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

A Swingin' Christmas

Studio album by Tony Bennett & The Count Basie Big Band

Released

October 14, 2008^[1]

Recorded

2008

Genre

Vocal jazz
Christmas music

Length

37:01

Tony Bennett & The Count Basie Big Band chronology

Duets: An American Classic
(2006)

A Swingin' Christmas
(2008)

Duets II
(2011)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]

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

The album was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards.

Track listing

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

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 a special edition featuring ten of Bennett's holiday-themed artwork postcards.
Barnes & Noble carried a special edition featuring Bennett's take on "Christmas Auld Lang Syne" exclusive to the retailer. They also carried a deluxe version featuring a DVD as well as the exclusive track.
Bloomingdales carried a special edition featuring Bennett's take on "Jingle Bells", exclusive to the retailer.

Personnel

Tony Bennett's combo

Monty Alexander – Piano
Paul Langosch – Bass
Harold Jones – Drums
Gray Sargent – Guitar
Lee Musiker – Piano (tracks 7, 9 and 11)

The Count Basie Orchestra

John Williams, Baritone Saxophone
Doug Miller, Tenor Saxophone
Grant Langford, Alto Saxophone
Marshall McDonald, Alto Saxphone
Doug Lawrence, Tenor Saxophone
Clarence Banks, Trombone
Alvin Walker, Trombone
Dave Keim, Trombone
Barry Cooper, Trombone
William "Scotty" Barnhart, Trumpet
Michael Williams, Trumpet
Kris Johnson, Trumpet
James Zollar, Trumpet

Production credits

Executive Producer: Danny Bennett
Producer: Phil Ramone
Music Director for Mr. Bennett: Lee Musiker
Recorded and Mixed by Dae Bennett
Production Manager and Contractor: Jill Dell'Abate
Production Coordinator: Vance Anderson
Live Sound: Tom Young with ACIR Pro Audio
Assistant Engineers: Alessandro Perrotta and Travis Stefl
Mastering: Bob Ludwig and Gateway Mastering, Portland, ME.
Art Direction and Design: John Cheuse
Cover Photography: Mark Seliger

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 Bloomingdales 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" – prior to the unveiling of the store's Christmas window displays. He also performed a special one-off concert at New York's famed Apollo Theater on December 16, billed as his only show in direct support of the release with The Count Basie Big Band.

Chart performance and certifications

After debuting at #159 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the album has thus far peaked at #28 in its sixth week on the chart. It also reached the zenith of the Billboard Top Jazz Albums in its seventh week on said chart.

References

Count Basie Orchestra

Count Basie

Members	John Duke (Bass) Sal Nistico (Tenor Sax) Frank Wess (Alto Sax/Flute) Joe Williams (Vocals) Earle Warren (Alto Sax/Occasional Singer) Preston Love (Alto Sax) Danny House (Alto Sax) Sonny Cohn (trumpet} Reunald Jones (Trumpet) Neal Hefti, (Trumpet) Harry "Sweets" Edison (Trumpet) Joe Newman (Trumpet) Lester Young (Tenor Sax) Herschel Evans (Tenor Sax) Jo Jones (Drums) Walter Page (Bass) Bill Hughes (trombone) Dennis Wilson (lead trombone} Grover Mitchell (trombone) Freddie Green (Guitar) Billie Holiday (Vocals) Buck Clayton (Trumpet) Jimmy Rushing (Vocals) Marshal Royal (Alto Sax) Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Tenor Sax) Thad Jones (Trumpet) Al Grey (Trombone) John Clayton (Bass) Cleveland Eaton (Bass) Gregg Field (drums) Dennis Rowland (Vocals) Chris Murrell (vocals) Dave Gibson (Drums) Rich Thompson (Drums) Jack Washington (Baritone Sax) John Williams (Baritone Sax) Butch Miles (Drums) Sonny Payne (Drums) Frank Foster (Tenor Sax) George Caldwell (Piano) Charlton Johnson (Guitar) Tony Suggs (Piano) Scotty Barnhart (Trumpet) James Leary (Bass) Brian Gryce (Drums) Will Matthews (guitar)

1951–1960	Dance Session (1952–54, Clef) Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (with Joe Williams) (1955, Clef) April in Paris (1955–56, Verve) The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (with Joe Williams) (1956, Verve) Basie in London (live) (1956, Verve) One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald) (1957, Verve) Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve) E = MC² (1958, Roulette) Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette) No Count Sarah (with Sarah Vaughan) (1958, EmArcy) Chairman of the Board (1958, Roulette) Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole) (1959, Capitol) Basie and Eckstine, Inc. (with Billy Eckstine) (1959, Roulette) Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Roulette) In Person! (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Columbia) Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams) (1959, Roulette) The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette) I Gotta Right to Swing (Uncredited) (Sammy Davis Jr.) (1960, Decca)

