NolaFunk NYC

Win a Free Download of Zeke Fishhead’s Snag

2012-01-26T13:46:00.001-05:00

Win a Free Download of Zeke Fishhead’s Snag

As Mardi Gras approaches in earnest, fans of the Radiators are lamenting the loss of our soundtrack of the season. As a way of assuaging the angst, TVD is offering a free copy of the latest full-length download from the pen of Ed Volker. Read on for details on how to win.

Upcoming:Buckwheat Zydeco @ BB King's

2012-01-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

Zigaboo Modeliste's NY Foundation of Funk Revue @ Highline Ballroom

2012-01-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

Zigaboo Modeliste's NY Foundation of Funk Revue featuring Andy Hess , Brian Mitchell , Jonathan Batiste & Jamie McLean

Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012

Highline Ballroom

Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste is a master drummer, rhythm innovator, percussionist, and New Orleans legend. The most highly acclaimed drummer ever to hail from the Crescent City, Ziggy's creativity has been a wellspring of funk influence for three decades and has inspired numerous hip-hop tracks. His innovative work as a member of the internationally acclaimed R&B group The Meters, as well as his side work with artists like Keith Richards, Robert Palmer, and Dr. John, have garnered him an unparalleled level of respect among musicians and fans.

The original The Meters LPs were all recorded with Ziggy at the drums, and his work has been sampled many times over by artists like Musiq, Queen Latifah, Run DMC, NWA, Ice Cube, Salt-N-Pepa, Cypress Hill, EPMD, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Naughty by Nature, and Tweet, just to name a few. Ziggy is also a BMI award winner for the Young Gunz track "Can't Stop Won't Stop," and his drum sound provided the main loops for Amerie's "1Thing," which was nominated for two Grammy Awards and was No. 1 on the R&B charts. In addition, he has released numerous solo albums, including Zigaboo.com (2000), I'm on the Right Track (2004), and Funk Me Hard Live (2009).

Ziggy has written over 200 songs individually and collectively with The Meters. Displaying both his musical genius and original funk style, his songs have been featured on albums and in movies nationally and internationally. He is also currently featured in producer Mark Ronson's Re:Generation Music Project, where he performs the original song "A La Modeliste" with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, and members of The Dap Kings. Zigaboo's latest release, New Life, dropped in 2011 and has garnered praise as an amazing slide of funk and proof that his fountain of rhythmic imagination shows no signs of running dry.

Tonight at Highline Ballroom, the king of the funky drums, percussion maestro, and godfather of groove Zigaboo Modeliste will take listeners to funk depths only he could possibly reach, together with a renowned crew of collaborators that includes Andy Hess (Gov't Mule, John Scofield), Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Al Green, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint, The Wild Magnolias), Jonathan Batiste, and Jamie McLean (Dirty Dozen Brass Band).

New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll - Cowboy Mouth - Fri, Jan 27‏

2012-01-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

COWBOY MOUTH
New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll
FRI JAN 27, 2012 8PM
Purchase Tickets

Upcoming: Brooklyn Jazz Warriors feat. (funky Meter) Brian Stoltz

2012-01-22T12:42:00.002-05:00

Upcoming: Brother Joscephus Mardi Gras Party

2012-01-22T12:40:00.002-05:00

Fishhead Stew (feat. 3/5 Radiators) @ Hiro Ballroom

2012-01-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

WWOZ LIve Broadcast of Johnny Sansone on Saturday Night

2012-01-18T13:51:00.001-05:00

The Johnny Sansone Band

DATE

Sat, Jan 21, 2012 10:00pm (central)

WWOZ presents the Johnny Sansone Band as part of the Smoke-Free Live Broadcast series from Ruby’s Roadhouse on the Northshore, sponsored by Let’s Be Totally Clear. Tune in and enjoy the music, and if you're in the neighborhood, come on out and breathe in some fresh air and sweet tunes!

Alex McMurray's Whirlwind NYC Tour

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

FRIDAY JAN 20---RODEO BAR 11pm

Go-Cup All-Stars featuring Alex McMurray, Bill Malchow, Matt Perrine, Eric Bolivar, Scott Bourgeois and J. Walter Hawkes. Alex tunes, Bill tunes, NOLA stuff. Horns. Whoo-hoo!!

SATURDAY JAN 21--JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER--THE ALLEN ROOM 8:30 & 10:30

Michael Cerveris: An Idea of South

An all-star band comprised on New Orleans and NYC artists

click HERE for more details

This Broadway star and musical chameleon has performed in punk bands and rock musicals, terrified audiences as Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd on Broadway and took home a Tony for his role in Sondheim’s Assassins, and currently plays the mysterious character “the observer” in the hit TV series Fringe. Here, he brings us An Idea of South, a genre-defying recital/cabaret/hootenanny of songs ranging from the Carter Family and Johnny Mercer to Vic Chesnutt and Samuel Barber with guest musicians from New Orleans. Hear Cerveris on our stage before he starts rehearsal for the role of Juan Perón in the new Broadway revival of Evita

SUNDAY JAN 22--ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL 7pm

Alex McMurray solo

MONDAY JAN 23--THE EAR INN midnight-3am

Alex McMurray with Brad Gunyon (drums) and Skip Ward (bass)

Quiet, groovy and weird.

TUESDAY JAN 24--THE 11TH STREET BAR 9pm

Alex Solo show.

Info for all these shows--addresses, phone #s, websites, etc are posted at www.alexmcmurray.com.

Dr. John to Lead Three-Weekend Residency at BAM; Dan Auerbach to Join in Debut of Music from New Album, "Locked Down"

2012-01-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

Dr. John—Mac Rebennack— will lead a three-weekend residency titled Dr. John: Insides Out at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York, March 29 through April 14. The centerpiece of the residency is a three-night run of concerts in which Auerbach will join Dr. John and a handpicked band to premiere new music from the album at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, April 5–7. Dr. John: Insides Out begins the previous weekend, March 29–31, with a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and concludes April 12–15 with Funky But It’s Nu Awlins, a funk-infused night of New Orleans music, featuring key players from the Crescent City.

From March 28 to April 1, BAMcinématek presents a complementary series of films shot or set in the Crescent City. Spanning five decades, the series includes Belle of the Nineties (1934), The Flame of New Orleans (1941), and Down by Law (1986), plus many more.

Tickets for Dr. John: Insides Out go on sale next Monday, January 23, for Friends of BAM, and the following Monday, January 30, for the general public. To order then, go to bam.org.

For more on Locked Down, the forthcoming Nonesuch release from Dr. John, click here.

NY Times: Preservation Hall's Legacy

2012-01-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

Upcoming: Raw Oyster Cult (feat. 3/5 Radiators)

2012-01-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Crescent City Stomp @ McKittrick Hotel

2012-01-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Upcoming: Mardi Gras Ball feat. Kermit & Bonerama (discount below)

2011-12-22T11:51:00.002-05:00

w/ specialguests

Mardi Gras. The mere mention of these two wordsconvey thoughts of wild celebrations, beads flying through the air, feathered hats, free-spiriteddancing and a lot of booze and smiles. Nolafunk.com will help create this scene with your help.We’ll provide you with masks, hats, white cloths and beads. Lots and lots of BEADS! So bringyour Mardi Gras outfits and your will to dance. The 6th Annual Mardi Gras Ball might be the bestyet.

BONERAMA
Even in a city that doesn’t play by therules, New Orleans’ Bonerama is something different. They can evoke vintage funk, classic rockand free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song. Bonerama has been repeatedlyrecognized by Rolling Stone, hailed as “the ultimate in brass balls” and praised fortheir “…crushing ensemble riffing, human-feedback shrieks and wah-wah growls.”

KERMIT RUFFINS
New Orleans is the only place on the planet thatcould have produced native son Kermit Ruffins. Whether he's blowing trumpet on a Louis Armstrongclassic or one of his own hot numbers, Ruffins embraces the tune with the true spirit of the city.Ruffins' music, like New Orleans itself, swings hard with a big heart as it remembers tradition andthe importance of good-timin” fun.

As our holiday giftto you for being a wonderful Nolafunk.com supporter, we're offering tickets for the 2/19 Mardi GrasBall for 50% off!
Just enter NolaHoliday into the"Access Code" box on TicketWeb
This offer will be good through January1st
We hope you and yours have a great holiday!

