"Treme" - John Boutte; "After Mardi Gras" - Lucia Macarelli & Steve Earl

I always loved me some New Orleans Jazz. I grew up listening to folks like Louis Armstrong, Jelly-Roll Morton, and Wynton Marsalis. But beyond jazz, I really had no knowledge of New Orleans music or the incredible role music plays in that city's history and culture. For that reason I've really been loving HBO's series, "Treme". The writers (also responsible for the best tv show of all time, 'The Wire') do a wonderful job of seamlessly infusing a crazy- wide variety of New Orleans music into an intense drama about a city recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The impressive thing is that the music is not a backdrop to the story, its an integral part of it, showing the inseparable nature of music and life in New Orleans. A great success of the show is that it has brought new attention to great acts from the Crescent City and elsewhere. Those worth checking out include Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffin, Lucia Macarelli, John Boutte, & the Hot 8 Brass Band. The music runs the gamut from poignant to uplifting and includes jazz, brass bands, hip-hop, dixieland, singer/songwriter, R&B, and more. Most can be found online on individual artist albums or on soundtrack albums from the show. Take a look.

Season 2 Music Videos

Season 3 should start at the beginning of next year, I believe, so keep your eyes and ears pealed.