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

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.

Upcoming: Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death, and Life in New Orleans feat. Paul Sanchez

Sun, Feb 27 at 6 pm Leonard Nimoy Thalia $25; Member $21; 30 & Under $15

A behind-the-scenes look at how Nine Lives, a multi-voice biography of New Orleans, is being made into a musical, with performances and discussion by author Dan Baum (who reported on post-Katrina New Orleans for The New Yorker), songwriter Paul Sanchez, lyricist/book writer Colman DeKay, singer Arsene DeLay, singer Deborah Davis, and Tony Award-winning actor Michael Cerveris (In the Next Room-or the Vibrator Play, Fringe).

"Baum's technique brings to mind Robert Altman's film Nashville...He adroitly moves his subjects through parades, prison, divorces, sex changes, fancy balls and gun brawls" - The Washington Post

Download: "Nobody Knows Nothin'" (Proceeds Benefit GulfAid​.​org)

Featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Clint Maedgen and Threadhead Records artists John Boutté, Paul Sanchez, Susan Cowsill, Craig Klein, and Margie Perez

Written by: John Boutté, Bill Lynn and Paul Sanchez
Produced by: Ben Jaffe, Bill Lynn and Paul Sanchez


New Orleans, LA (July 8, 2010) – Coming off their successful collaboration with Mos Def and Lenny Kravitz that resulted in the popular Ain’t My Fault recording and video benefiting Gulf Aid, (gulfaid.org), Ben Jaffe, leader of the world famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Bill Lynn, professional fundraiser and master auctioneer, have teamed with singer/songwriters John Boutté and Paul Sanchez to write and produce another fundraising project through Threadhead Records called Nobody Knows Nothin’, also benefiting the organization Gulf Aid (gulfaid.org).

Along with a plethora of New Orleans talent including the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Susan Cowsill, Craig Klein (Bonerama/New Orleans Nightcrawlers), Margie Perez (Ensemble Fatien), Gregory Menoher, and Mark McGrain, Jaffe, Lynn, Boutté and Sanchez gathered at the iconic Preservation Hall to record this musical response to the Gulf oil disaster. With Boutté (who is currently enjoying success from his wildly popular theme song from HBO’s Treme) handling the lead vocals, the song puts to music the frustration and despair surrounding the worst ecological disaster the country has known.

Says Bill Lynn, co-writer and co-producer of this effort:

"John, Paul, and I, all good neighborhood buddies, we’re hanging out watchin’ the news and “disaster talking” which we have all unfortunately mastered over the last almost 5 years. We know from experience that this talk leaves one angry, depressed, frozen, and confused and with an unhealthy dose of despair. It’s a peculiar thing, disaster talking. Once started, it almost takes on a hurricane like energy of its’ own. The conversation whirls about as everyone gushes and oozes out their emotions spinning wild projections of anger and the fear of the unknown. The three of us (and thousands of others) have all recently been there and done that almost (and in some cases) to death. Fortunately this time around we transferred this weird energy into a couple of I phone recording sessions. We played them for another good neighbor, Ben Jaffe. When asked if we could record this at Preservation Hall he immediately responded, “Only if I could play tuba!” Armed with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the sweet harmonies of the Rolling Threadhead Review, this is the result of our collective thoughts."

"To claim I am void of anger would be a bald face lie. However, this time around we have skipped the depressed, hopeless, frozen and confused part and have substituted it with the rock solid spirit and love that brought us back from the brink of Katrina’s almost total devastation. While there may be a whole bunch of people that proclaim or really don’t know nothing, without a doubt we do know our ability to not only survive but to thrive as well comes directly from the heart of the peo ple who love this place so very, very much."

To purchase the digital download of the song, and to help with the oil cleanup efforts, go to threadheadrecords.bandcamp.com. The song will also be available soon on iTunes.

About Gulf Aid: Gulf Aid (gulfaid.org) is a 501(c3) nonprofit corporation established in response to the biggest oil spill in US history just 50 miles off of the Louisiana Coast.

About Threadhead Records: Formed in 2007, Threadhead Records (THR) is an unprecedented fan-funded and volunteer-run record company formed out of the love for New Orleans and its music, and its musicians. Our mission is to help New Orleans musicians affected by the flooding that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many of whom are still rebuilding today, and to expose the world to the amazing music that is being created in New Orleans.

