R&B Legends Dress Up Floats; A Round-Up of Mardi Gras Music

Bars Fill with Mardi Gras Indians; Legendary Drummer Smokey Johnson Saluted

Happy Mardi Gras, everybody! The nation’s greatest free party will be in full swing as this issue of OffBeat hits the streets, with plenty of music and merriment for all. […]

Professor Longhair, Fess: The Professor Longhair Anthology (Rhino)

Earl Palmer Stars in New Orleans Drumming Video; the Year’s Best R&B

Ground Broken for Longhair Memorial; Michael Ray, Kermit Ruffins in Studio

Deepest Blues

Journalist-turned-producer Robert Palmer tells the tale of how he found himself recording North Mississippi blues artists — persevering through lightning strikes and the idiosyncrasies of the region.   Robert Palmer […]

An OffBeat Interview with Johnny Adams

Born Laten John Adams on January 5, 1932 and raised in the Hollygrove section of uptown New Orleans, Johnny Adams started singing with neighborhood gospel quartets in the late 19405. […]

More Changes in the Treme Music District; Ernie K-Doe is Cocky But Good

Chuck Carbo Has Drawers Trouble; New Discs from Champion Jack, James Booker

New Releases from Earl King, Solomon Burke, Carl Sonny Leyland and Marva Wright