Satchmo SummerFest
Wendell Brunious Mark Braud Irma Thomas & our pull-out guide with complete festival stage schedules, map—and more!
Ashlin Parker Everyone wants to work with this mafia boss.
NEW ORLEANS MUSIC, FOOD, CULTURE—AUGUST 2018 Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50
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Tony Joe White
PHoto: elsa hahne
Never Too Horny
BLAST FROM THE PAST "Louis Armstrong’s Musical Ideals"
Ashlin Parker brings in more and more (and more) trumpet players to join his Trumpet Mafia. Page 26 LETTERS
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MOJO MOUTH
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Five Questions with New Orleans hip-hop artist Hasheem Amin, My Music with pianist Oscar Rossignoli and more.
OBITUARY
THROUGH THE GENERATIONS IN THE SPIRIT
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Stanley J. Lewis
OBITUARY
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OFFBEAT EATS
FOREVER YOUNG
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John Swenson picks 10 Armstrong songs.
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Chef Levi Raines at Bywater American Bistro dishes on his Brisket Sandwich and Elsa Hahne reviews Café Abyssinia. Mark Braud, Water Seed, Josh Paxton, Shawn Williams, Gregory Agid Quartet, Leon Chavis and the Zydeco Flames, Davy Mooney and Ko Omura, Amadee Castenell, The Heavyweights Brass Band and more.
Irma Thomas’ Satchmo SummerFest debut.
By John Swenson August 2012
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REVIEWS
SATCHMO SUMMERFEST PULL-OUT GUIDE
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Scott Hicks mixes up Still Searching for Delish Da Goddess at 21st Amendment.
Henry Butler
300 SONGS FOR 300 YEARS
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Wendell Brunious and the “Brunious sound”.
Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet
OBITUARY
LIVING THE TRADITION Mark Braud’s musical family.
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LISTINGS
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BACKTALK with Tony Joe White
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“I think in 200 years when people ask who are the great figures of this civilization, people are going to talk about Shakespeare, Mozart and Louis Armstrong in the same breath.” —Ricky Riccardi To read more, this issue can be purchased at offbeat.com/issues/ august-2012/.
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Letters
“There is nothing for our artists here —no support, no connections, no hubs, barely any radio platform with real reach, and no one to point our talent into the right direction!”—Brittany Nicholas, New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana Music, Food & Culture
August 2018 Volume 31, Number 9 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com Managing Editor Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com
Henry Butler’s Passing The passing of Henry Butler leads me to reflect on how many great artists we’ve lost in recent years. I first met Henry when he was a special guest at Stevie Wonder’s birthday party at Rosy’s in New Orleans during the time Stevie was recording at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa. Years later he called me out of the blue to tell me how much he appreciated the work I was doing with Chris Thomas King. I will never forget that call and the warm feeling it gave me. His loss returns the focus on close friends, and legendary artists no longer with us who trusted me to assist in guiding their careers—Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Bobby Charles and John D. Loudermilk. However, rather than leaving a void, their spiritual presences will continue to inspire me. They were my mentors as well as clients and friends. We worked together in total trust with handshakes serving as binding contracts. —Jim Bateman, Bogalusa, Louisiana
OffBeat Potluck Thanks very much for the back issues. I enjoy following OffBeat online, but there’s something really special about reading through back issues and seeing how my favorite music scene has continued to evolve. I particularly appreciate your including the George Porter issue. I’ve interviewed him twice as a journalist, and was also fortunate enough to catch last year’s Meters reunion at the Orpheum. He’s always been one my favorite musicians, as well as one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I’m moving to New Orleans in November, and would like to bring myself up to speed on what’s going on down there. Congratulations on your 30th anniversary, by the way. Keep up the great work. —Bill Forman, Colorado Springs, Colorado
More Women I have subscribed to OffBeat for many years and have always enjoyed reading it. I just finished the June issue with the Jazz Fest Redux article and have a note for you. Out of over 30 items, only two were mainly about women artists. I know that the ratio of
male and female artists at the Fest is not 5050, but only two items seems low. I’ve seen the same thing with the annual CD [Best of]. There is often only one female artist included. Your effort in promoting the music of New Orleans is really impressive. But I would like to see more representation of women artists in the Jazz Fest reviews and CDs. —Claire Hinchcliffe, Tampa, Florida A point well-taken. Our staff is made up of more women than men, and that subject is something we constantly talk about. Music has traditionally been a man’s game, but we’re committed to showcasing more women in OffBeat. Stay tuned.—Ed.
GNO Study The following letter is in response to Jan Ramsey’s blog post, “What Do We Want to Be When We Grow Up?” about the Greater New Orleans (GNO), Inc.’s request for a proposal for a study to recommend how “Greater New Orleans becomes a hub for a thriving music business economy beyond the traditional live performance and club culture.” I just want to say thank you [Jan Ramsey] for spotlighting this new study and shedding light to this lusterless music scene we have today. Wow, I have only been on the music scene in New Orleans for seven years. What I see here is NO OPPORTUNITIES. The best folks leave and most times flourish and stay gone. Or they leave and then come back too soon ready to share the fame and help make opportunities for future fortune. Because they realize there is nothing for our artists here—no support, no connections, no hubs, barely any radio platform with real reach, and no one to point our talent into the right direction! But I see so much potential! When I was a kid and on the scene I was excited. But I saw soon where the cap lies. We can lift this glass ceiling. I’m so excited there is a force out there like you guys at OffBeat and GNO, Inc. that care to put the work in to make our city a music destination again. Thank you. —Brittany Nicholas, New Orleans, Louisiana
OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.
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Consulting Editor John Swenson Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Listings Editor Katie Walenter, listings@offbeat.com Contributors Stacey Leigh Bridewell, Elsa Hahne, Jeff Hannusch, Raphael Helfand, Brett Milano, Jennifer Odell, John Swenson, Christopher Weddle, Dan Willging, John Wirt, Geraldine Wyckoff, Michael Zell Cover Elsa Hahne Art Director/Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Web Editor Amanda Mester, amanda@offbeat.com Videographer/Web Specialist Noe Cugny, noecugny@offbeat.com Copy Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, theo@offbeat.com Advertising Sales/Promotions Coordinator Camille A. Ramsey, camille@offbeat.com Advertising Design PressWorks, 504-944-4300 Business Manager Joseph L. Irrera Interns Danika Andrade, Bryce Berman Distribution Patti Carrigan, Doug Jackson OffBeat (ISSN# 1090-0810) is published monthly in New Orleans by OffBeat, Inc., 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 944-4300 • fax (504) 944-4306 e-mail: offbeat@offbeat.com, web site: www.offbeat.com
/offbeatmagazine Copyright © 2018, OffBeat, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. OffBeat is a registered trademark of OffBeat, Inc. First class subscriptions to OffBeat in the U.S. are available for $45 per year ($52 Canada, $105 foreign airmail). Back issues are available for $10, except for the May issue for $16 (for foreign delivery add $6, except for the May issue add $4). Submission of photos and articles on Louisiana artists are welcomed, but unfortunately material cannot be returned.
MOJO MOUTH
Changing Venues
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t’s awfully interesting to observe the changes that have occurred in the music scene since OffBeat opened its doors in 1988. I’m a little concerned that the market for live music at the clubs and other venues not located in easily accessible tourist areas could be having a bit of a rough time. When OffBeat started, the music clubs that were patronized by tourists were typically in the French Quarter. Places like Tipitina’s had not yet penetrated the consciousness of people visiting New Orleans, until the early 1990s when the then-operators of Tip’s, Jim and Mientje Green, decided to
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promote it to visitors by doing a concerted effort to let concierges and hotel personnel know about the club. It also helped a lot that Tip’s was featured in the film The Big Easy, exposure that helped put it on the map for tourists (crappy move, but good for Tip’s and the local music scene). For a while, there was a very substantial boom for music clubs throughout the city. But I think that has leveled off. Frenchmen Street was a destination for local musiclovers, but it’s since gone the way of Bourbon Street and caters more to tourists and a crowd of younger partiers who are less into enjoying the music than they are into drinking and the “scene.”
By Jan Ramsey St. Claude Avenue has become a place where locals can go to hear music, but it tends to cater to an audience that’s imported and lives in the Bywater and St. Roch. The music freaks that used to love Tip’s, the Maple Leaf and Snug Harbor are a bit discombobulated these days. I regularly talk to musicians and people who are into music (this is OffBeat, after all) and they're mostly disenchanted with Frenchmen Street. It’s someplace where they “used to go,” but it’s become too crowded with partiers, not a crowd that’s really into music. I’ve even heard it called “Bourbon Street Lite” and “Subbourbon.” And musicians, for the most part, don’t have a great guarantee on wages.
Not to say there isn’t great music or great musicians on Frenchmen. There are. It’s just that the scene is off-putting to people who want to listen to music, and not have to endure drunks, bachelorette parties, beer buses, rolling light-polluting billboards, and hustlers on the street. It seems that the vast market for music is now about visitors to Bourbon and Frenchmen Streets. How long will it take before another street becomes New Orleans’ vaunted “music street”? Will it be St. Claude Avenue? Or is it too far off the beaten path? Is there less interest in music from locals than there used to be? What do you think? O
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FRESH
Photo: bob adamek
Louisiana Invades Norfolk, VA for 29th Bayou Boogaloo Festival
SOUNDCHECK
OffBeat.com
Photo courtesy of the artist
Five Questions with hip-hop artist Hasheem Amin on his release The Reunion, featuring “The Streets Still Jumpin’”
SWEET TWEETS
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irst off, what does the title reference? My start in doing hip-hop was almost exclusively underground. Everybody was wanting to get signed to a label. We didn’t care about that. The song did have something to do with coming back after Katrina and finding we’re still the music mecca of the world. It’s referencing I had ’em jumpin’ before too. Music will never be muffled. How does location matter to you? Growing up in Hollygrove, I always equated it to being like the Queensbridge [birth place of Nas and Mobb Deep] of New Orleans hip-hop. We were reared by some of the greats like Fiend to Black Menace. I was born and raised in the Ghost Town Lounge—the corner of Eagle and Edinburgh. Ghost was a major promoter. He used to bring major acts like Run-DMC to the city. After that it was Big Time Tips. They had a Friday night open mic and we used to get our feet wet. It was learning, sharing and experiencing New Orleans culture. The song’s production is unique. It doesn’t sound like other New Orleans music, but yet it still fits. It was by Track Wizards—Brent Herrera, Derek Killer Cav, and Bun. We call it The Spirit when we get in the lab. We’re all friends, so we start vibing and end up making music. You have to surround yourself with people who have the same spirit, not necessarily the same ideas you have. Sometimes that makes art you can be mutually proud and respectful of. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, you know it. Were the lyrics written or off the cuff? I write as an outline, what the main focus of my song is gonna be. You have to be quick on your feet because things change in the studio. This song was about me roaring back at the world after Katrina and everything else. I’m still here. My biggest influences were Rakim, Nas, Wu-Tang, Killah Priest, that kind of vibe. A lot of New Orleans music too. The energy and the spirit of the song combined with the video makes a 1 + 1 + 1 = 5. How’d that come about? I did The Reunion album and put it out but wasn’t getting a lot of feedback. Dennis Holt was doing a lot of work with Skip and Juvenile. I happened to pass by a photo shoot and gave him one of the CDs. Three days later Dennis called me and said, ‘This is the kinda music I like. I wanna do a video for you.’ I was ecstatic with what he did. I’m very proud of it. It was classic. —Michael Zell
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@RevMelanieNOLA Wouldn’t you know, Irvin’s involved in this too? Beleaguered New Orleans African American Museum sued by creditors, including Whitney Plantation owner John Cummings. @JacquesMorial The new gilded age: Income inequality in Orleans Parish—the most unequal parish in the state. The top 1% of earners makes 29 times more than the bottom 99%. The average income for the top 1% in the parish is $1,200,767 to the 99 percent’s $41,434. @mpatrickwelch I keep forgetting that the ppl who made Beasts of the Southern Wild have a new movie coming out this year called Wendy & my daughter Cleopatra plays Wendy’s daughter in the movie. It only took Cleo 8 years of life to do something that I have never done. Parenthood’s trippy. @bmarsalis Learning a solo from a transcription book is like buying a copy of Julius Ceasar with only the words of Ceasar. @ArmstrongHouse 50 years ago today, Louis landed in Leeds and was greeted by 7-yearold trumpeter Enrico Tomasso playing “Basin Street Blues.” Louis was so moved, he kissed Enrico’s hand and inscribed the photo, “The Kiss of Joy.” Today, Enrico is a top trumpeter in England—amazing story!
