Issue Articles
Paul Sanchez on Shamarr Allen
I met Shamarr at an in-store in Louisiana Music Factory Jazz Fest 2006. I was still with the Mouth and he was still with Rebirth. They were playing after the […]
Mitch Woods, Gumbo Blues (Club 88 Records)
Mitch Woods has long been acknowledged as one of the preeminent boogie-woogie pianists working today, as well as a master of pre-rock R&B. Most of his recordings over a three-decade […]
Shamarr Allen: None of the Above
1907 Jourdan Avenue is situated just past the east wall of the Industrial Canal. Shamarr Allen recalls growing up there, practicing his trumpet at home with encouragement from his father […]
The Three Faces of Allen Toussaint
French-speaking Montreal has a deep fascination with its cultural cousin from the colonial era, New Orleans. The Montreal Jazz Festival is the only international jazz event that has always maintained […]
Mary McBride, The Way Home (Bogan Records)
As long as human beings try to express their emotions in language, magic still exists in the world. Mary McBride conjures that magic in the deep, deep emotional waters of […]
Montreal International Jazz Festival: Mardi Gras in July
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has always kept a close watch on its cultural cousin Louisiana, but this year the connection between New Orleans and Montreal has been […]
101 Runners, New Orleans Funk 101 (Meantime Lounge Records)
Conga master Chris Jones grew up listening to the Mardi Gras Indians at Second and Dryades. Jones remembers “beating on a 40-ounce beer bottle for hours with Geechee Johnson” and […]
Anders Osborne, American Patchwork (Alligator Records)
The rock era is pushing 60 and anyone who’s been listening carefully will have to admit that enthusiasm for contemporary releases can never include any believable claims of originality. That’s […]
Christian Scott, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow (Concord Records)
Christian Scott makes every note count. In his short but impressive career he has developed a unique instrumental identity using his “whisper technique,” a method that allows him to smear […]
Marc Stone, Trickeration and Rascality (Threadhead Records)
Marc Stone is a great commodifier of blues, R&B and roots music. His highly entertaining and thought provoking Tuesday afternoon blues shows on WWOZ reflect his understanding of how cultural […]
