OffBeat Magazine December 2016 by OffBeat Magazine

LOUISIANA MUSIC, FOOD & CULTURE—DECEMBER 2016 Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Little Drummer Boy Grows Up?

“Blue Genes”

Cowboy Mouth’s Fred LeBlanc celebrates being alive. Page 26 LETTERS

OFFBEAT EATS

MOJO MOUTH

Matt Rhody is In the Spot at Angelo Brocato’s and Peter Thriffiley reviews Shank Charcuterie.

FRESH

REVIEWS

Five questions with Debbie Davis on being a Christmas geek; My Music with Casey Wayne McAllister; The New Year’s Playlist; A conversation with Paula Mejia, author of Psychocandy and more.

SECRET LONGINGS

Musicians’ holiday wish lists.

ART FOR OUR SAKE

Khari Allen Lee is an eager and disciplined student of the arts.

BACK TO BASICS

18 20

ROAR! rocks like a lion, jams like a lamb.

SEND HIM A FRIEND

Anders Osborne’s road to sobriety.

IN THE SPIRIT Alex Siler at Primitivo mixes up Voice of the Stageless for all of New Orleans’ buskers.

www.OFFBEAT.com

Mia Borders, Gregory Agid Quartet, The Tumbling Wheels, Sean Ardoin & Zydekool, The New Orleans Swinging Gypsies, The NOLA Players, Amanda Shaw, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson and Margie Perez, Nick Sanders and Logan Strosahl, Louisiana Soul Revival, Hamid Drake & Jeff Zielinski, Steve Pistorius and more.

REWIND

Paul Sanchez hits rewind on his first solo album, Jet Black and Jealous.

Mike Zito is himself again.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

LISTINGS

BACKTALK with Jim James

of My Morning Jacket

By John Swenson March 2001 In our cover story on Anders Osborne, John Swenson asked: “Are you ever tempted to go back to drugs and drinking?” Osborne replies: “Yeah. All the time. New Year’s Eve I had a little relapse where I got drunk. Yeah, it’s two o’clock in the morning, let’s fuck up. I’m an alcoholic and a drug addict…” To read more, this issue can be purchased at http://www.offbeat. com/shop/2001/offbeatmagazine-march-2001/. D ECEMBER 2016

Letters

“She [Sarah Quintana] offered so much heart and wisdom. Straight New Orleans soul, no chaser. Wonderful!”—Joseph Blake, Victoria, B.C. Canada

Louisiana Music, Food & Culture

December 2016 Volume 29, Number 13 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com Managing Editor Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com

Be Different. He Is. The following letters are in response to Sam D’Arcangelo’s news post about Bob Dylan being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The fact Dylan is now a Nobel Laureate, one would think, is enough. His grand, accurate and spiritual tribute to the Big Easy makes me proud to not only have always labeled him as the greatest American songwriter in my lifetime but I will continue to invite the masses to breakfast at Mother’s, lunch at Commander’s Palace, oysters at Acme, dinner at Delmonico’s, cocktails at the Erin Rose and late bourbons at Johnny White’s before the a.m. bus departs for Jazz Fest. —Edward S. Pugsley, Jr., Yonkers, New York And now New Orleans has a Nobel Laureate in its midst. I still have a promotional button from Columbia Records that bore a simple sketch of Dylan that read “Be different. He is.” Perhaps that is the reason he fits in so well with our culture and the peculiar institutions we cling to daily. —Alan Smason, New Orleans, Louisiana

Sarah Quintana I know what it means... Every now and then I have to write and tell you how much you make me miss New Orleans. I’m just another part-time lover lucky enough to have been adopted by NOCCA’s Tom Tews and his wife Mary-Kate a couple of decades ago. I miss them and I miss the pre-Katrina New Orleans I fell in love with back then, but every now and then, like while reading that great article about Sarah Quintana in the October issue of OffBeat just breaks my heart. She offered so much heart and wisdom. Straight New Orleans soul, no chaser. Wonderful! I’m going to search out her music and start planning my next trip down South for a visit to the last fair city in the lower 48. —Joseph Blake, Victoria, B.C. Canada