Websites:
www.preservationhall.com/band
www.johnboutte.com
www.paulsanchez.com
www.margieperez.com
www.susancowsill.com
www.threadheadrecords.com
www.gulfaid.org

Watch: Shamarr Allen speaks out against oil crisis in new video

Shamarr Allen, Dee-1, Paul Sanchez and Bennie from the Hot 8 speak out on the Gulf Coast oil crisis with their new hit "Sorry Ain't Enough No More":

Check out the BP Oil Spillmeter HERE.

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:

Preservation Hall presents MIDNIGHT PRESERVES 2010

PRESERVATION HALL CELEBRATES

JAZZ FEST 2010 WITH

SIXTH ANNUAL MIDNIGHT PRESERVES SERIES

April 23 - May 1, 2010, New Orleans:Preservation Hall is proud to announce the return of Midnight Preserves, the popular late-night Jazz Fest music series hosted by the world-renowned home of Traditional New Orleans Jazz. Now in its sixth year, Midnight Preserves offers music fans the opportunity to experience performances from emerging and legendary New Orleans artists in an intimate, small-venue setting. Tickets are now on sale viaticketweb.com. Performers include Luke Winslow-King, The Loose Marbles, Treme Brass Band, John Boutte, Paul Sanchez, and a very special performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band featuring the members of stadium-filling American rock band My Morning Jacket. Ticket sales will be limited for these intimate performances, so order in advance!

Friday, April 23, 11:30pm:

Luke Winslow-King (12:45am) plus Loose Marbles (11:45pm) /
$15 advance - $20 at door

Originally hailing from Cadillac Michigan, Luke Winslow-King is an emerging New Orleans singer, songsmith, and composer inspired by traditional jazz, rock, ragtime, impressionism, delta and country blues, folk, and classical music whose most recent album, “Old/New Baby” was recorded in the Hall!

Loose Marbles is a young, emerging, traditional New Orleans Jazz Band led by clarinetist Michael Magro. Described by the New Yorker as “ a sort of Amalgamated Jazz Corporation that creates subsidiaries around the city, to maximize tips and minimize boredom. The fifteen musicians play clarinet, trumpet, banjo, washboard, accordion, trombone, guitars, sousaphone, standup bass, and guitars, but you’re likely to see only seven or eight performers at any given gig. And since you rarely see the same configuration of instruments twice in a row, you rarely hear the same kind of jazz.” ~www.newyorker.com

Saturday, April 24, 11:30pm:

Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guests My Morning Jacket /
$100 (very limited ticket sales)

Inspired by MMJ front-man Jim James’ collaboration with PHJB on their recently released PRESERVATION benefit album, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and My Morning Jacket will be touring together from April 20 through May 2. Please join these two amazing bands for a collaborative acoustic performance in the room where it all started. Portion of the proceeds will benefit The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program.

Friday, April 30, 11:30pm

Treme Brass Band featuring Benny Jones & Uncle Lionel Batiste

$15 advance - $20 at door

The Treme Brass Band is a marching brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana led by snare drummer Benny Jones, Sr. and featuring the face of the official 2010 Jazz Fest Congo Square poster, Lionel Batiste on bass drum. The band takes its name from New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood on the outskirts of the French Quarter, birthplace and home of many generations of New Orleans’ finest jazz musicians, and will soon be featured in the upcoming HBO series of the same name.

Saturday, May 1, 11:30pm

John Boutte and Paul Sanchez / $15 advance - $20 at door

Born in New Orleans on the same day in the same year, Boutte and Sanchez both have a deep love of the city, its people and traditions. Be it John Boutte’s vocal explorations of New Orleans jazz, soul, blues and gospel, or Paul Sanchez’s singer-songwriter explorations through such projects as his former band Cowboy Mouth, both artists’ songwriting has been deeply informed by the culture and traditions of their home town.

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

Threadhead Records Grants are under way

c/o Weekly Beat




When Paul Sanchez and John Boutte cut the first albums for Threadhead Records, their deal with the Threadheads was that they pay back the money raised for their albums within a year. That has been the deal until now, but the Threadhead Records Foundation is about to launch its first round of grant funding. They are now accepting applications through January 3, 2010, and they're intended to help musicians record music that promotes "the cultural heritage of New Orleans," the press release says. For more information, visit the Threadheads' Web site.

