Glen David Andrews, the New Orleans trombonist and singer and regular on HBO's Treme, surfs the crowd at the 2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Gluttony. Yeah, it's a sin. And I don't
have the professional excuse for enthusiastic food consumption that I do
for constant musical intake. But it doesn't take much for a social
media addict like myself to convince herself that indulging in can be a
public service. Since my Chowhound-devoted husband and I arrived in New
Orleans two and a half weeks ago, I've been regaling (the hungry say
torturing) my Facebook friends with pictorial documentation of our
gustatory journeys as we move — like those fish who never close their
mouths — through this irresistibly tasty city.
The Gluttony Series in my Mobile Uploads folder features my shaky iPhone snaps of the duck confit Po'Boy from Crabby Jack's; the oysters, broiled and on the half shell, at Borgne; Cochon Butcher's amazing house-cured meats; the famous Godzilla
crab at Jacques-Imo's, a crème brulee to die for at Herbsaint; and my
personal favorite, the squid and Pimenton sausage sandwich at Maurepas. (Okay, I'll stop! I'm making myself jealous
now.) We've spent our daughter's college fund contributing to the local
restaurant economy, but at least I can fool myself into thinking I've
given friends a useful guide for their next trip down the Mississippi.
As I dug into the shrimp and cabbage salad at Pho Tau Bay
yesterday, however, I realized that my cuisine quest was even
threatening to overshadow the amazing musical immersion NOLA has also
granted me. I'm a glutton for sound, too, and dancing, and the convivial
crush of bodies in a crowded club. I need to share these indulgences
too. So here's the Gluttony Series, Part Two: a selective playlist of
some of the best sounds I sampled in the city where everything's worth a
listen. Thanks to all the YouTube pioneers who recorded other version of what I saw and heard.
The annual springtime avalanche of new New Orleans music did not
disappoint this year, as artists hustled to release new products in time
for the New Orleans Jazz Fest. The following is an alphabetical overview of notable new releases this season.
Theresa Andersson, Street Parade, Basin Street Records | Review
The New Orleans-by-way-of-Sweden singer, songwriter and violinist
orchestrates another collection of lush, sometimes ethereal pop.
Glen David Andrews, Live at Three Muses, GDA Music Group
The charismatic trombonist and singer sought to capture the energy of
his live shows by recording a typically eclectic, sweaty set of
gospel/blues on Frenchmen Street.
Tab Benoit, Legacy: The Best of Tab Benoit, Telarc
Drawn from the south Louisiana guitarist's previous releases, this
collection includes his takes on songs by Otis Redding, Screamin' Jay
Hawkins, Buddy Miller and his pals in Louisiana LeRoux.
Mia Borders, Wherever There Is, Independent
The blues/rock/soul singer, guitarist and songwriter considers
"Wherever There Is" to be her first full-length, full-blown album.
John Boutte, All About Everything, Independent
The bantamweight gospel and jazz singer, best known for "Treme Song,"
covers classics by Leonard Cohen ("Hallelujah") and Billy Strayhorn
("Lush Life") alongside new or little-known compositions by Allen
Toussaint, Alex McMurray and Paul Sanchez.
Evan Christopher, Clarinet Road Vol. III: In Sidney's Footsteps, STR Digital Records
The adventurous jazz clarinetist continues his "Clarinet Road" series with a set inspired by Sidney Bechet.
Jon Cleary, Occapella,Fhq Records | Review
The ever-tasteful funk and R&B keyboardist and singer reimagines
songs from the Allen Toussaint catalog. Highlights include a spooky
"Southern Nights," a solo piano "Fortune Teller" and the a cappella
title track.