Luke Winslow-King It was a thrill to get to talk with Luke [Winslow-King] when he played in Scrooby, U.K. I think he is a great musician and up there with the few. If he wants to talk about how his pain informed his songs, then the magazine

will print it. It ain’t pretty for anyone involved, I guess, but life is like that sometimes. —Andy MacDonald, Shelley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Preserving Character The following letter is in response to Jan Ramsey’s blog post “The allure, the charm, the relevance of the old,” about the appreciation of the historic-yet-funky dwellings in New Orleans. Yet there is so much that can be done to “modernize” our old structures—preserving character but working on their infrastructure, like updating insulation, foundations and electrical systems. It is expensive, yes, and sadly more expensive than building new homes and condos. But, you get what you pay for, and there is a reason your house is still standing after all these years. It takes a commitment to an intangible value, such as that you describe, to want to invest those dollars. I am doing it in my 1790 house in New England, but any realtor would tell me that I am much better off building something new if I ever want to sell our property… In their words, “the younger buyer doesn’t want old.” I don’t begrudge anyone their individual tastes and styles, and I know that some people truly love new homes, and like the sparse, consistent feel of a newer place, but once we lose these old structures, they are gone forever. I was just at a presentation yesterday by a restaurant owner who had to deconstruct her 200-year-old building in order to build a new, more updated structure. She had hoped to re-purpose some of the wood and other materials, but as she said, “the frugal Yankees in the 1800s had already re-purposed the materials, so they were shot.” What a story—how can we ever re-purpose these new, “stylish” homes? I fear that we are now in a cycle of tearing down and building new, that is self-perpetuating. —Rich Grogan, West Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Correction The priest officiating at Stanley Dural Jr.’s funeral was Father Robert Seay, not Father Robert See. 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.

DECEMBER 2016

Consulting Editor John Swenson Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Listings Editor Katie Walenter, listings@offbeat.com Contributors Sam D’Arcangelo, Frank Etheridge, Robert Fontenot, Elsa Hahne, Tom McDermott, Brett Milano, Jennifer Odell, Peter Thriffiley, Dan Willging, John Wirt, Geraldine Wyckoff Cover Elsa Hahne Christmas Angel (cover and cover feature) Lucia Mackey Art Director/Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Web Editor Sam D'Arcangelo, sam@offbeat.com Copy Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, theo@offbeat.com Advertising Sales Camille A. Ramsey, camille@offbeat.com Carver Rayburn, carver@offbeat.com Advertising Design PressWorks, 504-944-4300 Business Manager Joseph L. Irrera Interns Justin Gordon, Brittney Karno, Aidan Soguero 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 facebook.com/offbeatmagazine twitter.com/offbeatmagazine Copyright © 2016, 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

Magical Thinking

heard early this morning from a staff member that Mose Allison, one of jazz’s great players, had passed away. Of course, we check information before we post or publish it, and from what I could find online, there was a hoax involving Allison’s death that had been on the web several times. This time, though, it appears to be real. Allison, a Mississippi-born musician and songwriter, has died. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to start or continue a death rumor; there’s nothing amusing or funny at all about that. It just demonstrates how the public can be titillated (and duped) by anyone or anything, especially when it’s posted on Facebook or other social media or internet sources.

www.OFFBEAT.com

By Jan Ramsey

This is abominable, really, and it’s a symptom of how media— most especially the internet—has created its own bizarre world that has nothing to do with reality. I’d say that everyone should check their sources, and do a little digging to find out what’s real and what’s not. Frankly, it’s really sad that we have to do this almost on a daily basis in modern society. How many people actually believe what they see and read online without doing a little background check? Turns out, a lot. I’ve read different statistics; anywhere from 44 percent to 62 percent of all Americans get their news from social media. How reliable is this information? Who knows? The latter percentage was the result of a survey conducted by the Pew Research

Center, a non-partisan American “fact tank” based in Washington, D.C. Sounds reasonably credible. Well, who knows if it is or not? It apparently doesn’t matter to most people who will believe anything they read on the internet, or worse, stuff that’s circulated via email. Let’s face it: Many Americans are lazy, entitled and too apathetic (or too dumb) to do their homework. They’ll pretty much believe anything you tell them, if that’s what they want to believe. Our recently ended Presidential election debacle was certainly evidence of that. Ah, the danger of media and a public that would rather be spoon-fed entertainment and magical thinking by a charismatic leader versus an educated consideration of facts.

