Merry Christmas Baby (Various Artists)

There is some debate as to whether this 1956 release from Hollywood Records was the first LP to compile Christmas music singles. But there is no debate that it's one of the best. Subtitled 'Intimate Christmas Music for Young Lovers,' it's headliners were the original versions of two of the biggest R&B holiday hits of all time, Charles Brown's 'Merry Christmas, Baby' and Lowell Fulson's 'Lonesome Christmas (Parts 1 & 2),' but with other standouts like Mabel Scott's 'Boogie Woogie Santa Claus' (also a chartmaker), Jimmy Witherspoon's 'Christmas Blues' (formerly entitled 'How I Hate to See Xmas Come Around'), and a quartet of tunes from Johnny Moore's Blazers, there is not a weak track on the album. Bill Dahl's detailed notes and artist photos round out this first-ever CD reissue. And with a new remastering by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision, never have the Christmas blues sounded so good!