For the last few years I've been writing new Christmas and holiday tunes (mostly to save myself from tiring too much of the beloved chestnuts) and then often get to share them in my shows around the end of the year.

As a student, I remember how friends who were international students or maybe even just out-of-state ones weren't able to see their families during the year-end holidays - a time when reconnection and warmth are really emphasized - and how having a place for them to go and enjoy some company was a great gift to them. Now as an adult, I see how seeking out and even making these opportunities ourselves can be so important especially as we find ourselves busier than ever, unable to ignorant of how to nurture adult friendships, or have weakened connections with our own families.

A couple of years ago at Jazz Under Ground's holiday show, I shared this tune "Table Made For Twenty" in a quartet setting and fellow musician Teryn Re heard it and decided she wanted to arrange it for big band! Teryn is a great arranger, vocalist, educator, and a lovely human being to boot and it was an honour to have her hear my music and want to put it into a big band setting!

This year, I got to perform the arrangement with her big band at historic Los Angeles jazz venue The Baked Potato in the recording below. Interested in checking out the lyrics? I'm currently working on adding a Lyrics page to my website, so I'll post about that when it's available.

'til then, here's a video of the performance from the Baked Potato: