Issue Articles
Aaron Neville Talks Back
Even though he’s retired from performing, Aaron Neville is having a banner year. In February, the beloved singer from New Orleans won his fifth Grammy Award. His winning song, a collaboration with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band called “Stompin’ Ground,” appears in the music documentary Take Me to the River: New Orleans.
Lucinda Williams’ Life Story—Anything Can Happen
Anything Could Happen: Lucinda Williams tells the story of her life
Nelson Blanchard’s album debut is decades in the making
After 60 years of performing and 41 years of operating a recording studio that’s hosted Louisiana stars and national acts, Nelson Blanchard has, at last, recorded an album of his own.
Joy’All: Jenny Lewis dispenses musical joy
Jenny Lewis named her new album after a word she invented. The title, Joy’All, combines joy and all, condensing sentiment that, if it were expressed in a sentence, could read: “I wish joy to you all.”
Various Artists: Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos (Craft)
Written in Their Soul collects one-hundred-and-forty previously unreleased demos from Stax Records, the Memphis label whose 1960s and ’70s stars included Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Sam and Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Eddie Floyd. Released on June 23, the set ranges from spare but soulful early versions of hits to fully fleshed productions that were never released.
Soul and Joy: Keiko Komaki’s Tokyo to New Orleans Odyssey
Drawn to the rhythm and soul of New Orleans, keyboardist Keiko Komaki moved to the city from Japan in 2006. She made the seven-thousand-mile leap seven months after Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans was still deep in disaster recovery mode.
King and Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll: PBS to broadcast this year’s second Little Richard documentary
Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll
