A Brand New “Who Dat”

OffBeat Staff

This year’s Saints have prompted a number of artists to record their own Saints song, so Carlo Nuccio – who wrote and recorded the original “Who Dat” more than 25 years ago – has returned with “Glory Bound,” an update of the song. The song features the return of Aaron Neville, who sang the song the first time around, and Theresa Andersson, along with Ivan Neville, Jon Cleary, Matt Perrine, Barry Foulon, Shamarr Allen, Joe Cabral, Ben Schenck, Jimi Burtchaell, Alex McMurray, Paul Sanchez, Derrick Freeman and Rob Schafer. The song will be available soon on iTunes, but here’s a preview in honor of tonight’s game.

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Louis Armstrong in 2 Minutes, 53 Second

Louis Armstrong, “Dinah,” filmed on a sound stage in Denmark, 1933: a very early item in his filmography. This is a short and efficient answer for why he was and is important. You sense he’s building his brand — the stuff with the handkerchief, getting up in the viewer’s grill, popping his eyes at .55 — but it’s still pretty extreme, and exciting. Look at how he felt music, and moved to it. (Especially .10-.20, that davening kind of thing: James Brown did that too.) Listen to the way he chopped up rhythm, sailing his phrases over the beat. You want to say he’s imitating a trumpet when he sings, but then you want to say vice versa, so neither can be true. He’s continuous, playing or singing something nearly all the way through, making his body part of the performance.

CNN Heroes: New Orleans Kids Plant 'Roots Of Music'

The Roots of Music offers students free instruments, music instruction and tutoring through funding from sponsors and donations. The program runs every weekday from 4 to 7 p.m., year-round, and even feeds students a hot meal before sending them home safely with bus transportation.

Dining & Wine United Tastes: Saving New Orleans Culture, One Sandwich at a Time

At the New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival on Nov. 22, as brass bands play and celebrators hoist drinks, serious-minded panelists will tell tales of long-lost po’ boy shops. They will speak of the import of this city’s signature sandwich, piled with roast beef and gravy or corn-flour-breaded and fried shrimp, slathered with mayonnaise, paved with sliced pickles and sliced tomatoes, strewn with shredded lettuce, wrapped in butcher paper.

Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra

Footage of the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra practicing on Tuesday in preparation for their two-night stay at the Hi Ho Lounge. The Orchestra, who first performed during Mardi Gras earlier this year, features a long list of many of New Orleans’ best musicians.

Podcast: Four Minutes with the Panorama Brass Band

Colin Jones talks with Ben Schenck of the Panorama Jazz Band after the release of this year’s Keep on Swingin’.

James Booker

Footage of the great James Booker playing “Classified”. The person who posted it to YouTube says it’s live at Montreaux, but one of the respondents thinks it’s from French TV from 1976.

Sonny Landreth On Mountain Stage

Louisiana native and slide-guitar master Sonny Landreth came to prominence playing in the band of Zydeco king Clifton Chenier. As an in-demand session and touring player, Landreth has contributed to the work of John Hiatt, Kenny Loggins and John Mayall, among others. His 2000 album Levee Town has recently been reissued with bonus tracks.

Mirliton Festival Redux

The Bywater Mirliton Festival has been one of my favorites of the little fests that dot this town during the nine-month festival season. It’s hard to believe it’s been going on for twenty years. Yet, they are still tweaking the set up and moving the stage to the far end of the playground really opened up more space to walk around and check out the food and vendors.

Dave Bartholomew inducted into Hall of Fame

Music composer Dave Bartholomew - who collaborated with Fats Domino to produce such hits as "Blueberry Hill," "I'm Walkin'" and "Blue Monday" - has been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Bartholomew, 88, was honored by friends and colleagues at a surprise private party at the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown New Orleans on Sunday. His career began in the 1940s and has included collaborations with Frankie Ford, Smiley Lewis, Earl King and Roy Brown.

