Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr., leader of the world renowned musical group, Buckwheat Zydeco, has been given the green light to sing again after concerns about lesions on his vocal cords forced him to postpone the band’s winter tour.

The tour will resume with an April 3 appearance at Tramp’s in New York and will continue with a Jazz Fest appearance on April 23 and a May 1 date at Tipitina’s Uptown. Doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville were so pleased with Dural’s progress that they told him he could return to work a few weeks earlier than expected. Buckwheat Zydeco’s current album, Trouble, is the first release on Dural’s own label, Tomorrow Recordings.

Grammy award winners Lauryn Hill and Patti LaBelle will headline the 1999 Essence Music Festival in the Louisiana Superdome July 2-4. In addition, R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Brian McKnight, Monica, Deborah Cox, Dru Hill, Will Downing and Gerald Albright. The Temptations and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly will also appear. Tickets are now on sale and are priced at $25, $35, $50, and $55 for each evening concert. To order call (800) 488-5252. Travel packages are avaliable by calling Destination Management at (800) 762-9523.

Billing itself as “All Louisiana, All the Time” radio station KLEB (a 5,000-watt AM station operating at the 1600 position on your dial) is now playing an eclectic variety of South Louisiana music. The station is currently on a quest to create the largest music library of South Louisiana music in the country. To this end, the station is actively solicting CDs from artists who play Cajun, zydeco, swamp pop, and mainstream country. CDs should be sent to: Music Director, KLEB-AM, PO Drawer 1350, Larose, LA 70373. If you have any questions, call KLEB at (504) 798-7792.

And speaking of that genre: Swamp-pop entertainer, Wayne Foret, who was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by the South Louisiana Music Association, has inked a licensing deal with CSP records.

Jimmy Rogers, head of CSP Records, says, “I have to admit that I really didn’t know who Wayne Foret was until the night of the awards show. I was there to present the Pioneer award to Van Broussard. When I asked Van about Wayne he said, ‘Just wait until Wayne gets on stage and sings ‘Show Me The Way To Go Home’ and watch the crowd go while’. Well Wayne did–and the crowd went wild!”.

Foret’s Through the Years was released late last month.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is seeking volunteers to assist before, during after the 1999 Festival. The dates of this year’s events are April 23-May 2. A variety of positions are available for people who can serve as office aides, information guides, construction workers, painters and more.  Persons fluent in French, Spanish, German and other languages are needed to serve as interpreters for international visitors. For more information, call Burbel Lacour, Volunteer Coordinator, at (504) 558- 6144 or (504) 522-4786.

Mensaje, the perennial favorite among local Hispanic events, is celebrating its 18th year with two weekends of food, music and fun. The festival will take place on April 16-18 and April 23-25 at the Kenner Regional Center Grounds. For a one dollar admission, festival-goers are treated. to a variety of acts hailing from all over the city and beyond, including festival regulars such as Julio & Ceasar, a nimble-fingered guitar duo originally from Guatemala, and Freddy Omar Con Su Banda, a favorite on the local dance scene. For more information on the festival, call (504) 482-8803.

Billy Tlrcuit’s Rock ‘n Roll Fever CD release party will be held at Margaritaville Cafe beginning at 10:30 p.m. on April 16.

An exciting new concept has been launched on the Internet, and it could change the way the music industry signs talent. Billboard Talent Net offers the fust professional, interactive website database to showcase new, cutting edge music by unsigned and developing artists. The site, http://www.billboardtalentnet. com, allows music industry talent scouts and the public alike access to up-and-coming acts in a variety of genres around the globe.

After selling over 4,500 copies of their debut CD, Hey World, Tom’s House begins recording their follow-up CD this month. Chosen from a musical catalog ‘of original songs, the second CD from the local quartet will be out in mid-summer. Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth will produce the CD along with Mike Mayeaux who will serve as engineer. The hand is currently touring the SEC college circuit. Check out gospel recording artist Jo “Cool” Davis along with special guests the First Revolution Gospel Singers on Good Friday (April 2) at the St. Mark’s Community Center Church (1130 N. Rampart St.) beginning at 8 p.m. A donation of $5 is requested.

Or take in a bit of Rufus Wainwright when he plays Tipitina’s Uptown on Tuesday, April 6. The son of acclaimed musical artists singer/songwriters, Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle (of the McGarrigle Sister), Wainwright plays dramatic, piano-driven pop.

The George Strait Country Music Festival makes a pit stop, in New Orleans at the Louisiana Superdome on April 10. In addition to the headliner, the festival will also feature Tim McGraw, Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, Jo Dee Messina, Mark Willis and Asleep at the Wheel Show time is 1 p.m. and tickets range from $29.50 to $49.50.

Internationally acclaimed musicians, Martin Simpson and Jessica Ruby, will be sharing the stage with Deltabilly Swing man Jeremy Lyons and spoken word phenomenon Chris Chandler at the Funky Butt (714 Rampart) on

April 8. The “We’re Not Going Away,” party will feature original and traditional English and American folk music. Tickets are $8 and the show starts at 9 p.m.

Jumping Man Music has just released their latest record, Little Red Wagon, by Bart Ramsey and Neti Vaan. The CD was recorded in New Orleans at Word of Mouth studio with Rainsey and Vann producing. By the way, you can catch the duo every Monday in April/May when they jam from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at Le Bon Temps Rowe. Look for Neti on fiddle and Bart on piano and guitar, along with Tim Paco on bass and a host of special guests each week.

One of New Orleans’ most versatile performing artists, Kenneth C. Raphael, is seriously ill and in dire need of financial assistance. That’s why a contingent of performing artists including John Boutte; the pfister Sisters, Michael Ray and Harry Mayronne have joined together to perform during a special evening celebrating the work of Raphael. The event will be held on April 6 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the CAC. Tickets to the pre-show reception and performance are $30 and $15 for the performance. Tickets can be purchased by calling (504) 528-3800.

Good ole boy Randy Newman makes a rare New Orleans appearance at the CAC on Sat., May 1beginning at 8 p.m. Call (504) 528-3800 for ticket info.

 

Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki Celebrates 40 Years

Legendary zydeco dancehall, Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki, celebrates its 40th anniversary on April 3 in Plaisance. The celebration will feature some of the hottest names in zydeco in an outdoor festival at the Southern Development Foundation Farm (the same site as the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival). Musical guests will include Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds, Chris Ardoin & Double Clutchin’, Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Outlaws, Brad Randall and the Zydeco Ballers and Roy Carrier and the Night Rockers. Luke Collins of KSLO radio, the “Godfather of Radio Zydeco”, will serve as master of ceremonies.

“This celebration is to honor my mother and father, who has started Slim’s”, says Tony Gradney. “The local people who have supported Slim’s all these years will be there.

“It will be on the Saturday his wife, Irene, and featured early musical pioneers as Clifton Chenier, Bois Sec Ardoin, Delton Broussard and others.

In 1995, Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers recorded parts of their live CD, Git It, Beau Jocque! at the club. In addition, a jumping zydeco sequence in the John Sayles’ film Passion Fish, was also filmed here. Just recently, the club was showcased on the PBS special, The Mississippi: River of Song.

Tickets are $8 ($2 for children under 12). For more information about the anniversary celebration call (318) 948-6242 or (318) 948-6649.