Kat Goldman & Joel Claener enjoy a warm and welcoming New Orleans Christmas Day in their new single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
There are plenty of Christmas standards heard throughout the holiday season, but few would have the backstory of this song co-written by veteran Toronto artist Goldman and budding songwriter Claener. New Orleans Christmas Day is a soothing Yuletide number packing plenty of musical accents that make you think of The Big Easy.
Goldman says the song came about after she started a program called Songwriting For Seniors and posted a sign in a nearby store. In 2023, 81-year-old Claener phoned her with an idea he had for a Christmas song set in the Southern U.S. Claener said he’d call back and eventually did — a year later.
“He’s very mysterious,” Goldman says. “He’s a ventriloquist, a mentalist, a magician, and he goes to judo classes twice a week. He’s really a character. He brought me very basic lyrics but it was written out in verses. There were no rhymes. It was a story about a guy who goes to his friend’s house in New Orleans for a Christmas party and has a wild, amazing fun time. He wanted it to be a Dixieland jazz-type vibe.”
New Orleans Christmas Day features the sound of sleigh bells before the vocalist (who will remain anonymous) sings behind an arrangement that resembles some fine blend of Dr. John and The Band with horns, piano, keyboards, and a gentle, uplifting back beat. Some fine guitar work is added in the bridge before the song’s conclusion ends as gently as it started. Lyrically, the song speaks to the universal festive nature of the season.
“A friend of mine from New Orleans
Invited me over with his friends and family
I’ll never forget that special day
The food was fine and so was the wine
The presents were opened we were having a good time
On that great, great New Orleans Christmas Day.”
After some debate, the name was adjusted to New Orleans Christmas Day. Goldman also altered some lyrics and wrote her own melody for it. “It’s a homegrown original song,” she says.
Produced by Derek Downham, the song was an interesting experience for both Claener and Goldman. “I learn how to be patient,” she says, explaining what Songwriter For Seniors does for her. “And I learn how to teach from working with seniors. I learn a lot from them. Joel’s got a wealth of knowledge about the kind of music he likes, such as Roy Orbison and Marty Robbins. Joel is the ideas man. I shape the song.” Will the songwriting tandem strike gold again? “He wants to write an Easter song, and he’s got a Hanukkah song called Hanukkah New York,” Goldman says.
Check out New Orleans Christmas Day above, hear more from Kat Goldman below, and find her on her website and Facebook.
