December 2022
Cover Story
- Come On & Get It, Honey: Judith Owen’s lusty love letter to New Orleans
When Judith Owen and her sister were kids in the London suburbs, they danced around and sang along to the jumping…
BackTalk
- Chris Isaak talks back
Chris Isaak’s new album arrives a few months after the Americana Music Association honored him with a lifetime achievement award. Everybody…
Features
- My Music with Dr. Michael White
Urged by the editorial staff of OffBeat to pursue an interview with Dr. Michael White, a clarinetist living in New Orleans,… - Mushroom Crowd: Mark Bingham will release 22 archival albums
Mark Bingham will release 22 archival albums. “Well, somebody had to do it.” That’s Mark Bingham—producer, composer, guitarist and erstwhile owner…
Fresh
- For the Love of Charmaine: Davell Crawford Celebrates Charmaine Neville
Davell Crawford and Charmaine Neville share a story of love and support that goes back decades. The pianist and vocalist a… - Made in Heaven: Opera star Andre Courville joins Sweet Cecilia in a Christmas concert
Mark your calendars for Thursday evening, December 1, 2022. That’s when a glorious harmonic convergence will occur when disparate musical spheres,… - Christmas This Year: A new holiday song by David Heatley with Michael Cerveris
"Christmas This Year"—a new holiday song by David Heatley with Michael Cerveris—will be released this Christmas. Songwriter David Heatley has written… - Troy Sawyer says Girls Can Play Trumpets, Too
Trumpeter Troy Sawyer teaches trumpet to girls ages eight to 19. As important as trumpet is in New Orleans, young women… - Vintage vinyl treasures (Episode 21)
As usual, there are vintage vinyl treasure for the scoring for anyone willing to look for—and enjoy them. For many artists…
Obituaries
- Topsy Chapman (1947-2022)
Beloved Gospel and Jazz Vocalist Topsy Chapman Passes. The love of church, family and music forever remained the foundation of Topsy… - Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022)
Singer and pianist known for his flamboyant style and energetic stage presence, Jerry Lee Lewis, has died at the age of…
Dining Out
- Dining Out: 3rd Block Depot
3rd Block Depot offers a menu of Creole cuisine from Chef Nick Ocheltree in a space that was formerly home to…
Reviews
- Louis Armstrong, Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule (Verve/UMe)
Naturally, trumpeter and vocalist extraordinaire Louis Armstrong swings the holidays on Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule, a compilation of material… - Meryl Zimmerman, A Very Meryl Christmas (Independent)
As a collection of holiday favorites, A Very Meryl Christmas holds, as might be expected, few surprises. Vocalist, Meryl Zimmerman, who… - Russell Welch Hot Quartet, Time On My Hands (R8T Records)
The title of the album says it all. Guitarist Russell Welch certainly had time on his hands, like we all did,… - Jimmy Carpenter, The Louisiana Record (Gulf Coast Records)
Covers albums always have a couple of built-in booby traps. You play it too close and there’s no point; you take… - Hanna Mignano, Interplay (Independent)
Violinist and vocalist Hanna Mignano returns with her second release, Interplay, featuring Pete Roze on guitar and Roy Brenc on bass.… - Lawrence Sieberth, VooDooTek (Musik Blöc)
Pianist Lawrence Sieberth never met a musical style he didn't like or to which he couldn't add his own personal stamp.… - Ruthie Foster, Healing Time (Blue Corn Music)
If Healing Time, Ruthie Foster’s first studio album since 2017’s triumphant Joy Comes Back, were a musical, the title song would… - Sonia Tetlow, Better Days (Independent)
The post-COVID landscape should be a fertile one for a thoughtful singer-songwriter, but it still seems that few have been willing… - Mike Clement, Unfinished Business (Independent)
Organ trios, the combination of organ, guitar and drums, have long been a popular means of expression in jazz, perhaps best… - Craig Cortello, Dog Tales (Independent)
Craig Cortello is a cheerful alt-rock guy who called himself the “Canine Crooner” and does indeed fill this CD with songs… - Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, Boots and Boujee (Maison de Soul)
Considering that Jeffery Broussard’s last album, Return of the Creole, dropped 11 years ago, the gap between releases is unusual for… - Wayne Maureau, At The Water’s Edge (Independent)
Versatile drummer and composer Wayne Maureau knows a thing or two about water. He appreciates the significant ups, downs and everyday… - VJ Boulet, Lil’ Bit O’ Dis Lil’ Bit O’Dat (Jin Records)
When you got 67 years in the music biz, chances are you pretty much done it all. VJ Boulet, a.k.a. “Boo”… - Ari Teitel, I Got My Thing (Independent)
Detroit native Ari Teitel burst on the scene in New Orleans with scorching guitar work, sharing stages with some of the… - Smithfield Fair, A Place In Your Heart - 50th Anniversary Celebration Collection (Stevenson Productions)
Move over, Ray Benson. Asleep at the Wheel isn’t the only band celebrating half a hundred years. East of the Sabine,… - Garth Alper, Spider's Web (Independent)
Pianist and composer Garth Alper focuses on all-original material here, with some superb help from his friends, on Spider's Web, his… - The High Standards, The High Standards (Independent)
The High Standards released their self-titled debut in May 2022 consisting of New Orleans jazz standards and popular parlor songs.…
