A man would cross an ocean to be part of it. [music playing]. Or give at the 150 level of support and well gladly send you both the dvd and the cd of hugh laurie let them talk. The amount you give is entirely up to you. What is important is to make your contribution right now. Call the number on your screen or give on our secure website. [music playing]. Jessica hanson york hugh laurie has joined me over here with the phone volunteers and we have just a couple more minutes before we go back to the rest of the show. Now last time we talked, i asked you about romance now im going to shift to death. You said in the show that death is the minor key and that one of the things that you love about new orleans is that it looks death in the eye. Hugh laurie i mean i have no right or qualifications to say that but it does strike me that way. Thats the feeling i get. Its a city that has a very sort of honest, grown up, robust attitude to life and death and maybe for obvious reasons. It is stared death in the face many times in many different ways but thats the feeling i get. We are here but once and we must grasp, grasp life by the scruff of the neck and live it to the full. All of those sorts of emotions, they really appeal to me and there is something about that that i find so sort of rich and uplifting. It makes me, it gets me going. Jessica hanson york now i think about your character dr. House, whos seen his share of death. Hugh laurie yes. Jessica hanson york do you think hed like new orleans as much as you do . Hugh laurie i do, i mean, its funny because i try to keep the two things in my mind and in everyone elses mind separate but this is one of those places where i think, i cant, i cant imagine there would be an overlap here because i think theres so many things about new orleans that absolutely would appeal, do appeal, would appeal to the character of house. The music of it, the romance of it, the sort of grit of it, i think would greatly appeal to him, yeah. Jessica hanson york alright well we look forward to talking to you a little bit more before this show ends but were going to go to the rest of the program. Hugh will be here, i hope you will stay with us to the end as well. Right now were going to go back to the final part of great performances, if youve made a contribution during this intermission then thank you very much. [music playing]. Hugh laurie well we are nearing a close, shame no, it, we, no seriously, we are, um, the song, its the title of the album, its a song that i think more perfectly than any other expresses my love for this music. Um, its a song about, about defiant unapologetic love, and i find it incredibly moving, always have done, its by one of the other great titans of new orleans piano, by the great james booker. [music playing]. Hugh laurie just let them talk, if they want to. Talk dont bother me. Im gonna keep on til the whole wide world knows, that i really love you, i really love you so. And let them whisper for they know not whats between you and i. Im gonna keep on, im gonna keep on loving you, til the day that i die. They tried to break up our romance, they didnt stand a chance. We have the kind of love thats so strong, wed be together from now on. They say that gossip comes from the devils workshop. And only true love can make it stop. Im gonna keep on, im gonna keep on loving you, til the day that i die. Oh, theyre envious of everything that we do. But i wanna say that its wonderful. When you love someone and that someone, yeah that someone really loves you, yeah that someone. Woman yeah, that someone. Hugh laurie really loves you. Woman really loves you. Hugh laurie yeah, that someone. Woman that someone. Hugh laurie really loves you. Woman really loves you. Hugh laurie yeah, yeah, that someone. Woman that someone. Hugh laurie really loves you. Woman really loves you. [music playing]. Thank you. Streetcar driver lees circle. Hugh laurie ive never known a place, actually i would even include people, people or places, which has so massively exceeded my expectations. Sometimes when you know a person, you know of a person or a place, you rather dread meeting that person or going to that place in case theyre somehow going to let you down or disappoint you. Well not so new orleans. It is more than i ever hoped it could be and i hoped for quite a lot, ill be honest. I used to dream of this city. This has been my jerusalem. [music playing]. All the musicians whose music fills these shelves, in one way or another owes something to this city. From here, the blues travelled up the mississippi to the delta, where Robert Johnson made his name, and onto memphis and then further north to the Big Industrial cities of chicago and detroit. The music mutated as it travels; became electrified; turned into many things r b, r r, funk, soul. You know them all. But it all started here on ilsle dorleans the island of orleans. Music fills the streets and clubs of new orleans like nowhere else. Its a city that sings itself to sleep at night, sings itself up in the morning. Well roberta, well roberta cant you hear me, calling you . Youre three times seven baby, you know just what youve gotta do. Well roberta. Woman roberta. Hugh laurie roberta. Woman roberta. Hugh laurie wont you tell me where youve been . Woman where youve been. Hugh laurie we got home this morning you had your belly full of gin. [music playing]. So, here we are. I have to pinch myself, seriously. Im in the city of new orleans doing a gig with Allen Toussaint and irma thomas and tom jones and im playing tipitina, in new orleans, with Allen Toussaint and irma thomas and tom jones. Woman [singing]. [music playing]. Yes, the journey is almost over. I am playing in the French Quarter with all these