Issue Articles
Daniel Beaumont, Preachin’ the Blues: The Life and Times of Son House (Oxford University Press)
Son House has long been regarded as one of the most authentic Delta bluesmen. His music and performances were as intense as music gets, and his influence stretches from Robert […]
Jimbo Mathus, Confederate Buddha (Memphis International Records)
At first this is a far cry from Mathus’ recordings with the Squirrel Nut Zippers. There was a tight stateliness to the Zippers, even when they were playing at their […]
Kenny Brown, Can’t Stay Long (Devil Down Records)
Blues music can generally be divided into two categories. There are the rock-informed blues with polished, clichéd solos, going- through-the-motions vocals, and obnoxiously loud and pummeling versions of everything from […]
Voodoo Experience Highlight: Jeremy Lyons and Members of Morphine
Jeremy Lyons, guitarist and leader of the greatly missed Deltabilly Boys, never thought he would end up playing with two of the surviving members of Morphine, the 1990s “low rock” […]
Creole String Beans, Shrimp Boots and Vintage Suits (Threadhead Records)
Really, is there more to life than Shrimp Boots and Vintage Suits? The shrimp boots, a symbol of life here on the Gulf of Mexico, sum up that rocking Gulf […]
John Sinclair and His International Blues Scholars, Let’s Go Get ‘Em (Mo-Sounds)
Even though he is an expatriate, John Sinclair should be declared a national treasure. He’s a poet, historian and musicologist who, instead of publishing his research and findings, declaims them […]
John Sinclair & Hollow Bones, Honoring the Local Gods (Straw2Gold Records)
Even though he is an expatriate, John Sinclair should be declared a national treasure. He’s a poet, historian and musicologist who, instead of publishing his research and findings, declaims them […]
Jonathan Freilich, Electric Eggplant (Independent)
Jonathan Freilich’s guitar work and compositions are the sound of modern jazz in New Orleans. Although sometimes abstract and angular, they have rhythmic bounce and melodic sense that is much […]
Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, A Tribute to Sidney Bechet: Live in New Orleans (Independent)
Sidney Bechet’s music and prowess on the soprano saxophone was every bit as powerful, soulful, and inventive as his New Orleans compatriot Louis Armstrong, but Armstrong became the most famous […]
Branford Marsalis/Joey Calderazzo, Songs of Mirth and Melancholy (Marsalis Music)
For the past decade, the Branford Marsalis Quartet has been one of the best working jazz bands on the planet. The tightness of that unit is reflected in this duo […]
