While Katrina's rage and receding floodwaters left heartbreak in every ruined home, New Orleans' music culture was hit especially hard. Performers fled and have been slow to return. Trampled neighborhoods that normally vibrate with brass bands and jazz ensembles are ghost towns, unplugging crucial incubators.

Many of the city's most respected musicians suffered severe blows and yet remain committed to the jazz culture that defines their lives and New Orleans' character. Michael White, clarinetist, composer and historian, lost his home and a priceless 30-year collection of music and artifacts. White's spacious Gentilly house, bordering the ...