Santa's Got Mojo, various artists (Electro-Fi)

This contemporary blues collection came out of Canada in 2002, made up mostly of blues originals, although there's a sweet shuffle of "White Christmas" by Curley Bridges and a walking bass version of "Winter Wonderland" by Mel Brown and the Homewreckers. That band kicks off this CD with "Don't Plan No Party This Christmas," a wronged husband's complaint, and that's followed by Jack de Keyzer's "The Twelve Blue Days of Christmas," which turns the traditional holiday round into a foray through blues history, evoking lyrical ready-mades as well as the styles of some famous players. "Country Christmas Blues" by Rick Fines is just as advertised, an acoustic country blues ballad. The rest of the album, featuring players like Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Snooky Pryor and Chris Whiteley, is more of the same, a holiday trip through numerous blues styles, all strong performances.