Treme: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 1

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New Orleans-Bred Music From HBO® Series Treme℠

TREME: MUSIC FROM THE HBO ORIGINAL SERIES, SEASON 1

The HBO series Treme, named for the historic neighborhood where jazz was born, chronicles the rebuilding of a unique American culture where music plays an integral role in the city’s way of life. The show and soundtrack capture the sounds of many of New Orleans’ extraordinary musicians and other artists.
The soundtrack album includes 19 tracks featuring music heard throughout the groundbreaking series over the course of its first season, offering a cross-section of New Orleans-bred music including rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, rock and roll, funk, folk and country that reflects the diversity of the city’s musical tradition.
Artists heard on the soundtrack — and seen in the series — include John Boutté whose “Treme Song” is the series’ theme. The Rebirth Brass Band’s “Feel Like Funkin’ It Up” reflects the melding of the city’s brass band tradition with a contemporary funk cadence that exemplifies the musical melting post that is New Orleans. Steve Zahn who plays DJ/musician Davis McAlary in the series is heard performing “Shame, Shame, Shame” The album includes Dr. John’s “Indian Red,” as well as “Time Is On My Side” by Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint plus Steve Earle’s “This City” and much more music that evokes the tenor of the series and the spirit of New Orleans.
David Simon, Treme co-creator and executive producer, noted, “In the course of filming Treme, we were treated to some remarkable performances – only a portion of which we could highlight in the series.” He added, “Some great music ended up on the cutting room floor, so to speak.” Among these are performances and music from Elvis Costello, Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers, John Boutté, Glen David Andrews, Paul Sanchez & New Birth Brass Band, Pine Leaf Boys with Lucia Micarelli, John Mooney & Soul Rebels Brass Band and Irma Thomas, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint & Friends.
Eric Overmyer, who co-created the series, provides introductory notes about filming the series on location in New Orleans. Jazz journalist Larry Blumenfeld’s essay “Treme and the Abstract Truth” provides atmospheric liner notes that further underscore the relationship between the city and its music creators and practitioners.
From David Simon and Eric Overmyer (both of The Wire®), Treme follows musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and ordinary New Orleanians as they try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The acclaimed show has been renewed for a second season which will air in 2011.
The album was produced by Treme music supervisor Blake Leyh and Tony Seyler, Universal Music’s Vice President for Film and Television Marketing; executive producers are David Simon, Eric Overmyer and Nina K. Noble, who along with the late David Mills produced the series for HBO. The Treme Live Video Performances were produced by Karen L. Thorson and the lead director is Anthony Hemingway. Complete, annotated audio track-listing follows.

1. TREME SONG (MAIN TITLE VERSION) – JOHN BOUTTÉ
The house in the 6th Ward where John Boutté wrote Treme Song in the summer of 2002 is gone, like so many others, in Katrina’s wake. A few concrete steps and the remains of a porch stand on the spot where he first played the 1-3-5 bass line on his piano after watching a funeral sashay down the block. The song was used as end-credit music in the 2008 documentary “Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans” before becoming the theme song for HBO’s drama series.

2. FEEL LIKE FUNKIN’ IT UP (LIVE STREET MIX) – REBIRTH BRASS BAND
Rebirth Brass Band formed in 1983, when the Frazier Brothers, sousaphonist Phil and bass drummer Keith, joined high school classmates, including Kermit Ruffins, to pursue an agenda of brass, funk, and traditional music. The members of Rebirth have remained at the forefront of the modern Brass Band movement in New Orleans ever since. This version of their best-known track was recorded live in the street for the pilot Episode of Treme. There are only a handful of well-documented commercial recordings of New Orleans brass music in its most comfortable setting – the street parade. Tom Dowd of Atlantic Records captured the Young Tuxedo Brass Band in November 1958 with remote recording equipment. Few others of that caliber come to mind. This recording of Rebirth Brass Band more than fifty years later makes the cut.

3. I HOPE YOU’RE COMIN’ BACK TO NEW ORLEANS – THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ VIPERS
The New Orleans Jazz Vipers are an exceptional Swing Era repertory group, but “I Hope You’re Coming Back to New Orleans” is original music. Joe Braun wrote the song in late 2005, and it became an anthem for New Orleanians far and wide after Hurricane Katrina. “This is a new one dedicated to everybody who hasn’t come home yet,” Braun says in Episode 2. In fine New Orleans tradition, many of the musicians heard here re-appear in other ban