Among those in attendance at Sunday's ceremony were jazz pianists Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and Ellis Marsalis. Marsalis performed Bartholomew's 1947 hit "Stardust" with Leroy Jones, and Dr. John performed his rendition of "Dirty People." Toussaint performed a song he wrote for the occasion called "Here's to You, Dave."

NY Post: 8 reasons to go to New Orleans now

In Pictures: Nolafunky Jam Cruise Portrait Series

All Photos by: Michael Weintrob

See the full story HERE.

Jeff Raines - Galactic

Ivan Neville - Dumpstaphunk

Ian Neville - The Funky Meters

Mark Mullins - Bonerama

Walter 'Wolfman' Washington & Charles Walker

Porter Batiste Stoltz

Upcoming: Grayson Capps @ Living Room (Friday)

GRAYSON CAPPS is playing a FREE solo acoustic show this FRIDAY night (11/27) at THE LIVING ROOM. In our estimation, he's one of the finest Southern singer/songwriter/storyteller/troubadours of our time. Grayson doesn't get up to NYC often so come on out while the opportunity to hear him is at hand. Plus there's bound to be a jar of moonshine somewhere in the room that might get passed your way if you're lucky.

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GRAYSON CAPPS
A Free Solo Acoustic Performance
Friday, November 27 | 10PM
@ The Living Room | New York, NY

2009 New Orleans Po-Boy Festival

As far as festivals go, the kind that celebrates fried food on bread is a pretty good one. This Sunday is the third annual New Orleans Po-Boy Festival.

What exactly is a po-boy? Well, the definition isn't too concrete. You can put almost anything on a crunchy French loaf with sauce and call it a po' boy. Oysters, fried green tomatoes, shrimp, roast beef, ham and cheese, catfish, duck, barbecued meats. A bunch of New Orleans purveyors—including Acme Oyster House, Emeril's Restaurant, and Parkway Bakery & Tavern—will be stuffing miscellaneous foods (even French fries) into bread this weekend.

And if you're somehow not that into po-boys, the festival will also feature another New Orleans sandwich icon: the muffuletta. Next order of business: the Muffuletta Festival. Make it happen, people! The video, after the jump.

New Orleans PoBoy Festival This Weekend

NolaFunk Lagniappe

In Pursuit of Bo-Consciousness - Part 6

BACK TO BEING A HIRED HAND - A Quick Stop At Nola

While his brief first fling running his own labels wound down without financial rewards, Eddie Bo continued working on projects for other labels, as the opportunities arose. In 1964, as discussed in Part 4, he had been involved with a Johnny Adams single for Gone and wrote the A-side of Tommy Ridgley's great Johen 45. Also that year, he connected with a new label in town, Nola Records, started by Ulis Gaines, Clinton Scott, Beryl 'Whurley Burley' Eugene, as well as producer/arrangerWardell Quezergue, who had worked on the Johen record. Just getting the operation off the ground and looking for good material to release, they enlisted Bo, who quickly cut two of his own tunes for them.

In Jazz, as in Life, Choices

The animated Disney film "The Princess and the Frog," which is set in New Orleans and opens later this month, will introduce theatergoers to a trumpet-playing alligator named Louis. The namesake should be clear: Louis Armstrong. But the horn's sound? Terence Blanchard, another Crescent City native son, playing music composed by Randy Newman.

Terry Shoffner

It will be just the latest translation of Mr. Blanchard's identity to the big screen. His was the trumpet behind Denzel Washington's character in Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues." And he was the tuxedoed bandleader at a re-created Onyx Club in Mr. Lee's "Malcolm X." Mr. Blanchard, the musical voice of Mr. Lee's films for nearly two decades, has scored more than 50 films overall, including Darnell Martin's recent "Cadillac Records" and George Lucas's forthcoming production "Red Tails."

