Miss Patti's Christmas (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Nicole Thrash, William Johnson II, Geanah F. Craig, Durward E. Davis, Nicole M. Pearson, Annette D. Potts, Sonya J. Barnes, Rodney E. Potts, Onita L. Hutton, Pastor Michael Martin (vocals); Doc Powell, Natural (guitars); Carol Robbins (harp); Alyssa Park, Michele Richards, Charlie Bisharat, Tereza Stanislav (violin); Darrin McCann, Andrew Duckles (viola); Martha Lippi-Stein, Steve Richards (cello); Harry Kim, Arturo Velasco (horns); Jimmy Jam, James "Big Jim" Wright (keyboards); Andrew Gouche (bass guitar); Chris Coleman (drums); Luis Conte (percussion); Bobby Ross Avila (drum programming); Antoinette Scruggs, Lauren Evans (background vocals).

No stranger to holiday albums, R&B veteran Patti LaBelle presents another entertaining Yuletide collection with 2007's MISS PATTI'S CHRISTMAS. While many Christmas releases tend to play it safe with time-honored traditional tunes, this outing finds LaBelle performing a handful of originals co-penned by uber-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, most notably the funky "Christmas Jam" and the joyful "Nativity," which both showcase LaBelle's boisterous, diva-of-the-dance-floor persona.

Like the Isley Brothers' I'll Be Home for Christmas, Patti LaBelle's Miss Patti's Christmas was released on Def Soul Classics and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It's a brief set at ten songs, and it's made mostly of interpretations, including material that is both secular and spiritual. It's not a given that the disc will become part of each listener's annual holiday listening tradition, but it's all pleasant and enjoyable, and there are several moments where it is obvious that LaBelle is giving everything she has, rather than coasting through (a common issue with Christmas albums). Jam, Lewis, and LaBelle should seriously consider repurposing the very upbeat "Nativity" -- one of four originals -- into a song with an everyday lyrical theme. It's too well-made to be suitable only for once-a-year rotation. ~ Andy Kellman minimize