A Gift From Alexander O’Neal

ALEXANDER O’NEAL

“My Gift to You.” Tabu ***

Have yourself a funky little Christmas. That’s the message of this festive holiday package from balladeer O’Neal--the best Christmas album to come along in years.

Breaking out of the star-artist-holiday-album rut, it’s not a collection of standards performed conventionally. Brimming with imagination and chock-full of soul, it features the old and the new--mostly the new. Five of the songs were written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

On the romantic Christmas songs, O’Neal flashes his usual fine ballad form. But it’s the funked-up holiday fare that makes this one so special. For instance his joyous “Sleigh Ride” is something funksters will be playing year round.

And it may take a few listenings to get used to O’Neal’s “The Little Drummer Boy.” The way it sounds--dressed up in a solid dance groove--you’d think the song was about hip young disco drummer. His cool “Winter Wonderland,” done in breezy, big band style, is probably the album’s best cut.

Fortunately, O’Neal had the good sense not to desecrate Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” with radical touches. His softly soulful reading ranks with the best versions of this seasonal chestnut.