OffBeat Magazine April 2018 by OffBeat Magazine

t s e F r e t r a u Q h c n e r F o t u o y e k a Let us t

Official FQF Guide:

Tuba Skinny

Stage schedules, map, food and more! >> PU LL OU T

Unlikely to let sleeping dogs lie

LOUISIANA MUSIC, FOOD & CULTURE—APRIL 2018 Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50

Partners-N-Crime / Dirty Dozen Walter "Wolfman" Washington Cavalier / Squirrel Nut Zippers

FQF IQ Our A to Z guide to French Quarter Festival page 34

Festival Focus Bon Bon Vivant page 38 George and Gerald French page 52 The Vettes page 55 Jamal Batiste Band page 56

Special Insert

PHoto: elsa hahne

French Quarter Festival stage schedules, map and more page 41

Masterful and Exuberant

BLAST FROM THE PAST "Leader of the Pack: Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters"

Tuba Skinny electrifies the streets. Page 58

LETTERS

MOJO MOUTH

FRESH

My Music with Blake Quick; Balfa Week; Marc Stone and Alana Davis; Celebrating 30 Years: Tuba Fats; Wishbone Ash and more.

LYRICAL LONGEVITY

Squirrel Nut Zippers’ love letter to New Orleans.

TAKING CARE OF NEW ORLEANS R&B 18

RENAISSANCE BEATS AND RITUAL BARS IN THE SPIRIT

OFFBEAT EATS

300 SONGS FOR 300 YEARS

Jasen Weaver, Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rodailleurs, Ghalia & Mama’s Boys, Ken Colyer Trust Band with Joe Payton, Norbert Susemihl’s Joyful Gumbo and more.

We go back to the very roots and include a couple of the cornerstones that American music was built on.

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Chef Susan Spicer of Bayona dishes on her Crispy Smoked Quail Salad and Peter Thriffiley reviews Big Killer Poboys.

REVIEWS

The Dirty Dozen buckjumps into its forty-first year.

Bryson Downham at Toups South mixes up Good Morning From Jalisco for Kaye the Beast.

Al “Lil’ Fats” Jackson pays tribute to Fats Domino.

40 YEARS AND COUNTING

Alfred Banks at the forefront.

Cavalier is out in the open.

Partners-N-Crime: 25 years of bouncing beyond expectations.

NOT A REUNION, A REVIVAL

FROM UNDERDOG TO LONE WOLF AT LARGE

LISTINGS

BACKTALK with Walter “Wolfman” Washington

By Scott Jordan July 1998 “I really can’t do too much blues anymore. I sing according to how my life is. I don’t have the blues anymore. I have experienced certain things, and since my life has turned around, I just want to do funk and ballads.” To read more, buy this issue at offbeat.com/shop/ back-issues/1998/offbeatmagazine-july-1998/. A PRI L 2018

Letters

“I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying Jeff Hannusch’s [and your other writers'] incredible labor of love in documenting the history of 300 songs from New Orleans’ past.” —Doug Egan, Golden, Colorado

Dancing Man 504 My name is Big Chief Gerald Paige of the Great Spirit Warriors Indian tribe and youth empowerment organization. I have a big problem with giving Darryl “Dancing Man 504” Young the credit and acknowledging him as someone who forefronts the second line culture. As a former member of several Social Aid and Pleasure clubs and benevolent societies also known as second line clubs, it’s a slap in the face. This guy is not even from New Orleans, has never been a part of a second line club or even been seen at a real second line. He is a culture vulture. After reading the article it proves he doesn’t know New Orleans culture or the history of the culture. In the article he called the type of dancing we do to bounce music “twerking.” That is not correct. It’s called “P-popping.” Twerking was created by Miley Cyrus and white America. It was several other idiotic and incorrect statements he made. For example: second line was about showing off, and that the old guys dancing at the second line were just drunk. To give you a brief history lesson on the correct origin of second line culture, it is a celebration of life. Its origin is West African and second line clubs were benevolent societies that helped take care of the community. So for future references I suggest you come in the real communities where the culture really exist instead of going in the French Quarter and on Frenchmen were people of color couldn’t hang out originally, but they have been stealing our culture and making millions off it. Come to the real sources and participants, for the truth. —Chief Gerald Paige of the Great Spirit Warriors, New Orleans, Louisiana Just because Dancing Man 504 didn't grow up as a member of a second line club doesn’t mean he can’t embody many of its values, virtues and practices, including community-building and working with kids. Also, twerking was not invented by Miley Cyrus and white America—just ask bounce queen Cheeky Blakk (who released “Twerk Something” in 1994).

As to the underlying issue of white America ripping off, co-opting, and making money off of black culture—there’s no debate there, but that has little to do with whether Dancing Man 504 has earned the right to grace our March 2018 cover as a performer.—Ed.

Subourbon Street You’re not the first to use the term “Subourbon Street.” For over ten years, that has been the name of our jazz band in Burlington, Ontario, Canada! Glad to see it’s getting some use in New Orleans! —Lynn Snider, Burlington, Canada

Fats Monument Lee Circle is still Lee Circle. The future of that space is another can of worms. I think the best place for a great monument to Fats would be adjacent to the corner of St. Claude and Caffin Avenues where the Fats Domino Museum is being created in Fats’ old home. —JR Seyler, New Orleans, Louisiana

300 Songs for 300 Years As someone who loves music and who lived in New Orleans for 40 years (1966 until Katrina), I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying Jeff Hannusch’s [and your other writers'] incredible labor of love in documenting the history of 300 songs from New Orleans’ past. Wow! Having read Mr. Hannusch’s books I Hear You Knockin’ and The Soul of New Orleans many years ago, you have picked the perfect person for this documentation. I can only hope and dream that Jeff will somehow when it’s all done collect all of these mini-treasures together in another published book. I’d be the first in (second) line! —Doug Egan, Golden, Colorado

Correction Our feature “Fire in the Hole” (March 2018) regarding the book published by the University of New Orleans Press containing the photographs of Jeffrey David Ehrenreich incorrectly reflects his name as David Ehrenreich. We also failed to reflect Ehrenreich as the photographer for the photo published. We regret the error.—Ed.

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.

APRIL 2018

Louisiana Music, Food & Culture

April 2018 Volume 31, Number 4 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com Managing Editor Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com Consulting Editor John Swenson Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Listings Editor Katie Walenter, listings@offbeat.com Contributors Nick Benoit, Stacey Leigh Bridewell, Rory Callais, Frank Etheridge, Elsa Hahne, Jeff Hannusch, Raphael Helfand, Amanda Mester, Brett Milano, Bartholomew Singer, Peter Thriffiley, Christopher Weddle, Dan Willging, John Wirt, Geraldine Wyckoff, Michael Allen Zell Cover Elsa Hahne Art Director/Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Web Editor Amanda Mester, amanda@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 Allyson Aleksey, Raphael Helfand, Devorah Levy-Pearlman 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

Commitment Needed

love music and our unique culture. There’s nothing else like it in the world. There are no people like New Orleans people. We are more of a big family than a mere population. This is why the last 32-plus years of my life and this business of OffBeat have been devoted to supporting New Orleans and Louisiana music and culture— probably longer than some of our readers are old. There’s little that I love more than listening to music, and hearing and watching live music. There’s something that’s divine that touches my soul and heals my spirit when I listen to music; music has a healing quality that really, truly exists. And it

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brings us together in a way that bigmoney sports does not. Music is a manifestation of a force outside human perception, something that can be said of all great art. And music is art. Many artists, musicians, writers and other creative folk are not necessarily the greatest human beings. Look at people like Miles Davis, Picasso, Charlie Parker. No matter. Talent— the ability to convey deep feeling in music and art—is simply divine and something we mere untalented mortals can’t understand, only appreciate and marvel at. When I get the opportunity to experience a festival or a band live these days, it’s incredibly thrilling because it’s a rarer experience than

By Jan Ramsey

when I was younger. 30-plus years takes its toll, unfortunately, on stamina. But not on appreciation. It totally puzzles me when I realize how many people in my hometown don’t feel the same way as I—as we at OffBeat—do about music. There’s lip service on music’s importance in our lives and culture, how it’s such a “renewable resource” and how our music “is a gumbo” and how it “bubbles up from the streets” and yada yada yada. Mostly, though, I think it’s background music on the radio, or at a party, or blasting out of a bar as a way to entice drinkers. So sad. Where is the passion? Doesn’t passion mean that you fight for what you’re most in love

with? Let’s put a stop to the BS from the business and media lightweights who don’t really give a damn, and use music as the background to their ability to sell the city or to create click bait. Who among our readers will actually commit to music? To keeping the traditions alive; to supporting musicians and making it easier for them so they can make a good living and continue to make their art; to creating and supporting music and arts education; to committing to giving musicians more places to play, decent places to live and raise families? Who will commit to demanding a plan and that it be carried out? Enough of the yada yada yada. O

A PRI L 2018

FRESH

OffBeat.com Photo: steve blary

Blake Quick

Rest In Produce, Arthur “Mr. Okra” Robinson Photo: kim welsh

MY MUSIC

FQFIQ: Thursday, April 12, Jack Daniel's Stage 12:30p

SWEET TWEETS

“T

he first time we did it [an after-show Grateful Dead tribute by local all-stars at Little Gem Saloon] was when the Dead & Co. show got postponed [December 5]. That was cool to see: All of New Orleans said, ‘Oh, that show where all these thousands of people wanted to go—that got cancelled? Well, let’s have all those people throw everyone a party.’ There was a huge turnout. Marc Stone was fronting the whole thing and putting it all together. Marc called me up, and it was when Reggie Scanlan was playing bass. So I got to play a song with Reggie Scanlan—that was something I never could have thought would happen. Marc had me sit in for three songs. Midway through the second, ‘Franklin’s Tower,’ my finger split open from hitting the strings and I bled all over Marc’s guitar. Getting off stage, I patted him on the shoulder and showed him the blood. He said, ‘Who wants to see Blake bleed some more?’ So he had me play on another. This last time we wandered over there after walking the lot [of the Smoothie King Center for Dead & Co., February 24]. I was still all wideeyed and Marc said, ‘Come on up and jam!’ We didn’t jam, really, but we made a lot of noise. Having Dave Easley in the Quickening is still so incredible to me because I’ve been a fan of his since college—so he’s been blowing me away for 10 years now. The band is five years old but this lineup has been solidified and super enthusiastic for three years. That’s why we’re calling our second album—which we hope will be out for French Quarter Fest—Begin Again. Because it’s basically a refresh for us. There are nine originals—the bassist, Al Smalls, wrote the instrumentals and all songs with lyrics are my material—and one cover: a tribute to Allen Toussaint and Lee Dorsey with ‘Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky.’ The energy we create as a band shared with an audience is what makes a live show. We follow song structures and we know who jams when, who takes a solo here, who takes a solo there. If we have time, we’ll make sure to stretch out those jam parts and allow it to become something completely different. Make it last a little longer so you get that extra cream-filling—double-stuffed.” —Frank Etheridge The Quickening plays French Quarter Fest at 12:30–1:45 p.m. Thursday, April 12 on the Jack Daniel's Stage (600 Decatur St.).

APRIL 2018

@mpatrickwelch This was the fist Irish Parade I missed in 18 years because of work but then I’m a redheaded Irishman and consider every day of my life to be an Irish Parade of some sort. @JohnPapaGros That’s my favorite part about working on a record: Getting an idea, when you’re coming out of the shower, singing this ditty in your head, and then turning it into a full-blown song that someone else might enjoy and become a part of their life. @miaborders The cover of my children’s book features a tribute to #StephenHawking because of his profound badassery. #RIP

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FRESH

BALFA WEEK Photo courtesy of LAFOLKROOTS.ORG

A guaranteed cultural immersion

ey, you aspiring Cajun fiddlers and budding zydeco accordionists, don’t count on this year’s Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week mirroring what it looked like last year. Under the leadership of Louisiana Folk Roots Executive Director and Revelers beat keeper Glenn Fields, the camp, held April 21–27 2018, takes on a new, invigorated look that’ll defy any accusation of being predictable. This year the camp moves to the picturesque Chicot State Park (north of Ville Platte), roughly an hour’s drive from Lafayette’s Historic Vermilionville Village, where it had been since 2014. With 6,400 acres of piney woods, rolling hills and a beautiful, well-stocked manmade lake, Fields calls the Chicot locale immersive with a naturalist aspect, devoid of any city hustle and bustle. The tantalizing course offerings have been totally revamped, other than a few beginning instrument “scratch” classes. “No offense to my predecessors, but I felt camp was getting a little stagnant as far as the classes offered,” Fields explains. “This year the classes are much more eclectic and varied in scope and at the same time, more detailed in the different styles and genres of music that make up Cajun and Creole music.” Fields has plenty to be stoked up about in this year’s curriculum. One envelope-pushing new course is “Dennis and Sady,” mastering and demystifying the tunes of legendary Cajun twin fiddlers Dennis McGee and Sady Courville. “It’s often hard to tell when one fiddle ends,” Fields remarks. So McGee-Courville style masters Kevin Wimmer and Mitch Reed will spend an hour daily dissecting tunes and teaching students how to play both parts. Blake Miller will teach a class on how different styles of music influenced Cajun music. “There are a lot of Cajun tunes that are French versions of English tunes, old-time tunes or Irish tunes,” Fields says about Cajun music’s eclectic nature. Additionally, there are courses on learning specific repertoires, such as the Balfa Brothers’, and various styles like dancehall Cajun and string band Cajun. There’s even a class where beginning accordionists can learn stock zydeco riffs to have in their back pocket. This year, Balfa Week couldn’t have a more explosive beginning, being preceded by the two-day Le Grand Hoorah Festival, also held at Chicot, on Friday and Saturday, April 20–21. “I’m hoping people will come and get excited about the changes and be inspired,” Fields said. “I’ve worked at Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camp for many years as well as Augusta for five years and I learned a lot from both of those places. So for me, I’m trying to borrow from the best of both, you know?” For more, go to www.lafolkroots.org/events/balfa-week/. —Dan Willging www.OFFBEAT.com

A PRI L 2018

CELEBRATING

FRESH

BIRTHDAY WISHES

FQFIQ: Friday, April 13, Tropical Isle Stage 11a

Marc Stone and Alana Davis

APRIL 2018

Photo: rick moore

irthdays present a natural landmark to reflect on our lives and how far we’ve come. Not only is local blues/roots guitarist and singer Marc Stone no exception, but he is going further and using his past to shape his future. Stone has long been one of the premier blues guitarists in New Orleans, but now he is focusing more on his songwriting. “The shift in focus started as I realized my catalogue kept getting bigger and bigger,” says Stone. “I wanted to tighten up the set and fit in more songs. The performances are becoming more about letting the songs stand on their own without a lot of jamming, although there will always be a place for that.” Stone is taking this approach into a pair of shows commemorating his birthday at the end of March. On Friday, March 30, Stone and his band will play d.b.a. The show will feature special guests John Mooney and Kirk Joseph and the debut of a new, currently untitled project featuring Stone, Darcy Malone and Little Maker frontman Micah McKee. Stone has frequently collaborated with both Malone and McKee over the years, and he wanted to incorporate both of their unique vocal and writing styles as he shifts his focus to songcraft. “This project is three very different flavors around the same axis,” says Stone. The Marc Stone Band will also play at the Little Gem Saloon on March 31, serving as the backing band for Alana Davis, a childhood friend of Stone’s. Davis, who rose to fame during the folk/pop boom in the late 1990s with her debut album Blame It on Me, grew up with Stone in Greenwich Village. The show will be Davis’ first New Orleans performance in 20 years, and the opportunity to work with Davis brings Stone full circle. “Alana and I used to share songs before either of us had careers,” reflects Stone, citing his recent work with Davis as contributing to his focus on songwriting. Stone’s new direction is already paying off, as evident in his latest single “Digitized.” Anchored by an all-star supporting cast supporting Stone’s slippery acoustic blues groove, “Digitized” delivers a scathing critique of the misinformation put forth through online “news” sources. “The song really marries my roots and blues background with songcraft and message,” says Stone of the track, whose video features provocative images of both President Trump and children glued to iPhone screens to drive the point home. “Digitized” is emblematic of where Stone is at this point in his life and career. He is wringing new life out of old relationships, using the familiar to forge a new path. As Stone turns one year older, his past is helping make his future brighter than ever. —Rory Callais

December 2000

“Livin' La Vida Tuba”

1988-2018

ffBeat Magazine is celebrating 30 years and reached that milestone with our November 2017 issue. To mark the anniversary, over the next 12 months OffBeat will re-publish excerpts from features and interviews from the past 30 years. In our sixth installment, from our December 2000 issue, Bunny Mathews interviews Anthony Lacen also known as Tuba Fats. From the defunct Gibson Brass Band to Doc Paulin’s brass band to the Fairview, the Olympia, the Onward, the Eureka and the Chosen Few, Tuba Fats has provided the bottom notes for virtually every performing brass band ensemble in New Orleans.

“There’s something about New Orleans music that just moves peoples around and it’s gonna always be there. It’s not ever gonna leave us.”

“New Orleans musicians have a certain feeling in their music that peoples like. It’s that beat—we’ve got that beat. No matter where we go, we’re always recognized. I just went on a little small tour to Austria and peoples enjoyed it. I went back to Munich, the week after, with James Andrews, and people still enjoyed it. There’s something about New Orleans music that just moves peoples around and it’s gonna always be there. It’s not ever gonna leave us. It’s just like gumbo. You can do a gumbo and if you don’t put that filé to it, it’s not a gumbo. It’s the same way with New Orleans music, it’s got that filé in it. That’s what it’s all about. Tourists get all different types of ideas about the music here in New Orleans. Some peoples tell ’em bad things about it, some peoples tell ’em good things about it. I play in Jackson Square and I do it because peoples love music and I love to see peoples enjoy music. There’s some musicians that don’t talk to me or think bad about me because I play out on the street and all but I care less about that because when I die, I’m gonna die by myself. And they’ll be the ones standing over me, saying, “Oh, he was a good man!” www.OFFBEAT.com

FRESH

WISHBONE ASH: HOUSE OF BLUES, APRIL 11 Photo: wishboneash.com

Twin-guitar attack

ishbone Ash may not have invented the twin-guitar attack in rock music, but the British prog-rock band was there from the technique’s early days. In the United States, the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd famously showcased twin-guitar leads. Andy Powell, the one continuous member of Wishbone Ash, believes Wishbone Ash and the Allmans developed twin-guitar leads in tandem. “In the U.S., the Allman Brothers had a Southern version of it,” Powell said. “They were a very melodic band. They latched onto the idea.” Lynyrd Skynyrd, on the other, definitely borrowed from Wishbone Ash, Powell said. “Lynyrd Skynyrd was on the same record label as us. They had the same producer. I know they listened to Wishbone Ash. ‘Free Bird’ is their most well-known song. Our most well-known song, ‘Phoenix,’ is about a bird, too. I’m not saying that they copied it, but they saw ‘Phoenix’ in concert.” Released in 1970, “Phoenix” appears on Wishbone Ash’s self-titled album debut. Powell also hears his band’s influence in songs by Steely Dan and Thin Lizzy. Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years” reproduces the coda in Wishbone Ash’s “Blowin’ Free,” he said. “And if listen to the ending on Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back in Town,’ that’s Wishbone Ash,” Powell added. Whether it’s called stealing or being influenced by, Powell doesn’t object either way. “That’s a great honor, that those bands were influenced by us,” he said. “We incorporated bits from other bands. My favorite band back in the day was Fairport Convention. I also loved early Fleetwood Mac and the way they interpreted the blues. We were fortunate to be playing on the circuit at that time.” A prog-rock band that blended rock, jazz and British folk music, Wishbone Ash expanded from its American blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll roots. “It was all Stax and Motown,” Powell said. “Before that, Chuck Berry. Living in Britain after World War II, we all wanted to be Americans. We’d watch shows like The Cisco Kid or 77 Sunset Strip on British TV. That looked way more appealing to us than gray old England.” But after playing American music since his teen years, Powell and many of his English peers were ready to move forward. “All of the bands, when they came of age, we were like, ‘We’ve done the blues, soul, Motown. What can we do next?’ For Wishbone Ash, we threw some jazz and folk in there. We became eclectic.” Powell and Wishbone Ash also transferred the harmonized horn lines featured in their soul and blues bands to the two guitars. “Because we couldn’t afford a horn section, we did harmony guitar lines,” he said. Fifty years later, the twin-guitar attack remains an essential part the Wishbone Ash sound. —John Wirt www.OFFBEAT.com

A PRI L 2018

PARTNERS-N-CRIME

FQFIQ: Thursday, April 12, Big River Stage, 3:30p

Lyrical Longevity Partners-N-Crime: 25 years of bouncing beyond expectations.

What's the most striking difference between New Orleans hip-hop today versus 25 years ago? Kango Slim: The hip-hop in New Orleans has changed a whole lot. Even back then, you used to hear artists like Black Menace, Mr. Ivan and Mystikal but you still had your bounce artists like Partners-NCrime and DJ Jubilee. A lot of the artists used to really rap, though. It wasn’t just bounce, even though that had always been ‘our thing.’ But even back then, fans embraced bounce music but they also embraced the artistry of rap. Mr. Meana: When we came in, the game was analog. Now, the game is digital. The work today between artists and producers is much different

APRIL 2018

PHoto: Tyler Roi

ast November, New Orleans rap progenitors Partners-NCrime (comprised of Michael “Mr. Meana” Patterson and Walter “Kango Slim” Williams) toasted to their 25th anniversary with a concert at the Joy Theater alongside DJ Jubilee, the Showboys and a bevy of special guests. The event was a testament to the staying power of PNC, a mainstay in an industry plagued with a revolving door of rootless trends. Having written for Juvenile, T-Pain and Boosie, PNC has left fingerprints on much more than their own discography and are vowing to expand even further. A quarter of a century after solidifying its rightful place in the annals of hiphop history, the pair are preparing for their most ambitious work to date: a double-LP showcasing both the signature PNC bounce sound and full-fledged hip-hop jazz and funk. On April 12, the two will perform with Jubilee and The Big Easy Band at French Quarter Fest, where they’ll showcase the versatility that’s allowed them to let the good times roll for so long.

because producers just want to send you beats. Then you [as a rapper] have to put your creativity around that instead of working together and building chemistry. Back then, you got in the studio with the producer and built something from the first drum kick to the first vocals until things gelled together. That’s what made songs what they were then, compared to now. There’s beatmakers and rappers now. It’s not artists and producers anymore. It’s a popcorn, microwave industry. How have these changes affected your creative process as a duo?: Kango Slim: We like to create different sounds, but most of the producers you go to these days just make the same sound. Everything is either trap music or something along those lines. It’s all mimicking By Amanda Mester

something else, which makes it hard for us to work with a lot of different producers. We’re looking for something much more. Mr. Meana: They want to give you the sound that’s ‘in.’ I don’t want to do what’s ‘in.’ People find out what’s winning, like the Atlanta sound today. Everybody sounds like they’re from Atlanta. We used to be able to hear an artist and say ‘Oh, they’re from the West Coast’ or ‘That’s an East Coast rapper’ or ‘Okay, they’re from down South.’ Now, you can’t tell where nobody’s from. Bootlegging was a negative shift [in our creative process], too. People stopped supporting CDs from artists when they could get five CDs from different artists for $20 versus one CD of ours for $17. We started to wonder how we were supposed to make money because we couldn’t place as much value in what we do.

It wasn’t worth the time and money we were putting in. I think that’s when the popcorn started coming because artists stopped putting in as much effort into what they were releasing. There was no return on the equity being put into the music. There has been a lot of criticism about the lack of infrastructure for hip-hop artists in New Orleans, particularly as it relates to local artists finding success in cities like New York and elsewhere, but not here, at home. Kango Slim: That’s because [other cities] have a music industry that supports artists. We don’t have people here that’s willing to do that. When our music moguls make money, they move to other places and they don’t really come back and say ‘Okay, this is what I want to do for my city.’ That leads me to think www.OFFBEAT.com

PA RT NER S-NCR IM E

“It was as simple as us saying ‘Okay, bruh. You rap, I rap.’ 25 years later, here we stand as a major factor in the music business, especially in New Orleans.”

that they only care about themselves and what’s going on with them. In New York and other places, you have guys who have the mentality of ‘This is a business. If I want to succeed in this business, I have to put other people on.’ Most of them look to their hometown because they care about their hometown and they care about the artists that are in their hometown. They really give a fuck about their city. In New Orleans, people don’t reach back. And I don’t mean reach out and give out a turkey on Thanksgiving. Reach back and make a difference. Who are you when you say ‘I’m from New Orleans’ but you choose to leave here? There’s nothing wrong with leaving and achieving success, but

APRIL 2018

once you leave here, you no longer are a part of New Orleans. Is there a way for the music industry to improve the situation so that New Orleans is seen as a city in which hiphop success can be found? Mr. Meana: We gotta stop saying things like ‘I’m doing my own thing, forget this guy or forget that guy.’ When we first entered the game, regardless of there being different labels, we still all used to come together and throw a concert. So, all these artists would be on one platform. People these days tell me they try to throw local shows but people don’t support it. I tell them the reason people don’t support

it is because the game changed. Now, you can pay to get put on a showbill and being the hottest talent no longer matters. So the people performing are wack and make the event wack for the people there to see the headliner. Nobody wants to keep supporting that kind of show. Kango Slim: We used to have this thing called the WYLD Talent Show and they had this thing where, whoever won this talent show, were able to get recording time and things like that. If it’s something as simple as that, where we just showcase local talent, why can’t we have a big music mogul or a big A&R available to do that again, someone who’s paying attention to local talent and helping the artist develop?

After all these years, how would you describe the legacy of Partners-N-Crime? Kango Slim: It all started out as fun and games with us. But when we finally hit and realized Partners-NCrime was going to be a household name, we were, like, ‘Oh, shit. This is what we is now. We are PartnersN-Crime.’ That was a blessing for us because we set out on a mission that was a mission we merely just talked about walking to the store, getting a sandwich. It was as simple as us saying ‘Okay, bruh. You rap, I rap.’ 25 years later, here we stand as a major factor in the music business, especially in New Orleans. The fact that we matter here means more to us than the world. O

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SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS

Not a Reunion, a Revival Squirrel Nut Zippers’ love letter to New Orleans.

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Photo: Nate Burrell

n March, the Squirrel Nut Zippers released Beasts of Burgundy. Recorded in New Orleans at the Marigny studio owned by producer-engineer Mike Napolitano and Ani DiFranco, it’s the band’s first album in 18 years. The return of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, said the band’s leader, Jimbo Mathus, isn’t a reunion—it’s a revival. In 1996, the then North Carolina–based Squirrel Nut Zippers recorded what became their mainstream breakthrough, Hot, in New Orleans at the former Kingsway Studio. Napolitano engineered the recording in the Esplanade Avenue building Mathus calls the “haunted mansion.” Hot featured the surprise hit “Hell.” Influenced by New Orleans music and Mathus’ decades of fascination with the city, the album mixed the Squirrel Nut Zippers’ unschooled enthusiasm for traditional jazz with an arty, post-punk aesthetic. “It was my idea to take the band down to New Orleans to record,” said Mathus, a native of Oxford, Mississippi. “I wanted them to see what I had been experiencing my whole life. None of them had been to the city before. That was part of process, to get them there.” Mathus also recruited ace local trumpet player Duke Heitger for the Hot sessions. As for the band’s trad-jazz musicianship, it was a work in progress. “We didn’t know what we were doing, but we had raw energy and crazy creativity,” the blues-and countrybased Mathus said. “My decision to learn about jazz came from my curiosity about how jazz works. Looking back 20 years later Hot was quite an achievement. The material is pretty complex and interesting and fun.”