I recently met an OffBeat intern applicant who told me that she no longer goes onto Facebook, and rarely looks at her phone. This was sort of amazing because I rarely meet anyone who isn’t glued to their phone or other media from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep (I wouldn’t be surprised if some enterprising entrepreneur found an effective way to insert messages and ads into our dreams at some point soon). This is probably the first evidence of an intelligent backlash against an all-encompassing social media that I’ve experienced in a long time. Maybe there’s some hope after all. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. May you use your intelligence wisely in 2017. O

D ECEMBER 2016

FRESH

OffBeat.com Photo: ZACK SMITH

Five Questions with Debbie Davis

“I

know musicians are supposed to be countercultural, but I’m a total Christmas geek,” confesses singer Debbie Davis. Two years ago she and husband Matt Perrine released a lovely seasonal album, Oh Crap, It’s Christmas!, and this year they’ll be back to host a night of festive music at Cafe Istanbul on December 18. What is it you love about Christmas music? I think it’s the last type of music that everyone is aware of. There are people who only listen to rock ’n’ roll, or only listen to jazz or classical. We don’t have a common musical language except for Christmas music. I think the music, and Christmas in general, gives us the opportunity to feel something familiar, as if it’s for the first time. It’s that touchstone that lives inside you, that always reminds you of something wonderful. And there is always that anticipation of surprise: What you find under the Christmas tree might be that thing that completes you for a minute. What’s in store for this year’s show? We have a lot of people that I work with all year ‘round, that I get to command for my own jolly purposes. We got Michael Cerveris who is done with his Broadway run for this particular moment; he’s been busy wining Tonys for the last couple of years. Susan Cowsill is as big a Christmas nerd as I am, so we get to participate in unabashed holiday folderol. Alex McMurray is going to be there, and Paul Sanchez who’s been touring a lot. And Spencer Bohren, who used to be my neighbor. It’s really an excuse to surround myself with my favorite people. How do you and Matt celebrate at home? We’re pretty traditional. We do a big meal on Christmas Eve because I don’t want to cook on Christmas Day. We usually get the tree the day after Thanksgiving—we’ve been trying to sow some self-control on that, but it hasn’t been working. What kinds of non-Christmas music are you working on? Josh Paxton and I have been touring as a duo quite a bit. During January we’ll be doing Sunday brunches at the new Uptown branch of Three Muses. And we plan to do an album in January—we pretty much do a cross section of popular music, from Fats Waller to Stevie Wonder. I don’t write songs, because I figure nobody else has to write them as long as Alex McMurray is alive. Will it be strange doing the show after the election we’ve had? I think regardless of who you voted for, or how deep you feel you’ve been cut by the results, I think everybody is looking for something real to believe in. I think that Christmas is about love and in the end I think that love is the only thing that is real. And that reads a lot better than me saying that we all need a couple of days when we’re not really fucking pissed off. —Brett Milano

DECEMBER 2016

SWEET TWEETS @ericbolivar Just walked outside. Can I get an amen for this weather New Orleans? @Hot8BrassBand #nola legend #AlfredUgandaRoberts stopped by to lay down some tasty grooves. @AmyTrailSongs “Can you play Mustang Sally on a piano?” A question that is much deeper than one would think. #badrequest @jonclearymusic St. Croix off the starboard bow. Buddy Guy walking by to get breakfast in the lounge. Guadeloupe in the morning. Blues cruise with Taj Mahal. @mpatrickwelch It’s important to take time and stop and criticize anyone who is trying to be positive if they aren’t being positive correctly. @jeffalbert We need to do a better job of teaching our creative arts students about mundane tech. Simple file distribution should not be hard. @paynic (Nicholas Payton) Neither party has ever done shit for Black people. Liberal and Conservative are just two sides of the same White Supremacist coin. #BAM @SteamerNatchez #supermoon

