It is one of the most beautiful pieces of jazz ever composed. Listening to it is like watching falling snow through a window. The room is warm, something is roasting in the oven, and outside, the flakes are falling faintly through the universe. This is where you want to be forever. This is Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmastime Is Here.” Tonight, the Piano Starts Here series, curated by Wayne Horvitz and Tim Kennedy, features music from Guaraldi’s score for the TV special (and American cultural institution) A Charlie Brown Christmas, with music performed by Dawn Clement, Chris McCarthy, Michael Stegner, and others. (Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave S, theroyalroomseattle.com, 5:30 pm, by donation, all ages)

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...