Hello world, meet Andre Williams, man of letters. If you’ve already met “Mr. Rhythm” in his better-known persona as purveyor of greasy R&B to the world, said knowledge shall deepen your deep-frying sensation at his debut between covers. If not, you need not worry. Williams moves along the printed page as “crazy” and “crude” (two [...]
Hannibal Lokumbe, the former Marvin Peterson, took up trumpet at age thirteen, in 1961. By his 30th birthday, he’d played with Gil Evans, Pharoah Sanders, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, and other heavy hitters. Dear Mrs. Parks, a work for orchestra, choir, chorale, and four featured soloists, blends many of his life’s obsessions. Written in 2005 [...]
Like his soulmate, the late, great Ted Hawkins, Grandpa Elliott’s specialized genius lies in exhilarating simplicity belying the hassle that refined it. According to The New York Times, he play-acts being blinder and crazier than in actuality. Sad, then, how he feels obligated to put on a freak show, however genteel, to get his music [...]
“A portion of benefits from this compilation will benefit the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund,” it says right in the liner notes. So buy a copy. Know, however, that this set, well- nigh four hours of testimony over three discs, will comfort, ennoble, and enable you through any future floods, earthquakes, fire ant infestations, and [...]
On which we celebrate the Queen’s 49th anniversary in show business, actually, counting from her first single, 1960’s “Don’t Mess with My Man.” But given the Queen, who wants to count? This celebration only counts material from the last quarter-century, too, finding Thomas’ voice huskier and just a touch more mannered than over her first [...]
Ahhh, the return of Lady T, “Honey” if you want her “Southern name,” Mary Christine Brockert if you want the (snore) legal one. Documentary proof that someone (I didn’t say anyone) can turn herself black given enough passion, Ms. Marie devotes some of this third comeback album to exploring her roots in New Orleans. More [...]
Tribute albums: We smile, nod, applaud a good cause if one’s attached, take it home, play the first 15 minutes, file, excrete a few years down the road at the multi-family garage sale. And by that point, hey, we’ve forgotten the thing was up there. The family domicile weighs a little less. We fall for [...]
In which the imperial (not imperious) king of B3 soul and funk climbs out of his own hole to make friends with Neil Young and the Drive-By Truckers. One unlikely three-way, you’d say, and I’d agree. But given Booker’s landing at Anti-, he had to shake hands with the de facto Anti- house band, and [...]
Asleep at The Wheel’s been rolling since 1974, but this is their first showdown with Willie. I’m happy to report that nobody gets drunk (that wasn’t drunk before), and nobody goes off the road. Willie nips ahead of a beat, ducks behind the next one, mock-stutters, loses himself in his own larynx and finds himself [...]
For those who tuned in late, Sly and the Family Stone released seven essential albums, from 1967’s A Whole New Thing to 1974’s Small Talk. Go out and get them. I’ll wait. The seven-strong, five-black/two white, five-male/two-female lineup hardly erased the Negro Problem, but it had a hell of a time, and a heaven too, [...]
