“ The Mistle Toe Jam” has the party-like feel of Vandross sides like “ Bad Boy” and the more recent “ Nights in Harlem,” while “ Every Year, Every Christmas” (cowritten with Richard Marx) is a soulful slow jam. As usual, he employs the cream of musicians and background vocalists (including the inimitable Cissy Houston and Darlene Love, who is featured on the Motown-like duet “ I Listen to the Bells“)–the perfect backdrop for Vandross’s distinctive sound, exemplified on the standout title track. The result is an album that demonstrates why Vandross is still considered the preeminent black male vocalist of close to three decades: as on typical Vandross recordings, the production is crisp and strong and the vocals are flawless. Rather than a do a rehash of many of the obvious traditional tunes that fill special holiday albums by contemporary performers, maestro Luther Vandross opted for the task of creating no fewer than 7 of the 10 tracks included on his 1995 Christmas release.
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