Blue Yule, various artists (Rhino)

If there's a Christmas album of blues material that's indispensable, it would be this thoughtfully compiled, packaged and annotated collection from the folks at Rhino. The cuts on here range from 1950 to 1990 and bring latter-day blues stars together with some of the genre's pioneers. Lightning Hopkins wishes us "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" from the same 1953 single, Charles Brown reprises his classic "Merry Christmas Baby," Sonny Boy Williamson rifles through dresser drawers as he sings "Santa Claus," Louis Jordan's last recording "Santa Claus Santa Claus" is here, along with John Lee Hooker's "Blues for Christmas." Johnny and Edgar Winter, billed as The Insight, do Charles Brown's other classic, "Please Come Home for Christmas." My favorites include "Santa's Messin' With the Kid" by Eddie C. Campbell and Detroit Jr.'s "Christmas Day." Oh, and Canned Heat's "Christmas Blues" is on here -- the version they perform alone, not the one they share with Alvin and the Chipmunks.