NolaFunky Album Reviews c/o Offbeat Magazine

Bonerama, Hard Times (High Steppin’) By Alex Rawls Hard Times is Bonerama’s first studio recording after three live albums, and moving the band to the studio poses a number of challenges beyond maintaining the groove and vibe that comes with performing live. In concert, Bonerama’s as loud and physical as many guitar-based rock bands, partially because of similarities between the range of the trombone and the electric guitar, and because Bonerama plays loud. At Jazz Fest, the band’s music frequently bleeds over to adjoining stages, particularly when it’s windy. How do you capture something that intense in the studio? To their credit, they don’t try. Instead, the five-song EP is an introduction of the things Bonerama does—a Mark Mullins song, a Craig Klein song, a funky instrumental, and two covers. One represents the sort of thing they’re known for—”When the Levee Breaks”—and one’s a broadening of their repertoire— Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Turn on Your Love Light.” They only roll out their piledriver weight for the Led Zep cover; otherwise, they’re content to be a solid funk band and are exactly that. Mullins’ title cut is a bit poppier, Klein’s “Lost My House” has a bit of a Neville groove, but those tracks move more nimbly than you’d expect after one of their classic rock covers. Lyrically, Hard Times catches what seems like a transitional moment. Because of Klein’s association with the Arabi Wrecking Krewe and his own loss in the post-Katrina flood, the band has been heavily associated with the hurricane, and “When the Levee Breaks” certainly reinforces that connection. Mullins and Klein’s songs both reference hard times and loss, but both seem to be looking for where to go from here. Both lyrics get a little hazy, either in their vagueness or privacy, but Bonerama is one band that really has remained in development since conception, even though it found its sound fairly early. Hard Times hints at where a band in constant transition might go next.

Garage a Trois, Power Patriot (Royal Potato Family) By Alex Rawls Part of what has set Garage a Trois apart from other jam/jazz/ funk aggregations is its intelligence and ability to follow through on a concept. 2005’s Outre Mer presented itself as a soundtrack to a French movie that didn’t exist, but it was done well enough to make the charade seem possible. On the new Power Patriot, the sound has changed a bit—Marco Benevento’s keyboards have replaced Charlie Hunter’s guitar—but the same governing intelligence remains. Enough attention is paid to the sound of each instrument in each song that each remains discrete, unified by a musical sensibility, not by the sameness of the instrumentation. As the title implies, Power Patriot is often a muscular record. “Fragile” is anything but, and “Rescue Spreaders” is as disorientingly distorted as anything on the Flaming Lips’ Embryonic. It’s also often a very melodic album thanks to Mike Dillon’s vibes-based compositions. The highlight is “Dory’s Day Out,” a rather sweet piece that recalls the work of a number of Brian Wilson- influenced bands (the High Llamas come to mind). On occasion, the album toes the waters of prog rock and Zappa-esque jazz, minus the Zappa, but its beauty is that the compositions rarely sound like set-ups for solos. Even at six minutes on the album, there’s a clear purpose for each piece that rarely includes lengthy solos. If anything, a few of these tracks could use someone to step out and burn for a bit.

