Think you know what Cajun music sounds like? Think again. For the past couple of years, the critical response to live appearances by the Lost Bayou Ramblers at local southwest Louisiana clubs and festivals, as well as far-flung bohemian enclaves like New Orleans’ French Quarter; Austin, Texas; and Brooklyn, New York, has mostly been the [...]
Truckstop Honeymoon’s fourth album since its post-Katrina relocation to the bleached Kansas prairies is more of a New Orleans record than anything the husband-and-wife couple of Mike West and Katie Euliss ever did during their Crescent City residency. Nearly all of the arrangements feature a horn section steeped in trad jazz—an odd but welcomed juxtaposition [...]
Since 1992, Kynt has been possibly the only New Orleans artist recording and performing electronic house music. A rocky childhood in foster homes compelled Kynt to sneak out at night to dance at gay French Quarter clubs. The music there inspired him toward his own original house compositions, several of which have found their way [...]
It’s virtually impossible to summarize Leroy Martin’s eight-decade career in professional music succinctly: musician, writer, bandleader, producer, engineer and historian. In the ‘60s, his Acadians backed up Vin Bruce while his Vikings squadron supported Joe Barry with Martin producing Barry’s national chart topper “I’m a Fool to Care.” Barbara Lynn, Jimmy Donley and Mickey Gilley [...]
Little things make a big difference with Christian Serpas and Ghost Town. Serpas can write the sort of clever song that no one in country has written in 20-plus years, generally with good, Beatles-esque pop sense. They’re not going to change the world, but they can be a lot of fun. When Ghost Town records [...]
During the late ‘60s/early ‘70s heyday of Parliament/Funkadelic, George Clinton would regularly herd a few dozen musicians into the studio without a real game plan, let the jams flow with the players in various states of alteredness, and somehow emerge with a tape full of classic grooves. This is a trick that you probably shouldn’t [...]
A great thing about Louisiana: across the state, everyday people play instruments for the entertainment of everyday people. America 2012, you can save your digital remove, your pretense of higher purpose, your caring government. Every Friday night, in countless dives and backyards in every wet parish, folks drink and dance under the same spell that [...]
Keith Jarrett has been putting out solo piano records for 40 years now. I’ve tried to keep up with his vast output over the years, and own maybe 15 of the more than 100 albums he’s appeared on since the late ‘60s. Like many fans, I’m particularly mesmerized by his solo efforts, and place Köln [...]
Harry Nilsson is no stranger to album-length cover projects. At his creative peak, the hedonistic early ’70s in L.A., Nilsson dragged an obscure American songwriter named Randy Newman into the public eye with the tasteful Nilsson Sings Newman. That record finds him interpreting Newman’s work as well as anyone since, showcasing Nilsson’s rich voice and [...]
Pittsburgh guitarist Domenic Fusca now calls New Orleans home and is a Frenchmen Street regular. Although Get Your Soul Right is generally a blues album, strip away the blues dressings and “City Girl” or “These Hearts” could be pop or country covers. I hear Bruce Springsteen covering “Time.” I’d like the CD better without the [...]
