Betty Harris, Intuition (Evidence)

The good news is that ’60s New Orleans soul diva Betty Harris’ pipes are still in good working order. Her recent performance at the Old Point was a classic soul […]

Various Artists, Swamp Gold Country, Volume 2 (Jin Records)

This is the second in a series of releases intent on drawing attention to an overlooked genre of South Louisiana music—C&W. The tracks here date from the 1960s and 1970s […]

Ike & Tina Turner, The Ike & Tina Turner Story 1960-1975 (Time Life)

While a three-CD collection might seem capable of telling the entire Ike and Tina story, such was size of their body of their recorded repertoire—especially if one also considers the […]

The “5” Royales, Catch That Teardrop (Ace)

Several listeners are of the opinion that North Carolina’s “5” Royales are to soul music what Neil Armstrong is to lunar exploration. This is a fascinating reissue that documents the […]

Johnny Rivers, Last Boogie in Paris: The Complete Concert (Shout! Factory)

  I recall about 20 years ago finishing a 5K road race and the post-race entertainment on board a riverboat was Baton Rouge’s Johnny Ramistella, a.k.a. Johnny Rivers. Until I […]

Various Artists, City of Dreams (Rounder)

  If you’ve been listening to New Orleans music during the past 25 years, chances are your collection contains more than one Rounder CD/LP. From the mid-1980s to the end […]

Various Artists, Have a Merry South Louisiana Christmas (CSP)

  Just when you’ve thought you’ve heard and seen it all comes the first swamp pop Christmas CD—and it’s not half bad either. The usual suspects are along for the […]

Classic Songs of Louisiana: “Blueberry Hill”

Nappy Brown, Long Time Coming (Blind Pig)

Nappy’s back, baby, and this is very much a mixed bag. Brown started his career in the 1950s as a big city blues shout in the tradition of Roy Brown […]

Various Artists, Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection (Shout! Factory)

The success of Vee-Jay Records can be neatly summed up in the old adage, “right place, right time.” Likewise, its demise can be explained as, “wrong place, wrong time.” Vee-Jay […]