A New Orleans musician who made New York City his home after Hurricane Katrina returns to Crescent City. NY1's Stephanie Simon filed this follow-up in the final report in her series on New Orleans arts post-Katrina.

Jesse McBride is home anytime he sits down at the piano. But coming home hasn't been easy for the 26-year-old pianist. He's just returned to New Orleans from New York City after being displaced for a year.

“I wanted to help be part of the transformation, re-creation,” says McBride.

NY1 caught up with McBride rehearsing at Snug Harbor, a favorite New Orleans jazz spot.

We first met McBride last February playing in Midtown. With Help from the Jazz Foundation of America he was living in Brooklyn, finding places to practice and getting gigs.

But a year after the flooding, after making inroads in the New York music scene, he wanted to return. A gamble really, but the music called him back.

“I had to make sure that New Orleans modern jazz was played in New Orleans,” says McBride.

The musicians he most admires are also his mentors. The legendary composer, sax player and educator Harold Battiste Jr. sat down with NY1 for a rare interview. Battiste was an arranger for Sonny and Cher. Battiste was also a professor at University of New Orleans where McBride studied

“The way in which he approached his life seemed like cat who was trying to be a good boy,” says Battiste.

“He would let me come and play in the office when I was really horrible and he would get out his alto saxophone, he'd say, Îyou know this tune?’ and I'd say, Îno.’ Well he'd say, ÎI'm gonna show you this,’” recalls McBride.

Now it's always good to come home, but for McBride being back in New Orleans means being able to bump into two of his musical mentors in one night: the legendary Harold Battiste Jr. and the patriarch of New Orleans Musical Dynasty, Ellis Marsalis.

“When you're in a classroom with students you never really know if what you're doing is working for them or not, unless you hear it and they tell you,” says Marsalis.

“He was my first piano teacher and I wasn't very good. He told me I needed to go practice a lot,” says McBride.

It certainly paid off. McBride still doesn't have a permanent place to live, but he's just started a weekly gig at Snug Harbor. So for now home is still wherever he makes his music, but at least now he's making in his hometown.

— Stephanie Simon