A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Swingin' Christmas
ASwinginChristmas.jpg
Studio album by
Tony Bennett & The Count Basie Big Band
ReleasedOctober 14, 2008 (2008-10-14)
RecordedJune 2008
GenreVocal jazz, Christmas
Length37:01
LabelColumbia
ProducerPhil Ramone
Tony Bennett & The Count Basie Big Band chronology
Duets: An American Classic
(2006) 		A Swingin' Christmas
(2008) 		Duets II
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[1]

A Swingin' Christmas is a Christmas album by Tony Bennett, released in 2008, that features the Count Basie Big Band. Bennett's daughter Antonia duets with him on one track.

The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards.

Marketing campaign[]

To promote the release of the album Bennett granted numerous interviews, and made a number of television show performances, from the time of its release through the holiday season. This included a special free street performance outside of Bloomingdale's department store at 4:30 p.m. on November 20 in New York City in which he performed three songs – "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Jingle Bells" – before the unveiling of the store's window displays. He performed a concert at New York City's Apollo Theater on December 16 that was billed as his only show in support of the album with the Count Basie Big Band.

Track listing[]

  1. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Gannon, Kent, Ram) [2:12]
  2. "Silver Bells" (Evans, Livingston) [3:17]
  3. "All I Want for Christmas Is You (A Christmas Love Song)" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Johnny Mandel) [4:18]
  4. "My Favorite Things" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) [2:55]
  5. "Christmas Time Is Here" (Guaraldi, Mendelson) [3:59]
  6. "Winter Wonderland" (Bernard, Smith) [2:31]
  7. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Blane, Martin) [4:36]
  8. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Coots, Gillespie) [2:53]
  9. "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" – with Antonia Bennett (Berlin) [3:31]
  10. "The Christmas Waltz" (Cahn, Styne) [3:22]
  11. "O Christmas Tree" (Traditional) [3:27]

Versions[]

Many retailers featured different variations:

  • Target carried an edition featuring a bonus DVD with a documentary on the making of the album as well as a host of concert performances.
  • FYE carried an edition featuring a bonus DVD with a documentary on the making of the album as well as a special holiday-themed postcard reproducing Bennett's artwork.
  • Borders carried an edition with ten of Bennett's holiday-themed artwork postcards.
  • Barnes & Noble carried an edition with Bennett's version of "Christmas Auld Lang Syne" exclusive to the retailer. B&N also carried a deluxe version with a DVD and the exclusive track.
  • Bloomingdale's carried an edition with Bennett's version on "Jingle Bells", exclusive to the retailer.

Personnel[]

The Count Basie Orchestra

  • Grant Langford – alto saxophone
  • Marshall McDonald – alto saxophone
  • Doug Lawrence – tenor saxophone
  • Doug Miller – tenor saxophone
  • John Williams – baritone saxophone
  • Scotty Barnhart – trumpet
  • Kris Johnson – trumpet
  • Michael Williams – trumpet
  • James Zollar – trumpet
  • Clarence Banks – trombone
  • Barry Cooper – trombone
  • Dave Keim – trombone
  • Alvin Walker – trombone

Production

  • Danny Bennett – executive producer
  • Phil Ramone – producer
  • Dae Bennett – recording, mixing
  • Alessandro Perrotta – assistant engineer
  • Travis Stefl – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering

Charts[]

References[]

  1. ^ A Swingin' Christmas at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Tony Bennett Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  3. ^ "Tony Bennett Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  4. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  5. ^ "Jazz Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
Retrieved from ""