amazing musicians and this may be about as good as it gets. In fact, this may be what heaven is like. Why dont you hurry, little roberta . The only thing im missing now is the one big lifechanging moment. Wont you hurry little roberta dont you leave that boy alone. Woman dont you leave that boy alone. Hugh laurie tipitina. Woman tipitina. Hugh laurie tinanana. Woman tinanana. Hugh laurie tipitina. Woman tipitina. Hugh laurie tralala. Woman tralala. Hugh laurie tipitinaohwaohwana, tipitinatinana. Woman tipitinatinana. Hugh laurie tipitipitina. Woman tipitina. Hugh laurie tinanana. Woman tinana. Hugh laurie tipitina. Woman tipitina. Hugh laurie tinana. Woman tralala. Hugh laurie tipitinaohwaohwana, tipitinatinana. Woman tipitinatinana. [music playing]. Hugh laurie ready, ready, ready, now here it comes here it comes. It, it, its, its coming right now. That. Look. See . See that right there . That is Allen Toussaint giving me, giving me the fingers i am in rapture, i could die happy. Kathi diamant hello, im Kathi Diamant and as you can see, hugh laurie is with us in the studio to talk about this terrific show. First of all hugh, let me say thank you so much for bringing the show to pbs. Hugh laurie oh no to thanking, let me do the thanking. The thanking is for me. Thank you for having me. It was a huge honor to be here and to be part of this. To be part of the great performances thing. Its an amazing honor i cant tell you. You know im all a dither now. Kathi diamant you know, im wondering about your schedule, your very busy schedule with the, you are working on your second novel, i understand. Hugh laurie yes. Kathi diamant and the, house and the acting, where do you find time to practice your music . Hugh laurie the wee small hours of the night. Kathi diamant truly . Hugh laurie yeah, i do. I get home at the end of the long day. In fact, we finished at two oclock this morning and i sat at the piano until sort of 4 . Kathi diamant do you not sleep . Hugh laurie no. Kathi diamant thats it. Hugh laurie i dont sleep no. Kathi diamant not much anyway. Hugh laurie no, actually i am a big sleeper. I slept jolly well coming here in the car and i was driving, no i wasnt driving, thats silly. But i do, you have to take it when you can. Kathi diamant thats right. Well its obvious you have such a deep knowledge of the music that you were playing, how did you decide which songs and which performers to work with . Hugh laurie well that was, in a way that was the most enjoyable part of the whole thing was the was beginning with a pool of about a thousand songs. The producer and i would trade these ideas of different songs. Joe henry and i, we would email each other back and forth and the whittling down of those songs from a thousand or so down to 20 was painful but sort of a wonderful kind of pain, a wonderful kind of journey to actually, that we would exchange things. Have you heard this, no, but have you heard that . It was, that was a wonderful time. Theres, each one of those songs is something that means a lot to me for Different Reasons and in different ways in different times of my life but theyre all very personal. Kathi diamant hugh is going to stay with us and i hope you will too, but right now lets take another look at the thank you gifts and hopefully you will be inspired to support this pbs station. Narrator youve enjoyed his amazing talent as an actor in blackadder, jeeves and wooster, and house, now is your chance to take part in what has been a lifelong passion for hugh laurie new orleans blues. Right now with your 75 contribution to this station, we can thank you with hugh lauries debut album, let them talk. Laurie carefully selected 15 songs for this album, everything from blue standards to lost classics. This cd is a perfect start to a journey into the Legendary Music of new orleans. Step up to the 90 level of support and we can thank you with the dvd of the great Performances Program you are watching now, hugh laurie let them talk. This Program Captures lauries epic adventure into new orleans and features appearences by Allen Toussaint, irma thomas and tom jones. [music playing]. And if youd like both the cd and the dvd wed be happy to send them to you with a contribution to this station of 150. So do your part for great music on Public Television now. Give on our secure website or call the number on your screen. [music playing]. Jessica hanson york hi im Jessica Hanson york, and i hope you enjoyed hugh lauries great performances special on pbs. Public television gives you access to a world of entertainment with arts, theater, and music programming that can take you across the country, around the world and then back again. Whenever you tune into this pbs station, you can enjoy an international and multicultural array of arts and entertainment. You can sample the world through celtic music, chinese art, or african dance. You can enjoy one of our Performance Series like austin city limits, live from Lincoln Center or great performances. And these experiences bring the world straight to our community and open new eyes to the cultural offerings just waiting to be discovered and pbs is making them available and accessible to everyone, everywhere, everyday. Pbs enriches your whole experience of the arts, by taking you beyond the performance and into the inspiration behind it and this extra dimension that pbs provides makes the arts even more open and accessible. If you enjoyed this program, i hope well hear from you right now during this final break. Just call the number on your screen or make a contribution on our website. The amount is not important, but what is important is that we hear from you, right now. Now lets go back over to kathi and hugh. Kathi diamant thank