October 2014

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BackTalk

Backtalk: Jimmy Cliff
The voice of Jimmy Cliff is that of reggae music. With its Jamaican lilt, it holds the history of the music’s… – Geraldine Wyckoff

Bookmark

Paul & Beth Garon, Woman with Guitar: Memphis Minnie’s Blues (City Lights)
I’d worried that the redoubtable, unsinkable Memphis Minnie, a.k.a. Lizzie Douglas, a.k.a. Kid Douglas, a.k.a. Lizzie Lawlers, might fall apart under… – Andrew Hamlin

Cover Story

Roddie Romero and Eric Adcock Keep the Home Fires Burning
Roddie Romero spent the month of August far away from his Louisiana home. He sailed the Caribbean as a featured entertainer… – Herman Fuselier

Features

New Orleans Suspects are the Oldest New Band
For those not hip to Greek mythology, the Ouroboros is a serpent that swallows its own tail, an emblem of infinity… – Brett Milano
Ten Questions with Meshell Ndegeocello
She's back. Meshell Ndegeocello, the enchanting empress of neo-soul, has spent decades stirring together soul and funk, sex, politics and religion,… – Meredith Ramsey
Lost Bayou Ramblers Begin a New Phase
The last time the Lost Bayou Ramblers released a live album, they had never collaborated with Hollywood starlets, Barack Obama had… – Nick Pittman
Bobby Rush is Still a Bayou Boy
"I'm almost back at home,” Bobby Rush exclaims with a laugh. Youthful for age 80, Rush is laughing because what he… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Prospect.3 Tackles Sound-Oriented Pieces in New Orleans
"Who are we? What are we? Where are we going?” These are some of the questions curator Franklin Sirmans hopes to… – Jennifer Odell
Joshua Caffery Takes a Fresh Look at Alan Lomax's Louisiana Recordings
In the 1850s, French aristocrat Amédée Carayon-Latour crafted “L’Armour et Fanatisme,” a song from the point of view of an Islamic… – Nick Pittman

Fresh

The OffBeat Guide to Halloween 2014
HALLOWEEN 2014 EVENTS OCTOBER 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-26, 29-31 The House of Shock haunted house is open throughout October and features… – OffBeat Staff
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles Turns 40
Alan Lomax, in his quest to record and archive the hearty traditional music of southern Louisiana in the late ’30s and… – Hannah Swenson
Tales of the Fat Man at the New Orleans Film Festival
"It shouldn’t even exist,” Joe Lauro, director of The Big Beat: Tales of the Fat Man and the Birth of Rock… – Hannah Swenson
Soundcheck: Lenny Zenith Takes 5
You formed pop-punk/new wave band RZA after attending NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) in the late '70s. What was… – Hannah Swenson
My Music: Arséne DeLay
My father was military, Air Force. So we moved to Germany when I was six, there for five years, then he… – Frank Etheridge
Ghostly Gems: 10 Songs for Halloween
Most of the songs you hear every Halloween, from “Monster Mash” to the Cramps’ catalogue, don’t come from New Orleans. Here’s… – Brett Milano
Art for Arts' Sake
Indulge in the creative outpouring of visual art on display around town at this year’s Art for Arts’ Sake presented by… – Hannah Swenson

In The Spirit

In the Spirit With Chris Benton of Le Foret
"I've worked in the restaurant industry for the last 15 years. I kind of fibbed my way into my first bartending… – Elsa Hahne

Letters

October 2014 Letters to OffBeat Magazine
THREE REGIONS, NOT RELIGIONS I want to point out ba mien means three regions, not three religions as printed in your… – OffBeat Readers

Mojo Mouth

What is Success?
This song by Allen Toussaint has always been a big favorite of mine. It clearly questions the meaning of a successful… – Jan Ramsey

Obituaries

Obituary: Cosimo Matassa
Cosimo Matassa, the renowned recording engineer who from the late 1940s to the early 1970s engineered virtually every significant recording in… – Jeff Hannusch
Obituary: Warren B. "Porgy" Jones
"Music was all around—everybody played something,” trumpeter Porgy Jones once exclaimed of growing up in the French Quarter. Jones enjoyed a… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Obituary: Tim Green
The beautifully gentile sound of Morikeba Kouyate’s kora rang out to welcome Tim Green’s many loving fans and fellow musicians at… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Obituary: Nicky da B
I met Nicky da B on a stage. Katey Red and I were playing at South by Southwest in 2011 and,… – Rusty Lazer

OffBeat Eats

Dining Out: Kebab
Those fortunate enough to have traveled abroad during their youthful years will likely recall an inebriated escapade in foreign lands when… – Peter Thriffiley
In the Spirit With Chris Benton of Le Foret
"I've worked in the restaurant industry for the last 15 years. I kind of fibbed my way into my first bartending… – Elsa Hahne

