Export Nola: APAP Showcases

A rough guide to new New Orleans CDs

By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

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.

Upcoming: 4th Annual Export NoLa

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.

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

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: 3rd Annual Export NOLA @ Sullivan Hall / Bitter End

3rd Annual Export NOLA feat. Joe Krown Trio: Joe Krown, Walter "Wolfman" Washington & Russell Batiste, Jr., The Iguanas, Tin Men, Amanda Shaw, Grayson Capps & many more!

We are pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Export NOLA: Experience the Music of New Orleans. The shows will take place at Sullivan Hall and The Bitter End on Friday January 7 and Sullivan Hall Saturday January 9.

Friday January 7^th

3rd Annual Export NOLA : Experience New Orleans Music
At Sullivan Hall & The Bitter End
(1 pass good for both venues!)

Joe Krown Trio: Joe Krown, Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Russell Batiste
Honey Island Swamp Band
Grayson Capps
Mia Borders

The Iguanas
Jamie McLean Band
Sasha Masakowski & Musical Playground
Tin Men
Khris Royal's Crescent Jam

$20 Advance/ $25 Door (1 pass good for both venues)

Sunday January 9^th

3rd Annual Export NOLA : Experience New Orleans Music

(at Sullivan Hall)

Henry Butler
MoBettaBrown & Soul'd U Out: featuring Maurice Brown
Rosie Ledet
Mia Borders
Sasha Masakowski & Musical Playground
Luke Winslow-King

Festival Spotlight: Exclusive NolaFunk NYC Contest: Win a Pair of Tickets to Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest

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

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

In order to win, just email me with: your name, email, and the band you're most excited to see at this year's Fest. I'll be picking a winner at random and will send email confirmation to the winner only.

Here are this year's NolaFunky artists...

Here's the menu of Nola Eats:

Michael Arnone brings Mardi Gras Madness to Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ

Three nights of live New Orleans Music and Food

Instead of celebrating Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") on just one date this year, Michael Arnone invites you to join him for three big nights of Mardi Gras madness at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ. From Thursday, February 11 through Saturday, February 13, Arnone is dishing up music and his famous Crawfish Fest fare: Crawfish Etouffee, Shrimp Creole, Alligator Sausage, Jambalaya and Red Beans & Rice.

Jeffrey Broussard and The Creole Cowboys will rock the house on Thursday, February 11. Known as one of the most influential accordionists and vocalists in Zydeco music, Broussard's 2009 album, Keeping The Tradition Alive, was named "Best Zydeco Album" by offbeat Magazine. Also performing will be New Jersey guitarist Livingston Leo.

The Iguanas will perform their own brand of music on Friday, February 12. Their music is a fusion of blues, classic R&B, zydeco, Cajun, Tex-Mex and roots rock & roll. Also on stage will be Brother Joscephus and his big sound of rhythm and blues.

The High and Mighty Brass Band takes the stage on Saturday, February 13 to perform their mix of classic New Orleans Funk, R&B and more modern influences of Afro-Beat and Hip Hop. Also performing is Mojomo!

The Crowne Plaza Englewood Hotel is the event's Host Hotel. Ask for Mexicali Live room rates of $99 per night. For more information about Michael Arnone's Mardi Gras madness at Mexicali Live, visit www.crawfishfest.com

Upcoming: Export NOLA "Experience New Orleans Music!" @ Sullivan Hall & Bitter End - This Friday

This Friday! January 8th Export NOLA: Experience New Orleans Music! 2 Venues 1 Ticket! $20adv - $25dos At The Bitter End & Sullivan Hall Funky Butt Revisited featuring Big Sam Williams, Christian Scott, Jon Batiste, Will Bernard, Doug Wimbish, & more Jason Marsalis' Vibes Quartet/ John Ellis & Double-Wide/ Christian Scott/ The John Batiste Band/ Paul Sanchez Duo feat. Matt Perine The Bitter End Lineup: The Iguanas/ Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco / Playboys/ Paul Sanchez/ Jamie McLean Band/ Mia Borders

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Jamie Oliver Meets Kermit Ruffins

The Naked Chef, UK Chef Jamie Oliver visits with New Orleans' trumpeter/vocalist/chef Kermit Ruffins on Jamie Oliver's America.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band Celebrate 25 Year Anniversary of Debut
My Feet Can't Fail Me Now with Free Download and Tour

The Iguanas






CNN Heroes | Derrick Tabb, Roots Of Music, New Orleans






King Britt Reflects on Upcoming St. James Infirmary Release!