www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: ryan Hodgson-rigsbee

Voodoo Festival

SOUNDCHECK

FRESH

MY MUSIC

Casey Wayne McAllister

“M

y father was a songwriter and a guitarist. He and his friends played these huge jam sessions. Their music was all acoustic, but it ran from western swing to bluegrass to country and folk. As soon as I was old enough to hold an instrument, I started playing dobro and sitting in with my dad and his friends. I took piano lessons at the same time. Piano lessons were very formal. Learning guitar and dobro was casual, like how traditional folk music is passed down. I stopped playing piano when I played guitar in rock bands. But later I had some keyboards around while I was playing with Liquidrone (featuring Clint Maedgen) and the Myrtles. That got me into keyboards again. At that time, in the ’90s, guitar was not cool. And I got more calls for piano than guitar, even though I was always better at guitar. I moved to New Orleans from Baton Rouge in 2005. I’d been playing down here a lot for years before because Liquidrone was based New Orleans. I’d just joined the New Orleans Bingo! Show (also featuring Maedgen) when Hurricane Katrina happened. So Clint and I did duo shows. Fun stuff. The Special Men were playing Monday nights at BJ’s Lounge when Jimmy Horn called me. He said, ‘Man, come play piano with the Special Men.’ I said, ‘Jimmy, I’m not good enough to play that New Orleans stuff.’ There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then Jimmy said, ‘Man, what the hell else are you doing on a Monday night?’ I said, ‘When do you rehearse?’ He said, ‘No rehearsal. Show up Monday.’ So the Special Men made a piano player out of me. I joined Hurray for the Riff Raff the year Look Out Mama came out [2012]. Lots of fans loved Hurray’s Young Blood Blues and older records. Every record Alynda [Lee Segarra] puts out is packed with great songs and awesome music. In August 2015, I slid from Hurray for the Riff Raff to Langhorne Slim and the Law. But I have no ill will toward Alynda or anyone else. I’m a huge fan. I’ve worked with so many bands. I play with Clockwork Elvis whenever I can. I’ve been playing with the Happy Talk Band for years. I’ve started playing guitar in the Angry Lovers, with Rachel Nagy from the Detroit Cobras. She’s living in New Orleans now. I always like to watch piano players around town, like Jon Cleary and Tom McDermott. And I grew up hearing records by Huey Smith, Allen Toussaint and Ray Charles. If you can get your hands on that stuff, it’s like a gateway drug.” —John Wirt

DECEMBER 2016

THE NEW YEAR’S PLAYLIST

‘T

is the season for New Year’s playlists, and we can’t help but notice that a lot of the choices we’ve seen elsewhere are either shopworn (you really want to hear that U2 song again?) or a little lame (sorry Dan Fogelberg, but no). We can at least promise that every song on this list is great, including a couple local choices. Paul Weller “Brand New Start”: This is my personal favorite, the one I’ve played every year since it came out in 2001. The ex-Jam leader and longtime mod cult hero isn’t one for cheap sentiment; the promises he makes here are clear-eyed but clearly hopeful. Lovely tune too. Graham Parker “New Year’s Revolution”: Another tender song from a tough guy, this one’s a soul strut whose lyrics note that a little love wouldn’t hurt as we pull together to get the world in better shape. Released in the ’90s, any modern-day resonance is purely intentional. Lightnin’ Hopkins “Happy New Year”: This gritty (but still upbeat) blues makes a nice antidote to all those sentimental New Year’s songs: “Happy New Year baby, ain’t gonna worry me to death/ Don’t think about Christmas, ’cause Christmas just up and left.” Huey Piano Smith & the Clowns “Happy New Year”: On their wild and classic Christmas album, everyone in Huey Smith’s crew sounds like they’re well into the spiked eggnog (Dr. John is in there somewhere). The reason one of the singers swears he’ll never do the Twist again is lost to history. The Glad Singers “Happy New Year”: A supremely hip record that I just discovered through a recent reissue. The Glad Singers were a studio group assembled by Miles Davis’ producer Teo Macero; their holiday album Swing Bells! consisted of familiar melodies (“Greensleeves,” in this case) matched with their own festive lyrics. Listen to this and tell me they haven’t just been to the best party in town. Beverley “Happy New Year”: If your NY Eve turns out to be a bummer, here’s a suitably pissed-off diva to commiserate with. I knew nothing about this terrific record when a friend put it on a holiday compilation; turns out that Beverley is English singer Beverley Martyn (who made a couple albums with her husband, the late folk great John Martyn). In any case, she sings this like she knows she’s too cool to get stood up on New Year’s Eve. Prince “The Future”: While we’re still teary, some words of wisdom from one of the many greats we lost in 2016. No surprise that it’s a little ominous—it was after all the leadoff song from his Batman soundtrack—but it includes some sage advice: “I’ve seen the future and it works/ So you can’t go like a jerk.” (Sadly, the only versions on YouTube are bad remixes.) Zigaboo Modeliste “Holiday Kiss”: The great Meters drummer plugs into a smooth retro-soul groove for his holiday tune. Doesn’t even specify the holiday, but it’s a perfect one for anyone who decides to stay home with their partner on the big night. Lou Rawls “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”: There are a million versions of this chestnut, but none really swing like this one, and nobody ever sang it with more swagger. And the guitarist is on fire, whoever it is. Peggy Lee “Song at Midnight”: Instead of including “Auld Lang Syne,” here’s a song about “Auld Lang Syne,” and maybe the most romantic New Year’s song ever. —Brett Milano www.OFFBEAT.com

