The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Roger Lewis)
What's your favorite holiday drink?
Cranberry Juice.
What was the best Xmas/Hanukkah present you ever bought or received?
I usually don't get anything, maybe some pajamas.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
I'm looking forward to spending time with family since we're on the road so much.
What is your favorite charity?
American Association Cancer Research, aacr.org.
What is your favorite holiday movie?
The Greatest Story Ever Told.
What is your favorite holiday song/album?
(singing) "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire …"
Who would you rather share an eggnog with: Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas-era Elvis, Charlie Brown, or the dad from A Christmas Story?
Charlie Brown.
Who's your favorite holiday villain?
Scrooge.
In honor of the 22nd Christmas Jam, what were you doing at age 22?
Making babies!
John Bell (Widespread Panic)
What's your favorite holiday drink?
Scotch — every day is a holiday.
What was the best Xmas/Hanukkah present you ever bought or received?
Mandolin(s) — My wife and I gave each other the same gift our first Christmas together.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
Stay home, smoke a turkey, watch for snow.
What is your favorite charity?
Hannah's Buddies, fightsma.org [raises money to fight Spinal Muscular Atrophy].
What is your favorite holiday movie?
A Christmas Story. Elf is the most recent potential classic. Bad Santa is just messed up.
What is your favorite holiday song/album?
All the songs from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Who would you rather share an eggnog with: Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas-era Elvis, Charlie Brown or the dad from A Christmas Story?
Ralphie and Randy's Dad, of course.
Who's your favorite holiday villain?
Tie: Herod the Great and Billy Bob Thornton.
In honor of this 22nd Christmas Jam, what were you doing at age 22?
College, working at a wholesale nursery, playing guitar in Athens.
Missing Cats (John "JoJo" Hermann)
What's your favorite holiday drink?
Whiskey sour.
What was the best Xmas/Hanukkah present you ever bought or received?
My first Captain & Tennille album.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
Not to fly.
What is your favorite holiday song/album?
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John and Yoko.
Who would you rather share an eggnog with: Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas-era Elvis, Charlie Brown, or the dad from A Christmas Story?
Charlie Brown.
Who's your favorite holiday villain?
Scrooge.
In honor of this 22nd Christmas Jam, what were you doing at age 22?
Tuning in and dropping out.
Ruthie Foster
What's your favorite holiday drink?
My favorite holiday drink right now is a tea called Hot Cinnamon Spice by Harney and Sons. I have to order it so that my supply never runs out, especially while on the road.
What was the best Xmas/Hanukkah present you ever bought or received?
The best Xmas present ever for me was my first guitar at ten years old. I knew was what it was weeks ahead of time because my dad (being a not-so-great gift wrapper) put it in a box that was too small for it so the head of the guitar stuck out.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
My plans this year are too be with my family, my dad, brother and sisters for Xmas, then head to Las Vegas with my sweetie for a few days afterwards. Maybe to try to win back all the money I've spent on gifts.
What is your favorite charity?
My charity of choice Blue Dog Rescue (bluedogrescue.com). It's a nonprofit here in Austin dedicated to finding forever homes for homeless dogs in central Texas. My dog, Ella, was featured this year as Ms. February.
What is your favorite holiday movie?
I get a real kick out of A Christmas Story. The story is pretty close to my brother's story and how he got a BB gun for Christmas one year and accidentally shot out the back window of my Aunt’s brand new station wagon.
What is your favorite holiday song/album?
That's an easy one: Ray Charles’ The Spirit of Christmas. Nobody can swing the holidays like brother Ray!
Who would you rather share an eggnog with: Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas-era Elvis, Charlie Brown or the dad from A Christmas Story?
I'd love to sit and share eggnog and eat Chinese food with the dad from A Christmas Story and discuss the family heirloom "Leg Lamp."
Who's your favorite holiday villain?
The Grinch wins over all holiday villains, he and his little reindeer/dog.
In honor of this 22nd Christmas Jam, what were you doing at age 22?
At 22 I was living in Waco, Texas studying commercial music by day and singing in a blues band by night. I'd thought about quitting school that year because I was keeping a gruesome schedule. I called my dad and he told me (as he still does) that he loves and supports me no matter what I decide and to always just do what I love. I stayed and finished and now I love what I do.
Umphrey's McGee (Brendan Bayliss)
What's your favorite holiday drink?
Jameson.
What was the best Xmas/Hanukkah present you ever bought or received?
A remote control R2D2 in '82.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
Be with family and be grateful for how lucky I am.
What is your favorite charity?
USTORM (ustorm.org). We give money to needy kids in Chicago for art and music education.
What is your favorite holiday movie?
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the old animated version, not the cartoon. Big difference.
What is your favorite holiday song/album?
A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Who would you rather share an eggnog with: Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas-era Elvis, Charlie Brown, or the dad from A Christmas Story?
Elvis, for sure.
Who's your favorite holiday villain?
Kelly Zygulski, she broke my heart the Christmas of '90. I was 14 and she was worse than the Grinch.
In honor of the 22nd Christmas Jam, what were you doing at age 22?
Waiting for my drummer to graduate from Notre Dame so we could start touring the country.
Sherman Ewing
What's your favorite holiday drink?
Grandpa's eggnog.
What was the best Xmas/Hanukkah present you ever bought or received?
Guitar.
What are your plans for the holidays this year?
Hang with my friends, go to a candlelight service — love the vibe, music.
What is your favorite charity?
Heifer International, (heifer.org); Covenant House New York, (covenanthouseny.org); Farm Sanctuary, (farmsanctuary.org).
What is your favorite holiday movie?
Scrooged.
What is your favorite holiday song/album?
"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."
Who would you rather share an eggnog with: Bing Crosby, Blue Christmas-era Elvis, Charlie Brown or the dad from A Christmas Story?
Elvis.
Who's your favorite holiday villain?
The Grinch.
In honor of this 22nd Christmas Jam, what were you doing at age 22?
Seeing the Grateful Dead in Oakland, Calif. for New Year's Eve run.
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