To fund his studies in Ellis Marsalis 's jazz department at the University of New Orleans, pianist Will Thompson joined the Louisiana National
Guard. In 2004, instead of graduating, he was deployed to Iraq in a combat unit. A reluctant soldier, he set about documenting his experiences in musical performances and sound pieces. These were released on an album while he was still in Baghdad. He was discharged just as Hurricane Katrina hit his hometown. This is his story, from war zone to scene of natural disaster. Producer Alan Hall