I just finished being interviewed by OffBeat’s contributing editor, John Swenson, for our upcoming December issue, in which we celebrate 25 years of publishing OffBeat. It was a walk down memory lane, for sure (good memories and bad), but it continues to amaze one as old as myself that so much history has gone down [...]
Tag Archives: John Swenson
Glen David Andrews performs again
August 27, 2012 – 12:43 pm
Glen David Andrews played his first gig in two months Saturday at the Hudson River BBQ & Blues Fest in New York City. Andrews, who was last seen in New Orleans at a second line for the late Uncle Lionel Batiste, has been in a rehabilitation facility called Right Turn Inc. in Massachusetts for over [...]
Satchmo Summerfest: Much More Than I’ll Ever Know
August 3, 2012 – 1:20 pm
I grew up believing that Louis Armstrong was born on the Fourth of July in the year 1900. I always thought it was appropriate for the great, American cultural hero to share his birthday with the nation. A big part of my enjoying Independence Day was always the fact that I’d hear Armstrong play classics [...]
End of an Era: Reflections on the Passing of Uncle Lionel
July 25, 2012 – 12:08 pm
Now that Uncle Lionel is in the ground I feel like I can finally talk about an issue that disturbed me greatly during the roughly two weeks of celebrations, some planned and some spontaneous, of his remarkable life. Blog, twitter and facebook wars raged about the propriety of the celebrations, with complaints ranging from the [...]
Uncle Lionel Batiste: February 1, 1931 – July 8, 2012
July 9, 2012 – 12:34 pm
Of all the colorful char-actors who’ve populated the streets of New Orleans over the years, Uncle Lionel Batiste takes the cake. Uncle Lionel patrolled the banquette along lower Decatur and Frenchmen Streets with the panache of a potentate or prelate. Always impeccably dressed in a crisply tailored suit, usually accompanied by a color coordinated bowler [...]
Open Letter to Jazz Journalists of New Orleans
July 6, 2012 – 6:21 pm
Back in 1986 when my book The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide was released, music journalism was an entirely different phenomenon than it is today. Jazz critics had built a firewall around themselves, perhaps in self-defense as what was once America’s popular music faded into demographic marginality, and those who wrote about it found themselves writing [...]
Drago’s Metairie Restaurant’s July 11 Proceeds to Benefit St. Bernard Project
July 3, 2012 – 1:00 pm
Everyone in New Orleans knows how good Drago’s charbroiled oysters are. They remain one of my favorite treats in the city during my lunchtime excursions with friends. On July 11 you can treat yourself to this delicacy and help rebuild New Orleans at the same time. In celebration of Drago Cvitanovich’s 90th Birthday, Drago’s Seafood [...]
Introducing A New OffBeat Blog from John Swenson
June 4, 2012 – 4:48 pm
We’re pleased to let you know that our consulting editor and long-time contributor to OffBeat, John Swenson, will now be writing a regular blog on OffBeat.com. John is the author of The New Atlantis: Musicians Battle for the Survival of New Orleans, and Swenson’s account of musicians returning to New Orleans after Katrina, The Bands Played On, appeared [...]
OffBeat’s John Swenson Wins Best Book in JazzTimes Critics Poll
March 6, 2012 – 3:40 pm
JazzTimes magazine released the results of their 2011 Critics Poll yesterday, with OffBeat Consulting Editor John Swenson winning the Best Book award for New Atlantis: Musicians Battle for the Survival of New Orleans. The book focuses on the important roles musicians played in the city’s post-Katrina recovery. JazzTimes‘ Critics Poll is decided by the magazine’s [...]
The Music Box in Action
December 12, 2011 – 8:43 am
This weekend, the Music Box gave its final performances. In the current issue, John Swenson writes about this unusual project incorporating music, art and architecture. Here is video from the first Music Box performance on October 22.
