The reissue of the Cotillion Records compilation Funky Christmas (Real Gone Music) gets off to a funky start with "May Christmas Bring You Happiness" by a quintet called Luther. It's led by the late Luther Vandross shortly before his disco breakthroughs with Bionic Boogie and Change. Luther's tracks, including the Vandross original "At Christmas Time," are the main reasons to unwrap this disc.
The Classic Christmas Album (Columbia/Buddha/Legacy), comprised of songs culled from Gladys Knight & The Pips' The Christmas Album (1975) and That Special Time of Year (1982), makes the season bright. Knight & Co.'s "Do You Hear What I Hear?," Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," and "It's the Happiest Time of the Year" are standout. A pair of cuts featuring Johnny Mathis, "When a Child Is Born" and "The Lord's Prayer," wraps everything up with a pretty bow.
Legendary and out vocalist Johnny Mathis has been releasing Christmas albums since 1958. More than half of the seasonal selections in his latest, Sending You a Little Christmas (Columbia), are duets with a stellar array of guests, including Billy Joel ("The Christmas Song"), Natalie Cole ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"), and Gloria Estefan ("Mary's Boy Child").
A Mary Christmas (Verve/Interscope/Matriarch), by Mary J. Blige, earns props for Blige's choice of duet partners, including bi Brit Jessie J ("Do You Hear What I Hear?"), gospel goddesses The Clark Sisters ("The First Noel") and Marc Anthony ("Noche de Paz/Silent Night"). Blige's "The Little Drummer Boy" is spectacular, and her reading of "My Favorite Things" shows she ought to consider doing an album of standards.
What self-respecting homosexual doesn't have both of Barbra Streisand's Christmas albums, 1967's A Christmas Album and 2001's Christmas Memories, in their holiday music collection? So as not to make Streisand's The Classic Christmas Album (Legacy/Columbia) completely superfluous, think of it as a good way to initiate the next gay generation in the joys of Barbra at the time of the winter solstice. The disc's 16 selections are split almost evenly between the two source albums.
Released in time for Hanukkah, the double-disc set It's a Scream How Levine Does the Rhumba (The Idelsohn Society), subtitled The Latin-Jewish Musical Story: 1940s-1980s, tells the tale of "Jews falling in love with Latin music." From resorts to Bar Mitzvah parties and weddings, from mambo to limbo to cha-cha, Jews and Latin music go way back (can you say Spanish inquisition?). The 41 tracks compiled here feature Latino and Jewish musicians such as Xavier Cugat, Ruth Wallis, Perez Prado, Carole King, Tito Puente, the Barry Sisters, Celia Cruz, Mickey Katz, Willie Colon, Eydie Gorme, Eddie Palmieri, and of course, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. The spicy collection is suitable for playing at any winter holiday gathering.
For many people, Andy Williams' name is synonymous with Christmas music. Williams' three Christmas recordings The Andy Williams Christmas Album (1963), Merry Christmas (1965) and Christmas Present (1974), along with a few singles and unreleased tracks, have been compiled on the two-disc set The Complete Christmas Recordings (Real Gone Music). Questionable politics aside, the late Williams had one of the most distinctive singing voices in mid-20th century popular music. That's the reason these renditions of seasonal favorites are classics.
If you have a hankering for some country this Christmas, The Classic Christmas Album (Epic/Legacy) by George Jones & Tammy Wynette should fill the bill. Bookended by a pair of duets ("Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus," "The Greatest Christmas Gift"), this set mainly consists of Jones and Wynette's solo recordings from the 1960s and early 70s.
Almost worth owning for the cover alone, Christmas with Patti Page (Real Gone Music), "the singing rage," is as much of interest for novelty recording "The Mama Doll Song" as it is for Page's renditions of traditional holiday music. Six bonus tracks, including three songs from her short-lived TV program The Patti Page Show, fill up this musical holiday stocking.
Patti Page wouldn't be out of place on the 12-song compilation soundtrack Mad Men Christmas: Music from and Inspired by the Hit TV Series on AMC (Lionsgate/Concord). Mostly comprised of vintage holiday recordings such as "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Teresa Brewer, and "White Christmas" by Rosemary Clooney, the disc also features newer recordings, including "Christmas Waltz" by Nellie McKay, "Zou Bisou Bisou" by cast member Jessica Pare, and RJD2's Mad Men theme "A Beautiful Mine."
Kelly Clarkson's Wrapped in Red (RCA) ranks among the best of this year's new seasonal-music offerings. It's one of those rare occasions when the original tunes, including the title cut and the "Santa Baby" update "4 Carats," are worthy of standing alongside the more familiar numbers. Clarkson is also radiant on "Silent Night" (joined by Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood) and the jazzy readings of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "White Christmas."
Is there anything better than holiday music sung phonetically? You can answer that for yourself when you hear Buon Natale �" The Christmas Album (Interscope) by Italy's trio of teen tenors Il Volo. Combining traditional Christmas fare ("Ave Maria," "O Holy Night") with more contemporary titles ("Rocking Around the Christmas Tree"), Il Volo continues to aim for crossover success.
Contemporary country diva Mindy Smith must love Christmas. The five-song EP Snowed In (Giant Leap/TVX) is her second holiday-themed release this century. Smith's lighthearted originals ("Tomorrow Is Christmas Day") balance out the seriousness of the more traditional selections.
File this under: Oh no, she didn't! Susan Boyle opens Home for Christmas (SYCO/Columbia), her second Christmas CD in three years, with "O Come, All Ye Faithful," a duet with none other than Elvis Presley (gulp). Not the best or most festive idea. Johnny Mathis reprises his "When a Child Is Born" duet duties when Boyle teams up with him on the song. It's one of the more pleasing moments on the album. Also a joy is Boyle's version of "The Christmas Waltz" (written by two Yids, no less!).
"YouTube sensations" (now that's a gift you can't return!) The Piano Guys take the holidays seriously on A Family Christmas (Portrait). It's not clear what it is about the song selection �" including traditional and popular Christmas favorites, as well as a handful of originals by piano guy Jon Schmidt �" that qualifies it as "family," but even chosen families will find something to like here.
Not their first time at the Christmas music rodeo, the four Celtic women of Celtic Woman come to your home for Christmas with their CD/DVD set Home for Christmas (Manhattan). The 12-song studio CD features their renditions of beloved Christmas selections. The DVD, recorded live in Dublin, features four more songs from an "intimate acoustic" performance.
Not quite The Nutcracker, the Broadway musical Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical (Masterworks Broadway) has the potential to become an annual holiday theater event. With recognizable songs written by Dr. Seuss and Albert Hague ("You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch") and new tunes by Timothy Mason and Mel Marvin, the Grinch lives on.