X-Treme-ists

We watch "Treme" every Sunday night. Read this blog http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo every Monday morning and the re-watch the episode Monday night. Great fun.
To supplement the excellent commentary:
for those who might want to grab some of these experiences for home enjoyment:

*"(Every Time I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone" - performed by Cyril Neville in this episode - you can find Roy Montrell's original on the excellent - "The Cosimo Matassa Story" a four CD set with a good 120 songs that you can purchase for as little as $13 new if you look around.
http://www.amazon.com/Cosimo-Matassa-Story-Various-Artists/dp/B000QCQG28/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1308140131&sr=1-1

You'll find ALOT of the original versions of songs you've heard on the series on this collection and a good number of these songs appear playing on jukeboxes, or on car radios, etc.

*in one of the scenes at the Cajun Mardi Gras celebrations - they perform and there's a short sermon spoken at the grave of Dennis McGee, one of the fathers of Cajun music. Recently Tompkins Square records released a 2 CD set by Amede Ardoin, "Mama, I'll Be Long Gone" with the vast majority of songs featuring Amede AND Dennis McGee.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_88?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=amede+ardoin+-+mama.+i%27ll+be+long+gone+the+complete+recordings+of+amede+ardoin+1929-1934&sprefix=amede+ardoin+-+mama.+i%27ll+be+long+gone+the+complete+recordings+of+amede+ardoin+1929-1934

Amede is credited as one of the fathers of Zydeco - performing and recording from the late 1920's to the mid 30's. Legendarily he accepted a handerchief from a white woman to wipe sweat off his face at a performance and thereafter was beaten so severely he was committed to a mental institution where he remained till his death, not long after. SO... even around 1930 one of the most influential area musical units was racially intergrated.