Debbie Davis, It's Not the Years, It's the Miles, Threadhead Records
The Pfister Sister and an extensive musical cast that includes her
husband, bassist and sousaphonist Matt Perrine, cover songs by local
tunesmiths Alex McMurray -- he wrote the title track -- and Paul Sanchez
and recording engineer Mark Bingham. Davis and pianist Bobby Lounge
tear up the 1920s-era blues "Trouble in Mind." She and Perrine also
arrange covers of songs by Amy Winehouse ("You Know I'm No Good"), the
Beatles ("Things We Said Today") and Irving Berlin ("You'd Be
Surprised").
Kristin Diable, Kristin Diable & the City, Speakeasy Records
One of the city's stars-in-waiting, Diable deploys a sensuous, smoky
voice on a crisply produced set of languid Americana music, all of it
written by her.
Ani DiFranco, Which Side Are You On?,Righteous Babe Records
An adopted New Orleanian, DiFranco steps out on a typically engaged
program informed by such locals as Cyril and Ivan Neville, Derrick Tabb,
Mark Mullins, Matt Perrine and her husband/producer, Mike Napolitano.
Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Twenty Dozen, Savoy Jazz
The 35-years-young Dirty Dozen kicks brass on original compositions,
Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" and such standards as "Paul Barbarin's
Second Line," "E-Flat Blues" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."
Dr. John, Locked Down, Nonesuch | Review
Dr. John is reborn courtesy of "Locked Down" producer Dan Auerbach,
best known as the Black Keys' guitarist. Auerbach assembled a simpatico
young band and persuaded Dr. John to play only keyboards -- no piano.
The result is the best Dr. John album in years.
Galactic, Carnivale Electricos, Anti- Records | Review
The forward-thinking nouveau funk band transports Carnival music from
Brazil to New Orleans -- including guest Al Johnson's classic "Carnival
Time" -- back to the future with loops, samples and other sound
effects.
Gypsyphonic Disko, NOLAphonic Vol 2, Independent
The second release by Galactic saxophonist Ben Ellman's side project
is another mash-up of Eastern European gypsy music and New Orleans
bounce rap.
Hurray for the Riff Raff, Look Out Mama, Born to Win
The country/folk/Americana ensemble deploys acoustic guitars, fiddle,
harmonica, piano, bass and drums in support of former street singer
Alynda Lee Segarra's come-hither contralto. "What's Wrong With Me?"
sounds like a lost slow dance beamed in from a 1962 prom.
The Iguanas,Sin to Sin,PFAM
The city's long-running Latin/rhythm & blues dance band breaks a
multiyear recording hiatus to range from the nimble sax and cantina
groove of "Oye Mi Cumbia" to the rocked-out electric guitars of "Waiting
for My Gin to Hit Me."
Little Freddie King, Chasing Tha Blues, MadeWright Records
King's latest audio journal features tales of misadventure set to his
rough-hewn style of electric blues guitar, with accompaniment from his
road-tested band and guest guitarist Greg Schatz.
Joe Krown, Exposed, Independent
The keyboardist steps away from his trio for an album of solo piano.
He covers the Big Three of New Orleans piano -- Professor Longhair,
James Booker and Allen Toussaint -- but mostly ruminates on original
material.
Eric Lindell, I Still Love You, Sparco Records
A brand-new collection from the prolific roots rock, blues 'n' boogie
guitarist and songwriter, anchored by Marc Adams' piano and organ and
Brad Walker's tenor saxophone.
Tom McDermott & Meschiya Lake, Live at Chickie Wah Wah, Independent
McDermott, a fluent and versatile pianist, and Lake, an equally
versatile singer who can range well beyond her hot jazz base, capture
their weekly duo gig on record.
Anders Osborne, Black Eye Galaxy, Alligator Records
Osborne's addiction and recovery continue to provide fodder for his
amped-up guitar explorations, including the spacey, seven-plus minute
"Mind of a Junkie."
Papa Grows Funk, Needle in the Groove, Independent
Allen Toussaint and Better Than Ezra bassist Tom Drummond split
production duties on the dependably funky PGF's latest, and most
consistent, original album.
