Music
Lyfe Jennings, Lyfe Changes (Columbia)
First things first—can we all take a pledge to just say no to Auto-Tune? The program that creates T-Pain’s signature robo-voice? When it pops up in the third song, “Warriors,” […]
New York Dolls, Live at the Fillmore East (Sony/BMG)
I didn’t see the New York Dolls the first time around, but it’s hard to imagine that David Johansen ever looked more degenerate than he has looked during the Dolls […]
Re-Funked
When you think of the Essence Music Festival, you think of Frankie Beverly and Maze. Stevie, Aretha, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Prince have played it, but Maze embodies its values […]
Cassandra Wilson, Loverly (Blue Note)
Although standards are an important part of the jazz catalogue, standards albums are often disappointing affairs, predictable and too reverential to allow any magic to happen. Cassandra Wilson’s Loverly is […]
Amos Lee, Last Days at the Lodge (Blue Note)
How far you go with Amos Lee is contingent on how far a soulful voice carries you. Last Days at the Lodge has an impeccable support system—producer Don Was, guitarist […]
Mitch Woods featuring the Lazy Jumpers, Jukebox Drive (El Toro)
Mitch Woods’ Big Easy Boogie was a well-meant tribute to New Orleans, and it probably got a better reception in other cities than it did here. Lines and tropes that […]
OffBeat Nominated for Press Club Awards
The nominations for the Press Club of New Orleans have been announced, and OffBeat received eight nominations in six categories. Jan Ramsey was nominated for Best Editorial for her “Mojo […]
Amy Trail, Lushious Life (Independent)
On her second independent release, Amy Trail locates herself fruitfully in a piano-driven singer-songwriter mode circa the mid-1970s. Elegantly simple melodies and effortless lyrics recall Carole King and her peers […]
Jamal Batiste, The Unorthodox Drummer: The First Assemblage (Jam-All Productions)
There’s a lot to admire about The Unorthodox Drummer: the First Assemblage, starting with Jamal Batiste’s nerve and ambition. The album presents Batiste as a hip-hop impresario, which makes sense. […]
Judith Owen, Mopping Up Karma (Courgette)
Mopping Up Karma is a flashback of sorts, a return to material Judith Owen started in Los Angeles in 1998 with Glen Ballard and Clifton Magness for a Java Records […]