Upcoming: 4th Annual Export NoLa

2011-12-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

Big Sam's Funky Nation website

HILL COUNTRY Jan 6th: 11:20pm- 12:30am

As the former trombone player of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam always entertains audiences with his exhilarating brand of high-voltage funk, rock, jazz, and hip-hop, termed "Noladelic Powerfunk." The San Francisco Chronicle asserts "[Big Sam is] the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz." Big Sam's Funky Nation engages and delights audiences across the country with their high energy performance and showmanship. Big Sam's Funky Nation has wowed crowds at major festivals/events, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Antibes Jazz Festival, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Berlin Jazz Festival, SXSW, Jam Cruise and countless others. BSFN has also been featured in HBO's original series, "Treme,". Big Sam plays himself in multiple episodes, including scenes with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint as they recorded the acclaimed Grammy-nominated album, River in Reverse.

Amanda Shaw website

HILL COUNTRY Jan 6th: 10:05-11pm

BROOKLYN BOWL Jan 7th: 8-9pm

When Amanda Shaw takes the stage, the petite fiddler commands the attention of the audience with a poignant and rhythmic sound that only a Louisiana prodigy could deliver. Amanda Shaw is a powerful performer, composer, and arranger who has been touring nationally and internationally since she was eight years old. She has recorded three critically-acclaimed albums, won a Big Easy Award for Best Female Entertainer and has even had two feature roles in Disney movies. The New Orleans native is a pioneer of the new breed of young, roots-based musicians who have embraced both the traditional sounds of Louisiana and the pop sounds of the mainstream.

Mia Borders website

HILL COUNTRY Jan 6th: 9-9:50pm

HILL COUNTRY Jan 8th: 8-9pm

As a native of New Orleans, Mia Borders is an artist that represents the calliope of sounds that influence contemporary New Orleans' music. With a sound which may best be described as bayou flavored, funky, rhythm and blues with a sprinkling of rock n' roll, Mia is a dynamo on stage delivering songs that come with a sense of urgency. Mia has won over audiences at such festivals as New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, San Jose Jazz, Santa Cruz Blues, Bay Bridge, Houston iFest, Taos Mountain Music, and Telluride Cajun Fest. Chris Gray of the Houston Press wrote "Artists like Mia Borders are what makes festivals like iFest worth going to - walk up to the stage with no idea who this person is and walk away a fan." Mia will release her third CD early in 2012.

Stooges Brass Band website

HILL COUNTRY Jan 6th (technically Jan 7th): 12:45-2am

BROOKLYN BOWL Jan 7th: 10:45-Midnight

Stooges Brass Band has been a premier New Orleans Brass Band since 1996. While appealing to the emotions of traditional jazz, the brass band fuses urban, pop and hip-hop influences to create a performance that speaks to the diversity of their audience. The band takes you on a musical journey with brass band arrangements of jazz classics like "Spain" by Chick Corea, a tribute to Michael Jackson, New Orleans secondline favorites and original compositions. The Stooges have developed an extraordinary history performing with Jessica Simpson, Jadakiss, Questlove, Black Star, Trombone Shorty, Galactic and Black Joe Lewis. The Stooges have toured nationally and internationally in Asia, Europe, and South America. In October, the Stooges Brass Band were crowned Red Bull Street Kings, besting the other New Orleans Brass Band competitors for the title. Stooges Brass Band will release a new CD in early 2012.

Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs website

BROOKLYN BOWL Jan 7th: 9:20-10:20pm

HILL COUNTRY Jan 8th: 10:45-12am

Music has been a part of Shamarr Allen's life for as long as he can remember. A native son of the Crescent City, Shamarr is a former member of Rebirth Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band. After honing his skills in the brass band tradition Shamarr formed his own band, The Underdawgs, and forged a new sound layering elements of hip hop, rock, soul and pop over New Orleans roots. The band delivers a powerful wallop of fun, good music and genre bending blends producing an original sound which Shamarr has dubbed "hip-rock". Shamarr has shared the stage with Lenny Kravitz, Harry Connick Jr., Branford Marsalis, Willie Nelson, and R.E.M and performed at the White House for President Obama. The band toured Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. State Department.

The Iguanas website

HILL COUNTRY Jan 8th: 9:20-10:20pm

The pan cultural rhythms of New Orleans' musical heritage course through the heart of The Iguanas and their music. Latin shuffles, gritty funk, dark cinematic jazz and Basin Street horns all join hands to create world music in the true sense of the term. New Orleans is the singularity of the universe that is American Music and The Iguanas are some of its most skilled ambassadors. The Iguanas have released seven albums including a live recording from their performance at Wolf Trap. In 2008 The Iguanas received two Best of the Beat Awards for Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Band or Performer and Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Album for "The Iguanas: If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times". The Iguanas will release and tour in support of a new full length CD in 2012.

Upcoming: New Orleans Suspects @ Brooklyn Bowl

2011-12-14T13:40:00.001-05:00

Hiro Ballroom: 88 9th Ave. | btw. 16th & 17th St | New York, NY Tix/Info

Brooklyn Bowl: 61 Wythe Ave. | btw. 11th & 12th St | Brooklyn, NY Tix/Info

Rebirth Brass Band Snags Grammy Nomination

2011-12-01T10:35:00.001-05:00

Rebirth Brass Band, Lil Wayne, Harry Connick Jr. among Grammy nominees with local ties

By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

Rebirth Brass Band founder Phil Frazier once said he’d rather win a Grammy than be rich. He took a significant step toward the realization of that goal Wednesday night when Rebirth’s Basin Street Records release “Rebirth of New Orleans” was nominated for a Grammy.

Matthew Hinton / The Times-Picayune
The Rebirth Brass Band performs on the Congo Square Stage at the 2011 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The band received its first Grammy nomination on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
The complete list of nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards were released Wednesday night following the Grammy nominations telecast, a sort of pre-awards awards show, on CBS.

Rebirth will compete with two other Louisiana acts in the newly created best regional roots music album category. Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboy’s “Grand Isle” and C.J. Chenier’s “Can’t Sit Down” are nominated in the same category, along with perennial polka favorite Jimmy Sturr and Hawaiian music act George Kahumoku Jr.

Regional roots music is a catch-all category created after several individual “roots music” categories, including Cajun/zydeco and Hawaiian music, were eliminated when the total number of categories was cut from 109 to 78.

Several other nominees boast Louisiana ties.
New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne is up for five awards, including best rap album for “Tha Carter IV.”

Gospel duo Trin-i-tee 5:7’s “Angel & Chanelle Deluxe Edition” is up for best gospel album.
Grammy veteran Harry Connick Jr. is up for best traditional pop vocal album for his “In Concert on Broadway.”

Singer Ledisi Young, who was born in New Orleans but moved to Oakland, Calif., as a girl, received three nominations related to her well-received “Pieces of Me” CD, including best R&B album, song and performance.

Lucinda Williams, who spent some of formative years in New Orleans and south Louisiana, is up for best Americana album for “Blessed.”

The culminating performance of Wednesday night’s nomination telecast on CBS – a clever bit of hype-building that essentially milks two prime-time specials out of one awards show – featured Lady Gaga and Sugarland performing Gaga’s “You and I.”

The cameras focused always exclusively on Gaga and Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles. The band’s New Orleanian rhythm section of drummer Travis McNabb and bassist Annie Clements was glimpsed only briefly.
No doubt Phil Frazier and the rest of Rebirth hope they earn more air-time when the Grammy winners are presented Feb. 12 in Los Angeles.

© 2011 NOLA.com. All rights reserved.

Upcoming: Preservation Hall Jazz Band 50th Anniversary at Carnegie Hall (onsale Friday)

2011-11-30T21:53:00.001-05:00

Listen: New Galactic Single

2011-11-30T15:25:00.001-05:00

Hey Na Na feat. David Shaw (of the Revivalists) and Maggie Koerner by Galacticfunk

It's incredible that GALACTIC has never made a carnival album yet, but now it’s here.
To make CARNIVALE ELECTRICOS, the members of GALACTIC (Ben Ellman, harps and horns; Robert Mercurio, bass; Stanton Moore, drums and percussion; Jeff Raines, guitar; Rich Vogel, keyboards) draw on the skills, stamina, and funk they deploy in the all-night party of their annual Lundi Gras show that goes till sunrise and leads sleeplessly into Mardi Gras day.

GALACTIC was formed eighteen years ago in New Orleans, and they cut their teeth playing the biggest party in America: Mardi Gras, when the town shuts down entirely to celebrate. CARNIVALE ELECTRICOS is beyond a party record. It’s a carnival record that evokes the electric atmosphere of a whole city – make that, whole cities – vibrating together all on the same day, from New Orleans all down the hemisphere to the mighty megacarnivals of Brazil. Armed with a slew of carnival-ready guests—including Cyril and Ivan Neville, Mystikal, Mannie Fresh, Moyseis Marques, Casa Samba, the KIPP Renaissance High School Marching Band, and Al "Carnival Time" Johnson (who remakes his all-time hit)—GALACTIC whisks the listener around the neighborhoods to feel the Mardi Gras moment in all its variety of flavors.

