Happy Birthday to "Jazz Cat" David Sancious! (featuring Christmastime '96 clips w/ Natalie Merchant)
- Letters To You
- 13 minutes ago
- 1 min read
November 30, 2025
Today we're celebrating the 72nd birthday of E Street Band founding member and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Sancious (pictured above at last September's Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University's Born to Run @50 symposium.) Christmastime has just begun, too, so how 'bout we celebrate Davey's special day by enjoying two vintage video-clips featuring Sancious, from Natalie Merchant's December 18, 1996 appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show's holiday-decorated set?
Merchant, who at the time also was a client of Jon Landau Management, told O'Donnell "It's been really great working with David Sancious and the rest of the 'jazz cats.'" She was appearing on the show to help promote her recording of the Goffin-King classic "One Fine Day" for the soundtrack of the George Clooney/Michelle Pfeiffer Christmastime '96 vehicle One Fine Day. Sancious produced Merchant's version of "One Fine Day" for the soundtrack.
Below, you can watch Natalie Merchant, David Sancious, and the rest of the "jazz cats" deliver their unique takes of both "One Fine Day" and one of Merchant's big solo hits, "Wonder:"
Happy Birthday, David Sancious, and many, many more, you versatile, mega-talented jazz/rock/classical/soul/prog/multi-genre cat! May you enjoy one fine day, today and every day.