MIM 8: Fifteen Years of "A Swinging Birdland Christmas"

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Mine would not have been complete without A Swinging Birdland Christmas, which celebrated its 15th annual run in 2024 at the club for which it is named. I’ve played in this show every year except the first, which tells you just how long I’ve been part of the Birdland family.

I wanted to devote a few lines to this very special event, not only because of the longevity it has enjoyed, but also because of how it has managed to rise above seasonal clichés and grab hold of my heart, as well as the hearts of those who return to see it year after year. In a time when holiday music can feel like it exists purely as a tool of consumerism and commercialization, A Swinging Birdland Christmas stands out from the herd.

On its face, the show is a tribute to the Great American Songbook, classic films, and the television variety shows of the 1960s and ’70s (think Andy Williams or Sonny and Cher). It is silly but sincere. It is charming without being corny. It’s nostalgic without falling flat or coming off as tacky. The musical choices are “hip,” the arrangements are intricate and unexpected, and the show guides its audience through a range of emotional spaces, from thoughtful and poignant to drop dead hilarious. Most of all, A Swinging Birdland Christmas celebrates the season with irrepressible joy. And like every good Christmas tradition, it has gathered a loyal audience that returns year after year.

Beyond the material, the arrangements or the venue, however, the secret to the longevity of A Swinging Birdland Christmas lies in the depth and talent of the participants. Led by pianist and musical director nonpareil Billy Stritch (who’s worked with Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett and everyone in between), the front line also consists of “Cast Party” host extraordinaire Jim Caruso and star singer Klea Blackhurst. Here's a taste:

Each of these accomplished performers delivers a solo or two, as well as a series of duos and trios, with tight harmonies reminiscent of the vocal groups of the 1940s. The front line also shows off a variety of skill sets during the show, picking up ukuleles, sleigh bells, even a pocket trumpet.

For our part, bassist Steve Doyle and I hold down the fort, supporting the singers with a great deal of stylistic and dynamic sensitivity. Several years ago, I suggested that maybe the rhythm section should get a headlining moment of its own, and thus was born our version of “The Little Drummer Boy.”

The routine is composed of two different “bits” that were once commonplace in the percussion world. The first is a “stick on stick” trick stemming from the days of vaudeville. In a time before the drum set had completely taken over the scene, snare drummers were often featured for their rudimental prowess, and they would employ all manner of tricks, including those using just the sticks.

Buddy Rich, himself a high paid child star in vaudeville from the age of 18 months, demonstrated these kinds of tricks in solos throughout his entire life. Here’s a great example from 1982, when he guested on the British TV chat show “Parkinson”:

The second “drum’n’bass” bit - the one where I play on Steve’s strings with my sticks - can also likely be traced back to vaudeville. Perhaps its most famous usage was laid upon us in 1938 by bassist Bob Haggard and drummer Ray Bauduc via their composition, “Big Noise From Winnetka.”

Haggard and Bauduc were both members of the Bob Crosby Orchestra (Bob being Bing’s younger and lesser known brother). As was standard fare during the big band era, many of the larger bands would break down into smaller combos (known as “the band within the band”) during the middle of a show, allowing the premier players a chance to be featured. Benny Goodman had his famous trio, quartet, and sextet; Tommy Dorsey had the Clambake Seven; Artie Shaw had the Gramercy Five (a name that was literally his telephone number).

The Bob Crosby small group was known as the Bobcats, and it was in this iteration that Haggard and Bauduc came up with their famous duet.

* Thanks to Magda Katz for the "Little Drummer Boy" video clip.
* Check out all of Kevin Alvey's great photos from this year's edition of A Swinging Birdland Christmas.

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