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I’ll admit that I’m not always the picture of holiday cheer. With decorations to hang and goodies to bake and gifts to buy before my husband and I depart on our annual Christmas road trip, I usually spend most of December looking like I’ve recently been hit by a bus. As a result, Christmas music doesn’t tend to instill me with a feeling of peace. Actually, it’s more like a feeling of panic—often served with a side of depression.
Fortunately, though, with the release of his new Christmas album, A Swingin’ Christmas, Tony Bennett brings back some of the light-hearted fun that I once associated with this time of year. With a little bit of help from the Count Basie Big Band, Bennett has managed to release an album of holiday songs that are (for the most part) both upbeat and relaxing—and they’re filled with the Christmas spirit.
The album opens with a pair of holiday favorites. The first is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” performed in a fun, dynamic style. This energetic arrangement of a beloved classic is one of the album’s best tracks—and it’s closely followed by another one: “Silver Bells.” While some artists tend to make both of these songs slow and almost somber, Bennett and his band jazz them up and give them a good dose of holiday cheer. The pace on both tracks is a bit swifter than usual, and the arrangements are filled with pleasant musical surprises.
After slowing things down a bit for the soft and romantic “All I Want for Christmas is You” (a track that I’ve admittedly started skipping), Bennett picks up the tempo again for my favorite track on the album: “My Favorite Things.” Though the classic Sound of Music tune isn’t technically a Christmas song, it fits right into the album—and it’s such a playfully festive song that I can’t listen to it without smiling and singing along as I race through traffic on yet another holiday adventure.
Some of the album’s other highlights include jazzy renditions of classics like “Winter Wonderland” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”—as well as a slower but charming performance of “Christmas Time is Here” (from the beloved TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas).
So if you tend to plod your way through the holiday season—as I do—do yourself a favor and pick up Tony Bennett’s A Swingin’ Christmas. Bennett’s classic holiday melodies, along with the playfully upbeat arrangements by The Count Basie Orchestra, are sure to put a smile on your face—no matter how many Christmas cookies you’ve still got left to bake.
