Enya: 'And Winter Came'

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Enya is such an international superstar that the Irish lass has earned the right to take on a whole season, not just a holiday. Opening single "Trains and Winter Rains" and "White Is In the Winter Night" feature the syncopated New Age atmospherics (think really, really dense "Orinoco Flow") so associated with the Celtic singer, whereas cuts such as "Journey of the Angels" and "Stars and Midnight Blue" are so gorgeously ethereal, it is easy to imagine them floating right off the CD. Traditional carols are breathtakingly delivered.

Elvis Presley: 'Christmas Duets'

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Through studio wizardry, Presley pairs with top country ladies. The ones who go toe-to-toe with Elvis fare best: Carrie Underwood on a dreamy "I'll Be Home for Christmas," Wynonna Judd on a sassy "Santa Claus is Back in Town" and Gretchen Wilson on "Merry Christmas Baby." Some of the others (Sara Evans and LeAnn Rimes, surprisingly) fade into the background. The set includes three bonus solo Elvis tracks remixed and remastered, which only go to show that he needs no accompaniment. For fans of the King and the queens of country.

Faith Hill: 'Joy to the World'

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Country thrush Hill plays it safe here with 10 tracks of traditional religious and secular holiday treats (Predictably, a choir enters right on cue when she warbles "Oh sing, a choir of angels" on "O Come, All Ye Faithful." But that's not a bad thing. This is the season's best collection for anyone desiring the holiday's greatest hits, often majestically created here. (Beck's dad, David Campbell, did the grand arrangements). Hill has seldom sounded as powerful as she does on a stirring, primarily a capella "O Holy Night."

Melissa Etheridge: 'A New Thought for Christmas'

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Etheridge kicks it old and new school on this collection, blending traditional holiday tunes with six Etheridge compositions. She puts the blues in "Blue Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and delivers a smoking "Merry Christmas Baby." Original "Glorious" is a beauty, while "Ring the Bells" is a clarion call for world peace that has a slight "Do They Know It's Christmas Time" feel. She lets her freak flag fly on closing track "O Night Divine," channeling Hendrix in a way that may initially startle listeners.

Ledisi: 'It's Christmas'

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When Ledisi received a Grammy nomination for best new artist last year, there was a collective cry of "Who?" This holiday collection will serve as a fine introduction. Many of the tunes are originals or lesser known holiday cannon (or canon) fodder (The Jackson Five's "Give Love on Christmas," anyone?), but she weaves them deftly with snazzy reinterpretations of classics like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and a somewhat surprisingly upbeat "Please Come Home for Christmas" (featuring Keb Mo). Tasteful, but never bland.

Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: 'Songs of Joy & Peace'

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Ma's collection is a flawless fit for that holiday brunch with people you want to impress. The cellist's 22-song (!) set mixes instrumentals with vocal cuts, but it's on the instrumentals where Ma's sublime playing often soars to glorious heights as if the angels themselves were guiding his bow. He's more than willing to play second fiddle (cello?) to the seemingly cast of thousands that shows up here, including James Taylor on "Here Comes the Sun" (go figure), Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Dave Brubeck, Edgar Meyer and Alison Krauss.

Béla Fleck: 'Jingle All the Way'

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The words Christmas and banjo seldom appear in the same sentence. Furthermore, it's a safe bet that this is the only Christmas album featuring Tuvan throat singers. On "Jingle," Fleck and his band mates reinvent traditional tunes: "Silent Night" morphs into a free-form jazz study; "Sleigh Ride" becomes a bluegrass rave up. "Jingle" won't ring everyone's bells, but for the musically adventurous and lovers of divine picking, it is endlessly fascinating and fun. Don't even try to resist "Danse of the Sugarplum Fairies."