Memories of mixmaster Mitchell

In 2013, at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam, I met Mitchell Kezin (he's the tall guy). Mastermind behind Jingle Bell Rocks, THE must-see documentary on offbeat Christmas music, makers and collectors. And the personal history of Mitchell, 'the little boy that Santa Claus forgot'. We immediatly connected, there in that cinema. He was an overwhelming guy, tall, superenthusiastic and very kind. My date for that night felt like we were talking in some kind of secret language (it was our first date; she stayed with me, luckily). Read a fine interview with Kezin HERE.

Mitchell and I stayed in contact, albeit via social media and the odd email; there were two main topics, Christmas music and his Merry Mix. He'd send me cd's, later downloads, it was wonderful. It was a shock when the message came that he died, early 2024. For his family and loved ones, of course, and for the whole offbeat Christmas community. Some members of that community made a tribute-mix, with tracks that are somehow connected to Kezin. Read a nice tribute to Mitchell by Ernie (not Bert) HERE. It includes a download link for that mix (with a pdf with liner notes).

While we're on the topic of Christmas mixes, I've made my yearly Perfect New Christmas Songs playlist for the Perfects.nl platform. Find it on Spotify HERE.