Music
Willie West, Can’t Help Myself (AVI)
Via classic ’60s singles on Rustone and Frisco, as well as a stint with the Meters, Willie West can be considered a New Orleans R&B trail blazer. West is still […]
Pinetop Perkins, Heaven: Rare Previously Unreleased Tracks (Blind Pig Records)
The unfortunate problem with posthumously “rare, previously unreleased” collections is that often they’re comprised of tracks that were rejected the first time around and put on the shelf where they […]
Albert King, I’ll Play the Blues For You (Stax Records)
Hard to believe this album first saw the light of day 40 years ago. While the title track has merit, and was a huge jukebox hit in blues territory, it […]
Randy “19th Street Red” Cohen, Avenue Boogie (Redtop Recording)
I’m told Randy “19th Street Red” Cohen hails from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and busks in front of the Superdome before Saints games. His guitar style is primitive but attractive, […]
Tab Benoit, Legacy: The Best Of (Telarc Records)
All best-of collections are subjective, leaving listeners to often say to themselves, “I wonder why they left these songs off and included these?” While Legacy is a splendid listen, what […]
Joe Krown, Exposed (Independent)
Just in time for festival season, local club stalwart Joe Krown has a new release. While many are familiar with Krown playing the Hammond B3 organ, he sticks entirely to […]
Obituary: Ernest McLean (1926-2012)
Ernest McLean, a musician considered by many the best guitarist ever produced in New Orleans, died in Los Angeles February 24 at age 85. He started playing guitar when he […]
Little Freddie King, Chasing tha Blues (MadeWright Records)
While Chasing tha Blues gets off to a promising start, it begins to lose steam well before the conclusion of the chase. King is New Orleans’ resident free-form country bluesman, […]
Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band, Hoodoo Man Blues (Delmark Records)
For decades, this set has been considered one of the top 10 post-war blues albums. “Set” is a good way to describe Hoodoo Man Blues, as the original 1965 LP […]
Various Artists, Meet Me at Mardi Gras (Rounder Records)
Outside of the original Mardi Gras in New Orleans that appeared in the mid-1970s and 2000’s Mardi Gras Essentials, this CD is no better but no worse than the plethora […]
