New Orleans was composed by Hoagy Carmichael in 1932, a nostalgic popular song evoking Southern charm through images of magnolia trees, delta dawns, and old-fashioned romance. The melody draws its harmonic foundation from the bridge sections of two earlier standards, You Took Advantage of Me and Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, giving it a familiar yet distinctive progression well suited to jazz interpretation. First recorded by Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra in an up-tempo arrangement, the tune initially struggled commercially. A slower rendition by Carmichael himself with vocalist Ella Logan eventually gained traction and helped establish the song in the repertoire. Within Carmichael's celebrated body of work, which includes Stardust, Georgia on My Mind, and Lazy River, New Orleans occupies a place as a recognized 1930s jazz standard, though it has been covered less frequently than his biggest hits. The song's interpretive flexibility allows it to work convincingly at various tempos, from brisk swing to relaxed ballad settings. Al Hirt recorded it on his 1963 album Our Man in New Orleans, and Wynton Marsalis brought it renewed attention on Marsalis Standard Time Vol. I in 1986, where his performance with pianist Marcus Roberts is featured on AllSolos.
