Issue Articles — Features
Start It!: In-demand saxophonist Jason Mingledorff’s solo effort
Saxophonist Jason Mingledorff has a vast resume playing in New Orleans and touring with a diverse cast of musicians including his long tenure with Papa Grows Funk, his work with Galactic in the early days of that band and of course, his Grammy award-winning effort with the New Orleans Nightcrawlers. Though he has appeared on over 100 albums, his debut as a leader, Start It!, was released in May 2023.
Awesome Energy: The Revivalists’ David Shaw says these are the good old days
The Revivalists are riding high on the recent release of Pour It Out Into The Night. The single “Kid” hit the top of the AAA charts and still holds strong there and on the Alternative charts. Singer David Shaw took time from a coast-to-coast national tour to talk about his journey, the band’s growth, the importance of being here now, and much more.
Magical Beats at the Bayou Bar: Peter Harris delivers the goods
Particularly following a hot, muggy day in New Orleans, taking refuge in the cool, darkened Bayou Bar and listening to the jazz of the Peter Harris Quartet feels like an oasis. Bassist Harris, whose reign at the club, which is located inside the Pontchartrain Hotel, began in 2019 as a one night a week gig and continued to expand with a few stops and goes in between. Since the beginning of 2022 it’s grown to an impressive four nights: Tuesdays through Fridays.
Joy’All: Jenny Lewis dispenses musical joy
Jenny Lewis named her new album after a word she invented. The title, Joy’All, combines joy and all, condensing sentiment that, if it were expressed in a sentence, could read: “I wish joy to you all.”
2023 Jazz Fest Redux
With Jazz Fest 2023 now firmly in the rear-view mirror, we are sharing a few thoughts on this year’s best (and occasionally worst) moments.
It’s A Clean Machine: New Breed Brass Band’s fresh sound and the making of Made in New Orleans
It’s A Clean Machine: New Breed Brass Band’s fresh sound and the making of Made in New Orleans.
From New Orleans to Kingston and Back Again: Papa Mali’s Shantytown Underground reimagines reggae
A year or so back, evocative flyers for a band called Shantytown Underground began to appear. They mysteriously hinted at a particular sound rarely heard, present day. Jamaican ska, rock steady, reggae, with a New Orleans twist. It took some detective work to find the nucleus was Papa Mali.
Unlike Any Other: Zydeco’s Rusty Metoyer plays for everybody
If the oft-said phrase “it skips a generation” is borderline cliquish, nonetheless, it still fits Rusty Metoyer to a “T.” The Lake Charles zydeco accordionist and vocalist’s parents, Russell and Portia, didn’t play music, yet both of Metoyer’s grandparents played professionally.
