September 2009
BackTalk
- Jordan Hirsch of Sweet Home New Orleans
Sweet Home New Orleans metamorphosed from the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund, a non-profit relief organization that sprang to life…
Bookmark
- Something Precious: Down, Eyehategod and "Precious Metal"
Metal. The horns. The scary kids screaming about Satan or shooting heroin into their eyes, the ones who corrupt the youth… - Ethan Brown, Shake the Devil Off: A True Story of the Murder That Rocked New Orleans (Henry Holt)
In the fall of 2006, a year after Katrina, Times-Picayune headlines detailed the murder of young French Quarter denizen Addie Hall,…
Cover Story
- Mark Bingham of Piety Street Recording: No Shit
Mark Bingham is good at multitasking. The enigmatic, wisecracking denizen of Piety Street Recording is a jack of all trades on…
Features
- Solid Gold
This year, 2009, is Irma Thomas’ 50th year as an entertainer. To mark the occasion, her record company of 24 years,… - A Day in the Year
In the fall of 2004, writer/musician Ned Sublette got a fellowship from Tulane and moved from New York City to New…
Fresh
- Ace Honored
Although its head office was located 185 miles away in Jackson, Mississippi, Ace Records was in effect New Orleans’ first independent… - Live Music on Freret Street, F'Real?
Freret Street finally gets its horns this fall. The Box Office at La Nuit will host brass bands and traditional New… - The Cinema Show
“Before we had any music written, we had these visual ideas of how things were going to be,” says A Living… - Bringing Burlesque Back One G-String at a Time
New Orleans traffics in titillation, and though tastes change, the compulsion to see a little skin is the same as it… - Mad Man
Bryan Batt suggests an early-morning walk through Audubon Park to any New Orleans newcomer. He raves about restaurants like Commander’s… - Rolling in Green
Don Kelly, lawyer and father of three, had a light bulb moment during his Hurricane Katrina evacuation. “I had this idea…
Letters
- September 2009 Letters
SEA CRUISE First let me state: I am forever grateful to Huey Smith for writing and giving “Sea Cruise” to me.…
Mojo Mouth
- Debate This
It’s pretty rare for me to shirk my duty as ranter-in-chief, but with the revision of the U.S. health care system…
OffBeat Eats
- A Nice Pair
Eating well in New Orleans is a birthright. The bounty of ingredients and dishes makes choosing what to eat a daily… - Dining Out: Vega Tapas Cafe
The foodie press will have you believe the small plates revolution has arrived in America with a gusto not seen since… - Ray Moore Hits the Spot at Pho Orchid
Pho Orchid 3117 Houma Blvd (504) 457-4188 Why Pho Orchid? I stumbled on it by accident. It’s tucked away, but…
Dining Out
- Dining Out: Vega Tapas Cafe
The foodie press will have you believe the small plates revolution has arrived in America with a gusto not seen since…
The Spot
- Ray Moore Hits the Spot at Pho Orchid
Pho Orchid 3117 Houma Blvd (504) 457-4188 Why Pho Orchid? I stumbled on it by accident. It’s tucked away, but…
Reviews
- Michelle Shocked, Soul of My Soul (Night Sound)
An offhanded, unassuming moment would be a lovely thing on a Michelle Shocked album. From the whole package down to the… - Corey Harris, blu.black (Telarc)
Reduce the songs on Corey Harris’ new blu.black to their topics and sentiments and it seems almost programmatic in its African-American… - J Dilla, Jay Stay Paid (Nature Sounds)
In 2009, the world of hip-hop continues to be dominated by the south. While Georgia and Texas continue to carry the… - Sonny Rollins, Reel Life (Milestone)
In the 1950s, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins’ sheer virtuosity made him a rising star in Harlem’s hard bop scene. As he… - Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (RCA)
In the wake of the tragic and unexpected death of founding member, saxophonist LeRoi Moore, in mid-August 2008, the Dave Matthews… - Joe Hall and the Louisiana Cane Cutters, Live at Nunu's (Fruge)
At the confluence of bayous Teche and Fuselier stands Nunu’s, the highly unusual cultural center where visual arts, an indigenous cuisine… - The Rhythm Jesters, Big Easy Swing (Independent)
Guitarist Larry Scala leads the misnamed Rhythm Jesters, a trad jazz band that isn’t clowning around. They aren’t mocking or satirizing… - Markings, Markings (Independent)
Singer-songwriters have quite a balancing act before them. They have to weigh the mark of their influences against their own vision,… - Ray Landry and Friends, Mes Racines Cadien Sont Creaux (My Cajun Roots Are Deep) (Swallow)
Ray Landry’s latest is not as dancehall-centric as his last disc, 1999’s Ray Landry and the Basile Cajun Band, which featured… - Street Sweeper Social Club, Street Sweeper Social Club (SSSC)
It’s hard to resist the draw and the firepower of the Street Sweeper Social Club, the teaming of musical activists Tom… - Craig Caffall, Hold Me Up (GRA)
During his five-year stint in the Crescent City, Craig Caffall earned his Ph.D in New Orleans music, playing back-up for Irma… - Ernie Vincent, Bayou Road Blues (Montegut Road)
It’s great to see Ernie Vincent busy these days, and when his young band finds its groove, it could be a… - Zigaboo Modeliste and Gaboon's Gang, Funk Me Hard Live, (JZM)
Legendary drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste’s first release since 2004’s I’m on the Right Track is a relic of sorts—a live… - Joel Martin and the Family Band, L'Ange de la Chapelle (Independent)
The Pine Leaf Boys’ Wilson Savoy and Lafayette Rhythm Devils’ Blake Miller aren’t the only hot shots to hail from accordionbuilding… - Lawrence Sieberth, New New Orleans (Musikbloc)
Larry Sieberth has been an ace sideman on the local modern jazz scene for decades, rarely drawing attention to himself despite… - Jason Marsalis, Music Update (ELM)
Not surprisingly, much of what’s exciting about Music Update has to do with rhythm. The members of Jason Marsalis’ quartet make… - J. Paul, Jr. and the Zydeco Nubreedz, Stronger (Independent)
Early on in his career, J. Paul, Jr. was dubbed “Keith Frank, Jr.” due to his heavily influenced/copycat sound. That changed… - Jeff & Vida, Selma Chalk (Rosebank)
Time out of town has helped Jeff and Vida find a stronger musical voice. Since they’ve moved to Nashville, the bluegrass… - Panorama Jazz Band, Come Out Swingin' (Independent)
As a writer, I understand the impulse to explain, but I often prefer the Panorama Brass Band in a parade to… - Terence Blanchard, Choices (Concord Jazz)
“I’m not against smartness and brains; it’s just that it falls so radically short of what it means to be human…
