The Last Month of the Year

Given the fame of the Kingston Trio at its height, it’s more than a little surprising that their 1960 contribution to the world of holiday season albums was at the time a bit of a flop in comparison. But time has more clearly shown it to be one of the best efforts in that field, a combination of deep dive — many of the song choices are now obscure carols and folk songs — their skilled harmony and solo vocals and especially some striking instrumentation and arrangements, capturing a real sense of a hushed but warm-hearted gathering against cold winter evenings.