Chris Williams, professional photographer, New Orleans

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Running the Meters

By funky16corners

The Meters, as stated above (and several times in this very space over the course of the history of Funky16Corners) were one of the greatest of classic era funk bands, laying down a few of what are undisputably (to any sane listener) the greatest grooves ever committed to vinyl.

New Orleans Survival Spirit

In this excerpt from the latest NYC Summer Scoops Live performance series, Terence Blanchard and Tammy Lynn talk about the unique spirit of community that persists in New Orleans.

No doubt about it: New Orleans to the bottom of their soul

The Iguanas hardly sound like the quintessential New Orleans band. There is a horn — Joe Cabral's saxophone — but the effect is more Mexican ranchera than Bourbon Street brass. They don't play funk, neither Dr. John-style piano funk, nor the Meters-type electric groove. The patois in New Orleans is spiced largely with French accents; when the Iguanas sing in a language other than English, it is Spanish. Only if you believe the line that New Orleans is the northern-most Caribbean city, does the Iguanas sound qualify as a New Orleans sound.

But the recent album “If You Should Ever Fall On Hard Times,” released in September, makes it plain how much New Orleans is a part of the band.

when kermit met louis

Kermit Ruffins was surprised to hear four Louis Armstrong tunes in a row on New York radio this past Monday morning, while in town to play at Lincoln Center. It didn't dawn on either of us that July 6th was the anniversary of Armstrong's death, in 1971, at 69. We realized it only later, standing in the bedroom of he house in Corona, Queens that Armstrong and his wife Lucille called home from 1943 on -- now lovingly preserved as the Armstrong House Museum.

"Didn't he....?" Ruffins asked.

"Yes, in this very room," said Deslyn Dyer, the museum's assistant director. "On this very day."

Just then, photographer James Delaria's Canon stopped working. A minute later, it abruptly clicked back into service.

I knew bringing Ruffins --a New Orleans trumpeter who has channeled much of Armstrong's approach to jazz as extroverted entertainment -- to this place would be a spiritual experience. But I didn't plan it that carefully.

I'd interviewed Ruffins a while back, and when I noticed he was going to be in New York, I mentioned the museum.

New Orleans bars feature great music seven days a week




A life in music: Wynton Marsalis

'If you lose the music you have lost everything. No amount of money would make up for losing something so important'

On inauguration day in Washington earlier this year, the Wynton Marsalis Quintet played a private party at the White House in honour of President Obama. The two men are the same age, but long before Obama came to prominence, Marsalis had been a national figure and so while he says "as a liberal and a Democrat I, of course, feel that things are better in America", he is experienced enough to know that change, particularly in the areas he cares about most, might not come as quickly as he would like.

New Wave Brass Band adorns streets of İstanbul with New Orleans jazz

As one of the most important regions for the development of jazz, due to its unique history and culture as well as its distinctive character, rooted in the colonial period (originally as part of a French colony), New Orleans today offers a taste of its culture through the music of its homegrown New Wave Brass Band, which has been strolling the streets of the city since last weekend as part of this year's İstanbul Jazz Festival.

Five Questions with Aaron of the Honey Island Swamp Band

5. The band recently returned from a trip to the East Coast- how were you received by audiences up north?

The crowds on this first East Coast run were great. Sullivan Hall in New York, the 8 x10 in Baltimore, and the Federal Hill Jazz and Blues Festival, also in Baltimore, were all highlights. In a lot of these bigger markets, you’re almost expected to fall on your face the first time through. But everyone at those gigs, including us, was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. They all asked to have us back, and we’ll be up there again the last two weeks of August.

New Orleans Voices Podcast: Lumar LeBlanc Interview

Lumar LeBlanc is the snare drummer and founder of the Soul Rebels Brass Band. The Soul Rebels combine brass band music, reggae, r&b, and funk, into a style that's all their own.