Meanwhile, Mr. Blanchard's work on bandstands and recordings has distinguished him, at 47, as among the boldest and most successful inheritors of Armstrong's trumpet tradition. When his quintet kicked off Carnegie Hall's "Shape of Jazz" series last week, the placement seemed apt; his music, which has earned three Grammy Awards in the past five years, is elemental to the contours of modern jazz.

Offbeat Magazine relaunches offbeat.com

OffBeat Magazine, the Louisiana and New Orleans online music resource, unveils a redesigned Web site at OffBeat.com. A fresh new look, more content on the front page, and better navigation. They also add video and podcasts to the arsenal.

OffBeat is a monthly print magazine focusing on the music, cuisine and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. Its first issue was printed in 1988.

The new site is located at offbeat.com

Derrick Tabb: The Drummer’s Roots

Ever since the levees broke, people have been stepping up all over the Gulf Coast region to help rebuild and renew. Derrick Tabb, snare drummer for Rebirth Brass Band, is the latest local hero to be recognized on the national level for his commitment to our community. As the founder of the Roots of Music program, Tabb has been named by CNN’s panel of humanitarians as a top-10 candidate for the 3rd annual CNN Hero award. Roots of Music is a 3-hour, after-school program that provides more than 100 local students free music classes, in addition to academic tutoring before and dinner after. During Voodoo, the Roots of Music Marching Band will perform daily.

Rock City Morgue, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (Castle Gray Skull)

Rock City Morgue has generally traded on a version of New York-based, B-movie-oriented punk rock for much of its career, and done so well. Building songs around ghosts, ghouls and creepy things seems a little quaint in the age of Hostel and after a generation of darker gothic bands, but post-New York Dolls rock ’n’ roll is durable stuff.

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf is an across-the-board step forward. Punk and ’70s hard rock and current metal all show up in the sound, and guitarist Johnny Brashear makes it all seem obvious. Bassist Sean Yseult plays more piano than ever before, but instead of signaling a change to a more Nick Cave-ish mode, her piano’s better integrated into the songs, often pounding out high notes in the rockers. In “Creepin’ in the Dark,” un-punk-like bongos add a percolating chug.

Plunge: Dancing on Thin Ice

For the first time in 13 years, trombonist Marc McGrain has convened a group of musicians to record an album under the moniker Plunge. In the mid-‘90s, McGrain, then a Boston resident, helmed Plunge’s 1996 release Falling with Grace, a heady, groove-heavy expedition that garnered significant acclaim in the jazz world. This time around, McGrain, now a New Orleans denizen, recruited saxophonist Tim Green and bassist James Singleton to participate in a unique session, one rooted in improvisation and recorded live at McGrain’s home studio with little to no prior rehearsal. Titled Dancing on Thin Ice, the album is exhilarating,post-bop fare suffused with tight, interlocking melodies and cool, nimble grooves.

Leading Musicians Donate Talents to ‘Forgotten but Not Gone,’ New CD Benefiting Gulf Coast Residents Still Displaced by Hurricane Katrina




Luther Kent - The Bobby Bland Songbook

Luther Kent has been around a long time. The last time he made a major impact coast to coast was the mid-70s fronting Blood, Sweat, and Tears. In the 80s, Kent formed Trick Bag, which was a famed house band in the Crescent City that's played with a who's who of big name musicians. Needless to say, not many folks know of Luther Kent outside of New Orleans. . Together with Wardell Quezergue arranging a crack band of New Orleans musicians, Kent puts his spin on several well-known R&B and blues warhorses.

What you get here is a veteran vocalist having fun belting his favorite tunes like you would hear him do on a band stand any given night or probably singing around his house. The album has a unique laid back quality to it that only "the Big Easy" could bring. This album also, with its many New Orleans musicians partaking (including Dr. John on keys for a few tunes), shows a great linear quality of early R&B and urban electric blues leanings towards jazz (example "St. James Infirmary").

