New Orleans musicians shine on Tiana's Bayou Adventure soundtrack
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New Orleans musician Tarriona "Tank" Ball did a new rendition of "Dig A Little Deeper" from "The Princess and the Frog." Photo: Courtesy of The Walt Disney Co.
Disney dropped a surprise album Friday of New Orleans musicians covering songs from "The Princess and the Frog."
Why it matters: The music comes the same day that Disney World's new ride, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opens in Florida.
Catch up quick: The 2009 movie "The Princess and the Frog" is a cartoon starring Tiana, Disney's first Black princess.
- She was inspired by New Orleans chef Leah Chase.
- In the movie, Tiana is a server in New Orleans and helps a frog prince turn back into a human. The movie ends with her opening a restaurant.
- The new ride at Disney World replaces Splash Mountain and tells Tiana's story.
The big picture: Disney dropped the entire 18-song soundtrack for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, featuring musical heavy hitters PJ Morton, Terence Blanchard, Jon Batiste, Tarriona "Tank" Ball and more.
- Morton and Blanchard recorded at a New Orleans studio with dozens of musicians, according to Jason Recher, vice president of content and digital integration for Disney.
Zoom in: The ride features an all-new song, "Special Spice," performed by Tiana voice actor Anika Noni Rose and written by Morton.
- And that voice you hear covering the Louis Armstrong classic "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" is none other than Leah Chase-Kamata, Leah Chase's daughter.
The artists: Ball of Tank and the Bangas did a new rendition of "Dig A Little Deeper."
- Batiste, Jon Cleary and Trombone Shorty perform on multiple songs.
- The Dirty Dozen Brass Band did "They All Asked for You."
- The Preservation Hall Jazz Band did "Louisiana Fairytale," "Tailgate Ramble" and "Bourbon Street Parade."
- Terrance Simien, a two-time Grammy winning Zydeco artist, performed the queue version of "Gonna Take You There."
- Charlie Gabriel, a 91-year-old musician, sang lead vocals and played clarinet on "Tailgate Ramble."
- Ivan Neville, The Soul Rebels, Sean Ardoin and dozens of other stars are included.
- See the full list of musicians and vocalists, along with behind-the-scenes photos.
What's next: The music is now available from Walt Disney Records on all streaming platforms.
Go deeper:
- Axios' review of the new ride.
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure merchandise includes hot sauce and Dooky Chase's spices.
- Disney World adds New Orleans art to Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride.
- New Orleans chef Leah Chase was inspiration for Disney's Princess Tiana.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.