Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Bishop Paul S Morton is a well known figure on the US gospel scene and here the New Orleans minister demonstrates he's a pretty good singer with a soulful, flexible tenor as he gets to work on a batch of Yuletide evergreens. There's a jazz arrangement of "Away In A Manger", a funky handclapping version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" with assistance from a small choir and a sweet and soulful version of the modern classic "Mary Did You Know". On the downside there's a rendition of a Donny Hathaway oldie "This Christmas" which with its clichéd images of putting decorations on the Christmas tree shows it's not really worthy of revival, while Rev Morton's version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is an unfortunate descent into holiday-time sentimentality. But overall there are enough good cuts to show the good bishop approached this Christmas project with some enthusiasm.

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