Prince Paul: New Orleans Bounce

2011-11-30T09:45:00.001-05:00

Win 2 Free Tickets to Porter Show, Dinner for 2 @ Bourbon Street Bar & Grille

2011-11-27T11:41:00.001-05:00

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS to see GEORGE PORTER JR. & RUNNIN' PARDNERS and DINNER FOR 2 at Bourbon St. Bar & Grille December 3 \| Hiro Ballroom
E-mail address:
First Name:
Last Name:
City, State:
Winner will be chosen on Monday, Nov 28th and notified by e-mail.

Nov 3-Hiro Ballroom-Papa Grows Funk-To Benefit The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp‏

2011-11-01T11:16:00.001-04:00

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Daytrotter Session: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

2011-11-01T10:27:00.001-04:00

Download Free Session

Stream Session HERE

Whatever Spooks, Rattles Or Romps

Words by Sean Moeller, Illustration by Johnnie Cluney, Recording engineered by Jon Ashley

The New Orleans that I'd like to go to, for my first visit, is the one that Trombone Shorty gives us a guided tour of with everything that he and his group, the Orleans Avenue, give us with every number and every interpretation they play. We've heard that there's some great food down there, but where isn't there something special to sample when considering local cuisine? We've heard that it's beautiful and that things are shaping back up down with rebuilding and recovery efforts, but lots of places are beautiful. Beauty's kind of a dime a dozen. The eyes can always be full, anywhere you go. What we sense the most in Trombone Shorty, the stage name of 25-year-old Troy Andrews, is the voodoo that we've been told is synonymous with that city down on the Bayou. It's that twinkling black magic or something that feels forbidden or unattainable that comes through his instrument. It feels like new language, a purple haze, something that's not quite of this world. There's a haunting that Andrews puts to the notes that he blows out. They have within them the funkiness and soul that provide a commonly accepted stepping off point for discussion, but he takes them into darker corners of the swamp, where they pick up their scruff and scuffings. They come out on the other side of his head and his mouth fully diabolical, completely consequential. They have life that's been given to them by some unknown power and the songs carry with them a certain pluck that would have made mothers and fathers calling it the devil's music had Shorty been making it back when Elvis was deemed Satanic for the swivel of his hips and the playing of such unwholesome R&B-infused rock and roll. Trombone Shorty would have stood at the top of the list of banned musical substances should he have been around back in the 1950s. These days, he's still able to steam up the windows and he brings the humidity of something frisky happening between the sheets to much of his music, allowing it to be heard in the way that anyone wants to hear it. He's a true master, already, at his tender age, the product of and interpreter of past greatness. He sounds intent upon giving new life to the music that he grew up with, adding to it whatever gets into his cage at night, whatever spooks, whatever rattles, whatever gives him a romp.

Watch: Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Austin City Limits (after Steve Miller)

2011-10-31T12:51:00.000-04:00

Watch The Steve Miller Band / Preservation Hall Jazz Band on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

WWOZ to webcast Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Dumpstaphunk & Stooges Brass Band on Saturday

2011-10-19T14:39:00.001-04:00

Live Broadcast of Walter "Wolfman" Washington + Ivan Neville's "Dumpstaphunk" + Stooges Brass Band

DATE: Sat, Nov 5, 2011 7:00pm

'OZ fans Courtney Katzenstein and Jon McHugh have more than friendship and their love of 'OZ in common, they are also both Scorpios. What's that mean for our listeners? Jon and Courtney have graciously offered to let us broadcast their birthday party, featuring Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk and the Stooges Brass Band. Courtney has also made 'OZ her charity of choice and requests for gifts to be in the form of donations to the station. So thank you, and happy birthday to Courtney and Jon!

Please note: This is a private party, but will be broadcast on WWOZ 90.7 fm and online at wwoz.org

Upcoming: Grayson Capps @ Sullivan Hall this Thursday

2011-10-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

GRAYSON CAPPS & THE LOST CAUSE MINSTRELS
+ special guest DJ Davis from Treme
Thursday, October 6 @ Sullivan Hall

Tomorrow: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ The Box

2011-09-13T09:44:00.001-04:00

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Wed, September 14, 2011

Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:00 pm

The Box

New York, NY

$35 General Admission

Rare indeed is the artist with the virtuosity to draw the unqualified respect of some of the most iconic legends in jazz and the ability to deliver a high-energy funk rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is one such artist - and there is no one else like him.

Trombone Shorty is equally adept on trombone and trumpet and is a man to be reckoned with on both. A product of New Orleans' culturally rich Treme neighborhood, Trombone Shorty was a bandleader by the age of six.

While navigating New Orleans with his band in tow, he was also absorbing lessons from his older brother James, a dynamic musical performer known as "Satchmo of the Ghetto." By the time Trombone Shorty was twelve, he had a Ph.D. in the ways of the streets, which you can still hear in his music.

During a visit to a small New Orleans club, Bono and the Edge saw the 12-year-old trombone player. "We walked in and the place was jumping. There was this little funk band, but they were all playing brass instruments, which is something I'd never heard of or seen before," The Edge recalled. "We were just mesmerized by him. I ended up with Bono, after a few tequilas, dancing with a bunch of girls on the top of the bar. It was one of those sort of nights."

Now, at 23, Trombone Shorty has grown into a performer who commands the stage while emanating an elegance and class gleaned from his successful studies at the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. As a graduate, he joined the ranks of alums like Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., and Nicholas Payton. Another alum, Wynton Marsalis, said of him, "Troy possesses the rarest combination of talent, technical capability and down home soul. I'm his biggest fan."

Shorty has attracted many such legends to his high-profile fanbase, and the diverse and notable names he has performed and soloed with include Norah Jones at Jazzfest 2007, Diana Krall at Madison Square Garden in 2005, and chart-topping rapper Juvenile at VoodooFest 2008.

In 2009, New Orleans' premier music magazine, Offbeat, awarded Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Best R&B/Funk Band for the second year in a row. Trombone Shorty himself picked up an award for Best Trumpet and he has been named Performer of The Year twice. His success - and his promise - has been recognized by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on one of the Fest's two annual official posters. He is the youngest artist to be featured on the poster by 18 years - the next youngest was Wynton Marsalis, who was featured at age 41.
The four years leading up to being tapped for the Jazzfest poster saw Trombone Shorty's profile grow virtually month-by-month. In 2005, he was tapped by Lenny Kravitz to be a featured member of his horn section for the 63-date Electric Church world tour that in North America supported Aerosmith's Rockin' the Joint tour.
In London in 2006, Trombone Shorty worked with producer Bob Ezrin and U2 at Abbey Road Studios. This association led to Trombone Shorty performing with U2 and Green Day during the New Orleans Superdome's post-Katrina re-opening spectacular during Monday Night Football. The show aired live on ESPN and was also broadcast internationally by Westwood One.

Also in 2006, Trombone Shorty made his acting debut on the NBC television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Leading a group of New Orleans musicians, his haunting trumpet performance of the holiday classic "O Holy Night" drew such an enthusiastic response from viewers that NBC released the single for free download on the NBC.com home page.

Trombone Shorty has been profiled by Good Morning America and USA Today and was featured on "Whole Lotta Loving," a collaboration with Lenny Kravitz for the 2007 album Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. When the 2008 NBA All-Star game was played in New Orleans, he was tapped to play on court during player introductions, along with Harry Connick Jr., Kermit Ruffins, and Branford Marsalis.

THE FUTURE IS SUPAFUNKROCK

The here and now finds Trombone Shorty a fully developed performer bursting into the international consciousness. It's always a challenge to find an appropriate label for artists who make something uniquely their own from a variety of influences. In the case of Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, the band created its own tagline for its high-octane music: SupaFunkRock. The group's performances have been known to run for hours at an energy level that few others could sustain for a much shorter performance.

The seeds for Orleans Avenue were sown at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, and the group has since evolved into a six-piece touring phenomenon. With Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dwayne Williams on percussion and Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax, their performances transcend the boundaries of generation and classification. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue have been drawing ever-growing crowds based largely on word of mouth excitement about their knockout shows, night after night. Making the most of limited time off, they are currently recording new songs that capture the band's rare combination of virtuosity and high-energy party intensity - the next accomplishment to watch for in the career of this unparalleled young artist.

Kermit returns to the Hiro Ballroom soon...

2011-09-12T10:36:00.000-04:00

RIP: Wardell Quezergue, R&B Great

2011-09-06T12:41:00.001-04:00

New Orleans arranger, producer and bandleader Wardell Quezergue passed away this morning at East Jefferson Hospital in Metairie at age 81. The cause of death is not yet known, but Quezergue was in declining health in recent years.

