CHICAGO 25: THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM (081227619923)

Chicago ventures into the Christmas market with XXV. They've been around so long it was an inevitable move, the only surprise is that they waited this long to make it. XXV features classic Christmas songs like "Little Drummer Boy," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" done up Chicago-style. Over the years, the band's original U.S.-Beatles-with-horns sound had mutated into a smooth R&B/pop sound, but those trademark horns are still there to let you know they haven't forgotten their roots. The band's secret weapon is singer/keyboardist Bill Champlin, founder of the hippie-era San Francisco band Sons of Champlin. One of the more believable blue-eyed soul singers extant, Champlin invests these songs with palpable emotion and commitment.