(Louis Alter/Eddie DeLange)
Also know as “New Orleans” this song was written by Louis Alter and Eddie DeLange for the 1947 movie New Orleans where it was featured several times throughout the film. Most famously it was performed by Billy Holiday with Louis Armstrong, and later Louis Armstrong’s version would be used as the theme song for the television show Frank’s Place. Over the years it has been recorded by at least 26 artists that include Frankie Laine, Nat King Cole, Ricky Nelson, Stephane Grappelli, Alison Krauss, Fats Domino and Manhattan Transfer.
During a concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina it was performed by Harry Connick jr and Dr. John and it is also the title of a publication which is an anthology of essays written by New Orleans writers brought out after the levees broke. It was used in a sketch by Billy Crystal for Comic Relief 2006 and also features in the four-hour When the Levees Broke by Spike Lee.
Joe Utterback recordings
Connoisseur CD 4215
Piano – Joe Utterback
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