Boogie Woogie Christmas

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Brian Setzer (vocals, arranger, guitar); Ann Margret (vocals); Don Roberts (baritone saxophone); Tim Misica, Ray Herrmann, Matt Zebley, Jim Youngstrom (saxophone); Dennis Farias, Kye Palmer, Kevin Norton, Will Murillo (trumpet); George McMullen, Alex Henderson, Craig Woods, Robbie Hioki (trombone); Hohn Hatton (bass); Bernie Dresel (drums); The Caroling Company (background vocals).
Recorded at Unit A, Palm Springs, California and Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California.
"The Nutcracker Suite" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
He wears a pompadour, hangs around with jazz musicians, and "vintage" may as well be his middle name, but Brian Setzer is a retro-king who now brings a jump-blues sensibility to the holiday of ole St. Nick with BOOGIE WOOGIE CHRISTMAS. Setzer's clearly having fun tearing into Elvis's perennial "Blue Christmas" and does equally well pumping up warhorses like "Jingle Bells" and "Winter Wonderland" as well as digging up the Leiber-Stoller nugget "Santa Claus Is Back In Town." Anther nod to Presley comes via the recruitment of EP's film co-star Ann-Margret for a seductive reading of "Baby It's Cold Outside."
Equally impressive is the range this Long Island native shows, whether utilizing an arrangement of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" influenced by Les Brown and his Band of Renown, or the cool jazz vibe dripping off the self-penned "So They Say It's Christmas." After all the high-flying heroics, Setzer ends on a calm note with a one-two punch of "O Holy Night" and an a cappella rendition of the traditional "The Amens," both of which would have fit perfectly on one of the King's reverential gospel albums.