Mo Beauty for Clap Your Hands Frontman Alec Onunsworth

The album was recorded in New Orleans and boasts of some Big Easy regulars. Ounsworth is backed by George Porter, Jr. on bass (The Meters), Robert Walter on keys (The Greyboy Allstars), Stanton Moore (Galactic) on drums and Matt Sutton on baritone and pedal-steel guitars. A few notables in the community including Mark Mullins, Craig Klein, Greg Hicks, Washboard Chaz, Shannon Powell, John Boutte, Al "Carnival Time" Johnson and Meschiya Lake also dropped in on the fun.

"...New Orleans informed the spirit of the record, as it should. It's not a 'New Orleans record,' though, because, besides "Holy, Holy, Holy Moses," most of the songs weren't written specifically for New Orleans," says Ounsworth. "...Any record can be influenced by its location aesthetically, and some are more than others. So it was with this record... it is New Orleans, after all."

Nathan Abshire's cajun blues

I started listening to cajun and zydeco music while I was in college at Case Western Reserve University. Nathan Abshire's "Pine Grove Blues" was a classic recording that I encountered back then. Abshire was an important figure in the revival of the accordion in post-World II cajun music. Here is a video of him at Fred's Lounge in Mamou, Louisiana. I don't understand French but one does not need to know the words to appreciate the soulfulness of his music.

Hart McNee, New Orleans flutist, saxophonist, dies at 66

Hart McNee, raspy-voiced bass flutist and baritone saxophonist who played with innumerable musical legends and made more than 40 appearances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, died Tuesday morning of liver cancer. He was 66.

Jonathan Freilich, who played with Mr. McNee in The Naked Orchestra and Los Vecinos, found him deft at improvisation, able to assert his personality within the music. "Hart was a master of that, " Freilich said. "He could be very playful, contemplative or tough."

In New Orleans, Mr. McNee recorded with his own band and played with the Storyville Stompers brass band, Mas Mamones, Moyuba, Coco Robicheaux and John Boutte.

NPR: Mapping your life by sound

Independent producers Jacob Brancasi and Heather Booth are mapping the city by sound for Open Sound New Orleans, an interactive audio project. Brancasi and Booth have asked New Orleanians to record what they hear in their neighborhoods, and then upload the audio to OpenSoundNewOrleans.com.

The contributed recordings, called "soundmarks," are linked to a map of the city, so others can explore the sounds of people, music and everyday life found around New Orleans.

WWOZ Broadcasts from SXSW

The Iguanas

The Iguanas + Dave Alvin + more

Thursday, March 19, 2009

WWOZ brings you the sounds of South by Southwest! Catch our live broadcast from the festival in Austin, TX. Here is the lineup for the Yep Roc Records Showcase at the Continental Club:

9:00 p.m. - Howe Gelb of Giant Sand (Tucson, AZ)
11:00 p.m. - The Iguanas (New Orleans, LA)
12:00 a.m. - Dave Alvin with Special Guests: A Tribute To Chris Gaffney (Los Angeles, CA)
1:00 a.m. - The Gourds (Austin, TX)

» See the Yep Roc records website

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Classie Ballou + Paul "Lil Buck" Senegal + Silver Apples + more

Friday, March 20, 2009

WWOZ brings you the sounds of South by Southwest! On Friday, March 20, we'll be broadcasting the Ponderosa Stomp Revue live from the Austin, Texas, music festival.

The lineup features:

7:00 p.m. - The Excels (Fort Worth, TX)
7:35 p.m. - The Elite (Fort Worth, TX)
8:05 p.m. - Eve & the Exiles (Austin, TX)
8:15 p.m. - Floyd Dakil Combo (Dallas, TX)
8:40 p.m. - Huelyn Duvall (Dallas, TX)
9:05 p.m. - Classie Ballou (Lake Charles, LA)
9:35 p.m. - Little Joe Washington (Houston, TX)
10:20 p.m. - Barbara Lynn (Beaumont, TX)
11:20 p.m. - Bo-Keys (Memphis, TN)
11:50 p.m. - Paul "Lil Buck" Senegal (Lafayette, LA)
12:20 a.m. - Roy Head (Houston, TX)
1:05 a.m. - Silver Apples (New Orleans, LA)

» Check out the Ponderosa Stomp website

Best of the Beat Winners (c/o Louisiana Music Directory)

2008 Best of the Beat Award Winners

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At the Best of the Beat award shows last week, the big winner was Irma Thomas. On Wednesday night at Harrah's Casino, she was named Female Vocalist of the Year, and Saturday night at the House of Blues, she won three awards- for Best Blues Artist, Best Blues Album for Simply Grand, and Artist of the Year. Congratulations to Irma and to our other multi-award winners: Dr. John, Theresa Andersson, Trombone Shorty, Terrance Simien, the Iguanas and Lil Wayne.

