Music
Evangeline Playboys, Tribute to Austin Pitre (Electric Nouveau Records)
The Evangeline Playboys’ Tribute to its late bandleader Austin Pitre (1918-1981) was spearheaded by guitarist/vocalist Bobby Michot in 1999 to honor one of the most iconic figures of trad dancehall Cajun music. Pitre was a talented bandleader who played accordion and fiddle and was strong enough to not use a shoulder strap while playing the loud little box.
Clint Pigg, Dead Man Walking (Independent)
Doesn’t sound like singer, guitarist Clint Pigg feels too good about himself, to judge from his album’s opening title track.
Katy Hobgood Ray, Long Way To Go (Confetti Park)
Just when you think Katy Hobgood Ray is quite the overachiever with the recent co-write of a book (Snoozer Quinn: Freestyle Jazz Guitar Pioneer), Confetti Park, a kid-friendly radio show/podcast, and a budding discography of Americana/children’s recordings, she dusts off a cache of 15-20-year-old songs written by her, her husband David Ray, Northwest Louisiana singer-songwriter Ted Lindsay and college bandmate Noah Slater. She enlisted The Music Shed’s Jack Miele (of The Molly Ringwalds fame) to produce these songs that deserved more than just skeleton guitar and vocals.
Musaica Chamber Ensemble, Music for Eight and Nine Players (Independent)
The Musaica Chamber Ensemble is a non-profit group of eight musicians from the Louisiana Philharmonic. One of the founding members is double bassist Dave Anderson, who has been featured in OffBeat several times.
Kimi Djabaté – Dindin (Cumbancha)
Kimi Djabate, a native of Guinea-Bissau, a small country on the west coast of Africa that until 1973 was ruled by Portugal, remains best known as a master of the balafon that he first started playing when he was just three years old.
The Secret Six, Chicken You Can Roost Behind the Moon (Independent)
The Secret Six continue to be one of the most prolific bands recording in New Orleans today. This new collection of traditional jazz and blues goes deep into the well of old-time music, while also bringing back a couple of tunes that ought to be covered more often.
Ernie Vincent, Original Dap King (Cornelius Chapel Records)
Guitarist, vocalist and composer Ernie Vincent has been a staple on the New Orleans music scene since the 1970s. One could find him and his band, The Top Notes, primarily in barrooms and special events where he’d get folks dancing to his large repertoire of original songs and New Orleans favored cover tunes.
Michael Doucet and Tom Rigney, Roll On (Parhelion Records)
For several years running, Bay Area fiddler Tom Rigney would coordinate a handful of gigs with BeauSoleil’s Michael Doucet, supported by Rigney’s band Flambeau.
Geovane Santos, Ciranda (Independent)
New Orleans-based Afro-Brazilian guitarist Geovane Santos returns with his first album of all original music.
Kevin Naquin & Cajun Preservation, La Musique Traditionnelle Débranchée (Swallow Records)
Kevin Naquin’s previous two albums, 2014s No Guarantees and 2018s Man in the Mirror were somewhat progressive as various songs from the canon of American popular music were fused with his Cajun accordion.