The Squirrel Nut Zippers never expected the commercial success that Hot brought them. “We’d already finished our third album when ‘Hell’ jumped on the charts,” Mathus said. “Were we shocked? Yes. We were shocked the whole freaking time. We never expected anything to come of the band. It was just an art project, something to do over the summer. Our mad experiment turned into something.” Making their mark on pop culture, Hot and “Hell” helped the Squirrel Nut Zippers sell more than three million albums between 1995 and 2000. The unexpectedly hot Zippers spread the wealth around by recruiting New Orleans acts to tour with them. “Yeah, for years all of our opening acts were from New Orleans,” Mathus said. By John Wirt

“Royal Fingerbowl, Dirty Dozen, Klezmer All-Stars, on and on.” But by 2001, novelty hit “Hell” and the band’s infectious enthusiasm had cooled. Mathus returned to the blues, the music he’d grown up with in Mississippi. From 2000 to 2005, he toured and recorded with blues great Buddy Guy. “It was a huge Tipitina's Sunday April 29

learning experience for me, to watch Buddy perform every night,” Mathus said. “He’s a great, great man.” The Squirrel Nut Zippers reformed in 2006, but the reunion didn’t last. Mathus’ heart, for one, wasn’t in it. “We got back

together, but there was no purpose, no plan,” he said. “It didn’t mean anything to me. If seemed phony to me and not right. After that I didn’t want to do the Squirrel Nut Zippers again. I wanted to do something authentic and vibrant.” But the prospect of reviving the Zippers, especially if New Orleans musicians were involved, eventually intrigued Mathus again. “Once I realized I could get the dream team together, it became exciting for me,” he said. To assemble that team, Mathus called a trombonist friend in New Orleans, Charlie Halloran (Allen Toussaint, Meschiya Lake, Palmetto Bug Stompers, Panorama Jazz Band). The new Squirrel Nut Zippers line-up, on stage and/ or record, includes fiddler and www.OFFBEAT.com

SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS

guitarist Dr. Sick, singers Cella Blue, Tamar Korn and Vanessa Niemann (a.k.a. Gal Holiday), pianists Leslie Martin and Kris Tokarski, trumpeter Dave Boswell, saxophonist Hank West, drummer Neilson Bernard, trombonists Halloran, Steve Suter and Colin Myers, and bassist Tamara Nicolai. “It’s a lot of New Orleans cats,” Mathus said. “They’ve got backgrounds not only in music, but in theater, burlesque, dance, costumes. It’s a crack team. Really exciting. And we spruced up the old material with bigger horns and better harmonies and arrangements. It couldn’t be better, man. It’s my dream band.” The new edition of the Squirrel Nut Zippers has been touring since 2016, the 20th anniversary year of Hot. “So many people who grew up listening to us never saw us play because they were too young,” Mathus said. “The response has been over the moon. I didn’t know if we would be accepted, but the reaction was so good, and I was so inspired by the talent in the band, I started writing new songs for the Squirrel Nut Zippers.” Reuniting with Napolitano in New Orleans to record Beasts of Burgundy was a given. “The musicians already live down in the Marigny,” Mathus said. “Mike is still down there, too, so it came full circle. We even used a lot of the same microphones and preamps we used 20 years ago.” Before the sessions, the band rehearsed in a house behind Buffa’s, the restaurant and music venue. “That’s where I started getting everything together,” Mathus said. “Most of the album, as far as the lyrics, its New Orleans stories. Beasts of Burgundy is a love letter to the city and my friends.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

A PRI L 2018

LIL' FATS

FQFIQ: Saturday, April 14, Tropical Isle Stage, 12:30p

Taking Care of New Orleans R&B

f you listen to Al “Lil’ Fats” Jackson sing without seeing him, you may assume you’re hearing Fats Domino. There’s good reason for that. When Jackson was a child in Bridge City, he listened to the stacks of 45-rpm vinyl records his grandfather brought home from the jukebox in the family’s bar: dozens of classics by Domino, Ernie K-Doe, Earl King, Huey “Piano” Smith and more 1950s and ’60s New Orleans artists. Domino, the local star who sold 65 million records, filled a big place in Jackson’s childhood soundtrack. Daily exposure to Domino’s music plus the Creole and New Orleans accents in Jackson’s family and his own natural talent culminated in him being the ultimate Domino tribute artist. Jackson’s April gigs include the French Quarter Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Gala and WWOZ’s Piano Night. The Jazz Fest gala and Piano Night are tributes to Domino, who died last year at 89. Both Jackson’s speaking voice and his singing voice sound like Domino. “When I first started singing,” he said, “people would always say, ‘Okay, we know what Fats sound like. Now, what do you do sound like?’ This is what I sound like. I couldn’t change if I wanted to. I never wanted to because, when I open my mouth, it’s like going home.” Jackson lived with his grandparents until he was 11 because his father was away in the U.S. Navy. When his grandfather, John Hill, came home from his house-moving job, grandfather and grandson listened to the records that had been in the jukebox at the family’s bar. “My grandfather sat in his chair and crossed his ankles,” Jackson said. “I was little, so I could sit

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on his ankles. We played records until it was time to go to bed. We had Tommy Ridgley, Smiley Lewis, Jessie Hill. There were so many.” Today, when Jackson performs shows longer than an hour he’ll venture beyond his vast repertoire of Domino material. “Songs just pop into my head,” he said. “Champion Jack Dupree, Oliver Morgan, Frogman Henry. There’s so much music in me. New Orleans music is the structure I’m made of.” In addition to his vocal similarity to Domino, Jackson has something else in common with the late star. He’s shy offstage. If not for his mother, he might never have performed in public. In 1994, Jackson’s mother, a court deputy at the Orleans Parish Courthouse, asked him to play at the courthouse Christmas party. “I laughed the first time she asked. The second time she asked I said ‘No.’ By John Wirt

The third time, my mother said, ‘It’s at nine o’clock in the morning. Be there at eight-thirty.’ Honestly, all the way up until five minutes before I left, I wasn’t going. I paced for an hour before I got in the car to go.” Accompanying himself with a battery-powered keyboard, Jackson played three songs at the party. The performance impressed Joe Cardinia, another court deputy. Before the reluctant Jackson could make a quick getaway, Cardinia volunteered to be his booking agent. And as soon as Jackson got home from the courthouse, Cardinia phoned him with a private party booking. The pay was $60, almost as much as Jackson earned a week at his two restaurant jobs. “I did nothing but private parties for a year,” Jackson said. “People’s back porches and garages and living rooms. Wherever the piano was.” In early 1997, Oliver Morgan, whose “Who Shot the LaLa”

had been a national hit in 1964, brought Jackson to Domino’s home in the Ninth Ward. Despite the terror he felt, Jackson performed Domino’s debut recording, “The Fat Man,” as the star watched. An impromptu piano lesson followed. “Fats says, ‘Okay, you got the left hand right. But you’re doing it a little different on the right,’” Jackson recalled. “So, Fats sits next to me and starts playing ‘The Fat Man.’ His hands, they’re like cat’s paws. Just as light and easy. But the intricacy of what he’s doing is so great. I realize it’ll be another 40 years before I can do this—unless I grow another finger.” The welcoming, unpretentious Domino befriended Jackson and the singer’s mother and grandfather. “Fats wasn’t one to bring up old records, or sales, on his own,” Jackson said. “He would much rather talk about what the Saints were doing or about what happened down the street last week. Everything would be so regular with him, even though people know him on the other side of the world.” Knowing Domino changed Jackson’s approach to performing. “After I met Fats, doing his music wasn’t just about having a good time and reliving my childhood. My responsibility is to handle it with care. And I heard this from Fats Domino himself—he wanted the people who came to see him to enjoy what he was doing. And he wanted to get every performance as close to his original idea as he could. If that was his intent, it’s got to be mine, too.” O Catch Lil' Fats at French Quarter Festival on the Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage on Saturday, April 14; New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Gala at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans Hotel on Thursday, April 26; WWOZ Piano Night at House of Blues on Monday, April 30. www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: Rhonda Danos

Al “Lil’ Fats” Jackson pays tribute to Fats Domino.

300 SONGS

300 Songs for 300 Years

estival time is upon us, which makes this an appropriate time to deal some of the most timeless New Orleans music. For this month’s 300 Songs installment, we go back to the very roots and include a couple of the cornerstones that American music was built on.

“Bamboula” Louis Moreau Gottschalk, 1844 This piano fantasia was quite literally a delirious piece of music, written in the heat of fever. Evoking the musical traditions of Congo Square within a 1844 classical piece was a novel idea in a couple of ways—for one, bamboula was misunderstood and often disparaged by European audiences. For another, New World musical forms were largely ignored by classical composers at the time; Dvorak’s New World Symphony was still a half-century away. In this sense Gottschalk— whose heritage was part Jewish and part Creole, and who was raised on the corner of Royal and Esplanade—was a pioneer. Gottschalk made his performing debut in 1840 at the St. Charles Hotel—not, however, the one that stands now; the original burned down in 1951. While stricken with typhoid fever, which caused temporary leaves of his senses, Gottschalk was living in France and boarding with a psychiatrist who believed that delirium was to be studied rather than feared. This may have led the composer to work while still in the grip: At various times in his illness he was seen to be waving his hands, and once recovered enough to write he set down the music that had been running through his head. It wasn’t so much inspired by Congo

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Square bamboula as by a Creole song that he recalled from his youth, titled “Quan’ Patate La Cuite.” But a song about potatoes probably didn’t capture the effect he was after, so he chose the title “Bamboula,” which linked it to the cultural traditions of Congo Square rather than any actual pieces. It does however include a number of syncopations that mimic the rhythms of African drums. Gottschalk’s Creole period lasted a relatively brief two years, though the four major pieces it produced are among his bestknown. Incidentally, he may be the youngest composer to be represented in our 300 songs, completing “Bamboula” at the age of 15. —Brett Milano

a black slide guitarist who was featured uncredited on many of Davis’ early records. Davis maintained for the next 60 years that he wrote “You Are My Sunshine.” The problem, though, is that it was recorded twice before he acquired the rights. The second version, by the Rice Brothers Gang, credited group member Paul Rice as writer. But in 1990, journalist Theodore Pappas published an article claiming that his grandfather Oliver Hood, who played guitar on the Rice record, was the true writer, and that he had the original lyrics scribbled on a paper bag. He also claimed that Hood wrote a song in 1957 about his experience: “Somebody Stole My Sunshine Away.” Both “You are My Sunshine” and Jimmie Davis went on to long histories. The song is now Louis Moreau one of the most-recorded ever Gottschalk written, ranging from the jolliness of Doris Day’s take to the late-inlife desperation of Johnny Cash’s version. Davis served his first term “You Are My Sunshine” as governor in 1944, during which Jimmie Davis, 1940 time he was still recording country singles and acting in Westerns. Did Louisiana governor Jimmie He successfully ran again after a Davis really write this song? 12-year break in 1960, and his Probably not, but that’s not to governorship accomplished some deny Davis his place in music great and less-than-great things— history. He did record the first hit he built hospitals, raised teachers’ version of “Sunshine” in 1940, salaries and conserved forests; setting the song on its way to he also tried unsuccessfully to American classic–hood (the Bing preserve school segregation. He Crosby and Gene Autry versions remained a popular figure despite came the next year). At that point, Davis was more famous for the wrong moves; his 1960 inauguration was remembered for off-color country blues: His 1933 his riding to the Louisiana capitol, “Red Nightgown Blues” (which he apparently did write) can claim with a white cowboy hat, on a one of the great opening couplets: horse named Sunshine. “You Are My Sunshine” was “We got the license, went to see voted down as state song in Parson Brown/ Corinne couldn’t wait and she throwed me down.” 1968 because it doesn’t mention Louisiana, but was given the nod That record gets much of its kick in 1971, sharing the title with from Oscar “Buddy” Woods, www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress

Louisiana roots.

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Jackson was the James Booker of his time—a prodigy who could play virtually any blues, jazz or opera piece on the spot, and was known as “the man of a thousand songs.” ‘’Give Me Louisiana,’’ by Doralice Fontane. Davis still made regular appearances at Jazz Fest until his death in 2000, at age 101. —Brett Milano

“Pretty Baby” Tony Jackson, 1916 Now known as the most innocent of standards, “Pretty Baby” is really an artifact from the heyday of Storyville. And it’s virtually all that survives from the career of composer Tony Jackson, which by all accounts was a musically and socially remarkable one. The son of a freed slave, Jackson was apparently playing in brothels well before hitting his

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teens. English writer Clare Brown researched his story in 2008 and found that Jackson was the James Booker of his time—a prodigy who could play virtually any blues, jazz or opera piece on the spot, and was known as “the man of a thousand songs.” According to Brown, anyone playing a piano when Jackson walked in the room would be told, “Get up from that piano. You hurting its feelings. Let Tony play.” Yet when he died in Chicago in 1921 he left no recordings and only a couple published songs behind. More notably he was a close friend and mentor to Jelly Roll Morton, who was 10 years his junior. The pair’s friendship broke

at least two taboos—Morton was Creole and soon to marry a showgirl, Jackson was black and gay. The extent of his influence on Morton—and therefore on jazz itself—was likely greater than history remembers. Also tantalizing is the story that Jackson co-wrote an unpublished piece, “The Clock of Time,” which was borrowed by composer J. Berni Barbour in a 1922 song called “My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)”. Thus Jackson was indirectly part of the first documented “rock ’n’ roll” song. “Pretty Baby” was only published in 1916 after hit songwriters Egbert Van Alstyne and Gus Kahn heard Jackson play

it in Chicago. They cleaned up its lyrics, paid Jackson $250 and gave themselves co-writer credits (the line “You can talk about your jelly rolls but none of them compare,” a reference to Jackson’s male lover, was the first to go). The song was worked into a Broadway show that year—”A World of Pleasure”—and later returned to its Storyville roots by Louis Malle in his 1978 movie named after the song. But nobody who’s ever recorded the song— whether it was Al Jolson, Dean Martin, or Brenda Lee, who did the only rock ‘n’ roll version—has ever done so without a sly wink in the delivery, so maybe some of Jackson’s spirit survives. —Brett Milano

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DIRTY DOZEN

FQFIQ: Thursday, April 12, Abita Beer Stage, 5:20p

40 Years and Counting

he Dirty Dozen Brass Band didn’t fool around when it celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Joy Theater in December. No warm up was necessary as the group got the party rolling with its signature rhythm and blues, funk and jazz going down on top of street beats. On stage were Dirty Dozen veterans baritonist/ vocalist Roger Lewis, trumpeter/ vocalist Gregory Davis, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and tenor saxophonist/ vocalist Kevin Harris plus drummer/ vocalist Julian Addison, guitarist Takeshi Shimmura and trombonist TJ Norris. Soon past members and friends such as drummer Terence Higgins, bassist George Porter Jr., keyboardist Ivan Neville and trombonist Big Sam Williams joined the musical fray. Original Dirty Dozen drummer Benny Jones stepped up bringing his Treme Brass Band in for the fun. Now buckjumping into its 41st year, the Dozen continues its original mission of integrating the many stylistic interests of its band members while maintaining its love of New Orleans music and its brass band and jazz traditions. Four decades bring a lot of changes and memories as well as a ton of music. Here the four vets of the Dirty Dozen share their remembrances when asked similar questions primarily dealing with the more recent past. They thoughtfully offer bows to the new members of the band and their contributions to its unique sound. These men have had some remarkable experiences. So let’s hear it from the guys whose talent and forward-thinking influenced the next generation of New Orleans brass bands and took their music from this city’s streets to around the globe. Over the last 40 years, there have naturally been many changes in

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the Dirty Dozen. What have been the most significant ones in more recent decades? Roger Lewis: Probably adding a trombone player—the band has gone through a lot of changes [in instrumentation]. Not only him but drummer Julian Addison, he’s been with us for four years now and we have a Japanese guitar player, [Takeshi] Shimmura. Well, like when you get a younger player in the band like Julian, he has so much energy and he’s like a sponge so he just soaks up everything. He’s not only a great drummer but he understands music very well. So there’s a different energy, so it’s like you’re re-inventing yourself every time By Geraldine Wyckoff

you have a new player in the band because they bring to the table what they have. Like [trombonist] TJ Norris he used to teach so he has a lot of valuable knowledge we can tap to keep the music fresh. Gregory Davis: There came a point when we started playing all these different events—concerts, festivals— with other people and sometimes they’d sit in. So then it was getting confirmation that what you might be able to do could fit with whatever. We never really thought we were just a brass band, you add a little of this and a little bit of that. And to see all the other brass bands make an effort to imitate us was really gratifying. We went [in 1995] from the traditional bass drum/snare drum

and those two guys—Lionel [Batiste] and Chi-lite [Jenell Marshall], who were really great—to going to kit drum. We’d been trying to do that before then. For me, personally, we were able to experiment a little more. Around that time, we had agreed to do the Black Crowes tour, and so we put some thought into making this switch. Now was the time because we knew for sure we were going to do a stage show—going from two drummers to one drummer meant now we had another spot so we experimented with keyboards [Richard Knox] and then guitar [Carl LeBlanc]. Kevin Harris: Well, recently the retirement of [trumpeter] Efrem Towns and having Kirk Joseph back—he’s added a whole lot to the band. Kirk would always use pedals and electronics on his sousaphone so it fills up the sound a lot. Right now, it’s getting the [new] trombone player in sync because he tends to go to the third part harmony and I’m already playing that. He’s doing well. He’s a gifted young man. He’s got a mind on him. The new drummer— he’s been with us three or maybe four years—is phenomenal. He’s one of the best drummers that we got so far because his timing is impeccable. Kirk and him would play little games with the horn section. They’d be flipping the time trying to throw us off. They think I don’t know about that, but I know. Right now, the band is sort of not on our game like we should be because we should be recording albums and we’ve been a little sluggish on that. But it’s going to pick up. Kirk Joseph: The things we’re doing now are what we expected to do when we started. I guess it’s following its course. Unfortunately, we’re all not the same unit anymore for various reasons. www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: golden g. richard, iii

The Dirty Dozen buckjumps into its forty-first year.

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Through the years, you’ve been involved with many collaborations. Do you have some favorites or were any particularly significant or challenging? Gregory Davis: Well, certainly, that the Black Crowes put us in front of another audience. They wanted us to play Otis Redding’s’ ‘Hard to Handle.’ So we sat in with them the first night and then they started asking us to do it every night. Then they added another song and another song. That tour started out to be six weeks and by the third night they asked us if we could we do the second six weeks. So it quickly turned into a 12-week tour. The collaboration with Elvis Costello, as far as my recollection, happened by accident. We were doing a two-week stand at Sweet Basil’s in New York. He told me that he was passing by and somebody happened to be coming out of the club so he heard the music and thought, ‘Let me go check this out.’ He said he just stood back there thinking he was going to listen to a song but ended up staying for the whole set. Afterward, he approached me and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to record and I’d like you guys to play on it.’ You hear that all the time. We had just met him so I just took it as something people always say. A couple of weeks later, he called me and asked if he should bring us all to London or if it would be better if we recorded the album in New Orleans. So he brought all of his people to New Orleans and ended up recording [Spike] here. He was really, really, really into New Orleans music. So working with him was sort of eye-opening in that he was very familiar with the music of Dave Bartholomew more than just what he had done with Fats Domino. Most of these star musicians are regular people.

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Kevin Harris: The guys in Widespread Panic are real gentlemen. When we first started playing with them, they were just regular musicians but because of our jazz influences upon them, certain members started branching out. You could tell it in their solos that they were picking up some of the little things we were doing. And we sort of picked up on the jam band thing. Even though we were already jamming, we started elaborating more after that. The biggest thing with the Black Crowes that I remember is the fact that they used to get a pinball machine and a Mortal Kombat machine [for their dressing room]— it was in their rider. It would be one side Dirty Dozen one side the Black Crowes. We would go all the way down until the last man and the last man was always Chris Robinson. It was the camaraderie with the Black Crowes—we used to go out and listen to other bands. It was a lot of fun. Kirk Joseph: The Marvin Gaye release that we did, the 35th anniversary of What’s Going On. The overall thing was the challenge of doing Marvin Gaye. I heard the album all my life, since I was a kid, and I’ve always loved his songs and him as an artist. And that particular one, it was the things he was singing about, ‘What’s Going On,’ ‘God Is Love,’ ‘There’ll Come a Time.’ When we were doing that, it was during Katrina and most of those titles on the CD were questions that were still asked of us. For us, it was what’s going on with Katrina? That was one of the things that was very touching to me. The whole thing of recording with Dizzy Gillespie and Branford Marsalis [on Voodoo] was huge. It was special because it was a homeboy [Marsalis] who was www.OFFBEAT.com

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“‘Feet Can’t Fail Me Now’ stems from the bass line and also the chant that I created.” —Kirk Joseph doing well for himself. With Dizzy it was just over the top. It was an honor. It was a blessing. I met Dizzy first when I was in Europe with [trumpeter] Wallace Davenport. He was one of my dad’s [trombonist Waldren “Frog” Joseph] friends. Dizzy came to the Glass House to check the band out and when he was leaving, I shouted out to him, ‘You have to record with us. You need to tell Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder they have to take a back seat. We’ve got to do this.’ Roger Lewis: We collaborated with Elvis Costello—we did two records with him. It was a great experience. I think [when the Dozen played on] the album Spike, there were supposed be more vocals on it but it turned into a mostly instrumental. He said it sounded so good he decided not to put his voice on it. That’s like, wow that says a lot about the band. Having the opportunity to play with one of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived, Dizzy Gillespie, that was one of the highlights for me. He played on one of our CDs [Voodoo] and I didn’t even play to my full potential on that CD because I was scared to let go playing with Dizzy Gillespie— oh my goodness. He was such a beautiful human being. He really loved the band because he said it reminded him of being a young man coming up because he used to play in brass bands. Oh yeah, we did a record with Buckwheat [Stanley ‘Buckwheat Zydeco’ Dural]. He’s from the old school so all that music was familiar. Collaborating with Buck, he fit in with our style so it was cool. It’s Louisiana music—it’s our own music. The Dirty Dozen was once a fixture at the second line parades. Do you ever miss playing on the streets?

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Kevin Harris: That brought everything together. Even though we went to school and learned to read and all of that, you don’t really know a horn until a street teaches you a horn. The street teaches you how to make a young lady shake even harder. The street teaches you how to make the old people go, ‘Yeah, baby, yeah, do that.’ The street brings out what’s in your soul. Kirk Joseph: A little bit. It was so tribal, so unique. I’ll never forget the day when they opened Louis Armstrong Park and when we arrived on the scene, were mobbed like the Beatles. ‘Here they come!’ For them to say that still gives me chills because we were so well-received by our people. They were excited by us and we were excited to play for them. Our segment was in Congo Square and we played in the middle of the fountain. There was quite a controversy when it appeared that the Dirty Dozen Brass Band dropped brass band from its name? Gregory Davis: It wasn’t supposed to be that big a deal. That came about during the Black Crowes tour. On the marquee every night, they had the Black Crowes written out. And there are only so many Bs in the box. The promoters said, ‘We don’t have enough space [on the marquee] or alphabet [letters] in the box to put the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.’ So I said just put up the Dirty Dozen. I didn’t expect anybody was paying attention. Every night when I do the introduction, I say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen we are the Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans, Louisiana.’ It wasn’t necessarily us trying to set a trend or we don’t want to be a brass band, it wasn’t

like that. Economically, it made more sense for us to get on stage. You can play in front of more people standing on a stage than passing in a parade. Do you have certain tunes you enjoy playing? Do you keep adding different material? Kirk Joseph: I like it when we play the modern stuff but I also like it when people respond to the traditional stuff because that shows that it still lives. When people become more aware of music, it doesn’t have to be outdated. It’s just music and if you enjoy it, enjoy it to its fullest. Roger Lewis: My favorite is ‘Use Your Brain’—that might be selfish because I wrote it. I like that title. Now that I think about it, there’s a tune Efrem wrote called ‘Tomorrow.’ I like that song. The Dirty Dozen has played all different kinds of music in our 40 years from traditional jazz to avantgarde. We’ve even had classical influences with the suite that Gregory wrote and my ‘Dirty Old Man,’ that’s kind of hip-hop–ish. That’s probably what separates us from the rest of the brass bands. It’s very energetic. Gregory Davis: It’s much harder now to come together and rehearse because 41 years later everybody is into something else. Your tastes tend to mature. Personally, right now, I’ve been going back in time a little bit and listening to modern jazz from the 1950s and ’60s—listening to a lot of Donald Byrd, Max Roach, Clifford Brown and John Coltrane. I’m just trying to figure out how to get some of that stuff in there. Within the last two weeks or so, Kirk and TJ Norris were riding together and listening to James Brown. They showed up at the sound check and said, ‘Hey, do

you mind if we try this?’ We did it at a few sound checks and boom it made onto the gig. The song was ‘The Payback.’ On top of that, we’ve started rehearsing new material, for me it was some of the Brazilian samba stuff that I’ve been influenced by. Kevin Harris: I like Efrem’s tune, ‘Tomorrow,’ it was a monster, it still is a monster. He didn’t write any tunes until like three years ago, it’s phenomenal. That was his first tune and all of us had five or six tunes. We do it a lot differently than the original—we added a lot more church feeling, hallelujah and all those things. The main thing is the rhythm. It’s the rhythms that we put to a regular tune. We’d put those New Orleans beats to it and it would change the whole tune. It usually wakes it up a lot. Like Dizzy told us, the rhythms we put on ‘Bongo Beep’ and ‘Moose the Mooche’ made those tunes uniquely ours. The first thing we did when we first got the band together was everybody brought everything. We were playing Weather Report; we brought ‘Night Train’ to the street. The old guys would tell us, “That ain’t no New Orleans music.” No, it’s music. The whole idea of the Dirty Dozen was to play music—all kinds, all kinds. Kirk Joseph: ‘Feet Can’t Fail Me Now’ stems from the bass line and also the chant that I created. ‘Snowball’ was a collaboration of things. Actually a lot of them were collaborations. Gregory and I went to Andrew J. Bell [high school] at different times so the song ‘Voodoo’ was a concert piece that we played. So one day, I asked the drummers to keep the street beat. So then I asked Gregory ‘Do you remember “Voodoo”?’ So there it was. www.OFFBEAT.com

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“I truly, truly used to enjoy using my plunger. I used to enjoy going into the audience and charming the young ladies with my plunger.” —Gregory Davis

Four of the members of the Dirty Dozen sing. That’s quite a few for a horn-heavy band. How does that work? Kevin Harris: In my later years, I forget the words [laughs]. When Efrem was singing, he’d forget them too but he’d just make up anything—he’d just change the whole word thing. I let the other guys sing and I do the background. Because of the fact that they are not singers, if you put the right background against them they sound like they’re singers. I always say I make you guys sound great. On some songs I might switch from bass to falsetto to second tenor—all three parts—to add a little color in it. Singing can be dangerous—I do it to help the band. Do you have some favorite moments with the Dirty Dozen you’d like to share? Roger Lewis: I do have a special moment. It was the perfect gig that never was recorded. We did a gig with the Five Blind Boys. I don’t remember exactly where it was. It was a beautiful place that was acoustically built and the sound was incredible. This was a gig when everybody was on the same page. Every now and then you get 8, 10, 12 or 13 minds all locked in with no interference. That particular night, it looked like everybody made a connection with a power greater than themself. Gregory Davis: I truly, truly used to enjoy using my plunger. I used to enjoy going into the audience and charming the young ladies with my plunger. The ones that I enjoyed the most were the ladies that were prim, proper and stiff. It was almost like a snake charmer. I would play to them and play to their bodies. I would pause and

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see if they were going to smile or react. I eventually would get them. Kirk Joseph: It was fun doing the 20th anniversary and having so many guests—it was special. All those elements that we’ve all considered from day one, whether there was going to be a guitar or another bass were there. Actually, our first recording, ‘Blackbird Special,’ did have those things on it. Kevin Harris: The island shows—Hawaii, Curacao—bring the most memories because of the setting. The people have a different way of moving—very sultry and sexy, you know, the

girls. We did one show in Japan and it was so hot that when I got back to my room and looked at myself in the mirror, I was actually a shade darker. I was all burnt up. In Jackson, Mississippi we were playing for Millsaps College—a Catholic college mostly for women. We had 900 women and 100 men at the show. So we asked for a couple of girls to come up [on stage] and 30 of them came up. We were groped, we were spanked. I mean they misused us. That show was probably one of the wildest. I have never been so abused by women in my life and I loved every minute of it.

What’s the best thing about playing with the Dirty Dozen? Kevin Harris: Just the things we’ve seen all over the world—the travel. One spot in the northern island of Japan, the landscape was like a Jules Verne movie. It was all lush vegetation with dormant volcanoes—about six or seven of them—as far as the eye could see. I said, ‘Look out, there’s a pterodactyl! Roger Lewis: I get a whole lot of solos [laughs]. In most bands, baritone players don’t get no solos. When I was in Fats Domino’s band, when I started in 1971, I got one solo and that was on ‘Blue Monday.’ And after a few years, I started complaining so I got another solo on ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ and so now I got two solos. In the Dirty Dozen, the baritone plays parts that a trumpet player would normally play. That’s the way that instrument functions—it can function as a lead instrument, a solo instrument and a background instrument. The baritone is a free agent. Really, if you think about it, the difference between our brass band and every other brass band is that we have a baritone. Actually, the baritone player, the sousaphone and the drums play more than the horns. The baritone player don’t stop—he’s busy. When I play in Delfeayo’s band [trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis’ Uptown Jazz Orchestra] and we play traditional music, I play pretty much like I do with the Dirty Dozen. I play a bass line along with the bass player. I’m like the anchor. In New Orleans, we’re a little different. We’re unique down here. It ain’t so much the notes you play, it’s the feeling that you’re projecting. It’s the spirit. O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: golden g. richard, iii

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ALFRED BANKS

FQFIQ: Saturday, April 14, WWL-TV Esplanade in the Shade Stage, 2p

From Underdog to Lone Wolf at Large Alfred Banks at the forefront.

