Sly & Robbie Presents Taxi X'mas, various artists (Taxi/Ras)

Reggae fiends recognize the genre's premiere rhythm section, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, and producers going forward from the 70s and 80s, and Taxi is their imprint. They bring together a bunch of folks like The Tamlins, Nadine, Beres Hammond, Karen Smith and Junior Trinity Brammer to get right with the holiday. This gives a 1991 copyright date, but I'm guessing it's a little older than that. The album kicks off with a 22-minute medley of carols including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus," "Little Drummer Boy," "Rudolph," "Mary's Boy Child," "Sleigh Ride, "Deck the Halls," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Everybody Loves Christmas," which is just toasting over "Jingle Bells." The Tamllins cover Wham's "Last Christmas," the Jackson Five's "Give Love on Christmas Day" with those 80s synth orchestra hits for rhythm and a swinging "White Christmas." Beres Hammond does a lilting "Christmas Song (Chestnuts)" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The sound of the whole CD taken together is a little samey-samey despite the varied cast of characters, but this will keep the party going.