Music
Donald Harrison, Jr. Presents The New Orleans Legacy Ensemble: Spirits of Congo Square (Candid)
This recent release from New Orleans-bred sax master Donald Harrison has received relatively little attention, probably because it’s on a European label (as opposed to Harrison’s recent “Nouveau Swing” work on Impulse).
Kermit Ruffins: The Barbecue Swingers Live (Basin Street Records)
This record makes me think of something Tom Waits once said, “In New Orleans, music is like hot sauce. They put it on their food.” Yes, we do, and few things taste as good as trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, with his finger lickin’ quintet, kickin’ their loose-limbed, juicy jazz into the wee hours.
