Amilisom 'Tis the season for a Christmas album review!

I was given this album by a friend of mine, in which I had negative expectations for it after they told me this musician was pretty big in the smooth jazz world. I started listening, and was actually a little surprised at what I heard.

Even though Gregg Karukas is a pop/smooth jazz pianist, he still is capable of swinging and playing pretty good solos. Granted, many of the tracks on this album do draw influences from pop and rock music but the musicianship and talent expressed here is worth getting a listen from those who would ordinarily shy away from pop-influenced jazz.

Then there's the vocalist, Shelby Flint. Sounding more on the Karen Carpenter side of music than jazz, Flint's voice is sufficient for this setting. Her sound is breathy and laid back, and is capable of doing so even when the music is up-tempo and intense. She even takes a semi-decent scat solo on "Winter Wonderland", the album's best tune.

Despite everything positive I've written so far, this album has its weak moments here and there. There's less improvisation on the ballads, which have a tendency to become boring.

The arrangements for the famous Christmas songs themselves are pretty good. Some have been reharmonized for the sake of sounding more like jazz in a way that isn't too noticeable.

6/10