Issue Articles — Features
Gregg Hill is Walking Down the Street Smiling
For several years, Gregg Hill has leisurely walked from his stately Bayou St. John home on Moss Street across the historic Magnolia Bridge to the nearby Fair Grounds where Jazz Fest is held—as an attendee.
Susanne Ortner: From Germany to New Orleans to Brazil
Susanne Ortner, a clarinetist from Germany who’s lived in New Orleans since 2017, makes her Jazz Fest debut. She’s performing with Susanne Ortner’s Macumba, a small ensemble that plays Brazilian choro music. A distinctive musical style that emerged from Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, choro is considered the father of samba and grandfather of bossa nova.
Kevin Ray Clark talks about Al Hirt “Jumbo”
By all rights Al Hirt should be remembered as one of the New Orleans musical giants. He had the trifecta of serious jazz chops, mainstream pop success, and a larger-than-life personality.
Take A Chance: Brian Blade behind the drums
Shreveport, Louisiana native Brian Blade, who folks in New Orleans nonetheless like to call their own, is simply just a spiritually-attuned, monster drummer with a wonderfully infectious laugh.
The Mission of the Music: Stephen Marley’s Old Soul
Stephen Marley brings his “Old Soul Tour Unplugged” to New Orleans, featuring songs off his new album Old Soul, plus selections from his entire catalog, and Bob Marley classics. He’s a multi-Grammy winner as a solo artist, producer, and band member, as well as a key part, of course, of an iconic musical family.
Danilo Pérez: Musician, social activist and teacher
“When we play together we feel Wayne is with us on the stage,” says Danilo Pérez of the late, legendary saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.
From Tragedy to Triumph: The New Orleans Nightcrawlers Make 30 Years
It’s been a bittersweet year so far for groundbreaking band The New Orleans Nightcrawlers, a true all-star group. Though they didn’t win their second Grammy this year, it was still an honor to be nominated on their 30th anniversary.
Lights On: Kristin Diable always had a pulse in the real world
“I cannot believe it’s been nine years,” Kristin Diable says with a sigh and a laugh. “Honestly, after being in the business of music this long, and even teaching the craft and business of songwriting at Loyola, it’s as mysterious to me as it ever was. But that’s all right, I’m all for the long game.”
Helen Gillet: A Whirling Dervish Improviser
Helen Gillet’s cello is much more than just an instrument. It’s a visceral extension of her body and soul and her peripatetic mind, which ranges as far and wide as a childhood spent shuttling between Belgium, Singapore and Chicago, where she first picked up the cello at age nine.
Sharing Gospel’s Joy
In Louisiana, musical families prevail throughout many genres and enjoy the inclusion of multiple generations in their harmonic journeys. Gospel music is, of course, no exception. Two outstanding examples performing in the Gospel Tent at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, as they’ve done for many years, are the Dynamic Smooth Family and The Bester Singers.