Paul Sanchez, Farewell to Storyville (Threadhead) By John Swenson The Threadhead Records phenomenon has reshaped the profile of the local recording industry, allowing veteran musicians to make albums that might otherwise not have happened, giving deserving new artists a jump start on their careers and even producing such delightful one shots as this year’s Christmas release. No musician has benefited from this breakthrough more than Paul Sanchez, who has established himself as an important solo artist since leaving Cowboy Mouth with no small help from the label. This is the third Threadhead-financed album Sanchez has made, and each has been remarkably different. Sanchez has been preparing to make Farewell to Storyville his whole career. It’s an impromptu, mostly solo session in which Sanchez tells stories about each song before singing it, a standard folk music format that he’s perfectly suited to. When Sanchez left his New Orleans home for New York City in the 1980s to make his mark as a songwriter at the height of the fast folk and anti-folk movements that emerged out of the city’s post-punk club ethos, he played numerous gigs that resembled this session. In fact, one of the songs here, “Breaking My Back Up Front for You Baby” was written during that period. Toward the end of his run with Cowboy Mouth, he began playing acoustic house parties that also mirrored the shape of these performances. Folk music of this type is often autobiographical and there’s no shortage of such material here. “Gonna play you some songs and tell you some stories,” he begins by way of introducing “Knives to Grind,” a reminiscence from his childhood in the Irish Channel. “I Dreamed I Saw My Father,” a song with the feel of a Fred Neil ballad, is a bittersweet rumination on a man Sanchez says he really didn’t know. He explains how Lillian Boutté introduced him to “Farewell to Storyville,” a song about days gone by that Sanchez gives a languid reading with vocal support from Debbie Davis. The song is poignant in New Orleans today, a point Sanchez brings home by following it with “Falling with Nowhere to Land,” a post- Katrina lament. “It’s my story,” he says. “It’s our story, it’s anybody’s story that’s lived here in the last few years.” Sanchez brightens the mood with the merry Spanish language tune “Mota Mota Mota,” a reflection of his time spent in Central America after the storm. Themes of displacement, grief and plain old mental maladjustment continue to float through the album, taking different shapes. He lightens the mood, though, with the comic “Walked in the Club with Twenties” and sends everyone home smiling with the dark humor of “Enjoy Yourself, It’s Later Than You Think.” When a record like this works, you leave it feeling you’ve learned something intimate about the singer’s life, like a good conversation with a friend. Sanchez will have a lot of new friends after they listen to Farewell to Storyville.

A Brand New “Who Dat”

OffBeat Staff

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

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Allen Toussaint's Keys To New Orleans

Web-Only Concert Pick: Allen Toussaint Performs 'Freedom For The Stallion'

Allen Toussaint keeps the New Orleans jazz-piano tradition alive in a concert from the Kennedy Center. New Orleans is not only the cradle of jazz. It's also the birthplace of great jazz piano, dating back to the early 1900s, when Jelly Roll Morton tickled the ivories. Hear three pianists who are keeping upholding that great tradition — Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler and Jon Cleary — onstage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with Keys to New Orleans.

Marva Wright: Sharing the Joy of the Blues

Marva Wright’s boisterous vocals have established her as the clearly acknowledged “Blues Queen of New Orleans.” Marva started singing in the church at the age of nine, with her mother providing the accompaniment. Gospel legend Mahalia Jackson was a friend of the family, and Marva put her talents on display primarily for the congregation for decades. It was in church that she learned an early lesson with regard to her singing that she has carried throughout her career.
“When I played my first solo, ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee,’ one of the deacons in the church was on the front bench,” she recalled. “He told me that I opened my mouth wide, but nothing was coming out of it. From that day, I vowed that I would always sing loudly.”

The Masterful Allen Toussaint & The Bright Mississippi

“Stately” is an adjective I rarely use to describe an album, but it fits Allen Toussaint’s new album, The Bright Mississippi, like a glove. The Bright Mississippi is a special album, demanding multiple listens to truly get the tapestry of American music – Ellington inspired jazz, r&b, Creole, ragtime – that it weaves with such effortless cool. It’s an album that contains the full experience that is life – its joys, sorrows, delights and hardships. That is to say, it's an album with soul.

Toussaint, of course, is an American Treasure; one of the masters of American R&B, a songwriter and producer who has worked with the likes of Dr. John, The Meters, Labelle, Elvis Costello, Solomon Burke, the Band and dozens of other greats. American R&B (and therefore, American music) is practically inconceivable without him.

This will be one of the best albums of the year – go out and get it. It’s not only that they don’t make albums like this anymore – it’s that no one before has ever made one quite like this.

see also: Allen Toussaint Set For Lincoln Center Out Of Doors 8/22



NY Daily News: Skirting the Treme: An insider's guide to New Orleans

Rampart Street, in some ways, is the fault line of New Orleans, separating the French Quarter, filled with well-heeled tourists and spring-breakers, from the Treme, a slightly more foreboding yet just as historic and memorable district.

Skirting the Treme, and further east the Seventh Ward, St. Roch and St. Claude neighborhoods, the adventurous visitor may experience the charm and flirt with the blithe unpredictability that permeates the real New Orleans that many tourists miss.

