This is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, welcome to our holiday jazz celebration, Joy to the world with pianist Bob Thompson and his band featuring special guest vocalist Rodney Dean Boyden major funding is provided by the West Virginia lottery.

We decided that we were definitely going to do the show this year, we look for someone that was here in the area.

So because we didn't know whether we would be able to bring someone in this year with people not traveling and so forth.

And we were fortunate to have a person of Ronnie's talent right here in Charleston area.

And we've been looking for an opportunity to do something together.

So it worked out just fine.

I just want to thank Bob for inviting me.

Our paths really never crossed because I was kind of scared of him because he was just a big Big guy he's a big personality and a big talent for him to ask me to do this is really cool because again he's trusting me.

I guess he thinks I'm good enough to at least get through chop some roses and whiskers some bright carpet kettles and brown paper packages tied off with string these are a few of my favorite cream common ponies and crisp apples true doorbells and sleigh bells and so with new bow keys that fly with our family these are a few of my favorites when the dog bites Remember be safe when I'm sad I just simply remember My favor with me and then I don't feel so bad hey the girl sent in such snow flakes that stay on my nose and Sue like winter to spring these are a few of my favorite when the remem be saying when just simply remember My favor and then I don't feel so bad Come on.

The women that be with I just simply remember my face And then I don't feel so bad Yay I don't feel I got my favorite thing don't don't Don't Don't feed I'll be home folk you can play please have snow and miss so grass and tree Christmassy ie you'll find me when lie before he falls asleep Gee?

Oh my see feel fine Live be home folk smile if whoa if we're doing another song that we we've done in the past it's called March of the Magi and, and we do it as sort of a march and it does swing, you know, so it's kind of a swinging March.

So that's an interesting, interesting tune Oh Oh Liz Oh Liz brown so Sleep It was as low as three whoa See ya yo oh but he brought a song that I had never heard before and it's called The Secret of Christmas and it was done by Shirley horn, Bing Crosby and others so he introduced me to something that I hadn't been able We'll find and all the 28 years we've been doing this show you know the secret of Christmas.

One of the things that I really like doing is really good breath control and the secret of Christmas really is one of those songs that's going to make me have control of it because I really love holding notes and really understanding phrasing and how important it is to maybe move from one phrase to another without ever taking a breath those types of things really make the difference between a singer and a singer it's not the clothes you feel when snow appeal it's not the Christmas card you sent it's not the joyful sound when sleigh bells we owe the marriage to see the little kid on Christmas Day will not bring back the friend you turn away so may I suggest the secret of Christmas the things you do Christmas but the Christmas things you all ye that it'll get you sent on Christmas Day will not bring back the frame you turn the So may I suggest the secret of CRISPR it's not the things you do at Christmas time.

But the little things you do oh ye Well, sugar rum cherry, actually, I got that name from Duke Ellington.

But sugar rum cherry is actually an arrangement of dance of the sugar plum fairies, which is taken from the Nutcracker.

Our arrangement is different from Duke Ellington's is is more of a traditional jazz but ours is a little bit on the funk side you know, so we want the salute the sugar, plum fairies and doing a little different kind of dance You know during the show at least we got the band together and this is a thing that we always look forward to is coming together to do the show.

And being able to do that is is the special thing for us this year.

This year especially we're going to miss seeing their faces in the audience.

But I would just like all of our viewers to know that they're still in our hearts and and we we carry this spirit with us as we do this show today.

Love is a song to see these the way we die you can make the mountains me but maybe angels cry Know the bird is on the wheel and you may not know why people smile on your face everybody get together try to love one another right now some may come and some may go we shall surely pass we know one man's left us turns for us we are back home painting in progress Come on people smile everybody get to try to love right now your breath everybody get one right smile on your every body try to love one another right people smile everybody get together try to know one another right.

Major funding has been provided by the West Virginia lottery