1961–1970	First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (with Duke Ellington) (1961, Columbia) The Legend (1961, Roulette) Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (with Sarah Vaughan) (1961, Roulette) Basie at Birdland (live) (1961, Roulette) On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1963) Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra) (1962, Reprise) Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! (1963, Verve) This Time by Basie! (1963, Verve) Ella and Basie! (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1963, Verve) Basie Land (1964, Verve) It Might as Well Be Swing (with Frank Sinatra) (1964, Reprise) Basie Picks the Winners (1965, Verve) Our Shining Hour (with Sammy Davis Jr.) (1965, Verve) Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (with Arthur Prysock) (1965, Verve) Basie's Beatle Bag (1965, Verve) Broadway Basie's...Way (1966, Command) Basie Meets Bond (1966, Capitol) Hollywood...Basie's Way (1966, Command) Sinatra at the Sands (live, with Frank Sinatra) (1966, Reprise) Basie's Beat (1967, Verve) Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot) The Board of Directors (with the Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot) The Board of Directors Annual Report (with the Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot) Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot) Standing Ovation (1969, Dot) Afrique (1970, RCA Victor)

1971–1980	Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby) (Daybreak, 1972) Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 (live) (1972, Pablo) The Bosses (with Big Joe Turner) (1973, Pablo) Basie Big Band (1975, Pablo) Fun Time (1975, Pablo) I Told You So (1976, Pablo) Prime Time (1977, Pablo) Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo) Live in Japan '78 (live) (1978, Pablo) On the Road (1979, Pablo) Digital III at Montreux (live) (1979, Pablo) A Classy Pair (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo) A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo) Kansas City Shout (1980, Pablo)

1981–1990	Warm Breeze (1981, Pablo) Send in the Clowns (Sarah Vaughan) (1981, Pablo) Farmer's Market Barbecue (1982, Pablo) 88 Basie Street (1983, Pablo) Me and You (1983, Pablo) Fancy Pants (final album with Count Basie) (1983, Pablo) Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon) Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (live, with Diane Schuur) (1987, GRP) The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)

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	Ray Sings, Basie Swings (2006, Concord) Basie is Back (2007, MAMA) Midnight in Manhattan (2007, Aspirion) A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band) (with Tony Bennett) (2008, Columbia) A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas! (2015)

Small-group sessions	Basie Jam (1973, Pablo) For the First Time (1974, Pablo) Basie & Zoot (with Zoot Sims) (1975, Pablo) For the Second Time (1975, Pablo) Basie Jam 2 (1976, Pablo) Basie Jam 3 (1976, Pablo) Kansas City 5 (1977, Pablo) The Gifted Ones (with Dizzy Gillespie) (1977, Pablo) Basie Jam: Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo) Satch and Josh...Again (with Oscar Peterson) (1977, Pablo) Night Rider (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo) Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo) Yessir, That's My Baby (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo) Kansas City 7 (1980, Pablo) Kansas City 6 (1981, Pablo) Mostly Blues...and Some Others (1983, Pablo)

Tony Bennett

Studio albums	Because of You Cloud 7 Alone at Last with Tony Bennett Tony The Beat of My Heart Long Ago and Far Away Strike Up the Band Hometown, My Town To My Wonderful One Tony Sings for Two Alone Together Sings a String of Harold Arlen My Heart Sings I Left My Heart in San Francisco I Wanna Be Around... This Is All I Ask The Many Moods of Tony When Lights Are Low Who Can I Turn To If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set The Movie Song Album Tony Makes It Happen For Once in My Life Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album I've Gotta Be Me Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today! Tony Bennett's Something Love Story With Love The Good Things in Life The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album Life Is Beautiful Together Again The Art of Excellence Bennett/Berlin Astoria: Portrait of the Artist Perfectly Frank Steppin' Out Here's to the Ladies Tony Bennett on Holiday Tony Bennett: The Playground Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues A Wonderful World The Art of Romance Duets: An American Classic A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band) Duets II Viva Duets Cheek to Cheek The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern

Live albums	Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall MTV Unplugged

Compilation albums	Mr. Broadway: Tony's Greatest Broadway Hits A Time for Love The Essential Tony Bennett

Singles	"Because of You" "Rags to Riches" "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" "Body and Soul" "Just in Time" "Living Together, Growing Together" "The Lady Is a Tramp" "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" "Anything Goes" "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby"

Related	Discography The Zen of Bennett Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live! Cheek to Cheek Tour

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