Have yourself a jazzy little Christmas

Various artists, “40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Various singers and instrumentalists contributed to this collection of 12 newly recorded songs from the “Peanuts” Christmas TV special and other holiday tunes.

Viewers of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which first aired in 1965, will probably recognize the cool and catchy light jazz melodies Vince Guaraldi wrote for the half-hour animated story.

Among those heard here are “Linus and Lucy,” with Dave Koz on saxophone; “Skating,” performed by Norman Brown; and “Christmas Time Is Here,” with vocals by Brian McKnight.

Rick Braun performs “My Little Drum,” Guaraldi’s adaptation of “Little Drummer Boy.” Other familiar instrumentals include the classics “O Tannenbaum” and “Fur Elise,” played by Gerald Albright and David Benoit, respectively.

“The Christmas Song” (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ...”) gets a passionate jazz rendition by Chaka Kahn that might make traditionalists squirm a bit. On the other hand, Toni Braxton sounds too lethargic on the usually jovial “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Stealing the show is Vanessa Williams with “Just Like Me,” a tender new ballad that she sings with sweetness and grace.

Overall, the album provides pleasant listening, and its Christmas theme isn’t so overbearing that it couldn’t be enjoyed any time of the year — maybe even at that Fourth of July barbecue.
—Ron Berthel

Various Artists, “The Holiday Collection”
Martha Stewart isn’t necessarily the name that springs to mind when you think of music, but over the years her face has graced a handful of smartly selected compilations. She, or a loyal employee, has taste there, too.

So it is with her three CD “The Holiday Collection.” Each disc has a theme — traditional, classical and jazz — and is accompanied by a set of cards with recipes and craft tips. Oh, and an ad for Martha’s DVD holiday collection.

One could yearn for a more adventurous spirit; Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” and “The Little Drummer Boy” duet between Bing Crosby and David Bowie will be overplayed enough the next month without Stewart’s help. But that’s not really the point, is it? What you’re buying is tasteful background music for a holiday party, and this doesn’t skimp on old favorites.
—David Bauder

Steve Lukather & Friends “SantaMental”
Like many artists who want to do a Christmas album, Steve Lukather, the guitarist from the band Toto, had a handful of good ideas. And then he found himself with another half hour or so of disc space to fill.

The result, “SantaMental,” is like a lot of other Christmas compilations, showing moments of brilliance and a few memorable moments, sandwiched around forgettable filler.

First the good: The album kicks off with a roar in the instrumental “Joy To The World,” which is set to the frenetic drum beat of Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher” and features a duet with none other than Eddie Van Halen himself in his first new studio work in years. It’s clever, catchy and charismatic, one of the few new Christmas tracks that has a chance of being remembered in future years.

Light years away in a different direction is “Jingle Bells,” which uses Sammy Davis Jr.’s vocals from the original Reprise recording, set to a modern rock beat, which works a lot better than it might sound in theory. Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash adds a nice touch to the bluesy “Broken Heart For Christmas,” and Steve Vai joins in on a power-chord-laden “Carol of the Bells.”

But much of the rest of the album devolves into indulgent jazz noodling that meanders through several tracks and ultimately goes nowhere.
—Wayne Parry

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