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PHoto: deuce bradshaw

veryone loves an underdog. In hip-hop, especially, dark horse status is synonymous with credibility. It’s no surprise, then, that local rapper Alfred Banks has made it his personal brand. “Underdog Central is a place where the overlooked go to hone their skills to come back [as] the admired,” Banks told OffBeat, laying out his movement’s mission statement. “It’s less of a label, more of a life mantra.” Banks has experienced his fair share of adversity. He was forced to drop out of Loyola when he and his mother were evicted, and later lost his brother Orlandas to suicide, but he never let his circumstances define him. He stayed focused on his craft, even as his world crumbled around him. He started rapping under the moniker Lyriqs da Lyraciss, putting full faith in his bars, but soon learned lyrical skill alone wouldn’t cut it. “When I first came out, I was rough around the edges,” he said. “There was a lot that needed refinement, so I went to my proverbial bat cave and came back out as Alfred Banks.” He’s come a long way since then. His 2017 LP The Beautiful was a breakthrough, debuting at number 12 on iTunes’ Rap/Hip-Hop chart and number 79 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. It’s anything but a crossover record, though. The album begins with a reenactment of Orlandas’ funeral and goes on to unpack the delicate theme of mental health and suicide in the black community. Conscious hiphop is a hard sell in 2018, and it’s never spelled financial success here in New Orleans, where Jay Electronica (patron saint of serious bars) is album-less over a decade after dropping his first tape. But Banks forges on, un-phased. “I come from a city where, ironically, rap isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things,” he said. “So I’m

down six points with three seconds left. That’s how I live my life.” The New Orleans hip-hop industry lacks the size and infrastructure of the genre’s current epicenters, but collectives like Pink Room Project and Freewater are sprouting through the cracks of the splintered scene and catching national looks. Banks has maintained his independence, though, preferring to work alone. “What I’ve found is that I’m not hard to work with, but I don’t take days off,” he said. “As I was walking to this interview, I was booking a show. If there’s 24 hours in a day, 23-anda-half of ’em I’m doing something with music. I went out to lunch with my girl today—that was my leisure. But every moment I’m awake, I’m doing music. “Some people, they wanna be successful, but they don’t really wanna do that,” Banks continued. “They just wanna do a little bit of it, and if it comes up, they’ll deal with it. I treat everything as if it’s life or death. I don’t know if I’mma be here tomorrow, so every day I By Raphael Helfand

wake up, I’m going super hard. A lot of people don’t feel that way about music. They wanna create because it’s cool or it’s a good outlet for them emotionally. They don’t chase it the way I chase it.” In the past, Banks has been wary of working with others, but his upcoming EP, The Mere Exposure Effect, is a collaboration with fellow New Orleans native Malik Ninety Five. “He did Voodoo [Music + Arts Experience] with me, so I talked to him backstage and I was like ‘Yo, I really like what you do. Let’s work.’ So he sent me a folder with some beats and I got to work,” he recalled. “That was the first time I reached out to somebody in a long time. I don’t reach out anymore. I keep it in the house because when you reach out to people, there’s potential for disappointment.” He hesitantly describes their joint project as a foray into the current SoundCloud rap zeitgeist, experimenting with sung vocals while remaining loyal to lyricism. “It’s my own spin on it,” he said. “Not really a Lil Xan–type

vibe—more of a Bryson Tiller, Tory Lanez–type vibe.” Blanks plans to break new ground in his live performances as well as his studio recordings this year. His next show is Mat Mania, a WrestleMania weekend show at One Eyed Jacks on Friday, April 6, with Open Mike Eagle and Mega Ran heading the bill. Next, he’ll make his debut performance at French Quarter Fest on Saturday, April 14, with the versatile CoolNasty as his backing band. Banks and bounce veterans Partners-N-Crime are the only rap acts playing the festival this year, but he believes he can grow hiphop’s presence at similarly touristfriendly events in years to come. “I think it’s gonna change because of me,” he said. “I don’t wanna seem cocky when I say this, but I’m good. And I’m just safe enough that people will feel confident putting me at the forefront.” O For more information on Banks’ upcoming releases and shows, go to UnderDogCentral.com. www.OFFBEAT.com

CAVALIER

Renaissance Beats and Ritual Bars

n its own singular way, Private Stock, the third album by Cavalier, sounds like the past and future meeting right now—a fever dream with a political seam. Soulful blunted out hip-hop that engages the senses, hangs deep in the pocket, and swings for the fences. What Robert Glasper hopes Black Radio 3 will sound like—on point and also mindexpanding. “It’s the room I’m always trying to build wherever I go,” explained Cav. “The way it comes to me is visual, and then I’m trying to capture those moments and boil them down. The room has a hodge-podge of things that make sense to my Brooklyn upbringing.” Acclaimed singer Georgia Anne Muldrow plays a part, and the production is a unique blend of old head Pete Rock/9th Wonder with world-of-sound Flying Lotus/Madlib. How did this collaboration happen? “I first came to New Orleans off of Iman Omari’s invitation. He did ninety percent of this record. He put together Vibe Music Collective. My first show in New Orleans was with Iman, Christian Scott, and Mykia Jovan. A lot of times I’m the only rapper. That’s translating into where I’m heading in the production. People don’t realize Iman’s background in vocal jazz. That’s important too.” Cav came up on the New York touchstones of Jay-Z, Nas, and more, as well as old-time calypso music. He made sure to note the Caribbean link to hip-hop, including architects Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc, before returning to Omari. “We were trying to explore that marriage of East Coast lyricism and West Coast production. The beauty in hip-hop is marrying elements that don’t seem to go together. We’re trying to resurrect

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the whole DJ/MC thing. Not purist. To evoke feeling,” he said. Cav’s Brooklyn was one where he could smell food in the air. A place, despite a cold reputation, where people would say “Good morning” and “Good evening” on the street. He’s saddened, though, that the strange eclectic characters have disappeared. And he’s been in New Orleans for three years. He admits, “I wouldn’t have made my last two projects if I hadn’t come to New Orleans. It’s continually informing my music. Input and output. It’s intense when it’s good and when it’s bad. No matter what your medium is, there’s a rhythm of life here that’ll seep into what you create.” Vibe Music Collective is exactly what it sounds like: a diverse group of creators with a commonality of sound but a loose aesthetic. “In some ways we focus as a boutique label. The vibe is felt more than it is discernible,” he stressed. By Michael Allen Zell

In 2016, controversy entered the picture when Cav found Lemonade, the title to his second release, along with some of its visual elements, also appeared in Beyoncé’s Lemonade and “Formation” video. And he spoke out about it. “What was misinterpreted as commenting on the biggest artist of our time was really my commentary on what happens when artists source their work to corporate-size entities. When you’re at a certain level of fame, you’re not really creating all the components anymore. My inspiration in making my statement was because I’m critical when people’s images do not match their messages, and when certain messages are popular at a moment in time to capitalize on it. A lot of women worked with me to create the visuals, and I didn’t want their work to be overshadowed.”

The image matching the message is key to him. Cav even references photographer Chester Higgins in a lyric. And women play a large role. “You notice in the last three music videos, I’m not performing in any of them. The collaborators are usually women. There are certain nuances I don’t even know how to articulate. The balance opens the portal artistically. We’re all in that vulnerable space, but that’s what it’s about,” he stressed. “Open Season,” the first music video from Private Stock, features New Orleanians in New Orleans. The hypnotic blend of the Cavalier aesthetic is expertly shown by director Vashni Korin. The commonplace is woven with an evocative sense of secret knowledge, while the mantra-like “Yo they huntin’ out in the open” and his riffing on those final four words is the sobering verbal gravity that holds it all to earth. Korin pointed out, “The visuals speak to Cavalier’s strong creative intuition and allude to the veterans of the civil rights movement who would meet in secret at Dooky Chase restaurant. There they would strategize during the revolution just as Cavalier creates a world where community members organize to discuss our modern day revolution—it’s so timely.” Cav claims he makes escape music but also admits he wants to move and inspire. “I’m at that stage where I’m revisiting my childhood. I see value in moments.” Lastly, there is thought in everything he does artistically, so what does the name Cavalier mean? “It was a nickname before it was a stage name. It has a repurposed meaning—the Cavalier poets. The code of the cavalier too. Integrity is synonymous with code. I want to be a knight,” he said. O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: emily mccartney

Cavalier is out in the open.

FQF IQ

FQFIQ Your French Quarter Festival from A to Z.

STAGE CODES (100) Gateway to Bourbon Street Stage (100 Bourbon) (700) Heart of Bourbon Street Stage (700 Bourbon) (ABS) Abita Beer Stage (Riverfront – Berger Great Lawn) (BB) Popeyes/OffBeat Magazine Stage: Brass Band Jam Stage (Barrack St side of Old U.S. Mint) (CHV) Chevron Stage: Cajun & Zydeco Showcase (Bienville Triangle, Conti, Decatur & N. Peters Streets) (CLS) St. Mary’s at the Old Ursuline Convent Classical Music Stage (1116 Chartres) (GE) GE Digital Stage (Big River Stage near Canal Street entrance to Aquarium Plaza) (HIL) Hilton Tricentennial Stage (Jackson Square) (HOB) House of Blues Voodoo Garden Stage (225 Decatur) (INT) French Market International Stage (Dutch Alley at St. Philip) (JD) Jack Daniel's Stage (Jax Parking Lot at 600 Decatur St) (KID) Chevron Children’s HQ (National Park Service Kids Stage) (Natchez Warf) (MB) MorrisBart.com Stage (400 Royal) (OMN) Omni Royal Orleans Stage (500 Royal) (PAL) New Orleans Magazine Cabaret Stage at the Palm Court (1204 Decatur) (PAR) Parade (lineup on Iberville St. at Bourbon St., parade to Jackson Square) (PH) The Helis Foundation Preservation Hall Stage (726 St. Peter) (SCH) Ernie’s Schoolhouse Stage (1000 Royal) (SON) Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta Hotel (300 Bourbon) (SS) Pan-American Life Insurance Group Songwriter Stage (Big Mama’s Lounge at House of Blues 225 Decatur) (TJ) French Market Traditional Jazz Stage (French Market Place at Gov. Nichols Street) (TRO) Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage (Riverfront – Woldenberg Park) (WWL) WWL-TV Stage: Esplanade in the Shade Stage (Esplanade side of the Old U.S. Mint) (ZAP) Zapp’s Potato Chip Stage (600 Bourbon)

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PHoto: Zack Smith, courtesy of French Quarter Festivals, Inc.

rench Quarter Festival is celebrating its 35th year. The festival runs from Thursday, April 12 until Sunday, April 15, 2018. With 20 stages throughout the French Quarter, our comprehensive guide will help you plan your attack.

A2D2 Experience with Antoine Diel & Arsene DeLay, 4/14, PAL, 2p: This duo focuses on jazz and R&B. Antoine Diel who was born in Manila and grew up in Los Angeles now calls New Orleans home. Arsene DeLay soulful jazz singing has a passion for the power of words. Adam Crochet, 4/15, SS, 12:15p: The singer, songwriter, and guitarist blends classic blues, R&B, funk, soul, and roots music into moving arrangements of what he’s dubbed “Louisiana smooth blues.” He also backs the Wild Magnolias and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles.

Airpark, 4/13, HOB, 6p: Ben Ford and Michael Ford Jr. launched this duo last year after the dissolution of their previous band, Apache Relay. The two brothers newest project offers a minimalist approach to pop-rock. Al “Lil’ Fats” Jackson, 4/14, TRO, 12:30p: At a young age, Alvin E. Jackson had accomplished the mastering of rhythm and blues in the New Orleans style. Al’s grandmother owned the “Vet’s Club” roadhouse where she booked Fats Domino, Lloyd Price and Tommy Ridgely. Jackson pursued a musical career that has brought him the nickname “Lil Fats” for his indistinguishable voice to Fats Domino. See feature in this issue.

The Albinas Prizgintas Quartet, 4/15, CLS, 2p: Trinity Episcopal Church organist Albinas Prizgintas leads this quartet. Alex McMurray, 4/12, TRO, 12:30p: McMurray’s wit-spiked and often gleefully dark songwriting takes center stage in a band that both showcases new work and harkens back to the guitarist’s Royal Fingerbowl days, lineup and repertoire-wise. Alexandra Scott, 4/14, SS, 12:15p: The quirky, versatile folk guitarist spins out songs that can be heartrending, achingly lovely, and optimistic all at once. Alfred Banks w/CoolNasty, 4/14, WWL, 2p: The Uptown native rapper

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FQF IQ earned tremendous accolades for The Beautiful, a 2017 album inspired by his brother’s schizophrenia. The lyrically elite MC is poised to expand his artistry this year with a live band and new music. See feature in this issue. Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory: 4/12, JD 3:30p: This Grammy-winning singer, guitarist and mandolin player was inspired in his youth by the sound of Mississippi country blues, which he makes his own by adding elements of roots rock and a deep knowledge of folk and Americana. Amanda Ducorbier, 4/14, JD, 12:30p: New Orleans based singer songwriter who was a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice.” She performs at the Roosevelt Hotel and NOPSI Hotel in New Orleans. Amanda Shaw, 4/14, CHV, 7:30p: This Cajun fiddle prodigy has been in the spotlight since age 10. Her sets can jump from teen-friendly pop to straight-up Cajun, with a classic rock cover or two thrown in. Anais St. John, 4/14, MB, 3:45p: St. John is an accomplished singer specializing in jazz, torch songs, and cabaret tunes. She currently plays Saturday nights at the Windsor Court Hotel. Andre Bohren, 4/14, CLS, 11a: After making a name for himself as a drummer and percussionist with Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Bohren began developing a strong solo career on the piano. Andrew Duhon, 4/15, HOB, 2p: With his tender voice and penchant for lyrical depth, folk-pop singersongwriter Duhon’s lyrics tap into personal experience as he strums his way through original music that echoes the blues. Andrew Hall’s Society Brass Band, 4/15, BB, 11:15a: Hall is a skilled traditional jazz and rhythm and blues pianist who has performed with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dr. John, and the Olympia Brass Band. Andy J. Forest Treeaux, 4/15, SS, 4p: Blues master Forest has mellowed out in recent years and the result offers a window onto his keen lyric writing skills without compromising the power of his abilities as a harmonica player and guitarist. Arrowhead Jazz Band featuring Sam Kuslan, 4/14, KID, 3p, 4/15, KID, 3p: Pianist and vocalist Sam Kuslan performs the great American songbook from Cole Porter to Bob Dylan. Ashlin Parker Quartet, 4/13, SON, 5p: Ashlin Parker takes charge of a trumpet onslaught as leader of Trumpet Mafia, but his quartet finds him taking a different approach with his horn. Astral Project, 4/15, WWL, 5:30p: All four members of this band—guitarist Steve Masakowski,

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FQF IQ saxophonist Tony Dagradi, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich—are influential bandleaders in their own right. Together, they’ve been one of New Orleans’ premiere jazz groups for three decades. Audacity Brass Band, 4/13, BB, 11:15a: This traditional group formed to play at French Quarter Fest 2008 and includes talented locals Tom Fischer, Charlie Fardella and Freddie Lonzo. Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, 4/15, PH, 3p: Inspired by Sidney Bechet and Django Reinhardt, singer/saxophonist Nealand is a bright young player whose non-Roses work spans performance art-inspired improvisation and the rockabilly of Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers. Babineaux Sisters Band, 4/14, CHV, 3:45p: Sisters and songwriters Gracie and Julie Babineaux lead this south Louisiana roots rock band. Their first CD covered “All Along the Watchtower” (“Le Tour de Garde”) was inspired more by the Hendrix version than Dylan’s original and featured lyrics sung in Cajun French. Bag of Donuts: 4/12, TRO, 5:25p: Known for their outlandish costumes, Bag of Donuts delivers an unusual take on popular songs of the ’60s onward, as well as tunes from TV, film and commercials. Bamboula 2000, 4/15, MB, 11a: “Bamboula” was originally a form of drum and dance ceremony held in Congo Square. Bamboula 2000’s leader Luther Gray brings that spirit into the present with a troupe of players and dancers. Banu Gibson & the New Orleans Hot Jazz, 4/12, HIL, 12:45p: A singer/ dancer who specializes in the Great American Songbook and has been captured by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, Gibson has been instrumental in popularizing the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp. Barbara Shorts and Blue jazz, 4/15, OMN, 2:45p: Vocalist Barbara Shorts has appeared in One Mo’ Time and fronted the Gospel Soul Children. Benny Grunch & the Bunch, 4/13, WWL, 12:30p: This jovial crew is responsible for the carnival sendup “Ain’t No Place to Pee on Mardi Gras Day,” plus a bunch of seasonal albums built around the regional standard “12 Yats of Christmas.” Beth Patterson, 4/15, SS, 2:45p: A native of Lafayette, multiinstrumentalist Patterson performs Celtic-inspired folk music with a dollop of humor and sting. Big Chief Bo Dollis, Jr. & the Wild Magnolias, 4/14, ABS, 11a: Big Chief Bo Dollis, Jr. carries on the legacy of his father, leading the Wild Magnolias’ impassioned, funk-inspired Mardi Gras Indian music.

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Big Frank & Lil Frank and the Dirty Old Men, 4/13, TRO, 7:20p: This father and son singing duo combines modern day hip-hop sensibilities with old school R&B flavors. Big Sam’s Funky Nation, 4/14, ABS, 5:25p: The charisma of former Dirty Dozen trombonist Sam Williams makes him an able focal point for a musical party that blends brass, Meters-style funk, hip-hop and rock. The band has toured hard and earned a following in the jam-band world. Bill Summers & Jazalsa, 4/13, GE, 5:30p: Known for his membership in Los Hombres Calientes and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, legendary percussionist Summers explores Latin and world music with his Jazalsa band. Blato Zato, 4/15, 700, 1:30p: Blato Zlato (“Swamp Gold” in Bulgarian) is a New Orleans-based Balkan band. The band performs folk music from the Balkans and Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Bulgarian songs. Bon Bon Vivant, 4/13, WWL 11a: Formed in 2013 Bon Bon Vivant is a collection of musicians steeped in the traditional jazz of New Orleans. Their original songwriting includes blues and folk that makes for a unique sound. See FQFIQ feature in this issue. Bonerama, 4/13, ABS, 3:45p: Mark Mullins and Craig Klein’s trombone-centric jazz/funk/rock combo is as comfortable with James Brown as it is with Black Sabbath. Bonsoir Catin, 4/15, CHV, 2p: These Cajun musicians got together in 2005. They are inspired by old Cajun accapella ballads, raunchy drinking songs and write original material. The band includes accordionist Kristi Guillory, guitarist Christine Balfa, bassist Ashley Hayes, violinist Anya Burgess, guitarist Maegan Berard and drummer Danny Devillier. Brass-A-Holics, 4/14, ABS, 2:10p: Formed by ex-Soul Rebels trombonist Winston Turner, this band created its own genre of “go-go brass funk,” combining New Orleans music elements with the strong grooves of Washington DC’s go-go scene. Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, 4/14, CHV, 2p: A New Orleans-reared Cajun, this self-taught accordion player has hosted the Sunday Cajun session at Tipitina’s for decades and the Maple Leaf before that. His latest CD Jamais de la Vie was released to critical acclaim. Bucktown All-Stars, 4/15, ABS, 12:35p: This nine-piece rhythm and blues band from Metairie covers the soul classics, adding their own funky grooves. They have won OffBeat’s Best of the Beat award for best cover band nine times. Calvin Johnson and Native Son, 4/15, OMN, 4:15p: Saxophonist/composer Calvin Johnson, Jr.’s latest CD Native Son

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FQF IQ includes Bechet’s “Petite Fleur.” He blows from his heart with knowledge of the New Orleans tradition. Carl LeBlanc, 4/15, ZAP, 12:30p: This versatile and soulful banjo player and Preservation Hall regular LeBlanc has worked closely with the likes of Sun Ra, studied with Kidd Jordan and mentored local jazz guitarists like Jonathan Freilich. The Catahoulas, 4/13, JD, 11a: The Catahoulas feature all-star New Orleanians performing the music of New Orleans rhythm and blues. Founded by bassist Joshua Gouzy, the Catahoulas aim to bring back the nearly forgotten music of R&B’s golden age. The band also features: Gerald French on drums and vocals; Steve DeTroy on piano; Kevin Louis on trumpet; Oliver Bonie on saxophone and Earl Bonie on saxophone. Cha Wa, 4/13, ABS, 12:35p: Veteran Mardi Gras Indians (Irving “Honey” Bannister, J’Wan Boudreaux, Kerry “Boom Boom” Vessell) and local musicians (Joe Gelini, John Fohl, Wes Anderson) perform a mix of groovesoaked funk and soul. Chance Bushman and the Ivervillianaires, 4/15, TJ, 11a: Tap dancer and singer Bushman leads this small combo through a mix of classic New Orleans jazz tunes like “Bourbon Street Parade” and the occasional rocker. Charlie Halloran and the Quality 6, 4/13, TJ, 2p: Halloran, a prolific trombonist who also plays with the Panorama Brass Band and Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, among other bands, leads his own traditional jazz septet, which released their eponymous, debut album last fall. Charmaine Neville, 4/14, HIL, 3:50p: This vocalist and bandleader, a part of the famed Neville family, dishes out spicy versions of New Orleans blues and R&B favorites. Chocolate Milk, 4/13, ABS, 7:30p: Inspired by the music of Kool & the Gang, saxophonist Amadee Castenell formed this funk, soul and disco outfit in the late ‘70s in New Orleans. They went on to replace the Meters as Allen Toussaint’s house band before breaking up in 1983. Their occasional reunion shows are a treat for old school soulloving Fest-goers. Christian Serpas & Ghost Town, 4/14, TRO, 11a: This band plays “boot stompin’ American music,” with lots of revved-up, high-volume country twang. Christien Bold & SoulSwing, 4/15, PAL, 12p: Vocalist Christien Bold originally from New Orleans along with his band SoulSwing is influenced by the voices of Nat King Cole, Al Jarreau and Maurice White. Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, 4/12, CHV, 5:30p: One of the most energetic zydeco groups around, Carrier and band won the

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2010 Cajun/Zydeco Grammy for their album Zydeco Junkie. Their latest is Zydeco Stuff, released in 2015. Chuck Credo IV, 4/14, HOB, 12p: Songwriter, producer and multiinstrumentalist Chuck Credo IV is a fourth generation New Orleans musician. His grandfather played clarinet with the Basin Street Six. At age 16 Credo formed his first band The Mixed Nuts. He has performed with Cyndi Lauper, Allen Toussaint and the Drifters and many others. Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders, 4/15, ZAP, 2p: Known for their lively interpretations of old New Orleans classics by Armstrong, Kid Ory, and others, the members of the Serenaders have played together in various musical contexts since the ’60s. Cole Williams Band, 4/14, GE, 2p: This soul and rock-loving Pimps of Joytime alum sings, writes, plays piano and percussion, teaches music and—since relocating from Brooklyn to New Orleans in 2015—volunteers as a DJ on WWOZ. Corey Henry’s Treme Funktet, 4/15, TRO, 5:25p: Since founding the influential Lil’ Rascals Brass Band back in the ‘80s, this dexterous trombonist has collaborated regularly with Galactic and Rebirth, but he’s come into his own with the Funktet, which now holds down the Thursday night slot at Vaughan’s. Creole String Beans, 4/15, WWL, 3:45p: Fronted by photographer Rick Olivier alongside former Iguanas and Cowboy Mouth members, the Creole String Beans began as a “Yat cover band” doing vintage local gems, and moved on to write similarly-styled originals. The Crooked Vines, 4/13, JD, 3:45p: From New Orleans this funkpop band brings funk-fueled jams to the stage. The band features Mikayla Braun on vocals; Rex Marshall on bass and Woody Hill on drums; Steven Schwartz on keyboards; Phil Arpa on saxophone and James Keene on trombone. Cullen Landry and the Midnight Streetcar Band featuring Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, 4/15, ABS, 11a: Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee Cullen Landry (original bassist for the Jokers) and his band team up with Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee Al “Carnival Time” Johnson for set of old-fashioned R&B and rock ’n’ roll. Cupid and the Dance Party Express Band, 4/12, GE, 5:20p: Born and raised in Lafayette, this R&B singer—whose given name is Bryson Bernard is best known for spawning a dance craze with the 2007 hit “Cupid Shuffle.” Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, 4/13, CHV, 2p: Born into a musical family, drums were Curley’s first instrument. Curley began his A PRI L 2018

professional career at age 16 by playing drums in his father’s band, Jude Taylor and the Burning Flames. His bluesy, soulful vocals and the band’s hard driving Zydeco beat blend to create high-energy dance music for all audiences. Cyril Neville & Swamp Funk, 4/15, ABS, 5:20p: In addition to stints playing with the Meters and the Neville Brothers, reggae-loving percussionist and singer Cyril has helmed funk outfit the Uptown Allstars and conducted a successful solo career. Dancing at Dusk with Tom Saunders and the Tomcats, 4/15, MB, 6p: Led by Tom Saunders, this classic-model big band does hot jazz and swing from the 1920’s and ‘30s. Darcy Malone & the Tangle, 4/15, JD, 2p: Led by the daughter of the Radiators’ Dave Malone, husbandand-wife team Darcy Malone and Christopher Boye blend their tastes for soul and indie rock. OffBeat writer, Rory Callais, has recently joined the band. Dash Rip Rock, 4/14, JD, 3:45p: Known for their high-octane roots rock and founded by frontman and songwriter Bill Davis, Dash Rip Rock brings on a party every time. Davis Rogan, 4/14, SS, 11a: Rogan (who inspired Steve Zahn’s character in HBO’s Treme), plays New Orleans rhythm and blues mixed with topical and political lyrics and witty comments. The DayWalkers, 4/14, CHV, 12:30p: Featuring Janson Lohmeyer on keyboards, Alex MacDonald on washboard; Brandon Miller on accordion and Steve Randall on drums. Their three part harmony can be heard playing Bourbon Street. Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton, 4/14, PAL, 1p: Davis sings blues, jazz, and show tunes with brassy candor and a twinkle in her eye. Her collaboration with pianist Josh Paxton produced a well-received CD Vices and Virtues. DeJan’s Olympia Brass Band, 4/12, PAR, 9:30a: One of the most prominent brass bands in New Orleans was originally led by saxophonist Harold “Duke” Dejan who passed away in 2002. Deltaphonic featuring Khris Royal, 4/12, JD, 2p: Saxophonist Royal was one of George Porter, Jr.’s Runnin’ Pardners, and his own band has established itself as an adventurous jazz-funk outfit. Dick Deluxe, 4/14, HOB, 3:30p: Guitarist, singer and songwriter Dick Deluxe is a troubadour worthy of the title. He’s played everything from blues and punk rock to modern jazz and Grateful Dead covers over the years, but these days he’s focused on his own new material. His last CD Turning 61 on Highway 61 was nominated for a Best of the Beat Award in 2016.

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Dirty Dozen Brass Band, 4/12, ABS, 5:20p: This band was formed in 1977 by Benny Jones and introduced bebop and funk into the brass band sound they’ve continued to evolve by adding drum kit and electric guitar they are celebrating their 40th anniversary. See feature in this issue. The Dixie Cups, 4/15, ABS, 2:10p: New Orleans’ contribution to the ’60s girl-group sound, the Dixie Cups scored nationally with “Chapel of Love,” the follow-up, “People Say” and the Mardi Gras Indian-derived “Iko Iko.” Dixie on My Mind, 4/14, INT, 2:15p: Traditional jazz band from Japan. Don Jamison Heritage School of Music, 4/15, SCH, 11a: These student players aged 11 to 17 hail from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s principal education program and study under the artistic direction of Kidd Jordan. Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders, 4/14, JD, 11a: This eclectic banjo player and singer has made a career of exploring his Creole heritage through music, whether it’s traditional jazz, island music, or joining bluesmen in the Black Banjo Project. Dr. Jee Yeoun Ko and Friends, 4/15, CLS, 3:30p: Dr. Jee Yeoun Ko, is an award-winning Korean cellist who now makes New Orleans her home and has held an assistant chair position at NOCCA for nearly a decade. The Dukes of Dixieland, 4/15, HIL, 3:50p: The Dukes are one of the most storied names in traditional jazz. This incarnation of the venerable jazz band was formed in 1974. For a few years afterward they ran their own club atop the Hotel Monteleone, taking the space over from Louis Prima. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, 4/13, CHV, 3:45p: This second-generation accordion slinger carries on the blues-infused style of his dad Dopsie Sr., often with a whole lot of added speed and volume. His latest CD Top of the Mountain was nominated for a Grammy and won for Best Zydeco CD at the Best of the Beat Awards. Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie, 4/15, MB, 4:30p: Trumpeter Dr. Brice Miller pays homage to fictional jazz pioneer Ecrib Muller as he leads this band through updated renditions of New Orleans’ trad jazz repertoire. Edna Karr High School Marching Band, 4/14, SCH, 3p: Edna Karr’s marching band is known as the “Marching Cougars” which includes instrumentalists, dancers (Cougar Dolls), a flag corp, and twirlers. The band was featured in Beyoncé’s Lemonade visual album and in the upcoming film by Lily Keber Buckjumping. Egg Yolk Jubilee, 4/14, WWL, 3:45p: Egg Yolk’s brass-driven sound

Photo courtesy of the artist

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Bon Bon Vivant

Friday, April 13, 11a WWL-TV Esplanade in the Shade Stage (U.S. Mint) Singer-songwriter Abigail Cosio and her future husband, saxophonist Jeremy Kelley, moved to New Orleans a decade ago from Los Angeles. In 2013, they formed their gypsy-jazz band, Bon Bon Vivant. The band plays local festivals and tours the nation. It’s released two full-length albums, 2016’s Paint & Pageantry and this year’s Live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. A third album is due in May. Bon Bon Vivant came together soon after Cosio and Kelley provided music for a New Orleans Fringe Festival appearance by drag performer Vinsantos Defonte. Because the couple had so much fun playing that show, they recorded the songs Cosio wrote for it. The material filled Bon Bon Vivant’s debut recording, 2014’s Evangeline. “Myself and the rest of the boys in the band had been playing jazz around town,” Kelley recalled. “But when Abigail started writing a lot of songs, we learned them and the band got busier and busier. It’s taken over our lives in a way we didn’t expect.” Cosio’s and Kelley’s choice to play gypsy jazz—a European style of jazz identified with guitarist Django Reinhardt’s and violinist Stéphane Grappelli’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France—came naturally. “Abigail and I are both into that minor-key swing sound,” Kelley said. “The dark energy in gypsy jazz fascinates us.” Cosio often writes songs in minor keys. “Minor keys lend themselves to interesting topics,” she said. “As a lyricist, I’m drawn to darker songs that have conflict in the storylines.” Kelley’s wish to live in a city that loves music inspired the couple’s move to New Orleans. “I came for the jazz,” he said. “Being a saxophone player, I was disillusioned by the lack of soul in Los Angeles at the time.” During a pre-move visit to New Orleans in 2004, the city worked its charm on Kelley. “It felt like home,” he said. “Music is a lifestyle here, instead of music for fame or fortune or business. There are a lot of blue-collar, working musicians raising their children here by playing the clarinet and trumpet. I came here because I wanted to play saxophone in New Orleans.” Cosio agreed to the change of residence. “It seemed like the right move, to come to a place that embraces music in a different way than any other city in the world,” she said. In addition to Kelley’s and Cosio’s move to New Orleans, Cosio’s singing sister, Glori, relocated to the city, too. “My sister and I were always drawn to the Boswell Sisters and the Andrews Sisters and the intricate harmonies they sang. So, it’s such a fit for me, to be the songwriter who writes a melody that Glori instinctually sings harmony to.” —John Wirt www.OFFBEAT.com

FQF IQ is a wild, anarchic mix of brass band, garage rock, vintage New Orleans R&B, Sun Ra-like jazz, and whatever else moves them at the moment. Ellis Marsalis Quintet, 4/13, HIL, 12:45p: The premier pianist, educator and patriarch of one of the city’s top musical families is an active performer who you can hear every Friday at Snug Harbor and at other venues around the city. Erica Falls, 4/14, JD, 7:15p: This soulful R&B vocalist has sung with Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas but her chops and songwriting skills demand attention on their own merit. Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road, 4/15, JD, 11a: As the name suggests, Big Easy-by-way-of-California clarinetist Evan Christopher is at the center of this project. With a versatile style that takes its cues from early greats like Sidney Bechet and Barney Bigard, Christopher offers a fresh take on traditional New Orleans jazz. The Fortifiers, 4/14, HOB, 1:45p: New Orleans blues band with Sonny Schneidau (former House of Blues talent buyer) on guitar and vocals, Jeb Baldwin on harmonica and vocals, Gerald McCollum on guitar, Rudebelly on bass and vocals, and Rodger Martin on drums. Fredy Omar con su Banda, 4/12, HIL, 2:20p: Once proclaimed the “Latin King of Frenchmen Street” by OffBeat, Omar is a Honduras-born singer with a sizzling band. Funk Monkey, 4/14, JD, 5:30p: This hard-grooving crew of local funk experts was conceived of by Bonerama’s Greg Hicks and Bert Cotton and features Jason Mingledorff (Papa Grows Funk), Rik Fletcher (Smilin’ Myron), David Pomerleau (Johnny Sketch), and Eddie Christmas (John Cleary). G and the Swingin’ Gypsies, 4/14, TJ, 2:30p: This swing quartet is fronted by vocalist Giselle Anguizola, who incorporates tap dancing and other forms of dance from the first half of the 20th century into their show. Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, 4/12, GE, 12:30p: Big-voiced Maryland native Vanessa Niemann fronts one of the city’s leading Western swing bands, which plays originals, honky-tonk favorites, and less obvious choices like Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” Garden District Band, 4/15, 100, 11:15a: Drummer David Hansen’s trio plays traditional and Latin jazz along with standards from the Great American Songbook. George & Gerald French, 4/14, SON, 2p: As a bassist, French played on some landmark ’60s sessions with Earl King, Red Tyler and Robert Parker. As a vocalist, he brings a silky touch to jazz and blues standards. He is joined by nephew drummer Gerald French. See FQFIQ feature in this issue.

