The Joyful Season: The Voices of Jo Stafford
Jo Stafford's 1964 LPThe Joyful Seasonlends an interesting girl-group sound to a set of traditional favorites.  Perhaps the most interesting aspect is that it's all Stafford, multitracked, but the arrangements themselves are pretty conventional.  There are two rare tunes, "Merry Christmas" and "Christmas Is the Season," written by Stafford's husband and musical director, Paul Weston, and the young team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman (four years before "The Windmills of Your Mind").  Also of interest are previously unreleased duet tracks with frequent collaborator Gordon MacRae.  Recommended for fans of Stafford or MacRae, or anyone looking for a traditional Christmas album with just a little something different.--David Horiuchi