FRESH

33 1/3’S PSYCHOCANDY

In conversation with Paula Mejia, author

ith its searing noise-crush aesthetic and echoey fills layered beneath pop melodies straight out of the ’60s girl-group sound, the Jesus and Mary Chain’s 1985 album Psychocandy marked a watershed moment in rock history. In her new book, Psychocandy, for the album-focused 33 1/3 series, arts and culture writer Paula Mejia explores that moment and what caused it to come about when it did. “They did this really particular thing in that they subverted the canon while becoming a standard,” says Mejia, who sits down with local writer Allison Fensterstock for a conversation about the book on December 2 from 5–7 p.m. at Euclid Records. “To have those seemingly dissonant elements come together I think was really powerful and I think that’s something people have drawn on and still continue to play around with today.” An early devotee of feedback-heavy shoegaze acts like My Bloody Valentine and Lush—bands Mejia says “sound like an assault on your ears but in the best possible way”—the author began thinking critically about Psychocandy while she was a student at George Washington University. It became the focus of her graduate thesis and eventually, the subject of 33 1/3’s latest publication, which hit shelves in October. “One of the big things that I wanted to dig into was the ‘psycho’ part of it and the ‘candy’ part of it,” Meijia says. To do that, she traced the history of bubblegum pop beginning in the ’50s and the effect the emergence of teenage culture had on music. She also looked closely at the socio-political landscape out of which Psychocandy was born and how the Velvet Underground came to be a major influence on the band. “I really was intrigued with the context of [the album’s] creation,” the author says. What she found was that music she’d previously considered in punk terms represented, in part, a reaction to what Mejia described as a “sterile” music landscape. It also reflected the early pop obsessions of vocalists and guitarists Jim and William Reid. Mejia discovered that the Scottish-born Reids had spent hours in the bedroom they shared as kids in a Glasgow suburb “plotting how to become the perfect pop band” while falling in love with groups like the Shangri-Las, the Shirelles and the Ronettes and dreaming of an appearance on “Top of the Pops.” “Having read about the band’s early shows and how people had these very cathartic and occasionally violent outbursts at their shows, to me they were always kind of a punk band,” Mejia says. “But I was totally off about that.” For more information on Euclid’s December 2 conversation and reading with Paula Mejia, visit the record store’s Facebook page at facebook.com/EuclidRecordsNola. —Jennifer Odell www.OFFBEAT.com

DECEMBER 2 016

HOLIDAY WISHES

Secret Longings Musicians’ holiday wish lists. ILLUSTRATION: MONIKA DANIS

n the summer of 2009, before the football season had even begun, trumpeter, vocalist, composer and mighty New Orleans Saints fan Kermit Ruffins sat down and wrote “A Saints Christmas.” It included the memorable and soon often-repeated lyrics, “All I want for Christmas is the Saints in the Super Bowl.” During that era, Ruffins managed Sidney’s Saloon, and patrons in the small, St. Bernard Avenue corner bar would jump up and dance every time it was played—and that was often. “A Saints Christmas” was released as a single on September 22, 2009, at the very beginning of the muchbeloved and previously beleaguered Saints’ record-shattering and mindblowing 13-win and 3-loss season. The Saints were in full swing by midNovember 2009 when it was released on Ruffins’ Basin Street Records album, Have a Crazy Cool Christmas! Talk about timely and Christmas wishes coming true—the Saints, as we here all know, won Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. Who Dat? Are wishes fulfilled? Regardless of one’s faith, the holiday season often holds a certain kind of hope for the future and the possibility of a different outlook or achievement in the New Year. So we asked various New Orleans musicians about their wish lists for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or simply 2017. As might be expected, some are funny, some are philosophical while others lean to the practical or simply pie-in-the sky.

right now—to put it in one word, tolerance.” “I want to outlive the competition,” Deacon John declares, of his goal for 2017 returning to his more outlandish, laughing mode.

