Issue Articles
Exiled Cajun Troubadour: Drew Landry will never stop trying to do good for people
To take liberties with Gene Autry’s signature song, Drew Landry is back in the saddle again. Music is once again in the troubadour’s life. After two-and-a-half years in the works, the Acadiana native son is finally releasing Exiles, his first domestic album in 16 years, on July 7.
Sweet Magnolia: Miss Missed Connections (Independent)
Maybe Sweet Magnolia’s saxophonist Meg Dwyer is on to something by combining her New Orleans Brass Band experience with original compositions sung from a woman’s perspective.
Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners: Rockin’ the Bayou (Hardcore Records)
Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners. Leave it to Leroy Thomas. Nearly a decade after his 2015 release We Love You Leroy, Thomas returns with a dancefloor-filling 14 tracks rife with novel content and up-tempo tunes that live up to the title’s claim of rockin,’ as in Rockin’ the Bayou.
Bill Robison and Friends: Vestigial Limbo (Independent)
When Hammond-based rockers Snake Hat slithered away for good, the group’s guitarist and songwriter Bill Robison had beau coup originals dangling aimlessly about, which he jokingly referred to as vestigial limbs. To further extend the joke, the jovial punster thought of his songs as suspended in limbo, not knowing if they would ever surface on a recording, hence the clever play-on-words title.
Amis du Teche: They’ll Play Music Forever
Fiddler Adeline Miller and acoustic rhythm guitarist Amelia Powell of the Cajun quartet Amis du Teche—average age 20—couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, Amis du Teche is slotted to play Jazz Fest and also has performed at French Quarter Festival this year.
Gregg Hill is Walking Down the Street Smiling
For several years, Gregg Hill has leisurely walked from his stately Bayou St. John home on Moss Street across the historic Magnolia Bridge to the nearby Fair Grounds where Jazz Fest is held—as an attendee.
Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys: Elmore James For President (CSB Roxy)
If you think it’s been a while since you’ve seen a Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys full-length studio recording, you’re probably right.
Bobby Rush: Undercover Lover (Deep Rush Records)
At 90 years of age and no signs of becoming a Lifeline subscriber, R&B-blues-soul entertainer Bobby Rush became a living legend long ago with his trio of Grammys, including this year’s All My Love For You, 27 studio albums, and eight decades of action-packed performances.
Sean Riley & the Water: Stone Cold Hands (Pugnacious Records)
Compared to his 2018 debut EP, Biting Through, guitarist and songwriter Sean Riley does a complete artistic makeover on his first full-length outing produced by no-nonsense Zen master Dean Zucchero, who also thumped bass on these proceedings.
