Music
Helen Gillet, Running of the Bells (Independent)
It’s hard to define what kind of music cellist Helen Gillet plays on this record. There is a contemporary classical vibe to this as well as a jazz sensibility and […]
Reverend John Wilkins, You Can’t Hurry God (Fat Possum Records)
It’s hard to believe that the same Fat Possum who put out the bad man blues of R.L. Burnside, T-Model Ford, and the “Crack Whore Blues” is now releasing a […]
Preservation Hall by Shannon Brinkman and Eve Abrams (LSU University Press)
Preservation Hall is renowned worldwide for its music and spirit. In their new book about the Hall, photographer Shannon Brinkman and interviewer Eve Abrams capture that spirit in both beautiful […]
AFO Records: All for Fifty
In 2011, African-American-owned record labels are not news. Motown is the best-known example, and New Orleans has had No Limit and Cash Money Records. In 1961, the notion of African-Americans […]
Tab Benoit, Medicine (Telarc Records)
Almost nobody can beat Tab Benoit for playing raw, dirty-sounding roadhouse blues. There is something about when he gets to rocking that gets everybody going in the way the best […]
Marcia Ball, Roadside Attractions (Alligator Records)
Marcia Ball’s new record is a tribute to her consistency. It shows off what she does best, swinging uptempo grooves, boogie dance numbers, and a fantastic variety of piano playing […]
The Wild Magnolias and a Magic Handa Wanda
New Orleans is one of the musical catalysts of the planet. In the almost three centuries that history has recorded at this crescent in the Mississippi River, events have occurred […]
Nicholas Payton, Bitches (mixtape)
Those of you expecting Nicholas Payton’s new record to sound like his great records Dear Louis or Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton will be very surprised. Bitches takes the sound […]
Various Artists, Hear Me Howling!—Blues, Ballads, and Beyond (Arhoolie Records)
For the last half-century, Arhoolie Records has recorded and released an astounding assortment of folk, blues, Tejano, brass, string band, Cajun, zydeco, sacred steel, and any other type of non-pop […]
Kidd Jordan and Joel Futterman, Interaction (Independent)
One of the factors that determines whether improvised music works or not is how well the players know and listen to each other. If players can anticipate what and the […]
