For those of us who make the Dave Koz and Friends Smooth Jazz Christmas an annual part of our holiday celebration, Memories Of A Winter's Night will be a real treat!  Now we can take that special holiday celebration around with us all the way through December.  For everyone else, you get to hear a little of what you're missing every year.

Memories Of A Winter's Night is actually the 3rd holiday album from Dave Koz, following December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997) and A Smooth Jazz Christmas (2001).  It contains some remixed tracks from both of those albums, as well as a few new ones.  But whether old or new, there is a warm, intimate feeling throughout that will soon become part of your holiday tradition.

New on this album are three great tracks -  "White Christmas," featuring Kelly Sweet (who toured with Dave this past summer); "Hark The Herald Angels Sing," with Brian Culbertson (my personal favorite on the CD – it gets replayed a lot);  and "Please Come Home For Christmas," featuring Kimberley Locke (who is touring with Dave right now). 

The blasts from the past – "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," "Silver Bells" and "O Tannenbaum" from December Makes Me Feel This Way, and "Little Drummer Boy" (featuring Rich Braun, Peter White and David Benoit) and "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" (featuring Brenda Russell) from A Smooth Jazz Christmas.

Several other tracks, including "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," and the title track, have been feature on other Christmas CD compilation over the years.  "Winter Wonderland" is a whole lot of fun packed into about 4-1/2 minutes.  It's so good, it'll even get you ready to face the mall on a December Saturday!  "Memories of a Winter's Night (A Song For Hanukkah)" is a beautifully haunting and reflective song.  You can almost feel and smell the crisp winter night.

If you don't already have Memories Of A Winter's Night, go grab you a copy while you're out shopping next time.  It's a great addition to your Christmas CD collection.

- Elizabeth Ware