Deacon John Moore (Guitarist, vocalist and bandleader): “All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth,” says the alwayshumorous Deacon John, quoting the lyric of a tune of the same name recorded in 1947 by Spike Jones & His City Slickers. Becoming

DECEMBER 2016

Tarriona “Tank” Ball more philosophical, Deacon adds, “What I want for Christmas is for everybody to learn to live together and love one another right here, By Geraldine Wyckoff

(Leader/vocalist of Tank and the Bangas): “I would like to have a million dollars—that would be cool— and to master my ukulele. With the million dollars I would buy

up a lot of property that’s going around in New Orleans for my friends and for my mom. My mom doesn’t want to work anymore. www.OFFBEAT.com

HO L

IDA Y

WIS HE S

“I would like everybody to be happy and joyful at Christmas.” --Al “Carnival Time” Johnson

She wants to go to Africa and I would send her there.” “In 2017, I’d like something big. I wouldn’t even be able put my hand on it, it would be so big. It would be something that would just dramatically change my life for the better. Something happens every year that surprises me— something really huge happens. On a personal note, it would be really cool to have more discipline. After discipline comes, everything else that you want comes after that.” “I’m wild but it is all planned—every dance move, the hair styles, the clothes. So there is definitely some discipline there. I’d like more discipline in my personal life meaning my eating habits, making sure that I write every day and vocally and physically exercising every day. It is things like that prepare your mind for what’s to come for you if you want it.”

James Andrews (Trumpeter, vocalist, bandleader): “I want all my friends and family to enjoy themselves and have a good time,” says Andrews very sincerely. His outlook for 2017 is similar: “Mostly, I just want to thank God for another year and my friends and family.”

DECEMBER 2016

Daria Dzurik (Leader of Daria & the Hip Drops, steel pan player, vocalist, composer): “I have a couple of things, not all of them are totally realistic,” offers the lively Dzurik. “I always need new steel drum mallets so that’s on my list. An affordable housing market would be good, or a house, either one. I really like

“Personally, within the past couple of months, I’ve been working really hard on my original material so in 2017, I’m definitely looking forward to finishing my first album.” “Also in the year 2017, I wish for positive vibes within the people around the world, the city and country. season and every season just like ‘Carnival Time’ during Mardi Gras.” “In 2017, I’m looking forward to doing another cruise. It’s going out of New Orleans and I’m working it with Vince Vance.”

Glenn Hall III (Trumpeter with Lil’ Glenn & Backatown and the Rebirth Brass Band):

Gogo [Borgerding], a local jewelry designer, and I would like a Gogo cuff—a wrist cuff. I would also like another trip to Trinidad for Carnival and to be there for the whole Carnival season this year.” “For 2017, I would like to release new music and videos online. I’ve never done a West Coast tour so it’s on my list for next year and I would also like to play in Nashville. This is a little bit of a higher goal, but I would really love to be on the Jimmy Fallon late-night show.”

Al “Carnival Time” Johnson (Vocalist, composer, pianist): “I would like everybody to be happy and joyful at Christmas,” says Johnson, who is himself a happy and joyful man. “I’m hoping everybody enjoys ‘Don’t Go, Santa!’ [his single with vocalist Margie Perez] and I hope that it becomes a holiday classic this

Phil Frazier (Tuba player and co-

“So what does little Glenn want for Christmas?” Hall asks with a laugh. “To be honest, I would actually love to see all the young musicians in the city do a big project or small projects together. That’s my biggest wish for Christmas that every young artist is able to pull something off or at least meet each other and work on some stuff. I think one important thing about that is that sometimes there is so much stuff happening in the city, I don’t think everyone exactly knows who’s who and who’s doing what.”

leader of the Rebirth Brass Band): “I want everybody to be musically happy,” says Frazier of his holiday wish. “There are all kinds of music—just follow your heart. That will make you happy.” For his goals for 2017, he at first states the obvious, as he laughingly says, “Well, I’d like to try to get a lot of money. Everybody wants money. In 2017, I’m also running for Governor of Zulu [Social Aid and Pleasure Club],” says Frazier, who hopes to win the election and hold the position for the 2018 Carnival season. “So I start [campaigning] in 2017 and the elections are in May 2017. I’ve been a member of Zulu for three years.”

Eric Benny Bloom (Trumpeter and leader of Sonic Bloom): “For Christmas all I want is a new, top-of-the line turntable. I just got [trumpeter] Wallace Davenport and his gospel singers’ record featuring George French from like 1984 and www.OFFBEAT.com

HOLIDAY WISHES

Joe Dyson (Drummer):

I haven’t been able to listen to it. I saw the record and it had George [French’s photo] on the back, really, really young and he does things like ‘Gloryland.’ I said, ‘Man, I’ve got to get this.’ My early holiday Christmas gift would be to nail this year’s Eric Benny Bloom’s Really, Really Tacky Holiday Show, where I sing [songs made famous by] Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. It’s on December 22 at Chickie Wah Wah.” “In 2017, I’d like to record my debut jazz album and spend more time with my parents.”

