Big Bad Voodoo Daddy gets ready to swing into Christmas Dec. 8

Two words you normally don’t associate with Christmas music are “jive” and “swing.”

But prepare to have those myths shattered when Big Bad Voodoo Daddy presents its Wild and Swinging Holiday Party at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8 at Escher Auditorium, Benedicta Arts Center at the College of Saint Benedict as part of the Fine Arts Series at CSB and Saint John’s University,

The contemporary kings of swing and multi-platinum selling artists will bring some joy to audiences with their top-selling holiday show.

Toes will be tapping, fingers will be snapping and all will be merry and bright when Big Bad Voodoo Daddy puts a big-band spin on holiday favorites like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” and “All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth).”

This is hardly an unusual foray for the band. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has released two albums of Christmas music – “It Feels Like Christmas Time” (2013) and “Everything You Want for Christmas” (2004).

Together for almost 25 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy — famously named after an autograph by blues legend and guitarist Albert Collins — has appeared in concert venues across the world, sold millions of records and had their music appear in hundreds of movies and television shows.

Since its formation in the early 1990s in Ventura, California, the band has toured virtually nonstop, performing on average over 150 shows a year. The band has produced a sizable catalog of recorded music, with sales of over 2 million albums to date.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s efforts to promote and revitalize swing music have taken shape as much more than a simple tribute. Taking inspiration from the creators of this uniquely American art form, the band’s original horn-infused music and legendary high energy show introduces the genre to a new and younger generation while remaining cognizant and respectful of the music’s rich legacy.

With sold out concerts from the Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center, appearances with many of the country's finest symphony orchestras and television appearances ranging from “Dancing with the Stars” to the Super Bowl XXXIII Halftime Show, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy continues its decades long mission to celebrate and revitalize jazz and swing music — America's original musical art form — and bring joy to audiences around the world.

Tickets for the holiday show are $32 for adults, $29 for seniors, $25 for faculty and staff, $15 for youth and students and $10 for CSB and SJU students. A limited number of tickets remain.

For tickets, call the Benedicta Arts Center Box Office at 320-363-5777 or order online.

The event is co-sponsored by St. Cloud Orthopedics, Bernick’s and Plaza Park Bank.

These activities are made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.