9. Harry Connick Jr.: When My Heart Finds Christmas
Harry Connick Jr. is a throwback to the crooners of old. His style takes a classic New Orleans jazz sound, and makes it cool for a new generation. While his up tempo stuff is a real kick, he doesn’t quite have the chops to match up to the old time crooners (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole etc...) on the slower songs. That’s not to say they aren’t worth listening to -- “When my heart finds Christmas” and “What are you doing New Year’s Eve” are the kinds of songs that make you want to make a cup of hot chocolate and stare out the window at the falling snow (if you’re into that kind of thing). But, he really hits his stride with the big band songs. “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer” is a fun new take on an old song, but the best song on the CD is the original tune “It must’ve been ol’ Santa Claus” about a fanciful ride with Old St. Nick, by a young unbeliever.