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Germaine Bazzle, 4/15, SON, 8p: This locally prized jazz singer can caress a ballad or scat-sing an uptempo number with the best. Her history includes a stint playing bass on Bourbon Street with Alvin “Red” Tyler; both OffBeat and the Jazz Journalism Association recently honored her 50plus-years of work in music education with awards. Gina Brown & Anutha Level, 4/15, JD, 3:30p: Gina Brown bills herself as “New Orleans’ own soul diva,” and sings a mix of blues, jazz, oldies, hip-hop and funk. Grayson Brockamp and New Orleans Wildlife Band, 4/14, MB, 2p: Bassist Grayson Brockamp leads the New Orleans Wildlife Band. Covering Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Elvin Jones the band also includes drummer Simon Lott and saxophonist Ashlin Parker. Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras, 4/15, CLS, 12:30p: Directed by Dr. Jean Montes, the goal at GNOYO is to provide every willing young person in the area access to a quality and comprehensive orchestral program. Gregory Agid Quartet, 4/15, OMN, 12p: Arguably the most impressive young clarinetist in New Orleans today, Gregory Agid elevates his instrument every time he surrounds himself with this top-notch group of New Orleans players. OffBeat named the band’s latest album, Words Are Not Enough, one of the 50 best albums of 2016. Gypsy Elise, 4/13, HOB, 2:30p: Gypsy Elise’s rich contralto voice fronts this funk-informed, ballad-friendly blues act. Harmonouche, 4/15, 700, 12p: This gypsy jazz band was formed by Raphaël Bas, a French guitarist who moved to New Orleans just before Katrina. They approach the music with energy, romance and humor. Harpist Rachel Van Voorhees, 4/14, CLS, 12:30p: Van Voorhees is the principal harpist for the Louisiana Philharmonic. Her repertoire spans classical, jazz and Celtic music. Helen Gillet’s Wazozo Zorchestra, 4/14, 700, 4:30p: The Belgian-born singer/cellist music falls somewhere between French chansons, ethereal pop, free jazz and the Velvet Underground, though she leans more toward quirk with the Wazozo Zorchestra big band, which released its latest CD Dusk in Wallonia last year. Higher Heights Reggae Band, 4/14, TRO, 3:45p: Higher Heights combines reggae, dancehall and rocksteady into a heady mix of Jamaican sounds. Homer A. Plessy Community School, 4/14, SCH, 11a: Located in the French Quarter the school boasts Richard Simmons who graduated

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FQF IQ IQ from the school and the movie “King Creole” featuring Elvis Presley was filmed at the school. Rebecca Crenshaw teaches strings, guitar, and bucket drumming classes while encouraging students to express themselves through music. Honey Island Swamp Band, 4/15, GE, 5:20p: Formed in San Francisco by Katrina exiles who’ve since returned to town, the HISB is a hard-driving rock band with roots in R&B, country and funk. Hot Club of New Orleans, 4/15, 700, 3p: Fronted by skilled and versatile clarinetist Chris Kohl, the Hot Club performs classics of the gypsy jazz songbook. Hot Rod Lincoln, 4/14, TRO, 2p: Oldies cover band whose members include some prominent figures from the worlds of business and politics. Hot Stuff featuring Becky Allen, 4/15, PAL, 3p: Allen, a charismatic female impersonator, brings the hot stuff in the form of show tunes and standards with a great sense of humor and an over-the-top attitude. The Iguanas, 4/14, ABS, 12:35p: With Tex-Mex rock as their base, the Iguanas can swing freely into jazz, country, garage and Caribbean music. The Irene Sage Band, 4/12, ABS, 11a: Guitarist and vocalist Irene Sage has been going strong for nearly fifteen years. Sage was the front person for the band Irene and the Mikes. Sage sang and toured for many years with Allen Toussaint. In 2001 Sage was featured on the cover of OffBeat Magazine. Irma Thomas, Soul Queen of New Orleans, 4/12, ABS, 3:45p: With a career that spans more than 50 years, Thomas earned her royal nickname through innumerable contributions to the development of soul and R&B. While she still plays early hits like “It’s Raining” and “Time is on My Side,” she continues to introduce new material. Jack McLaughlin’s Oz Band, 4/14, INT, 12p: From Australian, clarinetist Jack McLaughlin main influence is New Orleans clarinetist George Lewis. He performs a collection of traditional New Orleans fare including spirituals, marches, pop songs and novelty pieces. Jake Landry & Right Lane Bandits, 4/14, HOB, 6p: This singersongwriter hails from South Louisiana and is also a member of the Right Lane Bandits. Jamal Batiste Band, 4/13, JD, 12:30p: New Orleans’ Jamal Batiste Band play charged rock, funk, soul, gospel, hip hop and R&B. Jamal Batiste has performed in the movie Get On Up, The James Brown Story. Batiste also is a guest artist on Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield’s recent CD release A Beautiful World. See FQFIQ feature in this issue.

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James Andrews, 4/13, HIL, 5:20p: Grandson of Jessie Hill and brother of Trombone Shorty, Andrews has gone in a funky, expansive direction. A neighborhood’s worth of players have joined the core band onstage. James Martin Band, 4/15, 700, 4:30p: Saxophonist James Martin is a NOCCA graduate who began his professional music career performing with his school buddy Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. After seven years of playing with Trombone Shorty, James decided to pursue a solo career. He has released several albums and gained a nomination for Best Saxophonist at the Best of the Beat Awards. James Williams, 4/15, TJ, 4:15p: Vocalist, trumpeter and tuba player co-founded the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys Traditional Jazz Band. He also plays with the Treme Brass Band and is inspired by Louis Armstrong. Jamey St. Pierre & the Honeycreepers, 4/13, HOB, 4:30p: Frenchmen Street’s singer-songwriter and guitarist Jamey St. Pierre is joined by the Honeycreepers’ Kyle Cripps on saxophone and Dave Freeson on guitar. Jamey’s interpretations of Bill Withers, Nina Simone and Ray Charles, along with his original compositions, are soulful and exciting. Jamil Sharif, 4/14, OMN, 2:45p: This local trumpeter studied with Ellis Marsalis at NOCCA and went on to do a number of soundtracks, including the Ray Charles biopic Ray, for which he was music coordinator. Jeremy Davenport, 4/15, HIL, 12:45p: Schooled as the featured trumpeter in Harry Connick, Jr.’s band, the St. Louis native has carved out a solo career with a tender tone to both his playing and singing on romantic standards and originals. The Joe Cabral Thrio, 4/15, OMN, 1:15p: Iguana’s saxophonist Joe Cabral fronts this trio which includes Doug Garrison on drums and James Singleton on bass. They play a vast repertoire including original material and recast pop tunes. It’s New Orleans R&B with Latin influences. Joe Krown, 4/13, TRO, 4p: The hardest working keyboard and organ player in New Orleans. He frequently performs with drummer Russell Batiste and guitarist Walter “Wolfman” Washington. Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound featuring Kid Merv, 4/13, TRO, 12:30p: Preservation Hall Jazz Band drummer Joe Lastie is joined by trumpeter Kid Merv. Merv is a protégé of the late Uncle Lionel Batiste. John “Papa” Gros, 4/14, GE, 7:15p: New Orleans funk scene stalwart “Papa Gros” took his music in a new direction after disbanding Papa Grows Funk in 2013; the powerhouse keyboardist, singer and French horn player recently headed back to the studio to record a new solo album, due out this year.

John Boutte, 4/13, HIL, 2:20p: A local favorite with a high and haunting voice, Boutte is an inspired, passionate interpreter of songs; his acclaim spread widely after his tune “Treme Song” became the theme of the hit HBO series, “Treme.” John Rankin, 4/14, CLS, 3:30p: Acoustic fingerstyle guitarist in the mold of Leo Kottke or Chet Atkins. When not performing solo, he’s part of the all-star Guitar Masters and collaborates in diverse duos and trios with Alex McMurray, Norbert Slama, Phil DeGruy, Todd Duke, and others. John Royen’s New Orleans Rhythm Band, 4/15, 100, 12:45p: Royen is credited with bringing EastCoast style stride piano to Preservation Hall in the early ’80’s, adding a syncopated ragtime beat to the traditional New Orleans sound. Johnette Downing, 4/14, KID, 12p: Children’s author and guitarist Downing, who often performs a medley of Louisiana roots music dubbed “Swamp Romp” with Grammy-winning producer Scott Billington, presents a solo kids program. Johnny Sansone, 4/15, TRO, 12:45p: A multi-instrumentalist who draws from swamp-rock, blues and zydeco, Sansone has two aces in the hole: his songwriting and his gutshaking harmonica solos. Guests on his latest CD Hopeland are Anders Osborne and the North Mississippi Allstars. Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, 4/15, JD, 5:15p: Fronted by a cellist turned guitarist, they’re a funky rock band with a few gonzoid touches. The band’s philosophy can best be summed up by the sentiments of the single and video, “Dance Dance Dance Dance Dance.” Jon Cleary, 4/13, GE, 7:15p: Since moving over from the UK in the ’80s, Cleary’s earned a place in the frontline of New Orleans blues singers and keyboardists. He won a Grammy Award for his CD GoGo Juice. Jonathon Boogie Long, 4/15, HOB, 4p: This soulful Baton Rougebased blues guitar slinger has opened for B.B. King and performed with Dr. John, Kenny Neal and many others. The Jones Sisters, 4/15, TRO, 11a: From Marrero on the West Bank of New Orleans, Kayla, Kiera, Dalia, and Dejon have been singing since before they could say their alphabets. In addition to their vocals, Kiera plays piano. Juju Child, 4/12, TRO, 11a: A bluesman that combines traditional African music with boogie from New Orleans creating a unique blend of blues and soul afro music. The Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band, 4/14, SON, 5p: Frenchmen Street’s trad jazz all stars are more like one big, incestuous family than a collection

of separate bands, and the particular combination known as Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band fronted by trombonist/ vocalist Colin Myers is one of the best. Kelcy Mae, 4/15, SS, 11a: Mae’s alt-country folk rock is shot through with bluegrass influences and propelled by creative lyrics that would stand on their own in print and an evocative voice. She’s been nominated multiple times in recent years for OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards. Kettle Black, 4/14, SS, 1:30p: The brainchild of Mumbles alum, Keith Burnstein, along with members of Toubab Krewe and Antibalas, the band fans out the African and Cuban influences found in New Orleans music to create a new American songbook. Kid Simmons Jazz Band, 4/14, 100, 12:45p: Trumpeter Simmons has been active in traditional jazz since he first came to came to New Orleans in 1966. He’s also a musicologist and WWOZ DJ who’s unearthed some overlooked classics of the ragtime era. Kinfolk Brass Band, 4/15, PH, 2p: Formed in 2006, the Kinfolk are true to the traditional brass-band sound and perform “Bourbon Street Parade,” “I’ll Fly Away” and other standards along with their originals. King James & the Special Men, 4/15, GE, 12:30p: King James and the Special Men play New Orleans R&B and rock ‘n’ roll with horns and a loose, ramshackle attitude that captures beautifully the spirit with which the New Orleans classics were made. KIPP Believe College Prep Jazz Ensemble, 4/15, SCH, 1:45p: Directed by Keith Hart this jazz ensemble has been featured in the HBO series Treme. Kumasi, 4/13, HOB, 7:30p: New Orleans’ only Afrobeat orchestra brings high-energy dance music in the form of West African-inspired originals and Afro-funk, along with some Fela covers. Landry Walker H.S. Brass Band, 4/15, SCH, 4:30p: From Algiers, the Landry Walker High School Brass Band won the seventh annual Class Got Brass competition for the second year in a row at the Congo Square Rhythms Festival. Lars Edegran’s New Orleans Jazz Band, 4/15, PAL, 1p: This Swedish jazz pianist migrated to New Orleans in the 1960s to learn the traditional music of New Orleans. Now he is an elder statesman and a staple performer at the Palm Court. The Last Straws, 4/14, 100, 11:15a: A New Orleans jazz band featuring Robert Ice on bass; Mo Canert on cornet; Rory Dufour on clarinet; Darryl Barnes on trombone; Bill Lee on saxophone; Bob Wahers on drums and Bruce O’Neil on banjo. This band will be celebrating 54 years of making music in New Orleans.

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FQF IQ Lawrence Cotton and the Legendary Experience, 4/15, MB, 3p: Guitar Slim’s longtime piano player and an alum of Dave Bartholomew’s band, among many others. At 89, Cotton remains devoted to his art and full of great stories. Lena Prima, 4/15, HIL, 11:15a: The youngest daughter of Louis Prima performs her dad’s classics along with her own jazz-pop material, which she performs regularly at the Hotel Monteleone. Leroy Jones & New Orleans’ Finest, 4/13, HIL, 3:50p: Trumpeter Jones is a protégé of the legendary Danny Barker and at 13 was leading the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band. In 1991 Jones joined Harry Connick, Jr. s band; he s also appeared with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Dr. John. Leroy Jones’ Original Hurricane Brass Band, 4/14, BB, 4p: Jones draws on his experience with the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band to play traditional New Orleans brass band music in this historic group. Linnzi Zaorski, 4/14, TJ, 11a: Dubbed “the Ninth Ward’s torchiest torch singer” by OffBeat, the charismatic Zaorski mixes Betty Boop phrasing with a solid sense of ‘30sstyle swing. Lisa Amos, 4/12, TRO, 3:50p: Vocalist Lisa Amos was born and raised in New Orleans. She has appeared with hip hop artist Choppa but her vocal style is more R&B. Little Freddie King, 4/14, ABS, 3:45p: The Mississippi Delta-born King plays raw juke-joint blues with style, and he’s one of the best dressers you’ll see on any stage. His latest album, Messin’ Around Tha Livin’ Room, came out last spring. Lost Bayou Ramblers, 4/12, CHV, 3:45p: As their acclaimed Mammoth Waltz demonstrates, this young Cajun band celebrates its genre’s tradition while staying open to new technology and rock influences—including a recent collaboration with the Pogues’ Spider Stacy. Louis Ford and his New Orleans Flairs, 4/14, TJ, 4:15p: Clarinetist and saxophonist Ford is a second generation New Orleans jazz man dedicated to the preservation of the genre. Louisiana’s LeRoux, 4/13, ABS, 2:10p: Founded in 1978, these Baton Rouge natives released minor hits like “Take a Ride On a Riverboat,” “New Orleans Ladies” and “Nobody Said It Was Easy (Lookin’ For the Lights)” in the late ’70 and early ’80s. They continue to tour with original members Tony Haselden and Rod Roddy. Love Evolution, 4/13, TRO, 2p: Comprised of singer Semaj and and guitarist Mr. Lorrius, this duo delivers the message that peace will triumph

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over destruction. The pair blends a variety of styles into a sound they call “urban-folk.” Luke Spurr Allen, 4/14, SS, 2:45p: Luke Spur Allen’s raw and literary approach to songwriting, along with his perfectly rasp-tinged voice, front this New Orleans-style altcountry pack of Bywater rock all-stars Lulu and the Broadsides (feat. Dayna Kurtz), 4/14, WWL, 12:30p: New Jersey born vocalist and songwriter Dayna Kurtz is joined by drummer Carlo Nuccio (Royal Fingerbowl); pianist Casey McAllister (Hurray for the Riff Raff / King James & the Special Men) and guitarist Robert Mache. Luna Mora, 4/14, 700, 1:30p: Latin band from New Orleans. Luther Kent Quartet, 4/13, SON, 7:30p: This Southern-fried soul man, who fronted Blood, Sweat & Tears for a short stint in the ’70s, is best known for leading the funky Trickbag. Lynn Drury Band, 4/13, GE, 2p: A singer/songwriter steeped in both her Mississippi heritage and her adopted home of New Orleans, this frequent Best of the Beat Awards nominee teamed up with veteran British producer John Porter for her latest CD Come to My House. Magnetic Ear, 4/13, BB, 2:15p: A progressive brass band inspired by avantgarde jazz, second line funk and European brass music. Their spirited new album Live at Vaughan’s just came out this month. Mahogany Brass Band, 4/15, BB, 2:15p: Led by trumpeter, scholar and DJ Brice Miller, this young brass band stays true the old-time, swinging sound of traditional New Orleans brass bands MainLine, 4/13, GE, 3:45p: Having dropped the “brass band” moniker in recent years, this eightpiece credits Soul Rebels sousaphonist Edward Lee with inspiring the funk, rock and jam band-style approach they layer onto their brass band horns instrumentation. Marc Stone, 4/13, TRO, 11a: Blues rock singer, songwriter and slide guitarist Stone tktk … His latest release, Poison & Medicine features the Bonerama Horns, Mike Dillon, and members of the Dirty Dozen, Galactic and the Honey Island Swamp Band. Mari Watanabe’s Chosen Few Jazz Band, 4/14, PH, 12p: Pianist, composer, and arranger, Mari Watanabe began piano lessons at age five in Tokyo, where she was born. Mari has performed with local jazz legends such as Danny Barker, Dr. Michael White, Gregg Stafford, Ernie K-Doe, Tuba Fats, and Kermit Ruffins, as well as with Harold Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and the Chosen Few Jazz Band, which she now leads.

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Mario Abney, 4/13, SON, 2p: Born and raised in Chicago, trumpeter Mario Abney’s contemporary jazz sound and penchant for extended solos have made him a fixture of the New Orleans scene. Mark Brooks, 4/14, MB, 5:30p: An acoustic bassist specializing in the classic New Orleans jazz repertoire as well as blues, gospel and modern jazz, Brooks has worked with Dr. John, the Neville Brothers and Fats Domino. Marshland, 4/13, GE, 12:30p: Formerly Nola County, a country band Marshland now describes their music as Louisiana Americana. The ensemble consists of Blake Mogabgab singer songwriter and guitarist; Mike Harvey, fiddle; John DePriest, banjo; James Clark, percussion; Greg Speck accordion; Kevin Lurkins, trumpet and John Paul Carmody, guitar. Martin Luther King High School Marching Band (Lower 9th Ward), 4/15, SCH, 3:15p: A marching band from the Dr. King Charter School for Science and Technology in the Lower 9th Ward. Mason Ruffner, 4/14, TRO, 5:45p: When he first came to New Orleans in the late ‘70s, this Texas-born, bluesobsessed guitarist backed the likes of John Lee Hooker and Memphis Slim. He went on to work with Jimmy Page, Bon Dylan, Daniel Lanois and U2 while maintaining an acclaimed solo career. Mayumi Shara & New Orleans Jazz Letters, 4/15, 100, 3:45p: This master of Japanese taiko drumming has become equally adept at historically New Orleanian music styles ranging from traditional jazz to blues to R&B. Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns, 4/13, HIL, 11:15a: Once a Royal Street performer, now a marquee name in the local traditional jazz scene, Lake and friends are getting more attention worldwide thanks to her vintage sass, great storytelling and gorgeously raw New Orleans feel; their latest, Bad Kids Club, came out last year. Mia Borders, 4/13, ABS, 11a: A singer, songwriter, and guitarist from New Orleans, her newest release, Quarter-Life Crisis was produced by Anders Osborne and described by OffBeat Magazine as “a record of great music and great intensity.” Michael Watson, 4/15, SON, 5p: From Canton, Ohio Michael Watson started playing trombone at an early age. He has Jazz Studies degrees from both Cuyahoga Community College and the University of New Orleans. He is currently a member of Magnetic Ear and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. The Mid-City Aces, 4/15, CHV, 12:30p: 18-year-old accordion prodigy Cameron Dupuy and his father, guitarist Michael Dupuy, teamed up

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with fiddler Gina Forsyth to form this traditional Cajun music trio. Mike Harvey’s Hot Club, 4/14, 700, 12p: Violinist Mike Harvey formerly of the Courtyard Kings fronts this band. Inspired by Quintette de Hot Club du France Mike Harvey’s Hot Club’s repertoire includes classic gypsy jazz. Mikhala “Jazz Muffin” Iverson, 4/15, PAL, 2p: Vocalist Iverson is a Danish-American whose life-long dream was to sing jazz in the Crescent City. Her sultry style is makes her right at home in New Orleans. Miss Sophie Lee, 4/14, OMN, 12p: One of the proprietors of the restaurant Three Muses and the newly relocated Seoul Shack, Lee applies a sultry vocal style to her chosen mixture of swing and traditional jazz. Her CD Love Street Lullaby shows off her songwriting as well as interpretive skills. Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles, 4/14, GE, 5:30p: Local legend and reggae aficionado Big Chief Monk Boudreaux plays some of the city’s most esteemed Mardi Gras Indian music with his tribe, the Golden Eagles. Nathan Williams & the Zydeco Cha Chas, 4/12, CHV, 2p: Nathan Williams sprung from his brother’s club, El Sid O’s in Lafayette, to become one of zydeco’s biggest names—and to write its two greatest hog songs, “Zydeco Hog” and “Everything on the Hog is Good.” Naughty Professor, 4/13, JD, 5:30p: This New Orleans-based sixpiece plays a blend of funk, soul and rock that’s earned them a solid following on Frenchmen Street’s jamband scene. Naydja CoJoe, 4/14, WWL, 11a: Singer and New Orleans native Naydja CoJoe’s sound dabbles in the vintage and the more recent mainstream, while her lovely voice is bolstered by her confident stage presence. The Nayo Jones Experience, 4/14, OMN, 4:15p: Kermit Ruffins’ goto guest vocalist hails from Chicago, attended Spelman and brings plenty of fire to her mix of jazz standards and R&B hits. New Birth Brass Band, 4/14, BB, 11:15a: Featuring trumpeter Will Smith and other former students of the famed Olympia Brass Band, this longrunning ensemble boasts Glen David Andrews and Trombone Shorty among its alumni. New Breed Brass Band, 4/12, ABS, 12:35p: These high school marching band alums fold hip-hop, funk, and soul into the brass tradition in clubs and second lines around the city. New Bumpers Jazz Band, 4/13, INT, 4:15p, 4/15, INT, 12p: From France tuba player and trumpeter Fred Dupin leads this traditional jazz band.

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George and Gerald French Saturday, April 14, 2p Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta Hotel

Two generations of great New Orleans musicians fill twothirds of the George French Trio. And depending on the gig, drummer Gerald French and his father, bassist George French, may call themselves the Gerald French Trio. “I like performing with my dad,” Gerald French said. “In my opinion, my dad is one of the best bass players ever to come out of New Orleans. My dad is also one of the best vocalists from New Orleans.” Now 75, George French has been performing since his teens. He was still in high school when his cousin, Dave Bartholomew, hired him to play Fats Domino sessions at Cosimo Matassa’s studio. His other session work includes Earl King’s “Trick Bag,” Robert Parker’s “Barefootin’” and Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias’ “Handa Wanda.” And his own vocals are the star in the concert album Celebration of the Voice. Gerald French’s career includes touring with the Harry Connick Jr. Band, Leroy Jones and 14 years with Charmaine Neville. Since 2011, he’s led the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band. French’s uncle, Bob French, and his grandfather, Albert “Papa” French, Sr., previously helmed the band founded in 1910 by Oscar “Papa” Celestin. Gerald French also plays drums for the Dixie Cups and the Catahoulas. The newly formed Cataloulas specialize in classic New Orleans rhythm and blues by Domino, Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner, Oliver Morgan and many more. “The people get out and dance,” French said. “It’s a lot of fun.” His leadership of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band came as a complete surprise, Gerald French said. After Bob French—another drummer and a great New Orleans character—became too ill to perform, Irvin Mayfield, former music director at the Royal Sonesta Hotel’s Jazz Playhouse, gave French the bittersweet news. “Irvin said, ‘You’ve been filling in for Bob, but he really wants you to take over the band,’” French recalled. “And everybody I ran into said, ‘Bob’s been telling us you’re going to lead the band if anything happens to him.’ But Bob never said anything to me.” Bob French was also Gerald’s most significant drumming influence. “Before I was even born, I was listening to Bob play drums because my mom went to his gigs.” French learned much from his father, too, especially about performance. “A lot of guys, especially in jazz, forget to entertain,” he said. “It’s okay to play good music and be a serious musician. But if you’re only playing for yourself, that’s not cool. You want the audience to be an extension of what’s happening on the stage. In New Orleans, that’s part of our tradition.” —John Wirt www.OFFBEAT.com

FQF IQ New Orleans 4’Ts, 4/13, INT, 2:15p: Traditional jazz band from Japan. New Orleans Classic Jazz Orchestra, 4/14, ZAP, 11a: Led by Eddie Baynard, this septet performs the music of influential ‘20s-era New Orleans bands like the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 4/13, TJ, 12p: Rulers of the lower French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny, the Cottonmouth Kings play a loose and fun style of traditional jazz. The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 4/14, 100, 3:45p: This swinging drumless quintet brings a mix of still-timely standards like “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and lesser known swing tunes to their long-running weekly gigs at the Spotted Cat. New Orleans Nightcrawlers, 4/13, BB, 12:45p: This funky brassmeets-rock outfit represents the genre’s adventurous edge and includes familiar faces from Bonerama and Galactic. Their last album, Slither Slice, combined funk, hip-hop, Indian chants and a general spirit of rejuvenation. New Orleans Suspects, 4/12, GE, 2p: The New Orleans Suspects were formed in 2009 for a jam session at the Maple Leaf. At the time the band consisted of Radiators bassist Reggie Scanlan, Neville Brothers drummer “Mean” Willie Green, Dirty Dozen guitarist Jake Eckert, James Brown’s bandleader saxophonist Jeff Watkins and keyboardist CR Gruver. New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, 4/14, MB, 5:30p: The Swamp Donkeys’ creative mix of traditional jazz, blues, vaudeville and modern jazz styles gained a worldwide legion of fans when a video of their rendition of the Game of Thrones theme went viral online. NOCCA Jazz Ensemble, 4/15, SCH, 12:30p: Student group from the secondary school whose graduates include Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Payton, Trombone Shorty and the Marsalis brothers. On the Levee Band, 4/14, OMN, 1:15p: On the Levee Jazz Band plays many of the songs associated with New Orleans’ own Kid Ory and his Creole Jazz Band with an intimate knowledge of Ory’s attention to dynamics, danceable tempos and swinging rhythm. Hal Smith’s On the Levee Jazz Band features trombonist Clint Baker. Opera on Tap, 4/14, CLS, 2p: Presented by the New Orleans Opera, “On Tap” features young local and regional singers in casual concerts of opera arias, show tunes, and more. Orange Kellin’s New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra, 4/14, ZAP, 3:30p: Clarinetist Kellin has been helping to keep the traditional New Orleans jazz

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scene alive in the Crescent City since he moved here from Sweden in 1966. A longtime associate of pianist Lars Edegran, Kellin’s also known for his central involvement in the musical One Mo’ Time. Original Dixeland Jazz Band, 4/14, ZAP, 12:30p: Bandleader and trumpeter Nick LaRocca leads this traditional New Orleans jazz band, founded nearly a century ago by his father. The Original Pinettes Brass Band, 4/15, BB, 5:45p: Billed as “The World’s Only All Female Brass Band,” the Pinettes were formed by a group of students at St. Mary’s Academy in 1991. They won the Red Bull Street Kings brass competition in 2013. Otra, 4/14, TRO, 7:20p: Led by bassist Sam Price, this local Afro-Cuban band stands out from the crowd with its strong, original compositions; they also do a heavily rearranged “Nature Boy.” Ovi-G and the Froggies, 4/15, TRO, 3:50p: Ovidio Giron leads this third generation riff on the Guatemalan marimba band Los Ranas. Along with his three children, Giron performs a mix of soca, marimba and tropical styles of Central American music. Palmetto Bug Stompers, 4/15, TJ, 2:30p: Traditional jazz sextet with some familiar players, including the ubiquitous Washboard Chaz. They are a dance band staple on Frenchmen Street. Panorama Jazz Band, 4/12, GE, 11a: Influenced by styles from around the globe, this hip band comprised of top local instrumentalists blends New Orleans jazz traditions with klezmer, Latin and Balkan sounds. Papa Mali, 4/14, WWL, 5:30p: Best known as frontman for 7 Walkers (a band that includes Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann and the Meters’ founding bassist, George Porter Jr.), Papa Mali is an accomplished singer-songwriter and guitarist who picked up two Best of the Beat Awards in 2015: Best Roots Rock Performer and Best Roots Rock Record for Music Is Love. Papo y Son Mandao, 4/15, GE, 11a: Cuban guitarist Alexis “Papo” Guevara and his band perform repertoire that includes Latin jazz, salsa, cha-cha-cha, and son Cubano. Partners N Crime & The Big Easy Bounce Band featuring DJ Jubilee, 4/12, GE, 3:30p: Legendary local rap “partners” since their days growing up in the 17th Ward, Kango Slimm and Mr. Meana appear with an all-star bounce group featuring the selfprofessed “King of Bounce” DJ Jubilee. See feature in this issue. Party Gators, 4/13, INT, 12p: This German group is led by drummer Bernie Hasel, who also tours in an oompah band but claims New Orleans music as his true love.