Nicholas Payton, Bitches,In + Out Records
The jazz trumpeter abandons his signature sound and instrument to try
singing R&B, with decidedly mixed results. The synthesizer,
programmed beats and distorted voice of "By My Side" makes for a tough
opening; Ne-Yo has nothing to fear. "Bitches" was originally available
only as a download, but is now out on CD. Cassandra Wilson and Esperanza
Spalding guest.
The Revivalists, City of Sound, Independent | Review
Galactic's Ben Ellman produced this poised and polished second album from the city's preeminent next-generation rock band.
Paul Sanchez & Colman DeKay, Nine Lives: A Musical Story of New Orleans, Threadhead/Mystery Street Records
Populated by scores of local musicians, the full 39-song, two-CD
edition of the musical based on author Dan Baum's acclaimed New Orleans
odyssey "Nine Lives" is now available.
Soul Rebels, Unlock Your Mind, Rounder Records
The Rebels are still a brass band at heart, but also rap or sing on
several songs. They brass up originals and covers of the Eurythmics'
"Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" and Lee Dorsey's "Night People." Cyril
Neville and Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli guest.
Various artists, Treme: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol.2, Rounder Records
Consisting of songs recorded live for the TV show, the second volume
of "Treme" music features the Hot 8 and Rebirth brass bands, Jon Cleary,
the Subdudes, the Radiators, the Iguanas, John Boutte, Tom McDermott,
Kermit Ruffins, and Steve Riley paired with Steve Earle. Catch some of
the cast and crew will be signing CDs and DVDs Sunday at 4 p.m. in the
Book Tent.
Various artists, Ingrid Lucia Presents New Orleans Female Vocalists, American Brat Collaborations
Ingrid Lucia, Kristin Diable, Margie Perez, the Pfister Sisters,
Linnzi Zaorski, Sarah Quintana, Trisha Boutte, Sophie Lee, Meschiya
Lake, Vanessa "Gal Holiday" Niemann and Alexandra Scott, among others,
contribute original recordings.
Dr. Michael White, Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Vol. 2, Basin Street Records
On his latest "Adventure," the traditional jazz clarinetist takes on
such nontraditional fare as the Turtles' "Happy Together," Janis
Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" and Hank Williams' "Jambalaya."
Kipori Woods, Blues Gone Wild, Louisiana Red Hot
Skip the cover of "Meet Me with Your Black Drawers On." The original
material that follows better showcases the fireworks the local blues
guitarist is capable of detonating.
"One of the giant talents of New Orleans." -Quint Davis, Producer, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
"Andrews is a charismatic vocalist whose improvisational skills and command over any situation he’s involved in places him among the top ranks of New Orleans singers..." -John Swenson, OffBeat
Glen David Andrews articulates the deep musical heritage of the city of New Orleans while keeping one foot planted in the more contemporary, funky sounds of today's brass bands. The other foot rests firmly on the time-honored tradition of his elders; legends such as Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton.
Glen David Andrews, a hit at this year's jazzfest, will bringing his wide-ranging show of New Orleans jazz,funk, rock and gospel to Joe's Pub on Thursday August 5 at 9:30pm.
We're interested in possibly putting together a house party on August 4th. If you are interested in throwing the best party of your life, w/ Glen and his band, please call Kimball @ 781-608-6820 for details and availability.
Glen David Andrews has already gone to jail for playing his music on the streets of New Orleans. His cousin Peanut says that without music he may have ended up in jail or worse.
The two musicians led a group of musicians around Jackson Square Friday afternoon to protest what they called the harassment of other musicians in the French Quarter in recent days. Members of the To Be Continued Brass Band were issued citations earlier this week for playing music on the street past 8 p.m., violating a previously unenforced city ordinance.
"If it wasn't for the music, I don't know where I would be right now," Peanut Andrews said after the second line. "Coming up in the 'hood, in New Orleans. I might be in jail. I might be dead. But the music is what saved me, from playing right there in Jackson Square."
