Issue Articles
Locking Horns: When Miles Davis Met Wynton Marsalis
In hip-hop, they call it “beef.” Someone’s slight at a summer festival leads to another’s mixtape verse and the next thing you know, the Internet bubbles, posses squabble, and spectators […]
The New Orleans Bingo! Show, Volume 3: Memory Parade (Independent)
The circus came to town this summer. Elephants dumped in the streets of the CBD en route to their pedestals, and a brazen crier called for volunteers while a tamer […]
James Andrews, The Big Time Stuff (Independent)
Over Jazz Fest, I got to thinking about the increased prevalence of adrenaline in contemporary New Orleans music, particularly the brass department. Bullish young bands, trombonist dynamos, trumpeters who rap—they […]
Irvin Mayfield, A Love Letter to New Orleans (Basin Street Records)
Irvin Mayfield has called his tutelage under Wynton Marsalis “probably the largest influence on my life.” Adopting the Wynton model of jazz musician as historian/entrepreneur/statesman, Mayfield has evolved into a […]
Jamie Hayes, Signatures (Pussy Cat Records)
A cast chockfull of pros and an earnest appreciation of local life give artist Jamie Hayes a significant head start in constructing a competent record. Fans of the psychedelic paintings […]
Gravy, The Hard Way (Gravy and Blue Eyed Dog Records)
A solid offering from a local funk outfit, The Hard Way is a title that might serve as a daily reminder to the members of Gravy. There is a dollop […]
Rebirth Brass Band, Rebirth of New Orleans (Basin Street Records)
We live in an era of great brass bands, a time when people argue over who’s the best and global brands sponsor grand competitions. New kids use horns to escape […]
Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Del McCoury Band, American Legacies (McCoury Music)
The evolution of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band into a conveyer of hip is one of the musical successes of post-K culture. We can no longer point to the band […]
Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, On the Street (Independent)
“The bank today turned down my loan / they say money’s too tight.” Now that’s a way to start an album these days. On their latest, the Washboard Chaz Blues […]
Lucinda Williams, Blessed (Lost Highway Records)
As heard here, Lucinda Williams’ voice seems to be losing shape, a battered piano, muddled at some places, strangely fitting at others, wearing out in its own unique way. Matched […]
