This recording of Hoagy Carmichael's "New Orleans" comes from Wynton Marsalis' 1986 album Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. I. The Carmichael composition is performed at a slow swing tempo of approximately 59 BPM in the key of G minor, using a compact 16-bar AABA form. Marsalis delivers two choruses on trumpet, his playing steeped in the blues-drenched tradition of the city that gave the tune its name. The slow tempo allows him to explore the G minor tonality with deliberate, soulful phrasing that evokes the spirit of New Orleans jazz while maintaining the harmonic sophistication of modern jazz trumpet. Pianist Marcus Roberts follows with one chorus at a nearly identical tempo of 60 BPM, bringing his own deep connection to the New Orleans piano tradition to bear on the material. The 16-bar form, half the length of a typical standard, cycles quickly and demands constant renewal of ideas from both soloists. The G minor tonality gives the performance a dark, bluesy character that feels entirely appropriate for a tune celebrating the birthplace of jazz. This track holds special significance within the album, as Marsalis, himself a New Orleans native, brings personal resonance and cultural authenticity to Carmichael's musical portrait of the Crescent City.
