In May, Davell Crawford delivered My Gift to You, the sixth album of his career and the Piano Prince of New Orleans’ first since the release of the dazzling Born with the Funk 14 years ago. Its cover features a photo of a young Davell donning a cap and gown on the day of his kindergarten commencement, and its songs render a curious self-portrait that uncovers just as much about who the now 37-year-old pianist is today as it does of the lineage the grandson of James “Sugar Boy” Crawford inherited. “Whatever I have to say in life is usually in a song, in my music,” he says while sipping on Chivas Regal in the early evening prior to taking the stage for the first of two sets at Snug Harbor that night. “I just didn’t feel like I had anything to say,” the merry yet mercurial prodigy opines candidly regarding his long delay between albums. “That was the main reason.”

Currently, Crawford, who resides in New York City, is nearing the end of a month-long residency at Snug Harbor that will conclude next Tuesday (July 30). On Saturday (July 27), he’s slated to perform there alongside recent NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipient Carol Fran as well. Following this junket, he will return to his hometown again in September to host Davell Crawford Presents: The Legends Series at the Little Gem Saloon. The intimate concert series will features performances from iconic New Orleans musicians such as Irma Thomas and Art Neville set to Crawford’s accompaniment. For those wondering if another decade will pass between releases, Crawford is presently prepping a box set of previously unreleased, solo piano recordings collected during his hiatus. He’s also in the process of writing a book about his childhood, which includes the details behind a kidnapping incident that he has been reluctant to speak about publicly. Listen in to hear Crawford share his story…

[powerpress=”https://www.offbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/2013/07/davell-crawford-look-ka-py-py-podcast.m4a”]