For a guy who can be seen playing regularly alongside jazz musicians like Jesse Boyd, Tom Fischer and Don Vappie, guitarist John Rankin has an unusual claim to fame. “I play with the LPO [Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra] when they need a guitar or a banjo,” he says. “Last year I did Mahler’s 7th [symphony] with [...]
Tag Archives: Paul Sanchez
Best of the Beat Lifetime Achievement in Music Education Award: John Rankin
January 1, 2012 – 12:15 am
Nine Lives Performance at Tipitina’s French Quarter: Photos
October 28, 2011 – 1:07 am
Over the course of the year, musician Paul Sanchez and screenwriter Colman deKay’s opera and album Nine Lives has blossomed into one of the most celebrated New Orleans releases of 2011. On stage, the musical adaption of Dan Brown’s 2009 book of the same title takes the form of a pop opera. Backed by a [...]
Behind Treme’s Hard Season Opener
April 24, 2011 – 10:33 pm
[Spoiler alert] As we learned late in season one of Treme, obsessing over the raw factuality of the show is dangerous. The clues were there as to what Creighton Bernette’s fate might be, but viewers in New Orleans largely missed them because of the fixation on Ashley Morris as the character’s inspiration—overlooking the degree to [...]
Touched by Treme
April 1, 2011 – 12:14 am
“I now have all the Facebook friends I’ll ever need.” Tom McDermott appeared in episode three of the television show Treme, starting a rift between Lucia Micarelli’s violin-playing Annie and Michiel Huisman’s Sonny when he asked her to accompany him on a gig. The appearance gave him the sort of exposure only television can give, [...]
Obituary: Herman Ernest (1951-2011)
April 1, 2011 – 12:09 am
[Updated] During the recording of Dr. John’s Tribal album, James Demaria videotaped Herman Ernest overdubbing rhythm tracks. “This is the updated version of New Orleans funk,” he explained, adding a pattern on a cowbell. “This separates the men from the sidemen.” He was partially talking trash for the camera, but he was also someone [...]
Drummer Herman Ernest Passes
March 6, 2011 – 4:39 pm
Herman Roscoe Ernest III passed away today. I hired him for the Nine Lives session because I loved him. Just before the flood I began recording Between Friends and Mike Mayeux suggested Herman for a track. Herman dug the songs so much he offered to play for free on several tracks and it was a [...]
Various Artists, Nine Lives (Mystery Street Records)
March 1, 2011 – 12:59 am
Nine Lives is an attempt by Paul Sanchez and screenwriter Colman DeKay to adapt Dan Baum’s account of the lives of nine New Orleanians for a musical. Knowing that doesn’t prepare you for what a musical it is, though. You expect music by an established musician to have some signature, but that’s not the case [...]
Nine Lives Musical at Le Petit Theatre
February 21, 2011 – 9:53 am
In our current issue, Alex Rawls tells the story behind Nine Lives, Paul Sanchez and Colman DeKay’s musical adaptation of Dan Baum’s book. Plans are afoot to take it to New York this summer to try to shop the project to the city’s theater community, but on Wednesday, May 4, the first full live presentation [...]
Nine Lives: A Chorus Second Line
February 1, 2011 – 12:10 am
“I’m going to Bing it up,” Harry Shearer says. He’s in a vocal booth at Piety Street Recording as his voice drops into a fruity, Crosby-esque baritone: Here comes old Cedric. He’s had a fabulous year. A hush fills the room as his young wife draws near. He pimps her out freely to advance his [...]
Go For It!
December 15, 2010 – 7:11 pm
Spent a good part of this afternoon at Piety Street Recording Studio in the Bywater, meeting great people whilst observing the recording of Paul Sanchez and screenwriter Colman deKay’s upcoming Nine Lives production. If you recall from reading OffBeat, Threadhead Records and Sanchez received a Pepsi grant in the amount of $50,000 to help finance [...]
