Swingin' Christmas (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Michael Bolton (saxophone); Peter Erskine (drums).

Additional personnel: Gayle Levant Richards, Joe Meyer, Brad Warnaar (harp); John Wittenberg, Gil Romero, Katia Popov, Tammy Harwan, Bruce Ducov, Peter Kent, Natalie Leggett, Nicole Garcia, Armen Garabedian, Darius Campo, Josephina Vergara, Charlie Bisharat (violin); Carole Kleister, Harry Shirinian (viola); Rudy Stein, Dan Tobin Smith, Larry Corbett, Steve Richards (cello); Brandon Fields (flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone); Kim Richmond (clarinet, alto saxophone); Rob Lockhart (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Jeff Driskill (woodwinds); Jason Peterson Delaire (saxophone); Tom Peterson (baritone saxophone); Peter DiSiena, Kevin Richardson, Warren Luening, Wayne Bergeron, Kyle Palmer, Ron King (trumpet, flugelhorn); William Lane, Rick Todd (French horn); Alex Illes, Andy Martin, Arturo Velasco, Bob McChesney (trombone); Richard Bullock (bass trombone); Shawne Jackson, Onita Hutton, Kurt Kykes, Keith Allen , Sylver Logan Sharp, Cammie Knight, Jodie Butler (background vocals); Dan Neufeld, Shawn Mann, Darrin McCann.

While Michael Bolton's 1996 THIS IS THE TIME Holiday disc concentrated on rock- and soul-oriented versions of Christmas classics, his A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS lives up to its title. While Bolton's winning vocals won't make you forget Bennett or Sinatra, he incorporates some genial, classy swing moves into the mix, proving that his fine showing on SWINGS SINATRA--Bolton's matue, jazz-inflected tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes--was no fluke.

NOTE: A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS is a re-release of the similarly titled Target exclusive disc with the addition of two new songs, "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World."

Michael Bolton was still sporting a full mane of hair and recording for Columbia/Sony when he released his last holiday album -- This Is the Time: The Christmas Album -- in 1996. Now, a sheared Bolton has moved to Concord, a jazz label, and has taken another stab at the holiday album on A Swingin' Christmas. The album's strongest selling point is that it gets right to the heart of the holiday song tradition, avoiding self-penned novelties and obscure carols for holiday favorites that everyone knows and loves. That means that fans who appreciate Bolton's vocal style, from his quiet rasp to his over-the-top dramatics, will now have his versions of ten classic Christmas songs in one place. Despite these qualities, however, some listeners may wish for something a little more invigorating. While Bolton may be inspired by the material, the production and arrangements are by the numbers, and while the title -- A Swingin' Christmas -- conjures up visions of jazzy big bands from yesterday, the result more often reminds one of a big band from a late-night talk show. Perhaps the biggest detraction for fans, however, is how short the album is at just 33 minutes. In other words, by the time one has poured the eggnog and cuddled up beside that significant someone, it will be time to get up and put another album on. Hardcore fans, however, will probably be unperturbed: repeat buttons, after all, were made for a reason. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. minimize