New Orleans Jazzfest Giveaway
Enter to win 2 tickets to a wonderful day at the 40th Anniversary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. Visit www.nojazzfest.com for the daily lineup and more information.
Deacon John lived New Orleans history
Deacon John Moore hasn’t just seen five decades of New Orleans music history, he’s lived them. A singer-guitarist, band leader, session musician, solo recording artist and occasional TV star, Moore continues to be a prominent player in his hometown’s music scene. Recent accomplishments include his 2006 election as the first African-American president of the local musicians union and a starring role in the music documentary, Going Back To New Orleans. Three days before the national broadcast of Going Back To New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2007, Hurricane Katrina’s second anniversary, Moore drew news coverage when he and other New Orleans musicians marched in a silent second line from Louis Armstrong Park to the French Quarter.
One Track Mind: Benny Spellman, "Fortune Teller" (1962)
NICK DERISO: Benny Spellman's "Fortune Teller," a witty early-1960s story song, is one of my touchstone party records. Everything about it is perfectly New Orleans, from the pounding piano to this sizzling island-tinged percussion, from a group of yelping, mesmerizingly groovy R&B backup singers to its not one but two gotcha lyrics. Spellman, see, goes to a fortune teller only to be stunned with the news that he's fallen for someone. Problem: Spellman's not seeing anybody. She counters: "When the next sun rises, you'll be looking in her eyes." Morning comes, and nothing. Spellman rushes back to the fortune teller, "mad as I could be. ... Why'd she make a fool of me?" When he gets there, though, the truth blooms before his very eyes: "While looking at the fortune teller, I fell in love!"
John Scofield - Piety Street (2009)
Scofield wanted to make a blues album, but that idea soon evolved into making a gospel record. It evolved further into making a gospel record with a New Orleans flavor. Named after the famed NOLA studio it was recorded in, Piety Street, released last week, marks another surprisingly successful sharp directional change for this most malleable of guitarists.
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For this project, Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart just weren't going to do, as good as they are. Scofield assembled a whole new band perfectly suited for this kind of music: legendary ex-Meters bassist George Porter, Jr., the British-born Bonnie Raitt keyboardist Jon Cleary, Raitt's longtime drummer Ricky Fataar, New Orleans vocalist John Boutté (vocals), and another New Orleans musician, drummer/percussionist Shannon Powell from Harry Connick, Jr.'s band. Neither gospel nor New Orleans R&B is new to Scofield's repertoire; "Heaven Hill" is a church-inspired number he wrote for Blue Matter way back in 1986, and he did a great cover of the Meters' "Sissy Strut" on Flat Out two years later. For Piety Street, though, the plunge is with both feet in. This ain't no "gospel-tinged" music, folks, it's gospel.
Post-K-Ville
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As March in New Orleans was coming to a close, another march in Central City was just getting started. Two children snaked through the ranks of the Treme Brass Band, whose second line trumpeted a horse-drawn hearse. With fans and umbrellas held high, moving to the half-speed strains of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," the group half-stepped past the Payne Memorial Church on Liberty Street, taking a wide left turn onto Toledano Street. And as the song neared its apex, a cry rang out from behind Uncle Lionel Batiste's thumping bass drum.
"Cut!"
Except they didn't. The parade, now halfway down the block, continued on toward LaSalle Street. "Someone stop them," said director Agnieszka Holland. Slowly, like an old phonograph winding down, the music petered out as the players caught on, gradually reversing course and shuffling back to their original spots for a second take.
It was the final hours of filming for Tremé, the pilot episode of David Simon's prospective HBO drama, and already the show had run up against questions of realism — i.e., it was due to wrap almost on schedule. Despite threats of rain and hail, the planned 17-day shoot finished on April 2 with a scene at The Times-Picayune's Howard Street offices.
"THE JAZZFEST COMPANION" : The Weekend Mix
French Quarter Fest Recap: April 17, 2009
April 17th, 2009 marked the kickoff of the 26th annual French Quarter Fest. As the workweek wound down, I listed along with WWOZ’s live broadcast, anxiously racing down to the French Quarter, hoping to catch the tail end of the Honey Island Swamp Band’s set. That unfortunately didn’t happen, but I did arrive in time to hear the powerhouse wail of Irene Sage rip through a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On." It’s always a treat to see Sage, whose presence in the scene has declined over the years. Her husky, unhinged vocals always bring about a good time. She’s the closest thing the Big Easy has to Ann Wilson, and her thunderous closer at FQF, “Soul to Soul,” certainly solidified that comparison.
