I originally shared the recording of “O Holy Night” by The City of New Orleans on the occasion of sixstr stories’ first Christmas.

On December 22, 2010, I wrote:

This is my favorite recording/performance of Christmas music. Period. Hands down. No doubt. Head and shoulders above all the rest.

Back in 2006, there was a TV show called “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” on NBC. The series, by writer & director Aaron Sorkin, was about the goings on behind the scenes of a Saturday Night Live type of show. On December 4, Episode #11 aired. It was called “The Christmas Show.”

A group of displaced New Orleans musicians performed on the show-within-the-show. They were introduced as “The City of New Orleans.”

I did not mention in that “Merry Christmas” post that The City of New Orleans was a sextet: two trumpets, trombone, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and sousaphone.

Thanks to my son, I now know that the group’s dazzling lead trumpet player was Troy Andrews, the New Orleans-born, then-20-year-old, multi-instrumentalist also known as Trombone Shorty.

The City of New Orleans’ rendition of “O Holy Night” still stands as my all-time favorite recording/performance of Christmas music.

I hope you enjoy it, too. Headphones recommended!

“O Holy Night” by The City of New Orleans

(In case you’re wondering, NBC made that recording available as a free download.)

Best wishes to you and yours for a Very Merry & Musical Christmas from sixstr stories.

“Good music doesn’t get old.”