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FRESH
MY MUSIC photo courtesy ofthe artist
Oscar Rossignoli
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y dad grew up playing the bass—just amateur bands, nothing professional, but he has an ear for music. He knows what’s wrong, what’s right, but he doesn’t know why. He understands music in an interesting way. He got me into a conservatory for kids in San Pedro Sula [Honduras]. You had to audition. I remember that day, going in early morning. It wasn’t tough. It was just like ‘Okay, let’s see if you can carry a tune and mimic some rhythms.’ I grew up surrounded by classical music. I only started listening to jazz in high school in Tegucigalpa. It was Latin jazz and I went crazy about it. Michel Camilo, a Dominican pianist, he was the first where I said ‘What’s he doing? I need to find out.’ My classical teacher got mad at me because I wasn’t practicing enough classical, trying to figure out the Latin jazz stuff. That’s how it all started. My idea when I started LSU was to study jazz. But my teacher, very wisely, told me ‘You’re gonna keep improving in jazz. You’re gonna be exposed to jazz musicians that are better than you here and learn from them, so you should get your bachelor in classical.’ I’ve been fortunate to work with people who I really enjoy playing with. I play Spotted Cat every Sunday with Pat Casey. I play a lot with Jasen Weaver, Gerald Watkins, Steve Lands. I’m about to release two albums with Brad Walker. I’m also working on this collaborative endeavor called Extended with Brad Webb and Matt Booth. There’s a special connection I feel with Brad and Matt that I put in a different category. We have such different backgrounds, influences from classical and rock. We leave a lot of things to chance. We might play an entire set and never swing. One tune can be four chords and a single melody, but we go different places every time we play it. I use the vocabulary from the classical world in jazz improvisation, instead of just playing melodies on one hand and chords on the other. The piano is an instrument so rich and you have so many possibilities. You can come up with different textures, different voices happening at the same time. I like using all that’s available to me. When I write, it usually starts with improvisation. I try to just play and see whatever happens. Sometimes, that leads to a very specific idea. I say ‘Oh, this pattern in 5 is interesting. What can I do with this?’ As a kid, nobody ever told me ‘Hey, you can just compose music whenever you want.’ So I was always performing, improvising, but now I’m digging more into [the composing] world, trying to make it a habit. You gotta work. It’s not just inspiration.” —Raphael Helfand www.OFFBEAT.com
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IN MEMORIAM
Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet
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inger Theryl DeClouet, born in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, passed away on July 15 at age 66. Up until Galactic (he appeared on Galactic’s first four studio albums), DeClouet’s musical career had been rocky. He had fallen prey to hard drug addiction at an early age. He managed to ground himself in New Orleans and by early 1970 formed the Lyrics, an R&B vocal group. In the ’80s, DeClouet had a series of hits in Japan and the UK, but he never saw the break he was looking for until the mid-’90s when he hooked up with Galactic. In a 2001 OffBeat interview at his home in Hollygrove, DeClouet tells his story: “I was born in this neighborhood, but then when I was three we left for Minneapolis. We used to move around a lot. Being from New Orleans made me unique. Kids would call me ‘New Orleans.’ They would say, ‘He’s cool. He can sing!’ When I used to come in with my group and rehearse my dad would say, ‘Now promise me, if y’all get a hit record and make some money, you’ll make this joker go back to school!’ He never really believed in music, and didn’t live long enough to see me make any money at it.” Regarding his nickname, DeClouet says: “Ivan Neville gave me that name. They used to hang out at my
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house shooting craps, the whole little crew there, and one day they were going to fight. I threw my pistol down on the table and it went off. Everybody got scared. So they said, ‘Okay, you da Houseman.’ It just stuck. That’s how Robert and them [of Galactic] got it. In the first five years of them knowing me, they didn’t know my name. Mike would say, ‘Hey that’s the Houseman, but we don’t call him that ’cause he’s big and fat. It’s because he take the house wherever he go.’” Galactic took to social media to share the news that former frontman DeClouet passed away: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our good friend, mentor, musical collaborator and Galactic vocalist of many years Theryl ‘The Houseman’ DeClouet,” the announcement read. “This evening in New Orleans he passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and loved ones. Anyone who was ever in the presence of Houseman knows his inimitable voice, his infectious personality, and his unforgettable storytelling. He taught us so much about life, music, the music business and how to become the men we are now. We will miss him immensely and we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.” —Joseph Irrera www.OFFBEAT.com
Photo: nunu zomot
1951 – 2018
IN MEMORIAM
Stanley J. Lewis 1927 – 2018
Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith
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or nearly three decades Shreveport was known as “The Record Center of the South.” The man who was single-handedly responsible for Shreveport earning that designation was Stan Lewis. Stanley J. Lewis, born on July 5, 1927, in Shreveport, Louisiana, passed away on July 14 at age 91. Lewis was raised in a close-knit Italian family that ran a grocery store. At the age of 19 he bought five 78 jukeboxes and discovered that it was difficult to procure new records for the machines. This sparked his interest in the retail and wholesale end of the record business. In 1948, Stan and his wife Pauline founded Stan’s Record Shop at 728 Texas Street. The store grew into an empire with six retail stores and a nationwide mail-order business. In addition to selling records, the shop sold tickets to live performances like the Louisiana Hayride. Lewis developed a friendship with Leonard Chess (Lewis named his son after Chess) which resulted in Chess releasing records by Shreveport musicians, including “Suzie Q” by Dale Hawkins. Lewis formed his own record label in 1963, launching Jewel and signing Abbeville’s Bobby Charles. The first single was numbered 728, www.OFFBEAT.com
the same as the shop’s address on Texas Avenue. Jewel was soon followed by Paula and Ronn (named after Lewis’ younger brother). Lewis’ labels thrived thanks to hits by Toussaint McCall, the Uniques, Nat Stuckey, Bobby Powell, the Carter Brothers and John Fred and His Playboy Band, the latter responsible for the number one hit, “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses).” By the early 1970s, Lewis’ labels had taken over from where Chess, Excello, Imperial and Duke left off. With over 200 employees, Lewis handled distribution for more than 600 record labels and during 1972 sold over 2.5 million singles and 470,000 albums. But in the late 1970s, when America’s tastes veered from roots music to funk and disco, Lewis hit a bump. In the end he was forced to declare bankruptcy. Retirement never appealed to Lewis and he was quick to form a new label, Suzie Q, which was operated with his son Lenny and his daughter Suzie. OffBeat Magazine honored Stanley Lewis in 2003 with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Business. In July, Stanley J. Lewis was buried at Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisiana. —Jeff Hannusch AU G U ST 2 018
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IN MEMORIAM
Henry Butler
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enry Butler once described himself as “a work in progress,” as his aim was to continually challenge himself and the status quo. The brilliant pianist, vocalist and composer accomplished that goal both as a musician and as a man. Sightless since infancy, Butler maneuvered through life with ease, confidence and authority and played the piano the same way. He’d often smile when he knew he’d startled an audience with his piano prowess and ability to jump genres mid-song. He also got a kick from folks’ reaction when, as drummer Herlin Riley remembers, Henry would greet them with “Good to see you.” New Orleans native Henry Butler, a musical genius, died in New York on July 2, 2018. He was 69. “I think what made him special was a massive intellect and his ability to extract the essence from New Orleans music and beyond,” says fellow pianist David Torkanowsky. “In many ways, he represented the entire lexicon of contemporary American music. I heard him play solo piano one night in Copenhagen and I was convinced then and now that I was listening to one of the important pianists of the twentieth century. He was transporting and beyond description.” Butler’s first exposure to the piano was at a neighbor’s house when he was six years old. He began taking lessons at the Louisiana School for the Blind in Baton Rouge (now Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired) and went on to Southern University of Baton Rouge (SUBR) where he studied under the direction of the highly influential educator and clarinetist Alvin Batiste, who
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would become his mentor. Butler became a member of Batiste’s forward-thinking ensemble the Jazztronauts and years later, in 1987, Batiste joined the pianist in the studio to record one of Butler’s finest albums, The Village (Impulse!), which included heavy hitters bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette and reedman John Purcell, plus Bob Steward on tuba for one cut. Batiste also contributed one stunning composition, “Music Came,” that Butler continued to include in his repertoire through the decades. Many people discovered Butler’s rich baritone on this spiritually compelling cut. “I like being in a musical place where I can pour out my soul,” Butler once said. He never failed to do just that as a pianist or a vocalist. “The piano has 88 keys and everyone who plays the piano plays those same 88 keys,” Riley points out. “So it’s quite a feat to develop your own voice so that whenever someone who knows you can immediately identify you on the instrument.” By Geraldine Wyckoff
Riley, who like Butler is fluent in many musical languages, was at the drums on Butler’s last recording, Viper’s Drag (Impulse!), on which Butler was teamed with trumpeter/bandleader Steven Bernstein & the Hot 9. “It was a pleasure to record with him. He had a very unique, very intense style and had a lot of chops. He could play very, very fast. I did the whole record with him at Snug Harbor. That was the most fun I had with him on the bandstand.” Butler went on to earn a masters degree at Michigan State University, though, Henry being Henry, it was not, as one might presume, in piano. Rather it was awarded in voice. That’s the way Butler rolled. Butler credited Alvin Batiste for setting up, in 1975, the opportunity for the pianist to seek out of the master, Henry Roeland “Professor Longhair” Byrd. “Professor Longhair told me when I studied with him, ‘You don’t have to play like me— just do what you do.’” Though Fess’ tunes and identifiable licks would turn up repeatedly at Butler’s performances, he always brought
what Bernstein called “Henryisms” to his interpretations. Torkanowsky points out that Butler not only studied with Byrd but also with George Duke and Sir Roland Hanna. “His piano prowess was unrivaled and it was muscular and came from a deep intellect,” Torkanowsky adds. The supremely accomplished pianist could move around and through an even familiar tune taking detours from jazz to blues, throw in some classically informed references and land on some funky New Orleans rhythm and blues. His recordings reflected his enthusiasm to simply celebrate music. On For All Seasons, he returned to modern jazz, the genre that first caught listeners’ and critics’ ears. He dug into his hometown roots on Orleans Inspiration and shone as a composer on 1998’s Blues After Sunset, superbly teamed with another eclectic, no-holds barred, sightless musician, the great guitarist Snooks Eaglin. In 2002, Butler also formed his own New Orleans classic jazz band, Papa Henry Butler & the Steamin’ Syncopators. “I really did want a forum for playing more traditional jazz,” Butler said of his enduring interest in pursuing traditional jazz. Like Fess and other great New Orleans pianists who came before him, Butler has been and will continue to be an influence and inspiration for future generations of musicians. “I grew up soaking up Henry Butler,” says Davell Crawford, a hugely talented and diverse pianist and vocalist who is a guardian of the expressive flame of innovation and excellence that burned in Butler. “He was a majestic mind and the greatest pianist I ever met and worked with.” www.OFFBEAT.com
PHoto: clayton call
September 21, 1948 – July 2, 2018
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“Most of the people I know from New Orleans are proud to share the music with the world. I mean it’s so unique you know.”
“He’s like one of the fathers of this music and was one of the last remaining people who had the opportunity to experience the greats like Professor Longhair and [James] Booker,” notes keyboardist Kyle Roussel, 30, yet another one of Butler’s devotees. “The only reference I have to those people was listening to recordings and Henry. There are some people who are great at playing straight-ahead jazz but they can’t play stride. There are some people who are great at stride but they can’t play funk. He could do all of that great.” Earlier in his career, following a period of gigging in New Orleans and teaching at NOCCA, Butler
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tested the waters in Los Angeles and New York and settled for a time to teach at Eastern Illinois University. All the while, of course he was traveling the world with his music. He finally returned to his hometown in 1996 only to be forced to leave following Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaks that flooded his house in New Orleans East. He was welcomed first to Boulder, Colorado and then Denver before heading to New York, where he gained much deserved further recognition for his brilliance and the authenticity he brought to music, whatever the style. “I’ve always felt like I was one of the New Orleans
ambassadors,” Butler once proclaimed. “I think I will always feel that way. I think most of the people that I know who are from New Orleans feel like that. That’s how we came up, that’s what we knew and that’s what we still want to play. Most of the people I know from New Orleans are proud to share the music with the world. I mean it’s so unique you know.” When Butler entered a room or stepped on a stage his presence was absolute. He laughed heartily, played and sang with passion and astonished unsuspecting audiences and those along his journey with his seemingly endless abilities to
conquer the intricacies of music and life. Henry Butler stands tall alongside those legendary New Orleans piano players like Jelly Roll Morton, Tuts Washington, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John who led the way for others to follow. He perpetuated the Crescent City’s reputation as the birthplace of some of the world’s best, most original, innovative and influential piano players. He was a one-of-akind amongst one-of-a-kinds. The soulful sounds of Henry Butler will be greatly missed, though they’ll live on through the lives he touched with his music and determined spirit. O
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IRMA THOMAS
Forever Young Irma Thomas’ Satchmo SummerFest debut.
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PHoto: clayton call
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here comes a time in every Irma Thomas show when she calls for the audience to shout out requests. For some fans that becomes a chance to make sure all the greatest hits get played; for others it occasions a round of Stump the Band. “People ask for things to see if I can still do them, I think that’s the main reason,” she says. “There’s quite a few that I’ll remember melodically, but not lyrically—so if I can find the lyrics online I’ll give it a try.” Her upcoming show at Satchmo SummerFest should be no different. Booking the soul queen to headline marks a departure for Satchmo, which is traditionally a jazz-centric event. “I’ve always felt from the very beginning that I was a rhythm and blues singer,” she says, and notes that she only saw Louis Armstrong up close once, when he was Zulu King rolling down St. Charles Avenue. “I have some jazz things that I’ve recorded—‘This Bitter Earth,’ ‘Heart Full of Rain’ [both from her latter-day Rounder albums]. But I mainly did those to show my versatility; it’s not really something I’m drawn to. I could make the show different if they required it. But since they’re not requiring it, I’m just going to be Irma.” One song that always gets requested is “Don’t Mess With My Man,” her first single from 1959. Though it’s a far cry from the ballads she became known for, she’s glad to sing it—she’s just surprised that it’s usually the guys requesting it. “That was my first recording. I auditioned for Ron Records on a Monday, then I recorded it on Wednesday or Thursday. I could definitely relate to the lyric; I was married but not with him at the time. I started getting shows right away, but wasn’t making big money because I didn’t know how much to charge. I played a lot of servicemen’s bases at the time. And I
remember one night at a nightclub, I was doing ‘Don’t Mess With My Man’ and some lady jumped up and said, ‘Yeah, sing that one!’ And her husband cold-cocked her right there in the club. A lot of guys think they’re the man instead of the husband in that song—my husband always says he’s both of them.” The greatest of her hits, however, are the emotive ballads—“It’s Raining,” “Ruler of My Heart,” “Wish Someone Would Care”—that she did with producer Allen Toussaint. Intense as they are, she doesn’t need to be in a particular emotional place to sing them. “A good song sells itself, and when I’m onstage I’m just enjoying myself. I’d say I enjoy ninetysix percent of the songs I sing.” And the other four percent? That would be “Time is On My Side,” which she didn’t do for years because she was sick of being asked why she was covering the Rolling Stones (they of course covered her). She only reinstated it after Bonnie Raitt insisted they do it together. “I wasn’t angry at them because they were only doing what every British artist was doing— By Brett Milano
copying American artists and making megabucks. They never professed to be great singers—they were a great act, great entertainers.” If the requests are getting more exotic lately, it’s because more vintage material is seeing the light of day. In recent years there have been two reissues of little-known ’70s sessions—both essential if a bit outside her mainstream. The first, Full Time Woman, collects a bunch of comeback attempts for Atlantic in 1972, some done with producer Arif Mardin and others with Wardell Quezergue. It’s predictably all over the map, but her tough and funky take on Bobbie Gentry’s “Fancy” makes it more than worthwhile. Thomas has disparaged those sessions in the past, saying the producers were trying to turn her into Diana Ross (certainly true in some cases). Nowadays she just says she never heard the CD because nobody at the label sent her one. More interesting was a set of sessions for Jerry (Swamp Dogg) Williams the following year. Various tracks were compiled over the years, but the full album In Between Tears
got a full reissue more recently. Expanding her usual persona, Williams cast her in a feminist concept album, with songs and spoken bits telling the story of a woman leaving an abusive marriage. “I call that man-bashing,” she says. “But that’s what was going on at the time it was recorded, you had women’s lib and the burning of bras. They weren’t bad songs lyrically, some of them told pretty decent stories. What I didn’t like was that he had me singing in keys that I wasn’t comfortable with. So it sounds to me like I’m screaming the whole way through.” She’s still adding new songs to her repertoire; the last thing she released (on a limited-release CD single) was Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” She was originally commissioned to sing it at a 60th birthday party, then recorded it with a spoken dedication to her fans added. “That is my song for them, my thank-you song. A lot have been fans since they were teenagers, not realizing I was a little bit older than them. And now they’re bringing their babies, and their babies’ babies.” O www.OFFBEAT.com
300 SONGS
300 Songs for 300 Years
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ouis Armstrong is the only artist in our 300 Songs countdown to get 10 songs to himself (five songs below and the other five online)—the least we can do for the most towering artist in the city’s music history. Looking over the list of songs that writer John Swenson has chosen you’ll find a trenchant piece of social commentary, one of the warmest evocations of the South on record, a pair of beloved pop songs, and a few recordings that shaped the very nature of jazz. His catalogue runs much deeper, of course, and there are purists who’d claim that no collection is complete without the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens boxed set. These 10, however, are part of the city’s musical bedrock, and 10 you can probably count on hearing at Satchmo SummerFest. —Brett Milano
Louis Armstrong at an Egyptian orphanage in 1961 The Sunset was owned by my
“Muskrat Ramble” (Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, 1926) In some ways the Louis Armstrong story begins with “Muskrat Ramble.” The song was first recorded as part of Armstrong’s remarkable second recording session as a leader on February 26, 1926 in Chicago. The young Armstrong worked very hard to improve his playing and learn everything he could. He was very generous to older musicians who helped him out, and two of his benefactors were the trombonist Kid Ory and cornet star King Oliver. Ory knew Armstrong from the time the youngster was singing on the streets and took him under his wing. Oliver was Armstrong’s idol, and when Oliver left Ory’s band to move to Chicago, Ory replaced him with Armstrong.
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When Armstrong formed the Hot Five he asked Ory to be in the group. Ory took credit for “Muskrat Ramble,” claiming he had written it back in 1921. Armstrong later claimed that he had written the song but never challenged Ory’s claim legally. To add to the confusion, Sidney Bechet claimed that it was an old Buddy Bolden song called “The Old Cow Died and the Old Man Cried.” Since it was an instrumental, it’s probable that elements of the composition were based on pre-existing melodic ideas and traditional folk material. Nevertheless it By John Swenson
was Armstrong’s recording of the song with the Hot Five that created what has become the New Orleans jazz standard you will still hear played all over town to this day. Here’s what Armstrong wrote about the song in Louis Armstrong, in His Own Words. The personal style and unusual punctuation is his part of his unique way of writing: ‘Muskrat Ramble’ was recorded in Chicago... In the good old days when Joe Oliver was blowing his cornet like mad—at the Plantation—at 35th and Calumet... That’s when I was playing just across the street—at the Sunset Cafe...
manager, Joe Glaser... Of course, I was just a member of the Carroll Dickerson’s Orchestra at the time... And Mr. Glaser hadn’t started managing anyone—then... Along about that time—Kid Ory, John A. St. Cyr came to Chicago... And the minute I heard that they were in town—I jumped sky high... You see? I had just signed a contract to record for the Okeh Recording Company... And they told me to hire anyone for my recording band that I desired... Boy O Boy... The minute Mr. Fern (the President of the Okeh Company) gave me the go sign—I hit the phone and called the Musician’s Union, and asked permission to hire Kid Ory, Johnny St. Cyr and Johnny Dodds (who was already in Chicago, playing at Kelly’s Stable)... Of course—Lil Hardin joined up with me for my recording dates... She was working with King Oliver (Joe Oliver) every night—at the Royal Garden... After our first date—the band impressed the bigwigs of the Okeh Co. so well that they signed us up right away... Then we began to really get into the groove, the New Orleans groove...That’s when we started making records every day... It was a good thing for us... Because when we went down to the Okeh Recording Company for the first time, we were all Mike Fright. We did not realize just how much we were frightened—until the day we recorded the ‘Gut Bucket Blues’...Tunes such as ‘Muskrat Ramble’—and other instrumental tunes—which were being recorded through the old Horn System—as unaccustomed as we were, we finally got used to it... www.OFFBEAT.com
Photo Courtesy of the Louis Armstrong House Museum
An Armstrong Top 10.
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Armstrong makes it a moment of personal identification when he sings in the second line “This is Louis...” pronouncing his name the way he preferred it...
“West End Blues” (Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, 1928) One of the masterpieces of Louis Armstrong’s early career, this performance distills the brilliance of Armstrong’s conception and, as he did in so many ways, changed the course of music history. Armstrong’s unforgettable trumpet cadenza that opens the recording, according to the great early jazz critic Gunther Schuller, “served notice that jazz had the potential to compete with the highest order of previously known expression.” Armstrong starts the piece with four striking, bugle-type notes, then proceeds through a dazzling climb-up of triplets to culminate in an ecstatic, vibratoemphasized high C. After that climax, Armstrong walks it back down the scale with a series of triple-tongued figures. A solo for the ages, it has a narrative structure with a theme, a climax and a denouement. This is the perfect expression of the need for a solo to “tell a story.” Recorded on June 28, 1928 with another version of the Hot Five (actually six musicians)— Armstrong on trumpet and vocals, Earl “Fatha” Hines on piano, Jimmy Strong on clarinet, Fred Robinson on trombone, Mancy Carr on banjo and drummer Zutty Singleton on hand cymbals—the song shows Armstrong’s growing maturity as a soloist and vocalist. The song, written by Joe Oliver about the West End hotel and amusement park on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was recorded earlier by Oliver, but Armstrong’s version became
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the industry standard, even for Oliver, whose band recorded the song again after hearing the Hot Five’s version. The performance as a whole is magnificent, but the most important element apart from Armstrong’s virtuoso playing itself is the interaction between Armstrong and Hines. Armstrong was not often musically challenged by his bandmates on his early recordings, but Hines had a spirit and approach to the piano that matched the audacity of Armstrong’s conception. After the rest of the band moves in, trading solo passages, and Armstrong sings a beautiful vocalese call-and-response with Strong, Hines throws in a technically stunning solo that rivals and echoes Armstrong’s. Armstrong’s simple but emotionally powerful exchange with Hines at the song’s end, followed by Singleton’s striking cymbal punctuation, is a portrait of old New Orleans worthy of the great masters.
