The hummable holidays

Deseret Morning News staffers are humming those familiar tunes and getting ready to curl up by a fire that is so delightful as the weather outside turns frightful ... or at least dips below freezing.

This time of year, it's all about the music. Goodness knows there are plenty of Christmas-themed CDs out there already — if you do a search for "Christmas" on Amazon.com's music page, there are no less than 23,376 titles to choose from.

So, in the spirit of giving (or selling), your friendly neighborhood music labels have added a bunch to that number this year, and we have reviewed as many as we could gather and listen to.

Here they are, in alphabetical order by the last name of the artist.

CHERIE CALL; "Gifts" (Andersonic)

Local singer/songwriter Cherie Call is known for her substance as well as her style. In this collection she throws in a few traditional carols — "The First Noel," "I Wonder as I Wander," "Silent Night" — but the emphasis is on original songs. "Peace on Earth to Me" sets a nice tone; "Starting Again, Again" is a bittersweet look at life's struggles; guest artist Russ Dixon does a nice job on "The Man Behind the Scenes," a song from Joseph's point of view, balanced by "I Just Knew," which tells Mary's story. And "Gifts" and "Broken Hearts Like Mine" are reminders of what the season's all about. Call sings with emotion and feeling, as well as a clear sense of who she is and what she's doing. — Carma Wadley

BOOTSY COLLINS; "Christmas Is 4 Ever" (Shout Factory)

Bassist and bandleader Bootsy Collins has put some funk in in the holidays. With "Christmas Is 4 Ever," the former Funkadelic member has taken such classics as "The Christmas Song," "Winter Wonderland" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and put them through the ringer to become "Chestnutz," "WinterFunkyLand" and "Boot-Off," respectively. He gets urban with "Silent Night" and the Wham song "This Christmas," which in Collins' hands becomes "Dis-Christmiss." — Scott Iwasaki

JIM COSGROVE, "Mr. Stinky Feet's Christmas" (Warner Bros.)

Jim Cosgrove, aka "Mr. Stinky Feet," loves to make children smile. The Kansas City-based entertainer has traveled around the country doing just that, and this CD will add to his happy repertoire with songs about Harold, the angel who can't sing, Phlegmwick the Elf, the trial of waiting for the holiday and other original numbers. There are some old standards, as well, and an international flavor with steel drums, Celtic instruments and Spanish lyrics on various numbers. — C.W.

MICHAEL DOWDLE; "Twenty-Five Beloved Carols of Christmas" (Sounds of Zion)