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FQF IQ IQ Patrice Fisher and Arpa, 4/14, MB, 11a: This Latin jazz ensemble is led by versatile professional harpist Fisher, who has been performing and recording her original compositions since the early ’80s. Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show, 4/14, GE, 12:30p: Cowboy Mouth alum Sanchez has since been a friendly godfather to the local songwriter scene, and the co-writer of the post-Katrina musical Nine Lives. Paul Sanchez transforms audiences with a unique blend of music and storytelling. Paulin Brothers Jazz Band, 4/14, 100, 2:15p: Ernest “Doc” Paulin founded this band in the 1920s; his sons now perform strictly traditional brass-band music, complete with the longstanding black-and-white uniforms and spiffy white caps. The Pentones, 4/12, TRO, 2p: This trio led by guitarist and vocalist Mark Pentone plays original blues and funk and is frequently performing at the Funky Pirate on Bourbon Street. The other members are bassist Thomas C. McDonald and drummer Eddie Christmas. Dan Willging said of Penton “it would not be an exaggeration to rate him among the top 10 lead guitarists in a city that has no shortage of them.” The Pfister Sisters, 4/15, MB, 12:15p: Inspired by the close harmonies and lively personalities of New Orleans’ Boswell Sisters, these Spotted Cat regulars are all about the ‘30s in both sound and look. Ponchartrain Owls, 4/15, INT, 2:15p: This multinational traditional jazz group has made regular appearances at French Quarter Fest. Preservation All-Stars, 4/12, HIL, 11:15a: From Preservation Hall, the Preservation All-Stars are directed by Ben Jaffe of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Professor Craig Adams Band, 4/14, SON, 8p: Hammond player and Houston/New Orleans native Adams leads this dynamic group. The Quickening, 4/12, JD, 12:30p: After parting ways with the Flow Tribe in 2012, guitarist and songwriter Blake Quick has assembled a group of musicians including vocalist Rachel “Mama Ray” Murray. The rhythm section boasts bassist Al Small and drummer Scott Sibley. Other band members (which is always changing) includes horns, pedal steel guitar, and various other woodwind and string instruments. See My Music with Blake Quick in this issue. Raw Oyster Cult, 4/15, ABS, 3:45p: The closest thing at FQF to a Radiators reunion, featuring 3/5 of the Rads (Dave Malone, Camile Baudoin, and Frank Bua) plus Papa Grows Funk’s John Gros and Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes’ bassist Dave Pomerlau.

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Rebirth Brass Band, 4/14, ABS, 7:15p: Now entering its fourth decade, Rebirth was one of the first bands to modernize and funkify the New Orleans brass band sound. They won their first Grammy in 2012 for the CD Rebirth of New Orleans and took home three awards at OffBeat’s Best of the Beat 2014 for Best Brass Band, Best Brass Band Album and Album of the Year for Move Your Body. Rechell Cook and the Regeneration Band, 4/12, JD, 5:15p: Vocalist Rechell Cook was born and raised in New Orleans. Cook formed the Regeneration Band in 1991. Her powerhouse vocals include old school R&B, jazz and blues. Red Hot Brass Band, 4/13, BB, 4p: Student musicians from the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, the Red Hots play standards from the traditional New Orleans jazz repertoire. Red Wolf Brass Band, 4/15, BB, 4p: Music teacher and band director Desmond Venable leads this energetic young band of music students who recently released their first album, 7th Period. The Revealers, 4/13, WWL, 3:45p: Long-running reggae band with a funkified New Orleans feel, the Revealers are known for the local hit, “I Like the Sound of That.” Rhodes Spedale & Live Jazz Group, 4/15, 100, 2:15p: In addition to performing as a jazz pianist in and around New Orleans since the mid‘60s, Spedale has worked as a jazz journalist, authoring a guide to New Orleansm jazz in the ‘80s and hosting numerous radio programs over the years. Ricardo Pascal Orchestra, 4/15, SON, 2p: Marcus Roberts “The Modern Jazz Generation” incorporates a core group of very talented younger musicians at the beginning of their careers. In that number was tenor and soprano saxophonist Ricardo Pascal now leading his own orchestra. Richard “Piano” Scott and Friends, 4/14, MB, 5:30p: Born Scott Obenshain, pianist Richard Scott began playing the piano at four years old. He loved listening to early New Orleans jazz band and his latest CD Jambalaya Town contains original music written in that syle. Robin Barnes & The Fiyabirds, 4/12, HIL, 3:50p: Steeped in R&B, this self-professed “soul pop” vocalist first sang in the choirs at St. Phillip and St. David Catholic Churches, and later with her family’s jazz band the Soul Heirs. Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters, 4/15, CHV, 5:30p: One of the few rubboard players to lead a zydeco band, Dopsie Jr. plays it wilder than his accordionist dad, and his sets are guaranteed party-starters. The Ronnie Kole Show featuring John Perkins, 4/14, HIL, 2:20p: This

award-winning jazz pianist, old-school Bourbon Street staple and protégé of Al Hirt has been performing Great American Songbook classics and Big Band tunes in New Orleans for decades. Rory Danger & the Danger Dangers, 4/13, WWL, 5:30p: Danger is saxophonist and clarinetist Aurora Nealand’s alter ego. The rockabilly ensemble includes Spencer Bohren, his son, Andre Bohren, Marc Paradis, Casey Coleman, Bill Malchow and Scott Potts. Their relentless enthusiasm and dedication to their bizarre characters make their performances some of the most fun in town. Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco Playboys, 4/15, CHV, 3:30p: Born in Church Point, Louisiana, Rosie Ledet is a singer and accordion player. Her songs are known for their sultry and suggestive lyrics. Russell Batiste and Friends, 4/15, GE, 3:30p: The funky Meters drummer does his own brand of funk with jazz and hip-hop elements. Brought up in a musical family, Batiste started playing drums at the age of four. Sam Price & the True Believers, 4/15, JD, 12:30p: Bassist Sam Price of Otra and Honey Island Swamp Band leads the True Believers in original soulful and funky music. The band also features Ethan Shorter on drums, Conga Mike on percussion, Phil Breen on keys and either Matt Galloway or John Fohl on guitar. Sarah Quintana and the Miss River Band, 4/15, WWL, 11a: Water and the Louisiana region’s natural world fueled the inspiration for this ambitious, dreamy and innovative project from one of the city’s top vocalists Sean Ardoin, 4/13, CHV, 5:30p: Sean Ardoin’s family connections in zydeco go back to one of the originators, Amede Ardoin. After leading the zydeco band Double Clutchin, he also rocks the house with Christian-oriented zydeco. Sexy Dex, 4/14, HOB, 7:45p: New Orleans band that plays early ‘80s funk. Shake Em’ Up Jazz Band, 4/15, PH, 1p: All-female traditional jazz band. The members are Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet, Marla Dixon on trumpet, Haruka Kikuchi on trombone, Molly Reeves on guitar and Julie Schexnayder on string bass. Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs, 4/13, JD, 7:15p: Jazzfunk-hip-hop trumpeter Allen resists categorization, having performed with Willie Nelson and written the local anthem “Meet Me on Frenchmen Street.” Shannon Powell’s Traditional All Star Band, 4/14, HIL, 5:20p: Billed as the “King of Treme,” Shannon Powell is a master drummer and Preservation

Hall staple who began his career with Danny Barker and has since played with Wynton Marsalis, Dr. John and Harry Connick Jr. Shotgun Jazz Band, 4/15, ZAP, 11a: Trumpeter Marla Dixon and sixstring banjoist John Dixon began as a busking duo before expanding to their current seven-piece, traditional New Orleans jazz incarnation. Sierra Green & The Soul Machine, 4/15, WWL, 2p: Sierra Green & The Soul Machine is comprised with some of the best musicians from all over the country that now reside in New Orleans. The band plays many genres rock, jazz, blues, funk, soul, reggae, country and Latin. Band members include vocalist, Sierra Green; bassists Mike Perez; drummer Ezell Smith; guitarist, Seizo and saxophonist Tajh Derosier. Smitty Dees Brass Band, 4/14, PH, 2p: New Orleans brass band was founded in October 1991 by tuba player Dimitri K. Smith. Smith played with Dejan Olympia Brass Band for 10 years. Smoke N Bones, 4/13, GE, 11a: This five piece band has a classic soul sound rooted in jazz, Afro beat and Reggae. The band includes Mykia Jovan on vocals featured in My Music this month. The Smoking Time Jazz Club, 4/15, TJ, 12:45p: Classic New Orleans traditional jazz fronted by vocalist Sarah Peterson. Although the Smoking Time Jazz Club have released nine albums they are still often regarded as up-and-comers. Some Like it Hot Traditional Jazz Band, 4/14, ZAP, 2p: Trumpeter Kaye Caldwell leads this traditional jazz group, which unlike most ensembles of its type features several female musicians. Soul Brass Band, 4/14, BB, 2:15p: Drummer Derrick Freeman leads the Soul Brass Band, which was formed in 2015. The band was the winner of Best Emerging Artist this year at the Best of the Beat Awards. Soul Project, 4/14, TRO, 4p: Young devotees of old-school funk, and inspired by vintage Nevilles and Meters. Guitarist/singer Jon Cristian Duque played for a time with Walter “Wolfman” Washington. St. Peter Street Jazz Band, 4/14, PH, 1p: Traditional jazz band named for the street Preservation Hall is located at in New Orleans. Stephanie Jordan, 4/15, HIL, 5:30p: This popular New Orleans jazz singer hails from the esteemed Jordan family (her father is the award-winning saxophonist Kidd Jordan). In 2012, her big band performed a critically acclaimed tribute to Lena Horne at the Fair Grounds. Steve Pistorius & the Southern Syncopators 4/14, TJ, 12:45p: Pianist Steve Pistorius, who plays with

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photo: titus childers

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The Vettes

Sunday, April 15, 2p GE Digital Big River Stage Even in the eclectic New Orleans music scene, the Vettes strike a different chord. Inspired by synthesizer-laden 1980s pop, the Vettes recently released their second full-length album, Gold Star. The album shows how expertly this mostly sibling band crafts and reinvigorates the distinctive sound of ’80s and early-’90s pop and rock. The Vettes feature the dynamic, blond frontwoman Rachel Vette, her brothers Todd, Chad and Brian and, adopted for the musical purposes, Mitch Gray. Rachel Vette, despite being from the city that produced decades of rhythm and blues, jazz and funk, got hooked on ’80s music. Too young to have experienced much of that decade, she discovered the era’s music through such ’80s-influenced bands as the Killers and the Strokes. “When those bands were coming out, I read their interviews and saw who influenced them,” Vette said. “Then I’d go check their influences out. I’d be like, ‘Oh, my gosh. Duran Duran. Awesome.’” Add the likewise synth-based Flock of Seagulls, a-ha and Depeche Mode to the Vettes’ inspirations. Also Blondie, the punk-gone-new wave band that went mainstream in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The Vettes formed in 2005, initially as a cover band. The group immediately began writing original songs. Searching for the ’80s sound, the band also began collecting vintage keyboards. In 2008, the Vettes released their official recording debut, the T.V. EP. The full-length Plasticville followed in 2010. Gold Star, the Vettes’ second full-length album, appeared in March. Recording sessions for Gold Star began in 2013. The lengthy gap between the Plasticville and Gold Star albums happened for a few simple reasons, Rachel Vette said. “Because we’re paying for everything ourselves, with no support from a record label or wealthy parents. And sometimes you have to live life to have something to write about.” Gold Star features one song not written by the Vettes. The group arranged a synth-rock reinvention of LeRoux’s “New Orleans Ladies.” The Vettes adapted the Gulf Coast classic, which reached Number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978, at the suggestion of Thomas Naylor, a.k.a. Jammer, a radio personality at local Top 40 radio station WEZBFM (B97). Last year, the Vettes’ slightly retitled “New Orleans Lady” was the station’s 52nd most played song between July and October. “It’s the first time we’ve ever adapted a song to our own style,” Vette said. “Jammer liked our version and he gave it a shot.” The Vettes hope their follow-up to Gold Star won’t be seven years in the making. Early next year, the band plans to release an album of songs that didn’t make Gold Star. “Sometimes songs just don’t fit on an album, but they’re all still our children,” Vette said. “We want all of our children to be heard.” —John Wirt www.OFFBEAT.com

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a dexterous, ragtime piano style, is complemented by a crew of seasoned traditional jazz musicians in a band named after a song by Henry “Red” Allen. Their repertoire includes tunes by Sidney Bechet, Natty Dominique, Bill Whitmore, Tony Jackson and others. Stone Rabbits, 4/15, HOB, 12p: A psychedelic blues and rock jam band from Baton Rouge. The Stone Rabbits formed in 2007 and were the winners of the LSU Battle of the Bands. Stooges Brass Band, 4/13, BB, 5:45p: Formed in 1996, the Stooges are one of the busiest brass bands on the circuit. They frequently add unexpected elements like reggae to their tight sound, drawing high-profile devotees like Trombone Shorty to their fanbase. Storyville Stompers Brass Band, 4/14, BB, 12:45a: This longrunning and prolific traditional New Orleans brass band has a knack for reinvigorating rare, vintage jazz songs. Storyville String Band featuring Seva Venet, 4/15, PH, 12p: Guitarist and banjo player Seva Venet moved to New Orleans from Los Angeles and performs with bands including Lionel Ferbos and the Palm Court Jazz Band. The Storyville Stringband has recorded with guitarists Lars Edegran, Kerry Lewis, and Matt Rhodie. Sullivan Dabney’s Muzik Jazz Band, 4/14, MB, 12:30p: Jazz musician Sullivan Dabney has performed with The Muzik Jazz Band all over the world. Dabney has played with Irma Thomas, Jean Knight and many others. His band performs at Harrah’s Casino every weekend. Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, 4/14, CHV, 5:30p: Accordionist and harmonica player Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, who grew up surrounded by blues masters like Sonny Boy Williamson in Arkansas, infuses plenty of R&B into his brand of contemporary Zydeco. Sweet Crude, 4/12, ABS, 2:10p: New Orleans indie pop septet Sweet Crude plays an energetic brand of percussion-driven, sparkly rock, often sung in French. Sweet Olive String Band, 4/14, PAL, 12p: This self-described “old tyme” string trio performs country, blues and bluegrass from eras past. Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, 4/15, CLS, 11a: The 85member chorus under the direction of Steven Edwards started in 1981. T’Monde, 4/12, CHV, 12:30p: A trio of rising star Cajun music players—Kelli Jones-Savoy on fiddle, Drew Simon on accordion and Megan Brown on guitar—founded this South Louisiana-based band, which mines regional traditions and each member’s’ own creativity for its sound. TBC Brass Band, 4/14, BB, 5:45p: If a brass band on Bourbon Street ever

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stopped you in your tracks, it was probably TBC Brass Band. Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires, 4/15, SS, 1:30p: Wisconsin native Ted Hefko took a bus down to New Orleans at the age of 18 and never looked back. The saxophonist/clarinetist/guitarist and his band deliver some good old American roots music, with more than a little bit of New Orleans flavor thrown into the mix. Terrance “Hollywood” Taplin leads the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, 4/12, HIL, 5:30p: Trombonist Terrance Taplin leads the Uptown Jazz Orchestra founded by trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. They frequently perform at Snug Harbor. The Uptown Jazz Orchestra’s latest CD Make America Great Again! with Delfeayo Marsalis was the best contemporary jazz album at the 2016 Best of the Beat Awards. Thais Clark and her JAZZsters, 4/13, TJ, 4p: Hailing from New Orleans’ Seventh Ward, Clark often hews to the ribald, fun, old-school blues of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith and has worked with Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Michael White and the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. Them Ol’ Ghosts, 4/15, HOB, 4p: Them Ol’ Ghosts are a Southern soul alternative rock band from New Orleans. Their sound is an eclectic mix that’s raw and sincere. The band are Theophile Bourgeois on guitar, Blair Champagne on drums, Justin Johnson on guitar and Aaron Younce on bass and keyboard. Tim Laughlin, 4/14, HIL, 11:15a: Clarinetist Laughlin’s compositions fit within the classic traditional jazz idiom, but his skill in bringing traditional New Orleans jazz into the 21st Century gives them a more modern feel. He was the first and only New Orleans clarinetist to write and record an entire album of originals. The Tin Men, 4/15, WWL, 12:30p: This rocking and swinging trio doesn’t appear together much these days, but with Alex McMurray, Matt Perrine and Washboard Chaz all playing separate sets this year the time is right. Tom McDermott and His Jazz Hellions, 4/14, PAL, 3p: McDermott is a virtuoso pianist whose skill and deep knowledge of music history allow him to play everything from New Orleans jazz and blues to Caribbean and classical music. Tommy Sancton’s New Orleans Legacy Band, 4/15, ZAP, 3:30p: This clarinetist served as Time Magazine’s Paris bureau chief for 22 years. As a child, he took music lessons from Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s George Lewis, an experience he documents in the book Song for My Fathers. Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony, 4/15, HIL, 2:20p: Topsy Chapman leads the all-female group with a gospel-inspired vocal blend called Solid Harmony.

Photo courtesy of the artist

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Jamal Batiste Band Friday, April 13, 12:30p Jack Daniel’s Stage

Like many musicians in New Orleans, Jamal Batiste comes from a musical family. Musicians in the Batiste clan include his father, David, a music teacher and leader of the Gladiators; older brother Russell, an acclaimed drummer; and cousin Jon Batiste, leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert band. Batiste is an all-music embracing drummer, singer, composer, arranger, producer, engineer and mixer. He also played the drummer Get On Up, the Chadwick Boseman-starring bio-pic about James Brown. Batiste’s versality manifests itself in All Rock’d Up, his latest recording. The seven-song EP features hip-hop, rock, rap, rhythm and blues and prog-rock. Genre mashups by Linkin Park and Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons as well as Run-DMC and Aerosmith inspired the project. “I’m introducing that from a different view, coming from New Orleans,” Batiste said. “Because rock ‘n’ roll went everywhere else, rock was already taking place here in New Orleans.” Leo Nocentelli, the 2018 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award– winning guitarist and member of the Meters, hipped Batiste to how influential music from New Orleans has been for many decades. “I’ve been blessed to work with Leo,” Batiste said. “He took me under his wing and informed me about records from New Orleans that have been sampled so many times. And my father’s song, ‘Funky Soul,’ was sampled by P.M. Dawn (“So On and So On”). New Orleans is everywhere. On the pop charts, the hip-hop charts, rock charts, R&B charts.” Through his All Rock’d Up EP, Batiste wants to reach all generations. “You can still hear the essence of New Orleans,” he said. “Our elders can understand and see where it’s coming from, but it can also appeal to the youth and young adults.” Batiste formed his first band at 7 or 8 years old. “When I was 3, I remember watching my oldest brother, Russell, set up a drum kit. To me, it was like building beautiful architecture. I was drawn to it. And I watched Russell’s hands playing grooves, moving fast. And then I went over to the drum kit, picked up the sticks and sat on the stool. I couldn’t reach the bass drum foot pedal, but I made it work anyway. I started playing. I just knew it was something I wanted to do.” Music, in the myriad forms Batiste creates it, is much more a calling than a job. “It’s a blessing from God himself,” he said. “Not only is it a blessing to me, but it’s a gift to Planet Earth. Because music is a powerful tool. It can help heal people. It can hurt people, too. I want to help and heal people. I want to use music right.” —John Wirt www.OFFBEAT.com

FQF IQ Treme Brass Band, 4/15, BB, 12:45p: Led by Benny Jones, the Treme Brass Band is one of the longest-running traditional brass bands in town. The Treme Brass Band contributed to the Carnival repertoire with “Gimme My Money Back.” Tricentennial High School Band, 4/14, SCH, 4:15p: To celebrate New Orleans 300 years this band consists of high school students from across New Orleans. Tuba Skinny, 4/12, JD, 11a: This band of New Orleans street musicians specialize in traditional jazz, Depression-era blues and spirituals. Read our cover story in this issue. Turnaround Arts Program/ ReNew: Delores T. Aaron Middle School Brass Band, 4/14, SCH, 1:45p: This brass band took part in the Turnaround Arts Talent Show at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. this last March. Tuxedo Jazz Band, 4/14, INT, 4:15p: This New Orleans traditional jazz band from Sweden also broadens their repertoire with some modern material. The band is Rolf Carvenius on clarinet, Per Dywling on trumpet, Lasse Hobinger on trombone, Staffan Algell on banjo, Stefan Ramnell on string bass and Peter Stenson on drums. Valerie Sassyfras, 4/14, SS, 4p: Valerie Sassyfras’ eclectic one-woman show transcends any easy classifications. Suffice to say, her off-kilter performances are as sassy as her name suggests, blending disparate styles like zydeco and electro-pop with a heavy dose of showmanship. The Vettes, 4/15, GE, 2p: This band takes its name from the surname shared by all of its members, who happen to be siblings (well, one of them was “adopted” when the group formed). Fronted by singer/guitarist Rachel Vette, the band is known for its energetic blend of new-wave and alternative rock. See FQFIQ feature in this issue. Vivaz!, 4/15, MB, 1:30p: This energetic and dance inspiring Caribbean/Latin jazz fusion band led by the Bolivian-born guitarist Javier Gutierrez highlights the Cuban tres (a double three-stringed Cuban guitar). Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, 4/13, ABS, 5:30p: A local institution, the Wolfman puts plenty of hot guitar and soulful horns into his funky brand of blues. See backtalk feature in this issue. Wanda Rouzan & A Taste of New Orleans, 4/15, TRO, 2:20p: A lifetime New Orleanian, Wanda cut her first single as part of the Rouzan Sisters and has since distinguished herself as a stage actress, educator and champion of the city’s R&B tradition. Warren Easton Marching Band, 4/14, SCH, 12:15p: The 105-piece

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band has performed at the Superdome during New Orleans Saints halftime shows. They are also a regular at Mardi Gras parades including Endymion, Bacchus, Rex and Hermes. Washboard Chaz Blues Trio, 4/14, 700, 3p: When not tackling Western swing with Washboard Rodeo, rocking acoustically with the Tin Men or presiding over Chazfest, Washboard Chaz airs his blues roots with this group. Water Seed, 4/13, TRO, 5:45p: Keen to steer clear of the genre label, “neo-soul,” the band’s five to eight pieces create the thick, rich sonic fabric only true soul groups possess. Perhaps R&B is a more appropriate label for their sound—original R&B, that is. Waylon Thibodeaux Band, 4/13, CHV, 12:30p: A Bourbon Street fixture for years, Waylon is an energetic fiddler who specializes in zydeco and Cajun music. He’s also a member of the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars. Wendell Brunious, 4/14, HIL, 12:45p: Trumpeter Brunious took over as the leader of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 1987 and remained a Hall regular for many years (his nephew Mark Braud is the current leader). Brunious has played regularly with Lionel Hampton, Linda Hopkins and Sammy Rimington. Yung Vul, 4/13, WWL, 2p: From New Orleans the band integrates jazz, hip-hop, punk rock, folk and R&B to create a unique blend of creative improvisation. Zachary Richard, 4/13, CHV, 7:30p: Singer songwriter Zachary Richard has recorded over 20 albums. He is a poet and cultural activist. His latest CD Gombo features slide guitar paired with a driving accordion. He can defy categorization “I always thought I belonged in the rock bins… but I always wound up in the Cajun bin instead.” Zena Moses & Rye Fiya, 4/13, JD, 2p: Formed in 2011 this band is like a musical gumbo, soul, funk, jazz, reggae and blues. The band features Kashonda Bailey on piano; Seizo Shibayama on guitar; Jerry Henderson on bass; Terry Scott Jr. on drums; Jeremy Phipps on trombone; Natasha Harris on saxophone and Zena Moses vocalist. The Zion Harmonizers, 4/14, GE, 11a: This venerable group has been a Jazz Fest favorite since the beginning. The group’s history goes back to 1939, when the first lineup was formed in the Zion City neighborhood. Zohar Israel & the Free Sprit Afro Caribbean Showcase, 4/14, KID, 2p: Director Zohar Israel is a specialist in the African drum culture. Zydefunk, 4/14, JD, 2p: Bassist Charlie Wooton leads this bass-driven funk band that includues hints of Latin, reggae, jazz and blues.

