Recorded just a few months before Hurricane Katrina changed the musical scene in New Orleans both figuratively and literally, the music on this semi-historic album (and accompanying film) is a throwback to a time far before the hurricane's actions. Mainstays of the old New Orleans sounds in their various forms are present --
Michael
and
David Doucet
represent Cajun music,
Sammy Rimington
represents the old clarinet-in-the-street sound,
Henry Gray
plays some stomping piano blues,
Sunpie Barnes
represents the zydeco contingent, and
the Treme Brass Band
carry up the rear with large-scale parade music. All of the musicians present are masters of their craft, and are well known in the realm of the local New Orleans sound. However, it's fairly traditional music here, looking backward. There's energy, but it's buried in nostalgia in many cases. Where the album really breaks away from the trappings of nostalgia, though, is in the swamp music --
the Doucets
always play some mean Cajun, and in combination with
' zydeco the energy gets ramped way, way up. For a newcomer to the New Orleans sound, this album will make a fair introductory textbook opening. However, some revivalism (a la
Kermit Ruffins
), more modern jazz (the
Marsalis
tribe), or soul and R&B forces (even
the Nevilles
) would have filled out the display of forms nicely. A touch more of the blues would have been welcome, too. ~ Adam Greenberg