MUSIC AWARDS

Best Blues Band or Performer

Irma Thomas

Best Blues Album

Irma Thomas: Simply Grand (Rounder)

Best R&B/Funk Band or Performer

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave.

Best R&B/Funk Album

Dr. John: City That Care Forgot (429/Savoy)

Best Rock Band or Performer

Theresa Andersson

Best Rock Album

Theresa Andersson: Hummingbird, Go! (Basin Street)

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Band or Performer

Lil Wayne

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III (Cash Money)

Best Traditional Jazz Band or Performer

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Best Traditional Jazz Album

John Boutte: Good Neighbor (Independent)

Best Contemporary Jazz Band or Performer

Terrence Blanchard

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Ellis Marsalis Quartet: An Open Letter to Thelonious (ELM)

Best Brass Band

Rebirth Brass Band

Best Gospel Band or Performer

Zion Harmonizers

Best Cajun Band or Performer

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Best Cajun Album

Michael Doucet: From Now On (Smithsonian Folkways)

Best Zydeco Band or Performer

Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience

Best Zydeco Album

Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys: Keep the Tradition Alive! (Maison de Soul)

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Band or Performer

The Iguanas

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Album

The Iguanas: If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times (Yep Roc)

Best Emerging Artist

Los Po-Boy-Citos

Best Cover Band or Performer

The Bucktown Allstars

Female Vocalist

Irma Thomas

Male Vocalist

John Boutte

Bass Player

George Porter, Jr.

Guitar Player

Sonny Landreth

Drummer/Percussionist

Johnny Vidacovich

Saxophone

Donald Harrison

Clarinet

Dr. Michael White

Trumpet

Trombone Shorty

Trombone

Mark Mullins

Tuba / Sousaphone

Matt Perrine

Piano/Keyboards

Henry Butler

Accordion

Terrance Simien

Violin/Fiddle

Michael Doucet

Other Instrument

Washboard Chaz (washboard)

Album of the Year

Dr. John: City That Care Forgot (429/Savoy)

Artist/Band of the Year

Irma Thomas

BUSINESS AWARDS

Best Club

d.b.a.

Best Radio Station

WWOZ

Best Festival

French Quarter Festival

Best Festival Outside New Orleans

Festivals Acadiens et Creole

Best Recording Studio

Studio in the Country

Record Label of the Year

Basin Street Records

Producer of the Year

Mark Bingham

Best Record Store

Louisiana Music Factory

Best Instrument Store

Ray Fransen’s Drum Center

Best Pro Audio Store

Guitar Center

Best Studio Sound Engineer

Ben Mumphrey (Studio in the Country)

Best Booking Agency

White Oak

Best Manager

Howie Kaplan

Best Music Attorney

Ashlye M. Keaton

Best Music Photographer

Skip Bolen

Best Club Owner or Manager

Jessie Page (The Blue Nile)

Best Concert Promoter

Ponderosa Stomp Foundation

Music Awareness Award

The New Orleans Hornets

Music Business of the Year

Preservation Hall

LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT

Lifetime Achievement in Music

Harold Battiste

Lifetime Achievement in Music

Bo Dollis

Posthumous Lifetime Achievement in Music

James Booker

Lifetime Achievement in Music Business

Maggie Warwick

Lifetime Achievement Music Education

Donald Harrison and Cherice Harrison-Nelson

The Heartbeat Award

Antoinette K-Doe

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Bingo! Parlour Profile #8: THE MORNING 40 FEDERATION

Morning 40 Federation - intro Video


The Morning 40 Federation was born and bred in New Orleans' Ninth Ward neighborhood, formed in 1997 as a drunken quasi-dare by Josh Cohen and Space Rickshaw, amateur saxophonist and trombonist, respectively. They hung the name on their rough assemblage of amateur musicians/pro-drinkers as a sardonic admission of non-guilt. They didn't know how their way around their instruments ("It sounded like I was strangling a goose," Cohen says of his first forays into the wild world of alto sax), and their first gigs took place at house parties and off-night in bars like the Hi Ho Lounge, were more like sweaty demolition derbies soundtracked by some righteous feedback than actual concerts.