Community Tied By Strong Threads

The eclectic Threadhead roster features Continental Drifters alumnus Cowsill, jazz/pop/gospel singer John Boutté, singer/songwriters Paul Sanchez and Alex McMurray, genre-crossing trumpeter Shamarr Allen, jazz trombonist/vocalist Glen David Andrews, progressive brass band the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, trombonist Rick Trolsen, and bluesrocker Marc Stone. The company also recently published its first book, Pieces Of Me, collecting Sanchez's cathartically heart-wrenching, touching and funny blog entries about his rough yet rewarding journey back from the post-Hurricane Katrina trauma of losing his home and community.

Stew Called New Orleans”

Although I don’t listen to a whole lot of recorded music, when I find an album of music that I really like, I can get pretty obsessed, & right now I’ve found one that’s so good enough I have to write about it.

I should say the album “found me,” thanks to good blog friend Citizen K. who posted about it here—an excellent review that’s defintiely worth checking out— & then was kind enough to supply me with a copy. It’s called A Stew Called New Orleans (Threadhead Records), & it features the truly amazing vocals of John Boutté, along with vocals & rhythm guitar work by Paul Sanchez, trumpet by Leroy Jones, some exceptional electric guitar work by Todd Duke & bass by Peter Harris.

Michael Arnone's 20th Anniversary Crawfish Festival: New Orleans Comes to New Jersey

Each of the three stages had its own personality. The larger main stage hosted high energy acts that could play to the thousands who pulled up their lawn chairs to hear the powerful groups. A few of the ten bands on this stage included the High and Mighty Brass Band, with its Dirty Dozen/ Rebirth Brass Band stylings, and Papa Grow's Funk, which impressed the audience with its hard driving organ-fueled New Orleans sound. Day two featured Grammy-nominated blues guitarist Tab Benoit who drew thousands to stand and dance in the pit in front of the stage. The energy was palpable as Benoit moved across the stage playing flawless, high energy blues guitar.

BackTalk with James “Sugar Boy” Crawford

Whether you call it “Jock-A-Mo” or Chock-A-Mo” or “Iko-Iko,” it’s one of the greatest of all New Orleans Carnival songs. James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, who recorded the original version in 1953, rarely performs these days, preferring to bask in the glow of his incandescent grandson Davell. “The only place I sing is in church no,” Sugar Boy confesses.

“Jock-A-Mo,” one of a select handful of truly memorable Carnival songs, has had multiple personalities over the decades. Originally recorded in 1953 by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, it was turned into an international hit over a decade later by a trio of New Orleans teenagers, the Dixie Cups, as “Iko Iko.” Since then, the song has been covered by Willie DeVille, Dr. John, the Neville Brothers, the Bell Stars [their version was in the Academy Award-winning movie Rain Man] and Cyndi Lauper, although none have approached the magnificence of Sugar Boy’s original.

Dr. John: Goin' Back to New Orleans

Rating: 98/100

Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, is a walking, talking compendium of New Orleans music. As session cat, genial tickler of the ivories (organ keys and guitar strings too), gris-gris hoodoo-man, gargle-voiced blues shouter, worldwide rock star, and tireless proponent of all that's Easy—not to mention serious jazz pianist and master of Crescent City r&b—he has lived and largely defined the late 20th Century idea of New Orleans musician. His few solo piano albums are brilliant, and so too many of his slice-of-NOLA releases reinvigorating "funky butt" r&b. Still, in the end it's Mac at the piano that matters most as he takes the whole tradition into his hands every time he sits down at a keyboard.

Sister Gertrude Morgan

Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980) was a preacher, missionary, artist, musician, and poet who worked in New Orleans in the 1960s and '70s, notable primarily for her folk art. She was born in 1900 in Lafayette, Alabama, and moved to Columbus, Georgia at the age of eighteen. She was married to Will Morgan in 1928, but at the age of 38 heard a voice from God telling her to become a street evangelist. She left her family and husband to move to New Orleans, where she organized an orphanage with two other missionaries. God told her to begin painting in 1956 and in 1957 heard a voice telling her that she was the Bride of Christ.

Christian Scott riding superlative horn wave

Like a lot of creative types, trumpeter Christian Scott is hard to stuff into a genre box. First, there's the clear sound of his horn, the one with the oddly angled bell. It's unmistakably part of a grand New Orleans tradition that reaches back to Louis Armstrong: a lone, expressive voice that projects its own personality as much as it does virtuosity. He could easily be playing gigs in the style of traditional New Orleans music or in the post- bop style practiced by another Crescent City hero, Wynton Marsalis.

