Various Artists: Justin Time For Christmas Four

As the year-end holiday season brings pleasant surprises, Justin Time's annual gift package delights the jazz collector as well as the jazz novice. It's all provided in the holiday spirit. The surprises on this fourth endowment include veteran renderings alongside several unique surprises.

Hank Jones offers a warm solo piano arrangement of "The Christmas Song" and pianist Oliver Jones skates through "Let it Snow" with merriment. Rob McConnell's Tentet displays its Christmas brass on a swingin' medley of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Jingle Bells" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." The impressionable Carmen Lundy croons a lovely "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," as well, with a natural partnership that features Mark Shim, Curtis Lundy, Anthony Wonsey and Victor Lewis. Together, they represent the community spirit that prevails this time of the year.

This year, Justin Time has decided to introduce a few of its less well-known artists. Quartango interprets an original, "Pandora's Christmas Box," with violin, piano, bandoneon and bass. Their acoustic greeting card medley harkens to an age-old tradition of familiar carols. Johanne Blouin sings "Silent Night" in English and French. Her clear alto voice gives the traditional refrain plenty of muscle. She lays the spirit of celebration on our shoulders with distinction. Coral Egan brings us a contemporary charmer with the persuasion of Peggy Lee. "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" introduces this saucy singer to a wider audience.

With a blues hue that captures the jovial mood of anticipation that Christmas brings, Beau Kavanaugh & the Broken-Hearted boogie through "Santa Claus is Back in Town." Later, Adam Karch offers an original "Christmas Prayer" as a folk singer's gift to the world. It's a time, after all, to think about peace and prosperity. The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir closes out the album with fervor and a positive outlook with "Go Tell it on the Mountain." Their classic display is timely, and summarizes aptly the spirit that Justin Time so unselfishly represents on this latest of their holiday gifts.