A Swinging Christmas: The Jimmy Farace Quartet featuring Anna Donnelly Jimmy Farace is a jazz baritone saxophonist, bandleader and 2026 DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll Rising Star based in Chicago, Illinois. A thoughtful writer and improviser, his music explores deeply human themes—nostalgia, joy, growing pains, and the small moments that shape our lives. With an unwavering belief in the baritone saxophone’s storytelling power, Farace has earned praise from some of jazz’s most respected voices. DownBeat Magazine hailed him as “an outstanding new voice on baritone saxophone,” while saxophone legend Gary Smulyan noted: “His baritone playing is deeply emotional, mature, and his sound simply gorgeous. The combination of the writing and playing is stunning, wonderfully conceived, and in perfect balance and harmony.”  For A Swinging Christmas, the Jimmy Farace Quartet joins forces with acclaimed Chicago vocalist Anna Donnelly for an evening of classic Christmas favorites infused with the warmth, swing, and spirit of jazz. Donnelly regularly performs with Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, bringing her expressive voice to a festive program of holiday standards.