Issue Articles — Cover Story
Coolbone: Brass-Hoppin’
It’s a Sunday evening in early Summer. As New Orleans steams off after a thunderstorm, the Algiers Brass Band kicks off a relaxed BBQ at Donna’s. The Cajun Fais Do-Do […]
Cyril Neville’s Perfect World
It’s as close to perfect as perfect can be. Just the day before, the Neville Brothers closed out the 1997 Jazz Fest in fine form, and now you find yourself […]
James Booker: A Pianist’s Perspective
I might as well state this right off the bat: I never knew James Booker. When he died I was a twelve-year old boy in suburban Ohio, and was no […]
The Zydeco Hog: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas
“Watch you don’t scratch the truck!” Nathan Williams shouts good-naturedly to his five-year-old daughter Natalie, who is killing time until her father’s interview ends by peddling her bicycle around the […]
Royal Fingerbowl: Going Places
When he plays guitar, he usually sits on a chair with a bottle of beer on the floor by his feet. When he sings, his voice is a boarish, Lucky-Striken […]
Irma Rules
Dressed casually in a loose cotton blouse and print pedal pushers, the always engaging Irma Thomas greets her visitor at the front door of her elegant and comfortable New Orleans […]
Cajun Trailblazers – 20 Years of BeauSoleil
Before 1986, there was no such thing as a full-time Cajun band. Southwest Louisiana’s vibrant musical traditions were bright threads in the fabric of the region’s culture, but the guardians […]
Johnny Sansone: Blues Smokin’ Hot
Johnny Sansone is a jack of all trades, master of one. In a parallel universe, Sansone’s capable and callused hands might lead him into any number of careers. Maybe he […]
Blu Lu Barker Remembers
Music has always surrounded the life of Blue Lu Barker. The living room of her Sere Street home is filled with the mementos of a lifetime of jazz she shared […]