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Tuba Skinny electrifies the streets. By Stacey Leigh Bridewell Photography by Elsa Hahne

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“But it is the culture of the street that has made America great, and where life remains in the streets there will always be great music, great poetry, great painting, great art of all sorts, at once reflecting and feeding back the brilliance and energy of the people in the streets.” —John Sinclair

t’s just after noon on a sunny day in early March. At the corner of Toulouse and Royal Streets tourists mill about. They pause to look in the antique shop windows, sniff soap samples and sip walking beverages. On the curb, Tuba Skinny are just finishing their lunch break. They eat the last few bites of bananas and sandwiches from Rouses. Tupelo, Barnabus the trombone player’s dog, eats leftover bacon. Shaye Cohn makes the traditional New Orleans call-to-arms with her cornet. Buh-bah! Buh-bah! The seven members of the band slowly settle into their seats, which are arranged in a sweeping arc in the street. Tupelo lays down to nap next to the tip jar in the center of the arc. After some casual chatter and discussing a few business notes, the band is ready to start. With a motion from Shaye the horns hold two long, dramatic notes. Craig Flory cartwheels around them on clarinet. Jason Lawrence plays quick, fluttering strokes on the banjo. They stretch the notes as the tension builds until, suddenly, they cut out. Heads turn. Conversations stop. The street is now at attention. The founding members of Tuba Skinny first began accumulating in New Orleans just before and after Hurricane Katrina. They came to New Orleans from all over the United States. Cornetist Shaye Cohn had come down with a friend from Boston; trombonist Barnabus Jones had come from Virginia, riding through on trains until he finally anchored himself in the city; vocalist/ bass drummer Erika Lewis had come from New York’s Hudson Valley to visit wintering circus friends; Todd Burdick, the tuba of Tuba Skinny, left Chicago and had been traveling around before he came to rest in New Orleans; and washboard player/drummer Robin Rapuzzi came to the city from Washington State to find inspiration to write. Most of the band’s roster throughout the years have found themselves in the city that way. “A lot of us came down here without the expectation that we would be doing what we’re doing today, but we were all drawn to stay here because of the city’s rich musical legacy. We’re all transplants from different parts of the country, but we share a deep love and respect for this city. The vibrant brass band culture, the deep-rooted traditions of celebrating life through music, the fact that you can go out on any given day and hear something mindblowing, something that sends you into a dancing frenzy—these are some of the things that make New Orleans one of a kind,” says Shaye Cohn. Tracing when and how and why Tuba Skinny came together means sorting through a tangled mix of bands and styles and busking locations. In a nutshell: They started out busking in string bands such as the Dead Man Street Orchestra on Jackson Square. Even then, the idea for the band had begun to incubate. “We had this talk one day when we were

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with Dead Man Street Orchestra and I remember Shaye said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if one day we had a brass band,’” says Barnabus Jones. They eventually transitioned to playing traditional New Orleans jazz in various bands such as the Muskrat Ramblers and the Loose Marbles. It was through playing with the Loose Marbles that many of Tuba Skinny’s members learned to play traditional jazz. “A lot of us who later formed Tuba Skinny got our start playing early jazz with them,” says Cohn. When Shaye initially came to the city, her background was largely in classical piano. “I played piano most of the time growing up, and then I quit when I was 19. When I met Ben and Michael [of The Loose Marbles] I started experimenting with playing jazz piano, which was new to me. I learned a lot by playing those tunes with them.” Eventually she transitioned to the trumpet. “I was staying at a house where there was a little collection of abandoned swamp [flood damaged] instruments. They were all messed up. Barnabus and I were trying to figure out scales on the trumpet together, and it was just so fun. I just got really hooked. I had never played a wind instrument before and it just felt really powerful, so I got to play second trumpet with [the Loose Marbles], sometimes they’d invite me to play with them.” Todd Burdick recalls the same kind of introduction. “I hadn’t really played much traditional music, just some punk and experimental stuff. I started playing percussion with them. They started teaching me chords. Barnabus had a guitar that he eventually gave me. It was like learning from the ground up with them.” Eventually, as various musicians cycled in and out of the Loose Marbles, new groups were created including Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns and of course: Tuba Skinny. Their name has always been a curiosity because of its obvious reference to revered Jackson Square musician Tuba Fats. Its origin has become part of the ever-building lore about the band. Todd Burdick remembers, “I’d be biking to the Quarter with the tuba and there was this guy somewhere in the Marigny who would yell, ‘Hey, look, it’s Tuba Skinny!’ He’d always yell this stuff. Then I mentioned it to some people and then some people started calling me that. So there’s a reference in name to Tuba Fats, but we don’t have any direct tie to him or anything like that. Over the years it’s been interesting because a lot of people tell me their stories about Tuba Fats, especially when we’re abroad because he toured a lot.” The significance of the name and the musician behind it are not lost on the band. “We do have an admiration for Tuba Fats because over the years we’ve heard how he kept music playing on the streets. Which is, of course, important to us. And we’ve befriended musicians who’ve learned a lot about New Orleans music by playing in Jackson Square with him,” explains Shaye. “He was like a folk hero for street musicians’ rights,” recalls Barnabus. The band officially formed in 2009 and quickly established itself as a fixture on Royal Street. “Everything seemed to happen so naturally with us, we really just wanted to keep playing together and were propelled by the energy of playing for crowds on the street,” says Erika Lewis. As a crowd begins to gather around the band, they launch headlong into the 1923 Armand J. Piron tune, “Bouncing Around.” Robin keeps the beat alternately on the bass drum and washboard, gripping a drumstick between his teeth. Shaye, Craig and Barnabus whirl around the song’s rising and falling Ferris wheel melody. With a slight glance or a nod, Shaye directs solos. When the song finishes a cheer goes up, which only draws more attention from passersby. Robin stands and casually introduces the band and the song. He mentions its composers were from New Orleans. Money flows to the tip jar. A preteen girl buys all their CDs. For nearly a decade Tuba Skinny has grown steadily in popularity, releasing eight albums, frequently touring, and attracting high-profile fans from R. Crumb to Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman. They’ve garnered fans from all over the world—young and old, neophytes and niche-enthusiasts. There are a myriad of factors that lend to their appeal, but first and foremost is their music. www.OFFBEAT.com

COVER STORY RY ST O In the beginning they would borrow heavily from the Loose VE R O C for seeking Marbles’ repertoire, but over time they’ve become known out and resurrecting long-lost tunes. They would find inspiration from Louis Armstrong’s Hot 5 and Hot 7, Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, Bunk Johnson, George Lewis, Jim Robinson, the Mississippi Sheiks, Sam Morgan’s Jazz Band, Johnny and Baby Dodds, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller, the Memphis Jug Band, King Oliver, Bessie Smith and Kit Stymie Stovepipe, among many more. They’ve become a favorite with local traditional jazz players because of their faithfulness to the early style. “They play traditional jazz of the 1920s, which is an era that is often ignored in New Orleans,” says former WWOZ DJ, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and rare record collector Tom Saunders. “They aren’t a revival band. They’re prerevival. It’s pure traditional jazz, as it was before phonographs were widely available and the music had spread around the world.” One of the hallmarks of early New Orleans jazz is that much of it was arranged. This was a holdover from Creole tradition as Creole musicians were often classically trained. Tuba Skinny rehearses and arranges their songs, which is part of what distinguishes their playing and aligns them with the early style. For this to work, it requires a serious commitment, and wouldn’t have been as effective if the band had not retained the majority of its core players. “As casual as it all has been in some respects, we have also worked really hard to keep it together over the years,” says Erika Lewis, who still performs with the band at festivals and on tours, despite now living in Chattanooga. While Tuba Skinny makes most FQFIQ: of their decisions Thursday, April 12, democratically, Jack Daniel's Stage much of the musical direction has come 11a to be conducted by Shaye Cohn. “You have one of the most educated musicians in the scene with this group,” says Peter Loggins, who is a trombonist and former member of the Loose Marbles and Shotgun Jazz Band. “She’s a rare, rare person and she applies her ear and training to this particular style.” Although she is very adamant about the egalitarian nature of the group, it’s clear she has played a strong role in its direction. “I like the way Shaye leads that band,” says trombonist Craig Klein, of Bonerama and the New Orleans Jazz Vipers. “She’s always very sure of what and when to play. I’ve liked playing with them because they are young musicians playing old music, which I love, and they are doing a fine job of it.” For the majority of their career they’ve been known as a traditional jazz band and have firmly asserted their prowess in that field. “The fact that they maintain the same personnel, that they rehearse and arrange, that they are very faithful to the recordings and the original renditions of the music, as well as being creative is why I think they’re the best traditional jazz band in the city,” asserts Tom Saunders. While excellent interpreters of traditional jazz, Tuba Skinny have not limited their choice of material solely to what is offered in the traditional repertoire. In fact, their goal is not to be boxed in by prescribed genres. “We started out playing mostly early jazz,” says Shaye. “Over the next couple of years we shifted towards jug band music, country blues, string band music and ragtime. Eventually we began to incorporate country songs and also some New Orleans R&B. Right now it seems we’ve returned to focusing on early jazz.”

“Tuba Skinny would never allow style to limit them,” says Peter Loggins. “A pop song in 1923 is just a song. They’re not just copying one band. www.OFFBEAT.com

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“Throughout the years we’ve gotten to swim in cenotes in Mexico, camp in the woods off the wild coast of Tasmania, stay at an olive farm in Italy, swim in salt lakes in Western Australia and in the crocodileinfested waters of remote Darwin in northern Australia.”

They’re not just looking at what the jazz bands were doing at the time. The genres were mostly fabricated by the record companies, anyway. They’re taking back the music from those record companies. They’re making choices like a musician of that era would. They’re giving us a reflection of Americana.” Hand in hand with their musical prowess is the band culture Tuba Skinny have created. Some bands play in a style, some define a style, but few create a lifestyle. Part of what lends to their appeal is the allure of the way they live: traveling together, swimming, sailing, riding bikes, exploring, all the while sharing their music in the world’s streets. It’s the way most of us only dream of living. “We began touring in July of 2009, when we bought plane tickets to France,” says Shaye. “We had a friend who invited us over to her seaside town of Meschers, and so we met up there and played music on the street and in the local tavern. Lulu, who played fiddle with us at the time, spoke French and managed to find a guy who was selling bikes for cheap, so we all got bicycles and set off on our first tour, down the coast of France toward Spain. We played on the streets of the towns we rode through, and found places to camp at night. Those bikes were not exactly road-trip worthy; a lot of them were old cruiser bikes! So it was an adventure, and quite a memorable time for us. Throughout the years we’ve gotten to swim in cenotes in Mexico, camp in the woods off the wild coast of Tasmania, stay at an olive farm in Italy, swim in salt lakes in Western Australia and in the crocodile-infested waters of remote Darwin in northern Australia. We recorded an album in an old fruit picker’s shack in Tasmania, and have run into unexpected street festivals in the Basque country.” The band has also toured quite a bit domestically as well, and when they do they squeeze everyone into their band van. “We’ve had a van for a while, a six seater,” says Shaye. “Our first van was Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship?’s old touring van. That was special. Now our friend still loves it and takes care of it. He drives his kids around in it.” Getting the whole band in, instruments and all, is tricky. “It’s to the brim,” says Barnabus. We are IN THERE. Eight people, dogs, tuba, bass drum, and then everyone has their second instrument they’re learning.” “And then their third instrument they’re learning,” adds Robin.

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The crowd has now swollen in size to encircle the band and fill the street. Tupelo has moved to sleep behind Greg’s chair, tired of the spotlight. The band plays Blind Blake’s “Too Tight,” which Jason Lawrence leads off on banjo before Greg Sherman launches into the lyrics. The rhythm is jaunty and infectious. A whitehaired man leaning against a drainpipe grins and claps out of time. The band follows with “Too Much Competition” which ends in a beautifully coordinated gliss that elicits an ecstatic groan from a man wearing convertible flip-up sunglasses. Everywhere there are cell phones and cameras filming and snapping. Two young Asian girls with intimidating cameras hover around the band, shutters clicking away. A girl ducks in to selfie. As each new wave of people walk up, someone will inevitably whip out a cell phone and start recording. Over the course of the set a total of 32 people filmed the band and far too many to count took photos. Almost equally as impressive as the band’s playing and globetrotting is the way their popularity has spread. A YouTube search of “Tuba Skinny” will yield well more than 500 videos, many with 100,000plus views, in a variety of languages. “We don’t do any of that,” says Barnabus. “We’ve never put up a video of ourselves doing anything.” Indeed, the group does not have a YouTube page—all of the videos of them are fan-made. They have a website, which they set up in 2016, and a Facebook page they post to once or twice a week. That is a shockingly bare-bones amount of effort for them to have that kind of digital exposure. Nonetheless, it is through the digisphere that Tuba Skinny have reached a majority of their audience. One blogger, who goes by Pops Coffee, has established himself as an authority on Tuba Skinny. He has written countless blog posts about the band in meticulous detail on his Blogspot website, Pops Coffee’s Traditional Jazz, and has even published an ebook titled Tuba Skinny and Shaye Cohn. It’s impressive coverage, but here’s the kicker: He does it almost exclusively via YouTube videos because he lives in Nottingham, England. He’s been to New Orleans a few times and the band have www.OFFBEAT.com

COVER STORY met him briefly before, but for the most part, he gets his info about the band from YouTube. While this may seem extreme, and a singular circumstance, the numbers speak for themselves, and he is not alone. “We’ve got six CDs on the racks by Tuba Skinny right now and they all just sell like crazy,” says Rusty Lien, who’s worked at Louisiana Music Factory for over 10 years. “They’ve been our number one seller for at least the past year. It’s the YouTube thing. It seems to be the older folks from out of town. They all want Tuba Skinny because they’ve seen them on YouTube. That’s how people get turned on to them.” Tuba Skinny only sell their physical CDs through Louisiana Music Factory, partly out of loyalty to the small business, and partly out of not wanting the hassle of dealing with larger companies. This rabid niche demographic of their fans are internet savvy enough to find the band through YouTube, but prefer physical CDs to digital downloads. Thus the deluge. “We’ve gone through things where bands have had upswings in popularity, but nothing like this,” says Dylan Goodrich, another long-time employee of Louisiana Music Factory. “At least half the mail orders we get are for Tuba Skinny and it’s been non-stop for five, six years.” The band also sells digital downloads, but only through their Bandcamp page. No matter how well-known they’ve become or how high-profile their gigs have gotten, Tuba Skinny have always returned to the streets. This, perhaps above all else, is what has led to their sustained strength and widespread popularity. “There’s nothing like it,” says Peter Loggins. “They play a concert and then they go to the street. They do this to stay in touch with the culture and the lifestyle. The authenticity. There is no one doing that sort of band lifestyle. Street kids, yeah. But no one who is hitting on their level.” Playing the street also exposes them to a much broader fanbase. While playing in jazz clubs exposes bands to audiences who have more understanding of the music, it can limit their exposure to only niche enthusiasts. “We continue to play the street because it’s a public space,” says Shaye. “We get to play for everyone: old, young, rich, poor, people from all walks of life. It keeps things interesting because it’s organic and unpredictable. Some people that come by don’t know what we’re playing. They’ve never heard that type of music and would never seek it out. Sometimes they’re surprised and they like it.” Over the years they’ve seen the scene grow and change. “When Tuba Skinny started busking in 2009, the street music scene was bustling and lively but not nearly as competitive. “People were not coming out at ungodly hours to claim a spot the way they are now,” says Shaye. Nonetheless, the musicians have worked out ways to share the space. “We usually split the day with another band,” says Shaye. “In the past we didn’t have to do that as much, but as it became busier, we’d just try and split with somebody.” Competition for spots isn’t the only threat to the ecosystem. “It feels like every year there’s a new threat from something,” says Robin. “Like businesses getting together, having a meeting, saying they want to shut Royal Street down to performers. Todd and I went to a French Quarter meeting with Greg because we were worried about how the construction on Bourbon Street might shut down street performance on Royal Street. I think we were the only street performers there that day.” The band cites The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) as a great support over the years and a driving force in facilitating productive communication between musicians, businesses and law enforcement. They heartily encourage all musicians to get involved with MaCCNO to help ensure that music stays on the streets of New Orleans. O Tuba Skinny will be playing The Jack Daniel's Stage at French Quarter Fest on Thursday, April 12, 11 am–12:15 p.m. They are scheduled to release their ninth album, Nigel’s Dream, in April 2018. www.OFFBEAT.com

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he artist I made this drink for is Kaye the Beast. He’s a local rapper in the up-and-coming phase, but I’ve seen him a few times around town and he’s superengaging, really energetic; an inspiring hustler. At first he comes across as escapist, but in recent months he’s started to comment more on social issues that surround the poor communities of New Orleans. He also has a few really great music videos that have come out recently. When I think, who’s the voice of the New Orleans community, I think of people who both know how to enjoy life but also don’t shy away from some of the worse aspects of the city, aren’t afraid to comment on what goes on—inequality, police violence, things like that. Kaye is very cognizant of that and it comes through in his music, but at the

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same time, other parts of his music is all about enjoying a party, meeting people and engaging with the community in a more positive way. For this drink, I used a ghost pepper–infused tequila from Mexico. What really comes through on the palate is bright berry with a little bit of heat at first, and then the traditional tequila vegetal flavors—which works really well, because what we’re doing is using a jam made by our kitchen that’s raspberry and jalapeño. You get the sweet and the heat, and I add a touch of lime for acidity. When you taste it, it’s almost like salsa on the front end, and then the umami-vegetal flavors, and then you get the pepper. It all fades into something really refreshing. [Speaking of Kaye the Beast’s second album, Salt, from 2017...] It’s interesting how a little bit of salinity affects a drink. It takes

By Elsa Hahne

the citrus and brightens it. It also offsets the astringency of booze in general and gives any drink a bigger mouth feel. Salt is amazing! Realizations like this continue to expand the drinking pantheon—we’re not done yet. For example, one of the drinks on our menu here is a Caribbean sidecar, using allspice and pear brandy, and the rim is equal measures salt and sugar. It’s very good. Can you believe it—lately, I’ve been dealing with, of all things, cat scratch fever. Not a music joke... It’s a bacterial infection caused by cats scratching you. It starts in the skin and moves through the lymphatic system—my throat is still a bit closed up because of it, so if you can’t hear me from across the bar—sorry. Last week, I had this large rash and swelling on my face. It was my own cat, too!”

photos: Elsa Hahne

Bryson Downham/Toups South

Good Morning From Jalisco 1 1/2 ounces ghost tequila 2 teaspoons raspberry-jalapeño jam 1/4-ounce fresh lime juice 1/4-ounce simple syrup 1 ounce soda water Shake tequila, jam, lime and simple syrup with ice, strain into a tall glass, and top with fresh ice and soda water. Note: You can make your own raspberry-jalapeño jam by simmering 1 quart fresh strawberries with 1 pint sugar and 5–6 minced jalapeños for about 30 minutes. www.OFFBEAT.com

Restaurant R’evolution: 777 Bienville St., 553-2277

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

AMERICAN 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

BARBECUE The Joint: 701 Mazant St., 949-3232

COFFEE HOUSE Café du Monde: 800 Decatur St., 525-4544 Morning Call Coffee Stand: 56 Dreyfous Dr., (504) 300-1157, 3325 Severn Ave., Metairie, 885-4068

CREOLE/CAJUN 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 Mulate’s: 201 Julia St., 522-1492 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 Kingfish: 337 Chartres St., 598-5005 Mr. B’s Bistro: 201 Royal St. 523-2078

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INDIAN Nirvana: 4308 Magazine St., 894-9797

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

NEIGHBORHOOD JOINTS Biscuits and Buns on Banks: 4337 Banks St., 273-4600 Cake Café: 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010 City Diner: 3116 S I-10 Service Rd E, 8311030; 5708 Citrus Blvd., 309-7614 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

ITALIAN JAPANESE/KOREAN/SUSHI/THAI

LOUISIANA / SOUTHERN 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

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 Fontaine Palace: 218 S Robertson St., 525-3277

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

Adolfo’s: 611 Frenchmen St., 948-3800 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

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

Chef Susan Spicer on Bayona’s Crispy Smoked Quail Salad

Which of the dishes on your menu says the most about you? I would probably say the smoked quail salad. Because I love birds. I like to eat birds, I like to cook birds, and I'm a bone picker so I like to pick them up and eat them with my fingers. The smoked quail salad has been on the menu for a very long time. It's very textural. It has deep flavors and a lot going on. We marinate the quail and then we coldsmoke them and then I tempura-fry them to order. One quail is cut in half before we fry and then they're cut in half again, so you get four pieces. It has a bourbon-molasses dressing and spiced pecans, and fresh pears. All the things I like! Pecans, a little spice—and I used to like bourbon! You don't drink anymore? No, I do. But I overdid it with bourbon one time, quite a few years ago. It's not my drink of choice anymore. —Elsa Hahne www.OFFBEAT.com

DINING OUT

Big Killer Poboys Do you ever find yourself walking down Bourbon Street, weaving between construction crews, and pitying the poor souls aimlessly surrendering to the hawker standing in front of the Royal Cajun Gumbo Factory? Their quest for authentic local fare is destined to end with a disappointing meal of frozen fried seafood between stale loaves of hoagie bread. Little do those poor sheep realize that their salvation lies just around the corner at Killer Poboys, where New Orleans’ iconic sandwich is both honored and reinvented through international inspiration. After earning rave reviews for their work at the original Killer Poboys inside the Erin Rose bar, husband and wife founders Cam Boudreaux and April Bellow teamed up with new business partner Eric Baucom to expand their chef-driven sandwich concept to a full-size restaurant in the second block of Dauphine. Migrating with them was the entire original menu, all of which is

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worth revisiting time and again. The Vietnameseinspired gulf shrimp is seared with coriander spice and dressed with marinated radish, daikon carrots and cucumbers before a slathering of Sriracha aioli. Pork belly is painted with a NOLA rum glaze spiced up with ginger, its sweet and fatty flavor profile offset by the acid in the crunchy lime slaw. Beef debris slow-cooked with dark beer is the kitchen’s answer to roast beef, while the grilled cheese is spiked with whiskey. The team’s sophomore effort doubled the menu in terms of both po-boys and “not poboys.” In the former category, confit barbecue chicken is paired with ranch slaw and coffee barbecue sauce, a decidedly upscale riff on pulled pork. Smoked salmon with remoulade cream cheese and a cheddar omelet are a nod to opening during the breakfast hour. Perhaps the best additions are ham with pimento cheese and caramelized onions and the po-boy torta filled with spicy house-made chorizo, scrambled eggs, avocado and black beans. Side dishes have expanded beyond bags of Zapp’s (which are still an option) to braised greens (much too sweet for my personal taste) and potato salad bound together by remoulade dressing. Located just a few doors down from the Museum of Death (how apropos), Big Killer lacks the ambience of the original location,

Photo: @caseyns

EATS

where the “Irish Beauty” of the Erin Rose lends a heavy helping of character to the little-pop-up-that-could tucked away in the back. But as the name implies, a larger seating area and at least three times the kitchen space allows for a more comfortable eating experience and quicker service from the back of the house. And although a frozen Irish coffee is not available, a small but smart selection of local craft beers can satisfactorily quench your thirst. Grab a couple of freshly baked cookies to go and make sure to spread the word that the best po-boy in the French Quarter is (almost) worth killing for. —Peter Thriffiley 219 Dauphine Street; Wed-Mon 10a-8p; killerpoboys.com; (504) 462-2731

A PRI L 2018

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

Demanding and rewarding

Jasen Weaver The Voscoville (Jasen Weaver Music) The Voscoville is the instrumental jazz recording debut of rising local bass player Jasen Weaver, a mainstay of the city’s music scene since attending the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in high school. The influence of classic jazz here is undeniable. Listening inattentively, one could almost be tricked into thinking they were hearing a Blue Note release circa 1965, sounds evoking Wayne, Herbie, Freddie, Elvin and the like. But there are some telltale giveaways to its modern genesis: polyrhythmic superimposition that wouldn’t become part of the straight ahead jazz vocabulary until the ’80s and wouldn’t be in vogue until the ’90s, modern harmonies both close and wide blurring and blending familiar notions of major and minor, unison ostinatos between the bassist and pianist, cyclical and uneven song forms, and a crisp clarity to the production, particularly in the drums. Weaver also produced the record, surely with his ear tuned to these (literal and figurative) frequencies. The local influence is present here, too, from Weaver’s music teachers at NOCCA and the University of New Orleans, and

APRIL 2018

from the city’s inexplicably littleknown tradition of post-bebop jazz exemplified by a collection of tunes, the Silverbook, authored by the late influential musician, producer, and educator Harold Battiste. Weaver is also unafraid to explicitly revel in, or at least utilize, his city’s tradition for feel-good party music; the enigmatically-named title track is the only unabashedly street beat second line groove on the release, and it’s full of tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted traditional jazz and brass band quotes that help break up the intensity of the record. Nearly all of the music was written and arranged by Weaver, demonstrating not only exceptional compositional prowess, but also a level of harmonic proficiency underscored by his use of voice-leading in the horn parts. His skills as an arranger are never more evident than on the album’s lone cover and bonus track, the classic swing-era tune “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” which serves as a fitting coda to the record. In the liner notes, Weaver’s teacher-turnedcolleague Jason Marsalis points out the usage of a musical quote from Ahmad Jamal on that track, fitting since the groove is purposefully reminiscent of Jamal’s classic, “Poinciana,” and further deepening the connection between New Orleans music and modern jazz. The slow AfroCuban groove switches to halftime swing for the bridge, where closely spaced horn dissonances adorning the melody evoke the harmonic and humorous wit of Thelonious Monk. Clocking in at over an hour and unapologetically a jazz record, many of the songs following

the music’s familiar head-soloshead formula, this release is as demanding as it is rewarding. Cerebral but never mathematic and still visceral, this is the fitting, longtime-coming debut from one of the most talented bassists NOCCA, and New Orleans more broadly, helped produce. —Nick Benoit

Various Artists United Bakery Records Revue I (United Bakery Records) The first track of the United Bakery Records Revue is a gong—a 12-second fade in and out of a resonating brass “bonggg.” It served its purpose and drew my attention as the Tumbling Wheels “Cold Bed” kicked in with brushed drums, clean vocals and soft reverbed strings—a good, easygoing song that drew me into the showcase of artists. United Bakery Records is an independent record label put together by local artists and performers Liam Conway, Daniel Grey, Lauren Miller, Galen Cassidy Peria and Shane Sayers. The goal of the label (in part) is to help the local artists they love. Their first Revue, Music from New Orleans, is a topnotch showcase of newly recorded tunes. Kei Slaughter’s “Land Loss” has a great pocket built on bass, guitar and drums played with brushes. Nobody’s trying too hard, making it sound easy to build such a nice groove. It all leaves room for Kei’s (pronounced Key) vocals to move in their rhythmic patterns over the beat. It’s not often we get a chance to check out a batch of new music from new musicians this well curated. Add to that, these bands are actively playing around

town, so, when you really like a tune—say perhaps, Shane Sayers’ “Crucifixion Avenue”—you can then go see him live and check out all of his other awesome songs. Get hip and take the time to check out United Bakery Records Revue. I really loved the chance to hear new local music and I hope the folks at United Bakery continue their endeavors. —Bartholomew Singer

Big Shoes Step On It! (Independent) The seven veteran Nashville and Muscle Shoals musicians in Big Shoes make it sound easy. Big Shoes features musicians who’ve performed with Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Delbert McClinton, Levon Helm and dozens more. All of that roots, blues, R&B and soul experience shows up in Big Shoes’ second album, Step On It! Seeing the Big Shoes members’ sideman credits, their well-oiled musicianship isn’t surprising. Pianist Mark T. Jordan, for instance, whose recording sessions include Morrison’s Tupelo Honey, steps out with curling keyboard riffs in the Professor www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS Longhair–touched “Don’t You Do Me That Way.” Drummer and Step On It! producer Andy Peake kicks the song off with New Orleans– style flair and Will McFarlane’s slide guitar glides smoothly in. From the first Step On It! song to the last, the musicians display their instinctive ensemble. “Don’t You Do Me That Way,” “Duplex Blues,” “There You Go” and every other selection that isn’t a slow song hooks into an easy-to-roll-with groove. While Big Shoes’ members’ individual sideman credits say much about where they’re coming from, the band in total comes off as a natural successor to such rootsy collectives as the Allman Brothers Band, Little Feat and the Band. Big Shoes would fit comfortably, too, on a bill with New Orleans’ subdudes. The album’s 11 original songs include the Muscle Shoals– influenced country-soul ballad,

“The Last One to Leave,” featuring Jordan’s churchy organ solo. Going the extra mile for authenticity’s sake, the producers recorded the horns heard in another slow song, “Too Early for the Blues,” at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. Because Big Shoes’ stellar musicianship is a given, the big Step On It! revelation is the band’s exceptional songwriting. Every song is an original, either solely composed or co-composed by the band members. Big Shoes delivers the complete package: deftly made, expertly performed songs that are big fun. —John Wirt

Mark Appleford Voodoo (Independent) “I Still Miss Georgia” kicks off Mark Appleford’s fifth release of all original material in

Charismatic and haunting Ghalia & Mama’s Boys Let the Demons Out (Ruf Records) Like so many aspiring European roots musicians, Ghalia Vauthier got hooked on American blues and rock ’n’ roll as a teenager, in her native Belgium. Since many a song referenced New Orleans, eventually she had to experience this mystical utopia for herself, and she migrated to the Crescent City for a deeper dive into all things enchanting. Along the way, she befriended Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys and they recorded two EPs and toured Europe together, where they piqued the interest of Ruf Records’ honcho Thomas Ruf. Don’t think of this as a Mama’s Boys clone fronted solely by a female vocalist but rather as her auspicious, artistic statement. Vauthier wrote/ co-wrote ten of these dozen tunes, which often run the gamut from love to steamy sex spiced with mystery and intrigue. The slightly spooky title track is a creative metaphor for expressing one’s feelings; the rock ’n’ roll blitzkrieg of “4AM Fried Chicken” fits the bill as the proverbial Louisiana foodie song. Though Mastro & Mama’s Boys are normally known for their blistering, raucous sound, engineer David Farrell ensured Vauthier’s vocals remained front and center, a smart move since it’s she who exudes charisma. She can be haunting (“Addiction”), a tempest (“Press That Trigger”) and entertaining, as evidenced by the John Lee Hooker– styled “Hiccup Boogie.” When it came to time to let her demons out, Vauthier made sure there was nothing left for an exorcism. —Dan Willging www.OFFBEAT.com

fine fashion. The song sets the stage for what is to come: solid songwriting with music driven by piano and harmonica playing that can lay back and then move the songs at just the right time without getting in the way. The uptempo “Everywhere Else To Go” gives Appleford a chance to deliver a solid rock ’n’ roll song while the protagonist explores the themes of loneliness, exploration, and discovery. It also delivers one of the best lines on the record: “The tattoos on her back told me the story but not the facts. She said it’s better to be alone than pretending not to be.” When “The Trickiest Thing” starts, it conjures up images of Jerry Garcia’s “Cats Under The Stars” before sliding into a laid-back island groove that sounds like “People Get Ready.” It is a nice combination and the mellow vibe fits Appleford’s lyrics nicely. The song also gives Seth Kaplan ample room to shine on keyboards. Voodoo closes out with “Love on the Way” which pairs Kaplan’s cello with Appleford’s harmonica to good effect. The stark production is a fitting end to the record, but like the record itself, the song is over too soon. All in all, Voodoo is a successful recording and should serve as a nice introduction to anyone unfamiliar with Mark Appleford. —Christopher Weddle

