Win Tickets to Galactic @ Terminal 5

Enter to win tickets to see Galactic featuring Cyril Neville (of the Neville Brothers) and Corey Henry (of the Rebirth Brass Band) with special guests Tea Leaf Green on Friday, February 5th at Terminal 5!

It’s shaping up to be a stellar year for celebrated New Orleans outfit GALACTIC. On February 9th the band will release their groundbreaking new album YA-KA-MAY a visionary mix, intertwining New Orleans sounds from jazz to brass band to funk and far beyond. With this release, the five-man group comprised of drummer Stanton Moore, bassist Robert Mercurio, saxophonist/harmonica player Ben Ellman, keyboardist Richard Vogel, and guitarist Jeff Raines – reaffirms their status as the quintessential modern day New Orleans band and one of the funkiest outfits in the known universe.

Terminal 5, 610 West 56th Street, NYC.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit:

www.terminal5nyc.com

Click HERE for a different contest drawing.

Upcoming: Freaks Ball X feat. Anders Osborne @ Sullivan Hall

Freaks Ball X featuring ANDERS OSBORNE w/ The Black Hollies & special guests Scott Metzger

Saturday January 23rd

Anders Osborne Official Website Myspace Youtube Anders Osborne has been working and living as a professional songwriter out of New Orleans since 1985. Osborne's songs have been recorded by artists such as Tim McGraw, Keb' Mo', Dr. John, Tab Benoit,Double Trouble, and many others. Anders and his band toured the U.S. during these years and in 1995, at which point he was signed to Okeh Records and released the critically acclaimed album entitled "Which Way to Here". The record became Osborne's first commercial break with two top-five singles, "Favorite Son"and "Pleasin' You." Both were featured in several Hollywood movies, and the latter was later recorded by Jonny Lang. Soon after, Anders songs appeared Keb' Mo's Gold selling 1998 "Slow Down" album which achieved Gold status and later won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The album featured two songs co-written with Osborne for which he received a Grammy. In 2006 an Osborne penned the song "Watch the Wind Blow By" that was recorded by country music star Tim McGraw, hitting No. 1 on the country charts for 2 weeks and selling over 5 million copies of McGraw's "The Dancehall Doctors" album. The song appeared again later on McGraw's "Greatest Hits, Vol 2" album which sold 3 million copies. During this time, Anders worked with a number of publishers, first for Polygram Nashville in 1994, then later for Universal Nashville and most recently for Razor and Tie. Besides his own records, some of Ander's producer credits include Tab Benoit "Wetlands" (Telarc) and Clarence Bucaro "Sweet Corn" (Rounder). Compilations appearances include "The Songs Of Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde" ,"Happiness Is A Warm Gun - The Beatle's Blues White Album" and the "Grateful Dead Tribute Album". Osborne's travels, life experiences, and his story telling ability gives him a prominent edge as a songwriter and wordsmith. He is able to visualize a look into ordinary life and relate to the everyday middle class American.. These are the refined qualities that attract many Artists to seek his songs and music for their own recordings.

R.I.P. Bobby Charles, writer of "Walking to New Orleans"

(c/o Offbeat/Music's Over)

Bobby Charles (Born Robert Guidry)
February 21, 1938 – January 14, 2010

Songwriter Bobby Charles passed away this morning; the cause has yet to be determined. The writer of “Walking to New Orleans” and “See You Later Alligator” had struggled with ill-health for years, including back problems and a bout with cancer that was in remission. Those problems led him to miss a scheduled appearance at the Ponderosa Stomp in 2004 and Jazz Fest in 2007. Evidently he fell recently and was bedridden as a result. It was after that fall that he died.

He also wrote “(I Don’t Know Why I Love You) But I Do” which was recorded by Clarance “Gatemouth” Brown and received prominent placement in the Forrest Gump.

Charles had completed work on a new album, which is due out next month.

More when we know more.

For more on Charles, here’s Scott Jordan’s 1998 feature story on Charles, Geoffrey Himes’ guide to Charles’ writing, an interview Alex Rawls did with him in 2007, and a feature he wrote for Blurt after the release of 2008’s Homemade Songs. Here’s a review of Homemade Songs.

In Pictures: Johnny Vidacovich @ Blue Note

By Dino Perrucci Photography

Johnny Vidacovich - The Blue Note, NYC 1/13/10



Johnny Vidacovich - The Blue Note, NYC 1/13/10

Galactic: A Typical Serving May Include Drums, Bass, Horns, Funk, Grease, And A Whole Lotta New Orleans Bounce

c/o Huffington Post

written by Sal Nunziato Music journalist, active blogger, New Orleans devotee, handsome cat

I know you can feel it. As a matter of fact, you can feel it from 37,000 feet up. Your heart's beating, your palms are sweating, your mind is racing. "What are we gonna do first?" Once that A 320 touches ground at Louis Armstrong International, you are no longer you. You are in New Orleans. Anything is possible, and no one knows this like Galactic. Galactic is New Orleans.