“When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” (Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra, 1931) In 1930, with the Great Depression severely impacting the entertainment business in New York, Louis Armstrong went to Hollywood looking for work. He got a job leading the band at the Cotton Club in Culver City, California, a Los Angeles suburb. One of the members of the band was Lionel Hampton. Armstrong was a huge hit in California, as he had been everywhere else, and he was soaring along until he was arrested by Los Angeles police
on November 14, 1930 outside his gig for smoking marijuana. He eventually served nine days of his 30-day sentence. On March 9, with the rest of his sentence suspended, Armstrong returned to Chicago, where he worked for a very unpleasant new manager, Johnny Collins. Collins became embroiled in a gangland feud with Armstrong’s former manager Tommy Rockwell. It was a rough time for Armstrong. He had a brief reunion with his estranged wife Lil Hardin in California, but it ended when he left the state bitterly claiming that she had cheated on him. In this context it’s easy to understand why Armstrong fell in love with a song written by two Louisiana Creole friends he met in California, Leon and Otis Rene (along with Clarence Muse). “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” contains a lyric that expresses Armstrong’s world-weariness of city life, which made him a star but also threw him in jail and brought him into the midst of a lifethreatening feud between mobsters: Homesick tired All alone in a big city / Why should ev’rybody pity me, / Nighttime’s falling, folks are a singin’, / they dance till break of day / Dear Old Southland with it’s dreamy songs / Takes me back there where I belong / How I’d love to be in mammy’s arms / When It’s Sleepy Time Down South. Armstrong made it his theme song and re-recorded it scores of times over the course of his career, most notably in a 1941 instrumental version and a controversial 1951 remake. The lyric is rife with racial stereotypes, including two
references to “darkies” that became a racial flash point when Armstrong recorded it in ’51, getting the record banned from airplay on New York radio stations.
“Hello, Dolly!” (Louis Armstrong, 1964) Louis Armstrong’s last hurrah. Not his last hit, but the last moment where he asserted his authority over twentieth century music, knocking the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” out of the number one position on the charts on May 9, 1964 during the height of the Fab Four’s initial popularity. Though many see this as a rock vs. jazz generational sea change in music, I prefer to think of it as a unification and continuation of ideas. Far from being rivals, the Beatles and Armstrong were both twentieth century masters of the popular music ideal, two sides of the same coin. Armstrong’s single version is as good an example of the 45 rpm single format as has ever existed, 2:27 of perfectly crafted playing, singing and production from the magnificent banjo fanfare to Armstrong’s inspired vocal. Armstrong makes it a moment of personal identification when he sings in the second line “This is Louis...” pronouncing his name the way he preferred it, rather than the diminutive “Lou-ee” that announcers used to introduce him. Armstrong recorded the song with the All Stars on December 3, 1963 as a demo to help plug the musical Hello, Dolly!, which was still in development. On the same session the All Stars (Joe Darensbourg, clarinet; Billy Kyle, www.OFFBEAT.com
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piano; Danny Barcelona, drums; Arvell Shaw, bass; and Trummy Young, trombone) recorded “A Lot of Livin’ To Do” from the musical Bye Bye Birdie. A friend of Trummy Young’s, Tony Gottuso, was brought in to play the banjo part. Louis and the All Stars promptly forgot about it and went back on tour. Producer Mickey Kapp added some string accompaniment to the background. When Hello Dolly! opened on Broadway in January 1964 it became the biggest hit of the season, launching Carol Channing to stardom. Kapp released Armstrong’s recording as single, with “A Lot of Livin’ To Do” as the B-side. “Hello, Dolly!” became Armstrong’s biggest hit and Armstrong won the Best Performance of a Song award and Song of the Year at the 1965 Grammy Awards. The musical became a hit again in a 2017 revival starring Bette Midler, but the song will always belong to Armstrong: “Dolly... never go away again”
“What a Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong, 1967) Louis Armstrong’s final gift to his American audience, in the sense that it became a hit in the U.S. nearly 20 years after its release as part of the soundtrack to Good Morning, Vietnam, has become the song he is most associated with. Most critics bemoan this fact, noting that its popularity has eclipsed the importance of his earth-shattering early recordings. But this song is the triumph of Armstrong’s imagination, the apotheosis of his late-career genius in delivering sentimentality with deeply authentic emotion. www.OFFBEAT.com
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Here’s a man who endured all the hardships of growing up poor and black in New Orleans, struggling to make his way in the world but having to leave his beloved hometown to accomplish that, and dealing with a lifetime of institutionalized racism in the society he was part of, summing up all his feelings in a message of unshakable optimism and the power of love: And I think to myself “What a wonderful world.” Producer Bob Thiele, who had worked with Armstrong on his collaboration with Duke Ellington, introduced Louis to the song in 1967. Thiele was working at ABC Records, and Armstrong agreed to record the tune for the label. Armstrong just sang on the track, which was lushly orchestrated. When ABC president Larry Newton heard it he thought it had no commercial potential. Armstrong’s manager Joe Glaser tried to buy the recording from ABC but the company dumped it on the U.S. market with zero promotion and it stiffed. Nevertheless, Armstrong’s worldwide popularity carried it to the top of the charts elsewhere, including England, where it sold more than 600,000 copies. Now, nearly 50 years after Armstrong’s death, “What a Wonderful World” presents him as a voice for eternity, and when other musicians pay tribute to him, this is the song they’re most likely to turn to. All 10 Armstrong songs can be found at offbeat.com. AU G U ST 2 018
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MARK BRAUD
Living the Tradition
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t’s all New Orleans and it is all a part of me,” says Mark Braud of the music heard on his latest release, Living the Tradition. The trumpeter, vocalist and composer honed his chops as a fourth-generation member of the noted Brunious musical family that dates back to guitarist Willie Santiago, who played with the legendary Buddy Bolden. Teamed primarily with the artists on the disc—clarinetist Tim Laughlin, trombonist Lucien Barbarin, bassist Mark Brooks and pianist Meghan Swartz, with either Herlin Riley or Gerald French at the drums—Braud will offer selections from the album at 1:40 p.m. on Sunday, August 5 at the Satchmo SummerFest. The evening prior to this performance, Braud will join his influential uncle, trumpeter/vocalist Wendell Brunious, at Preservation Hall to pay tribute to Braud’s grandfather and Wendell’s father, trumpeter John “Picket” Brunious, Sr. Braud has spent much of the last two years in New York performing on pianist Harry Connick Jr.’s television show, Harry, which wraps up in the fall. Braud continues to play with Connick’s band—as he has for about 17 years now—though the trumpeter is back in New Orleans gigging at some favorite haunts. On Sundays he leads the band at the Palm Court and he can be heard weekly at Preservation Hall. When were you first aware of music? My first recollection of hearing music was hearing my grandfather [John Brunious, Sr.] play piano around the house. He was best known for trumpet but he was a great piano player and arranger. I only have one recording of him playing piano. It’s a Dave
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twenties. I don’t even know if I knew who he was before then. I remember talking to my grandfather, Bernard Braud, on my dad’s side, about him and he was like, ‘Yeah, Wellman Braud was your cousin.’ I was surprised at all of the recordings he was on. He was a great bass player. I’ve been listening to a lot of recordings he did with Sidney Bechet and Duke Ellington and I got inspired to write this song. It’s not based on any other song, just a feeling that I had after listening to him so much including Ellington’s tune, ‘Portrait of Wellman Braud.’
Bartholomew record called New Orleans House Party and he wrote some of the songs and did some of the arrangements. What drew you to trumpet? Everybody in my family played trumpet at some point. My grandparents had eight kids, my mom being one of them, and all eight kids played the trumpet. When I was 11 or 12 and I wanted to join the band at school I had been hanging out at a friend’s house and he had a saxophone, so I wanted to play saxophone. My mom told Wendell and he was like, ‘Oh, I have a cornet for him.’ It was kind of chosen for me at first but then I realized I came from a trumpet-playing family and that’s the sound that I heard all the time. Maybe if I played saxophone I would have approached the music from a trumpet player’s standpoint. By Geraldine Wyckoff
It can be assumed that Wendell was your biggest influence? Yes, definitely. There was always music around—we had a large family—and at every family function there was always some kind of live music. People would bring their instruments. People would join in and we’d have a second line in the house. When I was a kid, I met a lot of musicians through Wendell. He would take me around to different places to meet people, to meet my elders. You wrote and dedicated one tune to Wellman Braud, a renowned bassist who is also a distant cousin of yours and is related to the Marsalis family on Dolores Ferdinand Marsalis’ side. When did you find out you were related to him, and thus the Marsalis family, and when did you discover his music? I didn’t know about him until I was older—maybe like in my
Many New Orleans musicians have also been involved in music education. Have you? Why does teaching seem to remain such a strong element in the music community? Before I left to do the TV show, Harry, I did some teaching at NOCCA and through the Preservation Hall Foundation mostly at McDonogh 35. When I was growing my elders were so generous to me. They would let me play before I became a professional musician and then on break if I had questions—it could be about music, it could be about life, about business, anything—they were always so generous with information. I guess my motto is to pay it forward. I just try to pass on as much knowledge as I can. Are there any lessons that you learned from Wendell that have particularly stuck with you and that you’ve passed on? I was at his house probably as much as I was at my own house or he was over at our house when I was a kid. He had a saying, ‘The melody is your best friend.’ And www.OFFBEAT.com
photo courtesy of the artist
Mark Braud’s musical family.
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“He was a larger-than-life figure but at the same time he was so humble. Not only is his music an influence but just the person that he was.”
another thing was, ‘If you can’t play it slowly, you can’t play it fast.’ Are the musicians on the Satchmo set going to be the same as those heard on Living the Tradition? Would you consider this your regular band? Yes, except I haven’t nailed down a drummer yet but it will probably be Herlin [Riley] or Gerald [French]. I play with everybody pretty regularly but as a group this was mainly for a studio session. It seems that you’re really not associated with sharing the front line with clarinetist Tim Laughlin. Have you performed with him much? Years ago we used to play together pretty often. When I was writing all of this music I was on a gig with him, I think it was at the Palm Court. I was really just loving his sound. You know, sometimes when you haven’t played with somebody for a long time, you kind of forget what you like about them. And the things that I was writing, I thought he would be a great fit. So I said, ‘Hey man, do you still have the same phone number?’ I didn’t tell him what it was about or anything. About a year later I asked him if he wanted to be part of the project. Many of the musicians on the album, perhaps particularly Herlin Riley, Mark Brooks and Meghan Swartz, play music from many genres, as do you. That’s one thing I pride myself in. The guys who influenced me weren’t stuck in one particular style or genre of music. It’s all music. What we produce as New Orleans musicians is New Orleans music. That’s why I named my record Living the Tradition because these
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are all original compositions that I am contributing to the tradition. I think everybody hopes that maybe one day one of their songs will be a classic just like we still play ‘Bourbon Street Parade.’ When you listen to my record, I think you can hear all of the different genres of music that influenced me. With a lot of the New Orleans musicians that I’ve played with, you could get on a gig and you might be playing anything—New Orleans R&B, some funk, some gospel, some traditional jazz, zydeco, anything. The people who I grew up idolizing in New Orleans, they could go in any direction any time. Many of the tunes on the album have what Jelly Roll Morton called a Latin tinge—Meghan’s “La Tomate” and several of your compositions including the uptempo “At the Carnival” and the lovely “The Last Lullaby.” I made a trip to Cuba in 2015 and we got to collaborate with a lot of musicians and I think that trip had a serious impact on what I did for the next few years. So yes, it definitely is a part of the influence on this record. There’s a lot of New Orleans music that has what Jelly Roll coined as the Latin tinge or the Spanish tinge. Even Creole songs like ‘Eh La Bas’ and another song in the New Orleans repertoire is ‘Mama Inez.’ There are also a couple of New Orleans R&B tunes, including “Trouble”(which is a lot of fun) with Gerald French on vocals, and “Mary Jane,” that rhythmically is totally of the heydays era. You played with the great pianist/vocalist Eddie Bo. Was he an influence on those? I was in Eddie Bo’s band for a while and I did some touring with him. My first professional recording session was with Eddie Bo. It was called ‘Back Up This Train.’ I had been
doing mostly brass band stuff—I think I was playing with the Treme [Brass Band] at the time. That’s when I met [saxophonist] Fred Kemp. He was a real mentor to me. He had this recording session coming up with Eddie Bo and he was like, ‘Hey man, you want to make this recording session?’ I was like, of course. It was a cool experience. I think ‘Trouble’ and ‘Mary Jane’ were influenced by that and all of the guys that I love who played R&B like Eddie, Allen Toussaint and Fats Domino. You wrote nine of the 11 songs on the album and co-wrote another with Meghan Swartz. This is the first time doing an album of all original songs. I’ve never, that I can think of, recorded any originals. On my last album, Hot Sausage Rag, I recorded three of my grandfather’s compositions that I don’t think had been played since he recorded them. I recently found out that after I recorded that album that a lot of different bands started playing that song, ‘Hot Sausage Rag.’ I was like wow because it had been in obscurity for many decades. New Birth recorded it and there’s a band in Australia that recorded it and there’s another band [St. Roch Syncopators] who has Wendell’s son, Brandon, in it who recorded it. My grandfather was a great composer. He died when I was almost three but he continued to have an influence on me through his recordings. I remember when I was going to NOCCA and Clyde Kerr Jr. was my teacher and he told me, ‘Man, you have that Brunious sound.’ And it is a sound. I think it all comes from my grandfather. John [Brunious, Jr.], Wendell and myself; we have a similar approach melodically. That’s the sound I heard all my life.
It almost seems like a prerequisite that, especially in classic jazz, trumpeters who lead their own bands have to sing. Have you always sung? Before I played trumpet, I was singing. When I was a little kid I knew ‘Bill Bailey (Won’t You Please Come Home)’ and ‘Sheik of Araby.’ My parents would always take us on the weekends out to hear music especially if Wendell was playing. We used to go down to Traditional Hall—that was Papa French’s club. There was Papa French, Wendell, Freddie Lonzo, Jeanette Kimball, Frank Fields, Bob French and all those people. There was a soda machine in there and I used go up to the stage and ask Wendell for a quarter for a soda. And Bob French would start yelling at me: ‘Get off of my stage! Go play in traffic!’ It kind of became part of the act. I used to actually like it. My singing was never a standalone. I’m a trumpet player and I sing. Singers are a big influence. I like George French, Topsy Chapman, John Boutté, Phillip Manuel. It does seem that every trumpet player in New Orleans sings. I think it all stems from Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong set that precedent. When were you first aware of Louis Armstrong and how have you tried to emulate him? For as long as I could retain a thought—as long as I can remember. There are so many things about Louis Armstrong that are fascinating to me. First of all his sound. I can’t imagine hearing that sound live. Just on records it’s just so huge. He was a larger-than-life figure but at the same time he was so humble. Not only is his music an influence but just the person that he was. O www.OFFBEAT.com
WENDELL BRUNIOUS
Through the Generations
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rumpeter and vocalist Wendell Brunious boasts a towering musical family tree flowered with trumpets. He is the son of trumpet master John “Picket” (or “Picky”) Brunious, Sr. and Nazimova “Chinee” Santiago, the niece of guitarist/banjoist Willie Santiago. At this year’s Satchmo SummerFest, Brunious will pay tribute to his father alongside his nephew, trumpeter Mark Braud, on August 4. He’ll also lead his band at a festival performance on Sunday, August 5. Brunious believes what’s considered the “Brunious sound” all began with his father’s influence. “When my father first started to develop as a trumpet player was in an era before amplification, so you had to play loud enough to hear yourself and to be heard in the band. I kind of think that’s where what some people call the Brunious sound kind of started. That ‘sound’ is being able to interpret ballads when you are also trying to hear the actual words coming out of the end of the trumpet. What was important was the tone, playing in tune, and being able to play nice ballads—not just fast stuff. My daddy used to say this: ‘If you don’t know the melody, you don’t know the song. ‘Bourbon Street Parade,’ ‘Paul Barbarin’s Second Line,’ ‘Hold that Tiger’ and a million other songs have the same form but what segregates the tunes is the melody.” At Satchmo SummerFest’s Sunday, August 5 performance, Brunious and his band will delve into some of Louis Armstrong’s more obscure material, like “Azalea,” which Satchmo famously recorded with Duke Ellington, and “You Go to My Head.” His band includes drummer Gerald French, bassist Richard Moten, reedman
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Roderick Paulin and pianist Tom Hook. “He was just the ultimate melodic player,” declares Brunious, who praises Armstrong’s everything, all the time. “Every solo he played was a new song.” To demonstrate how the great Satchmo would redefine a tune to make it his own and make it New Orleans, Brunious begins singing the classic “Someday You’ll Be Sorry,” which Armstrong reimagined as “Good Night, Angel.” “We’ve all done that to some extent because we’re New Orleanians, but he was in a class by himself.” By Geraldine Wyckoff
“Louis Armstrong came up to become the most recognizable face on the earth; it just speaks volumes about the man, his personality, his music and the way he could touch people. Like wow. There was a quote from him about when he was playing a song before the King of England and he just pointed at him and said, ‘This one’s for you Rex!’ It’s like who could get away with that? Even though he moved to Chicago in 1922 and then eventually to New York and later bought a house there, he was still a New Orleanian. Yes, through and through.”
