Disney set The Princess & The Frog, its first-ever film with an African-American lead, in New Orleans, and wisely chose
Randy Newman as its scorer/songwriter.
Newman not only has a long lineage as a film composer, but his music has deep roots in the Big Easy, making him an ideal choice for the project. Both sides surface here, with the score leaning toward lush Hollywood romanticism, leaving the songs as the place for jazz, zydeco, and R&B to play. Naturally, cast members
Anika Noni Rose,
Jim Cummings,
Keith David, and
Michael Leon-Wooley take the majority of the leads - N'awlins favorite son
Dr. John does get to sing the fanfare “Down in New Orleans” -- but there’s a strong dose of local flavor courtesy of
Terence Blanchard and
Terrance Simien, helping this soundtrack to feel a little less Broadway, a little more authentically New Orleans, and a whole lot more fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine