DOWNBEAT, DECEMBER 2013 — FOUR STAR REVIEW! Jazz singer and pianist Karrin Allyson is having a great year. She topped the category Rising Star– Female Vocalist in the 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll, and now she has delivered a sterling holiday album that fans will turn to year after year when the time comes to hang the mistletoe. For the cohesive, so- phisticated Yuletide Hideaway (Karrin Allyson Records 1; 43:14; HHHH) she wisely utilized the compositional talents of her bandmates. The title track, which has the feel of a holiday standard, was written by Allyson and keyboardist Chris Caswell, while “Christmas Bells Are Ringing” (which the sing- er composed with guitarist Rod Fleeman) is spiced by her graceful scatting. Allyson is in full command throughout the disc, whether she’s crooning about romance on Dave Frishberg’s “Snowbound,” slow- ing down the tempo of “Winter Wonderland” or tug- ging baby boomers’ heartstrings with a stellar read- ing of Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here.” Ordering info: karrin.com “...utter musical fearlessness....a complete artist — one of the jazz world’s finest...” — New York Times “Allyson knows what jazz singing is all about...sometimes tender, sometimes tough, (she) always strikes the right chord.” — Associated Press “The stuff that shivers are made of, both innocent, sexy and world weary.” — Washington Post “With Ms. Allyson there is never any nonsense. She doesn’t preen, flirt or act coy. What you see and hear is what you get...a show of honest, thoughtful musicality. “ — Los Angeles Times