February 2007

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BackTalk

Monk Boudreaux
Joseph “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux of the Golden Eagles has been masking Indian since he was a teenager. His father, Raymond,… – Geraldine Wyckoff

Bookmark

Grace Bauer and Julie Kane, Umpteen Ways of Looking at a Possum (Xavier Review Press)
Truth and myth have merged since the poet Everette Maddox passed in February 1989. He is better known now for starting… – David Kunian

Cover Story

Classic Songs of Louisiana: "Carnival Time"
“The Green Room is smokin’ and the Plaza’s burnin’ down, Throw my baby out the window, let those joints burn down,… – Michael Hurtt

Features

The Best and the Brassiest?
– Todd A. Price
And The Winners Are…
You have spoken. New Orleans music fans from around the world voted for the artists they thought had the best year… – OffBeat Staff

Fresh

Drinking on the Job
A house filled with folks, great music, and free-flowing alcohol would only seem like a hard day at the office if… – Christopher Courville
Buckwheat and the Godfather
Since his death on Christmas Day, James Brown has been hailed as the founding father of soul, funk and rap. Zydeco… – Herman Fuselier
Stars Buy a Piece of History
Much to-do was raised when Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie plunked down $3.5 million on a French Quarter residence… – Jeff Hannusch
The Academy Honors Matassa
It was recently announced that Cosimo Matassa will receive the National Recording Academy’s prestigious Trustees Award for his contribution as a… – Geraldine Wyckoff
The Big Payback
Partly in tribute to the recently departed Godfather of Soul, James Brown, and partly in celebration of the city that gave… – Marc Stone
Do You Know…The Underdawgs?
Who: With members from the Cosmic Sweat Society, the Neville Brothers and alumni from Rebirth Brass Band and Big Sam’s Funky… – Andr
Tent Sale
Anyone who visited the CD tent at last year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival could see that it didn’t nearly… – Jeff Hannusch

Letters

February 2007 Letters
RARE RECORDS As the owner of Jim Russell Rare Records, the oldest record shop in New Orleans, I was interested to… – OffBeat Readers

Live Wire

Bob French with Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis, Cafe Brasil, January 8, 2007
The buzz got out that Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis, in town to bolster the Habitat for Humanity’s Musicians’ Village,… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Alejandro Escovedo Duo, the Parish, January 19, 2007
Acoustic guitars get a bad rap. Far too often, they’re strummed in a banal fashion that adds little to the song… – Alex Rawls

Mojo Mouth

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler?
New Orleanians have always been known for their ability to turn anything—even a funeral—into a party. We’ve now reached the ultimate… – Jan Ramsey

Obituaries

Obituary: Frederick "Shep" Sheppard
– Geraldine Wyckoff
Obituary: Vernell "Joe Gun" Joseph
– Jeff Hannusch
Obituary: Dinerral Shavers (1981-2006)
As family and friends stepped down the stairs of the Fifth African Baptist Church after a three-hour service celebrating the life… – Geraldine Wyckoff

OffBeat Eats

Dining Out: Dunbar's
At Dunbar’s new location inside Loyola’s Broadway Activity Center, you’re not likely to see a meeting of officers from Zulu. And… – Todd A. Price
Cook Me Something, Mister
On Twelfth Night, members of the Garden District Citizens Command Post gathered to plot their strategy for Carnival. Laminated signs had… – Todd A. Price

Dining Out

Dining Out: Dunbar's
At Dunbar’s new location inside Loyola’s Broadway Activity Center, you’re not likely to see a meeting of officers from Zulu. And… – Todd A. Price
Cook Me Something, Mister
On Twelfth Night, members of the Garden District Citizens Command Post gathered to plot their strategy for Carnival. Laminated signs had… – Todd A. Price

Reviews

Charles Whitehead, Songs to Sing: The Charlie Whitehead Anthology 1970-76
Charlie Whitehead, a.k.a. Raw Spit, meets every criterion necessary to qualify as one of soul music’s great unknowns. The guy made… – Jeff Hannusch
John Hammond, Push Comes To Shove (Back Porch)
A brilliant and prolific artist, John Hammond’s reputation can only improve with a release this good. Compared to earlier albums (Hammond’s… – Jeff Hannusch
The Weary Boys, Jumpin' Jolie (Weary Boys)
Currently residing in Austin, Texas (by way of northern California) this rowdy honky-tonkin’ band has of late been stopping in Acadiana… – Christopher Courville
Willis Prudhomme and the Zydeco Express, Living Legend (Zydeco Gumbo Records)
Zydeco practitioners are supposed to be semi-retired at age 75, not turning in one of the better records of their career.… – Dan Willging
Richard Revue, Trademarks (Independent)
As evidenced by Richard Revue’s Troy Richard, it isn’t always necessary to express cultural sentiments solely though traditional accordion/fiddle-fueled, French sung… – Dan Willging
Various Artists, Atlas Jazz Explosion (Empire Musicwerks)
Being impressed by the recent Atlas soul and blues reissues, I thought I’d take a chance on this one, even though… – Jeff Hannusch
Bonsoir, Catin, blues a catin (Bridgetown)
You never know what is going to happen at a Balfa Folk Roots music camp. Kristi Guillory (accordion) and Yvette Landry… – Dan Willging
Jerry Lee Lewis, Last Man Standing (Artists First)
An album of Jerry Lee Lewis doing duets Neil Young, Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen sounds like a… – Alex Rawls
Frank Wright, Unity (ESP-Disk)
Now that the legendary ESP-Disk label—home to Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, the Fugs, and a host of other mavericks in the… – Rob Cambre
Papa Mali, Do Your Thing (Fog City)
Malcolm Welbourne, AKA Papa Mali, can be forgiven for not having a handy identity to hang his MySpace tag on. Though… – John Swenson
Various Artists, Allons Boire un Coup: A Collection of Cajun and Creole Drinking Songs (Valcour)
With over 30 contributing Acadiana artists including Valcour impresario Joel Savoy and project brainchild Josh Caffery, Allons Boire Un Coup avoids… – Dan Willging
The New Orleans Bingo! Show, Vol. 1: Soft Emergencies (Independent)
Clint Maedgen is as eclectic as he is prolific, and late last year he released the EP Clint Maedgen and… – Alex Rawls
John Lee Hooker, Hooker (Shout! Factory)
John Lee Hooker played the Riverboat President back in the late 1980s on a dream bill organized by the Fabulous Thunderbirds.… – John Swenson
Anders Osborne, Tipitina's Live 2006 (Munckmix)
This three-disc set documents an Anders Osborne show from November 17, 2006 at Tipitina’s that offers a little bit of everything… – John Swenson
Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (HTR Records)
The strains of country music known as honky-tonk and western swing are mostly associated with states like Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee,… – Rob Cambre
Michael Hurtt and His Haunted Hearts, Come Back To Louisiana (Allons)
Encyclopedic music aficionados take on a risky gambit when they decide to make music of their own. The knowledge that gives… – Rob Cambre