Issue Articles
New Mosaic Records Box Set Redefines Louis Armstrong’s Legacy
Forty-three years after his death, Louis Armstrong’s later career is undergoing a serious reevaluation. Historians are re-examining the critical consensus that Armstrong’s brilliance was confined to his early career. […]
Lynn Drury, Come to My House (Old Shoe Productions)
With her last release, the powerful Sugar on the Floor, Lynn Drury came into her own as a singer-songwriter. Backed by what might humorously be called the Royal Fingerbowl mob, […]
A Fitting Tribute to Dr. John at the Saenger Theater
Dr. John didn’t go to Jazz Fest this year, but Jazz Fest came to him. Many of the festival’s key players participated in a gala tribute to Dr. John (with […]
Rotary Downs, Traces (Rookery Records)
Rotary Downs is an unclassifiable New Orleans band. Therein lies its greatness, nestled right alongside its obscurity. The word used most often to describe RD is “psychedelic” but in truth […]
Fest Focus 2014: Clive Wilson
New Orleans music is a siren call for players from all over the world. Trumpeter Clive Wilson emigrated here from England to immerse himself in the Black American ethos at […]
Fest Focus 2014: Roy Rogers
Slide-guitar wizard Roy Rogers has racked up a great history of Jazz Fest performances over the years and should add to that list in his set at this year’s event. […]
The Life of Rebirth Brass Band
The Rebirth Brass Band is one of the great musical institutions in New Orleans history; the group best defines the transition between traditional and contemporary brass bands. Rebirth is about […]
Fishhead Man Ed Volker Returns to Jazz Fest
Ed Volker became the shaman of the New Orleans “Fishhead” subculture back in the 1970s when he described his band’s style as “Fishhead music.” Now he is bringing it all […]
Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, Howlin’ Live at d.b.a., New Orleans (Frenchmen Street Records)
Over the past few years, d.b.a. has been selling tickets to heaven on Wednesday nights, when two long-running residencies take place: the early show by the Tin Men followed by […]
Debbie Davis and the Mesmerizers, Linger Til Dawn (Independent)
Debbie Davis stands out in the crowd of vocalists like a bird-of-paradise in a roomful of parakeets. Her voice is a magnificent, near-operatic instrument and her theatrical instincts are the […]
