August 2022

Buy Now

Cover Story

Jazz Master Donald Harrison Passes Down Afro-New Orleans Musical Culture
Big Chief Donald Harrison, who in 2022 was recognized as a Jazz Master by the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts,… – Geraldine Wyckoff

BackTalk

Louis Armstrong biographer Ricky Riccardi talks back
Two big-name acts in New Orleans music, Louis Prima and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, led Ricky Riccardi to the city’s… – John Wirt

Features

My Music with Gregg Stafford
Trumpeter, vocalist, and music educator Gregg Stafford is steeped in tradition. At 16- years-old, Stafford started playing trumpet in his high… – Thomas Cole
Fresh Fuel in the Tank: Andrew Duhon gets closer to his truest musical self
Andrew Duhon’s Emerald Blue reaffirms his well-deserved status among New Orleans’ singer-songwriters. A masterful collection of beautifully recorded songs, the album… – John Wirt

Fresh

Music Quest: Vintage vinyl treasures are out there for the scoring (Episode 17)
This group of five vintage records brought on the nostalgia quick, fast and in a hurry. Each album had me wondering… – Joseph Bondi
Happy 30th anniversary: The Bucktown All-Stars celebrate a milestone
When the Bucktown All-Stars perform at Mid-City Lanes Rock ’n’ Bowl on August 12, it will be more than the weekend-warrior… – John Wirt
The Sound of America: Louis Armstrong and the Fourth of July
Musician Louis Armstrong said in his autobiography, “I was born in 1900. Mayann [Armstrong’s mother] told me that the night I… – Sam Irwin

Dining Out

Dining Out: The Pelican Club
The Pelican Club is one of the many restaurants that will be offering a special menu this year for Coolinary, a… – Marielle Songy

Obituaries

In Memoriam: Lawrence Batiste (1938–2022)
“The music was always in my heart and my mind,” Lawrence Batiste sincerely avowed during an interview when he was being… – Geraldine Wyckoff
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… – Jeff Hannusch

Reviews

The New Orleans Gentlemen of Jazz, Struttin' with Some Satchmo (TigerBoxer Entertainment)
These “gentlemen” apply their talents to a collection of songs made famous by trumpeter, vocalist, composer and the Crescent City's legendary… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Tommy McLain, I Ran Down Every Dream (Yep Roc Records)
Tommy McLain is 82 years old. He had his first hit, “Sweet Dreams,” in 1966. He is a swamp pop legend… – Jay Mazza
Zachary Richard, Danser Le Ciel (Martin LeClerc)
Just when you think singer-songwriter, poet, cultural activist Zachary Richard has done it all, along comes Danser le Ciel, where he… – Dan Willging
Zita, Hardly Alive (Independent)
Whoa! Better check the label on this one. Is this really a new album from an indie band, or some long-lost… – Brett Milano
The Groove Krewe featuring Nick Daniels III, Run to Daylight (Sound Business Services)
Nick Daniels, one of the truly great voices and bassists, oozes his birthplace of New Orleans in all that he does.… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Ever More Nest, Out Here Now (Independent)
As that great philosopher Geddy Lee once sang, tough times demand tough songs. The second album by Ever More Nest—the band… – Brett Milano
Jeremy Joyce, Street Poet (Independent)
Like many New Orleans musicians, Jeremy Joyce is out there living the dream full-time in the venues and streets of the… – Dalton Spangler
Kevin & the Blues Groovers, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed (Basin Street Records)
Piano player and singer Kevin Gullage has a vast resume for a 23-year-old, which may explain why his first full-length album… – Jay Mazza
Big Al and the Heavyweights, Love One Another (Vizztone Records)
With the colorful life he’s lived, Big Al Lauro would be an excellent subject for one of those steamy, tell-all rock… – Dan Willging
Michael Juan Nunez, Rouxsta (Parish Line Records)
The inspiration for singer-songwriter-guitarist Michael Juan Nunez’s sixth album, Rouxsta, resulted from spending time with Paul “Lil Buck” Sinegal towards the… – Dan Willging
The Deslondes, Ways and Means (New West Records)
I’m sure there have already been more than a few pandemic records released in the last year or so, but the… – Jay Mazza
The Hoodoo Loungers, So Beautiful (Paradiddle Records)
With the trad jazz favs “Careless Love” and “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It,” and Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can… – Dan Willging
Ryan Rogers, She is Me (Independent)
Comedy on the surface might just look like a series of premeditated setups and jokes, but underneath it really is a… – Andrew Comer