Wardell Quezergue. Photo by Greg Miles.

Quezergue arranged and produced many soul and R&B classics, including Professor Longhair’s “Big Chief,” Robert Parker’s “Barefootin’,” Phil Phillips’ “Sea of Love,” the Dixie Cups’ “Chapel of Love,” King Floyd’s “Groove Me,” Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” and Dorothy Moore’s “Misty Blue.” When OffBeat‘s John Swenson interviewed him in late 2007, he recalled how he and drummer Smokey Johnson wrote the New Orleans’ classic, “It Ain’t My Fault”:

We had an office on Orleans Avenue and he came in and he said “Quiz”—he used to call me Quiz—he said, “I have something I want you to hear. I want you to record this on me.” “Okay, let me hear it.” He started to diddle with his hands on my desk—dump de-dump dump dump diddle ump de-dump dump dump. I said, “That’s a good beat. Where’s the melody?” He said, “That’s where you come in!”

In his later years, Quezergue and Johnson were involved in a lawsuit over unpaid royalties for the song. The suit was settled earlier this year.

Despite being legally blind since 2005, he continued to work as much as he could. When the Ponderosa Stomp arranged for Quezergue’s orchestra to perform, he would write new charts by dictating them to his son, Brian. In our current issue, the Stomp’s Ira Padnos remembers asking Mac Rebennack if he would perform “Storm Warning” and some of the guitar-based songs he recorded before adopting the Dr. John persona at the 2008 Stomp. “As long as Wardell [Quezergue] does the arrangements, I’ll be willing to take a stab at it, ” said Rebennack, who also had Quezergue do the arrangements for his 1992 album “Goin’ Back to New Orleans and 2004′s N’Awlinz: Dis Dat or d’Udda.

Quezergue’s signature was the bigness of his sound, using large horn sections and strings. He was known as “the Creole Beethoven,” but he explained the nickname’s origins to Swenson with gentle, self-mocking humor:

The thing with [Professor Longhair] is this: Fess, he had to sing live, he never did overdubs as far as I know. I think that was one of the reasons Earl [King] sang on “Big Chief.” That was the first time I worked with the Professor. “Big Chief” had five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones and five rhythm parts. Artists weren’t used to working with bands like that. I guess that’s how I got the nickname “Creole Beethoven”—not because I’m so brainy; it’s just that everything I did was so loud.

Quezergue was given an honorary degree by Loyola in 2009, and his career was celebrated in New York City that July in an event at Alice Tully Hall.

Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars this Thursday @ Hiro Ballroom

2011-08-23T10:11:00.003-04:00

Voice of the Wetlands Allstars: Tab Benoit, Anders Osborne, Cyril Neville, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux , Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux & more

VOICE OF THE WETLANDS ALL-STARS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR FIRST WESTERN U.S. TOUR WITH RAVING REVIEWS AND SOLD OUT SHOWS FROM BOULDER, CO TO SAN DIEGO, CA, AND UP THROUGH SEATTLE, WA. TAB BENOIT, CYRIL NEVILLE, ANDERS OSBORNE, JOHNNY VIDACOVICH, BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX, JOHNNY SANSONE AND WAYLON THIBODEAUX EMBARKED ON A 16-DATE TOUR IN TWENTY-ONE DAYS TAKING THEIR MUSIC AND MESSAGE OUTSIDE OF LOUISIANA.

THE ALL-STARS' PHYSICAL, DEMANDING PERFORMANCE PRESENTED A POWERFUL BLEND OF SOULFUL BLUES, NEW ORLEANS FUNK, HOODOO RHYTHMS, CAJUN ZYDECO, AND GRITTY ROCK. AUDIENCES EXPERIENCED A SHOW ONLY PREVIOUSLY SEEN AT THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL.

LEAD BY VOW FOUNDER, TAB BENOIT, THE VOW ALL-STARS ACHIEVED MUSICAL SUCCESS, AS WELL AS GAINED NATIONAL SUPPORT AND ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS OF LOUISIANA'S WETLANDS. BENOIT'S WORDS AND THE ALL-STARS' MUSIC INFLUENCED AUDIENCES IN ALL SIXTEEN MARKETS. PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF LOUISIANA WERE MOTIVATED TO CARE AND TAKE ACTION FOR A DOMESTIC CRISIS THAT ULTIMATELY AFFECTS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY - ENVIRONMENTALLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND CULTURALLY. WHILE THE VOW ALL-STARS ARE MUSICIANS BY TRADE, THEY HAVE BECOME THE AMBASSADROS OF LOUISIANA'S FIGHT TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE A NATIONAL TREASURE AND A VITAL PART OF THE U.S.

Other upcoming NolaFunky shows...

The Economist Q&A: Galactic, a funk band

2011-08-18T10:16:00.001-04:00

That New Orleans sound

The Economist Q&A: Galactic, a funk band

WHEN performing live, Galactic makes playing funk music look easy. It isn't. Delivering precise, tight funk is hard work, but this five-piece New Orleans band seems to power through their shows as if they could keep it all going endlessly. Their most recent album, "The Other Side of Midnight: Live in New Orleans", captures that energy and plenty of the flavour of the Big Easy. It was recorded during a sold-out show at Tipitinas, a legendary local club, and features some well-known local musicians such as Cyril Neville and Trombone Shorty.
Galactic has a unique sound built from eclectic influences—jazz, rap, electronica, jam-band music and bounce (a local take on hip hop)—honed over years of performing live. They have shared the stage with B.B. King and The Roots, among others, and they have recorded with a variety of other artists. "From the Corner to the Block" (2007) featured a slew of rappers and MCs including Boots Riley of The Coup and Gift of Gab from Blackalicious.

But the band remains devoted to the New Orleans music scene and often collaborates with local talent. "Ya-Ka-May" (2010), the last album, was a love letter to the city (named after a traditional New Orleans soup). “The Other Side of Midnight” is a fine follow-up, but still no match for seeing these guys in person.

Now on a world tour, the band's guitarist, Jeff Raines, answered a few questions from the road via e-mail about the new album, the music of New Orleans and learning from other musicians.

Why did you decide to make a live album from New Orleans?

We recorded our new album for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost is that we live here and wanted to record in the most comfortable environment possible. We also wanted to have options in terms of inviting our musician friends from around town to come play. Our own studio is close by. We did our first live album at Tips exactly ten years ago so we felt like it made sense on that level as well.

From a musical or cultural standpoint, what's changed in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina?

From a musical standpoint I don’t think all that much has changed since the storm. Certainly in the first few years there were less people playing music and going out to the clubs. These days the club scene seems pretty vibrant. There are new brass bands popping up and the bounce rap scene has been getting some national attention.

How does your new album reflect New Orleans music and culture as it is today?

I think this record reflects what Galactic has been doing recently. We have been touring with a fantastic trombone player so we are bringing a more full-bodied horn section feel. Having Cyril Neville on the show singing at that venue also strikes me as being something special to New Orleans.

How have collaborations changed your sound or approach to songwriting?

When we go into our demo-writing process the material that might lend itself to having some kind of vocal element becomes obvious. We sometimes will send the artist we are working with a few ideas and go from there.

What sets funk apart from other music genres? What makes funk "funk"?

I guess funk represents a certain feel in music that usually makes you want to get up.

What is Galactic's version of funk? How is your music unique?

We’ve been able to develop a sound over many albums and years of touring. I think a lot of that comes about through a shared history of playing shows together.

You've sometimes been called a "jazz jam" band. Do you embrace that or shrug it off?

We don’t pay much attention to names the media invent to try and classify what we are doing.

What's the most recognisable way New Orleans has shaped the sound of your band?

Through the songs we’ve learned and then done our own versions of. We’ve always covered songs by local brass bands or our local musical heroes. I think learning all this music has affected us as a band.

Galactic is now on tour. The band is at work on their next studio album, to be released next spring.

Watch: Trombone Shorty Plays Conan O'Brien

2011-08-16T10:44:00.001-04:00

Newport Jazz 2011: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Live In Concert

2011-08-08T13:16:00.000-04:00

Listen to the set HERE.

In New Orleans, jazz is a building block, a musical foundation. Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, fully embraces the future-funk and grimy rock backbeats which bring crowds to their feet. But at his core, he's also a phenomenal jazz trombonist and singer from the Tremé neighborhood. Stardom awaits with the upcoming release of For True; here, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue preview their headlining Newport Jazz Festival set with this more intimate Quad Stage show.