you jessica. Now one of the things i loved the most about this was your dance strut as you walk into that club in the French Quarter. Hugh laurie youre ever generous to call that dance. Kathi diamant well its sort of a strut, did you make it up . Hugh laurie it was a strut, i did make it up, yes. Kathi diamant on the spur of the moment or did you practice . Hugh laurie pretty much. No, there was no practicing. In fact, i barely dance in my life. Kathi diamant so thats one thing you dont do. Hugh laurie yes, i dont really its not something i do unless, well not in public. But this is one of the first times ive actually pulled back the mask and let it happen. Kathi diamant strut it right on out there. Another thing i loved was your quote that every man is allowed one pilgrimage in his lifetime, this is mine and it was life changing for you. Hugh laurie it was, it absolutely was. Kathi diamant how so . Hugh laurie well because this has been a thing in my life. This music from this city has been a part of my life since, for as long as i can remember and yet it had always been at arms length. I always felt i was the other side of the glass pressed up against, you know either listening to records or reading about the city and here was my chance finally to actually go and pay my respects and immerse myself in the music of this absolutely unique city which arguably has given as much to the world as any other on the planet. You know a World Without jazz is an unthinkable world. Im not even sure its a world that i would really want to live in actually. I dont know what you do half the time. I dont know what you do. Kathi diamant what is it about jazz that moves you so . Hugh laurie i, it just is music to me and it is, music is in a way, its almost a religious thing for me i think it is the greatest form of human expression of emotion and storytelling and all kinds of things and i think its just a wonderful sublime human form and this city to me is the center of all of that. Kathi diamant and you get to experience it over and over again when you listen to the cd or watch the dvd. So we want to include you in this and let you know about the very special thank you gifts we have when you become a member of this Public Television station. Take a look at this. Narrator now is your opportunity to support the great music of new orleans on this station and we have some great ways to say thank you when you make a contribution. Give 75 and we can send you hugh lauries first cd, let them tk. Joined by a host of allstar musicians, hugh laurie performs the music of new orleans blues legends including lead belly, Robert Johnson, ray charles and memphis slim. [music playing]. With your 90 contribution to public broadcasting in our community, we can thank you with the dvd of this great Performances Program. Jump in the passengers seat of a ford galaxy 500 and learn how this music could be so inspiring that even a century after it was written, a man would cross an ocean to be part of it. [music playing]. Or give at the 150 level of support and well gladly send you both the dvd and the cd of hugh laurie let them talk. The amount you give is entirely up to you. What is important is to make your contribution right now. Call the number on your screen or give on our secure website. [music playing]. Jessica hanson york we have just a couple more minutes with hugh laurie whos joined me over here with the phone volunteers. This has been so much fun i want to remind everyone at home its your final opportunity to call right now and let us know you have enjoyed this program. And it looks like you enjoyed it quite a bit too. Did you have a favorite moment that didnt make it into the show. Hugh laurie oh yes, but they will remain a deep dark secret. No, actually ill tell you what they will do, they will make it to the next time because i have been hoarding all sorts of things, thinking this is what i want to do for, this is my new life in a way and i have been hoarding these things thinking about the future so i am going to keep them to myself. Jessica hanson york ok, now i wanted to ask you about the title track. In the show let me see if i get this right, i think you called it a defiant and unapologetic declaration of love. Im wondering why you chose it and what that song means to you. Hugh laurie that just seemed to so fit the bill for me. It was actually the producer joe henrys suggestion that would be and as soon as he said it i thought of course thats an absolutely perfect expression of everything that this record means to me. I mean i know that somebody would be puzzled by it or find it baffling that an englishman is sort of daring to trespass on this, what is to me holy ground but there are times in your life where you just have to declare yourself and say too bad, this is what i love, this is who i am and i cant apologize for it. This is what i love. Jessica hanson york well we are so glad you did. Thank you so much for being here, thank you for a beautiful program, and were going to go on to the next show, if you made a contribution then thank you very much. [music playing]. Narrator major funding for great performances is provided by the National Endowment for the arts, art works. Vivian milstein; the luesther t. Mertz charitable trust; the starr foundation; the philip and janice levin foundation; the filomen m. Dagostino foundation and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Narrator to find out more about this and other great Performances Programs, visit pbs. Org. Hugh laurie i went down to st. James infirmary saw my baby there. She was stretched out on a long white table so cold, so sweet, so sweet, so fair. Let her go, let her go, god bless her wherever she may be. Narrator be more pbs