But Scott prefers to push his trumpet up against walls of cinematic, rockish chords and instrumentation that reminds me more of the European trumpeter Michael Mantler than any of Scott's New Orleans brethren. Listening to his latest studio disc, "Anthem" or last year's "Live at Newport" set indicates that he absorbs a good deal of music and assimilates all of it into his own compositions and approach.

NOPV1 Reviewed by Alex Rawls in Offbeat Magazine!

"By now, it can’t be a surprise that there’s a lot that is subtly smart about the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Like the best traditional jazz, little of what’s special about New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 is obvious, but a little contemplation reveals a lot. For instance, it’s not until you get to Walter Payton’s faux-Armstrong vocal on “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” that you hear the sort of voice you expect on the album. Otherwise, Clint Maedgen and Mark Braud’s vocals suggest that traditional jazz isn’t just music for tourists and older generations. The inclusion of Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel #9” and “Choko Mo Feel No Hey” (minus second line drums) says that traditional jazz is an approach to music, not a narrow library of antique texts. The inclusion of Maedgen’s original “Halloween” implies that the music can handle new songs as well. The pleasures of New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1 aren’t solely conceptual. The ensemble playing is often wonderful, particularly in the ecstatic conclusion to “Tiger Rag,” where Braud’s trumpet and Charlie Gabriel’s clarinet keep threatening to break away from the band and each other, but never stray for good. On the Hall band’s first album since John Brunious’ passing, it also includes a second line of sorts for him, with “Westlawn Dirge” followed by a joyful “What a Friend” near the end of the album.

NolaFunk Lagniappe

New Orleans Jazz Fest schedule release brings life to a screeching halt

Earlier this week The New Orleans Jazz Fest released its day-by-day detailed schedule dubbed "cubes" by many local attendees of the festival.

I can't think. I can't work. I can't concentrate. My kids go unminded, my house uncleaned, my job is in the toilet and my dog goes unfed -- and I don't even have a dog.

But if I did, I'd ignore him, too, like I'm ignoring everything else because I can't think. I can't work. I can't concentrate. I've stopped shaving; what's the point? I'm not leaving the house again until April 24th.

I've got to study until then. Study the Cubes. The Jazz Fest Cubes.

Watch: Mardi Gras Indians celebrate 'Super Sunday' in New Orleans

Super Sunday: Mardi Gras Indians Photoblog

Similar to the past, each neighborhood is represented by a tribe. Each tribe is represented by its Big Chief. Spy Boys are Mardi Gras Indians who walk ahead of their tribe and scout out rival tribes. Flag Boys are Mardi Gras Indians who relay information from the Spy Boys and wave their flag to signal the appearance of another tribe. Wild Men are Mardi Gras Indians who guard their tribe from rival tribes. Today, they often carry a decorated wooden gun. Also today, each tribe is represented by it’s own brass band or percussion outfit. This particular style of music is called Indian Funk. It was made popular by groups such as the Wild Magnolias (who still lead off the parade each year) and the Wild Tchoupitoulas and is characterized by droning rhythms and tribal, sing-song chants.

Super Sunday 2009

On Super Sunday, the Mardi Gras Indian tribes put on their suits and do their thing through the streets of their neighborhoods ("promenade" seems the wrong verb and so does "parade"), making their way first to the corner of Washington and LaSalle. This is a bow to an old tradition, since for generations the Indians gathered at Shakespeare Park (no, not that Shakespeare, but the one who was once New Orleans' mayor), which is now A.L. Davis Park and which is unusable for a fun purpose since post-Katrina days. (Immediately after the Storm, FEMA chose that location to park a group of trailers, and although the trailers have been removed, the park has not yet been restored as a park. Where are you, FEMA??) Nowadays, the Indians just stop at that corner for the tradition of it, and many people, black and white, are gathered there to watch the Indians arrive and leave.


The Revolution SA&PC Second Line Parade

THE REVOLUTION SOCIAL AID AND PLEASURE CLUB ANNUAL SECOND LINE PARADE Sunday, March 22nd

New Orleans Rocks

It’s 2 a.m. on an Uptown New Orleans street corner, and taxis are descending by the dozen to drop off passengers at the music club Tipitina’s. A sidewalk bartender pulls drafts, while a purple catering truck pedals grit fries, goat quesadillas and catfish po’boys. I’m here for the night’s hottest ticket: a sold-out performance by Galactic, a hometown funk band that in 2007 started collaborating with nationally known progressive rappers.