“I think my first influence was my brother John [trumpeter John Brunious, Jr.]. He was closer to my age [14 years older] and he was my godfather, so we were pretty tight. My dad was working in the daytime and John was in high school and college when I was a kid. My brother heard my dad play and imitated that. You know the old saying, ‘You are what you eat.’ And I heard my daddy and my brother play. John used to carry his mouthpiece around in his back pocket. I wanted to be like John, so I used to carry a mouthpiece in my back pocket before I even played the trumpet. I used to pull it out and blow a few notes. “When I got into the seventh grade, I became a little more serious about music,” Brunious continues, adding that he began taking lessons from the noted William Houston. My daddy’s [John Brunious, Sr.] opening song was “Alabama Jubilee,” so I’m going to suggest to Mark [Braud] that we open with that [on Saturday, August 4],” says Brunious. At that gig, the trumpeter will be joined by his nephew Braud, drummer Shannon Powell, bassist Richard Moten and pianist Rickie Monie. The leader also has calls out for reedman Louis Ford and trombonist Freddie Lonzo. John Brunious, Sr. was a highly regarded trumpeter, arranger and composer who graduated from high school when he was just 15 and in 1935, at the age of 19, had already graduated from Juilliard, where he had been awarded a scholarship. He would go on to work with orchestras led by Cab Calloway and later Lionel Hampton. “My dad had very high standards and that was a wonderful thing to grow up www.OFFBEAT.com
photo: caitlyn ridenour
Wendell Brunious and the “Brunious sound.”
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with,” Brunious says with a sense of pride. “He was also called Picky because he was very, very particular. Then during the depression times, he started building picket fences, so then he got the name Picket.” “He started writing for Cab Calloway’s band. Danny Barker was in that band and living in New York so Danny started trying to help my daddy get gigs and stuff. That’s a real New Orleans thing. We’re gonna help our people out. That’s the music that we believe in and that’s the feeling of the music that we believe in.”
Extremely knowledgeable in the music’s tradition and history, Brunious enjoys sprinkling his conversation with advisory quotes from his father and other artists who have crossed his musical path through his decades-long career. Brunious’ father wrote the arrangement for Calloway’s signature tune, “Minnie the Moocher.” “It was kind of a steal from ‘St. James Infirmary.’ Many times I do my daddy’s arrangement of ‘Minnie the Moocher’ but I do it on the introduction of ‘St. James Infirmary’ just to keep that alive.” The trumpeter promises to do just that as part of the tribute. Also listen for “Dwight Braud Blues,” a song the elder Brunious wrote for Mark Braud’s father. Some of Brunious, Sr.’s original material from his album Bye www.OFFBEAT.com
and Bye, which was recorded under the name of Chief John Brunious and his Mahogany Hall Stompers, might also turn up. A nine-year-old Wendell sang “That Old Green River,” a drinking song on that album that was recorded in 1964 and released, well, by-and-by. It also included “Hot Sausage Rag,” a song that Mark Braud resurrected on his album of the same name. The talented and dedicated Wendell Brunious credits some of his early development to having worked with the Olympia Brass Band under the direction of his cousin, bandleader/saxophonist Harold Dejan. Extremely knowledgeable in the music’s tradition and history, Brunious enjoys sprinkling his conversation with advisory quotes from his father and other artists who have crossed his musical path through his decades-long career. He also throws in some of his own words of wisdom. He says he would tell his students at UNO and these days at various music clinics: “When you guys go to these colleges, if you pay attention to your New Orleans roots you’re going to bring something that’s not there. What’s here is nowhere else.” “When we think of New Orleans, we think of somebody just pouring their heart out like any note could be your last note which I found out about a month ago,” declares Brunious, referring to recently suffering a heart attack. “That’s what we know, the emotion of playing. The techniques and all that stuff are almost incidental.” O AU G U ST 2 018
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Never Too Horny By Jennifer Odell Photography by Elsa Hahne
Ashlin Parker brings in more and more (and more) trumpet players to join his Trumpet Mafia.
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o we’re messing around with my worst nightmare—and that’s re-harmonizing trad tunes.” Ashlin Parker smiles, his demeanor as bright as the red and yellow paint-spatter design on his t-shirt. He’s seated at a keyboard in his dining room in Uptown, facing the handful of trumpeters who have convened for a Trumpet Mafia rehearsal ahead of their Satchmo SummerFest closing set on August 5. “Let’s do an open voicing,” he suggests, assigning notes to each player for part of “Basin Street Blues.” A sheepish look crosses his face and he almost whispers, “I’m really scared.” When Lillie Smith, Emily Mikesell and Michael Christie play the openvoiced chord, however, Parker smiles again. “Oh. That’s fine. I’m not scared.” He makes a note about the tweak as the musicians chuckle. Another trumpeter, Aurelian Barnes, lets himself in the front door, announcing himself with, “I got a trumpet, don’t worry,” and the rehearsalslash-brainstorming session resumes, fueled in equal parts by discussions about Louis Armstrong’s material and more jokes about too many trumpets. The trumpet jokes are hardly uncalled for. Parker’s sprawling Trumpet Mafia collective often features upwards of 20 trumpets onstage. It began in the summer of 2013 as a practice group for members of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and other musicians around town and quickly grew as participants invited other trumpeters, including musicians from outside Louisiana and outside the U.S., into the fold. Since then, the group’s annual Jazz Fest sets, which tend to showcase a mix of trumpet-heavy arrangements for standards, hip-hop–driven material and classic New Orleans tunes, have become consistent high points of the entire festival. Though Parker’s not rushing the project, he’s begun recording music with an album in mind. He estimates it has at least 30 trumpeters and four drummers on it already. The group’s format inherently creates some discomfort for everyone involved. Trumpets, after all, tend to play the lead melody in a jazz band. When the band is comprised of 30 voices, new challenges arise, not least of which is the fact that lots of trumpet players don’t usually shed, or practice, together. Issues like ego and competition add to the underlying problem of making an arrangement for that many of the same instrument work. www.OFFBEAT.com
But from Parker’s perspective, anxiety can inspire growth, both for the music and for the musicians—particularly when they’re open to learning from each other and committing to a kind of unique united front. With that idea in mind, Trumpet Mafia is built around what its leader describes as a “three-tiered system,” with promising young students playing alongside mid-level pros and established masters. “This is a learning platform and a performance platform and I want to build a model of togetherness. I want everybody involved,” says Parker. “All over the world there’s this loss of apprenticeship, so everybody’s trying to be the individual, everybody’s trying to be this solo act. If they could, they would start their own brass band as a solo act,” he adds, laughing. “But no, it’s just togetherness that actually gets this stuff done.” Trumpet Mafia’s not the only setting where he’s fostering a sense of unity among musicians. The North Carolina native came to New Orleans about a decade ago to pursue a master’s degree in Jazz Studies at UNO. He quickly saw he had some learning to do when it came to New Orleans music, which he discovered by working backwards from Clifford Brown, then forward in history to Miles Davis to Wynton Marsalis to Nicholas Payton, then back again. When he began playing around town here, he realized he’d missed some things. His style began to change, incorporating more Crescent City DNA—including the Armstrong influence. “I can still hear the Louis Armstrong in Clifford Brown... in Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard, in these modern players,” he says. “So even if I decided not to listen to one Louis Armstrong record, we’re so indirectly influenced by him, it’s crazy. And to be influenced by people who were directly influenced by him in this city, I was gonna get caught with it anyway.” Parker joined the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra in 2008. “I got into some trumpet battles with Irvin [Mayfield] and he said if I kept playing like this he would break my knees and instead he just put me in the band,” he recalls, laughing. “I’m so glad I got a job instead of losing my kneecaps.” He was also quickly recruited to teach at multiple university programs and is now a guest lecturer at Tulane and an adjunct professor at UNO. In addition, Parker holds down teaching positions for younger players at the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music and the Ellis Marsalis Center, where his drive to create a supportive environment for student musicians seems to be just as central to his work as a teacher as it is to his work as a performer himself. In early July, for example, Parker, fresh off a tour in Switzerland to play Jazz Ascona, was back with his students at Marsalis’ Ninth Ward– based music center. Despite his jet lag, he was leading a horn combo after a full day of classes. “There are no wrong notes, right?” he asked the group of four boys who looked to be about 8 to 10 years old. As if on cue, the saxophonist, trumpeter, clarinet player and trombonist responded with the other half of pianist Bill Evans’ famous rule: “right… just wrong resolutions.” They were working their way through an exercise focused on soloing— with each student vying for the Swiss chocolate their teacher promised as a reward. One of the kids was having more trouble than the others. When Parker and his piano-playing colleague cued them to take it from the top, the sax player stopped them. AU G U ST 2 018
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“He’s very smart, he knows how to relate to people and he just has a way of bringing new things to the table.” —Adonis Rose
“Let’s switch directions,” he suggested, offering a way to take the pressure off the musician seated next to him who was struggling. A few more runs through solos and the improvement was audible, as was the struggling student’s confidence boost. For drummer Adonis Rose, Parker’s devotion to bringing people together has been indispensable in the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, which the trumpeter joined back in 2008. “It’s just part of his personality,” says Rose, who took over as NOJO’s Artistic Director last year. “His instrument is a vehicle that he can use to get people’s attention, but he’s like that whether he’s performing or not and that affects the whole orchestra. It affects the band, it affects morale—and I have a lot of support from Ashlin. He was a big reason why I was able to come in with the orchestra and make things happen. Because he can sit down, kind of get the brass players together, get the band to understand things in a way that I can’t.” “He’s very smart, he knows how to relate to people and he just has a way of bringing new things to the table,” Rose adds. Those skills also came in handy at Trumpet Mafia’s Satchmo SummerFest rehearsal. Once a critical mass of players had rolled in, they went through an overall game plan for the festival’s closing performance, which since 2001 has involved a leading local trumpeter’s set dovetailing into the now-annual, multi-horn Trumpet Tribute to Louis Armstrong presented by Popeyes. Explaining the format, Parker said, “So it’ll still be us up there but it’ll be….” He paused and the sheepishness returned to his face. More laughter erupted around the table. “Yeah. A whole bunch more trumpet players.” The performance was poised to set a record for the Trumpet Tribute’s trumpet numbers. Or, as Parker put it: “Worst case scenario: Everybody and their mom is up there with their trumpet and we’re gonna do some hella eye contact to figure out how to get out of these songs.” “I’d say our togetherness will probably keep it together,” he added. “It will be hard for them to battle our organizational skills. They wanna keep playin’ the melody? Alright, well, there’s 20 people playin’ the melody out.” Everyone laughed again, but agreed. The group seemed more concerned about finding graceful ways to present classic Armstrong material that could be new and interesting without compromising the original spirit of the work. In Trumpet Mafia’s early days, the group relied on multiple horn sections and thicker, eight- or nine-piece harmonies. Since then, they’ve shifted gears, having discovered they sound stronger using a mix of unison playing and smaller, two- to four-part harmonies. In those settings, the virtuosity of players like Maurice Brown or guests like Nicholas Payton is able to really shine. The session wound down with talk of playing Armstrong’s rarely-used 1938 “Saints” intro/interlude and digging up the scores for one of Clyde Kerr’s six-trumpet arrangements. There was also a pretty earnest, if giggle-
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peppered discussion about the logistics of attaching spikes to the musicians’ trumpets, in service of their titular Mafia aesthetic. At Jazz Fest that vibe manifested in multiple players wearing dark shades attached to face-covering bandana-masks, which Parker later described as “the most anti-social sunglasses I’ve ever seen.” Though just a few of the players slated to perform at the festival made that first rehearsal, it took them less than a week to start locating the hard-to-find Kerr charts. The research process also inspired group-wide ideas for adapting some of Kerr’s other brass band arrangements to an all-trumpet format. Meanwhile, Parker found himself so impressed by his students at the Ellis Marsalis Center, he’d decided to invite a few of them to play with Trumpet Mafia at Satchmo Fest. Looking ahead, Parker sees Trumpet Mafia as an ever-expanding nucleus of teaching, learning and innovating. “I would have 150 trumpet players if I had the space and money,” he says wistfully. That would add up. Parker ends up taking a financial hit every Jazz Fest, but even the most expensive gigs don’t seem to tamp his determination to continue extending the Trumpet Mafia model. “There’s so much I want to do in other communities, too,” he says, describing how bringing a few New Orleans musicians to another country to start practicing, working together and sharing ideas really works. “The next time they come to New Orleans, they’ve got stuff going and ideas—like we’ve got an arrangement of the Swedish national anthem,” he says. “It’s a win-win, we got places to go. We got organized little practice sessions everywhere we go. I think it’s really cool to see little pockets of people practicing all over the place so that it’s still there. It’s still cooking when we leave.” Ultimately, Parker’s impetus to bring folks together, whether in the classroom or in the inherently anxiety-inducing Trumpet Mafia format, isn’t just about fostering camaraderie. It’s also fueled by a desire to make something new. “I’ve always been attracted to liminal spaces, as uncomfortable as they may be—it’s the type of space that jazz was created, performed and innovated in,” he said in a text message in late July. “Passing down knowledge is a great way to do stuff and I’m forever indebted to the masters who taught me, but if that’s the only way we deal with information, it kinda means that everything has already been done,” he explained. “Putting all these creative bodies in one space actually gives us the opportunity to create knowledge, in addition to reinforcing the informational pipeline we have to the masters.” He elaborated on the idea in a phone conversation later that morning. “We can always try to take it to an uncomfortable place ... it’s a problem-solving kind of network,” he said. Then he laughed. “I mean, you know that first lesson taught on a spiked Trumpet Mafia trumpet is going be difficult.” O www.OFFBEAT.com
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“I
came here from Miami. I’m a Florida boy, born in New York, lived all over Florida. I’ve been in hospitality for almost 20 years now. Started working at Subway as a kid, worked in several kitchens and as a waiter, and eventually made my way to bartending. I worked in corporate America for many years, too, but now I no longer have to fit myself as a square peg in a round hole, and that makes me happy. Being able to express myself. I like drinks that are sort of out there, bold, with interesting flavors that challenge the palate, or push the palate to the max. I love smoky finishes.
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I love Delish so much as an artist because she’s also very bold and out there, wild and crazy, but also distinctly New Orleans. Being New Orleans is hard to explain to someone, though. It’s just a different outlook. Miami is go-gogo, make a bunch of money. Here it’s like, have fun, have a new experience, and do something new. That’s New Orleans to me. One of my favorite spirits right now is aquavit. I’m taking my traditional New Orleans cocktail training and putting it to that spirit to get something that both tastes familiar and very different. Almost every drink I make is stirred. My go-to is Amaro Montenegro—I love
By Elsa Hahne
Italian digestives. A double Montenegro with a splash of soda and a twist on the rocks— nothing makes me happier. For this cocktail I used Cocchi to add some body, and when it came to bitters, I had a lot of choices, but I wanted a New Orleans traditional thing to bring this back home, so I went with Peychaud’s. I wanted this cocktail to come out bold and funky just like Delish. Now if you’re wondering about this bar and the 21st amendment, it was the repealing of the 18th amendment and the end of prohibition. So the 21st was basically the government saying, ‘Our bad!’ So here, we celebrate drinking and just enjoying life.”