Personnel: Trombone Shorty, trombone/trumpet/voice; Tim McFatter, tenor saxophone; Dan Oestreicher, baritone saxophone; Peter Murano, guitar; Michael Ballard, bass; Robert Peebles, drums; Dwayne Williams, percussion.

Bluegrass and Jazz Bands, With More in Common Than You’d Think

2011-07-26T12:41:00.001-04:00

By BEN RATLIFF

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Del McCoury’s bluegrass group and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band did the proper adult thing on Wednesday night: they resolved their differences, surrounded by expensive claret.

On “American Legacies” (McCoury Music), their recent joint album, they’ve explicitly made their traditions melt together. This is an old story. Louis Armstrong did it with Jimmie Rodgers; Wynton Marsalis did it with Willie Nelson. The pairing is not a stretch, though it can seem to be. For the first half of the 20th century bands from putatively different traditions implicitly understood their common origins and points of crossover. And their repertories overlapped. Type in the song title “Corrine, Corrina” on YouTube and you’ll get Red Nichols’s jazz version, Bo Carter’s string-band blues version, and various shades of country into rock ’n’ roll from the Collins Kids, Ray Peterson, Brooks & Dunn, Big Joe Turner, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Or you could do the same with “Milenberg Joys,” which the combined bands played near the end of their set at City Winery on Wednesday. It’s a song that Mr. McCoury — raised in the Black Mountain region of North Carolina — knew because he used to play it in Bill Monroe’s band, and the jazz group knew because Jelly Roll Morton wrote it. (The dynastic Preservation Hall band, from New Orleans, was founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe, parents of its current tuba player and director, Ben Jaffe; it has no original members, but the current lineup is full of familial and professional ties to the group’s past.) In that song, and in a few other places, the musicians did right by the audience: they made music subtly pan across the stage, from one band to another, so you could hear the difference in rhythmic temperament, whether in grooves or in solos.

At full strength 12 musicians stood onstage, jazz guys to the left, bluegrass to the right. The Preservation Hall band used funk and parade beats and slid into the beginning of each bar, making the “one” indistinct; by contrast, Mr. McCoury’s group bit down hard on it.

Although Mr. McCoury filled half the set with his high, clean, no-nonsense voice, there was a lot more Preservation Hall in the mix; trumpet, trombone, saxophone and tuba walked all over guitar, banjo, mandolin and string bass. (The singing styles of the Preservation Hall musicians — the trumpeter Mark Braud and the saxophonist Clint Maedgen — take up more space than Mr. McCoury, through various shades of showiness.) And the Preservation Hall band’s strong drummer, Joe Lastie, stamped an irrefutable, seductive groove deep into each song.

There were lessons and discoveries in all of that, but you wouldn’t want to overthink it; the music was too amiable and easy to like.

NY Times: At 100, [Lionel Ferbos is] Still Keeping Time as the Leader of the Band

2011-07-26T11:27:00.001-04:00

By DAVE THIER

NEW ORLEANS — At midnight last Saturday, friends and well-wishers sang “Happy Birthday” to the trumpet player who led the band that night at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe. When they finished, the trumpet player turned to a few young women sitting behind him.

“Have you ever kissed a hundred-year-old man?” he asked.

The next night, jazz royalty from around the city turned out for Lionel Ferbos’s birthday party, amazed that one of their colleagues could have made it a full century. The wide Ferbos brood of tan-skinned Creoles with thin faces, pointy noses and impossible grace dominated the room, but men in seersucker suits with white straw hats and other appropriate characters filled it out. It being New Orleans, there was also a sparkly gold top hat, a red feathered sash and copious fleurs-de-lis.

Mr. Ferbos himself, with a brown suit, thick plastic glasses, deep jowls and bushy eyebrows, held court in the middle of the room, collecting birthday cards and hundred-dollar bills to pin to his chest in the New Orleans birthday tradition.

After a little while, he took the stage the way he has done every Saturday night for two decades, crooning old standards in a smooth, muddy voice. The bands are smaller than they were in the 1930s, he says, but most everything else is the same.

“It’s the same music,” he said. “We’re playing the same numbers we were playing 80 years ago.”

In a city obsessed with keeping its particular past breathing into the present, Mr. Ferbos stands as a rare example of the long journey that early jazz has taken to come to 2011 intact. He and his songs have stayed the same not just through Hurricane Katrina, but through Hurricane Betsy and the flooding in 1995 as well. They saw Vietnam, World War II, the Great Depression (he is the last surviving member of the New Orleans Works Progress Administration jazz band) and the invention of rock and roll. His face shows some of the wear of eight decades of playing. His music does not.

After the break, some local celebrities in attendance took the stage and modernized the music by a couple of decades. James Andrews, “The Satchmo of the Ghetto,” worked the crowd as audience members pulled out parasols and napkins and started parading. Irvin Mayfield, a bandleader and club owner, joined him in a slim-cut black suit and a white shirt with no tie.

Mr. Ferbos stayed in the corner, his knees bouncing in time with the music, his face occasionally appearing behind the outsize personalities dancing in front of him.

Mr. Ferbos was never a star. Until his considerable talent for longevity eclipsed his musical prowess, he was always an ensemble player. He played dance halls when his music was pop, and sit-down restaurants like the Palm Court later on. Unlike nearly every other musician in the city, he still reads his melodies off sheet music. He started playing before Louis Armstrong made improvising popular.

He was a worker, and still is, practicing every day to stay sharp. At his party, much younger men were yawning while he was still receiving a near-endless stream of birthday wishes.

A man went up to him and said, “Hope to make it next year!”

“Me too,” Mr. Ferbos replied, and laughed.

Watch: Preservation Hall Jazz Band on David Letterman

2011-07-20T10:09:00.000-04:00

Upcoming: Rebirth @ South Street Seaport & Kermit @ Hiro Ballroom

2011-07-03T09:14:00.001-04:00

My Spoonful: Big Freedia

2011-07-03T08:48:00.003-04:00

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Big Freedia

June 28, 2011

hometown: New Orleans, LA

categories: Hip-Hop, Rap

Big Freedia - It's a Shame (Crazy Big Dunkey)

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why you should check them out:

In case you aren’t aware, “Diva” is the female version of a hustler, and Bounce-rapper Big Freedia is one Queen Diva. We’ve seen entire audiences – men, women and children – capitulating to her hard-hitting rhymes, provocative back-up dancers and stupefying trademark rump-shaking move.

background check:

Big Freedia didn’t define Bounce music – a vein of hip-hop that originated in the New Orleans projects – but she’s at the helm of its recent rise, specifically the derivative “Sissy Bounce”, sissy being the moniker for biological men with varied and ambiguous sexual identities. Born male as Freddie Ross, she’s been a mainstay in New Orleans clubs since dubbing herself Big Freedia and wowing crowds with her performances that showcase the fun and open genre known for featuring overtly gay and cross-dressing subject matter. The sound is a specific one, defined by a heavily rhythmic, repetitive beat and call and response refrain -each song keeps you literally bouncing up and down for the entire set.

Though she’s been grinding for a long time, Freedia’s sexually charged themes and booty-licious stage parades were ripe for the viral video craze of the modern internet age. Freedia released An Ha, Oh Yeah in 1999 but it wasn’t until Big Freedia Hitz Vol. 1 dropped in 2010 that she really began to pick up steam outside of New Orleans and videos began popping up all over the internet demonstrating her energetic performances and infectious anthems. Mainstream success followed with a feature in the New York Times, guest appearances on HBO’s Treme and several key spots in major festivals.

We’re not sure how Freedia makes the time for her own interior decorating business on top of everything else, but that’s exactly what she runs back in New Orleans, and we think it only makes sense; this boundary-shattering entertainer not only inspires those that admire her musical and personal values, but aesthetically, she’s a whole other force to be reckoned with.

by Jaime Nabrynski

website: http://www.bigfreedia.com/

on tour: click here

buy more music: click here

WWLTV: Mardi Gras Indian Chief Bo Dollis receives major national honor

2011-06-24T09:53:00.001-04:00

Credit: J. Nash Porter / NEA

Dominic Massa / Eyewitness News

NEW ORLEANS -- It isn’t very often that a Mardi Gras Indian travels from the streets of Central City to the Library of Congress, but Chief Bo Dollis will do just that in September. That’s when he’ll receive one of the nation’s highest honors for folk arts – a National Heritage Fellowship and $25,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The award, to be announced Friday, is the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Dollis is one of nine recipients this year. Another Mardi Gras Indian icon - Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana, who died in 2005 - was honored with the same award in 1987.

