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Selected from nearly 300 Louisiana releases, our 2003 Critics’ Choice of the year’s finest musical offerings was a joint effort of OffBeat’s editors and writers, with all Louisiana-oriented recordings afforded equal status, be they the products of companies major, minor or non-existent. The quoted excerpts are from reviews originally written by James Bailey, Christopher Blagg, Michael Dominici, Robert Fontenot, Mark Fowler, Jeff Hannusch, Michael Hurtt, Bunny Matthews, Jude Matthews, Stephen Perrin, Alex Rawls, H. Andrew Schwartz, John Swenson, Dan Willging and Geraldine Wyckoff.
The Top 10
Deacon John: Deacon John’s Jump Blues: Music from the Film (Vetter Communications)
“Considering the current state of New Orleans rhythm and blues, this CD has to be considered a lifesaver thrown to a drowning genre of music. It belongs in the collection of even those with marginal interest in this CLASSIC music.”
Reviewed June 2003, Hannusch
The Iguanas: Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart (Yep Roc)
“One of the most complete albums to come out of New Orleans in years. It’s really that good. The Iguanas have moved forward in their songwriting to create their finest recorded achievement to date.”
Reviewed March 2003, Blagg
Tim Laughlin: The Isle of Orleans (Gentilly Records)
“The Isle of Orleans is a graceful and lyrical recording of original jazz music with old fashioned charm.”
Reviewed August 2003, Dominici
Los Hombres Calientes: Vol. 4: Voodu Dance (Basin Street Records)
“Los Hombres Calientes’ musical plate is piled high with delicious and unusual treats.”
Reviewed April 2003, Wyckoff
Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration (Marsalis Music / Rounder)
“Though the family members have played and recorded together in various configurations, this album captures the first time they joined forced on a release, in celebration of Ellis Marsalis’ retirement from teaching.”
Reviewed February 2003, Wyckoff
Aaron Neville: Nature Boy: The Standards Album (Verve)
“With accompaniment as spectacularly refined as sushi, Aaron sets the standard for romantic standards.”
Reviewed September 2003, Matthews
Nicholas Payton: Sonic Trance (Warner Bros)
“The core of Payton’s groove-oriented, electrified outing is that he is so musical, so rooted that no amount of wattage or wah-wah can camouflage his depth as a player.”
Reviewed October 2003, Wyckoff
Quintron & Miss Pussycat: Are You Ready For An Organ Solo? (Three One G Records)
“Quintron and Miss Pussycat are the missing link between the half-embalmed museum of New orleans R&B and the rock ‘n’ roll flying saucer of tomorrow.”
Reviewed June 2003, Matthews (Father and Son)
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: Bon Rêve (Rounder)
“A magnificently crafted masterpiece, Bon Rêve serves as a strong reminder that when Cajun music is played right, it’s the most formidable sonic art on this planet.”
Reviewed October 2003, Willging
Supagroup: Supagroup (FoodChain Records)
“Supagroup, as you might expect, is a celebration of bad living and bad attitudes. What makes the songs celebratory is Benji Lee’s perfectly distorted guitar.”
Reviewed August 2003, Rawls
The Next 40
Sean Ardoin & Zydekool: Home Brew (Tomorrow Recordings)
“Doing an about face from his high-powered B-Boy meets the bayou take on zydeco, Sean Ardoin’s newest release finds the gene-blessed performer going old school.”
Reviewed May 2003, Blagg
Ballzack: Knucklehead Memoirs (Independent)
“West Bank rapper Ballzack combines intellectual hip-hop with retro-moderne atmospherics and the bastard child of his two loves is that rare progressive hip-hop CD that doesn’t rely on crackhead comedy.”
Reviewed September 2003, Fontenot
Joe Barry: Been Down That Muddy Road (Night Train)
“Joe exhausts the musical gamut on 13 original songs and a brilliant swamp pop adaptation of the Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take,’ sung in both French and English.”