New Orleans is a city defined by its unique and colorful history. It's for that reason that most tend to view the place as something of a musical museum while ignoring the town's vibrant and innovative new music. In New Orleans, the hip hop at the heart of today's culture emerged from an energetic, highly eroticized and occasionally gender-bending music called "bounce." And the truth is, all the town's seemingly disparate styles - jazz, brass bands and funk as well as the newer "bounce" influenced hip hop, are all intrinsically linked. There is a particular inclusiveness about the place, which connects both its people and their music. And now, for the first time ever, all these sounds have been combined on one original record. With Ya-Ka-May, long time NOLA residents, Galactic have made an album that reflects the city as they see it - blending all the town's distinctive sounds in a way no band has before.
Ya-Ka-May is set to be released Feb 9, 2010 on Anti Records. The album features established legends such as the Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Big Chief Bo Dollis, Allen Toussaint and Walter "Wolfman" Washington with younger artists like Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry, John Boutte, Josh Cohen and Scully, and Glen David Andrews, as well as groundbreaking new "Bounce" artists like Cheeky Blakk, Big Freedia, Katey Red, and Sissy Nobby. The end result is New Orleans like it's truly meant to be heard, and pure Galactic.
Ya-Ka-May Track Listing
Friends of Science - 1:17 Boe Money (featuring The Rebirth Brass Band) - 3:16 Double It (featuring Big Freedia) - 3:24 Heart of Steel (featuring Irma Thomas) - 3:28 Wild Man (featuring Big Chief Bo Dollis) - 2:08 Bacchus (featuring Allen Toussaint) - 2:54 Katey vs. Nobby (featuring Katey Red and Sissy Nobby) - 3:01 Cineramascope (featuring Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry) - 3:15 Dark Water (featuring John Boutte) - 3:11 Do It Again (featuring Cheeky Blakk) - 2:31 Liquor Pang (featuring Josh Cohen and Scully) - 3:23 Krewe d'etat - 0:34 You Don't know (featuring Glen David Andrews) - 4:04 Speaks His Mind (featuring Walter "Wolfman" Washington) - 3:51 Do It Again (again) (featuring Cheeky Blakk) - 1:08
-Quint Davis, Producer, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, May 1,
"Andrews is a charismatic vocalist whose improvisational skills and command over any situation he’s involved in places him among the top ranks of New Orleans singers..." -John Swenson, OffBeat, Feb. 2009
Glen David Andrews articulates the deep musical heritage of the city of New Orleans while keeping one foot planted in the more contemporary, funky sounds of today's brass bands. The other foot rests firmly on the time-honored tradition of his elders; legends such as Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen, Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton.
Last year, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell generated an estimated $300 million in economic impact for the city of New Orleans and the surrounding metropolitan area. An estimated 400,000 people attended the event over seven days in 2009. It wasn't always so.
The festival did not even break even financially in the early days and anecdotal evidence suggests that there were more musicians than music lovers at the first event, held in Beauregard Square (now Congo Square), in 1970. There were several aborted attempts to create a jazz festival in New Orleans in the late 1960s. The Newport Jazz Festival was the template, but there were also two other festivals of significance, one in Monterey, California in 1968 and the more famous event in Woodstock, New York in August of 1969, that helped define the concept of an outdoor music festival.
To finish the evening, I made my way back to the Louis-Louis pavilion to catch the full on brass fury of Bonerama. But to my surprise, Susan Cowsill had since enlisted the help of Bone’s Craig Klein and was busy throwing a party of her own. Before long Bonerama stepped to the sage, closing out FQF with a hard rocking, funky heavy set of balls out brass. Anchored by the trombone squalls of Mark Mullins, Craig Klein and Greg Hicks, the Bones have recently enlisted the services of organist Joe Ashlar to fill the void left in the wake of trombonist Steve Suter’s departure from the group. Though one trombone light, they still brought the heat, and with Ashlar’s churning keys stirring the mix, their jams flowed deep into the funky vortex as the sun set behind them. And that just about wraps it up for French Quarter Fest 2009 – Talkin’ bout New Orleans, ya head!
