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This is the last of four reviews of Blues/Swing compilations purchased at Recycled Records (long may it wave!) in San Francisco, California. Swingin' Christmas didn't have as many high points as the others, or maybe I'm just grumpy. Heavenly 7's Jody Byrd reminded me a little bit too much of Bill Murray singing Mel Torme's The Christmas Song, but maybe that was the sound he was going for: sometimes, I am irony-impaired this late in the season. Later, on I Saw Mommy Swinging Santa Claus, I thought I heard Byrd mocking Rudy Vallee. I did enjoy Simon Hutchings clarinet accompaniment on the same song.

The rest of Swingin' Christmas is a lot of Boogie Woogie bugles, eight to the bar: a CD full of brassy arrangements. The Swingtips performed a nice arrangement of Swingin' Around The Christmas Tree. Much of the rest was just ordinary, garden variety swing. I apologize to all if this is too harsh. The CD cover art seemed to have all the right markings, and besides, how could a record label named "Daddy-O" not produce a winner? Not actually bad, it was just not inspired, either.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2004)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by Eric Weiss

Mastered by Jon Smith

Flipped Fedoras:
Nick Palumbo, vocals, guitar
Rob Susman: trombone
Tom Murray: tenor sax
Tom Russo: trumpet
Kevin Dorn: drums
Andres Villamil: bass

Heavenly 7:
Jody Byrd: vocals
Chris Stiles: trombone, arrangements
Simon Hutchings: sax, clarinet
Peter Green: trumpet
Jeremy Schroeder: trumpet "solos"
Michael Glenn: piano
Greg Adams: guitar, arrangements
Frankie Rosaly: drums
Johnnny Sanchez: bass

Ron Sunshine & Full Swing:
Ron Sunshine: lead vocals, harmonica, backing vocals
Andres Villamil: upright bass, backing vocals
Dan Hovey: guitar, backing vocals
Paul Tillotson: piano
Craig Dreyer: tenor sax
James Wormworth IV: drums, backing vocals

Set 'Em Up Joe:
Greg Mangus: vocals
Mark Cally: guitar
Chris Creviston: tenor sax
Matt Hughes: bass
Brian Floody: drums

Swingtips:
Kregg Barentine: lead vocals, saxophone
Jim Van Wagoner: piano, vocals
Mark Witt: trombone, harmonica
Scott Yandell: trumpet
Gregg Delfiner: drums
Kyle Nix: upright bass
Kyle barentine: additional percussion

Various Artists

Swingin' Christmas

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Track List