Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
There are those very rare singers who become — "beyond category". Labels like pop or jazz singer become irrelevant, and such is the case with Tony Bennett.
Even when he sings a blues tune there's a buoyant optimism which suffuses all of his work. With these holiday classics it's as irrepressible as it is irresistible.
For Snowfall, Robert Farnon's arrangements and conducting create the kind of lush orchestral sound rarely heard outside of a symphony hall. That layered richness contrasts effectively with the simplicity of Bennett's warm, gravelly voice as the fun begins with a jazzy spin on "My Favorite Things ; it's followed by a mellower take on Mel Tormé's timeless "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. An atypical holiday choice, "Where Is Love?, from Oliver!, seems poignantly apt. And if you imagine another "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town could bring on a diabetic coma, the good-natured sincerity of Bennett's version may persuade you otherwise.
—
All About Jazz
Tony Bennett: Snowfall The Tony Bennett Christmas Album