Make sure you read this one with a good Internet radio account or perhaps an iTunes gift card--you'll want to listen to the songs as you read through the book. Keith Spera, reporter for the Times-Picayune, brings us several significant stories of New Orleans music in a post-Katrina world.
From Aaron Neville to Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino and Terrence Blanchard to rocker Alex Chilton and hardcore rapper Juvenile, Groove Interrupted paints personal portraits of both famous and infamous musicians from a city full of musical treasure. Spend time with Phil Anselmo, lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. Sit in a recording session with Jeremy Davenport, hotel crooner with big dreams. Follow Pete Fountain down the Mardi Gras streets through his last gig at the New Orleans Hilton, where he's been playing for the past 26 years. Hoist a Heineken with Fats Domino, as he battles stage fright and agoraphobia.
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 affected each of these artists--homes were destroyed, loved ones lost and found, neighborhoods ruined, careers sidetracked and regained. It was a national tragedy in perhaps the most influential music community in the U.S. today. Spera tells each story with love and attention to the human beings within the legends, never allowing the ever-present Katrina become an all-too-easy scapegoat for personal or professional tragedies. This is a highly recommended read. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor