New Orleans is a magical place. The food, the music, the mystery, the food. If you have never been I highly recommend it. There is so much more than drunken college kids lifting their shirts for cheap plastic beads.

New Orleans in the birth place of jazz. I cannot even begin to encapsulate all of that heritage in three short records. So this is just a sample. A little taste to wet your appetite. As with my other list (and those coming) you can use these records to springboard into your own discoveries. And there is SOOOO much to discover in the Crescent City.

1. “Goin’ Back to New Orleans” – Dr. John. Dr John is one of my all time favorite pianists. The way he weaves the blues, gospel, jazz, funk and a whole boatload of New Orleans piano tradition together is amazing. On this record he plays lot’s of the traditional New Orleans tunes, with a fine collection of New Orleans’ guest artists. Awesome.

2. “Rejuvenation” – The Meters. If all you know of funk music is Parliament and James Brown (who are both, admittedly, amazing), prepare to have your ears opened. The Meters served as the house band on many New Orleans records, in addition to making their own records. Their influence on popular music is vast and far reaching, and their groovy, greasy, laidback sparse approach is a whole new kind of funky. “Rejuvenation” is a great place to dive into their music.

3. “This is Jazz 30. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band” – The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. It would be wrong to talk about New Orleans music with out mentioning a brass band. The Dirty Dozen have been bringing the Big Easy party sound to audiences around the world for nearly 40 years! I’ve seen them twice, and both times were phenomenal! If any of you out there are pooh pooh-ing a compilation album, get over it. This was the record that got me into them. And I’ve bought many ‘greatest hits’ records over the years to learn about a new (new-to-me, anyway) artist.

There you have it. A taste of New Orleans in three records. I’d love to hear about your favorite New Orleans’ bands and records in the comments.

Now go get a big ol’ bowl of spicy gumbo and an Abita beer. Enjoy.