A scientist friend of mine once told me about a study he came across on pedestrian power and who gives up the right of way on the sidewalk. He said in this study, no one moved out of the way of immigrants. Generally people moved over for little kids, black men, white men, disabled people. The one group EVERYBODY moved out of the way of...
We started playing around the city like [marching bands]. We didn’t have cars. We weren’t big. After a while, some guys from another brass band and two of us got together and formed what became Hot 8.” The band remained relatively unknown until after the events following Hurricane Katrina.
RR: There’s so many textures and colors on Piety Street: gospel, New Orleans jazz, blues, funk, sublayers of American jazz, classic rock ‘n’ roll, and I’d love to talk about the musicians that you gathered together for this project. There is strong chemistry with these collaborators starting right off with George Porter, Jr. on bass.
JS: Well, you know, when I decided to go to New Orleans, and wanted to record with New Orleans musicians, and have my music reflect the New Orleans tradition, he was the first person that I thought of for electric bass, for sure, because he’s made so many great records, been on the Meters side, and, also, all of the Allen Toussaint productions, and music that I was a fan of music coming out of that city. He’s legendary, and he sure does a great job. Man, he’s totally a great musician, covers his stuff, and brings his groove to it, and we just had a wonderful time playing together.
RR: Jon Cleary sure matches up quite well with your guitar playing.
JS: Oh, thanks. I’ve been a big fan of Cleary’s. I think I met him about 18 years ago. He blew me away then, and still does now. When I was thinking that we should do these gospel tunes, and really have vocals, I mean, I just love his vocal interpretations—the way he can phrase. He’s one of the great soul singers of our day, really. His piano playing is phenomenal. I knew he would be perfect for this. I was really lucky to get him. I feel like he’s the star of the album.
“Tuts” was another New Orleans Piano legend. Born January 24, 1907 in New Orleans he started to teach himself how to play piano at age 10 and then studied with New Orleans jazz pianist Joseph Louis “Red” Cayou. He played with many jazz and Dixieland groups through the 20s and 30s. Hos keyboard style blended elements of ragtime, jazz, blues and boogie-woogie.
After living and playing in Saint Louis for many years he returned to New Orleans and in his later years he became a staple at the lounge of the Pontchartrain Hotel on the corner of St. Charles and Jackson Avenues on the edge of the Garden District.
You walk around a corner and in a parking lot on a Sunday afternoon, you can stumble on more music than most cities produce in a year. Glen David Andrews hosts an open percussion jam session with friends.
The Radiators celebrated the anniversary with the release of Wild & Free, two CDs of mostly live material that they call “Fishhead Music.” Wild & Free dates back as far as their formative year of 1978 and also includes new songs written for the release. Bassist Reggie Scanlan spoke with me about the group, the new release, Fishhead Music, Hurricane Katrina, and the inimitable world of New Orleans music. Here’s part 1 of the interview:
I went to Jazz Festival last year and came back wanting to immerse myself in the music of southern Louisiana. The diversity and depth are such that it’s impossible to say that there is a such thing as one Louisiana Sound or a NOLA Sound.
It’s all delineated. People want to put in a bucket and it’s not like that.
Last Saturday, Antoinette K-Doe was laid to rest, dearly departed, dearly beloved.
Outside St. James Methodist Church on Ursulines, the choking smell of the horse-drawn hearse driver's cigar wafted over the hundreds of faces, New Orleans faces, black and white faces, young and old faces, crazy good faces all.
The old folks all looked like museum prints waiting to be shot in black-and-white and silver-framed, their faces etched with lines like rivers of joy, rivers of sorrow, rivers of life. The younger folks were dressed weird and their faces beamed in anticipation of a classic New Orleans street throwdown.
One day, they will have lines, too, to tell their stories.