Defend The Coast, Defend Ourselves: Louisiana's Coastal Lines of Defense

The video was created by NOLA Image Works, and funded by a grant from the John Merck Fund. Thanks to Clint Maedgen, Stanton Moore, Angelo Moore, the Voodoo Experience, Neutral Ground Films, Thunder Voltz, and our partners on the Louisiana Coastal Lines of Defense campaign, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation for helping make this project happen.

New Orleans Artist James Michalopoulos describes the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Poster

Batiste family launches arts program at Live Oak Elementary in Uptown

Matthew Hinton / The Times-Picayune

Three generations of Batiste men sat behind long tables in a rehearsal space at Live Oak Elementary. Their ages ranged from 16 to 61.

Drummer Russell Batiste, 43, flicked his wrists and tapped on drums to show a hearing-impaired student how to carry a beat. Paul A. Batiste, founder of the Batiste Brothers Band, stopped two students in the middle of a lackluster duet. He told them to step out of the band room and return prepared to sing, this time with shirts tucked into their pants.

Four Songs from PHJB on Daytrotter.com!

Recently, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band took two hours out of their travels between shows to stop in for a Daytrotter Session at Futureappletree Studio One in downtown Rock Island, Ill. Daytrotter.com is a music and entertainment website whose mission it is to showcase wonderful groups from all musical walks via in-studio performances and interview.

Presently on Daytrotter.com, there are four PHJB tracks available to stream or download: Dippermouth Blues, Sugar Blues, Complicated Life, and Over In The Gloryland. Each song features accompanying notes from Ben Jaffe detailing the song's relevance to the touring group and annecdotes from the road.

JOHN BOUTTE & PAUL SANCHEZ- STEW CALLED NEW ORLEANS

Currently available exclusively at the coolest record store in the world, the LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY, long time pals and New Orleans' treasures John Boutte and Paul Sanchez have released a record that is the pure embodiment of the great city it's named after. "Stew Called New Orleans" is a heartfelt, spontaneous, and jovial collection of original songs (as well as 2 choice covers by Paul Simon and Jelly Roll Morton) by two artists who have lived through the best and worst New Orleans has to offer. With the help of another frequent collaborator, the great Leroy Jones on trumpet, Boutte and Sanchez create an album that sounds like Sam Cooke, Dan Hicks, and Louis Armstrong sitting on a back porch, easing the day away. I love these guys!

Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra

Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra is a new act that has recently completed its first recording & in its short history has already been tapped to open for New Orleans greats such as Trombone Shorty and Eric Lindell. The band is a musical and visual spectacle of such ferocity that it leaves all in attendance shouting "Amen!" and dancing in the aisles. It's like a big ol' shot of love and adrenaline. It feels that good. BroJo blends together the perfect gumbo of New Orleans party music, soul in the style of Ray Charles and Al Green, a good helping of jam-bandy roots rock and a righteous splash of good, upbeat (non-religious) gospel.

Born on the Bayou, Let’s Zydeco and Cajun with Laura Selikson at Connolly’s

When L'Angelus were playing and people were dancing, it felt like home. That's what the youthful Cajun and swamp pop group told promoter Laura Selikson at the end of their March 8 gig at Connolly's on West 45th Street. The Lafayette, Louisiana-based Rees family trio – two guitar-playing sisters and one fiddler-saxophone-lead singer brother – brought the house down, or rather had the house up and dancing to their high energy eclectic mix of Cajun swing and flowing waltzes.

"They told me that of all the events they've played all over the country, this most approximated what it felt like to be playing in Louisiana," said Selikson. "It was a very high compliment. They loved playing at Connolly's."

Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble

Live Music Dominates New Orleans Nightlife

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, an honor the city prides itself in. From dim lit jazz clubs lining the city streets to its annual Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans is a great American music city. Jazz isn’t the only music being created in the Big Easy though. Many music clubs and venues offer an eclectic mix of blues, gospel, hip hop, rock and more.

Truly a musical city, New Orleans has clubs that cater to anyone’s musical cravings. Creative spaces and incredible talent make the city’s clubs attractive to locals and visitors alike. No trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to one the city’s fine music venues.