Reviewed June 2003, Hurtt
Chris Belleau & The Zydeco Hounds: Repeat Offender (Independent)
“Accordionist/trombonist/pianist Chris Belleau stretches way beyond anything traditionally bedrocked into something that’s more akin to Rockin’ Sidney meeting the Iguanas and half of the fabulous Forever Chickenhawks on a Mamou street corner.”
Reviewed September 2003, Willging
Tab Benoit: The Sea Saint Sessions (Telarc)
“Benoit chose the venue because of the historic vibe; Sea-Saint was where Allen Toussaint, the Meters and Lee Dorsey conjured their magic.”
Reviewed July 2003, Schwartz
Terence Blanchard: Bounce (Blue Note Records)
“Blanchard brings to the table a well-balanced menu with each satisfying course complementing the whole.”
Reviewed September 2003, Wyckoff
Monk Boudreaux and The Golden Eagles: Mr. Stranger Man (Shanachie)
“Boudreaux balances the stark rawness of the Mardi Gras Indians’ chants and rhythms with modern instrumentation and influences. Monk makes it real.”
Reviewed May 2003, Wyckoff
John Boutté & Uptown Okra: Carry Me Home (Independent)
“The seemingly disparate sounds of string band upstarts Uptown Okra and the gospel/R&B vocal cords of John Boutté find a melodious middle ground: a match made in heaven.”
Reviewed May 2003, Blagg
Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band: Ain’t No Party Like A Chubby Party (Independent)
“Like a good party, Carrier offers a little something for all his guests, whether it’s a hypnotic blues buster or the next Mardi Gras classic.”
Reviewed October 2003, Willging
Evan Christopher: Clarinet Road: Volume 1, The Road to New Orleans (STR Digital)
“Clarinetist Christopher harkens back to the early days of jazz’s development, a time of elegance and finesse.”
Reviewed January 2003, Wyckoff
Harry Connick, Jr.: Other Hours: Connick on Piano: Volume 1 (Marsalis Music)
“Connick releases his first all-instrumental jazz album since his 1987 debut…yes folks, Connick can burn!”
Reviewed September 2003, Wyckoff
Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie: Everybody’s Dancin’ (Times Square Records)
“The Creole cowboy’s latest is a Herculean testament of souped-up, rocked-out, nuclear-combustin’ zydeco that’s invigorating all the way through.”
Reviewed June 2003, Willging
Doctor À Go-Go: Hot Girlie Action! (Idiotnik Records)
“Hot Girlie Action! Works first because the grooves are real rather than imagined, and you don’t have to drink to find the band competent. Beyond that, these tracks aren’t hamstrung by genre conventions.”
Reviewed October 2003, Rawls
Lynn Drury and Bad Mayo: Spun (Independent)
“New Orleans hasn’t had an intelligent sexy singer-songwriter in quite some time, and Spun’s literate take on love’s dilemmas is incredibly refreshing for a city inundated with the usual songs about Mardi Gras morning, crawfish and declarations of one’s own funkiness.”
Reviewed May 2003, Blagg
Fats Domino: Live! From the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2001 (Shout! Factory)
“Sticking with a successful formula at Jazz Fest, Fats keeps the hits coming, from ‘I’m Walking’ to ‘Walking To New Orleans.’”
Reviewed May 2003, Hannusch
Galactic: Ruckus (Sanctuary)
“Its impact hits you right in the gut at the opening bell and continues to hand out beat down after beat down for the next 12 rounds with few chances to catch your breath.”
Reviewed October 2003, Bailey
Roland Guerin: Groove, Swing and Harmony (Independent)
“The aural equivalent of watching bassist Roland Guerin perform—content yet determined.”
Reviewed July 2003, Wyckoff
Hazard County Girls: Hazard County Girls (Independent)
“The riffs aren’t riffs-for-riffs’-sake as is the case with stoner rock; here the songs are lyric-driven, and the riffs are more hypnotic than pounding.”
Reviewed May 2003, Rawls
Gary Hirstius: Down River (Four Cats/Radionic Records)
“Each track is just as good as the next. Treat yourself to songs that Ryan Adams is pissed he didn’t write.”
