Issue Articles — Features
This is Latin Jazz: Charlie Sepulveda’s jazz journey started with Louis Armstrong
Trumpeter-bandleader Charlie Sepulveda brings a lifetime of Latin and jazz musicianship from his home in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, a place with hundreds of years of musical tradition preceding him.
Dead & Company Will Play Jazz Fest Debut
The Grateful Dead goes on forever. The Jerry Garcia-led band played its final show at Chicago’s Soldier Field on July 9, 1995, just weeks before Garcia died, and has continued in various incarnations ever since.
A Joyful Thing: Renee Rosnes and ARTEMIS capture the heart of jazz
As Renee Rosnes describes the various attributes of members of ARTEMIS, the all-star jazz sextet that the pianist-composer-arranger leads, certain words and phrases seem to come out in boldface.
Loose Cattle (Finally!) Set for First Jazz Fest
I’ve been a Loose Cattle devotee since 2017, when they debuted with the instant-classic holiday album, Seasonal Affective Disorder. The album encapsulates the push-pull dynamic of the molten core of my favorite Americana cowpunks in New Orleans: Michael Cerveris, who adores Christmas, and Kimberley Kaye, who is shadowed by the holiday’s darkside.
Soul Food: Dustin Dale Gaspard plays songs to tell his stories
Dustin Dale Gaspard makes his Jazz Fest debut this year. It’s a career breakthrough for the soul and swamp pop-inspired singer songwriter from southwest Louisiana. Upon learning he’d be on the Jazz Fest roster, Gaspard felt relieved and grateful. “It was something that I needed in that moment,” he recalled. “I’d been wondering if this whole music thing was going to work out, if I could get a break.”
South Louisiana Marsh Blues: Michael Juan Nunez is an incredibly inspired songwriter
No matter how you slice and dice it, 2022 was a banner year for Michael Juan Nunez. After years of writing and preparing for his then-upcoming album Rouxsta, the merciless pandemic delayed its release by three years. Finally, things fell into place. The pandemic subsided, Jazz Fest resumed, and the Erath, Louisiana bluesy guitar slinger finally released his best work to date among a stellar catalog—all deserving national airplay.
Mystic Shredding: Mikey Coltun of Mdou Moctar – We’re just a loud rock band.
Mdou Moctar, the man, grew up in a rural Niger religious household dead set against his playing music, which led to him discreetly making his first guitar. Mdou Moctar, the band, features a hypnotic hybrid of churning core and his ripping on electric guitar. Mikey Coltun has the key roles of bassist and producer/recording engineer with the band. They had just returned from an Australian tour when he sat down to talk about this most unique of bands.
A Woman Out On Her Own: Maggie Koerner craves authentic connection
Maggie Koerner came screaming into the world louder than any baby her mother had ever heard. This will surprise no one who’s seen the Shreveport native perform live, especially during her stint fronting the wall of sound produced by local funk-jam stars Galactic. Part soul chanteuse, part banshee, Koerner sings story-driven lyrics bleeding with the emotional vulnerability of a wronged shieldmaiden—an exhilarating combination Jazz Fest is smartly featuring on its biggest stage this year.
The Timekeeper: Keeping up with Doug Garrison
Doug Garrison nearly missed his Jazz Fest debut in 1989. That was the year the career drummer was backing rock legend Alex Chilton of Big Star fame… and NOPD wouldn’t let the band into the Fair Grounds because they didn’t have a valid parking pass.
All The Crunchberries: Something Else! is infectious soul-jazz with a powerhouse lineup
Vincent Herring goes off on a surprising tangent when trying to describe soul jazz, the sub-genre given tribute by the group Something Else!, a stars-filled ensemble which the saxophonist created a few years back and still leads.
