William Shatner, Jane Monheit, and Kelly Finnigan

We’re in December now, and this week we have three conversations. William Shatner’s face is on the pop culture Mt. Rushmore, and when I had a chance to interview him for The New Orleans Advocate in advance at his appearance at Pop Expo in town, I couldn’t pass up the chance to ask him about 2018’s Shatner Claus. It’s a short interview, but I have it so you get to hear it.

The interview begins with us talking about You Can Call Me Bill, a documentary from 2023 about his life and career. The story I wrote for the Advocate deals with the way that his career has opened up opportunities for him late in life.

The episode also features a new song, “I am Falling Snow,” from Sara Noelle. In 2023, Sara was a guest on 12 Songs to talk about her body of Christmas music.

Jazz vocalist Jane Monheit has become well known for Christmas music with two Christmas albums and a yearly holiday season tour that will bring her to New Orleans on Sunday night.

This conversation is an edited version of a longer conversation that we’ll run in its entirety next season

Finally, singer Kelly Finnigan has a new Christmas single. Earlier this season, I talked to Shawn Lee about recording “Say It Again” with soul singer Kelly Finnigan.

I first talked to Finnigan in 2020 when he released A Joyful Sound, which I consider to be a modern Christmas music classic. It sounds like a lost R&B record from the late 1960s or early 1970s with psychedelic and moody touches. We talk more about that album five years later and his new Christmas single, “I Can’t Wait (for Christmas Time).”

Finally, we revisit the new A Strange Daisy Christmas, a collection of Christmas songs by members of the New Orleans indie rock community. A week or so ago I featured Loucey’s “Christmas (bAbYpLeAze CoMeHoMe), and this week’s show ends with The Self-Help Tapes’ version of Christmas Treat.” The song started as a late-in-the-show Saturday Night Live sketch that The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas remade as a rock ‘n’ roll Christmas standard.