The Ultimate Gift, Rahsaan Patterson (Artistry)

This is my first time hearing Patterson's work, and I'm impressed. It's very modern R'nB singing and songwriting. Not bad for a former denizen of "Kids Incorporated." "Holiday" and "Christmas at My House" are very Prince-like songs, with synthesizer work harking back to the Purple One's 80s heyday. He gets off an original arrangement on Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means To Me," though the vocal evokes the author's distinctive sound. "This Is the Season," "Peace and Joy" and "First Christmas" are original slow ballads, then he puts together a remarkable jazz-funk arrangement on "Angels We Have Heard on High." Patterson also does a fairly faithful take on Sir Paul's "Wonderful Christmastime," though he wrings the slapdash elements out of the original and puts a studio sheen on the proceedings. And "Little Drummer Boy" emphasizes the percussion, but in a modern R'nB way. This is my favorite of this year's soul Christmas crop so far. From 2008.