Issue Articles
A Burning Light: Tavasco 504 will not let the “plan-demic” stop them
In these coronavirus times, Tavasco 504 is another example of making lemonade from lemons. A soul, funk and rhythm and blues group that formed in the 1970s as the Soul […]
Living the Blues: Alabama Slim and cousin Little Freddie King cozy up in The Parlor
Along with his upcoming 82nd birthday, New Orleans blues artist Milton Frazier has something else to celebrate. Frazier—the singer, guitarist and songwriter known as Alabama Slim—is releasing his third album, […]
Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes Talks Back
The world knows Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes as the singing, accordion-playing front man for Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots. On Mardi Gras morning, though, he fills another significant cultural role. Since […]
A Band Name Hyckoriii, Rural Life: The Soundtrack (Independent)
An unconventional trio from Baton Rouge, A Band Name Hyckoriii—pronounced hickory—reveals talent and imagination in the 14-track album Rural Life: The Soundtrack. But the group’s musical vocabulary and technical skills […]
Jon Batiste puts his musical spirit into Pixar’s “Soul”
Soul, the amusing and affecting new film from Pixar Animation Studios, adds another stellar credit to Kenner native Jon Batiste’s résumé. Batiste—the pianist, recording artist and bandleader for The Late […]
Ken Burns’ “Jazz” returns to PBS
Jazz, Ken Burns’ 10-part history of jazz music, gets a 20th-anniversary encore in January. The series’ first episode, “Gumbo,” returns to public television stations on January 7—almost exactly 20 years […]
A Win For All Of Us: The New Orleans Nightcrawlers grab a Grammy nomination
Update: The New Orleans Nightcrawlers won their first Grammy Award on March 14. For a professional musician, a Grammy Award nomination can be the news of a lifetime. In November, […]
Shemekia Copeland, Uncivil War (Alligator Records)
Blues singer Shemekia Copeland’s new album features her homage to a special friend and mentor, Dr. John. In “Dirty Saint,” a song patterned after the music of Dr. John and […]
Tom Mason, Under a Mistletoe Sky (Gas Station Music)
Tom Mason’s third Christmas album goes down easy. The Nashville and Iowa-based singer, songwriter and guitarist assumes a relaxed, good-natured tone in 10 original songs, most of them based in […]
Irma Thomas talks back
Irma Thomas’ fans are on a first-name basis with New Orleans’ first lady of soul. She considers them members of her international family. The mutual loyalty Thomas and her followers […]