Steve Mignano Lucky 13 (Independent) Steve Mignano’s Lucky 13 is full of confident blues swagger. There’s no doubt that Mignano has worked long and hard on

developing his tone, and it pays off nicely throughout this record. Too often guitar players, especially in the blues-rock genre, try to thrill with pyrotechnics that do nothing in furtherance of the song. In this regard Mignano is a breath of fresh air. Of course, the obvious comparison will be to Stevie Ray Vaughn, and that’s a good place to start. Things get heated up right away with the heavy—lyrically and musically—“Death Song.” It’s obvious that Mignano means business and plans a no-holdsbarred attack on your sonic sensibilities. The title track rolls along empowered by a propulsive shuffle groove as Mignano continues the anything-but-happy lyrical theme. “Devil Get His Due” gets started in a classic ZZ Top fashion and further develops the dark themes espoused throughout Lucky 13. On “Before You Accuse Me” Mignano wisely chooses a slower tempo that separates his reading from the more widely known versions of the Bo Diddley classic made famous by Eric Clapton. Mignano really shines on “Hack Boogie,” an instrumental that would be a nice showcase for dueling Telecasters. The percussive funk of “Snarling Dog” is as aggressive as the title suggests, and allows Mignano to showcase some of the funk and groove that permeates so much music from New Orleans. All in all, Lucky 13 is a solid recording and a nice showcase for Steve Mignano’s guitar playing. —Christopher Weddle

Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rôdailleurs Boue, Boucane, et Bouteilles (Valcour Records) To put it bluntly, Jourdan Thibodeaux is a bit of an anomaly. He’d rather tell you about how he’s not a numbers type of musician than glorify his abilities. Yet the quality of his songs and sheer raw emotion has attracted such seasoned pros as Joel Savoy and Cedric Watson to his supporting squadron. A PRI L 2018

REVIEWS

His debut album is loaded with a dozen diverse originals, no covers, all sung in Cajun French. Though the rollicking “Belle Menteuse”—the only song he plays on accordion—sounds like a relatively contemporary dancehall staple, that’s also an anomaly. Thibodeaux’s heart really lies in the roots of Cajun-Creole music. His fiddling bears Dennis McGee and Canray Fontenot influences, and songs “Cher Créole” and “T’es Pas Là” feel like they just popped out of the Fontenot canon. On the haunting “Homme Brisé,” Thibodeaux and Watson stage a mournful fiddle-accordion duel straight out of the ’20s, the only difference being it’s not on a scratchy 78. A couple of tracks are particularly creative. “Si Je Reviens Pas,” a somber, stark ballad, is sans accordion and fiddle and closes with Savoy’s intensitybuilding guitar solo echoing the song’s emotion. “Blues Reconnaissant” was originally intended as a juré but when Savoy heard it, he added a trembling swampy texture to make it feel like a tribal rocker. It’s all very honest and real, nothing is fabricated. If further proof is needed, check out “Mes Tits Cochons,” where Thibodeaux sings about his rambunctious pigs. What can be more real than that? —Dan Willging

Norbert Susemihl’s Joyful Gumbo Norbert Susemihl’s Joyful Gumbo (Sumi Records) Norbert Susemihl has been playing New Orleans music since the tender age of 14, when he co-

APRIL 2018

founded Papa Tom’s Lamentation Jazz Band in Hamburg, Germany. He’s been a fixture of the European traditional New Orleans jazz scene ever since. He began splitting his time between Europe and New Orleans in 1978 and has been a devout student of all facets of New Orleans’ music and culture. On his newest album, Norbert Susemihl’s Joyful Gumbo, he has joined members of his Scandinavian-based band with special guests Jason Marsalis on drums and Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet and vocals. Norbert plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and sings on the album, which was recorded live on tour in Denmark and Sweden. The song selection isn’t slavish to the traditional New Orleans jazz repertoire—there are a few surprise choices in the mix. Many of the classic tunes are deftly rendered, such as “Climax Rag,” “My Indian Red” and “Don’t You Leave Me Here.” Chloe’s vocals on a moody rendition of “Comes Love” are a standout. There is also the Fats Domino favorite “I’m Walking,” Brazilian composer Pixinguinha’s choro tune “Um A Zero,” and Ellington’s calypso-swing “Limbo Jazz.” Be sure to listen for Norbert’s hip-hop scat solo on “Diga Diga Doo.” Yes, you read that right. The band smoothly navigates the variance in styles, bringing us a broad-spectrum view of what the New Orleans jazz scene is today. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm (Jay-Vee Records) By teaming with the legendary Hi Rhythm band, young Bob is decidedly going old-school. Hi Rhythm was of course the Memphis studio quartet that under the tutelage of producer Willie Mitchell, accounted for most of the classic Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and O.V. Wright recordings. Recorded at Mitchell’s Royal Studio, Cray’s opening track is rather “Crayty,” as he creates a smoky minor-key guitar groove and describes yet another relationship

crashing down in flames. Then Cray goes to church, fitfully recycling O.V. Wright’s “You Must Believe In Yourself.” Having played on the original, Hi Rhythm really lays down that early ’70s Memphis groove and Cray sings his behind off. There are two playful Sir Mack Rice songs, including “Honey Bad,” where indeed Honey isn’t really all that bad. Perhaps oddly, there are also a couple of Tony Joe White

compositions. But White’s haunting “Aspen, Colorado” is especially effective in a kind of soulful/folky Woody Guthrie kind of way. Cray’s harder R&B side can be heard on the “5” Royales two-sider “I’m With You,” where the Memphis guys really get into it and Cray’s guitar is really slashing. Depending on your political views, the centerpiece here is Cray’s scathing assessment of the guy that lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—”Just How Low.” Cray sums up the views of many folks asking Trump, “United—do you even know what that means?” Overall, another great, enjoyable modern R&B effort. This CD proves this was an ideal pairing. These guys are touring extensively this year so catch them if you can. If you can’t, pick this one up—is a superior listen. —Jeff Hannusch

Frenchmen before the Bourbon crowd Ken Colyer Trust Band with Joe Payton At Café Brasil. New Orleans, LA (504 Records) If you bring up Café Brasil to certain folks, a reverent nostalgia will come over them and the sense of something far away and special can be felt in their tone. This album will be rewarding for those folks. Recorded April 15th, 1996, it is a piece of time and place that has long disappeared—Frenchmen before the Bourbon crowd came stumbling in. The history behind this recording should be enough to lure any traditional jazz fan. Ken Colyer was a Brit who jumped ship to New Orleans in the 1950s, played with George Lewis and the revivalists, and when he was deported back to Britain, took New Orleans music with him. After he died, his band continued on as the Ken Colyer Trust Band and made regular pilgrimages to New Orleans. On the night of this recording they were joined by New Orleans bassist Joe Payton, who played with the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band. The liner notes really set the scene on the night of the recording. Apparently, “the crowd was noisy, the dancers overly enthusiastic, and two members of the band were slightly intoxicated.” On top of this, the neck of Payton’s bass broke on the way to the show and had to be rigged together with duct tape. You can feel the rough and tumble atmosphere in the recording. They play pretty standard fare in a pretty standard manner. Brian Carrick stands out on clarinet. Payton’s vocals are strong and youthful, which is eerie given that he passed away only three months after the recording. In the end, the draw of the album isn’t so much the musicianship, it’s the sense of place it imparts. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell www.OFFBEAT.com

Find complete listings at offbeat.com—when you’re out, use offbeat.com/mobile for full listings on any cell phone.

Listings

EXPRESS

These listings are abbreviated. For complete daily listings, go to offbeat.com. These listings were verified at the time of publication, but are of course subject to change. To get your event listed, go to offbeat.com/add-new-listings or send an email to listings@offbeat.com.

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

SUNDAY APRIL 1

AllWays Lounge: Tuba Skinny (TJ) 9p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Dapper Dandies (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns Trio (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Euclid Records: the Carvels NYC (RK) 5p Hi-Ho Lounge: Coreytime Theater (CO) 6:30p, NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p House of Blues: Lil Skies (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: Easter Brunch with Little Freddie King (BL) 11a Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Bridge Trio with Joe Dyson, Max Moran and Conan Pappus (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Juju Child and the Hypnotic Roots Band (BL) 9p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Bailey Hinton and Grayson Brockamp (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

MONDAY APRIL 2

Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Justin Molaison (VR) 5:30p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p d.b.a.: Soul Brass Band (BB) 10p

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Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 3 & 6p Gasa Gasa: Timber Timbre (ID) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p House of Blues (the Parish): Taylor Bennett, Kami, Melo Makes Music (VR) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 8:30p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Michael Lemmler and Terrence Houston (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Blind Texas Marlin (VR) 10p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Swing Dance Party (SI) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Joe Cabral (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p

TUESDAY APRIL 3

Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Chip Wilson (VR) 5:30p, Robert Cline Jr. (VR) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Ellis Marsalis Center for Music: Tribute to Maynard Chatters with Mark Chatters and friends (JV) 6p Fontaine Palace: Soul Rotisserie (VR) 5p Gasa Gasa: Rostam, Sam Buck (ID) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: TC Superstar (PO) 9p House of Blues (the Parish): Maxo Kream, Cuz Lightyear (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Yoshitaka Tsuji Trio (JV) 7p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p Snug Harbor: the Unholy Trio: Torkanowsky, Singleton and Vidacovich (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Sam Cammarata (JV) 5p, Alexandra Scott (JV) 8p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 4

Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Ivor Simpson-Kennedy (VR) 5:30p, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (BL) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Fontaine Palace: Marigny Brass Band (BB) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p, Juan Tigre (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Sweet Crude, Travers Geoffray (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Anais St. John and special guest (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: the Og’s with Big D Perkins, Jellybean Alexander and Cornell Williams (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 6p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p the Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. Pasquale Grasso (JV) 7p

Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Helen Gillet +1 (MJ) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p

THURSDAY APRIL 5

Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper Trio (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, Wah: Papa Mali (VR) 8p Covington Trailhead: Rockin’ the Rails feat. John “Papa” Gros Band (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Forest Beutel (BU) 7p, Panorama Brass Band (BB) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Marina Orchestra (RK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Whores, Bummer, Forming the Void, Traded Moments, AR-15, Decoy (ME) 7p Kerry Irish Pub: Maggie Havens (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p Maple Leaf: Andre Bohren (PI) 7p, DVS feat. Mike Dillon, Johnny Vidacovich and James Singleton (JV) 10p Marigny Opera House: New Orleans Ragtime Festival feat. Orange Kellin’s New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra (JV) 6p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Jamaican Me Breakfast Club (RE) 6p Palm Court Jazz Café: Leroy Jones and Katja Toivola with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p the Rat (Tulane University): Jazz at the Rat feat. Peter Martin (JV) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie (ZY) 8:30p Siberia: Eastern Bloc Party feat. Klezervation Hall, Nu Klezmer Army (KL) 9p Snug Harbor: Pasquale Grasso Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Delgado Songwriting Competition Finals Showcase with guest Roland Guerin (SS) 9p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, Mia Borders (JV) 8p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p

FRIDAY APRIL 6

Buffa’s: Jerry Jumonville (JV) 5p, Ben Fox Trio (JV) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Michael Pearce (BL) 6p, Jason Ricci (VR) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 6p Fontaine Palace: Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble (ZY) 10p Gasa Gasa: Thelma and the Sleaze, Craig Brown Band, Planchettes (RK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p, Dwight and Nicole (RR) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): LouMuzik Live (VR) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Good Tiger, Icarus the Owl, Megosh, the Arbitrary (RK) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Paintbox with Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5p, Lilli Lewis (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p One Eyed Jacks: Mat Mania 2: the Big Easy (VR) 7p

Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: John Cleese (VR) 8p Snug Harbor: Quiana Lynell (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Nigel Hall, Khris Royal and Dark Matter (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p

SATURDAY APRIL 7

Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Freddie Blue and the Friendship Circle Festival Season Serenade (FO) 6p, Buddy Boys (JV) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Grayson Capps, Will Kimbrough, Cary Morin (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, Poppy’s Poppin’ Saturday Review (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 11p Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall: Mark Mullins Trio (JV) 6:30p Dos Jefes: Betty Shirley Band (JV) 10p Fontaine Palace: Vick LeCar (RK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Close Me Out (CO) 8p, Pink Room Project (HH) 11p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Jake “the Snake” Roberts (CO) 8p Jazz and Heritage Center: Doreen Ketchens (JV) 8p Jazz National Historical Park: West African Drumming and Dance (AF) 12p Kerry Irish Pub: Mike Kerwin and Geoff Coats (FO) 5p, the One Tailed Three (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7 & 9p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Mahalia Jackson Theater: NOBA presents Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (DN) 8p Maple Leaf: Mike Dillon Band (JV) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Roar!, Vox and the Hound (VR) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Pontchartrain Vineyards: Jazz’n the Vines feat. Soul Brass Band (BB) 6:30p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: New Orleans Ragtime Festival feat. the New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra (JV) 11a, Soul Rebels (BB) 9:45p Snug Harbor: Walter “Wolfman” Washington CDrelease party (BL) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Jojo’s Slim Wednesdays (VR) 8p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p

SUNDAY APRIL 8

Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Al Farrell and Jerry Jumonville (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns Trio (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Gator Bites (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (JV) 6p, New Orleans Swamp Donkeys (JV) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: Little Freddie King (BL) 11a Maison: NOLA Jitterbugs, Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 10a, G and the Swinging Gypsies, Higher Heights (VR) 7p A PRI L 2018

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Maple Leaf: Mikey B3 and special guests (FK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Old U.S. Mint: New Orleans Ragtime Festival feat. Richard Scott, Seva Venet’s Storyville Stringband, Mark Braud, Steve Pistorious and the Southern Syncopators and others (JV) 11a One Eyed Jacks: Patrick Shuttleswerth Plays You Records (VR) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 6p, Snug Harbor: Stephanie Nilles Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Juju Child and the Hypnotic Roots Band (BL) 9p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Jojo’s Slim Wednesdays (VR) 8p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

MONDAY APRIL 9

Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Justin Molaison (VR) 5:30p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Soul Brass Band (BB) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 6p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Two Sheets to the Wind (FO) 8:30p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maple Leaf: JP Carmody (RK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Swing Dance Party (SI) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: New Orleans Ragtime Festival feat. Lars Edegran’s New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra (JV) 7p Three Muses: Meschiya Lake and Ben Polcer (JV) 5p, Leo Forde (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p

TUESDAY APRIL 10

Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Chip Wilson (VR) 5:30p, Mark Caroll and friends (FK) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Fontaine Palace: Soul Rotisserie (VR) 5p House of Blues (the Parish): the Oh Hellos, LeTrainiump (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Yoshitaka Tsuji Trio (JV) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p Old U.S. Mint: Down on Their Luck Orchestra (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 6p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Latin Night (LT) 7p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Sam Friend (JV) 5p, Josh Gouzy (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 11

Botanical Garden (City Park): Evenings with Enrique feat. Raphael Bas (LT) 5p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Ivor Simpson-Kennedy (VR) 5:30p, Sarah Quintana and Kid KaBoom (VR) 8p Circle Bar: the Iguanas (RK) 7p, Rixe, Enoch Ramone, Trampoline Team, Eyejammy, Judy and the Jerks, DJ Howie and Penetrol (PK) 9:30p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p

APRIL 2018

d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Fontaine Palace: Marigny Brass Band (BB) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Wishbone Ash (CR) 8p House of Blues: Big K.R.I.T. (VR) 11p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Flow Tribe, Daria and the Hip Drops (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Carol Deminski and the Little Jazz Birds (JV) 7p Maple Leaf: Boukou Groove (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p the Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. Matt Lemmler (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 7p

THURSDAY APRIL 12

Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, John “Papa” Gros Band (VR) 8p Covington Trailhead: Rockin’ the Rails feat. Luther Kent (VR) 5p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 7p, Cha Wa (MG) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Desert Dwellers (RK) 8p House of Blues: Jelly Toast (SS) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 5p, Brass-AHolics (BB) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p, Javier Gutierrez (JV) 7:30p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Maple Leaf: Bill Malchow (PI) 7p, Deadavich feat. Reggie Scanlan, Johnny Vidacovich, Billy Iuso and Mike Foo (FK) 10p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Maggie Belle Band (RB) 6p Old U.S. Mint: Marcia Ball (RB) 7p Palm Court Jazz Café: Bob Havens and Hal Smith with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 8p Snug Harbor: Dem Bones: Craig Klein and Sebastian Arruti Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Little Cosmicana, Conor Donohue, Barrantes Rosewood (ID) 9p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, Arsene DeLay (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 5p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 9p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p

FRIDAY APRIL 13

Buffa’s: Meryl Zimmerman (JV) 6p, Marc Stone (BL) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Michael Pearce (BL) 6p, Gal Holiday, Screen Door Slammers (CW) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 6p, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers (ZY) 10p Dragon’s Den: Max and McKenna (JV) 7p, the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 8p, Latin Night (LT) 11p

Fontaine Palace: the Quaalords album-release party, the Gools (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p, Debauche (GY) 9p House of Blues: Who’s Bad: the Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, DJ Raj Smoove (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Coast 2 Coast (HH) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Mario Abney (JV) 2p, Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 5p, Luther Kent (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5 & 7:30p Maple Leaf: Erica Falls (FK) 10p One Eyed Jacks: DJ Soul Sister presents Soulful Takeover (FK) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Topcats Anniversary Show (VR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Dave Jordan and the NIA (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

Hi-Ho Lounge: NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p, Hash Cabbage (BL) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Ricardo Pascal Orchestra (JV) 2p, Michael Watson (BL) 5p, Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 7p Little Gem Saloon: Little Freddie King (BL) 11a Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Palm Court Jazz Café: French Quarter Fest Cabaret Stage (TJ) 12p, Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 7:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Santos Bar: the James Hunter Six (SO) 9p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher Tricentennial Series (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Jamaican Me Breakfast (RE) 12p, Juju Child and the Hypnotic Roots Band, Sam Price and the True Believers (BL) 9p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p

SATURDAY APRIL 14

Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Justin Molaison (VR) 5:30p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Dragon’s Den: Monday Night Swing feat. Neela, Tuba Skinny (GY) 8p, AudioDope with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 6p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Michael Lemmler and Terrence Houston (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a One Eyed Jacks: J Roddy Walston and the Business (VR) 8p, Blind Texas Marlin (VR) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Washboard Rodeo (JV) 8p

Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Fr. Ron and friends (VR) 3p, Davis Rogan (VR) 6p, Derrick Freeman (VR) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Johnny J, the Plowboys (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, Poppy’s Poppin’ Saturday Review (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 7p, Morning 40 Federation 20-Year Anniversary Bash with Chicken Snake (RK) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 10p Gasa Gasa: Blink 182 Tribute: Dude Ranch and the Girl at the Rock Show (RK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Black Laurel (VR) 8p, Pink Room Project (HH) 11p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Silent Disco (EL) 10p Joy Theater: Circa Survive, Foxing, Hail the Sun (VR) 7:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Hurricane Refugees (FO) 4p, Mark Hessler and friends (FO) 8p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7 & 9p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maple Leaf: Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Music Box Village: Valerie Sassyfras album-release show, Baby Bats (VR) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Mad Dogs and Englishman: Joe Cocker Tribute (VR) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: French Quarter Fest Cabaret Stage (TJ) 12p, Bob Havens and Duke Heitger with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 7:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: Derek Smalls presents Lukewarm Water Live: An Adventure in Loud Music, with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (VR) 7:30p Snug Harbor: Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Salvatore Geloso (JV) 6p, Russell Welch (JV) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p

SUNDAY APRIL 15

Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Happy Birds of Blueness (JV) 2p, Original Pfister Sisters (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (RB) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Johnny Sansone Band (VR) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Gator Bites (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, Underhill Family Orchestra (VR) 10p Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p

MONDAY APRIL 16

TUESDAY APRIL 17

Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Chip Wilson (VR) 5:30p, Lynn Drury (SS) 8p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Dragon’s Den: the All-Star Covered-Dish Country Jamboree (CW) 9p Fontaine Palace: Soul Rotisserie (VR) 5p Hi-Ho Lounge: New Orleans Guitar Night (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 Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Yoshitaka Tsuji Trio (JV) 7p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Elephant in the Room: A Night with Noruz (FK) 9p Three Muses: Sam Cammarata (JV) 5p, Josh Gouzy (JV) 8p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 18

Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Ivor Simpson-Kennedy (VR) 5:30p, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Irie Collective Jam Session (RE) 10p; Upstairs: DanceHall Classics (RE) 10p Fontaine Palace: Marigny Brass Band (BB) 9p French Market: Patrick Cooper and Natasha Sanchez (FO) 1:30p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p House of Blues: Less Than Jake, Face to Face (VR) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Wayne Toups, Darcy Malone and the Tangle (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Anais St. John and special guest (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: the Og’s with Big D Perkins, Jellybean Alexander and Cornell Williams (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Old U.S. Mint: Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road (JV) 2p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p the Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. Terence Blanchard (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): the Asylum Chorus (JV) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Schatzy (JV) 8p

THURSDAY APRIL 19

Buffa’s: Miles Lyons (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Chloe Feoranzo (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, John “Papa” Gros Band (VR) 8p Covington Trailhead: Rockin’ the Rails feat. Boogie Falaya (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Lulu and the Broadsides feat. Dayna Kurtz (JV) 7p, Jamie Lynn Vessels CD-release show (RK) 10p

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Fontaine Palace: Daryl Johnson (VR) 8:30p House of Blues (the Parish): Shinyribs (VR) 8p House of Blues: Front 242, Azar Swan, Glitch Black (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Dave Hickey (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p, Javier Gutierrez (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Steve DeTroy (PI) 7p, Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville and Johnny Vidacovich (FK) 10p Old U.S. Mint: Wedgewood Park Jazz Band (JV) 2p Palm Court Jazz Café: Tim Laughlin and Duke Heitger with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p the Rat (Tulane University): Jazz at the Rat feat. Herlin Riley (JV) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Matt Lemmler CD-release party (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, St. Louis Slim (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Loyola All-Stars Uptown Throwdown (VR) 7:30p 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 the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p

FRIDAY APRIL 20

Buffa’s: Keith Burnstein (VR) 6p, Dayna Kurtz (JV) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Michael Pearce (BL) 6p, Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show (RR) 8p d.b.a.: Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 6p, Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Fontaine Palace: Les Getrex (BL) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Thirdstory (VR) 9p

House of Blues: Curren$y’s 4/20 Celebration (VR) 10p Joy Theater: the Chronic Live: Recreation of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic feat. Smokers World, Juvenile, Partners-N-Crime, DJ Raj Smoove and special guests (HH) 9p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 5p, Lynn Drury (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5 & 7:30p Maple Leaf: Khris Royal and Dark Matter (JV) 10p One Eyed Jacks: Where Y’acht (VR) 9p Orpheum Theater: New Orleans Voices of Congo Square (MG) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Lost Bayou Ramblers, Lady Red, Jamaican Me Breakfast Club (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SATURDAY APRIL 21

Abita Springs Town Hall: Abita Springs Opry feat. Three Rivers Cooperative, the Abita Stumps, Gal Holiday, Jumbo Shrimp (VR) 7p Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Marina Orchestra (JV) 6p, the Royal Rounders (VR) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Woodenhead (VR) 9p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 7p, Dave Jordan and the NIA, the Iceman Special (RR) 11p Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall: ToussaintDomino Tribute feat. David Torkanowsky and friends (JV) 6:30p Euclid Records: Record Store Day (VR) 10a Fontaine Palace: DiNola (RK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Drunk Toons (CO) 8p, Pink Room Project (HH) 11p

House of Blues: Bustout Burlesque and the Bustout Jazz Band (BQ) 9p Joy Theater: Shpongle, Alex Grey and Allyson Grey, Charlesthefirst, Otto and others (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7 & 9p Maple Leaf: Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters’ album-release show (BL) 10p Mardi Gras World: Crawfish for Cancer 1st Annual Crawfish Boil feat. DJ Flvko, Typically Booked, Louisiana Spice Band (VR) 12p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Orpheum Theater: Purple Rain: the Music of Prince (PO) 7:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Pontchartrain Vineyards: Jazz’n the Vines feat. Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys (KJ) 6:30p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis 21st Century Trad Jazz Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Better Than Ezra FUNdraiser feat. Mark McGrath (VR) 8p

SUNDAY APRIL 22

Abita Springs Trailhead: Abita Springs Busker Festival feat. Albanie Falletta and the Southern Gentlemen, Slick Skillet Serenaders, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Doctor Bird and the Beak Division, the Deslondes, Jumbo Shrimp (VR) 11:30a Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, NOCCA Student Showcase (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns Trio (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (JV) 6p, the Iguanas (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p, Stripped Into Submission (BQ) 10p

A PRI L 2018

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Traditional Irish Session (FO) 5p, Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: Evan Christopher (BL) 11a Maple Leaf: Billy Thompson (BL) 10p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Ty Segall and the Freedom Band, Bottomfeeders (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 6p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: James Singleton Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Juju Child and the Hypnotic Roots Band (BL) 9p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Sunday Youth Music Workshop feat. Joe Dyson (VR) 1p

MONDAY APRIL 23

Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Justin Molaison (VR) 5:30p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Soul Brass Band (BB) 10p Dragon’s Den: Monday Night Swing feat. Tom Saunders and the Hot Cats (GY) 8p, AudioDope with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 6p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (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. Michael Lemmler and Terrence Houston (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Swing Dance Party (SI) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 8p

TUESDAY APRIL 24

Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Chip Wilson (VR) 5:30p, Jon Cleary (FK) 8p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Dragon’s Den: the All-Star Covered-Dish Country Jamboree (CW) 9p Fontaine Palace: Soul Rotisserie (VR) 5p Hi-Ho Lounge: Poor Peter, DJ Flat9 (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 Little Gem Saloon: NOLA Dukes (VR) 7p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Latin Night (LT) 7p Siberia: Marc Stone’s Back Porch Party (BL) 8p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Think Less, Hear More (MJ) 8p Three Muses: Albanie Falletta (JV) 5p, Dr. Sick (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Vulfpeck, Joey Dosik (VR) 8p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9:15p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25

Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Ivor Simpson-Kennedy (VR) 5:30p, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Irie Collective Jam Session (RE) 10p; Upstairs: DanceHall Classics (RE) 10p Fontaine Palace: Marigny Brass Band (BB) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p, the Garden, Tijuana Panthers, Cowgirl Clue (RK) 7p

APRIL 2018

House of Blues (the Parish): the Sword, the Shelter People (VR) 9p House of Blues: Hollywood Undead (VR) 7p Jazz Playhouse: James Williams (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Big Sam’s Funky Nation, the Deslondes (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Anais St. John and special guest (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Hook, Line and Dine Benefit feat. Frogs Gone Fishing (RR) 9p, Boukou Groove (FK) 11p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Old U.S. Mint: Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road (JV) 2p Palm Court Jazz Café: Tom Sancton and Sammy Rimington with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: Maks, Val and Peta (DN) 7:30p the Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. David Murray (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Arsene DeLay (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Vulfpeck, Joey Dosik (VR) 8p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p

THURSDAY APRIL 26

Botanical Garden (City Park): Threadhead Thursday feat. Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters, Dave Jordan and the NIA (VR) 6p Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Chloe Feoranzo (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Erica Falls (VR) 8p, Jason Ricci Quartet (VR) 10:30p Civic Theatre: Trey Anastasio Band (VR) 9p Covington Trailhead: Rockin’ the Rails feat. Uptown Phunk (VR) 5p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (PI) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 10p, Ike Stubblefield Trio feat. Terence Higgins and Ari Teitel (FK) 1a Dragon’s Den: Crescent Fresh Stand-Up (CO) 7p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: the Cranberries Tribute (SS) 9p House of Blues: Dixie Dregs: Complete Original Lineup 40th Anniversary Tour (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Hyatt Regency: Jazz and Heritage Gala feat. Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, PJ Morton and others perform a Tribute to Fats Domino (JV) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 5p, Brass-AHolics (BB) 8:30p Joy Theater: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, New Orleans Suspects (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p, Darcy Malone and the Tangle, the Asylum Chorus (RR) 8p Maison: Tuba Skinny, Good for Nothin’ Band (VR) 4p, Stanton Moore Trio with Robert Walter and Will Bernard (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Sam Price and the True Believers (VR) 8p, Vernon Reid, George Porter Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich (FK) 10p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Nolatet (MJ) 6p Palm Court Jazz Café: Butch Thompson and Clive Wilson with N.O. Serenaders (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Louis Ford (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Ashlin Parker presents Trumpet Mafia (JV) 8p Snug Harbor: David Murray Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Mia Borders (SO) 8p Tipitina’s: Railroad Earth, Shannon McNally (VR) 9p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p