Composer Randy Newman and the Classic Sounds of New Orleans Celebrated on New Walt Disney Records Soundtrack The Princess and the Frog


Lillian Boutte: New Orleans Musical Ambassador

In 1986 LILLIAN was honoured by her city with the official title of 'Musical Ambassador' which had not been bestowed on a New Orleans musician since the world famous Louis Armstrong. LILLIAN has been compared with the legendary female voices of Jazz music as Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin and Mahalia Jackson and she has had the unique distinction of being one of the only performers to wear two different 'hats' at the Jazz & Heritage Festival by performing in the Jazz- and the Gospel categories in the same year. She has performed and can be heard on recordings with legendary music greats as Jay Mc Shane, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Milt Hinton, Gus Johnson, Sammy Price, Doc Cheatham, Arnett Cobb, Al Casey, Dr. John, Benny Waters, Danny Barker, Professor Longhair , Clark Terry and with England's trumpet great Humphrey Lyttelton.

Sudan and Versatile Ladies of Style SA&PC Second Line






Photos :: A Look Around New Orleans | Travel - WSJ.com

November in the Crescent City brings pleasantly cool temperatures and the heart of oyster season. The city's classic restaurants are doing brisk business and eclectic shopping abounds, especially along the Magazine Street corridor.

Commander's Palace

Though many new and notable restaurants have opened around town, the Commander's Palace remains in a category of its own. Its luminous Garden Room is one of the prettiest dining venues in the country, and the service is always clockwork efficient and friendly.

A week's worth of reflection over a weekend of Voodoo

I needed some good ole New Orleans music and headed over to the Preservation Jazz Hall tent and caught the end of Leroy Jones five piece band doing “Big Fat Woman.” One of Louisiana’s best drummers, Doug Belote, was on drums with a female trombone player. The audience in that tent was alive, all on their feet dancing to the sweet jazzy sounds. Sadly I only managed to catch that last song so after leaving the Gogol Bordello set I made my way back to the next act at that tent for Walter Wolfman and the Dirty Dozen Horn section. This was an impressive line up made up of New Orleans all stars including Walter Wolfman himself, Jack Cruz on bass, Jimmy Carpenter on sax, Christian Duque on guitar and the Dirty Dozen Horn section. There really isn’t much to say about this line up other than WOW. Although the ground in the tent was really muddy, this didn’t hinder one bit the spirits of the packed house in the Pres Tent. Walter looked very dapper in his Blue Attire (which matched his electric blue guitar) and Jack Cruz was dressed in sync with him also as he wore blue as well. The band had a total of five horns which made it a huge powerhouse.

Routes Music rewind, New Orleans: Living Room Studio, Lovie Dovies, the Blackbelt Band

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

Vote For Derrick Tabb to be CNN Hero of the Year

- VOTE HERE -

VOTE FOR DERRICK TABB
FOR CNN HERO OF THE YEAR!

The Roots of Music is an after school marching band program started by Derrick Tabb, snare drummer for the Rebirth Brass Band. The program is incredible and is keeping children off the streets and is literally saving their lives.

Galactic drummer Stanton Moore was just asked to sit on the The Roots of Music Board of Directors.

Derrick is up for CNN Hero of the Year. Voting continues through Thursday, Nov 19th. You can vote as many times as you like.

WHY VOTE FOR DERRICK?

- Over 400 kids on a waiting list to enroll
- 85% of the students went up a letter grade in at least two classes last school year
- 95% attendance rate
- Graduates keep coming back

Read the news article about
Derricks nomination

In Pictures: Eric Lindell @ Sullivan Hall

By Dino Perrucci Photography

Eric Lindell - Sullivan Hall, NYC 11/14/09


Eric Lindell - Sullivan Hall, NYC 11/14/09

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Ponderosa Stomp

While the Stomp crew was in New York City this July, a crew of music lovers, including Brian Gourley, the Butler Brothers, and acclaimed director Jeff Nichols, was putting the finishing touches on the first Ponderosa Stomp film.