French Quarter Fest Recap: April 18, 2009
Made to the second day of French Quarter Fest (April 18, 2009) right as Ingrid Lucia began her set at the Esplanade in the Shade stage. Joining the bubbly jazz vocalists were trombonist Mark Mullins (Bonerama), guitarist John Fohl (Dr. John) and drummer Simon Lott – quite the allstar cast! This staggering gang certainly did not disappoint. Mullins’ trombone bellowed along with Lott’s jazzabilly rumble, and Fohl’s dangling guitar rides swept up Lucia’s delicious vocals. Enchanting and indelible, Lucia is one brightest talents in the Big Easy. And nothing compares to spending a sunny day with her sweet croon.
Hot Club of New Orleans lives up to its name at French Quarter FestAbout the only person not moving as the Hot Club of New Orleans swung out Saturday afternoon on a spry set of hot jazz on the steps of the Louisiana Supreme Court building was Chief Justice Edward Douglas White. But he had an excuse: He's a bronze statue.
Wild Magnolias Big Chief Bo Dollis is battling back from serious illness and a bitter dispute
Bo Dollis, leader of the Wild Magnolias, is fighting his way back.
Through grave illness. A rupture with a manager he once trusted. A years-long professional estrangement from Monk Boudreaux, his childhood friend and partner in the Wild Magnolias.
Through it all, his pride remains undiminished, his voice -- one of the most potent in all of New Orleans music -- strong.
Rock 'n Bowl felt like home, even in a shiny new space
All the essential elements were in place when the new Mid-City Lanes Rock 'n Bowl opened for business the evening of Wednesday, April 15.
Live music. Cold beer.
And owner John Blancher atop the bar, gyrating in a hula-hoop alongside his wife Deborah and two bartenders in short skirts.
Congo Squared
Photo by Cheryl Gerber |
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t's been four decades since the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival kicked off in Congo Square in Armstrong Park. The festival has grown exponentially since then, now filling 12 stages and two long weekends at the Fair Grounds. Every day features hundreds of musicians, some traveling from faraway spots around the globe.
One of the featured performances this weekend highlights the heritage of New Orleans music. Wynton Marsalis returns to his hometown with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Ghanian musician Yacub Addy and his Odadaa! band to perform Congo Square, a modern jazz suite uniting musicians from two continents to celebrate common musical roots.
JAZZ FEST 2009 1st Weekend Picks
| Walter “Wolfman” Washington Keepin’ It Funky, Keepin’ It Real |
Take a guitar player from the rhythm and blues pinnacle of the 1950s, sprinkle in the styles of a smattering of influential blues guitarists, overlay funk rhythms, and a uniquely soulful vocal style, and the sum total is Walter “Wolfman” Washington – a staple musician of the New Orleans scene for more than a half of a century.
Frenchy: NOLA’s Artist 
If you live in New Orleans, you should probably know Frenchy by now. He’s a performance painter and while most nights he is found at the Maple Leaf, he also paints at Tipitina’s, Saints and Hornets games, most local festivals, and anywhere he can find excitement and inspiration. Most of his paintings are done in bold, vibrant colors and they are so full of energy that they seem to have a life of their own.
Interview with Reggie Scanlan of The Radiators (Part 2)
Last Tuesday, I posted Part 1 of my interview with Reggie Scanlan, bassist for New Orleans' beloved rock band The Radiators (www.theradiators.org). Among other things, we discussed the roots of New Orleans music; Wild & Free, the CD celebrating the band's 30th anniversary, and the impact and importance of Hurricane Katrina to the New Orleans music scene. We went on to discuss the longevity of the Radiators, why New Orleans musicians are such terrific guest performers, and life on the road.
Dr. John's Prognosis:The blues and rock musician shares stories of his wild past and his concerns for the future.
Mac Rebennack, better known as the musician Dr. John, has been impressing audiences since the 1960s with a stage show deeply rooted in the culture of his native New Orleans. In his heyday, Rebennack would appear on stage in a puff of smoke, decorated in Mardi Gras plumes, bones and amulets, reciting voodoo chants while spreading glitter into the audience. But he is also a highly regarded blues, rock and jazz artist considered a solid songwriter and session musician. In his most recent album, "The City that Care Forgot," he criticizes the government's response to Hurricane Katrina and plays with Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and Ani Difranco. Rebennack, 68, spoke recently with Kenneth Fletcher about his wild past and concerns about the future
An oversize Helm paint can and a sign advertising "Dollar and Beauty Supply Store: 100 percent Human Hair, Wigs, African Ceramics" stand outside 8126 Earhart Blvd..
But those businesses are long gone. A mural on the warehouse's South Carrollton Avenue side announces its future purpose: home of a new Mid-City Lanes Rock n' Bowl.
Inside, a bowling alley emerges from a construction site.