Dollis, 67, is leader of the Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indian tribe. He has masked as an Indian for more than 45 years and become known even more for his musical talents, performing signature songs such as “Handa Wanda” with the Wild Magnolias.

In its citation honoring him, the National Endowment for the Arts praises Dollis for taking “the music and traditions of New Orleans from community gatherings to festivals and concert halls in cities all over the world.”

A native of Central City, Dollis became chief of the Wild Magnolias, named for the neighborhood’s Magnolia St., in 1964. As a young man, he first became exposed to the Indian traditions through the White Eagles tribe and later masked for the first time with the Golden Arrows.

Dollis and the Wild Magnolias performed at the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and have since performed with New Orleans music greats such as Allen Toussaint, Earl King and Snooks Eaglin.

Dollis and the other NEA honorees will be invited to travel to Washington, D.C. in September for an awards presentation and banquet at the Library of Congress, as well as a concert.

“These artists represent the highest level of artistic mastery and we are proud to recognize their achievements,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman in a news release. “Through their contributions, we have been challenged, enlightened, and charmed, and we thank them for devoting their careers to expanding and supporting their art forms.”

Dollis joins previous Louisiana honorees including the Treme Brass Band, New Orleans jazzman Dr. Michael White and Cajun artists Michael Doucet, Dewey Balfa and “Boozoo” Chavis, as well as the co-founders of the Louisiana favorites, the Hackberry Ramblers: Luderin Darbone and Edwin Duhon.

Nationally-known honorees in the past have included bluesman B.B. King, bluegrass icon Bill Monroe and gospel greats Shirley Caesar and Mavis Staples.

Village Voice: Beyond Jazzfest, Ruffled Feathers in New Orleans

2011-06-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

Cultural growing pains in a rebuilt city

By Larry Blumenfeld

Near the end of Donald Harrison Jr.’s Congo Square Stage set on the opening Friday of this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, after the saxophonist segued from groove-jazz to bebop to something too rhythmically slippery to name, he walked quietly offstage. Minutes later, announced by tambourines and shrouded by red feathers with black highlights, he was back; only now he was Big Chief of the Congo Nation, enacting a tradition inherited from his father, who, during his life, was Big Chief of four different Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Harrison led his band through “Hey Pocky Way,” a modest 1974 hit for the Meters (and later for the Neville Brothers) with a title adapted from the Indians’ inscrutable language.

The Mardi Gras Indians are the most mysterious and essential of the indigenous cultures that define New Orleans; together with traditional jazz musicians, brass bands, and the Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs who mount Sunday-afternoon second-line parades, they’ve infused all strands of locally bred music since at least Jelly Roll Morton’s day. Beyond that, they’ve helped revive a city nearly left for dead in 2005. When Harrison fronts “A Night in Treme” at Brooklyn’s MetroTech Commons and Manhattan’s Jazz Standard this week, he’ll reference his ongoing roles—in cameo, as the basis for fictional characters, and as a script adviser—in HBO’s Treme, which showcases the primacy and power of New Orleans culture.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

Win Tickets to Galactic @ Brooklyn Bowl

2011-06-21T22:04:00.001-04:00

WIN TIX TO GALACTIC

// WIN 2 TIX TO GALACTIC //

featuring Corey Glover (of Living Colour), Corey Henry (Rebirth Brass Band) and very special guests Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5), Warren Haynes and Steven Bernstein (of Sex Mob)

Tuesday, June 21 – Friday June 24

How do we even begin? Four nights of insanity to say the least–but who wants to cut this unparalleled 4 night stint short, anyway? We’re amped to announce that the one, the only…Galactic are taking over on June 21-24th. This New Orleans-based supergroup is set to play some of your favorite tracks in the genres of jazz, funk, r&b, rock, gospel–and one that the band can take credit for exposing–bounce. Let us repeat the facts. Four nights. Four sets that are guaranteed to blow your mind. Five extremely talented musicians. One band. Two free tickets to any one show. Zero catch.

That’s right… we’re giving way 2 FREE TICKETS to any one of the four shows to one lucky fan. See below for entry details.

***

Tues, 6/21 (ft. Chali 2na, Corey Glover, Corey Henry) :: Doors at 6 // Show at 8 :: Buy Tix

Wed, 6/22 (ft. Warren Haynes, Corey Glover, Corey Henry, Jamie McLean Band) :: Doors at 6 // Show at 8 :: Buy Tix

Thurs, 6/23 (ft. Corey Glover, Corey Henry) :: Doors at 6 // Show at 8 :: Buy Tix

Fri, 6/24 (ft. Steven Bernstein, Corey Glover, Corey Henry, The High & Mighty Brass Band) :: Doors at 6 // Show at 8 :: Ltd. Tix Available at Doors

***

ENTER 2 WIN ON TWITTER

How do YOU rep NOLA in NYC? Best answer wins 2 tix to Galactic on 6/21-6/24! http://bkbwl.com/GALACTIC #GalacticBB

**** Must include hashtag #GalacticBB ****

ENTER 2 WIN ON FACEBOOK

How do YOU rep NOLA in NYC? Best answer wins 2 tix to Galactic on 6/21-6/24! http://bkbwl.com/GALACTIC

Upcoming: Zigaboo / Big Sam Co-Bill @ Hiro Ballroom

2011-06-14T11:51:00.003-04:00

Listen Live: Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ City Winery

2011-05-26T20:30:00.000-04:00

FROM NEW ORLEANS...

...to New York City, it's an FUV Live broadcast with Preservation Hall Jazz Band from the stage of City Winery! Listen live, tonight at 8pm.

Upcoming: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter "Wolfman" Washington & Russell Batiste

2011-05-26T14:35:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow night!

CEG & Nolafunk.com Present

Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter "Wolfman" Washington & Russell Batiste
with Outer Borough Brass Band followed by MiloZ

Friday, May 27, 2011 8:30 PM
Sullivan Hall, New York, NY

Upcoming: Radiators Final NYC Show Ever.

2011-05-26T14:33:00.000-04:00

BEST BUY THEATER
8:00 PM (doors 7:00 PM) | 16 & Up | $26.00 - $30.00

BUY

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INFO

NPR: Renard Poché: Snoballs And Sultry Funk

2011-05-23T14:49:00.001-04:00

by Diane Bock

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2011/05/23/136578139/renard-poch-snoballs-and-sultry-funk

Diane Bock for NPR

New Orleans multi-instrumentalist Renard Poché is a true musician's musician. The short list of his collaborators includes Crescent City musical royalty Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, and Dr. John.

Poché's work isn't confined to New Orleans. He's also teamed up with Herbie Hancock, Bono, and Peter Gabriel. And as bandleader, his most recent release 4u 4me is a delectable mix of funk and soul, fused with jazz, Latin, rock and hip-hop.

At this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Poché, along with fellow musicians Leslie Smith and Terrin "Greezy" Gren, played a captivating acoustic set at the Allison Miner Stage. Afterwards, Poché headed for the food area, where he shared some Jazz Fest memories and favorite food picks with independent radio producer Diane Bock.

The 50 Best New Orleans Rap Songs

2011-05-23T10:07:00.000-04:00

As the rebellious love child of old-school New York hip hop's rigid traditionalism and its own city's rich musical legacy, New Orleans' hip hop scene has always been one of the most fascinatingly distinctive. From the chant-heavy, repetitive bounce that ruled the area in the early '90s to its more streamlined and lyrical sibling that took over the national charts by the end of the decade, the city's scene(s) thrived on this unique push-and-pull relationship. In this time New Orleans' hip-hop circuit produced some of the genre's biggest stars and most unheralded talents. And much like the city itself, it has seen both its highs and very low lows, but it's still here, surviving.

In 2011, No Limit celebrates its 20th anniversary, Cash Money still rules the charts (albeit with a sound that has very little to do with the city that birthed it), and bounce sees its highest mainstream critical profile in years, with artists like Big Freedia becoming hipster darlings and David Simon's recently relaunched HBO series Treme taking a long-delayed interest in the genre. To celebrate that great legacy, Complex took a look back at The 50 Best New Orleans Rap Songs. The city's scene is so deep that 50 only scratches its surface, but the list offers a solid cross-section of the many styles and subscenes that the city has produced over the years, from major national hits to records that only impacted on the underground level.

Written By Andrew No

Win Tix: The Radiators Farewell Tour on Friday, June 3rd at Best Buy Theater!

2011-05-20T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Last Roundup: The Radiators Farewell Tour

Enter to win tickets to see The Last Roundup: The Radiators Farewell Tour on Friday, June 3rd at Best Buy Theater!

