A Swingin' Christmas

A Swingin' Christmas
A Swingin' Christmas
Studio album by Tony Bennett featuring the Count Basie Big Band
Released	October 14, 2008
Recorded	June 2008
Genre	Vocal jazz, Christmas
Length	37:01
Label	Columbia
Producer	Phil Ramone
Tony Bennett chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[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. The album cover parodies Norman Rockwell's 1942 painting, Freedom from Want.

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

"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]

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

Tony Bennett – vocals
Monty Alexander – piano
Lee Musiker – piano (7, 9, 11)
Gray Sargent – guitar
Paul Langosch – double bass
Harold Jones – drums

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^[2]	28
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[3]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2009)	Position
US Billboard 200^[4]	155
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)^[5]	4

References

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

[1] A Swingin' Christmas at AllMusic

[ac_Billboard200_Tony_Bennett-2] "Tony Bennett Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2020.

[ac_BillboardJazz_Tony_Bennett-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.

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v t e 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 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) Jack Washington (Baritone Sax) Johnny 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) Mel Wanzo (trombone) Kris Johnson (trumpet) Ed Shaughnessy (drums) Bobby Floyd (piano/organ)
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) Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (1959, Roulette) Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole) (1959, Capitol) In Person! (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Columbia) Chairman of the Board (1959, Roulette) Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Roulette) Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (with Billy Eckstine) (1959, Roulette) 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) Easin' It (1962, Roulette) Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra) (1962, Reprise) On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (1963, Verve) 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, United Artists) 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) Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger)
1971–1980	Have A Nice Day (1971, Daybreak) Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby) (1972, Daybreak) 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)