A variety of music available for stuffing stockings this Christmas

“War Paint” (BNA) — Lorrie Morgan

On her latest release, Lorrie Morgan takes another step forward as an artist, writing some of her own songs for the first time.

The two soul-baring compositions are “War Point,” about a woman’s makeup representing emotions that come into play as a relationship is ending, and “If You Came Back From Heaven,” inspired by her trying to cope with the loss of husband Keith Whitley.

She continues to explore emotions on the piano-propelled raver “1-800-Use To Be,” the hushed ballad “Evening Up The Odds” and the defiant “My Night to Howl.”

Morgan also takes two classics and makes them her own: George Jones’ “Good Year For The Roses” (done as a duet with Sammy Kershaw) and Jeannie Seely’s “Don’t Touch Me.”

“War Paint” shows Morgan to be an artist in touch with her own emotions and those of her audience.

“Singing’ With The Big Bands” (Arista) — Barry Manilow

After dappling at jazz, swing and Broadway, it’s only natural that Manilow would take on songs from the Big Band era.

Manilow teams up with the bands that made the songs famous, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Harry James Orchestra, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with Rosemary Clooney and Les Brown and his Band of Renown.

Manilow treats such songs as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “All Or Nothing At All” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” with reverence and even style. Best of all, he’s unobtrusive. After a short while, the listener stops focusing on who is singing and instead listens to the classic music.

In fact, the album falters only on the sappy, Manilow-penned intro and outro numbers, “Singin’ With The Big Bands” and “Where Does the Time Go?”

If all this album does is to help listeners appreciate the music of another era, then it’s done its job.

“A Love Supreme” (Silas/MCA) — Chante Moore

Moore delivers on the promise she first displayed on her debut album “Precious” on her second release.

“A Love Supreme” takes the listener along on a young woman’s personal romantic passage, from the longing of “Searchin’ ” to the doubt of “Am I Losing You?”

In addition to showing off her delightful soprano, Moore also showcases her talents as a songwriter, co-penning eight of the album’s 14 songs.

She also provides fresh takes on Deniece Williams’ “Free,” Lionel Richie’s “Sail On” and Alicia Myers’ “I Want to Thank You.”

“A Love Supreme” provides sound evidence that Moore is a cut above many of soul’s up-and-coming artists, and displays the potential for a long, hit-filled career.

“Blues Had a Baby” (RCA) — Buddah Heads

Throw together heavy doses of the blues and rock, and dashes of R&B, soul and British pop, and you have the Buddah Heads.

Leading the group is third-generation Japanese-American Alan Mirikitani, whose blues-guitar stylings earned him the nickname “B.B. Chung King.”

Solos by Mirikitani and harmonica player Kellie “Kotton” Rucker bring much of the spark to “Blues Had a Baby,” building on the foundation built by guitarist Bobby Schneck, drummer Ray Hernandez and bassist Mike Stover.

Blues are undergoing a revival nationwide, and this debut album by the Buddah Heads shows that original blues can be inventive and vital.