Internationally renowned jazz label Justin Time Records signal the start of the season with the return of their annual Holiday compilation, Justin Time For Christmas Six — available now.
Offering a cool slice of styles that blend seamlessly for the season, Justin Time For Christmas Six heralds 11 new and previously unreleased tracks from a multi-talented roster — plus a rosy revival of Katherine Penfold’s evergreen favourite, “Keep Christmas With You.”
Wrapped inside you’ll find Emma Frank’s haunting take on the folk hymn, “I Wonder As I Wander,” while the Susie Airoli Swing Band and Jordan Officer team to offer a nod to Bessie Smith in “At The Christmas Ball.”
Barbra Lica postures Santa as a cat in her sparkling jazzy sojourn, “Santa Claws,” and Ranee Lee delivers a picture-perfect imagine-no-other soundtrack for decking the halls with “Deck The Halls.”
There are instrumentals, too; Oliver Jones stuns with an inspirational rendition of “Bless This House” while Matt Herskowitz wears it all on his sleeve in his heartfelt version of “White Christmas.”
The sixth volume of holiday tunes from the longstanding label also includes features from Ariel Pocock, Carol Welsman, and Angela Galuppo.
“Women lead the way in this collection of singers and pianists from the always-excellent Canadian jazz label,” Top 100 Canadian Blog’s Bob Mersereau says of the release. “It’s mostly made up of the old, reliable numbers done in a mellow, fireside mood, giving that most excellent late-night vibe (for) wrapping the last presents or enjoying an egg nog with just the right amount of holiday cheer in it.”
