Dionne Warwick - My Favorite Time Of The Year (2004)

It's almost unfathomable that it took nearly five decades into her career for Dionne Warwick to issue a collection of holiday standards, but that would appear to have been the case until My Favorite Time of Year. This long overdue, 13-song collection puts together a selection of traditional and contemporary holiday classics, and Dionne's velvety smooth voice glazes through each track quite seamlessly. The contemporary over polished production and the inclusion of smooth jazz icon Dave Koz might be a detraction to some listeners, but there's a beautiful duet with longtime friend Gladys Knight and "I Believe in Christmas," the album's sole new composition, which features BeBe Winans on guest vocals, that more than make up for that and any other flaws holiday purists may have. Much like her non-holiday fare, this is a charming and warm affair from start to finish a level of quality you'd come to expect from Warwick. While it's definitely been worth the wait, here's hoping a follow-up is shortly in order.