“My request for the holidays is for everyone to have some kind of relief in the community by sharing each other’s presence and listening to some great music. Every year in my church, I help put on a benefit concert called ‘Christmas in Treme,’ [December 16, 2016] and we have some of the best and brightest stars of the city come down and share their talents and gifts with the community.

Specifically, I think it would be a great time to embrace each other and share their love for each other.”

“My gift for the holiday is being home with my family and friends,” says Dyson who is often out on tour. “In 2017, I would like to increase my presence in the community. Usually I try to sneak in and out and speak to some of the youth and also help assist the elders that have assisted me through the years. So I’d like to make sure the youth have a voice and a platform in order to express themselves.” O

Stephanie Jordan (Vocalist): “My first thing would be that everyone in the world who is hungry be fed; everybody who is homeless be housed; everybody who is lonely find a friend. For my community I would like a stop to the senseless gun violence. Also, instead of the city writing parking tickets, I wish we could have an anti-litter, clean-up campaign. Specifically, I would like to see all the trash cleaned up along I-10. If I had one selfish wish, just like Janis Joplin, ‘Lord, please buy me a Mercedes-Benz.’ Janis and I have that in common.” “In 2017, I’d like a world tour with my big band. Also, I’d like to see peace in Syria.” www.OFFBEAT.com

DECEMBER 2 016

KHARI ALLEN LEE

Art For Our Sake

“I

like to say that I’m as old as this universe and as new as this moment,” offers saxophonist Khari Allen Lee, a philosophical reply that sounds like one his “kindreds,” the late, great jazz musician Sun Ra, might give. “I’ve been around in this body for 36 years now.” Lee’s complex answer to a simple question about age is not at all surprising. Lee approaches everything—life, music, art—with an understanding of the importance of its spiritual essence. “There have been forces that have pushed music into the realm of commodity to be bought and sold,” says Lee, who recently released his third album as leader, Khari Allen Lee & the New Creative Collective’s A New Earth. “Music is a part of living on earth and when we get disconnected from that we lose a source of energy.” Besides Lee’s work with his own band, the saxophonist seems to be popping up everywhere, particularly on an array of recordings. Very recent albums on which Lee’s horn is present include bluesman Bobby Rush’s Porcupine Meat and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra’s Make America Great Again! Others from the not too distant past include vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater with Irvin Mayfield’s New Orleans Jazz Orchestra’s Dee Dee’s Feathers, Dr. John’s Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch and The Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors’ When that Morning Comes. Lee will also be heard on the soundtrack of the yet-to-be-released film The

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Comedian, which was scored by trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard. From blues to jazz to Mardi Gras Indian music could be considered quite a stretch, though perhaps less so in New Orleans than other locales. “I think it’s been happening and it’s just been building,” says Lee of being among the go-to guys when a recording session happens. “I got my doctorate with [leader/drummer] Benny Jones and [bass drummer/ vocalist] Lionel Batiste in the Treme Brass Band, so I had these opportunities,” explains Lee, who enjoys being “beyond categorization.” On a more fundamental level, which, granted, Lee is difficult to wrestle into, he acknowledges that he digs into as much research as he can and puts in the work. “I do my best to be a humble, eager and disciplined students of the arts.” “My initial ‘landing’ was down in the Black Belt as they call it in Alabama—in Tuskegee,” says Lee of his birthplace, continuing in the philosophical jargon of Sun Ra. He then studied at Alabama’s By Geraldine Wyckoff

Auburn University, headed to Boston and when considering his next place to “land” decided on New Orleans, a place where he enjoyed family roots as his mother’s father was from the Crescent City. “It struck me that this was the perfect place,” Lee remembers. “Here we can really work with the art of the music.” He moved to New Orleans in order to earn his masters degree as a member of the Louis Armstrong Quintet at the University of New Orleans just a few months before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Some might remember that Khari Allen Lee used to be known simply as Khari Lee. “Allen is one of the family names that goes way back,” explains Lee, whose name as it appears on his birth certificate is an amazing eight names long. “It was a way to remember relatives,” he offers. “All names carry a vibration and resonance.” Interestingly, Lee’s title cut, “A New Earth,” is a funky number, with drummer Geoff Clapp laying down a beat to changes rather reminiscent

