The sleigh is overloaded with holiday CDs, so let's see if any of the new stuff packs enough quirky charm to match my reigning all-time favorite, the classic Mambo Santa Mambo.

Before we go silly, let's start with something beautiful: "This Christmas," by Aretha Franklin, showcases the Queen of Soul on an assortment of classics and pop-oriented stuff. Hymns such as "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," benefit from Franklin's gospel treatment.

In the quirky department, we have duets with dead Elvis! "Elvis Presley Christmas Duets" takes otherwise nostalgic tunes such as "Blue Christmas" and melds duet partners ranging from Martina McBride to members of Little Big Town. Ickiness factor? Off-the-scale.

For an old guy, Tony Bennett still has pep. Maybe that's what happens when you're singing in front of the Count Basie Orchestra, still one of the most reliable swing units on the planet. On "A Swingin' Christmas," Bennett and the band live up to the title on "I'll Be Home for Christmas," Silver Bells" and others. Enough to give that Mambo album a run for its money.

It takes some moxie to inject original songs into the holiday mix, but R&B singer Ledisi does it with style on "It's Christmas." Her "Be There for Christmas" shimmies with the percolating beat of an old Motown hit. Even when she reinvents the traditional ("Children Go Where I Send Thee"), Ledisi has sass.

Some reinvention is better left on the drawing board. So it is with "We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year," a 12-song collection featuring members of Queensryche, Dio, Dokken and other metal bands. On "Run Rudolph Run," even the usually cool Dave Grohl sounds ridiculous.

For a more subtle blend of personalities, there's "Songs of Joy & Peace" by Yo-Yo Ma & Friends. The friends range from Diana Krall to James Taylor, who goes outside the holiday realm with his delicate take on "Here Comes the Sun." With intimate strings behind it, the song still sounds like a hymn.

Although the songs are all holiday ones, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones stretch familiar carols into something improvisational on "Jingle All the Way." Keeper: A playful romp through "Linus and Lucy," the Peanuts holiday theme. Good grief.

And, finally, what's more reliable than Ray Charles? His slinky version of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is among the 10 tracks on "A Jazz & Blues Christmas," a new compilation from Putumayo. There's also good stuff from B.B. King ("Christmas Celebration"), Charles Brown ("Santa's Blues") and others. There's lots of talk about the blues, but it doesn't stand a chance against this good stuff.