December 2020
Cover Story
- Christmas Magic: Debbie Davis was going to save Christmas, but Christmas saved her
Debbie Davis is a singer on a mission: She wants to give 2020 a better ending than its beginning or middle.…
BackTalk
- Irma Thomas talks back
Irma Thomas’ fans are on a first-name basis with New Orleans’ first lady of soul. She considers them members of her…
Features
- Letters to the Editor
Man’s Stupidity is Unlimited This bad pandemic has not only destroyed most future plans in New Orleans but has hit the… - "Welcome to My Nerd Brain," Emily Fransen podcasts about musicians’ health and wellness.
Emily Fransen started a podcast, “Welcome to My Nerd Brain,” a little over a year ago that has continued to gain… - Virtuosic Artistry—Guitarist Warren Haynes looks back
The great guitarist Warren Haynes was looking forward to a great run of shows in New Orleans in 2020 before the… - Comeaux Collection: Tommy Comeaux’s spirit and legacy lives on
Sometimes the animate object you hold in your hands is only the tip of the iceberg of the larger picture it… - The Beauty and Power of Live Music in Plague Times, Tab Benoit and Samantha Fish on the road again
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Louisiana artists Samantha Fish and Tab Benoit returned to in-person performances this fall. Rueben Williams and his… - This One Deserves A Permanent Place On Your Coffee Table
I Wanna Do That! is the ultimate guide to why we really love New Orleans This year, we may not have…
Obituaries
- Van Broussard, Blue-Eyed Soul Legend Dies at 83
Van Broussard, a bonafide Louisiana blue-eyed soul legend, died at his Prairieville, Louisiana home November 17. He was 83. Broussard's popularity…
OffBeat Eats
- Dining Out: Tommy's Cuisine
One of the best parts of the holiday season is the opportunity to gather with loved ones, at a nice restaurant,…
Reviews
- Leigh Harris, Waking Up in Dreamland (Deeva Records)
The irrepressible Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris was New Orleans to the bone and left an enduring musical legacy when she flew… - Cyrus Nabipoor, Live at the Marigny Opera House (Nabipor Music)
Trumpeter, composer and educator Cyrus Nabipoor polished his jazz skills and musical creativity in New Orleans during and after his undergraduate… - Brad Walker, Dockside Sessions (Independent)
In 2017, saxophonist Brad Walker headed to Maurice, Louisiana's noted Dockside Studio to capture the same group of musicians—pianist Oscar Rossignoli,… - Shemekia Copeland, Uncivil War (Alligator Records)
Blues singer Shemekia Copeland’s new album features her homage to a special friend and mentor, Dr. John. In “Dirty Saint,” a… - Mike Dillon, Rosewood (Royal Potato Family)
On Rosewood, the always imaginative vibist, percussionist and multi-instrumental artist Mike Dillon moves away from the wild persona he has been… - Eric Johanson, Below Sea Level (Nola Blue Records)
For his Nola Blue Records debut, Eric Johanson teamed up with fellow kindred spirits, North Mississippi’s Allstars’ Luther and Cody Dickinson,… - Allman Brothers Band, Two Live Albums
Allman Brothers Band The Final Note – Painters Mill Music Fair, Owings Mills, MD 10-17-71 (Allman Brothers Band Recording Company) Allman… - Various Artists, Joyeux Noël, Bon Chrismeusse: A Holiday EP from South Louisiana (Independent)
Let’s face it: 2020 tanked after Mardi Gras this year. Like many other professions, musicians haven’t fared so well and had… - Tom Mason, Under a Mistletoe Sky (Gas Station Music)
Tom Mason’s third Christmas album goes down easy. The Nashville and Iowa-based singer, songwriter and guitarist assumes a relaxed, good-natured tone… - Barry Stephenson, The Iconoclast (Independent)
On The Iconoclast, bassist Barry Stephenson follows up his fine 2015 album, Basic Truths, and again teams up brilliantly with drummer… - Various Artists, A Cellarful of Motown! Volume 5 (Caroline)
Outside of the soulless Donald Trump, and the Charlie McCarthy clone Mike Pence, who doesn’t love Motown? After 10 years and…
