Issue Articles
It’s Time For Sozi
Rapper Sozi has an ambitious new album out June 12 called Revenge of the Time, launching at Couches on June 15. Not only that, but there is also a short film and videos to accompany it.
Ani DiFranco talks back
Ani DiFranco knows what it means to miss New Orleans. She’s been away from the city since January. Performing eight shows a week on Broadway, singing, dancing and acting the role of Persephone in the Tony and Grammy winning musical Hadestown.
Where the Wild Seed Grows: Amina Scott Mines Her Mind
Those in the packed WWOZ Jazz Tent were thrilled to hear an exceptional performance by bassist Amina Scott and her stellar band on the last day of Jazz Fest. The set also marked the public debut of “Wild Seed” and “Praise” from Scott’s first album Where The Wild Seed Grows, which was released that same day. Scott’s been making a name for herself, and it’s great to see her own nuanced and innovative compositions come to the forefront. Think of an expansive sort of jazz as a touchstone for where to begin. It was time to learn her story.
OffBeat EATS: Jazz Fest Guide
It’s Jazz Fest again, and we all know how delicious the food is on the Fairgrounds. However, when the shows are over, you will be looking for a delectable bite to eat from one of the many incredible restaurants New Orleans has to offer. To set you in the right direction, here are OffBeat’s suggestions for the tastiest spots you won’t want to miss!
John Sinclair (1941-2024)
Poet, political and marijuana activist and writer John Sinclair died of heart failure at the Detroit Receiving Hospital on April 2, 2024, he was 82.
Clarence “Frogman” Henry (1937-2024)
Singer and songwriter, Clarence “Frogman” Henry passed away, after years of declining health, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. He was 87.
Jazz Fest A to Z
This guide should help in choosing from the panoply of cultures, rhythms and sounds available at Jazz Fest to ensure your experience hits all the right notes. It’s arranged alphabetically by band name so you can search when your favorite act is playing by stage and time, with handy reference bio information. It’s easy to use on any mobile device to look up info by band, day, time or stage. Just go to our responsive site OffBeat.com.
Nine Lives is Back: First full concert staging at the Civic in nine years
“Nine Lives,” the acclaimed book by the late journalist Dan Baum that tells the stories of nine New Orleansians and their families and communities in the years from 1964’s Hurricane Betsy through 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, may have even more than nine lives.
Vintage Vinyl Treasures (Episode 38)
If it gets any better than these five albums from a Louisiana-based vintage vinyl standpoint, then someone please let me know. And if you are lucky enough to catch any of these New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival stalwarts live at this year’s ritual gathering, consider yourself blessed in witnessing some of the very best, from Soul Queen to Slide Master, in the business.
Blue Sky: Allman-Betts Band messing with tradition
The very name of the Allman-Betts Band is steeped in music history. And so’s the band itself, led by Duane Betts and Devon Allman, the sons of Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman. If any band ever seemed cosmically destined to play hard-driving, Southern-styled blues-rock, it would be this one.