On February 9th, prepare to be "bounced" like you've never been "bounced" before. Prepare for some new possibilites. Galactic, known worldwide for their special blend of New Orleans funk, R&B, hip-hop and soul, adds some special ingredients to their serving of "Ya-Ka-May," the band's 6th studio release, and an album that breaks new ground in the Crescent City.

This is NOT your grandparents' New Orleans record, though the special guests will make your grandparents shout "Hoo-Na-Nay!"

New Orleans' legends Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas, along with some of the greatest musicians the city has to offer--John Boutte, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Trombone Shorty, Corey Henry & Big Chief Bo Dollis-- join Stanton Moore, Ben Ellman, Rich Vogel, Robert Mercurio, and Jeff Raines for "Ya-Ka-May," not the noodle soup you may have sucked down at Jazz Fest, but the new record which takes everything you love about New Orleans music and turns it on its ass!

Fasten your seatbelts and take a first look:

Get Well Soon: Walter Payton

Preservation Hall bassist Walter Payton suffers stroke while on tour

By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

Photo by Shannon Brinkman

Payton, 67, is a versatile bassist with recording and performing credits that run the gamut of New Orleans music. He played bass on Aaron Neville’s recording of “Tell It Like It Is” and Lee Dorsey’s “Working in a Coal Mine.” He first performed at Preservation Hall in the 1960s, and leads his own Snap Bean Band and Gumbo File.

He also spent 25 years teaching music in the public school system; his students included Ben Jaffe, the son of Preservation Hall’s founder and the hall’s current creative director. Payton is the father of renowned jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band performed in New Jersey on Jan. 7, then traveled to Washington D.C. for a show the following night with the Blind Boys of Alabama. A member of the band’s road crew found Payton collapsed in his room before the gig.

The band was able to perform that night as scheduled, as its touring roster already includes a second bassist: Ben Jaffe, who alternates between tuba and upright bass on stage.

The Preservation Hall tour continued with a Jan. 9 gig at B.B. King’s in New York with the Del McCoury Band, and another show Jan. 10 in North Carolina. After three days off this week, the musicians head to Tennessee on Thursday for a three-night engagement with the Nashville Symphony.

The stroke on the left side of Payton’s brain “mainly affected his speech,” Jaffe said Tuesday. “His hands and feet are fine. He’s up and walking, and he’s already started rehabilitation.”

Payton is expected to return to New Orleans by train this week. Doctors have advised him to quit smoking, adjust his diet and make other lifestyle changes, but “they want him to start playing music again,” Jaffe said. “So he may be back on stage at Preservation Hall as soon as a week or two.”

Galactic, 'Heart of Steel' (featuring Irma Thomas) -- Free MP3 of the Day

Artist: Galactic
Song: 'Heart of Steel' (featuring Irma Thomas)
Album: 'YA-KA-MAY'


Download: 'Heart of Steel' (featuring Irma Thomas) (MP3)

Watch the trailer for HBO's "Tremé"

WWOZ Show Hosts Pick Best CDs of '09

Here are the Best CD releases of 2009, handpicked by WWOZ show hosts. Many of the discs are by local New Orleans artists, while others are from national and international acts, and all of them make great gifts for yourself or loved ones.

Click on the Buy Now buttons next to each disc to purchase it from Louisiana Music Factory, iTunes, or Amazon, and give the gift of music!

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Suzanne Corley [view show host profile]

Tudo Bem (Brazilian), Saturday 2-4pm
World Journey, Saturday 4-6pm

Brazil:
Carlos Careqa - Tudo Que Respira Quer Comer
Clara Moreno - Miss Balanço
Eliane Elias - Bossa Nova Stories
Marcio Local - Don Day Don Dre Don Don
Mart'nália - Minha Cara
Milton Nascimento & Jobim Trio - Novas Bossas
Rosalia de Souza - D'Improvviso
Teresa Cristina, Jussara Silveira & Rita Ribeiro - Três Meninas do Brasil

Iberia:
Buika & Chucho Valdés - El Último Trago
MadreDeus & A Banda Cósmica - A Nova Aurora
Rua da Saudade - Canções de Ary dos Santos
Tereza Salgueiro & Lusitânia Ensemble - Tereza Salgueiro & Lusitânia Ensemble

Africa:
Ablaye Cissoko & Volker Goetze - Sira
Baaba Maal (with the Brazilian Girls) - Television
Béla Fleck - Thrown Down Your Heart: Africa Sessions
Lura - Eclipse

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George Ingmire [view show host profile]

New Orleans Music Show, Wednesday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
New Orleans All the Way Live, Saturday 7-8 a.m.

