Patti LaBelle is, well, Patti LaBelle. Artistically, she’s been around forever (nearly 50 years), and when it comes to singing, she can coast through anything and still sound fabulous. And when it comes to Christmas time, it’s hard not to coast through the monotonous material that’s out there, yet LaBelle seems to step things up a bit. “Miss Patti’s Christmas” is not the best, but it’s cool and sincere. At 10 songs, the brevity helps.

The surprise is “What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas?” It is a great, unexpected treat. Fans will love “Every Year, Every Christmas,” complete with a Luther Vandross shout-out. Old-schoolers will love “Jesus, Oh What Wonderful Child,” featuring the awesome Soul Seekers.