Outside of the original Mardi Gras in New Orleans that appeared in the mid-1970s and 2000’s Mardi Gras Essentials, this CD is no better but no worse than the plethora of Mardi Gras CDs currently available. What does set Meet Me at Mardi Gras apart is that it probably has the longest time span of [...]
Other than reissues, true gutbucket blues CDs have been a rarity for more than a decade. Enter Exhibit A—Evening. One of the better harp players on the scene today, Sugar Ray Norcia gets a smoky, vintage sound by playing period instruments through tube amps. The sound is enhanced dramatically by Norcia not singing through the [...]
Larry Hamilton, a singer/songwriter who might be best known for a self-titled 1997 NYNO CD produced by Allen Toussaint, died December 28, 2011. Born in Galveston, Texas, March 23, 1951, he moved to New Orleans as a youth. At the age of seven, he began taking piano lessons with Ray Charles as his major influence. [...]
This is an all-star CD, and most all-star CDs are disappointing. Nevertheless, I couldn’t wait to hear this one. With B.B. King, Sharon Jones, Delbert McClinton, Bettye LaVette on board, among others, there’s not much disappointing here. Dedicated is a salute to the fabulous Five Royales. Before James Brown, Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Smokey Robinson [...]
Billy Diamond, who was instrumental in the launch of Fats Domino’s career, passed away in Los Angeles, October 20 from natural causes. He was 95. Diamond was born in New Orleans on October 5, 1916, and grew up on Louisiana Avenue. “Louis Armstrong actually gave me a trumpet in 1930, but I never learned to [...]
Former Brinsley Schwarz/Rumour keyboardist Bob Andrews has immersed himself in New Orleans piano since moving to the city. On this self-produced album, he largely and agreeably leans toward the R&B that was cool currency during pub rock days. The title track is a well-chosen cover of Ronnie Love’s 1961 hit, and it creeps along at [...]
When blues pianist Henry Gray released Lucky Man in 1990, it was his first solo American album despite years of recording and playing with Howlin’ Wolf. This release is the reissue of the original vinyl LP. Outside of a cover of Fats Domino’s “My Girl Josephine,” Lucky Man is straight-up Windy City blues. For the [...]
These were Miss Peaches’ first recordings from the mid-1950s, recorded for the legendary Los Angeles label. Discovered by bandleader Johnny Otis as a teenager, originally, James had mixed success cutting “answer records” for Hank Ballard “Annie” hits with releases like “The Wall Flower” and “Hey! Henry”. When that ran its course, she responded to Bo [...]
A couple of issues ago, we reviewed the first two volumes in this important series, both of which had a New Orleans rock ’n’ roll slant. This one does too, but it also includes some pretty tough blues sides as lagniappe. Include Jerry McCain’s often-covered “She’s Tough” in the latter column, as well as his [...]
Benny Spellman, who accounted for the wonderful two-sided 1962 national hit “Lipstick Traces” b/w “Fortune Teller,” and supplied the baritone interjections on Ernie K-Doe’s number one hit “Mother- In-Law,” died June 3 at an assisted living facility in Pensacola, Florida, of respiratory failure. He was 79. “Benny was a great entertainer,” confirms Irma Thomas, who [...]
