Secret of Christmas

Connie Evingson's The Secret of Christmas is an instant contender for the short list of jazzy Christmas recordings you can listen to all year around. Start with "Carol of the Bells," which begins traditionally then swings into some hip new lyrics by Evingson. She also provides words for a fun "Nutcracker Petite Suite," and a gospel arrangement of "Simple Gifts" raises the roof by featuring Ricky Peterson's Hammond B-3. For the more contemplative mood of the season, there's a beautiful and expansive version of "Some Children See Him" accompanied only by the ever reliable Mary Louise Knutson on piano, the lovely Cahn-Van Heusen title tune, "A Cradle in Bethlehem" accompanied by Robert Everest on guitar and vocals, and an a cappella "Silent Night." A straightforward reading of Mel Torme's "Christmas Song" seems almost routine alongside such inventive fare, but it's lovely nonetheless. --David Horiuchi