Various Artists - To: Kate - A Benefit For Kate's Sake

Kate Kirk is a little girl who lives in Nashville. She and her sister, Caroline, suffer from a genetic disorder called Niemann-Pick Disease Type A/B, a rare and fatal affliction. Caroline, sadly, is beyond treatment; but Kate could be saved by a bone marrow transplant. Some of the folks in Nashville got together to help the Kirks with this disc, a warm and wonderful collection of Christmas songs with plenty of spirit for the season - giving. That's what it's all about.

I'd never heard of this little girl, nor the disorder that's killing her, before this project crossed my desk. I was willing to take it on because it features a number of my favorite artists, and I love Christmas music. What I found, though, was how adversity can bring people together, and how such things make you want to strive to help someone you've never met.

Folks like Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Jim Lauderdale, Buddy & Julie Miller, BR549, John Prine, Raul Malo, Jeff Black, John Corbett, and Rosie Flores all appear on this disc, along with The Big Happy and Bob Delevante. Jason & The Scorchers deliver what will rapidly become my all-time favorite version of "O! Holy Night," a version which is so joyous it's almost irreverent. It got me into the Christmas spirit instantly. This is the first time I've heard John Corbett sing (the actor, known best from "Northern Exposure" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"); he's good. I'll have to seek out his new disc.

I admit I don't care for "Gift Wrapped Boy," which appears twice on this disc (as the bonus track, uncredited); it puts me in mind of "Santa Baby," which I don't like, either. Also, the back of the disc lists the songs in a different order from how they appear inside AND on the disc, where "I'll Be Home For Christmas" appears as the 7th track rather than the 13th (this is noticeable especially if you play the disc with iTunes). Otherwise, it's a nice little gem of a Christmas disc. And it's for a good cause.