Kermit Ruffins

(S01E01) The opening title cards of David Simon's new HBO series 'Treme' (pronounced "treh-MAY," not "treem") tells you all you need to know: "New Orleans, Louisiana"/"Three Months After." I suppose Simon is saying that if you need to ask what "After" refers to (Hurricane Katrina, of course), then you shouldn't bother. Simon, the writer-producer-creator of 'The Wire' is back, and there isn't a 'Wire' fan alive who wouldn't want to see what he has up his genius sleeve for us this time.

Right away, the shots are close-ups of various jazz musicians, residents and cops preparing for a brass-band parade. There's a funny conversation with a musician negotiating his fee for participating in the main line, and then the parade starts, with its accompanying crowd of reveling second liners.

Late to the parade, because he can't afford the cab fare (a running gag throughout the episode), is perpetually broke trombonist Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce, a New Orleans native), who starts playing with a cry of "Play for that money boys, play for that motherf---ing money."