photos: Elsa Hahne
Scott Hicks/21st Amendment
Still Searching 1 1/2 ounces Linie Aquavit 3/4 ounce Amaro Montenegro 3/4 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 3 pieces fresh lemon peel Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe. Express lemon peels over the drink (wring them back and forth to release the oils), discard two and garnish with the remaining one. www.OFFBEAT.com
Kingfish: 337 Chartres St., 598-5005 Mr. B’s Bistro: 201 Royal St. 523-2078
FRENCH Café Degas: 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635 La Crepe Nanou: 1410 Robert St., 899-2670
GERMAN Bratz Y'all: 617-B Piety St., 301-3222
GROCERY STORES Breaux Mart: 3233 Magazine St., 262-6017; 2904 Severn Ave. Metarie, 885-5565; 9647 Jefferson Hwy. River Ridge, 737-8146; 315 E Judge Perez, Chalmette, 262-0750; 605 Lapalco Blvd., Gretna, 433-0333 Mardi Gras Zone: 2706 Royal St., 947-8787
ICE CREAM/CAKE/CANDY Aunt Sally’s Praline Shops: 2831 Chartres St., 944-6090 Bittersweet Confections: 725 Magazine St., 523-2626 Sucré: 3025 Magazine St.,520-8311 Tee-Eva’s Praline Shop: 4430 Magazine St., 899-8350
AFRICAN Bennachin: 1212 Royal St., 522-1230
INDIAN
AMERICAN
Nirvana: 4308 Magazine St., 894-9797
Barcadia: 601 Tchoupitoulas St., 335-1740 Brown Butter Southern Kitchen: 231 N Carrollton Ave., 609-3871 Poppy’s Time Out Sports Bar & Grill: 1 Poydras St., 247-9265 Port of Call: 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120
LOUISIANA / SOUTHERN
Cochon: 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123 Cornet: 700 Bourbon St., 523-1485 Galatoire’s: 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021 Gumbo Shop: 630 St. Peter St., 525-1486 K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen: 416 Chartres St., 524-7394 New Orleans Creole Cookery: 508 Toulouse St., 524-9632 Restaurant Rebirth: 857 Fulton St., 522-6863
DELI Stein’s Market and Deli: 2207 Magazine St., 527-0771
FINE DINING Bombay Club: 830 Conti St., 586-0972 Broussard’s: 819 Conti St., 581-3866 Commander’s Palace: 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221 Compere Lapin: 535 Tchoupitoulas St, 599-2119 Josephine Estelle: Ace Hotel, 600 Carondelet St., 930-3070
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Fulton Alley: 600 Fulton St., 208-5593 Mondo: 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633 Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934
MEDITERRANEAN Byblos: 3218 Magazine St., 894-1233 Mona’s Café: 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115 Saba: 5757 Magazine St, 324-7770 Shaya: 4213 Magazine St, 891-4213
MEXICAN/CARIBBEAN/SPANISH Barú Bistro & Tapas: 3700 Magazine St., 895-2225 El Gato Negro: 81 French Market Place, 525-9846; 300 Harrison Ave., 488-0107; 800 S Peters St., 309-8804 Juan’s Flying Burrito: 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000
MUSIC ON THE MENU Banks Street Bar & Grill: 4401 Banks St., 486-0258 B.B. King’s Blues Club: 1104 Decatur St., 934-5464 Buffa’s: 1001 Esplanade Ave., 949-0038 Chickie Wah Wah: 2828 Canal St., 304-4714 Dmac’s Bar & Grill: 542 S Jefferson Davis Pkwy, 304-5757
Sammy’s Food Services: 3000 Elysian Fields Ave., 948-7361 Tracey’s: 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413 Ye Olde College Inn: 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683
PIZZA Midway Pizza: 4725 Freret St., 322-2815 Pizza Delicious: 617 Piety St., 676-8482 Slice Pizzeria: 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525-7437 Theo’s Pizza: 4218 Magazine St., 894-8554; 4024 Canal St., 302-1133; 1212 S Clearview, 733-3803
SEAFOOD Basin Seafood and Spirits: 3222 Magazine St., 302-7391 Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill: 1 Poydras St. 569-3380 Deanie’s Seafood: 841 Iberville St., 581-1316; 1713 Lake Ave. Metairie, 834-1225 Pier 424 Seafood Market: 424 Bourbon St., 309-1574 Royal House Oyster Bar: 441 Royal St., 528-2601
SOUL Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934
STEAKHOUSE La Boca: 870 Tchoupitoulas St., 525-8205
VIETNAMESE Namese: 4077 Tulane Ave., 483-8899
WEE HOURS Buffa’s Restaurant & Lounge: 1001 Esplanade Ave., 949-0038 Mimi’s in the Marigny: 2601 Royal St., 872-9868
The Dish Chef Levi Raines on Bywater American Bistro's Brisket Sandwich
JAPANESE/KOREAN/SUSHI/THAI
COFFEE HOUSE
CREOLE/CAJUN
Biscuits and Buns on Banks: 4337 Banks St., 273-4600 Cake Café: 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010 Cowbell: 8801 Oak St., 298-8689 Dat Dog: 601 Frenchmen St., 309-3362; 5030 Freret St., 899-6883; 3336 Magazine St., 324-2226 Live Oak Cafe: 8140 Oak St., 265-0050 Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant: 701 Tchoupitoulas St., 523-8995 Parkway Bakery and Tavern: 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047
Adolfo’s: 611 Frenchmen St., 948-3800
The Joint: 701 Mazant St., 949-3232 Café du Monde: 800 Decatur St., 525-4544 Morning Call Coffee Stand: 56 Dreyfous Dr., (504) 300-1157
NEIGHBORHOOD JOINTS
ITALIAN
Chiba: 8312 Oak St., 826-9119 Mikimoto: 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., 488-1881 Sukho Thai: 4519 Magazine St., 373-6471; 2200 Royal St., 948-9309 Wasabi: 900 Frenchmen St., 943-9433
BARBECUE
Cocina de Liberación at Fontaine Palace: 218 S. Robertson St, 525-9775 Gattuso’s: 435 Huey P Long Ave., Gretna, 368-1114 Hard Rock Café: 125 Bourbon St., 529-5617 House of Blues: 225 Decatur St., 412-8068 Howlin’ Wolf’s Wolf Den: 907 S. Peters St., 529-5844 Le Bon Temps Roule: 4801 Magazine St., 895-8117 Little Gem Saloon: 445 S. Rampart St., 267-4863 Maison: 508 Frenchmen St., 289-5648 Mid City Lanes Rock ‘N’ Bowl: 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3133 NOSH: 752 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-7101 Palm Court: 1204 Decatur St., 525-0200 Rivershack Tavern: 3449 River Rd., 834-4938 Siberia Lounge: 2227 St. Claude Ave., 265-8865 Southport Hall: 200 Monticello Ave., 835-2903 Snug Harbor: 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 Three Muses: 536 Frenchmen St., 298-8746
Which of your dishes says the most about you? “I just love sandwiches. I know it might be a stigma for chefs, that all chefs love sandwiches, but it’s true. We eat standing up and I just love making them and eating them. We have no other beef on our menu other than the brisket sandwich. It's American wagyu that’s raised and slaughtered in Mississippi—raised well and treated right. We brine it in pink salt for 24 hours, cover it with black pepper and then smoke it at 225 degrees for four hours before we drop the temperature to 180 for an additional eight hours. Low and slow. We do that every week. We start brining on Thursday to have it ready for Saturday brunch service. We serve it on a soft brioche bun with a slaw made with green cabbage, carrots, celery and whole parsley that we dress with apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, Dijon mustard, Crystal hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, celery seeds and then serve it with a fried egg on top.” —Elsa Hahne www.OFFBEAT.com
DINING OUT
Café Abyssinia It's common knowledge that anything marked with a neon highlighter deserves attention, and this is true for the low-slung building just off Magazine Street (a literal gravel throw behind Imperial Woodpecker Snoballs) that houses Café Abyssinia. Bright orange-red vinyl siding marks the spot. It’s a modest establishment, for sure. The entire restaurant appears to be operated by no more than two people—a cook and a server—at any given time. The TVs pump out Ethiopian pop music videos featuring vast, arid landscapes and violent shoulder thrusting. The menu appears large at first, but is easy to navigate as it features beef, lamb and chicken in a repeating lineup of sauces—alicha made with turmeric; tibs with jalapeños, onions and tomatoes (too dry to be called sauce, really— this is more like a stir fry) and wot prepared with a reddish berbere spice mix, dominated
www.OFFBEAT.com
by cardamom, fenugreek, cumin and ginger (the chicken version, doro wot, is Ethiopia's national dish and my personal favorite topped with a hard-boiled egg). Another repeat ingredient is gomen, listed as “spinach” but so far never encountered as anything but collard greens. The vegetable dishes double as sides for the meat presentations. Cabbage/ carrots and potatoes/carrots come out exactly as the names imply—modest dirt dwellers without much ambition in the world. A much better companion for your meal is the red lentil stew (basic yet excellent, with the same berbere spice mix as the wot) as well as the chewy collard greens. Literally tying your meal together is the injera, the spongy and stretchy Ethiopian crepe that serves as plate, starch and utensil. It's impeccable. For all my travels to Washington D.C., the supposed Ethiopian food capital in America, I've never found better injera than at Café Abyssinia. Considering its position on the table—under, over and around the food—the quality of the injera really matters. I tried to make my own injera once. (Just once.) You make a batter with water and teff flour (not unlike buckwheat) and let it sit in
Photo: ELSA HAHNE
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room temperature for about a day. At least that's what the recipes say. But in the humidity and heat in the summer here, it's hard to time the fermentation process right. What I ended up making could have been used as a threat. (“It puts the lotion in the basket, or else it gets the teff!”) I'd much rather enjoy the real deal in restaurants than attempt to do that again. Also, there's no need to be silent about the lamb at Café Abyssinia. It's great. Next time I go, I'm going to try the lamb wot instead of chicken—one of the last meat-and-sauce combinations I have yet to try. As per usual, I'm going to bring a nice bottle of wine from Spirit Wine across the street when I go. It's still BYOB. —Elsa Hahne 3511 Magazine Street; 11a-10p daily; cafeabyssinianola.com; (504) 894-6238
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REVIEWS
Reviews When submitting CDs for consideration, please send two copies to OffBeat Reviews, 421 Frenchmen Street, Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116
CDs reviewed are available now at 421 Frenchmen Street in the Marigny 504-586-1094 or online at LouisianaMusicFactory.com
New music embracing the past
Mark Braud Living the Tradition (Independent) Carrying on traditions is one thing, but contributing to and expanding on them is an entirely different task—especially if the tradition is New Orleans music. If Mark Braud’s goal was to deliver an album that both honored traditional New Orleans music, in all of its glorious permutations, and added a solid batch of new songs that will surely become part of the New Orleans music canon, then he undoubtedly succeeded. The album is comprised of all original material, 10 tracks composed by Braud, one by Meghan Swartz, and one a collaboration between Braud and Swartz. Living the Tradition successfully melds old and new while celebrating the traditional jazz, rhythm and blues, funk and gospel that the Crescent City is known for. “You’re the One” kicks off in fine fashion. The frontline of Mark Braud (trumpet), Lucien Barbarin (trombone) and Tim Laughlin (clarinet) is driven by a rhythm section featuring Herlin Riley (drums), Mark Brooks (bass) and Meghan Swartz (piano). This is surely a composition that will find a home in the Economy Hall Jazz Tent. “La Tomate” honors the Spanish tinge that has been a part of jazz
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dating back to Jelly Roll Morton. The palette created by Riley and Swartz really allows for Braud and Laughlin to shine as they play off of one another in beautiful fashion. This feel is carried on in the infectious and upbeat “At the Carnival,” which finds Braud and company in a decidedly romantic mood as they deliver a slow and sensual performance. Braud, Laughlin and Barbarin all shine as they take turns soloing. The tenor of the album changes with “Mary Jane” as Braud gets his first chance to show off his vocal chops. The song harkens back to classic Allen Toussaint and Ernie K-Doe, and is certainly a tradition that needs to be embraced and celebrated. On “Lately,” Braud and company deliver a classic Horace Silver vibe before Braud gives another vocal performance on “I Should’ve Known” which features some silky yet sinewy playing from Mark Brooks on bass. “Trouble” combines numerous traditions in a romp through time as Braud and company combine gospel and rhythm and blues, with brass band exuberance. Gerald French handles the vocals, Ronell Johnson joins in on tuba and trombone, and Roderick Paulin channels some classic David “Fathead” Newman on saxophone. If only real-life trouble felt this good! Brooks kicks off “Wellman Braud” with a swampy groove. As the horns join in and expound on the deep groove, the sound that is developed sounds oddly reminiscent of the Radiators, another New Orleans tradition deserving of recognition and preservation. “Toulouse Rag” closes things out and bookends nicely with “You’re the One.” This is traditional jazz
in the hands of masterful modern purveyors of the idiom. In a world where tradition is often either strictly adhered to or shunned entirely, it is so refreshing to hear musicians who embrace the past while following the musical muse as they explore and contribute to the living breathing tradition that is New Orleans music. —Christopher Weddle
just a bit more. “Work It Out” and “Open Sesame” are the stand-out dance hits. Berkley the Artist is an exceptional vocalist and “Feel Like I Do” features a Beyoncé-strength performance by Shaleyah. Water Seed’s particular breed of à la mode R&B/funk/new funk/soul fusion will hit the spot for music fans across the board and if this album doesn’t make you want to go to one of their live shows, then you must not like to dance. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell
Bunk Johnson Rare & Unissued Masters: Volume Two 1943–1946 (American Music)
Water Seed Say Yeah!! Live at the Blue Nile (Louisiana Red Hot Records) Water Seed has it all going for them. They’re fun, funky, talented musicians who know how to make people dance. They’ve followed up their last release, We Are Stars, with a special treat for their fans—a live album that showcases the energy they bring to the stage. Say Yeah!! Live at the Blue Nile shows that they can not only make a well-produced pop-charting album like We Are Stars, but that they can also bring the same quality of musicianship to the stage (a rare ability in the current Auto-Tuned, sampled, cut-and-paste landscape of top 40 music). Most of the songs here are repeats from the first album, but they’re given new life in a live setting. With some of the tracks nearly doubling in length from the originals, the space allows for the soloists to dig in
These recordings of New Orleans trumpet legend Bunk Johnson, who first gained a reputation in the period from 1905 to 1915, represent his work during his “comeback” era. It has been written that his hiatus from playing was due to the loss of his teeth and his trumpet during a bar fight. Once both were restored by donations from musicians and journalists, Johnson enjoyed a renewed career as a traditional jazzman. His trumpet is heard here in three different settings as recorded by Bill Russell. Bunk’s full band, the musicians of which can certainly be considered all-stars, holds a prominent position on the disc with the group having been captured at various times and locales. The group includes trombonist Jim Robinson, clarinetist George Lewis, bassist Alcide “Slow Drag” Pavageau, drummer Baby Dodds and banjoist Lawrence Marrero. They work familiar tunes like “Ballin’ the Jack” and “Careless Love” and those lesser known numbers like the hilariously titled “All the Whores Like www.OFFBEAT.com
REVIEWS the Way I Ride.” Of course it gallops happily along with the ensemble working as one unit until Lewis’ clarinet and then Bunk’s trumpet take over the reins. Slow Drag gets his opportunity to shine as he opens his self-penned “Slow Drag’s Boogie Woogie,” with Baby Dodds doing a little tap dance with his nimble sticks. The other
settings include three tunes done by Bunk in a duet with pianist Bertha Gonsoulin that were recorded in 1943 in the intimacy of her San Francisco home. In 1946, Bunk was in a New York studio with pianist Don Ewell and drummer Alphonse Steele. The material on this date, including the English folk song “In the Gloaming,” could be considered, well, unusual.
Kick Out the Jamz Gregory Agid Quartet Jamz (Bubble Bath) The latest release from Gregory Agid is drenched in the warm and playful tone of Agid’s clarinet, and one cannot help but wonder why the instrument is so underrepresented in modern music. But then again, in the hands of Agid it’s hard not to be wooed. Jamz is made up of both fully realized songs as well as five shorter pieces that show the band in a different mode of exploration. “Jamz 1” is the most melodic of the bunch and can be woven together with “Jamz 2” through “Jamz 5” for a fuller picture. All in all one can almost hear latter day Grateful Dead drums/space elements in these vignettes. They stand in sharp contrast tonally with the rest of the recording, but certainly capture the fearlessness of exploration enjoyed throughout Jamz. Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol’s “Caravan” has been covered by any number of musicians over the decades; however, Agid and company deliver a fresh take on this classic. Joshua Starkman’s funky riffing lets you know right away that this version is not going to be typical. A.J. Hall (drums) and Max Moran (bass) join in laying a solid foundation for Agid, and after Agid gets his footing the band really begins to swing out. Like you would expect, the band covers a lot of territory and the players are locked in tight so that each time a new path is discovered everyone falls in at just the right moment. Moran gets “Smokey’s Dream” started off and Agid’s playing is light and lilting as he creates a laid back relaxed feel that envelops you in warmth. Starkman’s guitar playing is elegant as he gently caresses his strings throughout. Starkman starts off “In a Sentimental Mood” taking Ellington’s piano intro and expanding it by nearly two minutes on guitar before Agid comes in. In the meantime Moran and Hall have begun to play so beautifully underneath him that you hate for the trio to be interrupted; but as one might expect, the layers added by Agid create a fuller, more realized sound without dampening the spirit that started things off. Clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, “Banjo Noir” is the longest piece on Jamz, and it provides ample time for everyone to get the opportunity to explore and play with the music. The band explores a wide range of ideas, playfully referencing what sounds like “Treme Song” and “Tequila.” Agid and Starkman shine as expected in their explorations, and Moran gets the opportunity to expand on his solid playing, delivering a nice solo as Hall dances around the drums. As the band joins back in the sound reminiscent of classic Astral Project. The fullcourt press of Agid, Starkman, Moran and Hall is relentless as they deliver a recording that will stand up to repeated listens. —Christopher Weddle www.OFFBEAT.com
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REVIEWS The data on each song— composer, personnel, date—is all there just as it should be on an important piece of musical history. Really tying it all together, however, are the fascinating and informative liner notes by Trevor Richards. His deep knowledge of the music and insight into Bunk Johnson’s personality help bring the artist and traditional jazz’s evolving era to life. —Geraldine Wyckoff
Davy Mooney and Ko Omura Benign Strangers (Sunnyside Records) As the title of the album and opening cut, Benign Strangers, suggests, a certain musical and human gentleness prevails. Davy Mooney, a talented guitarist and graduate of NOCCA and the University of New Orleans, co-leads this band with drummer and tabla player Ko Omura, probably a new name to New Orleans audiences, who composed the warm tune. On hand too is saxophonist John Ellis, a regular Mooney cohort who is heard on the guitarist’s fine 2017 release, Hope of Home, as was bassist Matt Clohesy. Rounding out the group is pianist Glenn Zaleski, a Sunnyside label mate. Much of the album continues the soft dance of first meetings as heard on Mooney’s “Dim,” which with its slow tempo suggests a tentative mood yet includes bright notes of interest and intrigue emanating from the guitar and piano. More aggressive is Mooney’s “The Heights,” on which the listener gets to experience the strength of Omura’s pop and splash drumming. The always compatible Mooney and Ellis seem to go on a spree on this cut, letting loose on some more exploratory statements. Everyone’s in step as this highlight closes. The two are also featured together on the final cut, Omura’s “29th Road,” which returns to the quietude of many of the previous cuts. Rather than driving rhythms, wild guitar licks and hard blowing, the power of Benign Strangers comes from within the musicians, their creative sensibilities and artistic display. —Geraldine Wyckoff
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Amadee Castenell Live at Club 39 (Black Rose Records) While you may not be familiar with his name, you are very likely to have heard Amadee Castenell’s sax playing on any number of recordings. He’s played with local legends like Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Chocolate Milk, Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, to name but a few. By the time Castenell finishes his first proper solo on Live at Club 39 you will know why he is in such demand—his tone and complete command of his instrument. Rather than be contained to any one genre, Castenell allows himself the freedom to expose his jazz and funk sensibilities in a wellcrafted recording that shows his ability to fit in any number of genres including soul and rhythm and blues as well as the aforementioned jazz and funk. Things get heated up right away with the Castenell original “Blues For Dee.” Bob Enuk’s high-octane guitar playing lets you know right away that this band means business. Castenell’s propulsive blowing moves things along as he, Enuk and Ben Broder (piano) solo over the solid groove courtesy of Steve Monahan (bass) and John Loud (drums). Things slow down for Donny Hathaway’s “Valdez In The Country.” Here we get our first chance to hear Castenell on flute, an instrument he returns to on Herb Alpert’s “Green Lemonade.” The tempo and feel is in sharp contrast to the frenetic “Blues For Dee.” The funky groove developed here is revisited again throughout the recording. “The Pink Panther Theme” is slow, slinky, and sensual. This is a late-night groove that builds as Castenell, Enuk and Broder once again share the spotlight with some tasteful soloing. “Buda” and especially “Funk Thing” (which features some nice organ work from Tom West) find Castenell once again mining a funky territory to good effect. “I Wouldn’t Mind,” which was written by Allen Toussaint, features some gorgeous blowing from Castenell; and after years of playing with Toussaint, he really sounds confident and at home on this track.
