The Beat: Artists Lend Their Voices

Their houses may be torn and tattered following Hurricane Katrina, but their spirits are beautifully unbowed.

A wide range of New Orleans musicians, many of whom have already played a multitude of benefit concerts, are now contributing their talents to albums that are donating proceeds to a wide range of causes.

Leading the charge is Irma Thomas, whose strong, steady, soulful vocals appear on four projects.

"For me, this is therapy," she says. "I'd rather be busy doing what I love to do than sitting at home contemplating what I need to do. I'll get to that point . . ." Like many artists, Katrina left Thomas with no home to return to.

First up is "I Believe to My Soul," which came out Oct. 4 via Work Song/Rhino/Starbucks Hear Music and is available through the coffee retailer and at traditional retail stores throughout the United States and Canada.

Produced by Joe Henry, the album features new tracks from New Orleans patron saints Allen Toussaint and Thomas, as well as from Ann Peebles, Billy Preston and Mavis Staples. The project, recorded in June, was always slated to come out in October, but after Katrina hit, the involved labels decided to donate $10 from every copy purchased at Starbucks and $3 from those sold through other retailers to the American and Canadian arms of the Red Cross.

Henry says more volumes are planned. Additionally, a show featuring Thomas, Toussaint, Peebles and Staples will take place Oct. 25 at New York's Town Hall.

Rounder Records will release "A Celebration of New Orleans: Music to Benefit MusiCares Hurricane Relief 2005." The set features liner notes by Crescent City native son Branford Marsalis and includes tracks spanning 65 years of recordings from New Orleans acts including Professor Longhair, Harry Connick Jr., the Wild Magnolias and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Nonesuch's Nov. 22 release, "Our New Orleans," will be the first benefit album to feature all new recordings made after the hurricane. A number of New Orleans artists, including Thomas and Toussaint, headed into studios in New York following their appearance at a Sept. 20 Madison Square Garden benefit. The label asked the artists to record songs that best described their feelings about New Orleans or the tragedy. Thomas recorded "Backwater Blues," while Toussaint picked "Yes We Can Can." Among the other acts on the set are Randy Newman, Dr. John and Buckwheat Zydeco. Proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

Still to come is "Sing Me Back Home: Songs of Faith & Funk—A Benefit to Renew Orleans." The album, which is being recorded in Austin through Oct. 12, features Thomas, members of the Meters and the Neville Brothers, the Subdudes and Willie Tee, who gave a stirring performance Sept. 24 at a Musi- Cares benefit.

Leo Sacks, who is producing the project with Grammy Award-winning engineer Ray Bardani, says he has met with a number of interested labels and expects to announce distribution plans shortly.

"Almost all the artists on our record were directly impacted by the storm," Sacks says. "Many of them still haven't seen their homes; they're still underwater."

Proceeds will go to a number of causes, ranging from regional food banks to restoration of Louisiana's wetlands.

Staggeringly, in the face of having lost so much, Thomas and Toussaint have seen the blessings through the sorrows. "So many people have reached out in wonderful ways," Toussaint says. "New York has been wonderful." He is living in New York until he can return home.

He adds that for comfort, "I've been able to turn to the pen. It's quite an inspiring time, the balancing act of tragedy and kindness. I've taken hand to pen daily and am inspired in many directions."

In other words, if we are lucky, some of Toussaint's compositions will show up on future volumes of "I Believe to My Soul." ••••