A Christmas gift for the eyes and ears can be unwrapped online today as the second annual PB & Holiday Jam debuts.
The show, a special edition of Music Wednesdays Facebook Live hosted each week by Lesley Dale and Barry Courter, features a host of local musicians, including recent Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame inductee Mitch Ryder, country stars Smith & Wesley and Cody McCarver, and longtime favorite Jimmy Tawater.
The Christmas special was recorded at The Studio at the Chattanooga Public Library, where the weekly show is produced. Staff and interns with Dynamo Studios provided technical support.
The holiday episode is so named because it is a food drive, specifically for peanut butter, for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. The Food Bank is constantly in need of peanut butter, a much-needed source of protein with a long shelf life, according to Scott Bruce, marketing director for the agency.
Also performing are Heather Leigh Holt, the Chattanooga Christian School Choir, Shane Morrow with Yolanda Morton and Mary Edwards, Jermaine Purifory and the debut of Femme 'N M, the duo of Mary Barnett and Meredith Levine from the library, who created two short original pieces.
The house band featured Mike Courter on bass, Scott Courter on guitar, Matt Courter on keyboards and Tommy Lifsey on drums. They backed Tawater, Purifory and Ryder.
Ryder is best known for his work with Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels and the hit song "Devil With a Blue Dress On." He recently moved here from Detroit with his wife, Megan, to be closer to her family. He said during the taping of the show that he likes to be a part of whatever community he is living in, and doing the show fit that desire.
He was inducted into the R&B hall this past summer along with Gladys Knight, James Brown and The Impressions. Fred Cash and Sam Gooden of The Impressions are both from Chattanooga. They recently completed a busy touring season, with Purifory singing the lead parts formerly sung by the late Curtis Mayfield.