Alex McMurray - How To Be a Cannonball
Alex is a songwriting fool. His musical maneuvers are dangerously brilliant and edgy. Hand him a whiskey and put it on my tab.

Luther Kent - The Bobby Bland Songbook
A pleasant surprise of beautiful, soulful singing with the orchestrations of Wardell Quezergue to boot. Luther's story is worth checking into — blue-eyed soul at its finest.

Garage à Trois - Power Patriot
Don't leave this CD alone with anyone who's afraid of change, calico cats, or the big bad wolf.

Barbara Lynn - Here Is Barbara Lynn (re-issue)
This woman's singing and guitar work could charm snakes into doing your garden chores.

Neighborhood Story Project: 4 New Books
Not a CD, but a glance into the very heart of New Orleans nonetheless. These books, along with any of the prior releases are worth their weight in gold (eat your heart out, Glenn Beck). More info at www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org.

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David Kunian [view show host profile]

Kitchen Sink, Tuesday 10 p.m. - midnight
Jazz Lunatique, Thursday 12-3 a.m.

Vijay Iyer - Historicity
Terence Blanchard - Choices
Fred Anderson - 80th Birthday Live At the Velvet Lounge
Steve Lehman - Travail, Transformation, and Flow
Alex McMurray - How To Be a Cannonball
Todd Snider - The Excitement Plan
Fast and Bulbous - Waxed Oop
Shane Theriot - Dirty Power
Steve Gardner/Washboard Chaz/Jake Leg Stompers - Walkin' the Dog
Allen Toussaint - Bright Mississippi
Ramblin' Jack Elliot - A Stranger Here

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Tom Morgan [view show host profile]

New Orleans Music Show, Tuesday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Jazz Roots, Wednesday 9 - 11 a.m.

My top 11 CDs by 2009 New Orleans artists listed alphabetically.

Jimmy Carpenter - Toiling in Obscurity
Topsy Chapman - 3 in 1
Luther Kent - Bobby Bland Songbook
Los Po-Boy-Citos - New Orleans Latin Soul
Ingrid Lucia - St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Tom McDermott - New Orleans Duets
New Orleans Nightcrawlers - Slither Slice
Palmetto Bug Stompers - Live @ d.b.a.
Vic Shepherd - Crescent City Serenade
Allen Toussaint - Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
Luke Winslow-King - Old/New Baby (Fox On a Hill)

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Charles Burchell [view show host profile]

Jazz from the Market with Charles Burchell
Monday 4-7pm

It's always hard to do this; I omitted just as many as I included. If you felt that I missed something, you're probably right. Anyway, here goes:

Donald Harrison-The Chosen (Nagel Heyer)
Terence Blanchard-Choices (Blue Note)
Jackie Ryan-Doozy (Open Art Productions)
Stefon Harris & Blackout-Urbanus (Concord Music Group)
Gerald Wilson Orchestra-Detroit (Mack Avenue)
Roy Hargrove Big Band-Emergence (Groovin' High)
Jesse Boyd-True Stories (Contrabass)
Clayton Brothers-Brother To Brother (Artist Share)
Dr. Lonnie Smith-Rise Up! (Palmetto)
Louis Hayes-The Timekeeper (18th & Vine)
James Moody-4A (IPO Recording)
Joe Lovano US Five-Folk Art (Blue Note)
Robert Glasper-Double Booked (Blue Note)
Jeremy Davenport-We'll Dance 'Til Dawn (Basin Street)

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Black Mold [view show host profile]

New Orleans Music Show with Black Mold or Bill DeTurk
Friday 11am-2pm

Unlike some of my fellow DJs, I patiently waited until the year was OVER so I could include those CDs that didn't materialize until late December. Some of these CDs I haven't even played on the air yet. Disclaimer: Inclusion on, or exclusion from this list may, or may not be attributed to excessive use of drugs, alcohol, or the DEVIL. So here they are, locals and far-away-ers, in no particular order...

Damon Fowler – Sugar Shack - A real picker. Straddles bluz and country.

Eric Lindell – Gulf Coast Highway – His best yet (In my humble opinion).