On Herbie Mann’s “Memphis Underground,” Parker Wheeler gets a chance to shine on harmonica, and of course Castenell handles the flute in masterful manner. Live at Club 39 ends on a beautiful note with a take on Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” as Castenell trades solos with Joe Fox on flugelhorn. —Christopher Weddle
Leon Chavis
“Share My Life,” the keyboard’s chirping and chiming effects add to the lush, romantic ambience. “Me and My Drank” relies more on the speaking, sometimes altered voices resembling those circulating in the protagonist’s head as he slips into intoxication. The groove-bouncy “You Wouldn’t Understand” addresses how an entire culture and community exists behind a seemingly simple event like a trail ride. Of the undocumented covers, Chavis spins a doo-wop intro on Frankie Lymon’s “Goody Goody” and sprints Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me” at a greyhound pace. While the latter advises denial when it comes to infidelity, there’s no denying that this is Chavis’ best effort to date. —Dan Willging
Don Suhor New Orleans Clarinet & Sax Virtuoso (GHB Records)
and the Zydeco Flames This All I Know (Independent) On his fifth CD, Leon Chavis achieves an artistic milestone with 11 originals reflecting deeper personal feelings and more openly honest songwriting. Several originals unveil his new lease on life: falling in love, marriage and a happier state of being (“Share My Life,” “Til the Morning”). The opening two tracks are particularly creative. “Intro” features Chavis’ great-uncle Boozoo testifying about lack of money and respect over a supporting hip-hop foundation. Just after Boozoo says “I quit because I wasn’t paid for what I was doing,” Chavis busts into the money-grabbing hustling title track featuring Houston rapper Baldenna Tha King, a welldocumented trail ride aficionado. It’s a great juxtaposition of tracks representing generationally removed circumstances and a reminder of how far zydeco has evolved. Initially recorded by Chavis and later mix-mastered by Chris Ardoin, every track is densely layered with background vocals and effects, giving the listener tons to absorb. Keyboards play a huge role. On
Don Suhor thoroughly embraced both traditional and modern jazz and often would infiltrate one of these kissin’ cousins within the other. He also brought an equal amount of fervor to the clarinet, his first instrument, and the saxophone. These dimensions of the New Orleans–born Suhor are wonderfully displayed on New Orleans Clarinet & Sax Virtuoso, a two-disc collection of tunes compiled with attention and love by his brother, journalist, author and drummer Charles Suhor, who in the liner notes also offers insights into the recording sessions and a biography of Don, who passed away in 2002. Sidney Bechet’s “Petite Fleur,” a go-to number for clarinetists up to the challenge, opens Disc One— Clarinet Connections: From Dixieland to Bopsieland. (Charles’ word Bopsieland refers to jazz’s bebop era.) Suhor’s upper register reaches here are truly stunning as he works with the trio of banjoist Amy Sharpe and bassist Al Bernard. He again impresses with his command of the ultra-high notes as well as his unique, often modern-leaning interpretation of “Basin Street Blues.” Suhor is with a full band on this number led by drummer Gary Burghoff, the actor best known as Radar on the television show “M*A*S*H.” Other leaders www.OFFBEAT.com
REVIEWS whose groups benefit from Suhor’s talents on clarinet on this disc include vocalist Topsy Chapman, trumpeter Wendell Brunious and guitarist John Eubanks. The more modern Eubanks’ style stands as a natural lead into Disc Two that features Suhor the saxophonist and modernist beboppin’ on “Slow Boat to China.” Interestingly, the quartet is led by fretman Don Vappie, who—particularly these days—is noted more as a keeper of the flame for traditional jazz with a Creole flavor. Pianist Phil Parnell does a wonderful job on the nine tunes in the Vappie session. Considering the
sound quality, it’s quite amazing that these cuts were tapped at a wedding party. Occasional “Yeas” by the listeners (or players) add to the pleasure. The second disc ends as strongly as the first one began, though Suhor is now on sax with different instrumentation and blowing on jazz of a different era, notably George Russell’s “Ezz-Thetic.” On New Orleans Clarinet & Sax Virtuoso, Don Suhor continually demonstrates his love of all jazz and the wholeness that remains the music’s, as well as his, essence. —Geraldine Wyckoff
Best of Me Shawn Williams Motel Livin’ (Independent) In an interview with OffBeat’s Laura DeFazio, Shawn Williams refers to her music as “alt-rocka country-billy serial killer blues.” As far as genre signifiers go, it pretty well sums up her sound. She wears her country and rockabilly influences—Lucinda (and Hank) Williams, Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley (whom she honors with her all-female tribute band, Pelvis Breastlies)—on her sleeve, accenting her soulful voice with tasteful flourishes of mournful pedal-steel guitar or jangling honky-tonk piano. She showed them off last year on Shadow, an impressively mature debut record. It’s her less obvious inspirations, such as Billie Holiday and shoegaze icon Mazzy Star, that set her apart from the pack on her recently released sophomore album, Motel Livin’. These manifest more subtly, often emerging on slower tracks, where Williams has room to wander gloomily about her desert landscapes, her voice warping into blue note territory but never devolving into the cutesy warbling of her country predecessors. Williams’s past career in radio has given her a keen ear for production, pacing and track selection. She opens the album on a disarmingly quiet note with “Leave,” a slow-burning breakup anthem that bleeds seamlessly into “Touch, Love, ’n’ Rub,” a much more upbeat ode to one-night stands on the road. Windblown chimes usher in “Desert Baby,” a gorgeous, meandering love song and immediate album standout. It clocks in at a whopping 7:34, but is immediately followed by the short, cabaret-style, keyboard-pounding “Chop.” And so on. By the time the dust settles on the closing, title track (and the hidden bonus track gift-wrapped into the end of it), you’ll be left wondering how your last hour went by so quickly. The “serial killer blues” bit of Williams’s self-proclaimed sound is the hardest to find in her music. Unlike her fellow local, country-adjacent act Guts Club, whose folk melodies and quiet arrangements thinly veil lyrics full of violence and viscera, Williams mostly writes about different types of romance. But deep below these love songs, there is a very long fuse burning very slowly, possibly with something very sinister at the end. We’ll just have to wait for another album to find out what it is. —Raphael Helfand www.OFFBEAT.com
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REVIEWS on “Supa T Anthem”: an end to racism, violence and killing. It’s a message that’s sincerely delivered and a sonic prayer for peace that can never get old. —Dan Willging
Super T Broussard & the Zydeco Steppers Goin’ Live (Independent) Some day when it’s all over, Chris Ardoin will be anointed a patron saint of zydeco since he’s helmed so many records for his contemporaries, including two now for ‘couzan’ T Broussard. On Broussard’s first recording in a decade, the multi-skilled Ardoin plays drums, thumpy bass, prancing keyboards and roasting guitar while Broussard plays accordions and sang on this mostly original affair. Broussard follows a blueprint found on a lot of zydeco albums, covers the usual bases—a Creole French–sung waltz (“File’ Whiskey”) a sexy swingout (“Bed Party”) and the self-explanatory, hip-swaying “Da Blues.” But lighthearted approach and Broussard’s sly sense of humor are what make it fun, like the reeling “Zydeco Gon’ Wild” where he remarks that his zydeco will soon be on CNN. “I’m A Zydeco Stepper” practically becomes a choreographed dance while “Cookie Jar” sports jaunty, keyboard-squelching grooves. But given the title track, don’t think of this as a live affair but rather an opportunity to comment on zydeco’s current state of affairs. For the younger set, it’s become more of a concert than a dance and snapping selfies to post on social media has become the norm. Of course, when Broussard performs “Goin’ Live” these days, all the phones pop out, lights flash and the cycle perpetuates itself once again. What will never go out of style is what Broussard advocates for
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The Heavyweights Brass Band This City (Independent) The Heavyweights Brass Band wisely chose to record their third full-length record, This City, in New Orleans. Comprised of John Pittman (trumpet), Chris Butcher (trombone), Paul Metcalfe (tenor saxophone), Tom Richards (tuba) and Lowell Whitty (drums and percussion), the Heavyweights Brass Band delivers a solid recording that emphasizes the band’s connection to the Crescent City—a city that has obviously played a major role in developing the band’s sound. From the opening “Hands Down Lo’” which features locals Eugene Grant (vocals, congas and trumpet), Joe Lastie (bass drum) and Ashlin Parker (trumpet) one can tell that although the Heavyweights Brass Band hails from Toronto, they draw on a deep well of inspiration from New Orleans and its brass band culture. Richards’ opening tuba riffs and Grant’s call out for “all aboard” let you know that this band is indeed taking it to the streets. The interplay between the horns sets the stage for a classic-sounding brass band jam. In typical call and response fashion, no one wants to be outdone and it brings out some stellar playing from everyone.
Things slow down with the first of two covers. Stevie Wonder’s “Tell Me Something Good” allows the band to show off some polished chops before the tone changes to a more modern R&B feel with “Two Foot Ticket.” Richards and Whitty are the driving force as they kick off “I’ve Got Time For You,” with the band finding terra firma in a return to a more classic brass band sound. “Rosco’s Big Hit” is anchored by Richards on tuba and that big fat wave of sound creates a deep funky groove that Pittman, Butcher and Metcalfe can surf as they swing out. “Dance out on the Corner” features the legendary
Roger Lewis on baritone sax, the addition of whom propels things into overdrive. The band is hitting on all cylinders and everyone really shines throughout the track. For good measure, Marla Dixon gets a chance to join in the fun on vocals. Steve Earle’s paean to New Orleans, “This City,” closes things out and is highlighted by a beautiful vocal performance from Jackie Richardson and nice slide guitar playing from Kevin Brett. In a unanimous decision, the Heavyweights Brass Band delivers a feel good party record that captures the spirit and exuberance of New Orleans. —Christopher Weddle
A Dispersion of Data Values Josh Paxton Standard Deviation (Independent) With Josh Paxton’s third album, Standard Deviation, it’s past time to add another name to the list of outstanding pianists working in the greatest music city in the world, New Orleans. Like all the others, Paxton has his own style. His is a combination of elements drawn from the New Orleans tradition and his own training in the classics and the jazz tradition. Paxton made his bones with a series of transcriptions of James Booker solos and he shares Booker’s penchant for unlikely juxtapositions and virtuoso playing, traits he uses to great effect here on a jaunty version of Thelonious Monk’s “Four In One” and the impressive reading of Steve Masakowski’s “Sidewalk Strut.” His wonderful touch backing vocalist Debbie Davis on jazz standards comes to the fore here on three of the album’s showpieces— Tommy Wolf’s “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most,” Jerome Kern’s “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Poinciana,” a 1936 composition derived from a Cuban folk song. Paxton’s ability to sound like two different pianists playing at the same time really comes across on the latter performance. He gives “Harlem Blues” a ragtime feel and “St. Louis Blues” a thoughtful, almost conversational exchange between the melody and his embellishment before taking it on an excursion into a clave section, then his own airborne exposition. On each turn around he twists the screw a little tighter, blithely dancing across the keys. He recasts Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by combining its hymn-like quality with the joyous gospel expression of “Down By the Riverside.” And of course he covers Booker with a postmodern version of “Gonzo” by playing the theme on a Leslie-effected melodica and accompanying himself on piano. The effect is something like an unearthed Dave “Baby” Cortez hit from the 1960s—or maybe a twisted alternate version of “Topkapi.” His collaboration with the wacky genius Beth Patterson in the great bouzouki-piano duo ZoüKeys peers out from under this totally madhouse cover. —John Swenson www.OFFBEAT.com
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AF African AM Americana BL Blues BU Bluegrass BO Bounce BB Brass Band BQ Burlesque KJ Cajun CL Classical CR Classic Rock CO Comedy CW Country CB Cover Band DN Dance DX Dixieland DB Dubstep EL Electro FO Folk FK Funk GS Gospel GY Gypsy HH Hip-Hop HS House IN Indian Classical ID Indie Rock IL Industrial IR Irish JB Jam Band
MJ Jazz Contemporary TJ Jazz Traditional JV Jazz Variety KR Karaoke KZ Klezmer LT Latin MG Mardi Gras Indian ME Metal RB Modern R&B PO Pop PK Punk RE Reggae RC Rockabilly RK Rock RR Roots Rock SS Singer/ Songwriter SK Ska PI Solo Piano SO Soul SW Spoken Word SP Swamp Pop SI Swing VR Variety ZY Zydeco
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1
Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Circle Bar: Marc Stone and friends (BL) 7p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Lucid Illusions (ID) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Michael Watson (JV) 8p Joy Theater: Taking Back Sunday, Microwave, Mighty (VR) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Samantha Pearl Album-release show, Jazz Vipers, RnR Music Group (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Watson’s Theory with Ari Teitel and Kendrick Marshall (FK) 10p Marigny Brasserie: Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 7p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sounds (TJ) 5p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Jerry Embree (SI) 8p Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p SideBar NOLA: James Singleton and Brad Walker (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Helen Gillet (MG) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 7p
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THURSDAY AUGUST 2
Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Shag Fest with Ivan Neville, George Porter Jr., Tony Hall, Honey Island Swamp Band, Papa Mali, Alvin Youngblood Hart and others (VR) 6p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Barefoot Family Caravan, Big Al and the Heavyweights (BL) 9p House of Blues: Nicolay and the Hot at Nights (JV) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (BB) 8:30p Joy Theater: Brian Posehn, Matt Owens (CO) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: One Tailed Three (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Maple Leaf: Johnny Vidacovich, James Singleton and Steve Masakowski (FK) 10p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Troy Sawyer (JV) 6p Omni Royal Orleans Hotel: Spirit of Satchmo Awards (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie (ZY) 8:30p SideBar NOLA: ZouKeys feat. Beth Patterson and John Paxton (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Yoshio Toyama and Dixie Saints (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Singer-Songwriter Shindig hosted by Lynn Drury and Amanda Walker (SS) 8p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Roland Guerin (JV) 9p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, Arsene DeLay (VR) 8p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p
FRIDAY AUGUST 3
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Willie Green Project (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Davis Rogan (JV) 6p, Calvin Johnson and Native Son (JV) 9p Bullet’s: Original Pinettes Brass Band (BB) 9p Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel): Trixie Minx’s Burgundy Burlesque feat. Gerald French and the French Follies Jazz Band (BQ) 9p d.b.a.: New Orleans Swinging Gypsies (JV) 6p, MainLine (BB) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p House of Blues (the Parish): Bad Girls of Burlesque (BQ) 8p House of Blues: Lyfe Jennings (RB) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Assata Ranay, Kevin Stylez (SO) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Ricardo Pascal Orchestra (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (JV) 11p Joy Theater: Ganja White Night, Opiuo, the Widdler, Bawldy (EL) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: John Mooney and Marc Stone (BL) 7:30p
Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band, Big Easy Brawlers, Buena Vista Social Latin Night (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Eric Johanson (BL) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: Bring It! Live (DN) 8p SideBar NOLA: Jonathan Freilich Presents (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio with Christien Bold (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Vagrants, Stepping Sideways, Crypt, Weakwilled (VR) 8p Starlight: Afrodiziac’s Jazz (JV) 7p, Lost in Found presents Our House (VR) 11:59p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Troy Sawyer and the Elementz (JV) 9p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Foundation Free Fridays feat. Iko All-Stars (MG) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p
SATURDAY AUGUST 4
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Jasen Weaver Band (JV) 7:30p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p, Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Bombay Club:Tom Saunders and the Hot Cats (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Satchmo SummerFest Jazz Brunch (JV) 11a, Dayna Kurtz and Robert Mache (VR) 3p, Marla Dixon Trio (JV) 6p, Marina Orchestra (VR) 9p d.b.a.: Baton Rouge Blues Foundation presents Old School Swamp Blues Revue with the Excelleauxs feat. Sam Hogan (BL) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 11p Dragon’s Den: Kala Chandra Quartet (JV) 7p, Primetime feat. DJ Legatron Prime (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 7p, DJ Toine Boy (VR) 10p Fontaine Palace: Mofongo Latin Band (LT) 8p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Gaslight Street, the Iceman Special (RK) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Pink Room Project (HH) 11p House of Blues: Bustout Burlesque (BQ) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): the Links, Black Market Suitor, Fighting for Frequency (RK) 10p Joy Theater: Ganja White Night, Downlink, Peekaboo, SFAM (EL) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Paintbox with Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 9p Maple Leaf: New Orleans Suspects (FK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p Preservation Hall: Tribute to John “Picket” Brunious Sr. with Wendell Brunious and Mark Braud (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Bag of Donuts (VR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Dr. Michael White and Original Liberty Jazz Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Alicia “Blue Eyes” Renee (RB) 10p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Time Out: Andre Bouvier and the Royal Bohemians (VR) 11a Tipitina’s: Glen David Andrews Band (FK) 10p
Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p
SUNDAY AUGUST 5
AllWays Lounge: Smoking Time Jazz Club (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradstars (JV) 4p, Georgi Petrov and the Lost Jazz Po’Boys (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Tim Laughlin Trio (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 11a, Pfister Sisters (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p, BrasiNola (LT) 10p Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Drifter Hotel: If We Could Swim Pool Party feat. DJs Tony Skratchere and Nate White (HH) 6p Hi-Ho Lounge: the Sound Adventures of Beat Boy feat. Corey Mack (VR) 7p, MASQ, Noise Complaints, In the Whale (ID) 10p House of Blues: He is We (PO) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Traditional Irish Session (FO) 5p, Beth Patterson (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: 504 Experience Tribute Brunch feat. Ms. Eileina Dennis (JV) 11a Little Tropical Isle: Styk (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (VR) 9p Maple Leaf: Mikey B3 (FK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Old Point Bar: Gregg and James Martinez (RK) 3:30p, Sunday Night Jazz Jam (JV) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Summer Serenades: Dominique Lejeune, Dusky Waters, Kathryn Rose Wood (SS) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Smoothie King Center: Imagine Dragons, Grace VanderWaal (RK) 7p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis and the 21st Century Trad Band (JV) 8 & 10p St. Augustine Church: Jazz Mass and Satchmo Salute Second Line feat. Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, Million Dollar Baby Dolls, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Sudan Social Aid and Pleasure Club, Fi Yi Yi, Boe Monkey Red (JV) 11a Starlight: Lulu and the Broadsides (RB) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Mem Shannon (BL) 8p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Roland Cheramie and friends (KJ) 5p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 9p