A car parked under the overpass bore the bumper sticker that says, "New Orleans: We Put the Fun in Funeral."
If you approached Tuesday's shooting location from Treme Street, it appeared that the scene involved smoky special effects - white billows floated down the street away from the lights, camera, action.
Upon closer inspection, though, the smoke meant that it was just another workday for Kermit Ruffins.
The ebullient trumpeter was acting in a scene for the pilot episode of "Treme," a prospective series for HBO now shooting around town, and he had wheeled his trademark barbecue grill to the set.
As the filming work went on in a pink home at mid-block, cast and crew fed from Ruffins' giant black cooker, hitched to the back of his giant black pick-up truck.
The impromptu street barbecue - an expected treat for attendees at a typ ical Ruffins music gig - was a surprise start-of-shooting bonus for "Treme," which, if picked up by HBO, will air next year and tell the post-K recovery story through the eyes of local musicians and cooks.
Keep-N-It Real Social Aid and Pleasure Club featuring The Hot 8 Brass Band
brought the purple heavenly haze to downtown New Orleans this past Sunday. And true to their name, their second line became the reality and that trainwreck on Poydras and Perdido, the illusion - at least for the four hours they paraded.
What tunes make your favorite celebrity get up and dance? Win their iPod to find out! Music rising, is raising money to help rebuild the New Orleans music scene by auctioning off celebrity iPods.
New iPod auctions will launch each week. check outwww.tonic.com/musicrising to see who's coming up, and then bid away.
Two years ago, trombonist Glen David Andrews could scarcely look up as he described his months "in exile" in Houston and the Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer he shared with relatives after Hurricane Katrina ravaged his hometown.
"I feel ground down," he said then. But at last year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, he bounded from the stage, gazed up and gleefully announced, "It's my time."
It may well be. Andrews' renewal is evident on his new album, "Walking Through Heaven's Gate" (Threadhead Records), which was released February 24. The songs on the collection, mostly hymns, reveal the same fire Andrews brings to street parades and bandstands throughout New Orleans, and they open a window into an important piece of the history that defines Andrews and his close clan of powerhouse musicians -- the church roots of their music.
The sun had burnt the morning fog from Jackson Square revealing glorious blue skies this morning, but there was no burning news reveled at the French Quarter Festival press conference.
With a few tweaks, it will be business as usual at the 26th annual event that takes place April 17 through 19. Not necessarily a bad thing, since the festival, which began in 1984 as a way to invigorate the Vieux Carre, is said to have drawn 435,000 visitors to New Orleans oldest neighborhood last year.
Festival executive director Marci Schramm thanked Walter "Wolfman" Washington for providing the morning's musical accompaniment -- a bluesy version of "Caravan." She pointed out that it was tad early for most musicians. Washington quietly concurred.
The newest Neighborhood Story Project book has been two years in the making, and is staking its claim as the first time a Mardi Gras Indians have collaborated on a book about their community. Building off the success of the best-selling Coming Out the Door for the Ninth Ward, NSP co-director Rachel Breunlin has worked with Ronald W. Lewis to tell the story of his museum, the House of Dance & Feathers.
The book, The House of Dance & Feathers: A Museum by Ronald W. Lewis, is a full color tour of the museum and the history and meaning of New Orleans African American street cultures, from Mardi Gras Indians, to Second Lines, to Bone Gangs. It was made possible through the support of the University of New Orleans, and a Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities grant.
Jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton ... as much a composer as an improviser. Photograph: Corbis
Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe, better known as Jelly Roll Morton, may have been a jazz legend (such a legend to himself, in fact, that he even claimed to have invented jazz) but he also kept his career options open. Born in 1890 in New Orleans to a Creole family and raised on ragtime, guitar, and classical piano, Morton was a professional entertainer by his early teens, but he also turned his hand to pool sharking, gambling, boxing promotion, tailoring, and occasional pimping in the city's Storyville red-light district.
