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I'll be the first to admit that I'm not much into Christmas music. Just not my cup of tea. No, I'm not scrooge or anything, but caroling isn't high on my list of priorities. Sorry. Now, that said, I have to say that "A Jazz & Blues Christmas" may be one of the cooler (ha, ha) Putumayo releases I've reviewed lately. Rather than the typical Christmas approach, Santa and the crowd get a little re-imagining herein (though there are, of course, traditional holiday songs, such as "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" - done by Ray Charles! - and "Here Comes Santa Claus"). Naturally, the re-imaginings here aren't anything new at this point. Take "Santa Baby," for example. Sure, it brings a sultry take to the jolly old fat man, but the song isn't exactly new, either. Just new vs. tradition. And, say, isn't that what Putumayo is all about? So, from cool jazz do Dixieland to heart-twinging blues, Christmas warms one more heart - mine! - thanks to a take on the holiday's music that even a (non)Scrooge like me can enjoy.-- review by Kristofer Upjohn
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