On this 1966 holiday album, James Brown gets his funk on in no uncertain terms on “Signs of Christmas,” but he mostly digs into sweetly orchestrated, soulful ballads and blues. “The Christmas Song” proves he knows his way around a melodic ballad, and Brown’s covers of blues tunes by his early hero Charles Brown overflow with emotional nuance. He even gets a chance to show off his organ and piano skills on the bluesy instrumental “This Is My Lonely Christmas.”