Track Listing

1. Jingle Bells - Glenn Miller
2. Winter Wonderland - Ralph Flanagan
3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Tommy Dorsey
4. Sleigh Ride - Freddy Martin
5. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Vaughn Monroe
6. Snowfall - Claude Thornhill
7. White Christmas - Sammy Kaye
8. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - Larry Clinton
9. Winter Weather - Fats Waller
10. Santa Claus Came In the Spring - Benny Goodman
11. Swingin' Them Jingle Bells - Fats Waller
12. All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth - Spike Jones
13. Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #117145 in Music
• Released on: 2002-10-08
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Not everything on this collection of classic big band recordings from the RCA Victor vaults swings in the literal sense of the form. Claude Thornhill's "Snowfall" is downright mellow, and Spike Jones's "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" may be a yuletide novelty favorite, but Jones was more of a musical comedian than a swing musician. Nevertheless, Glenn Miller almost rocks "Jingle Bells," while Benny Goodman is represented via the not entirely Christmas-like "Santa Claus Came in the Spring." Other highlights include holiday hits and semihits from Tommy Dorsey, Freddie Martin (featuring future talk-show legend Merv Griffin crooning "Sleigh Ride"), Ralph Flanagan, and piano great Fats Waller, who must've brought the house down back in the '30s if "Swingin' Them Jingle Bells" is any indication. Appropriately, the disc concludes with Guy Lombardo's "Auld Lang Syne," which most definitely swings. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews

this one's a keeper !!!
Swingin' Christmas Party is a great CD of hits by many artists who were famous "back in the day." We get excellent tunes from greats including Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Fats Waller and more! The CD had room for another song or two; but what we get is such good quality I can ignore this minor issue.

Glenn Miller and His Orchestra start things right with a jazzy, swinging rendition of "Jingle Bells." While they keep the bells in the musical arrangement, the flavor is distinctly jazzy and full of that great swing sound! Great brass, too! Listen for Tex Beneke and the Modernaires to provide some updated lyrics for this awesome number.

Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra perform an electric version of the standard "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." Cliff Weston and Edyth Wright do great vocals on this number; and although there's some surface noise this tune will make you smile! In addition, the melancholy "White Christmas" gets the royal treatment from Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra. Johnny Ryan and the Kaye Choir harmonize to perfection. "White Christmas" is one tune that doesn't feel like swing music; but it's wonderful nonetheless.

"Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers" by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra sparkles brightly. Listen, too, for Fats Waller and His Rhythm to perform a smashing rendition of "Winter Weather." Excellent! Fats plays piano on this number; and he sings beautifully.

Spike Jones and His City Slickers perform the novelty song "All I Want For Christmas Is my Two Front Teeth;" and Guy Lombardo wraps it all up nicely with his classic interpretation of "Auld Lang Syne." Very sweet.

The liner notes give us the song credits and the artwork impresses me.

Overall, this CD of Christmas tune with a swingin' style is bound to entertain you over and over again! Don't be surprised if you want to listen to this great set of numbers even next July!

Not that swinging!
The Cd offers some nice melodies and some that will make you move , but the monologes that begin some songs will make you want to scream especially the little boy talking about losing his two front teeth. I buy Christmas CDs for party music. This one will make your guests want to leave. If you are going to record and edit out a few losers then you will like it! Flanneldaddy

Zoot me up!
I bought this album for the Larry Clinton track "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and rapidly found the Fats Waller "Swingin' them Christmas Bells" and the Freddie Martin version of "Sleigh Ride". Some of the tunes are the ones you hear over and over, like Guy Lombardo and Spike Jones, but others are just unknown to those of us born after 1960, and that's a shame, because there is some great music on this album!