HIPSTERS HOLIDAY: VOCAL JAZZ & R&B CLASSICS

(Rhino)

You've heard of Christmas spirit? This is Christmas soul -- a complete kit for a swinging and very black Christmas. Louis Armstrong zinging " 'Zat You Santa Claus," "Cool Yule," and "Christmas Night in Harlem." Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby." The Mar-Keys (name misspelled on CD, tsk tsk) doing "Santa Done Got Hip." Mabel Scott's "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" and Pearl Bailey's "Five Pound Box of Money." Miles Davis gets his licks in, jive-talking Tim Fuller drops some words, even Lionel Hampton flies "Merry Christmas Baby" home. And the CD booklet puts the tunes in the context of the artists' careers, so you can accidentally learn something about these hip jacks and janes while digging the seasonal sounds.

-- Ted Drozdowski

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