Music
Walter “Wolfman” Washington: Feel So at Home (TIpitina’s Record Club)
The late, great guitarist and vocalist Walter “Wolfman” Washington could be accompanied by a string section, as he is on several cuts on this newly released album, I Feel So at Home, backed by a combo or alone with his guitar, his voice and style remain immediately identifiable. It’s called soulfulness.
Russell Batiste Jr. (1965-2023)
Drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Russell Batiste Jr. had been scheduled to lead his band, Russell Batiste & Friends, at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the recent NOLA Funk Fest. Sadly, only his powerful musical spirit emanated from the stage as an array of musicians paid tribute to their late friend, collaborator and mentor. Batiste, born David Russell Batiste Jr., passed away on September 30, 2023, at the age of 57.
Sounds of Freedom: Pianist and composer Courtney Bryan chosen for the MacArthur Award
“They do a good job of surprising you,” Courtney Bryan says with a laugh on how she learned she’d been chosen to receive a very prestigious 2023 MacArthur Fellowship award, colloquially known as the “genius grants.”
Joshua Redman featuring Gabrielle Cavassa: Where Are We (Blue Note)
Joshua Redman, certainly one of the most renowned saxophonist and composers of this era, gathers together an ace quartet and features vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa on Where Are We.
Stephen Walker: Midnight Cocktails (Independent)
One can almost hear trombonist, composer and bandleader Stephen Walker saying, “Hey, kick it off, Herlin” to drummer Herlin Riley on Midnight Cocktails’ hot opening number, “Blues Walker.”
I Be Trying: Cedric Burnside’s Hill Country Blues at the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest
Three words, hill country blues, tells the story of the musical inner workings of guitarist, drummer, vocalist and composer Cedric Burnside, who won a Grammy for his 2022 rock solid release I Be Trying in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.
The Rumble talk back
The Treme Fall Festival, Saturday, October 21, 2023, welcomes the debut of the on-the-rise ensemble, The Rumble, at its fundraising event for St. Augustine Catholic Church that takes place in the grassy field next to the historic building.
Jon Sheckler: Highway 27 (Independent)
Jon Sheckler: Highway 27
PJ Morton: Watch the Sun Live: The Mansion Sessions (Morton Records)
Fans of performances captured live, of which there are many, will applaud vocalist, keyboardist, composer and producer PJ Morton’s Watch the Sun Live: The Mansion Sessions.
RJ Smith: Chuck Berry: An American Life (Hachette Books)
It tells a lot that the title of this biography of the late, legendary Chuck Berry doesn’t mention that he was considered an originator of rock ’n’ roll.
