The buzz is definitely out on the Burnside Exploration. As the name suggests, the band is composed of the late blues man R.L. Burnside’s kin—his son, guitarist/vocalist Garry, 30, and his 28-year-old grandson, drummer/vocalist Cedric Burnside. The Exploration made its New Orleans debut last spring at d.b.a. and the duo continues to gain fans for [...]
Perhaps vocalist/guitarist Esquizito can best be described as a stylist. His eclectic approach to a host of standards is all his own while he dwells in the softer times of the past. His look—the high waisted, often pleated pants, two-toned shoes and dapper hats—like his music speak of a more a romantic, polite era. Then [...]
Delfeayo Marsalis chats about a broad range of topics including Minions Dominion, recorded with the late, great Elvin Jones. When Delfeayo Marsalis went into the studio to record his new album, he didn’t approach the task as simply writing and recording tunes. He wanted record once again with the iconic drummer Elvin [...]
The connection between New Orleans and Cuba—musically, culturally, ethnically—has long been documented. Evidence dates back to when slaves were acquired from the island nation and the 1809 Cuban deportation of 9,000 refugees from St. Dominique (now Haiti) to this city. The Onward Brass Band traveled to Cuba in 1884 and compositions by Louis Moreau Gottschalk [...]
Donald Harrison enjoys jumping from straight-ahead jazz to Latin jazz to rap to Mardi Gras Indians—you name it. The primary home for the saxophonist’s output for the brand of jazz he has dubbed “nouveau swing” has been the German-based Nagel Heyer label, and the approach is most noted for its irresistible groove matched by Harrison’s [...]
These days, the softer side of New Orleans classic jazz often seems to take a backseat to more raucous stylings. New Orleans native Louis Ford reminds us of the elegance that lives within the tradition with his selection of tunes and approach to the music. Solid swinging is the ingredient that makes tunes such as [...]
Vibraphonist James Westfall made a significant impact on the New Orleans jazz scene when he arrived in 2000 as student at the University of New Orleans. By invitation, the Houston native then headed to California to attend the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, where he studied under giants like keyboardist Herbie Hancock and trumpeter [...]
Freddy Fender, the Grammy-winning vocalist and guitarist whose star rose on hits such as “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and the self-penned “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” died Saturday, October 14, 2006 of lung cancer at the age of 69. Born Baldemar Huerta in the Texas-Mexico border town of San Benito, Texas, he changed [...]
