Issue Articles
Five Questions with Cyril Neville on Playing Essence Festival
This is the first time you are performing at the Essence Festival. That seems surprising since it began 22 years ago. Why do you think you were invited now? A […]
Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling, Upward Spiral, (Marsalis Music)
From note one, this album sounds more like a Kurt Elling album backed by the Branford Marsalis Quartet than the other way around. Elling’s voice kicks in immediately on the […]
Leroy Jones, I’m Talkin’ Bout New Orleans (Independent)
The first and title cut of trumpeter Leroy Jones’ latest CD, I’m Talkin’ Bout New Orleans, immediately lifts one’s spirits with its irresistibly happy melody and rhythm. It evokes the […]
Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, Comeback Children (Independent)
It’s odd to hear master pianist/bandleader Duke Ellington’s “Jump for Joy” as a dirge. On Comeback Children’s first cut, it sounds rather like solemn jazz funeral procession moving down the […]
Harold Brown
It’s been a long time since the very funky Lowrider Band, which takes the stage at the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo at 7:45 pm on Saturday, May 22, performed in New […]
Out of the Norm: Johnny Vidacovich’s Fun Times with Nolatet
Reclining on the back seat of a van is apparently Johnny Vidacovich’s preferred position while on the road with Nolatet. That’s just where the renowned drummer was when talking about […]
Mavis Staples, Livin’ on a High Note (Anti-)
Mavis Staples, an iconic figure in gospel, soul and rhythm and blues whose career has spanned over 60 years, boasts a distinctive, highly recognizable voice. There’s that little modulation in […]
Murray, Allen & Carrington: Perfection (Montema)
The outstanding artists involved with this album—saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray, pianist Geri Allen and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington—praise the name of saxophone giant Ornette Coleman on a recording […]
Ben E. Hunter, Break Out Bold (Awareness Productions)
Ben E. Hunter, a New Orleans native, is perhaps most associated with reggae music and its socially conscious messages. On Break Out Bold, the guitarist, vocalist and composer sits down […]
Cha Wa, Funk ’n’ Feathers (UPT)
In 1970, Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias rocked the Mardi Gras Indian tradition when they released the 45-rpm “Handa Wanda.” What made it unique was that rather than having […]