FRIDAY APRIL 27

Blue Nile: Kermit Ruffins (JV) 10:30p, Robert Walter and the Posthumans (VR) 12:30a; Balcony Room: Mike Dillon and Billy Goat (VR) 11p Buffa’s: Asylum Chorus (VR) 6p, Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 9p, Calvin Johnson and Native Son (JV) 11:59p Chickie Wah Wah: Chris Smither (VR) 8p, Johnny Sansone Band (VR) 10:30p Civic Theatre: Trey Anastasio Band (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 10p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 2a Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 10p & 12:30a, Alien Knife Fight (VR) 11:30p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Acid Mothers Temple, Yoo Yoo Right, Viva L’American Death Ray Music (RK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p, LaDama (LT) 9p House of Blues (the Parish): Matador Soul Sounds feat. Eddie Roberts and Alan Evans (SO) 9p House of Blues: David Shaw (RK) 9p, the California Honeydrops (VR) 11:30p Howlin’ Wolf: Dumpstaphunk, Naughty Professor, Chali 2na (FK) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Stefan Moll (JV) 4:30p, Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: the One Tailed Three (FO) 5p, Roux the Day (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5p, New Soul Finders: Ladies of Soul (SO) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Catie Rodgers and the Gentilly Stompers, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Brass-A-Holics, Big Easy Brawlers (BB) 10p, Blue Plate Special feat. Will Bernard, Stanton Moore, John Medeski, Chris Wood and Skerik (FK) 1:30a Maple Leaf: Medeski, Wood, Skerik and Johnny Vidacovich (JV) 10p, Sonic Bloom feat. Eric Benny Bloom (FK) 2a Music Box Village: Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Percussion Consortium (MJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Sweet Crude, Maggie Koerner (ID) 8p, Boyfriend with surprise backing band (VR) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Maurice “Mobetta” Brown and friends (JV) 8p Republic: Voodoo Dead feat. Steve Kimock, Jeff Chimenti, Jackie Greene, George Porter Jr., JM Kimock (VR) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Tab Benoit, the Iguanas (VR) 9p Saenger Theatre: Queens of the Stone Age (RK) 8:30p Siberia: Kyle Huval and the Dixie Club Ramblers, Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rodailleurs (KJ) 10p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 6:30p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p, Michael Watson (JV) 11:59p Tipitina’s: Tank and the Bangas, Big Freedia, Soul Rebels (VR) 9p, the Floozies: Funk Jesus the Second Coming (VR) 1:30a Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Willow: Hot 8 Brass Band, the Revealers (VR) 10p

SATURDAY APRIL 28

Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p, Red Baraat (VR) 10:30p, Megawatt feat. Bajah, Adam Deitch, Borahm Lee, Raja Kassis, Josh Werner, Weedie Braimah, Luke Quaranta, Khris Royal, Maurice Brown (VR) 1:30a Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Odd Fellows Rest (JV) 6p, Camile Baudoin (VR) 9p, Soul O’ Sam feat. Sam Price (VR) 11:59p

Carrollton Station: Mia Borders Band (FK) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (VR) 10:30p Circle Bar: Egg Yolk Jubilee (BB) 8:30p, Mod Dance Party with DJs Matty and Kristen (RB) 11:30p Civic Theatre: Trey Anastasio Band (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, Poppy’s Poppin’ Saturday Review (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 6p, Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p, Naughty Professor (FK) 2a Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 10 & 11:59p, Big Al and the Heavyweights (BL) 11p, Alien Knife Fight (VR) 1a Hi-Ho Lounge: the Rip Off Show (CO) 8p, Pink Room Project (HH) 11p House of Blues (the Parish): Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): the Southern Belles, Gina Sobel’s Choose Your Own Adventure, Emily Julia Kresky (RK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne, Rebirth Brass Band (VR) 10p Jazz and Heritage Center: Donald Harrison (JV) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Stefan Moll (JV) 5p, Shannon Powell (JV) 8p Joy Theater: As the Crow Flies, Once and Future Band (VR) 9p, Beats Antique, the Preservation Horns (VR) 2a Kerry Irish Pub: Van Hudson (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8 & 10p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, the Function, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p, Fiyawerx Productions Presents (VR) 2a Maple Leaf: Cha Wa (MG) 9p, Leafopotomous (FK) 11p, DJ Logic, Terence Higgins, Will Bernard and Wil Blades (FK) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Jazz Market: Lionel Hampton Band feat. Antonia Bennet and Jason Marsalis (JV) 7 & 9:30p One Eyed Jacks: the Deslondes, Julie Odell (VR) 8p, the Nth Power: Nirvana Tribute (VR) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger and Butch Thompson with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Republic: Voodoo Dead feat. Steve Kimock, Jeff Chimenti, Jackie Greene, George Porter Jr., JM Kimock (VR) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Bonerama, Terrence Simien and Zydeco Experience, John ‘Papa’ Gros Band (VR) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue Treme Threaxdown (FK) 8p Santos Bar: Royal Teeth (PO) 9p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher and Clarinet Road (JV) 9 & 11p Three Muses: Salvatore Geloso (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p, New Orleans Swamp Donkeys (JV) 11:59p Tipitina’s: Galactic (FK) 9p, Flow Tribe (FK) 1:30a Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SUNDAY APRIL 29

Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Birger’s Ragtime Band (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Jesse Dayton (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, Funk and Chant with John “Papa” Gros and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (MG) 10p, Lightnin’ Malcolm with Brady Blade (BL) 1a Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Fontaine Palace: Ambush Reggae Band (RE) 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Gasa Gasa: Red Baraat (JV) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p, Deltaphonic (BL) 10p House of Blues (the Parish): Jon Cleary (VR) 9p House of Blues: Los Lobos (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p

www.OFFBEAT.com

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Howlin’ Wolf: Foundation of Funk feat. Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr., Anders Osborne, Jojo Herman (FK) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson and friends (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: Jamison Ross (JV) 8p Maison: NOLA Jitterbugs, Royal Street Winding Boys (SI) 10a, Brad Walker (VR) 7p, J.E.D.I. Jazz Electronic Dance Improvisation feat. Aaron Johnston, Marc Browenstein, Borahm Lee, Ryan Zoidis, Eric “Benny” Bloom (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 9p, Maple Leaf All-Stars (VR) 11p, the Nth Power (FK) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Worship My Organ feat. Robert Walter, John Medeski, Skerik, Adam Deitch and DJ Logic (FK) 9p, the Switch Hitters feat. Nigel Hall, Wil Blades, Nate Werth, Robert Sput Searight (FK) 1:30a Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Nicholas Payton Trio (JV) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Carolyn Wonderland, Sonny Landreth and Kenny Neal (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Davell Crawford and Company (JV) 9 & 11p Southport Hall: Eric Lindell (BL) 8p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Squirrel Nut Zippers album-release show (SI) 9p

MONDAY APRIL 30

Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Carrollton Station: Jimmy Robinson and Michael Skinkus (RR) 7p Central City BBQ: NOLA Crawfish Festival (VR) 3p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p, Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory (BL) 10:30p

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d.b.a.: Swampede and Prairie Party-Cajun Crawfish Boil feat. Tommy Mclain, CC Adcock, Steve Riley, Curley Taylor and others (KJ) 2p, John Boutte (JV) 7p, Medeski, Vidacovich and Wood (VR) 10p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 1a Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Jonathon Boogie Long (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p House of Blues (the Parish): Christophe Mae (VR) 8p House of Blues: WWOZ’s Piano Night feat. Jon Cleary, Marcia Ball, Ellis Marsalis, Davell Crawford, Henry Gray, Joe Krown, David Torkanowsky, Al “Lil Fats” Jackson, Tom McDermott, Bob Seeley, John Autin (VR) 6:30p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Evan Christopher (JV) 7p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses (JV) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Frequinox, Green Is Beautiful: A Tribute to Grant Green (VR) 9:30p, NeonMedeski feat. John Medeski, Mono-Neon, Robert Walter, Daru Jones, Skerik, DJ Logic (VR) 1:30a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 6p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 9 & 11p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Harriet Tubman (MJ) 9p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Joe Cabral (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Instraments a Comin’ feat. Nth Power, New Orleans Suspects, Naughty Professor, Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias, Honey Island Swamp Band and others (VR) 8:30p

TUESDAY MAY 1

Blue Nile: Adam Deitch Quartet (VR) 10p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Carrollton Station: Grayson Capps Band (RR) 7:30p Central City BBQ: NOLA Crawfish Festival (VR) 3p Chickie Wah Wah: Anders Osborne, John Fohl and Johnny Sansone (RR) 8p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 5p, Treme Brass Band (JV) 8p, Cyril Neville and Swamp Funk, Water Seed (FK) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Party Gras feat. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles (MG) 10p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Waxahatchee (ID) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: SuperJam feat. Calvin Johnson, Big Sam, Kirk Joseph, Steve Ray, Joey Williams, Peter Levin, Will Bernard and Roger Lewis (FK) 9p House of Blues (the Parish): the Dangerous Summer, All Get Out, A Will Away (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Jouwala Collective, Gina Sobel’s Choose Your Own Adventure, Emily Julia Kresky (RK) 10p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Glen David Andrews (JV) 8p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 11p Maison: Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band, Gregory Agid (JV) 4p, Fiya Bomb feat. John Medeski, Chris Wood, Nikki Glaspie and Skerik (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove (FK) 8p, Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Old Ironworks: Threadhead Patry feat. Bonerama and George Porter Jr., Lost Bayou Ramblers and others (VR) 11a One Eyed Jacks: Dragon Smoke feat. Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville, Eric Lindell, Robert Mercurio and DMD the Band (VR) 9p, Eddie Logic Project (VR) 1:30a

Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 8p Siberia: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue CD-release party (CW) 9p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Naked on the Floor with Steven Bernstein, Redrawblak (MJ) 9p Three Muses: Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 5p Tipitina’s: Steve Earle and the Dukes, the Mastersons (VR) 9p Vaughan’s Lounge: Jamaican Me Breakfast (RE) 9p, the Fortifiers (BL) 10p

WEDNESDAY MAY 2

Blue Nile: Ivan Neville Piano Sessions Vol. 8 (VR) 9p, Game of Bones feat. Big Sam Williams and Corey Henry (VR) 11p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Central City BBQ: NOLA Crawfish Festival (VR) 3p Chickie Wah Wah: Jon Cleary (PI) 8p Civic Theatre: the Afghan Whigs, Built to Spill, Ed Harcourt (ID) 8p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 4p, the Iguanas (VR) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p, Bayou Gypsys feat. Roosevelt Collier, Tony Hall and Terence Higgins (FK) 2a Dragon’s Den: Irie Collective Jam Session (RE) 10p; Upstairs: DanceHall Classics (RE) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 7:30 & 11:30p, Johnny Sansone (BL) 10p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p House of Blues: Clutch, the Bronx, Red Fang, Fireball Ministry (VR) 7:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Amanda Shaw, Trumpet Mafia (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8 & 10p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p

A PRI L 2018

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Maison: Roamin’ Jasmine, Jazz Vipers (JV) 4p, West Coast New Boogaloo Showcase feat. the Humidors, El Metate, Ideateam, the Crooked Stuff (FK) 9:30p, John Medeski’s Mad Skillet feat. Terence Higgins, Kirk Joseph and Will Bernard (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Funk Monkey (FK) 9p, Ivan Neville, George Porter Jr., June Yamagishi and Johnny Vidacovich (FK) 11p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 3a Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p One Eyed Jacks: the Daze Between Band (VR) 9:30p, Fuck 2017: A Tribute to Those We Lost feat. members of Turkuaz and the Motet, Cris Jacobs, DJ Williams, Nate Werth, the Turkuaz Horns (VR) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 8p the Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. Herlin Riley (JV) 7p Siberia: United Bakery Records Showcase feat. Shane Sayers, Duke Aeroplane, Epic Proportions (FO) 9p Snug Harbor: Piano Summit: Marcia Ball, Joe Krown and Tom McDermott (JV) 9 & 11p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Henry Buter (PI) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: the Radiators (VR) 10p

THURSDAY MAY 3

Buffa’s: Pfister Sisters (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Seth Walker (VR) 8p, John “Papa” Gros Band with Cris Jacobs (VR) 10:30p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (RB) 8p, New Breed Brass Band (BB) 11p, Cedric Burnside Project (BL) 2a Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Ensemble Fatien (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Saucefest feat. Skerik, Nikki Glaspie, Brian Haas, Simon Lott, Helen Gillet, Martin Krusche, Dan Oestreicher, James Singleton, Sam Dickey, Aurora Nealand (MJ) 9p House of Blues: Trombone Shorty Foundation’s Shorty Fest feat. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave., Tank and the Bangas, Soul Rebels, Water Seed, New Breed Brass Band and others (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf: the Daze Between Band feat. Eric Krasno, Dave Schools, Duane Trucks, Marcus King, Deshawn Alexander (FK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Official Revivalists Afterparty feat. Space and Harmony (VR) 1a Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 6p, Brass-AHolics (BB) 8:30p Joy Theater: Rage!Fest feat. Lettuce, DJ Soul Sister (FK) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: call club (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Dead Blues feat. Grahame Lesh, Luther Dickinson, Elliott Peck, Daru Jones, Marcus Machado, John Medeski (BL) 11p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 8p Maison: Good for Nothin’ Band, Sweet Substitute (JV) 4p, Fiyapower (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Sonny Landreth, George Porter Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich (FK) 10p, Col. Bruce Tribute feat. Duane Trucks, Dave Schools, Taz and others (VR) 1a One Eyed Jacks: the M&M’s (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Leroy Jones and Katja Toivola with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Chubby Carrier, Geno Delafose, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas (VR) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: the Revivalists (VR) 8p Snug Harbor: Dr. Lonnie Smith with Donald Harrison (JV) 9 & 11p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Ivan Neville’s NOLA Nites with Cris Jacobs and others (VR) 9p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, Bailey Hinton and Grayson Brockamp (JV) 8p

APRIL 2018

Tipitina’s: Turkuaz (VR) 9p, Marco Benevento (VR) 2a Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p Willow: Cyril Neville and Water Seed (VR) 10p

FRIDAY MAY 4

Blue Nile: Kermit Ruffins (JV) 10:30p, Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 12:30a Buffa’s: Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band (VR) 6p, Greg Schatz (VR) 9p, Midnight Snack (VR) 11:59p Chickie Wah Wah: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (VR) 8p Circle Bar: Dash Rip Rock (RK) 10p Civic Theatre: Tank and the Bangas, Naughty Professor, Maggie Koerner (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tav Falco and Panther Burns (VR) 7p, Soul Rebels (BB) 10p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 2a Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 8p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Ghalia and Mama’s Boys (VR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Flow Tribe, Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 9:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Cowboy Mouth (RK) 9p House of Blues: Funky Meters (VR) 9p, the Motet Tribute to Sly and the Family Stone (VR) 1a Howlin’ Wolf: 16th Annual Bayou Rendezvous (FK) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Joe Krown (JV) 4:30p, Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Joy Theater: Galactic, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (FK) 9p, the New Mastersounds (FK) 2a Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 5p, Paintbox with Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5p, Jamison Ross (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Swinging Gypsies (JV) 4p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 7p, Worship My Organ feat. Adam Deitch, Skerik, Marco Benevento, Robert Walter, John Medeski and DJ Logic (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: In Business (FK) 9p, James Brown Tribute (FK) 11p, the Electric Company feat. Bobby Vega, Papa Mali, Chris Spies and Jermal Watson (FK) 3a Mardi Gras World: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Prime Example: the Bridge Trio (JV) 8p Republic: Delta Rhythm Revue feat. Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Marc Broussard (BL) 8p Saenger Theatre: Gov’t Mule, Marcus King Band (VR) 8:30p Siberia: Mike Dillon Band, Egg Yolk Jubilee, Electric Arch (VR) 10p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 9 & 11p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra 7 (JV) 9p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 11:59p Tipitina’s: the Devon Allman Project, Duane Betts (VR) 9p, Turkuaz Gives You Wings: A Tribute to Paul McCartney and Wings feat. Denny Laine (VR) 2a

SATURDAY MAY 5

Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p, Cris Jacobs Band with Ivan Neville, Naughty Professor and special guests (FK) 10p, Marco Benevento (VR) 1a Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Lynn Drury (JV) 6p, Banu Gibson (JV) 9p, Soul O’ Sam feat. Sam Price (VR) 11:59p Bullet’s: Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone (BL) 8p Carrollton Station: John Mooney and Bluesiana (BL) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show (RR) 8p, James Singleton, Skerik, Johnny Vidacovich and Jonathan Freilich (MJ) 11p

Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, Poppy’s Poppin’ Saturday Review (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 6p, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 10p, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Tav Falco and Panther Burns (VR) 1a Dos Jefes: Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (ZY) 10p Dragon’s Den: MOJO with DJ Jeremy Phipps (VR) 7p, Primetime feat. DJ Legatron Prime (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 8p, Sexy Back with DJ Dizzi (VR) 10p Fontaine Palace: National La Garde (RK) 7:30p, Les Getrex (BL) 9:30p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington (BL) 11:30p, Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 1:30a Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Givers (ID) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Close Me Out (CO) 8p, Pink Room Project (VR) 11p House of Blues (the Parish): Ripe (VR) 11p House of Blues: the Motet, Butcher Brown (VR) 9p, the Main Squeeze (VR) 1a Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne and friends feat. Eric Krasno, Marc Broussard and others (FK) 10p Jazz and Heritage Center: Naydja Cojoe, Nayo Jones and Mykia Jovan (JV) 8p Jazz Playhouse: New Orleans Swamp Donkeys (HV) 8p Joy Theater: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Presents Eat a Bunch of Peaches feat. Stanton Moore, Mike Dillon, Kenneth Crouch and others (FK) 9p, the New Mastersounds: Celebrating the Women of the Scene feat. Kim Dawson, Adryon De Leon, Mayteana Morales, Shira Elias, Sammi Garett, Boyfriend, DJ Soul Sister, Erica Falls (FK) 2a Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 5p, Patrick Cooper and Mark Carroll (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Alana Davis and Marc Stone (BL) 8p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 11p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, the Function, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p, Galacticphunk (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Ari Teitel (FK) 9p, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen with Nigel Hall (FK) 11p, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (FK) 3a Mardi Gras World: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (VR) 8p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Sonic Bloom featuring Eric “Benny” Bloom (FK) 9p, Break Science Live Band (FK) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Sammy Rimington with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Pontchartrain Vineyards: Jazz’n the Vines feat. Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 6:30p Prime Example: Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8p Republic: Cinco de Freedia, Sweet Crude, Boyfriend (BO) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Cinco de Mayo Party feat. Javier Olando and AsheSon (VR) 4:30p, Walter Trout, Sonny Landreth (BL) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley Quintet (JV) 9 & 11p Three Muses: Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p, Sam Friend (JV) 11:59p Tipitina’s: North Mississippi All-Stars (VR) 9p, the Greyboy All-Stars (VR) 2a Vaughan’s Lounge: Klezmer All-Stars (KL) 9p, Morning 40 Federation (RK) 11p

SUNDAY MAY 6

Blue Nile: Funky But Better feat. Big Sam Williams, Doug Wimbish, Roosevelt Collier, Maurice Brown, Daru Jones, Marcus Machado (VR) 10:30p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Al Farrell, Jerry Jumonville and Freddie Stalhe (VR) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Ian Moore Band (VR) 8p, Mike Dillon, James Singleton, Jonathan Freilich and Brad Walker (MJ) 11p Crazy Lobster: the Gator Bites (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Jazz Vipers (JV) 6p, Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 10p, Xoniuqerf feat. Donald Harrison Jr., Stanton Moore, Robert Walter, Rob Mercurio and Will Bernard (FK) 1a

Fontaine Palace: Ambush Reggae Band (RE) 11p Hi-Ho Lounge: NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p, AzzFest feat. DJ Rusty Lazer, Valerie Sassyfras, Plan Z, Bate Bunda, ROAR, Pirate’s Booty (VR) 10p House of Blues: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (FK) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Maison: NOLA Jitterbugs (JV) 10a, the Hokum High Rollers, Tuba Skinny (JV) 4p, Herbie Hancock Tribute feat. Joey Porter, Garrett Sayers, Ryan Zoidis, Robert “Sput” Searight, Nate Werth (FK) 10p, Purple Party: A Tribute to Prince feat. Members of Prince, the Motet, Turkuaz, Snarky Puppy, the Main Squeeze (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington (FK) 9p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 11p, Pretty Knights feat. Alvin Ford Jr. and Khris Royal (FK) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Eric Lindell (BL) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Sonny Landreth, Tab Benoit, Jonathon Boogie Long (BL) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Terence Blanchard E-Collective (JV) 9 & 11p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Dumpstaphunk, the Nth Power, DJ Soul Sister (VR) 9p

MONDAY MAY 7

Blue Nile: the Nth Power (VR) 10:30p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Bill Kirchen and Austin DeLone (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews (JV) 8p, Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 6p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 8:30p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 9p, George Porter Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners (FK) 11:59p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Miss Sophie Lee and guest (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Papa Grows Funk Reunion: One More Monday, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (VR) 9p

FESTIVALS APRIL 5-9 The New Orleans Ragtime Festival features live music in several venues, with a daylong showcase at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on Sunday. TheNewOrleansRagtimeFestival.com APRIL 12-15 The French Quarter Festival features live music on multiple stages and food and drink vendors throughout the French Quarter. FrenchQuarterFest.org APRIL 27-MAY 6 The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival includes live music, food and drink vendors, an art market, cultural exhibits, demonstrations and more. NOJazzJest.com APRIL 30-MAY 2 The three-day NOLA Crawfish Festival at Crescent City BBQ features boiled crawfish, beer and live music. NolaCrawfishFest.com

www.OFFBEAT.com

BACKTALK

FQFIQ: Friday, April 13, Abita Beer Stage, 5:30p

Walter “Wolfman” Washington talks back

“I

PHOTO: greg miles

t was definitely different—I’ve never done nothin’ like that before,” declares Walter “Wolfman” Washington in regards to his new album, My Future Is My Past. Folks who know Washington as a blues, R&B and funk guitarist and vocalist most often heard fronting his long-standing band, the Roadmasters, will undoubtedly agree with his assessment. Even singing and playing in a more intimate ensemble with organist Joe Krown’s Trio featuring drummer Russell Batiste, Wolfman isn’t amidst the wide-open space he’s provided here. The album’s first cut, Percy Mayfield’s “Lost Mind,” stands as an immediate tipoff that Washington is headed in a less-than-usual direction, as it finds him alone with his guitar. Few, if any, can remember Wolfman playing solo. “I did try to work some gigs by myself [in the early years] but it really didn’t seem right. I don’t think I was ready for it.” The musicians making up the rhythm section, who mostly change from tune to tune, include those coming primarily out of the jazz scene, like pianist David Torkanowsky and bassist James Singleton, and those connected to it, such as drummer Stanton Moore and percussionist Mike Dillon. Jon Cleary and Ivan Neville also step in on piano and on organ. The sizes of the groups also vary, moving from the opening solo to trios and quartets. Guest vocalist Irma Thomas, of course, shares the stylistic era for which Washington is renowned. Teamed vocally, they wonderfully deliver David Egan’s “Even Now,” which was recorded by Washington’s musical colleague, the late Johnny Adams. Walter “Wolfman” Washington, a blues and funk man, has always boasted a certain sophistication both as a vocalist and guitarist. That quality is accentuated on the quietude of My Future Is My Past. Here’s Wolfman’s take on the project. You’ve been quoted as saying that at first you were intimidated about doing an album like this. Yeah, I was. Sometimes it really takes time for you to work into something like this. It’s kind of difficult trying play by yourself and sing too. And then working with cats like those who are on this CD. I never did pay attention to what I could do. It really was amazing when they decided to play www.OFFBEAT.com

on this. It really was. I was really grateful. I’d been thinking sometimes, these days, about another vein that I would like to play in. For me, and my band, it’s like another step up, forward. Who came up with the concept for the album? My manager, [Adam Shipley]. He’s the one who suggested it. He said, ‘I have a recording session for you.’ And I said, ‘What?’ [And he said] Ben Ellman [of Galactic] is going to be the producer. So I just went into the studio and did what they wanted me to do. And that’s what came up. So did Ben choose the musicians? How about the material? By Geraldine Wyckoff

Uh huh. I only chose a couple of songs, the rest of them were chosen by Ben. I just had to learn some of them—that’s the thing. For ‘What a Diff’rence a Day Makes,’ I knew the words and I knew the melody so it was kind of easy for me to sing that song and not play. It was kind of weird without my guitar. That was really different. I enjoyed doing the whole CD. With things like that, you take your time. I was doing two songs a day until I could get it right. I did [Jimmy Hughes’] ‘Steal Away’ in a way that I don’t think anybody ever thought it would be done. I used to do ‘Steal Away’ slow but then James [Singleton] suggested I do it like that. When they told me I could set the tempo for it, I didn’t think they would let that A PRI L 2018

B AC

KTA

“I never have recorded with Irma. It was strange. I’ve only played behind Irma, I never did sing anything with her.” part stand. I did that part with just me and my guitar and then all of a sudden the rest of the cats just broke in on it. I said, ‘Whoa, whoa,’ and we had to start all over again. I thought about it when we were in the studio. We didn’t even rehearse those songs. They knew some of the songs and the music parts and I knew some of the music parts so whatever needed to be changed, we did it right there in the studio. The other one [I chose] was ‘Are You the Lady’—I wrote that myself. That’s been in my mind for four or five years before I ever thought about recording it again. I said, ‘Why don’t you try that and see how it sounds?’ It worked out pretty good. I didn’t think it would sound as good as it did. I can tell you I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. So were you able to listen to the way some of the tunes were originally done? Yeah, I listened to the originals. I took them home and studied them and studied them until I got it to the point where I could know how to phrase them. The way the originals went, I didn’t really appreciate it because it seemed to me it was kind of difficult. So I just did them the way I felt I should sing them. Which songs are you talking about? Like the one I did with Irma [‘Even Now’]. I had never heard Johnny—Johnny Adams—do it and it was like wow. I’ve heard people do it but I never heard it with somebody else [a vocal duet]. Ben suggested we get Irma to do the other part. I know you worked with Irma early in your career. What was it like to do a duet with her? I never have recorded with Irma. It was strange. I’ve only played behind Irma, I never did sing anything with her. Actually I started her first band—the very first band she ever had. Usually she had pick-up bands. The group was called the Tornados. I was afraid she wasn’t going to sing the song with me. She surprised me when she did. I said, ‘Wow, look at this.’ I mean the whole CD is surprising to me. Which part—singing or playing guitar— was the most intimidating or challenging to do without your band? It was more difficult to sing mostly because I was born to play the guitar. Thanks to Johnny

APRIL 2018

Adams for helping me to understand how to sing and play at the same time. For years I never did that. I just mostly played guitar. So Johnny took the time with me to develop my way of doing it. Like he told me to basically try to sing and play along with yourself and practice more. The CD was one of the challenges that brought it out. How did you get started playing guitar? Some neighborhood cats sang spirituals and nobody wanted to play guitar and my uncle, Uncle B, suggested that I try to play. He gave me my first acoustic guitar. I started to play with one finger—I didn’t tune it regular. We were invited to WBOK to sing on the program and they had this guitar player and he was playing with all of his fingers. I just watched him for a couple of hours. I went home and tried to do it and it just didn’t sound right because I didn’t have my guitar tuned right. So my Uncle B showed me how to tune it to 440 [Standard A 440]. That really tripped me out when I played that first chord. From then on I was a guitar freak. My Future Is My Past couldn’t exactly be considered a jazz album, though it’s leaning in that direction. It really is. I got into jazz when I got with the Lastie Brothers [around the 1960s] because most of their songs were jazz songs, more like Dixieland stuff. So it really got me used to playing jazz stuff. It was fun playing with the cats too. A lot of guitar players who came from where I did, they really didn’t get the hang of it. There is a certain way you have to play to be able to play jazz. You can’t play it like you play funk or rock ’n’ roll. It’s a whole different way of playing. I did ‘What a Diff’rence a Day Makes’ [with the Lasties], but I didn’t sing. So all I did was play—I didn’t do too much singing until later on. About five years after being with them, I realized how to do it [sing and play guitar]. And now it just comes naturally. In a way I like playing jazz but mostly I like playing funk. Ernie K-Doe was your first cousin. What things did you pick up from him? After I learned how to play blues and funk, he hired me to play with his group. I played with him for two years—I was about 21. I didn’t have to sing or anything, I just played my guitar. He gave me his guitar and amp. Watching him perform was something else. They did flips and I said, ‘I’m not going to do no flips.’ I learned a

lot from him—stage presence, how to dress. I didn’t really know how to handle myself until I got with David [Lastie] and them. You’re renowned for looking sharp on stage. I got that from Johnny [Adams]. David and them told me that is the best way to do it. They all said, if you want to be a professional, you have to dress like a professional. Then it just rubbed off on me. I can’t go on stage without dressing up. David and them told me when you’re playing in a professional atmosphere and people look at you in blue jeans and a T-shirt they’re going to look at you as just an average guitar player—and maybe not even that. A lot of young cats today don’t think about it. It makes people appreciate your music better when you’re dressed like a professional. How did you become so deeply associated with the blues? Did it have something to do with working with a group called the All Fools Band? That was the band that I got together with when I came off the road with Lee Dorsey. It was called the AFBs. We were riding down the highway—we didn’t have a name for the band at that time—and one the cats looked up at a sign and it said AFB. ‘Let’s call the band that.’ But we had to figure out what it meant. So we came up with the All Fools Band. We played nothin’ but blues at that time. That’s how I got named as a blues artist. I stayed with that band for like six years. That’s when I started forming my own band after that. What did playing with the great vocalist Lee Dorsey contribute to your career? Lee gave me my first idea of how it would feel being on a big stage and playing in front of a lot of people. My very first gig was at the Apollo Theater. I said, ‘Wow.’ From then on, I just wanted to be up under the lights. With Lee, I played two songs for two years and six months. I traveled all over the United States playing two songs, ‘Ride Your Pony’ and ‘Working in the Coal Mine.’ My cousin told me, ‘Once you play the Apollo Theater, you’ll play music for the rest of your life.’ I see that’s the truth. O www.OFFBEAT.com