Issue Articles
How “Mardi Gras Mambo” Became An Unlikely Carnival Anthem
Like flashy parades, vibrant costumes, custom krewe beads, Bloody Mary’s (or cheap white port and lemon juice) at dawn—and the likelihood of multiple college students vomiting warm beer on Saint Charles Avenue even before Zulu rolls—New Orleans music is very much an intricate part of Carnival Day.
In Memoriam: Classie Ballou (1937–2022)
Classie Ballou, once described as a “bearish guitar slinger,” died on July 27 in Waco, Texas. He was 84. Just a few months earlier, Ballou lost his bass-playing son, Classie […]
In Memoriam: Robert Keller (1954–2022)
Robert Keller, a.k.a. Red Kelly, the founder of two outstanding R&B websites the Soul Detective, and the New Orleans favorite, The Cosimo Code, died unexpectedly July 14 at South Jamesport, […]
In Memoriam: Joe Simon (1936–2021)
Belatedly, the legendary Dan Penn alerted OffBeat of the passing of the Southern soul great Joe Simon, who died on December 13, 2021, at his Chicago home. He was 86. […]
Son House, Forever On My Mind (Easy Eye Sounds)
For many blues lovers, the discovery and release of these long-forgotten tapes recorded by Son House, one of the titans of the Delta blues, is like finding the winning Powerball […]
In Memoriam: Classie Ballou Jr. (1954–2022)
Born November 17, 1954, Classie Ballou Jr. was a larger-than-life Creole bass guitar player from Lake Charles who redefined zydeco over a career that spanned more than 50 years. He […]
Howard Grimes with Preston Lauterbach, Timekeeper (DeVault Graves Books)
“When we cut [Ann Peebles] ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’ the track was tight, but naked. [Producer] Willie Mitchell thought it needed something. I saw these timbales sitting in the […]
Denise LaSalle with David White, Always The Queen—The Denise LaSalle Story (University of Illinois Press)
Certainly, the cover of Always the Queen will turn heads while browsing the music section of your a literature retailer or online source. Beginning in 1971, the late Denise LaSalle […]
Billy Boy Arnold with Kim Field The Blues Dream of Billy Boy Arnold (University of Chicago Press)
Now 86 years old, the great Billy Boy Arnold is not only the longest-tenured Chicago blues musician, but he is also one of the earliest serious blues historians. As a […]
O.V. Wright, A Nickel And A Nail and Ace of Spades (Real Gone Music)
This is a welcome vinyl reissue of a super rare 1971 Back Beat album, one that many deep soul experts consider the holy grail. Essentially it was just assembled just […]
