About the Artists

Kaia Chen

(Vocals)

Kaia Chen has been trained in and enjoys singing many styles such as musical theater, jazz, rock, and more. She began singing jazz with her school group In the Pocket, and grew to love the style through the creation of this album.

Tatum Eppinger

(Violin)

Tatum Eppinger is primarily a classical violinist, but they play a variety of other instruments such as piano and cello, and ventured into jazz by playing with their school group. They are also an artist outside of music, and they love painting, drawing, and digital art.

Smith Hill

(Bass)

Smith Hill typically plays guitar but ended up playing bass for this album. He has been playing guitar for a little bit more than 11 years now. He enjoys playing most all categories of music from slow blues to rock to country.

Ori Moore

(Arrangements)

(Melodica/Clarinet/Trumpet)

Ori Moore is from Chapel Hill and is mainly a pianist and arranger that specializes in jazz, and particularly swing music. Outside of music he likes programming, climbing, and most importantly rooting for the Tar Heels. Read more here:

ori-moore.com/bio 

Kevin Clark

(Guitar)

Kevin Clark is a guitarist and educator based in Durham, NC. He performs regularly in a wide variety of musical contexts from jazz to R&B and Hip Hop. In his free time he enjoys designing and making furniture.

Trevor Hoyt

(Guitar)

Trevor Hoyt is the Director of Technology at Durham Academy and he enjoys playing guitar in his free time.

Ben Lassiter

(Guitar)

Ben Lassiter is a Triangle-based jazz guitarist specializing in acoustic swing, a la Django Reinhardt. He plays with the Mint Julep Jazz Band, the Onyx Club Boys and under his own name. Find him on social media:

@benlassitermusic on Facebook & Instagram

Mark Simonsen

(Production/Mixing)

(Guitar)

Mark Simonsen is a composer and music producer from central North Carolina. Playing primarily vibraphone, guitar, percussion and organ, Mark has toured internationally with a diversity of ensembles including the Old Ceremony, the Minor Drag and the Forryst Bruthers. He has been producing music for over 20 years at various studios including his own, "studio m" in Southern Durham County, NC.

About The Album

I have had a special appreciation for swing music for a long time but in the past year have gotten especially into hot club jazz (aka gypsy jazz) in the style of Django Reinhardt. I decided in March of this year that I wanted to make a Christmas album in that style, especially because of the opportunities for arranging choices that I could make with this instrumentation (voice, violin, melodica, two guitars, and bass). Kaia and I started choosing a set list in May so that I could write the arrangements over the summer. Kaia, Tatum, Smith, and I began rehearsing in September. Due to multiple hand injuries among our guitarists, when we recorded in November, it involved Ben and Mark recording in-person, followed by a combination of Kevin, Trevor, and Ben overdubbing from home.

The production of this album was a lot of fun from arranging to rehearsing to listening as it all came together. I feel very lucky to have had the great experience of working with this set of talented musicians.

Special thanks to my instructors (past and present): Keenan McKenzie, Julie Harris, Eliana Fishbeyn, Ed Paolantonio, Gregg Gelb, Jim Ketch, Steve Anderson, Andrew Lovett, Michael Meyer, and Trevor Hoyt who have all made large contributions to many aspects of my musicianship.

I also want to thank all of the musicians that contributed to this album. To Kaia, Tatum, and Smith, I appreciate the time, the effort, and most importantly the fun that you put into the album throughout its creation. For the entire rehearsing period, I looked forward to each Thursday night when I got to meet with y'all to hang out and play music.

I especially want to thank the professional musicians—Kevin, Trevor, Ben, and Mark—that  dedicated time towards recording with a group of high schoolers. I am so lucky to have an album that benifits from your musical experience and skill. I also want to give a special shout out to Mark, whose expertise as a sound engineer and instincts as a musician helped the album have the sound that it does.

—Ori Moore

Arranged and directed by Ori Moore

Produced, engineered, and mixed by Mark Simonsen

Cover art by Valen Moore