Mix some soulful swing with a generous portion of good old New Orleans gusto, and you have Wynton Marsalis at his multicultural best on the contemporary Christmas Jazz Jam, new for 2009.

Watch the video below for a taste of Wyton's virtuosity.

I had the pleasure of attending a Wynton Marsalis concert in St. Paul, Minnesota several years ago. Without question, Mr. Marsalis commands technical dominion over his horn with the skill of a world class surgeon conducting a scalpel.

Improvisation for an instrumental player is key to pumping excitement into traditional repertoire, and Christmas Jazz Jam doesn't disappoint.

This is the first Wynton Marsalis holiday album in 20 years. He's joined by his septet to present the following traditional songs:

1. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
2. "Mary Had a Baby"
3. "Jingle Bells"
4. "Blue Christmas"
5. "Go Tell It On the Mountain"
6. "O Christmas Tree"
7. "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
8. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
9. "The Christmas Song"
10. "Good King Wenceslas"
11. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
12. "Greensleeves"

Wynton Marsalis is a Pulitzer Prize/Grammy Award winner, with more than 70 albums in his portfolio. Christmas Jazz Jam is available on iTunes, and exclusively at Target.

 Bonus! Wynton reads 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

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