Reviewed August 2003, Bailey
Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes: Bandicoot (Independent)
“Bandicoot’s greatest strength is the impeccable arrangements of both instruments and vocals evidenced by the nimble, inventive interplay of the rhythm and lead instruments.”
Reviewed April 2003, Bailey
The Joneses: Revolution Blues (Independent)
“The Joneses make punk rock extremely reminiscent of the Clash, frequently veering into Police-type pop. Singer Will Burdette even adopts a British accent.”
Reviewed November 2003, Rawls
Jonno: South To Louisiana (New Range Records)
“South To Louisiana showcases Cajun fiddler Jonno Frishberg’s brilliant, shackle-raising technique on his first solo release.”
Reviewed December 2003, Willging
Joe Krown: New Orleans Piano Rolls (STR Digital Records)
“You don’t move beer in this town without being an entertainer, after all, and Krown’s approach is enough to make these warhorses sound fresh and exciting.”
Reviewed June 2003, Fontenot
Sonny Landreth: The Road We’re On (Sugar Hill)
“Sonny, arguably the most exciting slide guitarist alive, makes no bones about his dedication to the blues, offering up slow Delta lopes, nasty Texas shuffles and straight acoustic pickin’.”
Reviewed February 2003, Fontenot
Lost Bayou Ramblers: Pilette Breakdown (Swallow)
“The Ramblers’ earthy organic sound unpretentiously harkens back to Cajun music’s earliest recorded beginnings.”
Reviewed November 2003, Willging
Branford Marsalis Quartet: Romare Bearden Revealed (Marsalis Music)
“Branford’s detour from his more typical output resulted from a request for the saxophonist to develop an album in celebration of a major retrospective on artist Romare Bearden.”
Reviewed October 2003, Wyckoff
Irvin Mayfield: Half Past Autumn Suite (Basin Street Records)
“Openness and emotional content are the essence of Half Past Autumn Suite, an album that points the camera at Ambassador Mayfield the composer and artist looking beyond the next club date to new encounters.”
Reviewed 2003, Wyckoff
Aaron Neville: Believe (Tell It Records / EMI Gospel)
“Believe glows with sincerity, shining from the soul and angelic voice of Aaron Neville.”
Reviewed March 2003, Wyckoff
The New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra: Burning Sands (Camelback Records)
“Burning Sands is a gloriously politically incorrect reckoning with the current mood of patriotism whose success relies solely on the Orchestra’s re-visitation of forgotten pop songs composed around exotic Middle Eastern and Oriental themes in the 1910s and ’20s.”
Reviewed August 2003, Hurtt
Papa Grows Funk: Shakin’ (Independent)
“Papa Grows Funk is the New School of New Orleans Funk and Shakin’ is the kind of album that codifies a band’s place in history.”
Reviewed May 2003, Swenson
Pleasure Club: Here Comes The Trick/Live: Out of the Pulpit (Purified Records / Sixthman)
“This is classic rock for those who don’t use the term in the same breath as the words Dave and Matthews.”
Reviewed December 2003, Perrin
Red Stick Ramblers: Bring It On Down (Memphis International Records)
“Bring It On Home marks the maturation of a band that seems destined to take the torch from BeauSoleil as the premier band representing the culture of Southwest Louisiana.”
Reviewed November 2003, Blagg
Shane Theriot: The Grease Factor (Shose)
“This is one of the most tumultuous guitar albums to ever escape the South.”
Reviewed July 2003, Fontenot
Chris Thomas King: The Roots: The Soul of Chris Thomas King (21st Century Blues)
“Here we have Chris Thomas King doing what he does best: delving into the earthy substance of the acoustic blues.”
Reviewed November 2003, Dominici
Timothea: I’m Still Standing (Blue Soul Records)
“It took five albums, but someone’s finally hit upon the perfect showcase for local R&B goddess Timothea’s smoky vocal technique.”