The Radiators were formed in New Orleans in 1978, the result of a casual afternoon jam session in keyboardist Ed Volker’s garage. Volker, drummer Fran Bua, Jr.and guitarist Camile Baudoin were then members of the Rhapsodizers. Guitarist Dave Malone and bassist Reggie Scanlan were in another band, Roadapple, and the magic the 5 musicians conjured up that afternoon was just what they’d all been searching for. Later that same week they learned several original songs that they still play today.

Best Buy Theater
1515 Broadway
New York, NY

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit:
bestbuytheater.com

WIN TIX TO GARAGE A TROIS

2011-05-19T17:13:00.001-04:00

// WIN 2 TIX GARAGE A TROIS! //

FT. STANTON MOORE, SKERIK, MARCO BENEVENTO & MIKE DILLON

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Hold onto your pint glasses, it’s gonna be a WILD night. That is, when mind-blowingly reckless, unapologetic jam-masters Garage A Trois throw down at the Bowl this Saturday night. The New Orleans-based band is prepared to blow your mind with flip-of-the-switch changes between punk-rock and freak-jazz and everything in between. They’ve been called “a transformative, punkalectic, pornographic seizure of sight and sound,” and who doesn’t wanna get down with that?

Garage A Trois = Stanton Moore, Skerik, Marco Benevento and Mike Dillon. ‘Nuff said.

You’re in luck–we’re giving away 2 FREE TICKETS to see Garage A Trois. See below for details.

***

Don’t want to wait to WIN? Buy Tix NOW

Doors at 6 // Show at 8 :: 21+

$12

***

ENTER 2 WIN ON TWITTER

RT to win 2 FREE TIX to GARAGE A TROIS on Sat, 5/21! http://bkbwl.com/GarageATrois #GATbb

**** Must include hashtag # ****

ENTER 2 WIN ON FACEBOOK

Comment to win 2 FREE TIX to GARAGE A TROIS on Sat, 5/21! http://bkbwl.com/GarageATrois

In Pictures: Kermit Ruffins & BBQ Swingers @ Highline Ballroom

2011-05-19T12:31:00.004-04:00

photos by Dino Perrucci

Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/17/11

Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/17/11

Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/17/11

Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/17/11

Henry Butler - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/17/11

Henry Butler - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/17/11

Kermit Ruffins & Eric Lindell - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/18/11

Eric Lindell - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/18/11

Myles Weeks - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/18/11

Kermit Ruffins - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/18/11

Derrick Freeman - Highline Ballroom, NYC 5/18/11

Exclusive Contest: Win VIP tix to Michael Arnone's 22nd Annual Crawfish Fest.

2011-05-18T11:58:00.002-04:00

For the 4th consecutive year, I'm pleased to offer an exclusive ticket giveaway in connection with Michael Arnone's annual NolaFunky Crawfish Fest.

This year, we're offering a pair of tickets good for Saturday & Sunday, as well as access to the main stage Pit area.

Just follow the directions below for your chance to win...

In order to win, just email me (nolafunk at hotmail dot com) with: your name, email, and the NolaFunky guest sit-in (i.e. one artist on the bill sitting in with another) you'd be most excited to witness at this year's Fest. I'll be picking a winner at random and will send email confirmation to the winner only.

See the last NY-area Rads show EVER...

Here are the rest of this year's NolaFunky artists...

Upcoming: Radiators @ Brooklyn Bowl on June 2 (Tix onsale today.)

2011-05-18T11:39:00.002-04:00

The Radiators

June 2

Brooklyn Bowl

On Sale Today@ At Noon

: official website; myspace
: The Radiators were formed in New Orleans in 1978, the result of a casual afternoon jam session in keyboardist Ed Volker’s garage. Volker, drummer Fran Bua, Jr.and guitarist Camile Baudoin were then members of the Rhapsodizers. Guitarist Dave Malone and bassist Reggie Scanlan were in another band, Roadapple, and the magic the 5 musicians conjured up that afternoon was just what they’d all been searching for. Later that same week they learned several original songs that they still play today.

They soon became an integral part of the re-vitalization of the New Orleans music scene that saw the growth of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the birth of the city’s premier music club, Tipitina’s. The band played with many legends of New Orleans music: Professor Longhair, Jessie Hill and Ernie K-Doe, as well as being Earl King’s regular back-up band for many years. A favorite party band for college students throughout the eighties, The Radiators toured extensively all over the U.S., often playing 4 night stands at New York’s musical mecca, The Lone Star Café. Signed by Epic Records in 1987, they released 3 studio albums, which received widespread radio play and featured such Rads’ classics as “Like Dreamers Do”, “Doctor Doctor”, “Confidential” and “Suck The Head”. Currently the band operates their own label, Radz Records, which has re- released 5 classic Rads’ CDs, Heat Generation, Work Done On Premises, Bucket Of Fish, New Dark Ages and The Radiators. In addition in July 2008 the label released the critically acclaimed 30th Anniversary 2 -CD compilation Wild & Free and in May 2009 the band released The Lost Southlake Sessions, recorded in the early 90’s and thought to have been lost to the floods and humidity of New Orleans.

Time has seasoned The Radiators, but far from slowing down they still keep up a brisk and comprehensive touring schedule playing close to 150 dates a year all over the country. Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Bob Weir, Maceo Parker, David Bromberg and George Porter Jr. are just some of the luminaries who have sat in with the band through the years. In addition The Radiators have held down one of the coveted closing spots at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for 20+ years and….yes, you can still find onstage at Tips and all of the legendary New Orleans’ clubs.

Tonight & Tomorrow: Kermit Ruffins @ Highline Ballroom! (w/ Henry Bulter & Eric Lindell)

2011-05-17T10:50:00.001-04:00

New Orleans is the only place on the planet that could have produced native son Kermit Ruffins. Whether he’s blowing trumpet on a Louis Armstrong classic or one of his own hot numbers, Ruffins embraces the tune with the true spirit of the city. Ruffins’ music, like New Orleans itself, swings hard with a big heart as it remembers tradition and the importance of good-timin’ fun. Born on Dec. 19, 1964 (sharing the birthdate with New Orleans’ legend Professor Longhair!), Ruffins is a modern hipster in possession of an old soul.

Special guest openers Henry Butler (May 17) www.highlineballroom.com

and Eric Lindell (May 18)
www.highlineballroom.com

only add to the fun!

Upcoming: Big Sam's Funky Nation & Zigaboo Modelist Band @ Hiro Ballroom

2011-05-12T14:38:00.000-04:00

NPR's Threadhead Records: A Musicians' Bank, Birthed On Message Boards

2011-05-12T10:22:00.000-04:00

Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Trumpeter Shamarr Allen, who has recorded both as a leader and sideman for Threadhead Records-funded projects, plays at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

The Botanical Gardens in New Orleans City Park is a small jewel hidden behind a black iron fence. Statues of flutists and fauns stand beneath dripping Spanish moss, and walkways are lined with flowers in bloom.

On April 28, the doors to the Gardens were thrown open for Threadhead Thursday, a free concert on the night before this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The show featured some of Threadhead Records' top acts: Paul Sanchez, Shamarr Allen, the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Ensemble Fatien and Alex McMurray. The event marked the arrival of the four-year-old company as one of the top record labels for New Orleans music today.

That arrival is all the more remarkable for being driven by a non-profit group of volunteers. They started as fans, basically — fans from all over the world who shared a love for New Orleans music and who met in the message boards on www.nojazzfest.com. As they sustained long online comment threads, they began to call themselves Threadheads, and made arrangements to meet in person at New Orleans' annual Jazz Fest.

But these were unusually proactive fans.

They weren't content to accept the shows that local promoters put together; they wanted to put on their own concerts. So in 2005, they hired the bands they wanted to hear and ordered the food they wanted to eat for the first annual Threadheads Party. After Katrina, the private party morphed into a fundraiser for the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic.

Having solved the problem of getting the shows they wanted to see, the Threadheads turned their attention to making the records they wanted to buy. At the 2007 party, after a knock-out set by Sanchez, a singer-songwriter, and jazz vocalist John Boutte, Threadhead Chris Joseph asked when the duo was going to release these songs on an album.

"It was an innocent question," Joseph said, chuckling at his own naiveté then about the record business. "Paul said, 'We would if we had the money.' This light bulb went off in my head, and I said, 'How much would it take?' I expected him to say $100,000, but when he said $10,000, I told him, 'I could raise that.' I knew all the Threadheads had been touched by the show, and I figured if they had enough money to go to Jazz Fest, which is not a cheap vacation, they would kick in some money for this."

