We have raised more than $11,000 with this year's free concert at Christ Church Cathedral. The concert video is online for a few more days, and the donation link is still open at www.nashvilleunlimitedchristmas.org. Here's the link to the Video and below is a review of the show. https://youtu.be/Pv0QO6hdglE Thanks to everyone involved.
The 23rd annual “Nashville Unlimited Christmas” benefit concert for Room in the Inn was a great night of music featuring a wide variety of Music City’s finest performers. Despite getting almost no press coverage, this year’s free concert was a resounding success, with more than 500 in attendance, and raised nearly $11,000 at the door, and our online donation drive is just beginning. If you would like to donate to Room in the Inn, you can still donate now at https://www.roomintheinn.org/stories/nashvilleunlimited and add to our total. Thanks in advance for joining in this collective effort to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
The show’s creator and producer, bassist Dave Pomeroy, hosted the night’s festivities with acclaimed singer/songwriter Don Henry. Pomeroy opened the show with his original song, “I Wish It Could Always Be Christmas,” followed by a new instrumental solo bass piece, “Grateful,” which he dedicated to all those who have passed this year. Co-host Don Henry cracked the audience up with his song, “Ho Ho Ho,( I Can’t Take No More)” accompanied by Pomeroy and longtime Nashville Unlimited percussionist Sam Bacco. Next up was “mystery guest” John Knowles, C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Player, bestowed by the late Chet Atkins) who played a beautiful medley of Christmas songs including “Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Deck the Halls” on classical guitar. Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Don Schlitz sang two of his Christmas originals, “I Trust You” and “Like A Baby” with his wife Stacy singing sweet harmony vocals.
Next was the second mystery guest, singer/songwriter Claire Ernst, accompanied by guitarist Jackson Anderson, sang her jazzy original song “Christmas as a Kid,” that was a jazzy breath of fresh air. The stylistic diversity continued with pianist Will Barrow, reinventing the Harry Belafonte classic “Mary’s Boy Child” with a pulsing calypso beat, with awesome rhythmic support from drummer Marcus Finnie, Cuban émigré Marlon Aguilar on bass, and Bacco on percussion. Steve Wariner, also a C.G.P., accompanied by Pomeroy, fiddler Jimmy Mattingly, and pianist Randy Hart, played his beautiful original songs “Our Savior Is Born,” and the upbeat “Christmas in your Arms,” and closed with a gorgeous version of “The First Noel.” Cowboy music legends Riders in the Sky performed a hilarious “Let It Snow” Christmas medley, “Corn, Water, and Wood,” and “Here Comes Santa Claus” to the delight of the crowd as Santa made an appearance dancing through the crowd..
Nashville natives and gospel music icons The McCrary Sisters, Ann, Regina, and Freda, were up next, backed by guitarist Phil Hughley, drummer Dre Williams, Pomeroy and Barrow. After a gentle swaying arrangement of “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” they brought down the house with a funky version of “Go Tell It On the Mountain” followed by a high energy gospel raveup treatment of “Joy To the World.” Led by pianist Ted Wilson, mystery guests The Nashville Jazz Ensemble, featuring Don Aliquo and Roger Bissell on sax and trombone, Jacob Jezorio on bass and Bob Mater on drums, played very cool swinging arrangements of “We Three Kings” and “Joy to the World,” showcasing the fine playing of some of Nashville’s finest jazz musicians.
Emmylou Harris closed the show as only she could do. She brought along two special mystery guests, dobro master Jerry Douglas and Irish vocalist Maura O’Connell, with Pomeroy, Barrow, and Bacco backing them up on a trio of songs from her classic Xmas album “Light of the Stable,” including the title track, the gentle, uplifting “There’s A Light,” and the sweet Celtic ballad “Golden Cradle.” The show closed with a shimmering finale of “Silent Night,” opening with O’Connell singing an acapella verse in Gaelic, followed by Harris, and the McCrary Sisters joining in along with Douglas and the full host of musicians and singers. A splendid time was had by all, and the donations are still coming in, just click the link above. Kudos to everyone involved in this great collective effort to celebrate the season by helping others. That’s the Nashville Way.