Post-Katrina Reflections

As with many New Orleans musicians in the aftermath of Katrina, things have not quite been easy for Stanton Moore. The building that housed his Galactic Studios was damaged beyond repair (it's currently slated to be torn down), so he had to look elsewhere to make his new solo album, III.

He was fortunate enough to find Preservation Hall available, and he set out to make the record in the simplest way, which would contrast with his work with his band, Galactic. "With everything that is going on with my city, I wanted to do something organic, with no overdubs – just five guys in the the room," he explains.

The result is an upbeat New Orleans album that reflects on the tragedy. Moore did not write any original songs: "I wasn't too happy with the material I had written at the time," he explains. Instead, he plays  tunes by collaborators such as guitarist Robert Walter and trombonist Mark Mullins. There are also a couple of touching covers, such as Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks," which receives an almost solemn treatment that showcases Walter's chops, and the poignant traditional spiritual song "I Shall Not Be Moved."

At his appearance in town, Moore will appear with his trio. "There might be some guests to sit in and play horns," he says. "I'm predominantly touring with the trio – if we have horns, that is great, but we can do fine without them."

Saturday, October 7; Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street, 212-219-3132; 11:45, $22.