Bandleader Michael League says: "The Family Dinner concept came out of our desire, as a band, to work with vocalists and composers whom we greatly admire.

"It began as an after-hours concert series on Friday nights in New York City. After about a year of performances with many artists, we recorded the first Family Dinner album with eight guests in Roanoke, Virginia, at the Jefferson Center for the Performing Arts."

He adds: "In Volume Two, we changed the setting to New Orleans, Louisiana - in the thick of Mardi Gras - in order to support The Roots of Music foundation, which empowers the youth of the city through music education, academic support, and mentorship while preserving and promoting the unique cultural and musical heritage of jazz's birthplace. We also changed the format of our collaborations by not only inviting guest vocalists, but guest instrumentalists as well."