Dining Out

Dining Out: Kebab
Those fortunate enough to have traveled abroad during their youthful years will likely recall an inebriated escapade in foreign lands when… – Peter Thriffiley
In the Spirit With Chris Benton of Le Foret
"I've worked in the restaurant industry for the last 15 years. I kind of fibbed my way into my first bartending… – Elsa Hahne

The Spot

Dick Deluxe Hits the Spot at 13
What did you order? I ordered the Ruben Dog. I have never eaten here before, except for daiquiris, but I play… – Carly Levenshon

Reviews

Luke Winslow-King, Everlasting Arms (Bloodshot Records)
This new record from Luke Winslow-King is more than several steps up from his previous fine record. That one, The Coming… – David Kunian
Tuba Skinny, Owl Call Blues (Independent)
To call Tuba Skinny revivalists would be to miss the point. The New Orleans ensemble, often seen busking on Royal Street,… – Clea Simon
Andre Williams, A Fortune of Hits (Night Train)
To his eternal credit, R&B maestro Andre Williams always had a very strange idea of what constitutes a hit record. Aside… – Brett Milano
Cristina Perez, The Sweetest Thing (Independent)
Cristina Perez’ new recording has all the traits of a classic jazz vocal recording. Her voice is light and bouncy. She… – David Kunian
Various Artists, Cracking the Cosimo Code: ’60s New Orleans R&B and Soul (Ace)
Not the first CD inspired by a website, but Cracking the Cosimo Code is certainly the first one inspired by a… – Jeff Hannusch
Rod Bernard & Clifton Chenier, Boogie in Black & White (Jin)
A reissue of a 1976 album, this is an unlikely collaboration between two legends of South Louisiana music. At the time,… – Jeff Hannusch
Elvin Bishop, Can’t Even Do Wrong Right (Alligator Records)
Elvin Bishop was never the deepest of bluesmen—he’s a good-timey entertainer and proud of it. And if you boogied to his… – Brett Milano
Michael Cerveris & Loose Cattle, North of Houston (Broadway Records)
As a fan of the Who dating back to the band’s earliest American performances, I approached the Broadway production of Tommy… – John Swenson
Ironing Board Sam & the Sticks, Ironing Board Sam & the Sticks (Music Maker)
Ironing Board Sam is quirky, though always in a magically creative kind of way. The 75-year-old keyboardist, vocalist and composer is… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Good Children, An Evening in the Rookery (Independent)
Good Children exists as a vehicle for the songs of local singer-songwriter Michael Wilder, and his decision to record this debut… – Robert Fontenot
Marcia Ball, The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man (Alligator Records)
Consistency is a virtue, at least in the case of Marcia Ball. With The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man, the… – Clea Simon
The Cookers, Time and Time Again (Montema Music)
Okay, simply put, Time and Time Again is a great album. That is not at all surprising considering the depth, experience… – Geraldine Wyckoff
Jeremy Lyons, Make It Better (Independent)
If it’s been a while since you’ve heard the music of Jeremy Lyons, his sonic artistry has changed somewhat since he left… – Dan Willging
Jimmy Carpenter, Walk Away (Vizztone)
Saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter is one of the unsung heroes of the 24/7/365 world of New Orleans music, a mainstay from Frenchmen… – John Swenson
Mo’Fone, ‘Fonology (Independent)
It’s clear why San Francisco-based Mo’Fone has thus far in its nascent musical journey gained critical acclaim from jazz publications and… – Frank Etheridge
Extrapedestrian, Tomorrow Is a Gift (Independent)
Naming yourself Extrapedestrian just begs for smart-mouth critics such as myself to throw the tag back in your face. That is,… – Robert Fontenot
Better Than Ezra, Surprise (Liason)
Originally a cassette-only release in 1989, Better Than Ezra’s long-unavailable debut was essentially the work of a different band, with the… – Brett Milano
Doug Schmude, All These Avenues (Lost Hubcap Records)
Doug Schmude is a travelin’ man, covering more miles in the dozen songs on his second Americana-lite release than most people… – Robert Fontenot
Wil Blades, Field Notes (Royal Potato Family)
An intrepid mix of prodigy, passion and high-minded concept collides to superb sonic effect on this sophomore effort from the Chicago-born,… – Frank Etheridge
Lane Rodgers, One Man, One Band (Independent)
Even if you are a folkie singer-songwriter type, too much honesty can work against you. Lane Rodgers has a steady gig… – Robert Fontenot
Ani DiFranco, Allergic to Water (Righteous Babe)
The latest entry to Ani DiFranco’s body of work maintains the sound and atmosphere she has been perfecting for the last… – David Kunian