But despite their best intentions, the 40s began to develop honest-to-goodness chops. Their sound -- a mutant hybrid of punk, jazz and what New Orleans old-timers call "fonk" - coalesced. Their gigs got sharper without losing their anything-goes, gang-of-stinky-swamp-things onstage vibe, and they acquired new members: guitarist Bailey Smith was recruited in a Decatur Street dive his first night in town; guitarist Ryan Scully was shanghaied pirate-style from a life of playing cosmic country music, And by God, you could DANCE to their music, thanks to Mike Andrepont and Steve Calandra's booze stumblin' rhythm section.

But it was their songs that put 'em over. The 40s specialized in hilarious chronicles of boozy camaraderie, tales of the assorted noble lowlifes, space cadets and other crazies that populate the parallel universe version of New Orleans nightlife far off the beaten tourist path. Two self-produced CD's - 2000's YOUR MY BROTHER and 2002's TRICK NASTY started racking up regional awards, and in 2004, the band signed with M80 and released the self-titled MORNING 40 FEDERATION.

But TICONDEROGA is their dirty masterpiece. Recorded last summer with Mark Bingham (R.E.M.) at his Piety Street Studios in the Ninth Ward, it's is a vivid snapshot of the Morning 40s world. From the drunken prom slow jam "Washing Machine" to the bubblegum funk of "Corkscrew," it's a raucous party record AND a bittersweet pre-Katrina time capsule, an album that preserves a New Orleans that was and -- god willing and the levees don't bust (again) -- might be again. The Morning 40 Federation are hard at work helping to rebuild New Orleans by not giving up on it, by continuing to live and to work there, and by getting loaded and shouting boozy, noisy love songs in its honor. On their behalf, we invite you to shout along with them.

Home of the Groove's Goodbye, "George Davis"

"Hold On, Help Is On the Way" (Davis/Tyler/Parker)
G. Davis & R. Tyler, Parlo 102, 1966 "Hold On, Help Is On the Way" has long been on my short list of favorite instrumentals from New Orleans - not funk, just a classy, intensely hip mover and groover. I'd even venture to say it's one of the great R&B instrumentals, period. On it, George Davis gets a chance to let his guitar chops run free, at least for a little over two minutes of concentrated bliss. In the 1960s, his signature licks and solos graced a number of New Orleans records - the most well-known of which was Robert Parker's "Barefootin'". But, this virtuoso single is his only known solo outing from the old days. He shied away from being the front man, not even using his full name on the record, and giving his partner and friend, Red Tyler, co-billing on the A-side, though Red only had a supporting role on sax. Still, it was really George's show.

TalkBack with Clint Maedgen

Clint Maedgen is a busy man. The impresario behind the Brechtian New Orleans musical theater group The New Orleans Bingo! Show is also the front man for his own groups, a frequent collaborator with Morning 40 Federation, and newest full-time member of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He has become one of the central figures in Voodoo Fest, where the Bingo! Parlour tent show became Voodoo's signature venue last year. This tent was the centerpiece of an alternative midway where the Maedgen's Barnum-esque genius took full flower. It was a constant churn of trapeze artists, burlesque performers, clown acts, a ringmaster deft at inducing audience participation, and, of course, Maedgen's trademark bingo games. The music in the Bingo! Parlour was also some of the most intense. The Zydepunks conjured a raucous dance party, Quintron played the best set I've ever heard from him, and Morning 40 Federation created absolute pandemonium as fans sang along to the lurching, drunken choruses of the band's songs and crowd surfed off the stage.

One Track Mind: Ernie K-Doe "Mother-in-Law" (1961)

"Mother-In-Law" is going to be familiar to anyone who listened to pop radio in the years just preceding the British Invasion and a few who came of age a little afterwards. If you don't know it, well, it's really one of those zany party tunes that were popular around that time, like "Charlie Brown" and "Monster Mash."

