It takes its name from Treme, a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans famous for music – and, in some parts, for crime. It’s the kind of area sought out by intrepid travelers eager to bypass the tourist traps on Bourbon Street, the kind of place that guidebooks label “authentic.”
The series begins three months after Hurricane Katrina where the residents of New Orleans, including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians, and other New Orleanians try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane.
” Treme, which features real musicians, including Trombone Shorty, Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint and the New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins as themselves and the violinist Lucia Micarelli as a street musician, is more an act of love, and, odd as it sounds, that makes it harder to embrace. … Treme” is most of all a story about survival – and the pursuit of pleasure – in the wake of a catastrophe that quickly morphed into, as one character puts it, “federally induced disaster.” Treme” is most of all a story about survival – and the pursuit of pleasure – in the wake of a catastrophe that quickly morphed into, as one character puts it, “federally induced disaster.”… “Treme” uses sound and imagery to suggest that even the worst damage and disruption can’t extinguish the joie de vivre, and that is found in the pearly gleam of fresh oysters, the high notes of Antoine’s trombone, the crunch of barbecue, a glistening bottle of French wine, the feathers on a Mardi Gras costume and, most simply, laughter. … The series turns almost didactic at times, but for a reason. “Treme” is a work of imagination that seeks to reacquaint the world with a struggling city’s reality. “ Alessandra Stanley for New York Times.
The series premiered on HBO April 11, 2010, with an 80-minute pilot episode, the first of a 10 episode season. On May 13, 2011, the series was renewed for a third season.
TREME Soundtrack Listed as number 1 on Best Album Releases of 2010
The soundtrack album includes 19 tracks featuring music heard throughout the groundbreaking series over the course of its first season, offering a cross-section of New Orleans-bred music including rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, rock and roll, funk, folk and country that reflects the diversity of the city's musical tradition.