Level: 2/3
Tuning: Standard

Popular Texas R&B singer/pianist Amos Milburn had several hits in the late 1940s and early 50s, including "Down The Road a Piece," "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" and "Chicken Shack Boogie," which earned his band the moniker "The Aladdin Chickenshackers." This smooth Christmas offering (the record begins with the sound of jingling bells) was typical of his urban, crooning style, but he also is known as one of the early jump blues musicians who presaged rock and roll. ";Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" is a good example of a mellow 12-bar blues with jazzy chord substitutions added. The arrangement features many typical key-of-E blues licks, like the opening up-the-neck figure and the E7 fill at the 3rd and 4th fret. The thumb plays a monotone bass through most of the tune, and notice the quote from "Jingle Bells" at the beginning of the solo (Milburn did it on the piano.)