Soulful Holiday Classics

by Various Artists

Soulful Holiday Classics is a strong but skimpy collection delivered by a Motown-dominated roster of artists. Offering only ten songs, the disc is little over half an hour in length, but there's little in the way of filler. James Brown's "Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto," Ella Fitzgerald's "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," and Aaron Neville's "Please Come Home for Christmas" represent the non-Motown side of the compilation, while Michael Jackson's "Little Christmas Tree," the Jackson 5's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and Smokey Robinson's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" help make up the other. Although it is too brief, it's an enjoyable set of mostly lighthearted holiday music. ~ Andy Kellman