Christmas jazz usually brings me out in a rash. Not this. Perhaps because it's more of a winter wonderland holidaze sort of affair which is a far better tack. Five tracks. Never mind the quantity feel the quality. The hard driving Irving Berlin classic 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm' covered by Billie Holiday in 1937 is a peppy opener and has excellent sax from the Tubby Hayes de nos jours - Alex Garnett. Emma Smith does vocalese after the words later in the track by scatting to the lead instrumental line. Corny mainstay 'Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer' is rendered uncorny and features a beefy baritone sax bass line (the first main riff of which resembles Led Zep's 'Whole Lotta Love') and then wailing guitar from Nick Costley-White, Emma going more soulful. And then the Hammond (Ross Stanley) enters the Joey D (RIP) domain.

The title track, a dreamy Russell Faith and Clarence Kehner song that was wondrously interpreted by Sarah Vaughan in a Don Costa arranged 1962 release on the album of the same name is where Emma shows her supreme command of the material. Shoot me but I skipped the Smith and Garnett penned 'Blues For Santa'. Not my cup of tea so far but will revisit to see if it grows on me.

But the cup of char that is more in keeping is 'What are You Doing New Year's Eve?' It's excellent. The Frank Loesser song was first recorded in 1947 by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra and later in the year by Margaret Whiting. Ella Fitzgerald from this distance probably did the best-known version recording the song in 1960 followed by Nancy Wilson in 1963 as did Patti LaBelle the same year. In more recent years Diana Krall did a wonderfully subtle treatment with the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra back in 2005 as did Clare Teal in 2013 with Pee Wee Ellis. Emma's treatment is a fine addition to the canon. And what a pleasure Snowbound is - yule be in your element if you dig a classic jazz voice and tops a purple patch of a year from Smith following the romp along bobby-dazzler, Meshuga Baby. SG

MORE READING

• Emma Smith and Jamie Safir Crazy Coqs 2021 live review

• Alex Garnett live at the Vortex in 2021

• 'I Don't Care' from Meshuga Baby - 2022

• Nick Costley-White live with Alec Harper in Kentish Town - Oxford Tavern review 2022