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Oh, that Jane Fuller must have been a wicked, wicked girl! You can just tell from the little smirk lurking beneath her Santa cap on the album cover. Jane Fuller has definitely been naughty, not at all nice.

And that's OK by me, because her new holiday release, The Spirit of Giving, is one of the best I have reviewed this year. This jazzy, blues-infused delight has a core of four holiday standards (and even these are given super-cool Fuller makeovers), then tosses in eight bracing Fuller originals to make a supremely satisfying seasonal offering. Excellent.

So what's so great about The Spirit of Giving? Let me count the ways. First, if Fuller can't sing, then the album is a bust. I am thrilled to report that she has flexible, soul-stirring vocals that reflect that essential "naughty" edge without being melodramatic or "over the top." She is confident, owning every note, but avoids showy vocal gymnastics. Fuller sings with verve and class, and I could listen to her all night.

Second, Fuller is an outstanding songwriter. Truly. Her tracks have individual identities and full characters (and the liner notes spell out all of the inventive lyrics). Some artists craft a generic holiday original that feels thrown together; Fuller pulls out all the stops, and each creative track exudes the potential to be a new seasonal classic. Take, for example, her sultry lullaby When Angels Sing "Good Night". I replayed the track three times, and I admired it more with each playing. I have difficulty describing the "hook" that grabbed me so tenaciously. Fuller just has that certain something when it comes to constructing compelling lyrics and putting them to music. Her superior songwriting permeates the CD. The numbers seem familiar and special the very first time you hear them. Amazing.

Finally, Jane Fuller takes some standard pieces and makes them sparkle with astoundingly brash perspective. The overdone Let There Be Peace on Earth becomes a brassy, sassy sensation in Fuller's capable hands/vocals. Her breathy treatment of Silent Night to close the album is mesmerizing. You get the idea.

Thank you, Jane Fuller. I give The Spirit of Giving my highest recommendation.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Jane Fuller - vocals, guitar
Pete Snell - guitars
Stuart Elster, Alan Steinberger - keyboards
Armando Compean, Randy Landas - bass
Lee Spath, Rod Harbour - drums
Scott Breadman - percussion
Lee Thornberg - trumpet, flugelhorn
Tom Peterson, Steve Marsh - saxophones
Billy Hulting - vibraphone

This project was co-produced by Jane Fuller and Pete Snell.

Jane Fuller

The Spirit of Giving

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Track List