A Christmas Trio at Jazz, TX
We Three Kings: A Jazz Protagonist Christmas
Tue, Dec 01, 2026
The Jazz Protagonists have played together since 1990. Their first CD was a Christmas album, recorded live in one night in 1998. This is the story behind "We Three Kings," the record this show is named for.
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We Three Kings: A Jazz Protagonist Christmas
Tue, Dec 01
In 1998, an engineer named Tim Gressler asked the Jazz Protagonists to make a Christmas album. They said yes. He set up a few vintage microphones in a hall, and the trio played live into them. There was no remixing and no fake reverb.
The night went sideways first. A concert was still going on when they showed up, so they went out for tacos. By the time they got back, the air conditioning was off. The whole session took just over two hours. Most songs got only one or two takes.
You can hear all of it on the record. A friend shouts "Yeah, Greg!" after a solo, and the band laughs. "Silver Bells" gets a bossa beat. "Good King Wenceslas" gets a tropical beat, played with sticks made from bunched bamboo. "Little Drummer Boy" closes the album in 5/4, played by hand on the drums.
About Jazz TX
Jazz, TX is San Antonio's home for live jazz, tucked into the basement of the historic Pearl Brewery's Bottling Department. Founded in 2016 by bandleader and pianist Doc Watkins, the club picked up the torch of the city's great jazz rooms and quickly became its premier destination for live music. Seven nights of shows span jazz, blues, big band, Texas swing, salsa, and Latin jazz — from Doc Watkins and his ten-piece orchestra to world-class touring artists like Kevin Eubanks, Bill Charlap, and John Pizzarelli. Every show is an intimate, 90-minute ticketed concert. Come early for South Texas cuisine, craft cocktails, wine, and beer, and stay for the music. At Jazz, TX, the night is a celebration shared between the audience and the band. 312 Pearl Parkway, Building 6, Suite 6001, San Antonio, TX 78215 (210) 332-9386 Tuesday–Thursday 6–10 PM · Friday–Saturday 6 PM–midnight · occasional Sunday special shows