Issue Articles — Features
‘Not the first qualified’: A history of opera by Black composers
When Terence Blanchard learned that his opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones would be the first-ever opera by a Black composer to be staged at the Metropolitan Opera in […]
‘I Dare You’: Terence Blanchard expands the language of jazz and explores opera
When Terence Blanchard found himself needing to write something quickly to round out his new album, Absence, he thought about a bit of wisdom given to him by Wayne Shorter, […]
A Beacon Of Light: Balcony concerts keep live music thriving at the New Orleans Jazz Museum
Balconies and porches are abundant throughout semitropical New Orleans and that has been a true blessing during these trying times of the pandemic. As an old proverb says, “Necessity is […]
True To Zydeco: Dwayne Dopsie stays clear of rhythmic repetition
From the perspective of Dwayne Dopsie, accommodating zydeco’s danceable rhythms is no reason to forgo the music’s improvisational, genre-meshing joie de vivre. If anyone knows what genuine zydeco is, it’s […]
Book excerpt | Heart Full of Rhythm: The Big Band Years of Louis Armstrong
Editor’s Note: Nearly 50 years after his death, Louis Armstrong remains one of the 20th century’s most iconic figures. In his latest book, Ricky Riccardi examines Armstrong’s life in the […]
My Music with Kermit Ruffins
Kermit Ruffins, in his own words, as told to Thomas Cole. “I grew up in the lower 9th Ward where my daddy managed a funk R&B band with rehearsals at […]
Music That Makes You Want To Move: Trumpeter and singer Doyle Cooper leads the Doyle Cooper Jazz Band at Satchmo SummerFest
Doyle Cooper loves playing music that makes people move. For this 28-year-old singer and trumpeter, that music is traditional New Orleans jazz. He leads both the Doyle Cooper Jazz Band […]
Brice Miller: A Man of Many Talents
It’s difficult to shortlist Brice Miller’s myriad musical endeavors. A singer and trumpeter born and raised in New Orleans jazz tradition, Miller performs with the Mahogany Brass Band and Ecirb […]
Queen of the In-Between: Singer songwriter K.C. Jones is driving and doesn’t need to watch her speed
It’s a Friday afternoon in May and K.C. Jones, the artist formerly known as Kelli Jones, is hanging out at a friend’s pad in Brooklyn. It’s the eve of Swamp […]
Emperor of the Universe: Remembering the funeral and wake of Ernie K-Doe
July 13 marks the 20th anniversary of the funeral and wake of Ernie K-Doe, the larger-than-life, self-proclaimed “Charity Hospital baby” and R&B phenomenon best known for his 1961 hit song […]
