Chicago Tribune review

When the Chicago Tribune's music critics were asked to pick some of the best holiday albums, Margaret Carlson's Grammy-nominated "This Christmas ... my favorite things," was one of jazz critic Howard Reich's favorites.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

"With the holidays comes a new batch of holiday albums, this year from Toni Braxton to B.B. King to Nancy Wilson. Are there any that will become instant classics? Here is what our critics found:

"Holiday recordings typically do not rank among the most profound artistic statements, but they certainly create an appealing seasonal mood. For jazz musicians, the breadth of familiar tunes offers ample opportunity for improvisation -- in a mainstream mode.

Here, then, are some of the more attractive releases of the season:

"Margaret Carlson: 'This Christmas ... my favorite things' (Blue Moon Music): This beguiling recording has a great deal to recommend it, particularly Margaret Carlson's disarming vocals, which combine exquisite phrasing with uncommonly intelligent lyric reading; Frank Mantooth's savvy jazz arrangements; and adroit instrumentals from tenor saxophonist Steve Eisen and flutist Kim Park. Not intended as background music, "This Christmas" offers bona fide jazz improvisation from a first-rate vocalist and her accomplished collaborators."

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