The holiday season is no stranger to labels compiling their roster’s top stars putting their own spin on Christmas classics. The newly released Stax Christmas is a freshly curated collection of classic holiday recordings as well as some standout unreleased tracks.

Stax Christmas unwraps with a previously unheard recording of Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas Baby” Audibly full of the Christmas spirit -- Otis’ holiday-themed ad libs have to be heard to be believed – the song decks the halls for the entire 12-track release. The other unreleased song, Carla Thomas’ take on “Blue Christmas,” is an all-timer reimagining of the beloved standard, on par with the versions from Elvis, the Beach Boys, and the 1974 Rankin/Bass stop-motion The Year Without a Santa Claus. These covers and well-loved Stax classics, like Booker T. & the M.G.’s “Winter Wonderland” and The Rance Allen Group’s “White Christmas,” capture what makes the songs such timeless favorites while making them sound fresh.

 The Temprees’ “It’s Christmas Time Again (The Christmas Song)” has become something of a rite of passage for new listeners getting acquainted with the Stax catalog. It was previously included on Stax’s 1982 compilation It’s Christmas Time Again and as a bonus track on the re-release of the group’s 1975 classic Love Maze, but it sounds far more at home on Stax Christmas. This release’s mix combines Stax analog warmth and crystal-clear soulfulness.

 Holiday standards are actually in the minority here. The lion’s share of Stax Christmas contains spectacular choices of Christmas originals from the vaults. The Staple Singers’ “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas” jingles bells with unmistakable swagger. Isaac Hayes’ “The Mistletoe and Me” and The Emotions’ “What Do the Lonely Do on Christmas” make for Christmas card picture-perfect ballads. Cix Bits’ “Season’s Greetings” (finally available here after decades only on massive box sets) and Albert King’s “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’” will keep the visions of sugarplums dancing in your head all December long. You also have Rufus’ “I’ll Be Your Santa Baby,” with a smooth-sounding but innuendo-laden take on Kris Kringle. (Imagine a PG-13 version of Clarence Reid’s “Blowfly” or Rudy Ray Moore’s “Dolemite” being stuffed in your stocking.) Finally, Rufus and Carla’s “That Makes Christmas Day” feels like a one-horse open sleigh’s victory lap, concluding the compilation -- or shall we say, “putting a bow on it.”

 It's the perfect choice to energize your holiday travel plans, soundtrack your seasonal get-together, or just spend a night at home roasting chestnuts on an open fire.