Issue Articles — Cover Story
Dyna-Mite: Jon Cleary keeps the New Orleans piano tradition’s fuse lit
“I think if I have any talent at all, it’s for picking good guys to play with to make me sound good,” Jon Cleary says, then laughs and takes another sip […]
Derrick Freeman and James Martin are shaping the soul of future brass band music
“The Levels” is the newest song in Soul Brass Band’s repertoire. Written by the band’s founder, Derrick “Smoker” Freeman, it’s a harbinger of his plans for a new album. “It’ll […]
Ashlin Parker brings in more and more (and more) trumpet players to join his Trumpet Mafia
“So we’re messing around with my worst nightmare—and that’s re-harmonizing trad tunes.” Ashlin Parker smiles, his demeanor as bright as the red and yellow paint-spatter design on his t-shirt. He’s […]
Leap of Faith: Quiana Lynell’s phenomenal ride
“The last year of my life has been phenomenal,” Quiana Lynell says. It stands to reason. In the past 12 months, she’s scratched more items off her musical bucket list […]
Chef Alon Shaya just might be building an empire based on treating people right
When Chef Alon Shaya was fired from his namesake restaurant Shaya last fall by the Besh Restaurant Group, now renamed BRG Hospitality, it was only a few weeks before news […]
We’re Comin’ for Ya!: Cha Wa creates a mashup of Mardi Gras Indian chants and brassy horn
When a Mardi Gras Indian striding down a New Orleans street yells, “Cha wa!” he’s warning nearby Mardi Gras Indian gangs, “We’re comin’ for ya!” It stands as a signal […]
Fats Domino, The Quintessential New Orleanian
The Once and Future King Fats Domino passed last October, but he remains an animate force in New Orleans life through his music. Domino’s spirit is not just the sound […]
Masterful And Exuberant: Tuba Skinny electrifies the streets
It’s just after noon on a sunny day in early March. At the corner of Toulouse and Royal Streets tourists mill about. They pause to look in the antique shop […]
Second to None: Dancing Man 504 leads the way
An eight-year-old boy fell in love with movement near the intersection of Orleans and Claiborne, where he watched Mardi Gras Indians parade by, chanting the stories of generations. The little […]
That Kalenda Thing: The Lost Bayou Ramblers’ Voyage
Nearly 20 years into Lost Bayou Ramblers’ career, the band can claim famous fans and Grammy nominations. The Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano and the Pogues’ Spider Stacy jumped at the […]
