[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Yjh5qfNOI[/youtube]

As the somber news of Uncle Lionel Batiste’s parting weighs heavy on our hearts, fond recollections of the beloved char-actor have helped to ease his passing.

Today, John Swenson shared his favorite memory of Uncle Lionel, a magical Mardi Gras sit-in at the Spotted Cat with fellow Treme denizen Davis Rogan. With today’s You Tube du Jour, we honor the memory of Lionel Batiste Sr. (1931-2002) with a video from that night and another of the Treme Brass Band delivering a spirited Mardi Gras Indian medley featuring the Rebirth Brass Band’s Corey Henry on trombone at the Louisiana Music Factory during Jazz Fest 2011.