MONDAY AUGUST 6
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, the Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: John Royen (PI) 8p Buffa’s: A2D2 with Arsene DeLay and Antoine Diel (VR) 6p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Cha Wa (MG) 10p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Terrence Houston and Mike Lemmler (FK) 10p AU G U ST 2 018
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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p SideBar NOLA: Instant Opus Series (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Free Jambalaya Jam with Joshua Benitez Band (RK) 8p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robinson Band (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p
TUESDAY AUGUST 7
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Christopher Johnson, Carl Leblanc and friend, Les Getrex N Creole Cooking (VR) 12p Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Ellis Marsalis Center for Music: Herlin Riley and family (BL) 6:30p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Maison: Kala Chandra Quartet, Gregory Agid, Gene’s Music Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint): Down on their Luck Orchestra (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Santos Bar: Savage Master, Deceased, Death of Kings, Morbid Torment (ME) 8p SideBar NOLA: Scatterjazz Presents (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Don Vappie Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: DJ Fayard (SO) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Circle Bar: Marc Stone and friends (BL) 7p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p, Reina del Cid (SS) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Alicia “Blue Eyes” Renee (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Roy Gele (FO) 8:30p Maison: Dinosaurchestra, Jazz Vipers, B. Miller Zone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Watson’s Theory with Ari Teitel and Kendrick Marshall (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint): James Barry Trio (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge): Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5:30p Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p SideBar NOLA: Mike Dillon and friends (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Dreamland Burlesque (BQ) 10p; Shawn Williams (CW) 8p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Miss Mojo (SO) 9p Three Muses: Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
THURSDAY AUGUST 9
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mike Harvey’s Hot Club (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Steve Masakowski Duo (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Andre Bohren (PI) 5p, Piano Nights with David Roe and friends (PI) 8p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p
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d.b.a.: Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Dos Jefes: Matt Lemmler Trio feat. Steve Masakowski and James Singleton (JV) 9:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Jason Bieler of Saigon Kick (SS) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (BB) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr., Mike Dillon and Joe Ashlar (FK) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas (ZY) 8:30p Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge): Amanda Ducorbier (JV) 5:30p SideBar NOLA: Nick Benoit, Kirk Duplantis and Chris Alford (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis and the 21st Century Trad Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Singer-Songwriter Shindig hosted by Lynn Drury and Amanda Walker (SS) 8p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Little Cosmicana (CO) 9p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Mia Borders (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Jonathon Boogie Long, Delta Revelry (BL) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p
FRIDAY AUGUST 10
Bombay Club: Don Vappie (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Cole Williams (VR) 6p, Marc Stone (BL) 9p Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel): Trixie Minx’s Burgundy Burlesque feat. Gerald French and the French Follies Jazz Band (BQ) 9p d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 6p, the Fortifiers, Guitar Lightnin’ Lee and his Thunder Band (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 8p, the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p House of Blues: Future Families of Funk (FK) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Shannon Powell (JV) 7p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 5p, Lynn Drury (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: John Mooney and Marc Stone (BL) 7:30p Live Oak Café: ZouKeys feat. Josh Paxton and Beth Patterson (VR) 10:30a Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band, Jasper Smitty, Buena Vista Social Latin Night (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Gravy (RR) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p New Orleans Museum of Art: Crossing Canal (FO) 6:30p Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Jamey St. Pierre and the Honeycreepers (RK) 9:30p One Eyed Jacks: DJ Soul Sister presents Soulful Takeover (FK) 10p Portside Lounge: Jamie Lynn Vessels (RK) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: MJ Live: Michael Jackson Tribute (PO) 8p SideBar NOLA: Alex Massa’s Fat Trio (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio with Christien Bold (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6:30p Starlight: Lost in Found presents Our House (VR) 11:59p; Bobbi Rae (SO) 8p Three Muses: Esther Rose (JV) 5p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Foundation Free Fridays feat. Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Mike Dillon Band (FK) 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
SATURDAY AUGUST 11
Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p Bombay Club: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Ukulele School of New Orleans (VR) 4p, Odd Fellows Rest (VR) 6p, Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (VR) 9p Champions Square: the Cult, Stone Temple Pilots, Bush (RK) 6:30p d.b.a.: James Williams (VR) 7p, Treme Brass Band celebrating Mr. Benny’s Birthday Bash (BB) 10p Fontaine Palace: Mofongo Latin Band (LT) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): House of the Young (HH) 10p House of Blues: Reefer Madness: Jimmy Buffet Night feat. Jerry Diaz and Hannah’s Reef (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Amanda Seales (CO) 7:30 & 9:30p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 5p, Roux the Day (FO) 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Leah Rucker, Smoking Time Jazz Club, Big Easy Brawlers (VR) 1p Maple Leaf: Sam Price and the True Believers (RR) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p Old Point Bar: Shawn Williams (CW) 9:30p Portside Lounge: Johnny J. and the Hipshots (BL) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Brass Band feat. Kevin Louis (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: MJ Live: Michael Jackson Tribute (PO) 8p Snug Harbor: Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Shawan Rice (SO) 7p, Julie Odell (SS) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): NOJO 7 (JV) 9p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Time Out: Andre Bouvier and the Royal Bohemians (VR) 11a Tipitina’s: Hash Cabbage, Noisewater (FK) 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
SUNDAY AUGUST 12
AllWays Lounge: Hot Toddy and the Fully Dressed Po’Boys (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradstars (JV) 4p, Georgi Petrov and the Lost Jazz Po’Boys (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Tim Laughlin Trio (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 11a, Father Doussan and the Disciples (VR) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, BrasiNola (LT) 10p Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: George French Trio (JV) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: 504 Experience Tribute Brunch feat. Ms. Eileina Dennis (JV) 11a Maple Leaf: Smashook feat. Russell Batiste, Corey Duplechin and Vick LeCar (RK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Paul Varisco and the Milestones (BL) 4p Snug Harbor: Tango Jazz Quartet from Argentina (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Latin Night with Dile Que Nola (LT) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Mem Shannon (BL) 8p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Trinity Episcopal Church: Matthew Blaize and Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 5p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
MONDAY AUGUST 13
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, the Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: A2D2 with Arsene DeLay and Antoine Diel (VR) 6p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Cha Wa (MG) 10p Dos Jefes: John Fohl (BL) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Two Sheets to the Wind (FO) 8:30p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Terrence Houston and Mike Lemmler (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p SideBar NOLA: Instant Opus Series (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Free Jambalaya Jam with Joshua Benitez Band (RK) 8p Three Muses: Sam Cammarata (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robinson Band (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p
TUESDAY AUGUST 14
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Joe Krown (VR) 7p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: New Orleans Guitar Night feat. Alex D’Onofrio and friends (VR) 9p House of Blues: Attila (ME) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Live Oak Café: Katarina Boudreaux’s Family Band Jam (VR) 10:30a Maison: Kala Chandra Quartet, Gregory Agid, the Key Sound (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint): Down on their Luck Orchestra (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p SideBar NOLA: Scatterjazz Presents (VR) 9p Smoothie King Center: J. Cole, Young Thug (HH) 7:30p Snug Harbor: Ryan Hanseler Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: DJ Fayard (SO) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Circle Bar: Marc Stone and friends (BL) 7p Dragon’s Den: World Vybz Wednesdays feat. DJ FTK (LT) 10p, Dancehall Classics with DJ T-Roy’s Bayou International Soundsystem (RE) 11p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p House of Blues (the Parish): Rico Nasty (HH) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Michael Watson (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Maison: Jazz Vipers, RnR Music Group (VR) 6:30p Maple Leaf: Watson’s Theory with Ari Teitel and Kendrick Marshall (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint): Oscar Rossignoli (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p SideBar NOLA: Phil DeGruy’s 17-String Theory (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p
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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Starlight: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 7p, Ron Hotstream and the Mid-City Drifters (CW) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Maggie Belle Band, Loose Willis (SO) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Schatzy (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
THURSDAY AUGUST 16
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mike Harvey’s Hot Club (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Henri Hebert (PI) 7p, Deltaphonic (FK) 10p Dragon’s Den: Crescent Fresh Stand-Up Open Mic (CO) 7p, Throwback Thursday with Rapbaum, Khromethesia Harbinger Project (HH) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Ron Hotstream and the Mid-City Drifters, Shawn Williams (RC) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Coast 2 Coast Hip Hop Showcase (HH) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (BB) 8p Joy Theater: Ninja Sex Party (VR) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Maison: Good For Nothin’ Band, the Inglorious Tradsters, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Ivan Neville’s 29th 30th Birthday Extravaganza (FK) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Siberia: End Times String Band (FO) 9p SideBar NOLA: David Bandrowski and Charlie Denard (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis and the 21st Century Trad Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Singer-Songwriter Shindig hosted by Lynn Drury and Amanda Walker (SS) 8p Three Muses: Arsene DeLay (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Freddie McGregor with Chino McGregor (VR) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p
FRIDAY AUGUST 17
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Nutria (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Cricket and the 2:19 (FO) 6p, Swinging Doors (FO) 9p Bullet’s: Original Pinettes Brass Band (BB) 9p Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel): Trixie Minx’s Burgundy Burlesque feat. Gerald French and the French Follies Jazz Band (BQ) 9p d.b.a.: Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 6p, Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Dos Jefes: Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (ZY) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: the River Dragon (VR) 6p, Funky Sole NOLA feat. DJ Shane Love (SO) 9p House of Blues: NOLA Rocks feat. Akadi, the Hail Mercy, Event Horizon, First Fracturet, the Fixers (RK) 7:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Delta Revelry (BL) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Joy Theater: Screening of Louisiana Story with Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Vali Talbot (FO) 5p, Beth Patterson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: John Mooney and Marc Stone (BL) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Max Moran and Neospectric (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p One Eyed Jacks: Mark Normand (CO) 9p
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Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p Rivershack Tavern: Kennedy Kuntz and the Men of the Hour (VR) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Bucktown All-Stars (VR) 9:30p Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge): Sam Kuslan (JV) 5:30p, Amanda Ducorbier (JV) 9p Siberia: United Bakery Records Showcase (ID) 10p SideBar NOLA: Glenn Hartman and friends (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio with Christien Bold (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Bobbi Rae (SO) 8p, Lost in Found presents Our House (VR) 11:59p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Foundation Free Fridays feat. Billy Iuso and Restless Natives, Motel Radio (RR) 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
SATURDAY AUGUST 18
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Jasen Weaver Band (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Ukulele School of New Orleans (VR) 4p, the Royal and Dumaine Hawaiians (VR) 6p, Asylum Chorus (VR) 9p d.b.a.: New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 7p, Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 11p Fontaine Palace: Yocho Latin Band, Mofongo Latin Band (LT) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): Bad Girls of Burlesque (BQ) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Stoked (CO) 9:30p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Live Oak Café: Charlie Wooton and Arsene DeLay (VR) 10:30a Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Leah Rucker, Smoking Time Jazz Club, Big Easy Brawlers (VR) 1p Maple Leaf: Hip Pocket (FK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p Preservation Hall: Preservation Brass Band feat. Kevin Louis (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Siberia: Debauche (GY) 10p SideBar NOLA: Marc Stone and Lilli Lewis (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: the Organic Trio with Brian Seeger (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: the Molly Ringwalds (VR) 8p Starlight: Shawan Rice (SO) 7p, Dana Abbott Band (RK) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Bookoo Rueda (LT) 9p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Time Out: Andre Bouvier and the Royal Bohemians (VR) 11a Tipitina’s: Leo Nocentelli Presents a Tribute to the Music of the Meters (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p
SUNDAY AUGUST 19
AllWays Lounge: Oliver Bonie Presents Swing Damnit (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradstars (JV) 4p, Georgi Petrov and the Lost Jazz Po’Boys (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Trio (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 11a, Nattie Sanchez Songwriter Circle (SS) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Civic Theatre: Gillian Welch (RR) 8p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, Brasinola (LT) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p AU G U ST 2 018
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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: 504 Experience Tribute Brunch feat. Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 11a Maison: Chance Bushman and the NOLA Jitterbugs, Reid Poole’s Boppin’ 5 (JV) 10a, Michael Watson Quintet, Higher Heights (VR) 7p Maple Leaf: Sansone, Krown and Fohl (BL) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Marina Orchestra (VR) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Bounty Reunion with Harvey Jesus and Fire (VR) 4p Siberia: Swim Club Presents: Songs We Wrote in High School (SS) 9p Snug Harbor: James Evans CD-release party (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Latin Night with Dile Que Nola (LT) 7p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: New Orleans Musician’s Clinic Annual Blood Drive, DJ Fayard, Jeremy Thomas and Black Light, Soul Brass Band (VR) 11a Trinity Episcopal Church: the Truffle Honeys (VR) 5p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
MONDAY AUGUST 20
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, the Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: A2D2 with Arsene DeLay and Antoine Diel (VR) 6p d.b.a.: Cha Wa (MG) 10p Dos Jefes: John Fohl (BL) 9p Dragon’s Den: Monday Night Swing feat. Hot Toddy’s Fully Dressed Po Boys (GY) 8p, AudioDope with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Knuckles and Bunny (FO) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Ed Perkins Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Terrence Houston and Mike Lemmler (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p SideBar NOLA: Instant Opus Series (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Free Jambalaya Jam with Joshua Benitez Band (RK) 8p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robertson (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p
TUESDAY AUGUST 21
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Columns Hotel: the New Orleans String Kings with Don Vappie, Matt Rhody and John Rankin (JV) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Telesomniac, Dreaming Dingo, Pucasana, Wild Animal (RK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Live Oak Café: Katarina Boudreaux’s Family Band Jam (VR) 10:30a Maison: Kala Chandra Quartet, Gregory Agid, Gene’s Music Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint): Down on their Luck Orchestra (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p
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Siberia: Piano Night: Josh Wexler with Tiffany Pollack (PI) 9p SideBar NOLA: Scatterjazz Presents (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Tribute to Scott Joplin feat. Tom McDermott (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: DJ Fayard (SO) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p
FRIDAY AUGUST 24
