The 50 must-have New Orleans records
The 50 must-have New Orleans records
Note: this story originally was published in 2011.Jump to:
Part 1 - Crooners
Part 2 - Brass Bands
Part 3 - Modern Acts
Part 4 - Indians n' Jazz
Part 5 - Piano Masters
What are those must-haves, stuck-on-a-desert-island essential New Orleans recordings? With the high holy season of New Orleans music in full swing, French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest, et al, this seemed like the perfect time to figure out that very question.
In honor of this great time of year, the time of year when the spotlight is on one of the city’s most treasured commodities, we decided to dig through dusty record bins, scavenge the Internet, and listen to hours of music to find that one special recording – maybe it’s that one great James Booker album, or that long-lost Irma Thomas record, or even what younger artists have entered this realm - from each of the city’s musical masters. We combed through all genres, from rap to R&B to funk to brass band, even metal.
We only had one two rules in choosing these 50 essential albums: each album had to have been recorded by a New Orleans musician -- we played it loose with that term -- and we only allowed one album per recording artist. We've separted them into five separate groups containing 10 albums each.
So click ahead to see all the best albums New Orleans has to offer, with the latest batch being a group of some of the best pianists in the history of our city.
Click here to see the list all on one page
