Brian's already had two Christmas albums, a best-of-Christmas collection, and a live album before 2015, when he trotted out a third album of new Christmas performances. Hate to say that anybody's overstaying their welcome when it comes to rocked-out Christmas music ... Anyway, for those of you who haven't come across the former Stray Cat's efforts before, this is big band swing moved forward a couple of decades until it meets 50s rockabilly. Give the man credit for coming up with a Christmas-themed takeoff on "The Flintstones" theme, "Yabba-Dabba Yuletide," which is definitely the single off this collection. The semi-title song, "Rockin' Rudolph," isn't bad either, as it manages to conflate bits of "Brand New Cadillac" and "Peter Gunn" into the backing to the popular Christmas song. Jazzy elements dominate on "Little Jack Frost," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Swingin' Joy," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Rockabilly reasserts itself on "Here Comes Santa Claus," and "Yabba-Dabba Yuletide" returns in a longer version to close the album. Those hep to the Setzer Orchestra's past work might give this a pass, as might those who aren't that fond of jazz, but "Yabba-Dabba Yuletide" is worthy of note.
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