[Painting ‘The Last Session’ by Joshua Walsh]

Aaron Neville - Hercules 1973

Lee Dorsey - Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further 1970

The Meters - (The World Is a Bit Under the Weather) Doodle-Oop 1971

Allen Toussaint - You Will Not Lose 1975

Some years ago, I was watching a documentary on New Orleans’ musical heritage, featuring some of the elders that were still around, and the youngsters that carried on the tradition. Although I was already vaguely familiar with what New Orleans represents for modern music, having been introduced to the likes of Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, The Meters, the Neville Brothers, the Marsalis family and Dr. John in the late ’80s, I still marveled at how a place could live and breathe musical history, not turning into a museum. But this was also at the time when Cash Money Records put out a string of successful albums, most notably Juvenile’s “400 Degreez” (which I still consider Mannie Fresh’s chef-d’oeuvre.) So I was slightly offended that once again hip-hop - and its close local cousin bounce - were kept seperate from more established forms of music, annoyed at how the burgeoning N.O. rap scene could be ignored in such a documentary.

Yet as I absorbed the disaster in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina from the safety of my home, I didn’t think of Master P or Birdman, TRU or the Hot Boys, I went for my funk and soul compilations and played the songs we have encoded for you today for our humble tribute to The Big Easy. Needless to say, I came across many an essential sampling source. You’re invited to research the city’s unique musical history, purchase records by New Orleans artists and to make any other kind of donation if you can.