It worked. The Threadheads raised enough money to make possible Boutte's Good Neighbor and Sanchez's Exit to Mystery Street, both released in 2008. Three years later, Threadhead Records has released 40 albums, including titles by Susan Cowsill (of the Continental Drifters and Cowsills), Glen David Andrews (of Trombone Shorty's Andrews family) and the Honey Island Swamp Band.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Eric Overmyer’s Music Crypt – Part 1

2011-05-11T13:54:00.000-04:00

When I asked Eric Overmyer for a list of songs deserving of wider recognition, I expected a mere list. What I received was a dissertation. We’ll break the list into a few smaller posts. But, taken together, it brings to mind a radio program hosted by Billy Delle on WWOZ called, Records from the Crypt. Every now and then Billy will talk about how he has gone way back in to the annals of the crypt to retrieve some particularly special sonic gem. Most folks don’t have music crypts as deep as Billy’s and Eric’s. The quest for these obscure gems may send you searching online and through stores specializing in old vinyl. Consider Jim Russell’s Records in New Orleans for your rare record needs.

--Lolis

My list of semi-obscure/not-quite forgotten New Orleans/South Louisiana albums/songs/performers/artists. Off the top:

Let's start with the oldest. Danny Barker and The Baby Dodds Trio recorded (possibly) the first versions of Mardi Gras Indian songs, and set what had been plain percussion and chant to instrumentation. Danny was a seminal figure. He was born in the French Quarter, a member of the Barbarin family, founder of the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band, which nurtured several generations of musicians, including Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Leroy Jones, Dr. Michael White, Joseph Torregano and many others, and gave birth to the Dirty Brass Band and thus the whole modern brass band movement. Barker's version of "Indian Red" was heard in Season 1. My favorite tune from those sessions is "Tootie Ma Was A Big Fine Thing," which will also certainly appear on my list of Favorite Carnival and Indian Songs. The current incarnation of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band does a monster version of "Tootie Ma," with Clint Maedgen and Charlie Gabriel honking dueling tenors -- a perfect example of how New Orleans music is transmitted and transmuted down the decades.

As long as we're talking Indian music, how about Champion Jack Dupree and his version of "Yella Pocahontas," which was heard over a car radio in Season 1's Mardi Gras episode. Dupree was orphaned at an early age, his parents killed in a house fire -- which according to local lore was set by the Klan. He was sent to the Colored Waif's Home (Louis Armstrong's alma mater), was a Spy Boy for the Yellow Pocahontas Mardi Gras Indians, and left New Orleans for good in 1930 at the age of 20, for Chicago, and later Europe, becoming like many black musicians an ex-pat refugee from racism. There are a number of versions of "Yella Pocahontas" -- my favorite is the Rounder Records version on ‘The Mardi Gras Indians Super Sunday Showdown’ anthology, which features John Mooney on slide guitar, Walter Payton on bass, and Lil Crip and Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias on backing vocals.

And speaking of the Wild Magnolias, their ground-breaking records from the Seventies, ‘The Wild Magnolias’ and ‘They Call Us Wild,’ done with Willie Tee and his brother Earl Turbinton, which married nasty New Orleans funk and Mardi Gras Indian songs, sound as fresh as ever. We tried to get "New Suit" from ‘They Call Us Wild’ into Season 1's Mardi Gras episode but it was recorded on a French label, Barclay, and we couldn't get the rights -- the French never responded. Check it out -- it'll knock your feathers off.

--Eric Overmyer

Enter to win tickets to see Kermit Ruffins at the Highline Ballroom!

2011-05-06T10:20:00.000-04:00

New Orleans is the only place on the planet that could have produced native son Kermit Ruffins. Whether he’s blowing trumpet on a Louis Armstrong classic or one of his own hot numbers, Ruffins embraces the tune with the true spirit of the city. Ruffins’ music, like New Orleans itself, swings hard with a big heart as it remembers tradition and the importance of good-timin’ fun. Born on Dec. 19, 1964 (sharing the birthdate with New Orleans’ legend Professor Longhair!), Ruffins is a modern hipster in possession of an old soul.

Special guest openers Henry Butler (May 17) www.highlineballroom.com

and Eric Lindell (May 18)
www.highlineballroom.com

only add to the fun!

NPR: Where The Tuba Lives: 5 New Orleans Songs Featuring The Fat Horn

2011-04-26T11:31:00.002-04:00

Where The Tuba Lives: 5 New Orleans Songs Featuring The Fat Horn

by Geoffrey Himes

Kirk Joseph of Dirty Dozen Brass Band on sousaphone.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival begins Friday, and music fans from all over the world will flock to the city's racetrack for seven days of music. A lot of things make New Orleans a one-of-a-kind music town, but one is the tuba, the monstrous brass instrument worn like a python squeezing its victim. When jazz began there after WWI, the tuba supplied the rhythmic bottom. As the music spread to Chicago, New York and beyond, the tuba spread with it, but was soon replaced by the more precise double bass. The hard-to-control (but easy to parade with) tuba soon disappeared from jazz almost everywhere, but not in the music's birthplace.

In New Orleans, even today, having a tuba in the band remains standard operating procedure. It's used not only in the city's countless parades (any excuse will do), not only in the trad-jazz outfits that still flourish there, not only in the new-wave brass bands that mix funk and hip-hop into the old carnival parade music, but also in rock bands such as Bonerama and the Anders Osborne Band and in contemporary jazz bands led by John Ellis and Kermit Ruffins.

Most tuba players in New Orleans play the sousaphone, a kind of tuba designed by John Philip Sousa himself to be easier to carry, with a wider bore for warmer sound and a forward-facing bell for better projection. Music sounds different when it's anchored by a sousaphone rather than an acoustic or electric bass. Because it's a wind instrument rather than a string instrument, the tuba gives New Orleans music a bottom that bubbles rather than twangs. Here are five examples of how the tuba makes its mark on the city's music.

5 New Orleans Songs Featuring The Fat Horn

Tuba Fats
After the heyday of traditional New Orleans jazz had passed, tuba music was kept alive in New Orleans by Allan Jaffe — who led the aptly named Preservation Hall Jazz Band — by Walter Payton (father of modern jazz star Nicholas) and by Tuba Fats. Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen (1950-2004) played with many of the city's top parade ensembles (the Young Tuxedo, Treme, Olympia and Chosen Few Brass Bands) and he showed the way to the tuba's embrace of funkier, bluesier music. You can hear that in this 1985 version of Professor Longhair's carnival standard, "Mardi Gras in New Orleans."

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

It's hard to overestimate the impact of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on New Orleans music. When a group of young and unknown horn players and marching drummers started playing weekly gigs in the late '70s at Daryl's and the Glass House, they expanded the brass-band repertoire beyond the old warhorses to include everything from James Brown to Thelonious Monk, as well as vigorous originals. They played with a muscular funk that was largely propelled by Kirk Joseph's sousaphone. The band convinced a generation that brass-band music was cool and inspired the Rebirth Brass Band, the Soul Rebels Brass Band, the New Birth Brass Band and dozens more. But none of the younger groups had the jazz chops that the Dozen had, as you can hear in this 1985 medley of Monk's "Blue Monk" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday." The Dirty Dozen Brass Band plays the Jazzfest on May 1.

Rebirth Brass Band
The most prominent of the Dirty Dozen's heirs was the Rebirth Brass Band, co-founded in 1982 by three teenagers: trumpeter (and future Treme star) Kermit Ruffins, bass drummer Keith Frazier and tuba player Philip Frazier. They were too young to have sophisticated jazz chops or tastes; they were out to create a distinctive form of New Orleans dance music. They did just that, thanks in large part to the rolling bass lines that rumbled and tumbled out of Frazier's tuba. They summed up their philosophy in this 1989 recording, "Feel Like Funkin' It Up." The Rebirth Brass Band plays the Jazzfest on May 8.

Bonerama
Bonerama gets its name from the fact that four-sevenths of the band are trombonists. But the band's bottom is held down by sousaphonist Matt Perrine, whose ability to play eighth notes and triplets on his unwieldy instrument is showcased here in his 2007 composition, "Bayou Betty." Unlike most of the city's brass bands, Bonerama emphasizes rock 'n' roll over jazz and R&B, giving songs by Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles an unexpected Mardi Gras flavor. Bonerama plays the Jazzfest on May 6.

Anders Osborne
Kirk Joseph, the Dirty Dozen's original tuba player, later played for years with Anders Osborne, the Swedish-born blues singer who settled in New Orleans at age 19 and became one of the city's musical fixtures. With the zeal of a convert, Osborne adopted the local habits, including the use of the tuba to give his blues a percolating feel that one would never hear in nearby Mississippi, much less Sweden. You can hear how he and Joseph feed off each other in this 2001 Osborne original, "Stoned, Drunk and Naked." Osborne plays the Jazzfest on May 1.