The Minneapolis-reared, Brooklyn-based adventurous jazz vocalist’s 2021 holiday show was the first — and only — yule gig ever to make my list of best-of-the-year concerts. He was elegantly old-school yet inventive enough to make seasonal chestnuts deliciously refreshing. Loved his outstanding original “Christmas in New York” with its Nat King Cole/Mel Tormé vibe. It’s from his 2021 album “Merry Christmas From Jose James,” which should be part of your holiday soundtrack. (STAR TRIBUNE)