It's that time of year again. Christmas CDs are everywhere. Here's my guide to the good, the bad and the ugly:
"Under the Mistletoe," Justin Bieber (Island)
Puberty is not being kind to Justin Bieber. Voice changes? Paternity tests? And what's with this new hair? I'd never been a Bieber-hater until I heard the newly mature-voiced Justin sing about being "under the mistletoe with you, Shawty." Maybe castrati singers weren't such a bad idea after all. Poor kid.
"Celebrating Christmas," Marcus Roberts Trio (J-Master)
Marcus Roberts is one of jazz music's modern piano greats and this album, which features Jason Marsalis on drums and Rodney Jordan on bass, is a stand-out. It's simple yet inventive and regularly gorgeous. This is a Christmas disc that's nice to let slip around your subconscious but worth a hard listen. And, anybody who can make me like "Little Drummer Boy" has accomplished something.
"Send Me Some Snow," Chris Standring & Kathrin Shorr (Ultimate Vibe)
Good new Christmas songs are few and far between. This collection by guitarist/composer Chris Standring and vocalist Kathrin Shorr may not contain songs that will become standards, but 10 good new Christmas songs is quite an achievement. Shorr's style is a little reminiscent of Norah Jones (as much pop as jazz) and Standring's songs don't insult your intelligence for the sake of sentiment. This is a very, very nice Christmas surprise.
"Vintage Christmas," David Ian (Prescott)
Pianist David Ian leads a jazz trio along with vocalists Acacia and Andre Miguel Mayo for a relaxed and natural collection of Christmas standards and one likable jazzy original.
"O Christmas Three," Chicago (Chicago)
To show you how hard Christmas songs can be to write, even Paul McCartney failed at it with "Wonderful Christmas Time." It doesn't bode well that Chicago chose to open a third Christmas CD by covering McCartney's misfire — and even Dolly Parton can't help it out with a dialed-in guest vocal.
"A Skaggs Family Chirstmas, Volume Two," Ricky Skaggs and Family (Skaggs Family)
Ricky Skaggs looks ever more like he could've been there at the first Christmas (get a haircut, hippie!), but his musical chops remain vibrant. This follow-up to the family's 2005 Christmas collection (Skaggs, his wife, Sharon White, and her family, and Skaggs children) is nice and homey and includes a DVD of the Christmas concert.
"The Sing Off: Songs of the Season," Various Artists (Epic)
I anticipated this to be one of the best Christmas discs of the season — great a cappella groups performing Christmas standards. A few acts give knock-out performances (the Dartmouth Aires, among them), but, overall, this is a disappointment.
"This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday, Vol. 2," Various Artists (Brushfire)
You gotta like a song that deals with the debaucheries of Christmas partying, and this set opens with a fun ukulele/banjo-fueled number by Zach Gill. The rest of the disc, with contributions by Jack Johnson, ALO, G. Love, Matt Costa, Money Mark and others, is inoffensive, but uninspiring.
"A Farmhouse Christmas," Joey & Rory (Sugar Hill)
Married country duo Joey & Rory made an excellent Christmas-music first impression in 2009 with the single "It's Christmas Time." This full-length album includes that track and 11 others. It's not bad, but none of the tracks live up to the promise of the single.
"Wow Christmas," Various Artists (Word)
This set brings 32 different contemporary Christian artists together on two CDs. It's actually a good sampler to the genre and a surprisingly good collection of familiar and unfamiliar Christmas songs.
"Ultimate Christmas," David Koz (Capitol)
To some folks, elevator jazz just screams Christmas spirit. If Scrooge had had this on the CD player he would've snored right through all three of those Christmas ghosts and remained a miserable old miser rather than becoming a music critic.
© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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