New Orleans music ushered in the 20th century with the wail of a joyful noise: collective improvisation, syncopated rhythms, eclectic stylings, and an infectious joie de vivre that was exhilarating.

Do you ever think about where bands start and then where they end up, and what on Earth the people who started the band would’ve thought about where it would take them if they’d had any idea? Take, ...