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A Swingin' Christmas

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2008 studio album by Tony Bennett featuring the Count Basie Big Band
A Swingin' Christmas
Studio album by Tony Bennett featuring the Count Basie Big Band
ReleasedOctober 14, 2008 (2008-10-14)
RecordedJune 2008
GenrePop, Christmas
Length37:01
LabelColumbia
ProducerPhil Ramone
Tony Bennett chronology
Duets: An American Classic
(2006) 		A Swingin' Christmas
(2008) 		Duets II
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic

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. The album cover parodies Norman Rockwell's 1942 painting, Freedom from Want.

On November 8, 2011, Sony Music Distribution included the CD in a box set entitled The Complete Collection.

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. "Silver Bells" (Evans, Livingston)
  3. "All I Want for Christmas Is You (A Christmas Love Song)" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Johnny Mandel)
  4. "My Favorite Things" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers)
  5. "Christmas Time Is Here" (Guaraldi, Mendelson)
  6. "Winter Wonderland" (Bernard, Smith)
  7. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Blane, Martin)
  8. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Coots, Gillespie)
  9. "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" – with Antonia Bennett (Berlin)
  10. "The Christmas Waltz" (Cahn, Styne)
  11. "O Christmas Tree" (Traditional)

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

Weekly charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 28
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2009) Position
US Billboard 200 155
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) 4

References

  1. A Swingin' Christmas at AllMusic
  2. "The Complete Collection - Tony Bennett". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  3. "Tony Bennett Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  4. "Tony Bennett Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  5. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  6. "Jazz Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
Count Basie Orchestra
Count Basie
Members
1951–1960
1961–1970
1971–1980
1981–1990
1991–2000
  • The George Benson Big Boss Band featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1991, Warner Bros.)
  • The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (1992, Telarc)
  • Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (1993, Telarc)
  • Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (1997, Blue Jackel)
  • At Long Last (with Rosemary Clooney) (1998, Concord)
  • Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
  • Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
2001–present
Small-group
sessions
Tony Bennett
Discography
Studio albums
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1960s
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1980s–90s
2000s–20s
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