Tootin' his own horn at Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse
Just considering all of the musical, educational, political, community and business activities that Irvin Mayfield has going on is pretty mind-boggling. The trumpeter adds club owner to that list when he, in partnership with the Royal Sonesta Hotel, opens "Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse," on Thursday, March 19, 2009. The resume of the New Orleans, Grammy-nominated, jazz mover and shaker also recently grew to include radio talk show host. He can now be heard every Monday on WGSO at 5 p.m. (re-aired on Sundays at 5 p.m.) on his own hour-long program, "The Life and Times of Irvin Mayfield." This week's guest is actor Wendell Pierce.
Big Sam's Funky Nation | 03.07.09 | S.F.
Boom Boom Room :: San Francisco, CA
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From the first notes of the evening, it was clear that all the band asked of the audience was for us to shake our thangs. This was unapologetic party music, designed to help us leave any worries at the door and focus on the more pressing matter of getting down. With Big Sam Williams at the helm, fueling the fire with vocals and huge blasts of trombone, the Funky Nation hit us with their blend of boisterous funk rock.
Billy Delle returns to the WWOZ airwaves
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The New Orleans Moonshiners at Donna's on Rampart Street Donna's Bar and Grill on Rampart Street is a magical place for brass band jazz in New Orleans. Established fifteen years ago as a venue for brass bands by Donna and Charlie Sims, Donna's is what its owners call "a real joint"—a fair-sized room lit mostly in strands of Christmas lights with a large bar, a small stage and a kitchen in the back where chef-owner Charlie Sims cooks up some great New Orleans and soul-food dishes learned on his many years as a railroad cook on the New Orleans-Chicago line. A coat of paint would only ruin its well-worn interior decorated with large photos of brass bands of days-gone-by.
Mondays are special at Donna's when Charlie brings out a batch of his red beans and rice and barbecue chicken served free during the first break. When Charlie comes out of the back, the place comes alive as the regulars pay homage to the beret-bearing chef, who gladly makes the rounds to talk to familiar faces and new patrons alike. Donna, a long-time science educator, is one of the friendliest people you might ever meet and is a great friend to the many brass bands in the city for her support of their swinging, upbeat music. Donna's is a raucous, entertaining place seven nights a week with a variety of bands playing and dancers dancing.
(Big) Easy on the ear: Legend Allen Toussaint brings the music of New Orleans to the world
-This feels like history,” Allen Toussaint said last month, just before receiving his Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award at an invitation-only ceremony.
The New Orleans rock, funk and R&B legend was referring to his fellow Lifetime Achievement Award recipients. They included Motown vocal greats The Four Tops, jazz piano icon Hanks Jones, 100-year-old classical music composer Elliot Carter and singer Brenda Lee, along with posthumous honorees Gene Autry, Dean Martin and electric guitar innovator Clarence “Leo” Fender.
Terence Blanchard records new album Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard honed his musical gift in his hometown of New Orleans and received music's highest honor for an album about the city's darkest hour — Hurricane Katrina.
But in Blanchard's career spanning nearly three decades, which includes roughly 50 film scores and more than a dozen albums, he never once recorded an album here.
That is until now.
The Radiators - Recommendation of the monthA couple of weeks ago Dan Phillips recommended The Radiators to me. He runs the Home of the Groove blog, which is all about the New Orleans Groove. I had never heard of The Radiators, but I love New Orleans music like Dr. John and The Meters. So I was interested. Then I got a message from Jay Rosenberg of Radz Records, who does publicity (among other things) for The Radiators, telling me I would probably like their latest release, "Wild & Free". Lucky me got sent a copy, and for sure: me like it lots! Now I don't mean this blog to be a platform for advertising, but if it's good, it's good and I will recommend it. And this is. Listening to it first time around I was reminded of The Meters, Willy DeVille, and Los Lobos, but with plenty Southern rocking going on and enough accent on instrumental excursions. I am allowed to post two tracks, so check out "Like Dreamers Do" and "Suck The Head". I found this video of "I Don't Speak Love" on YouTube, where there is lots more Radiators stuff to be found. But for easy access, start here:
Live Reviews: Juice, George Porter Jr., Groovesect, Gravity A and more
All I cared about was that George Porter Jr. was hanging out near the tents, as was Billy Iuso, both of whom were on the bill to play that night. A little while later the sounds and songs of Mardi Gras called me inside where I found New Orleans jammers Juice playing a set with George Porter Jr. on bass, Joe Krown sitting in on keys, and Billy Iuso adding guitar to the mix. There were also some guest percussionists and there was even a conga player in the audience – though I couldn’t tell if it was played by an audience member or an invited musician. With the lines between floor and stage-crowd and musician properly blurred, it quickly became clear that Mardi Gras was upon us and everyone there would lend a hand in letting the good times roll.
