Jon Cleary is a multi-talented musician and historian. When Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, causing tremendous damage to the city and sending residents fleeing for safety, many musicians found themselves displaced. Cleary, instead, dove into the heart of the city to find New Orleans piano music that would unify a people struggling with the loss of their homes and their histories changed.
This recording was done 2 months after Katrina in Jon Cleary’s home. Illustrating how the piano serves the functions of what several different instruments do within the New Orleans piano style including rhythm and harmonics, Cleary showcases the different elements of the style from groove to Rumba to funk and beyond, including the influences that led to the iconic sound.