Reviewed December 2003, Fontenot
Various Artists: Patchwork: A Tribute To James Booker (STR Digital Records)
“Gathering seven pianists and special guest vocalist Leigh Harris on a program of 15 pieces associated with James Booker, Patchwork pretty much covers all the bases and hits all of the right notes.”
Reviewed December 2003, Dominici
Möise and Alida Viator with Eh: La-Bas!: Mermaids of the Canary Islands (Acadiana Records)
“Their splendid sophomore effort extends the foray into the Creole Caribbean with an eight-piece band consisting of ska guitars, trumpets, saxophones, piano and myriad word percussion.”
Reviewed September 2003, Willging
Rob Wagner Trio: Walking, Crying, Laughing, Running (Valid)
“Walking, Crying, Laughing, Running satisfies on many levels and demonstrates saxophonist Wagner’s continued growth as a musician and composer.”
Reviewed May 2003, Wyckoff
Mike West: The Man That Could Fall Backwards (Binky / Squirrel Records)
“The king of the levee-billy singers has just nailed his saddest record ever.”
Reviewed July 2003, Willging
Woodenhead: Perseverance (Free Electric Sound)
“Jimmy Robinson’s guitar playing just keeps getting better and better…”
Reviewed May 2003, Fowler
Top 10 Reissues
BeauSoleil: Encore, Encore!! The Best of BeauSoleil on Rhino (Rhino)
“This generous 19-track offering frames a sizable portrait of BeauSoleil’s multi-faceted cultural personality that extends well into the Francophone world.”
Reviewed April 2003, Willging
Buckwheat Zydeco: Classics (Rounder)
“This third re-packaging of Buckwheat tracks that served as the launching pad for Buck’s zydeco ascendancy has weathered the test of time.”
Reviewed December 2003, Willging
Clifton Chenier: The Best of (Arhoolie Records)
“A prosperous relationship between Arhoolie producer Chris Strachwitz and Clifton Chenier resulted in a career revival and some of Chenier’s best sides ever waxed.”
Reviewed July 2003, Willging
Chris Kenner: The Chris Kenner Collection: Land of 1000 Dances (Fuel 2000)
“For any lover of New Orleans rhythm and blues, this is an essential release, containing 24 of the late vocalist’s songs, ranging from the hits to the more obscure but no less magnificent.”
Reviewed July 2003, Matthews
Earl King: Come On: The Complete Imperial Recordings (Okra-Tone)
“Although King’s mark had already been made by the time he signed to Imperial in 1960, it was there that he would lay down his legacy.”
Reviewed July 2003, Hurtt
Earl King: Street Parade (Fuel 2000)
“Impressive when it was released on Charly 20 years ago, this music dates from 1972 when King made one of his irregular forays into the studio—Jazz City of Camp Street, in this case, with Allen Toussaint and the Meters in attendance.”
Reviewed June 2003, Hannusch
The Marvels: Don’t Pony with Tony... (Night Train)
“The Marvels may have been a footnote in the careers of their dual leaders but this is an astounding collection of undiluted pre-British Invasion Dixie rock ‘n’ roll that’s more than earned its enshrinement in the Frat Rock Hall of Fame.”
Reviewed December 2003, Hurtt
Aaron Neville: Orchid in the Storm (Hyena Records)
“Aaron, as always, is answering to a higher calling.”
Reviewed May 2003, Fontenot
Slim Harpo: The Excello Singles Anthology (Hip-O)
“This double CD presents all of Slim Harpo’s singles in chronological order and is a perfect overview of the great blues artist’s career.”
Reviewed October 2003, Hannusch
Various Artists: The Best of Chase Records, Vol. 1 & 2 (Night Train)
“A rather essential nugget in your New Orleans music collection, deftly reflecting the 1960s British/Surf/Motown invasion of New Orleans R&B and featuring radio deejay C.C. Courtney’s twisted anti-Vietnam war protest song, ‘Diagnosis-Neurosis.’”
Reviewed July 2003, Dominici
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