Even with an uncommonly early start time at One Eyed Jacks—9 p.m. for the headliner!—the Alabama Shakes packed the room to the point that those of us who arrived shortly before 9 p.m. bumped into an impenetrable wall of backs five or so feet inside the door. But the show was a reminder that soul [...]
Tag Archives: soul
The Alabama Shakes: Right At Home with Newfound Fame
January 18, 2012 – 2:27 pm
You can’t ignore the sense of place in the music of the Alabama Shakes. It’s right there in the quartet’s name. Simply the Shakes at first, when forced to pick a new name to avoid copyrights they just added the name of their home. Lead singer Brittany Howard wears that home on her sleeve—literally. She [...]
Gregg Martinez, South of the Parish Line (Magnolia Records)
November 1, 2011 – 12:47 am
Equipped with one of the best blue-eyed soul voices around, Gregg Martinez flirted with stardom in the ‘80s when Philly soul masterminds Victor Carstarphen and Keith Benson nearly launched him as the white Teddy Pendergrass. The Lafayette native returned home in 2006, where he, among other things, crooned with the legendary Boogie Kings and was [...]
Irma Thomas + Soul Project at Harvest the Music 2011: Photos
October 6, 2011 – 4:43 pm
The Harvest the Music continued Wednesday with classic soul/R&B legend Irma Thomas headlining and jazz-funk group Soul Project opening. The fall concert series, which features shows every Wednesday at 5 p.m. on Lafayette Square, similar to the Wednesday at the Square concerts, is produced by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and [...]
Ponderosa Stomp Focus: An Interview with William Bell
September 16, 2011 – 7:10 pm
Today, renowned soulman William Bell has come to be known as one of the principal architects of the Stax sound, a sound that defined R&B and soul music from the early sixties through mid-seventies. In his own words, Bell describes the Stax sound as “hybrid sound, rooted in gospel that was a mixture of blues, [...]
Career-Spanning Wardell Quezergue Playlist on Spotify
September 9, 2011 – 4:58 pm
Listen to “RIP Wardell Quezergue: A Retrospective Playlist” on Spotify Wardell Quezergue, one of New Orleans’ great behind-the-scenes musicians passed away Monday, leaving behind a discography of playing, producing, and arranging credits whose size is only matched by a handful of others in the local R&B pantheon (Allen Toussaint, Dave Bartholomew, Senator Jones, etc.). The [...]
Wardell Quezergue, R&B Great, Dies at 81
September 6, 2011 – 11:21 am
New Orleans arranger, producer and bandleader Wardell Quezergue passed away this morning at East Jefferson Hospital in Metairie at age 81 from congestive heart failure. Mr. Quezergue had been in failing health for many years, but was continuing to work as an arranger up until last week. Quezergue arranged and produced many soul and R&B [...]
Nasimiyu, It Ain’t Pretty But It’s Beautiful (Independent)
August 1, 2011 – 12:44 am
Vocalist Nasimiyu Murumba came to New Orleans from the Twin Cities in 2009, and it’s clear from the title to the lyrical content of her EP that she’s set on making a new home, and making her music about it. It Ain’t Pretty but It’s Beautiful collects six of her original songs, and it’s obvious [...]
Mavis Staples
July 1, 2011 – 12:28 am
“Stand flat-footed, and sing from your heart.” These were the words Roebuck “Pops” Staples used to motivate a young Mavis Staples. Together with her father and siblings, the Staple Singers did just that, creating a unique legacy in the history of popular music. Their songs, which became known as “message songs,” blended elements of gospel [...]
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at the Parish at House of Blues July 27
July 1, 2011 – 12:24 am
We may be at the point where we can stop referring to Jason Isbell as a former member of Drive-By Truckers. Here We Rest, his third studio album as a solo artist, establishes Isbell as an artist and bandleader with his own nuanced artistic vision. The album takes its name from his home state of [...]
