Life sometimes hands you unpleasant surprises. I’ve been adjusting to one myself the past several months. Happy to report I’m funneling it into my music in a way I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. So here we go with E1 in my new collaborative video series featuring some of our area’s finest musical guests! And what a delight to kick this off with Brent Jensen on sax and Jamie Findlay on guitar. When you go to a Chinese restaurant, there’s the regular menu but sometimes there’s The Special Menu - many won’t even know it exists. But, on it you’ll find a variety of tasty delights - some with a few classic ingredients, others unique and unexpected combinations - but all curated from the chef’s creative heart. Here’s a glimpse into mine, and can’t wait to share more fresh arrangements and wonderful special guests in episodes to come… (mellish-oversplainer-disclaimer: future videos won’t likely be this fancy! As the ol’ saying goes, Brent ‘knew a guy’ so a few short days later I found myself road tripping to Bellingham to Mark Ashworth’s studio for a quick session to film E1) Song Credits: Composed by Carl Sigman 1963. This rendition is inspired by Freddy Cole's 2018 recording at 86 years of age - in my opinion there's nothing closer to perfection than his interpretation of this tune. I tried to make it my own, but his voice will always be in my head. Rest in peace, Mr. Cole. Video/Audio by Mark Ashworth Studios, Bellingham, WA Instagram: @jenmellishjazz Facebook: Jennifer Mellish Music www.jennifermellishmusic.com

**BONUS TRACK!** Unplanned & Unrehearsed. Letting our hair down after filming E1. Kept the pre-song banter in cuz the jazz geek in me loves the jam sesh huddle when whoever is on stage figures out what we’re gonna play! Gotta say, I kinda dig the vibe of this trio - watch out Brent & Jamie…I’ll try and coerce you into doing a live gig sometime! And look out for Ep 2 of Jen Mellish & The Special Menu - coming your way in early April! Who will my next special guest(s) be?? Song Credits: Music by Harry Warren & Lyrics by Mack Gordon, 1942 Video/Audio by Mark Ashworth Studios, Bellingham, WA Instagram: @jenmellishjazz Facebook: Jennifer Mellish Music www.jennifermellishmusic.com

Jen Mellish & The Special Menu Ep 2 feat. Drew Baddeley! And of course there’s also a story… Not everyone knows I used to play classical piano - was actually pretty good at my peak. Made it to high school state competition (held at the UW School of Music no less) where I choked in EPIC fashion! Sat down to play and stared at those black & whites like I’d never seen a piano before in my life. Couldn’t play a single note! Got up, took a bow, and walked a long, loooong (How long? So long!!!) walk of shame up the aisle to the exit all the way at the rear of the concert hall. It was the most horrifying stage experience of my life. I didn’t play much after that. Had this idea for an arrangement of a lesser known Harry Connick, Jr. tune (I love you forever, Harry) with Beethoven “bookends” but pretty freaked out at the thought of not only playing classical piano after a 30+ year hiatus but holding it together enough to film it. Here, I’m playing the piano I grew up with and Drew wasn’t lovin’ how his own bass was sounding in the room, so grabbed my son Ty’s bass and is playing it! It was…SO FUN! Any day one gets to play music with Drew Baddeley is a fine day indeed. Song Credits: Forever, For Now Composed by Harry Connick, Jr. & R.E. McLean, 1990 Beethoven’s Sonata in C Minor, Op.10, No. 1 Filmed by Triangle Man Productions (aka Rich Mellish with my iPhone) Instagram: @jenmellishjazz Facebook: Jennifer Mellish Music www.jennifermellishmusic.com

Josh and I hadn't met, but I saw him post a clever, funny gig poster on IG and couldn’t resist commenting on its awesomeness. He messaged me back, “I didn’t know you’re a Chinese-American jazz musician in Seattle! There’s not many of us!!” With each episode of this series, the idea for the song, arrangement and casting seems to all happen simultaneously. I didn’t wake up one day thinking, I wanna cover Bread’s “If” with an accordion and then look for someone who plays it. It was just, I want to play Bread’s “If” with Josh Hou on accordion, and maybe someday, I’ll even have the guts to ask him! Many months passed before I did…a good reminder to keep putting your art out there. You just never know who might be listening and touched by what you do. Fortunately, Josh was enthusiastic, and in the process has also encouraged me not to give up seeking deeper connection with my Chinese roots. At his gig at the Royal Room last week, he greeted me in Mandarin - and by my Chinese name. My head did a little spin as I thought, well there’s something that’s never happened to me before in my music circles! Identifying with my Asian heritage growing up was a struggle. There were no multicultural nights at school in those days...and I'm not proud to admit this, but negative experiences in my youth had me thinking I was better off blending in than sticking out. Thanks to folks like Josh who model authenticity & how being truly present in your own skin is its own cool…maybe it’s never too late to start again, even for over 50s Chinese jazz singing soccer moms. Song Credits: "If" written by David Gates for his group Bread in 1971 With Special Guest: Joshua Hou @accordianjosh & www.joshuahou.com Instagram: @jenmellishjazz Facebook: Jennifer Mellish Music www.jennifermellishmusic.com