About the Song: Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Six Singers Singing…and a Songbird in a Pear Tree

Long ago five San Francisco Bay Area vocalists banded together to create a new CD with an unusual format. “Quint-Essential,” a compilation recording featuring the individual works of these five vocalists, was released. Months later, four of the quints invited me and another singer to join them on a Christmas compilation to help fund a jazz scholarship program at Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco.

That Christmas album, “…And a Songbird in a Pear Tree”  features the marvelous singers: Daria, Cathi Walkup, Jennifer Lee, Shanna Carlson, and Sharman Duran. I had the joy and honor to join them on this record, and it was so much fun to put together.

I had originally chosen a different song, but was approached by my dear friend Gerry Grosz, who presented his beautiful song, “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” and asked if I would sing it. Would I?! Ten seconds into the song I fell in love with its classic, romantic and bittersweet message of love and longing on a cold and snowy Christmas night.

The guitar virtuoso Randy Vincent, bassist Mel Graves, and my dear, dear friend Paul Distel on drums joined Gerry on the vibes, and really laid down a gorgeous groove on this tune.

Gerry is a marvelous vibes player, pianist and composer with hundreds of songs to his credit. (I recorded another song by Gerry, the beautiful “Final Remembrance” from my album “A Sonny Day.”) He is also a wonderful arranger, and arranged almost all of the songs on two of my albums (“A Sonny Day,” and “Let’s Live Again.”)

Every year I post this lovely song; I think it deserves a wider audience, as it really does sound like a classic…

I know you’ll love it too!

May all your days be merry and bright and filled with love, peace and unity.

Elaine (aka “Santa Lucia”)