Issue Articles — Features
007: 25th Anniversary Reunion
“The whole thing is a happy accident,” says Jeffrey Clemens, mastermind of the rocksteady band 007. “We never said, ‘Let’s figure out something that nobody else has played in New Orleans.’ It was more like, ‘I‘ve just discovered this music and I absolutely have to play it.’ And I didn’t even know how to play it. Even though it sounds like reggae and has elements of that, it isn’t reggae. And you can’t play it with just anybody, because you can’t buy alchemy.”
Gal Holiday: Three Chords, but still the truth
Vanessa Niemann, alias Gal Holiday, didn’t grow up on country music, and didn’t fully embrace it until she’d left her Maryland home and came to New Orleans. But she found it deep in her soul nonetheless, and the connection’s gotten deeper in the 21 years since Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue first appeared. “I was a raver; I grew up on alternative and hip-hop. I never saw the band going on this long or becoming this popular.”
Jesse Lége: Memories in my Heart
When Jesse Lége says it’s about time, you better believe it. It’s been 15 years since the powerhouse Cajun accordionist’s last Jazz Fest and third overall in a career spanning 57 years.
Karl Denson: King of Jazz Fest Late Night
When Karl Denson played at the Jazz Fest a year ago, he was on the main stage with the Rolling Stones. The saxophonist and flautist has been one of the rock band’s touring musicians since 2014 when he replaced the Stones longtime horn man, the great Bobby Keys.
Branford Marsalis is back home in New Orleans
Saxophonist, composer, bandleader and Grammy-winner Branford Marsalis moved back to his hometown of New Orleans in January 2024. The oldest son of pianist and educator, the late Ellis Marsalis Jr., and brother of fellow musician’s trumpeter Wynton, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer and vibraphonist Jason, he headed to the east coast initially to attend the Berklee College of Music in 1979 and didn’t look back until now.
Alejandro Escovedo: Echo Dancing
Over the past six decades, Alejandro Escovedo has forged a unique genre-busting path through the American musical landscape. From his early punk rock days in The Nuns, the Austin band that opened for the Sex Pistols’ last show, to his “Sensitive Boys” solo career as a beloved roots-rock artist. He’s followed the impulses of an always-open heart and ever-inquisitive mind wherever they lead him. Fortunately for us, we get to go along for the ride.
Calypso Head: Charlie and the Tropicales
Trombonist Charlie Halloran is best known around town as a first-call traditional jazz musician. But that may change as more and more fans are flocking to performances by his pan-Caribbean band, Charlie and the Tropicales.
Mireya Ramos. Performing with Charlie and the Tropicales
The hyper-talented violinist and singer-songwriter Mireya Ramos will be a guest of Charlie and the Tropicales.
Moonage Daydream: La Santa Cecilia
Miguel “Oso” Ramirez and Alex Bendana, the percussionist and bassist of the Los Angeles band La Santa Cecilia, respectively, are discussing some of the pathways taken as the group has become one of the leading forces in Mexican-American music. Naturally, names of a few well-known trailblazers come up: Santana, Los Lobos, Lila Downs, Patricio Hidalgo, all of whom they have also collaborated with at times.
Big Tuba: The Hot 8 Brass Band sizzles
The Hot 8 Brass Band is just that. The Grammy-winning and -nominated eight-member ensemble is sizzling, having just released a new album Big Tuba. Plus, the band is touring heavily both nationally and internationally.