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Champions Square: Evanescence, Lindsey Stirling (PO) 7p Circle Bar: Marc Stone and friends (BL) 7p Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Dragon’s Den: World Vybz Wednesdays feat. DJ FTK (LT) 10p, Dancehall Classics with DJ T-Roy’s Bayou International Soundsystem (RE) 11p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p, Unfortunate Side Effect, Big Rug, Green Gasoline (RK) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Mario Abney (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Maple Leaf: Watson’s Theory with Ari Teitel and Kendrick Marshall (FK) 10p Marigny Brasserie: Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 7p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p Siberia: Hale Satana’s Drag Roulette (BQ) 9p SideBar NOLA: Aurora Nealand and James Singleton (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Joe Dyson (JV) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Willie Green Project (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Gordon Towell Trio (JV) 6p, Songwriter Circle feat. Keith Burnstein, Kei Slaughter and Charles Lumar (VR) 9p d.b.a.: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses (JV) 6p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p House of Blues (the Parish): Wrong Way: Sublime Tribute (CB) 8p House of Blues: Thunderstruck: AC/DC Tribute (RK) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): PYMP, Vibe Doctors, Shah (EL) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Styles P (HH) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Professor Craig Adams Band (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Joy Theater: Jeremih, Dani Leigh (EL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Roy Gele (FO) 5p, Will Dickerson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: John Mooney and Marc Stone (BL) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Steve Kelley’s Birthday Bonanza (RR) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p Portside Lounge: Shawn Williams, Dirty Rain Revelers (CW) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Boogie Men (VR) 9:30p SideBar NOLA: New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio with Christien Bold (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6:30p Starlight: Kennedy Kuntz and Vincent Marini (VR) 8p, Lost in Found presents Our House (VR) 11:59p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Foundation Free Fridays feat. Naughty Professor, BrassLightning (FK) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p
THURSDAY AUGUST 23
SATURDAY AUGUST 25
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22
Buffa’s: David Roe: Ballads, Story Songs and Singa-longs (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 9p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Little Freddie King (BL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Maison: Catie Rodgers and Her Swinging Orchestra, Noah Young Band, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Johnny Vidacovich, Ron Johnson and Papa Mali (FK) 10p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars (KZ) 6p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Horace Trahan (ZY) 8:30p SideBar NOLA: Dick Deluxe and Eddie Christmas Salute Ornette and Ed Blackwell (VR) 9p Starlight: Singer-Songwriter Shindig hosted by Lynn Drury and Amanda Walker (SS) 8p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Mia Borders (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Marcus King Band, Bishop Gunn (VR) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Jasen Weaver Band (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Tap Room Four (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Ukulele School of New Orleans (VR) 4p, Al Farrell and Jerry Jumonville (VR) 6p, Dapper Dandies (JV) 9p Champions Square: Lil’ WeezyAna Festival (HH) 7p d.b.a.: Roamin’ Jasmine (JV) 7p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 11p Dos Jefes: Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (ZY) 10p Dragon’s Den: Kala Chandra Quartet (JV) 7p, Primetime feat. DJ Legatron Prime (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 7p, the Kickback feat. Sexy Dex, Delores Galore, Respekted Demon (VR) 10p Fontaine Palace: Mofongo Latin Band (LT) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Courted Starring Alison Logan, the Original Classy Broad (CO) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Martha Kelly, Avery Moore, Pat Dean (CO) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Mike Kerwin and Geoff Coats (FO) 5p, Van Hudson (FO) 9p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p Preservation Hall: Preservation Brass Band feat. Kevin Louis (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Groovy 7 (VR) 9:30p Saenger Theatre: Tony Bennett with Antonia Bennett (JV) 8p Siberia: Alex McMurray (SS) 6p, Cutting Edge Music Conference Showcase (ID) 9p SideBar NOLA: Mia Borders (VR) 9p
Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Shawan Rice (SO) 7p, Margie Perez (SO) 10p; Upstairs at the Starlight hosted by Goddess and Pablo (VR) 10p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Josh Gouzy (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Time Out: Andre Bouvier and the Royal Bohemians (VR) 11a Tipitina’s: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p
SUNDAY AUGUST 26
AllWays Lounge: Little Coquette Jazz Band (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradstars (JV) 4p, Georgi Petrov and the Lost Jazz Po’Boys (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Trio (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 11a, Tim Paco with Ukulele School of New Orleans Showcase and Workshop (VR) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Bullet’s: Big Frank and Lil Frank (RB) 6p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, BrasiNola (LT) 10p Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: 504 Experience Tribute Brunch feat. Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 11a Maple Leaf: Mike Lemmler, June Yamagishi and Doug Belote (FK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Joe Dyson Ensemble (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Latin Night with Dile Que Nola (LT) 7p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Trinity Episcopal Church: Jo “Cool” Davis Annual Memorial Concert with Cordell Chambliss and friends (GS) 5p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
MONDAY AUGUST 27
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, the Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: St. Louis Slim, Bann-Bua’s Hot 4, G and the Swinging Gypsies, Gentilly Stompers (VR) 12p Buffa’s: A2D2 with Arsene DeLay and Antoine Diel (VR) 6p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Cha Wa (MG) 10p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Harlem River Noise (RB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Terrence Houston and Mike Lemmler (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p SideBar NOLA: Instant Opus Series (VR) 9p Smoothie King Center: Journey, Def Leppard (RK) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Free Jambalaya Jam with Joshua Benitez Band (RK) 8p Three Muses: Sam Cammarata (JV) 5p, Keith Burnstein (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p
TUESDAY AUGUST 28
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Davis Rogan (VR) 8p Columns Hotel: Harry Hardin and John Rankin (JV) 8p
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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Dos Jefes: Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (JV) 9p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Think Less, Hear More (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p New Orleans Jazz Museum (Old U.S. Mint): Down on their Luck Orchestra (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Siberia: Piano Night: Alex Pianovich (PI) 9p SideBar NOLA: 3now4 (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Beth Patterson and Josh Paxton (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Orgy, Motograter, the Crowned, Band of Julez (VR) 7p Starlight: DJ Fayard (SO) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Buffa’s presents Unhappy Hour in conjunction with You Got This (VR) 5p, Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p House of Blues: Residente (LT) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Mario Abney (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Maison: Jazz Vipers (VR) 6:30p Maple Leaf: Watson’s Theory with Ari Teitel and Kendrick Marshall (FK) 10p Marigny Brasserie: Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 7p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p SideBar NOLA: Matt Booth, Bradd Webb and Nahum Zdybel (VR) 10p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 7p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p
THURSDAY AUGUST 30
Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mike Harvey’s Hot Club (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p Dos Jefes: Seva Venet (JV) 9:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (JV) 8:30p Joy Theater: Umphrey’s McGee, the Nth Power feat. the Spirit Horns (VR) 7:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Maison: Jazmarae Beebe, Roamin’ Jasmine, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr., Herlin Riley and Joe Ashlar (FK) 10p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Jon Dee Graham, Ben de la Cour (SS) 6p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie (ZY) 8:30p Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge): Amanda Ducorbier (JV) 5:30p Siberia: the Stacks, Dick Deluxe (RK) 9p
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SideBar NOLA: Ed Barrett Trio feat. Kyle Sharimataro and Mike Robbins (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Jimmy Robinson and Michael Skinkus (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Singer-Songwriter Shindig hosted by Lynn Drury and Amanda Walker (SS) 8p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, Washboard Chaz Trio (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: South Jones Album-release show (CW) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p
FRIDAY AUGUST 31
Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Willie Green Project (JV) 7:30p Bayou Bar: Patrick Cooper (FO) 7p Buffa’s: Margie Perez (SO) 6p, Luna Mora (LT) 9p Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel): Trixie Minx’s Burgundy Burlesque feat. Gerald French and the French Follies Jazz Band (BQ) 9p d.b.a.: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses (JV) 6p, Soul Brass Band (BB) 10p Dos Jefes: Mark Braud Band (JV) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: the River Dragon (VR) 6p, Jason Martin, the Hitchhiker, Delta Revelry (RK) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Ed Perkins Jazz Band (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 5p, Beth Patterson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: John Mooney and Marc Stone (BL) 7:30p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band, Raw Deal, Buena Vista Social Latin Night (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery 3 (JV) 6p One Eyed Jacks: Bearracuda presents 6th Annual Beef Ball (VR) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Junior Lacrosse and Sumtin’ Sneaky (VR) 9:30p Siberia: Lenny Zenith, Malevitus, Alex McMurray Band (RK) 8p SideBar NOLA: Brad Walker (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Rapp Anderson Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Starlight: Bobbi Rae (SO) 8p, Lost in Found presents Our House (VR) 11:59p Three Muses: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 5p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Foundation Free Fridays feat. John “Papa” Gros, Soul Project (FK) 10p
FESTIVALS Aug. 2-5 The Satchmo SummerFest at the Old U.S. Mint features live music, food vendors, workshops and a jazz symposium. SatchmoSummerFest.org Aug. 11 Houma Summer Fest featuring performances by Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, LeRoux and Amanda Shaw takes place at the Houma Terrebonne Civic Center. Aug. 30-Sept. 3 The Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival features live music, food vendors and carnival rides. ShrimpAndPetroleum.org
SPECIAL EVENTS Aug. 2 The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents its new exhibit, “Me Got Fiyo: The Professor Longhair Centennial” at 5 p.m., up through July 2019. LouisianaStateMuseum.org AU G U ST 2 018
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BACKTALK
Tony Joe White
talks back
PHOTO: cary baker
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rowing up in north Louisiana’s West Carroll Parish, Tony Joe White picked cotton on his dad’s farm and pokeweed in the woods and fields. When he wasn’t working or going to school, White and his friends swam in the Boeuf River and roamed the swamps. And there was music. White’s parents, brother and five sisters sang and played gospel and country music on the family’s front porch. But youngest child Tony Joe didn’t make his own music until his big brother brought a Lightnin’ Hopkins album home. Struck by the blues, that’s when he started sneaking his dad’s guitar upstairs to his bedroom. After high school, White performed songs by Hopkins, John Lee Hooker and Elvis Presley in Texas and Louisiana clubs. He and his wife, Leann, a school teacher, were living in Corpus Christi when he wrote his first songs. He purposefully decided to write about the life and colorful characters he’d known in Louisiana. Luckily, an exploratory drive to Nashville got White an audition with Bob Beckham, a music publisher. Beckham liked White and his songs enough to book a recording session for him. In the summer of 1969, White’s steamy country-funk song, “Polk Salad Annie,” began its ascent into Billboard’s Top 10. The following year, Brook Benton took White’s heartrending ballad, “Rainy Night in Georgia,” to number one on Billboard’s soul chart and number four on the pop chart. Many others recorded his songs, including Elvis Presley (“Polk Salad Annie,” “For Ol’ Times Sake,” “I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby”); Tina Turner (“Steamy Windows,” “Undercover Agent for the Blues”); Dusty Springfield (“Willie and Laura Mae Jones”); Eric Clapton (“Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You”); Willie Nelson (“God’s Problem Child”); Kenny Chesney (“Steamy Windows”); and Tom Jones, Ray Charles, George Jones, Wilson Pickett, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed, Jessi Colter and Hank Williams Jr. For his latest album, Bad Mouthin’, White revisits his early songs and some blues standards that inspired him. In advance of the album’s September 28 release, the 75-year-old singer, songwriter and storyteller spoke to OffBeat in his inimitable low and swampy Louisiana drawl from his home in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee.
You’ve lived in the Leiper’s Fork area south of Nashville for 26 years. You must like it up there. I like water. I like rivers. I like woods. Real pretty land out here. And there’s a lot of land on each side of me. So, it ain’t nobody close. You can crank your guitar up loud as you want to.
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By John Wirt
Does Williamson County, Tennessee, remind you of West Carroll Parish? Not too much. Because West Carroll was cotton fields and the Boeuf River swamps. Daddy had 40 acres close to the river. We thought we had it made. We never did know we was poor. We raised our own vegetables and pigs and beef. And you always had a good horse you could ride and AU G U ST 2 018
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Every night in Las Vegas was so wild. Elvis was putting out. He said, “You know, I feel like I wrote ‘Polk Salad Annie.’ I can sing it.”
take to the river and swim him across. When I look back on it now, it really was a good, peaceful life.
Willie and Laura Mae Jones. We picked cotton together. All of them were real people, real stories.
Was music a big part of your life early on? My mom and dad and my brother and all the girls, they all played guitar and piano and sang. They had great harmonies. Daddy played guitar like Chet Atkins. I was 10, 11; I would just sit and listen, mainly.
There’s a song called “Old Man Willis” on your second album, 1969’s …Continued. Old Willis. He had four raccoons, a cat and a hound dog that lived right in that house with him and his kids and his wife. He’d always want me to come over there and hang out with him, because he knew I carried that guitar anywhere I went. I’d play him a little Jimmy Reed or Lightnin’. And the raccoons would be sitting at the kitchen table, eating out of a plate just like his kids were. That’s the way they lived. Old Willis made moonshine back in the woods. He hit on his own supply a lot. He’d get buzzed up and jump his horse up on your porch. Man, we scattered like chickens. And mama was hollering at him and daddy was hollering at him. He’d usually do it one time a week. Later on, after ‘Polk Salad Annie’ was happening, I was on tour with Creedence Clearwater Revival. We were playing in Oakland, California. I was sitting in the dressing room when a note came back to me that said, ‘Old Man Willis’ two daughters want to know if they can come back to the dressing room.’ They lived in California at that time. I said, ‘Oh, God. Man, I don’t know. They may be coming back here with pistols and stuff.’ Because I wrote about the whole family. But they came back and they were pretty as ever and really sweet and really proud of the song.
What inspired you to play music? My bother brought a Lightnin’ Hopkins album home. I mean, it was the start of Tony Joe White, really. I started borrowing my dad’s guitar, learning blues licks and stuff. I carried that guitar to my room every night, without daddy seeing where I took it. He was real particular about that guitar. And then he saw me at breakfast next morning, after I’d left his guitar up there. He said, ‘Boy, I want that guitar back on the couch as soon as you get through eating.’ Blues artists told me their fathers beat them for doing that. My dad said, ‘Show me a couple of things you been picking up.’ And I played a little of ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go.’ Man, his eyes lit up. After that, it was all right with him. He really was proud of it, once he heard some of the stuff coming out of me. And then when I went home after ‘Polk Salad Annie’ came out, ol’ daddy, he was beaming like a fox. You were a hometown hero in West Carroll Parish? They even had Tony Joe White Days. People barbecuing and cooking shrimp and crawfish everywhere. And I’d come down with my drummer and we’d play. Sometimes my sisters would sing with me. It was a big day all the way around, man. Can you talk about the origin of “Polk Salad Annie”? I had moved to Corpus Christi and was playing the clubs. I started to write a little bit there. I said, ‘I really want to write something that I know about.’ After I finally got the talking part of ‘Polk Salad Annie’ finished, the next part of it just flowed in there. I knew two or three Annies down Boeuf River. They picked cotton. They were good-looking girls and we all went to school together. I had plenty of characters to draw off of. Roosevelt and Ira Lee,
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AUGUST 2018
Like many of your songs, Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 hit, “Ode to Billie Joe,” is a story song set in the Deep South. Was that song a big influence on you? I was living in Texas and my writing really hadn’t kicked in yet. A few licks on the guitar of ‘Polk,’ maybe. I heard ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ on the radio and I said, ‘Man, I am Billie Joe. I know that life. I’ve been there. I did everything except jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge.’ So that song inspired me more to write about something I knew. And later you worked with Bobbie Gentry? Years later I flew to London to do her TV show. I’m sitting there, just can’t take my eyes off her. And she’s playing that little guitar. It was so cool, man. And what a voice. I thought she would go on for a long time. But she wrote me a letter and said, ‘We’ll still get
together, maybe, and try to write the song we were talking about. But right now, I’m pulling away from the music business.’ I framed that letter. I still have it in my studio. Hand-wrote. Of course, you also met Elvis Presley, another one of your inspirations. Back in Corpus Christi, I was doing a lot of Elvis on stage. I had my hair combed like Elvis. A big wave. I could sing him, copy him to a T. After ‘Polk’ came out and I was living in Memphis again, Elvis’ producer called me. He said, ‘We’re flying a jet down to pick you and your wife up. We want you to come to Las Vegas and watch Elvis record “Polk Salad Annie” for six nights, every night he does it on stage.’ Every night in Las Vegas was so wild. Elvis was putting out. He said, ‘You know, I feel like I wrote “Polk Salad Annie.” I can sing it.’ I said, ‘That’s for sure.’ We went back to the dressing room after the show each night. He had an acoustic guitar back there. He’d say, ‘Break me out a blues lick, man. Show me two or three licks I can do.’ And I did him a John Lee [Hooker] or a Lightnin’ Hopkins thing. I saw him later back down at Stax in Memphis, when he did ‘I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby’ and ‘For Ol’ Times Sake.’ I always wanted somehow do something in respect for him. I finally got to do it on this blues album I just did. ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’ but I do it bluesy style. Because, when he sang, he had a lot of blues in it. And he was planning to record “Rainy Night in Georgia,” another one of your songs? He was sitting in the back seat of a limo on tour, singing pieces of it. Felton Jarvis, his producer, told me after Elvis had passed on, ‘We was getting ready to nail “Rainy Night.”’ I said, ‘In that limo, sure sounds like he was fixing to nail it.’ In addition to your new album, you’ve got tour dates in the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia coming up this year. I was thinking about fishing a lot, but it’s looking like a busy fall for me. You’re in demand. Hey, let’s hope so. The people know I love what I’m doing. And when it’s just me and a drummer, they feel like they’re a part of it. I got 1,500 more drummers in my audience, playing along. O www.OFFBEAT.com