A Holiday Feast: Creme de la Creme, various artists (Hungry For Music)

For a number of years now, Hungry For Music has been compiling discs of performances by Washington, D.C.-region acts to raise money for keeping music in schools for young people. It's a great cause, more so because they've compiled eight volumes of nothing but Christmas music. Because I just caught up to them this year, I pulled down this two-disc set of highlights from the first seven compiled in 2003. Although they're regional acts, you might have heard of at least a few of them, folks like The Kennedys, Bill Kirchen, Eva Cassidy and Eddie From Ohio for starters. There's a pretty good spread of genres, although roots music predominates -- blues, gospel, country, western swing and folk -- but there's a fair amount of rock, and the first disc kicks off with reggae from Junk Yard Saints, "Christmas Is Everyday." Original tunes are a big part of this collection too. Gotta flag 52 Pickup's "Christmas Hot Rod Race," a near-swipe of Commander Cody's "Hot Rod Lincoln," the rocked-out "Come On Santa" from The Graverobbers and "Christmas Really Rocks" by Rhodes Tavern Troubadours, the country lament "Who Gets the Fruitcake This Year" from Honky Tonk Confidential, Squeeze Bayou's accordion-led stomper of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," Reverb's doo-wop "Jingle Bells," Georgia Ray's "Dear Mr. Santa," and Monsters From the Surf's cover of the Sonics' "Santa Claus." Good cause, great music -- and you might find it worthwhile to paw through the whole collection, which also includes a series of baseball-themed CDs and a few other theme/tribute compilations.