30 Days Out (From Christmas): City of New Orleans
Day Five – On Dec. 4, 2006, the ill-fated NBC show “Studio 60,” a take-off on the inner workings of a “Saturday Night Live”-like TV show starring Matthew Perry, featured an episode called “The Christmas Show.” One of the storylines dealt with the show’s regular musicians calling in sick so New Orleans musicians, left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, could get a paycheck and buy Christmas presents for their families.
Near the end of the episode, Simon Stiles (played by D.L. Hughley) comes out and says…”Ladies and Gentlemen, the City of New Orleans.” With pictures of a devastated Crescent City behind them, a group of six musicians (all left homeless by Katrina in real life), led by Tony “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, proceeded to perform the best version of “O Holy Night” that I have ever heard. A sad, yet beautiful arrangement, played with unbelievable passion. This version is not available anywhere anymore, so we are offering it here. It will please even the hardest of the hearts this Christmas season.
YouTube: “O Holy Night – Studio 60“
The Tipitina’s Foundation (an organization designed to help New Orleans musicians)