In a Blue Mood's tribute to "Michael P. Smith JazzFest Photographer Supreme"

I remember years ago attending a Smithsonian Institute Folklife Festival in Washington which was devoted in part to the culture of Louisiana and New Orleans. It was chance to hear some blues like the late Boogie Bill Webb as well as it was my first exposure to the Mardi Gras Indian tradition other than the recordings of The Wild Magnolias and The Wild Tchoupitoulas, as members talked about and demonstrated the making of a costume as well as the various traditions involved. At the store where they sold items related to the Festival was a book of black and white photographs, Spirit World: Pattern in the Expressive Folk Culture of African-American New Orleans, It was essentially a catalogue of one of his exhibits documenting aspects of the cultural life and communities of New Orleans that was totally new to me, such as spiritual churches, and I slowly began to understand the interrelationship between the churches, the Indians, the music and other interrelated aspects that were the foundation for the New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Music that I loved (well I still d0). The book was republished by the Louisiana print house, Pelican, and is readily available.

Jazzfest producers prepare a New Orleans music invasion of London

During a 2006 dinner at Antoine's, producers of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival discussed staging a Louisiana-themed festival in London. Philip Anschutz, the billionaire owner of Jazzfest co-producer AEG Live, loved the idea.

Two years later, the overseas Festival New Orleans is a reality.

Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins, the Rebirth Brass Band, BeauSoleil, Buckwheat Zydeco, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and John Mooney & Bluesiana are booked for the free festival Oct. 24-25 at The O2, a massive entertainment complex owned by AEG and situated along the Thames River in London.

Bingo! Parlour Profile #9: FLEUR DE TEASE

When it comes to embodying the spirit of classic New Orleans entertainment, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a more fitting tribute than the girls of Fleur de Tease. Harkening back to the golden era of Bourbon Street theatre, this vaudville cum burlesque troupe plays sexy with a wink. Complete with a house magician, one very lucky MC, and trunkloads of fanciful props and costumes, these spirited performers deliver expertly choreographed routines that whimsically address such complex themes as bullfighting and extraterrestrial invasion.

Evan Christopher and Django à la Créole




The Iguanas bounce back from a tumultuous five years with a strong new CD

LISTEN TO SELECTED TRACKS

The Iguanas' "Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart" was the best local album of 2003, and among the best of the past decade. It redefined the Iguanas as the New Orleans/Tex-Mex equivalent of Wilco, a roots music ensemble that skillfully and subtly draws on a broad palette of sound.

In the ensuing five years, the Iguanas endured considerable turmoil both individually and collectively. Hurricane Katrina displaced the musicians to Austin, Texas, where they formed the Texiles with fellow "Texas exiles." All eventually returned to New Orleans, but not to the band. In late 2006, after more than 15 years together, saxophonist Derek Huston and the Iguanas parted ways under less than amicable circumstances.

Blind Boys of Alabama & Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Some say you can never have too much of a good thing, and if that's true, then the Down by the Riverside Tour featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans is the proof. A couple sat down next to me and the man looked at his program and said to his wife, "Oh this is gonna be good. I didn't realize what this was!" He was probably a Lincoln Center season ticket holder in for a pleasant surprise.

As the house lights went down four members: Mark Braud (trumpet), Ben Jaffe (tuba), Rickie Monie (piano) and Joseph Lastie, Jr. (drums) of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band walked onto the stage. As the stellar musicians launched into "Bourbon St. Parade," we were all instantly transported down to the funky metropolis of New Orleans. The traditional Dixieland jazz instruments melded together to form a sound that reminded me of sticky weather, crawfish and Mardi Gras. Clarinetist Charlie Gabriel came out next, and then trombonist Frank Demond, who has been a member of the band for over forty years and was wearing some nice bright red socks. They reminded me of a bluegrass combo in the way they moved around each other, the instruments weaving in and out of the fabric of the tune. This was no mountain breakdown, however. This was Southern fried jazz at its finest. The big upright bass player, Walter Payton, father of trumpeter Nicholas Payton, came out next to lead the band in "Tailgate Ramble." The third tune of the evening was "Sugar Blues," which had trumpeter Braud showing off a bit at the front of the stage with the mute, mimicking vocal sounds, teasing the old Tin Pan Alley tune "Ain't She Sweet" and even drawing some challenges from his band members. After one particularly dazzling run, someone behind him onstage shouted out, off-mic, "Betcha' can't do that backwards!" and much to the delight of the crowd, Braud played the line in reverse, garnering much applause and laughter.