[UPDATED] At 17dots.com, Davis Rogan – the inspiration for Treme‘s Davis McAlary – has started blogging about the music from each episode. In the first post, he writes with wit, insight and intelligence. Here’s part of his commentary on the most recent episode, “Shame, Shame, Shame”:

The original “Shame, Shame, Shame” was written by (Smiley) Lewis and (Dave) Bartholomew for the Elia Kazan/Tennessee Williams 1956 film Baby Doll. — it’s used in the scene where Karl Malden chases Carroll Baker around her bedroom. In a “so much for a good placement and tie-in” move, the Catholic Legion of Decency had the film pulled from US distribution. Smiley Lewis never got the recognition he deserved in his lifetime, but if you have any interest in the dawn of Rock and Roll you should pick up his recordings.

David Simon had been telling me for a long time that he wanted to hear trumpeter Kermit Ruffins play “Shame, Shame, Shame” as Bartholomew’s signature trumpet growl on the track isn’t far from Kermit’s stylistic bag. I said the best way to put a bug in Kermit’s ear would be to have him play it on the show, so I wasn’t too surprised when the script for #5 arrived and it had Davis, the character, writing a parody of “Shame Shame Shame” and hiring Kermit to play on it.

In terms of historical accuracy, yes, I used to be in a band with Kermit and yes, I’m pretty sure we were, as Kermit says, trifiling.

… In other Treme news, the celebrity auction and gala fundraiser the show threw for New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic last March raised $76,000. In the live auction, one bidder paid $5,000 to have a role as an extra on the show, and another bid $4,100 to have a character on the program named after her.

… And for those who haven’t got on to Treme yet, HBO will re-air all five episodes starting at 1:30 CDT.

Update – 10:27 a.m.: This morning we also received an email from Bethany Bultman, the director of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic:

The Musicians Clinic with Catherine playing herself and Deacon (John) playing the patient will be on Treme on Sunday and also featured on PBS Great Museums: Jazz at 8 p.m. on WYES the same night.