Tom McDermott – New Orleans Duets

Commander Cody – Dopers, Drunks, and Everyday Losers – great stuff from an Old Master

Alex McMurray – How to be a Cannonball – DUH – one on New Orleans' finest songwriters.

Honey Island Swamp Band – Wishing Well – Great songwriting, well executed.

Little Joe Washington – Texas Fire Line – A fixture on the Houston blues scene in the 50's, homeless in the 70's, and on yer CD player in the 00's. His angst and desperation pour out past his last three teeth (but who needs teeth to sing the bluz?)

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats – Twisted – Fun stuff. Play it at yer next BBQ.

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux – Rising Sun

Shane Theriot – Dirty Power – killer guitar

John Boutte – with Doug Cox/ Salil Bhatt – Slide to Freedom 2 – John Boutte's soulful voice coupled with some Indian instrument with a whole lotta strings and some slide guitar. Plus they cover an Earl King song. And do 'Amazing Grace'.

Michael Juan Nunez – The American Electric – the Erath, LA quintuple threat – he writes the songs, he sings, he play guitar, he produces the CD, and he tap dances (just kidding about the tap dancing part). The guy does it all, and it all ROCKS.

Bonerama – It's their 1st studio CD; PLUS they do 'When the Levee Breaks'. Need I say more?

Rosanne Cash – The List – Yeah, it's the CD that everyone's talking about.

Radiators – The Lost Southlake Sessions – uncovered gems from the past

Brother Tyrone – Mindbender – A fine CD overall, but 'When It's Gone, It's Gone' is one my favorite 'Katrina' songs. A beautiful blend of humor and pathos.

Shannon McNally – Coldwater

Charlie Miller – And I don't even like Chrimmus CDs, but this one is simply beautiful. Just Charlie's trumpet (and occasionally his flute) putting his spin on the standards.

James McMurtry – Live in Europe, Disc 1 (Don't ask me about Disc 2 – it didn't make it to the 'OZ library) Yer basic live CD, which translates into 'Greatest Hitz'. I love this guy, he's the poet laureate of the underbelly of Middle America (Yeah, his dad's the famous author). And although it's not on this CD, if you want the definitive song about the Crystal Meth trade along the Texas/Oklahoma state line, get his song 'Choctaw Bingo'. Play it for yer in-laws, it'll make quite an impression.

Tom Russel – Blood and Candle Smoke - Old West mysticism, if yer into that sorta thing.

M for Mississippi – the soundtrack to the “Winner of the 2009 Blues Music Award for DVD of the Year”. Great raw jukin' bluz by a bunch of people you & I never heard of. It'll make you wanna get in a good bar fight. Google it, or call Andrew Grafe (Mondays 2 – 4 pm).

Things About Comin' My Way – A Tribute to the Music of the Mississippi Sheiks

Note to local musicians: If you wanna get some airplay on 'OZ, don't just drop off a SINGLE CD to the station. Those are the CDs that fall into the Black Hole and are never heard from again. You gotta bring a WHOLE LOTTA CDs to the station and put one in the mailbox of every DJ who you even THINK will play your stuff. Don't be cheap! (Mr. Toussaint, you're never gonna get anywhere in the music biz if you don't heed my advice. I'm just sayin'...)

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A.J. Rodrigue (Boudin Man) [view show host profile]

Kitchen Sink 10 to 12 with A.J. Rodrigue and A.A.
Wednesday 10pm-Thursday 12am

Alex McMurray - How to Be a Cannonball
Clint Maedgan – Open Restraints
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – New Orleans Preservation Vol. 1
Allen Toussaint - Bright Mississippi
Hart McNee – Bywater Blues
Bob Dylan – Together Through Life
Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live
Booker T w/Drive by Truckers and Neil Young – Potato Hole
Lil’ Band O’ Gold – Music From The film The Promised Land
Pine Leaf Boys – Homage Au Passe
Odoms – Let Me Atom
Forgotten Souls Bras Band – Big Chief / Indian Red (45)
Los Po-boy Citos – Brand New Dance / Trinidad (45)
Guitar Lightnin’ Lee and his Thunder Band featuring Antoine Domino III – Call up the Band
Cale Pellick – In the Loop

2009 Top Reissue

Snooks Eaglin – Baby, You Can Get Your Gun

It appears that Hepcat Records has the Black Top Catalog and is starting to rerelease some of the great recordings of Hammond and Nauman Scott! I see a couple of other Snooks releases are re-issued as well as Anson Funderburgh, Sam Myers and Ronnie Earl. Black Top released over 100 records in the 80's and 90's. Hope to see more in 2010!