barely wait for Labor Day each year because I just love the music of Christmas!

I let Pandora’s Jazz Holidays channel do the picking today, and as usual, it did not disappoint!

First up was The Eddie Higgins Trio doing “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Following that was Oscar Peterson’s “White Christmas,” Joe Pass’s great rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and right at this very moment…the great Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas classic “Christmas Time is Here!”

Grill your burgers and dogs. Spend one last day at the beach or the pool. Wear your white shoes and seersucker one last time. As for me, I’m listening to Christmas music!