We will take a stroll through the Crescent City’s rich rhythm & blues heritage. We will examine what makes New Orleans musical culture so unique, the origins of NOLA R&B, and the musicians who created the pulse of the Big Easy. A prominent part of the course will be the 1950s and early 1960s when New Orleans’ seminal recordings formed the heartbeat of R&B and early rock ‘n roll. The course will consider the careers and music of New Orleans legends from the famous (Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, the Neville Brothers) to the more obscure artists (Smiley Lewis, Ernie K-Doe). Put on your dancing shoes.