Reviewed by Tony Cummings

I liked JuJu Song's previous album 'Jazz Meets Hymns' and clearly this Asian pianist has a winning way in transforming Christian material into jazz versions which would warm the heart of any audience at Ronnie's. In fact such is JuJu's confident technique that if you'd packaged the album as 'Oscar Peterson Plays Christmas Standards' you'd have fooled me. With a tasty little quartet of James Hollihan Jr on guitar, Craig Nelson (bass) and Tony Morra (drums) JuJu plays delightfully deft versions of "Joy To The World", "Angels We Have Heard On High", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and seven others in a beautifully mellow feel and with no sleigh bell in earshot. An excellent album that easily transcends the usual cheese of Christian instrumental albums and the corn of Christmas ones.

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