Christmas for Lovers
Sophisticated in its selections and often seductive in its instrumentation,Christmas for Loversis a must-have collection of renowned classic jazz singers and instrumentalists. Most of the artists here understand that less is more, whether it'sMel Tormedoing his eternal "The Christmas Song,"Ella Fitzgeraldasking "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?," pianistJoe Samplereinventing another time and place with the almost unrecognizable "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," orYusef Lateef's sax-sparked "Warm Fire."  Not to be outdone by the sublime instrumentals ofRamsey Lewis,Kenny Burrell,Oscar Peterson, andGerry MulliganandPaul Desmond, there are simply stellar vocal showcases byAbbey Lincoln,Joe Williams,Dinah Washington, andShirley Horn, whose "The Secret of Christmas" puts the whole maddening holiday in perspective: "It's not the things you do at Christmastime/but the Christmas things you do all year." One of the year's tastiest and brightest.  --Martin Keller