November 2020
Cover Story
- The Vari-Colored Songs of Leyla McCalla
For Leyla McCalla, history is a living thing that ties us to the past “I always imagine if I could have…
Features
- Striving for Perfection: Commander’s Palace’s new normal
Walking through Commander’s Palace, the restaurant that could easily be called the jewel of the Garden District, you immediately understand why… - Dining Al Fresco à la COVID: A Guide to Outdoor Dining Destinations
Here in New Orleans, we’re starting to get into that sweet spot of the year when it isn’t too warm, humidity… - The Right Kind of Viral—Singer-songwriter Miss Laurie Lehner’s popular political parody videos
Much has been said of the challenges facing the music industry in 2020. What started as a public health crisis quickly… - Magnificent Seven Ride into the Sunset
An all-star band plays its last (?) gig on a superb live recording New Orleans has had a long history of… - Lucinda Williams gives back with Lu’s Jukebox
Lu’s Jukebox, a six-episode virtual concert series performed by Louisiana native Lucinda Williams and her band, debuts October 29. A portion… - Live Music As Therapy: Kenny Wayne Shepherd releases "Straight to You: Live"
Kenny Wayne Shepherd always gives credit to Bryan Lee. A mentor to the five-time Grammy nominated blues-rock star from Shreveport, Lee… - CabLog: Diary of a (Musical) Cabdriver
Sometimes driving a cab provides the best material any (song) writer could ever have. Foreword by Scott Jordan In mid-’90s New… - Finding the Answers to Questions: A conversation with Preservation Hall Jazz Band trumpeter Branden Lewis
Preservation Hall’s 31-year-old Grammy-nominated trumpet player, Branden Lewis, is surprisingly modest. He beams with bravado on stage but, in conversation, he’ll… - Alex McMurray Talks Back
After the forced evacuation of New Orleans in 2005, some of the earliest returnees were musicians who came back after an…
Reviews
- Alex McMurray, Road Songs (Diphthong Records)
A good songwriter writes good songs. A great songwriter writes overarching poetic narratives. The songwriter as lyric poet doesn’t just turn… - Michot’s Melody Makers, Cosmic Cajuns From Saturn (Nouveau Electric Records)
When the Grammy Award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers became so successful, it was no longer impractical to play the small venues. So,… - Colin Lake, Forces of Nature (Splice)
Blue-eyed soul man Colin Lake has lived an entire life since he last released an album in 2015: He left New… - Dirk Powell, When I Wait For You (Compass Records)
There wouldn’t be enough room in this publication to cite all of Dirk Powell’s accomplishments. An abbreviated list includes being a… - Roderick Harper, E•volv•ing (RHM Entertainment)
Vocalist Roderick Harper, a Washington, D.C. native who has been a frequent resident of New Orleans and again calls the Crescent… - Maceo Parker, Soul Food – Cooking with Maceo (Funk Garage)
Alto saxophonist Maceo Parker is no stranger to New Orleans music. He has graced countless stages during festivals and steamy late… - Gabrielle Cavassa, Gabrielle Cavassa (711330 Records DK2)
California native, and since 2017 a resident of New Orleans, vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa takes a poetic approach to her lyrically-driven compositions… - The Nation Beat, The Royal Chase (Independent)
It’s not often that you’ll find a jazz, funk or brass-band album where the longest of 11 tracks is under five… - Sugar Ray and the Bluetones featuring Little Charlie, Too Far from the Bar (Severn)
Members of the second-generation blues revival, these guys started making names for themselves back in the mid-1980s. Hard workers and prolific…