Classie Ballou, Lil' Buck Senegal and Roy Head are integral Stomp performers—these three exemplary artists enjoyed early success, but found themselves toiling in obscurity later in life. Their first-person remembrances of their careers, their experiences playing on the Stomp, and the impact the Stomp has had on their lives are at the core of this riveting piece. The film also includes live concert footage and additional interviews with the likes of musicologist Peter Guralnick offering a rare peek inside the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation.

A cultural feast lies east of the Quarter

Head over to Faubourg Marigny (``mare-a-nay''), the neighborhood just to the east, where off-work musicians and locals convene to hear the cultural gumbo of the Big Easy -- jazz, blues, zydeco, klezmer and more. Its hub, Frenchmen Street, is neither as crowded nor as loony as Bourbon. But I did see a pair of howling-drunk young drifters at Frenchmen and Chartres asking passersby for money: They said they were honeymooning right there, inside an abandoned Lucky Dog wiener pushcart.

This is New Orleans, after all.

Frenchmen Street is a funky mix of low-slung supply stores, boutiques, maybe 10 restaurants or coffeehouses and almost as many music rooms. The whole street extends 3 ½ miles due north, almost to Lake Pontchartrain, but you'll want to visit the close-in six or so blocks between Decatur and Rampart.

Bonerama and George Porter, Jr. "Out In The Country" from Sullivan Hall (NYC)

Trombone Shorty

When booking Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, don’t think smooth jazz. Don’t expect a quiet, sleepy crowd. Think raucous, sweaty, jamtastic celebrations.

“I saw him a few years ago at a club during Jazz Fest,” co-manager Mike Kappus told Pollstar. “He just took the stage and the energy level shot up. It never went down. It was just constant intensity and great playing.”

Fritzel's fourtieth anniversary recalls a simpler, happier time for Bourbon Street jazz

The 40th anniversary celebration at Fritzel’s included two jazz acts that normally play there during the week. Fritzel's is open with live jazz seven nights a week. The club boasts being the “Oldest Operating Jazz Club in New Orleans ” with its debut in October 1969. Fritzel’s also boasts an impressive history during its 40 years and has had many legendary jazz musicians grace its tiny stage in the historic 1831 building. The bar at Fritzel's offers many different schnapps (usually served cold) and a variety of German beers to enjoy. Fritzel's has become a sort of mecca for jazz lovers in the local and international community amidst all the noise and rock bands playing nearby in other establishments on Bourbon.




Jazz Appreciation Month: Episode 13 — New Orleans Brass Bands

New Orleans Brass Bands come in many shapes and sizes. From leading funeral processions to performing for packed houses at places like Blue Nile or The Maple Leaf, these bands are staples of the New Orleans music scene and overall culture. Below are a few links to get you started in your Brass Band journey.

Chuck Perkins - Frenchmen Desire Goodchildren

If you're from New Orleans, you'll get it right away.
If not, you'll get a crash course in the city's
quirky and colorful street names. We filmed this at
Chickie Wah-Wah's back in May.

Tom Waits Recording Two Tracks in New Orleans

In one trip to New Orleans, Tom Waits hopes to produce new tracks for a pair of compilations. Marking Waits’ first new material since 2004’s Real Gone, the tracks will follow the songwriter’s forthcoming Nov. 24 release of Glitter and Doom Live.

As noted on his website, the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus devil is set to record one with the city’s Preservation Jazz Hall Band. It will benefit the band’s efforts preserving the historic French Quarter, a cause that has thrived off of such collaboration since The Edge joined in its rendition of “Vertigo” three years ago.

Free Download: Galactic @ Brooklyn Bowl

A 2nd smokin' night of Galactic w/Cory Henry on trombone.
With a SMOKIN' special guest sit-in of DJ Logic on turntables
(the encore is on fire!)

Torrent away:http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=529146