With its first full-on holiday album, this Los Angeles septet infuses its retro hep-cat cool with a dose of Yule spirit. The Voodoo version of "Blue Christmas" replaces the moody undercurrent of the Elvis classic with dancehall flair (as in big band, not Beenie Man) and garnishes it with a glimmering vibe solo courtesy of Ruben Estrada.

Several tracks -- notably "Jingle Bells (Cha Cha)" and "Party for Santa" -- pack a Latin accent, which adds sizzle to the mix. Sassy lyrics spark some of the merriment: The jolly old Saint Nick that stars in "Last Night (I Went Out With Santa Claus)" is a rascal who's "gotta be bad for goodness sake" and "Mr. Heatmiser" sounds like a dream date for Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher." The album winds down with two simple, evocative instrumentals -- a warm, brass-only arrangement of "We Three Kings" and a sashaying sax and percussion rendition of "Jingle Bells."

--Sandy Masuo (Rolling Stone)