Expectant Music
Early April is a difficult time to look back at previous musical happenings—as is the nature of this column—when the anticipation of upcoming festivities hangs gloriously in the air. The first step onto the Fair Grounds’ grassy infield on the opening day of Jazz Fest is always one of my favorite moments for this very [...]
Shake Hands With Trombone Shorty
It was one of those special New Orleans nights when the music communityplayers and fans alikerallied for a cause and partied down. The troops gathered at Café Brasil for a tribute to the Ooh Poo Pah Doo man, the late great Jessie Hill and raise money for tombstone to be placed on his grave at [...]
Muhammad Comes Home
Great drumming ruled February. A predominant cause for this excess in a city blessed with a superb rhythmic tradition was the homecoming of Idris Muhammad. While the internationally acclaimed drummer often returns to visit family and in recent years performed here several times, this was his longest stay in his hometown since leaving for New [...]
Jazz Daredevils
I am still reeling at the incredible amount of excellent jazz I’ve heard in the last several weeks. This bombardment derives from numerous fronts. First, New Orleans boasts an incredibly solid core of local musicians that includes veterans, the present generation of jazzers and up-and-comers. They make up the backbone of the scene, mixing it [...]
