Surely one of the most gifted – and, as time may yet reveal – important jazz vocalists of our century, 24-year-old Samara Joy is adept at channelling the greats, most notably Ella. On this six-track mini-album, she follows her illustrious forbear by releasing a Christmas album.

Xmas platters are often cheap cash-ins or malodorous cheese-fests, but not in this case. A Joyful Holiday is a triumph: the playing is perfectly judged, and the singing richly sensuous, honeyed like a cognac supped by the fire.

In a New York Times interview last year, the bassist Christian McBride described Joy's singing as "full of wisdom" and that's the key to this record's success; she sings with a maturity way beyond her tender years. Beautifully produced by Joy regular Matt Pierson, A Joyful Holiday features a similar cast of jazz A-listers (Grasso, Wong, Washington and Fortner) to those on her much-garlanded Linger Awhile album of 2022. This quartet understands the material as well as Joy herself does, and consequently deliver a spot-on backing. 'Warm In December' has a joyous zip; a gorgeous reading of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Me', featuring just Joy and Fortner, marries the operatic splendour of Sarah Vaughn with a delicious, intimate tenderness; 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' is given a contemplative reading that injects intriguing freshness to overly-familiar material; and 'O Holy Night' and a live version of 'The Cristmas Song', both featuring members of her extended family (including bass-playing dad Antonio) as solo singers and a choir, soar with an almost celestial passion. A new, much-anticipated Samara Joy record is due out next year, but for now, enjoy her astonishing singing. Christmas or not, it’s a true gift to music.