of the Meters’ “Cissy Strut.” Guitarist Davy Mooney, a new member of the band, doesn’t really travel that route, changing the direction to more straightahead jazz. The spoken word as well as visual arts play an important part in A New Earth as well as all of Lee’s endeavors. Noted visual artist Marcus Akinlana contributed the colorful images on the album and also played percussion. “The idea is to bring many different forms of artistic expression together,” Lee says. He also sees the use of spoken word, on material such as the musically forward-seeking “Our Great Awakening,” as an important reminder that the voice was the original instrument. “It’s something I feel I woke up with,” Lee says of the light that glows within him and reaches out through his music. “There were those who helped me to remember that the arts are especially powerful because they can connect us to each other. It generates thrival not just survival. The artist must use his or her art to better the society. That’s what I’ve been called to do.” “The idea of A New Earth is one of happiness, joy and celebration,” says Lee. To achieve that aim, the saxophonist offers the beauty of his composition “Solstice” while bringing in the works of like-minded wordsmiths like Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder and channeling the deep spirituality of the music of John Coltrane. Even Louis Armstrong’s hit “What a Wonderful World” makes sense in the universe of the soulful and multidisciplinary Khari Allen Lee. O www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: Brian Bennett

Khari Allen Lee is an eager and disciplined student of the arts.

MIKE ZITO

Back to Basics Mike Zito is himself again.

DECEMBER 2016

Photo: christopher durst

uitar, bass, drums and the blues. It’s back to basics for Mike Zito. He’s returned to the riff-fueled blues-rock that inspired him to make music in the first place. It’s been nearly a decade since Zito previously waved his guitar hero flag. His departure in late 2014 from Royal Southern Brotherhood— the supergroup that originally featured Zito, Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooton—helped him reclaim his six-string prowess. So did moving away from the singer-songwriter focus he’d pursued through most of the past decade. And there’s another reason why Zito’s thirteenth album, Make Blues Not War, is a blues-rocking affair: Tom Hambridge, the Grammywinning Nashville producer whose other studio clients include Buddy Guy, Delbert McClinton, Susan Tedeschi and Kenny Neal. “I was ready to start over, to turn this over to somebody else,” the usually self-produced Zito said. “For the first time in a long time, I wrote riffs. I told Tom what I wanted to do. He understood.” With Hambridge at the helm, Zito recorded Make Blues Not War at the Switchyard Recording Studio in Nashville. Hambridge and Zito cowrote many of the album’s songs, but the producer’s greatest contribution was helping Zito be himself again. “Tom is into old blues and classic rock,” Zito said. “We grew up on the same stuff. I knew all along, when I decided to a down-and-dirty blues-rock record, he’s the guy.” With Make Blues Not War, the Texas–based Zito reconnected with the guitar greats who inspired him when he was a young musician in St. Louis: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower, Rory Gallagher and, most of all, Johnny Winter. “All of those people, they are the reason I play guitar,” Zito said. “And

I have everything Johnny Winter ever did. The first time I heard him on the radio, when I was a teenager, it blew my mind. Johnny’s guitar playing was so clean and so fast and so bluesy. I was hooked.” Zito and Winter became friends about six years before the Texas guitar maestro’s death in 2014. Sharing the same booking agency, they toured together. “Johnny invited me on stage with him,” Zito said. “He encouraged me. He liked my guitar playing. He liked me.” Winter also questioned Zito’s decision to join Royal Southern Brotherhood in 2011. “Johnny said, ‘Why are you joining these bands?’ He put his hand on my arm and he said, ‘Mike, you’re a good blues player. We need more blues records.’ I remember thinking, ‘Man, what just happened?’ Johnny Winter told me that! I don’t forget it.” But Winter’s advice didn’t stop Zito from becoming a charter member of Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group formed on a high note. “Pearl River,” a song co-written by Zito and Cyril Neville, won blues song of the year By John Wirt

at the 2010 Blues Music Awards in Memphis. “Cyril and I really hit it off,” Zito recalled. “I thought Cyril and I were starting a blues band. And then here comes my old friend, Devon Allman. One by one, things fell in place and Royal Southern Brotherhood became its own thing.” The members of Royal Southern Brotherhood hadn’t expected the band to be a fulltime gig. But it quickly exceeded expectations. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Zito said. “And it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever seen, in a long time, in this bluesAmericana genre. The band got so popular so fast. It took over. Nobody could do anything else.” During his three years in Royal Southern Brotherhood, Zito seldom saw his wife and five children. And as much he loved the challenging songs the Brotherhood performed, it wasn’t his music. Zito, Allman and Wooton eventually left the band, but the Brotherhood continues with a revised membership featuring original members Neville and Scott. “I was ready to continue my career,” Zito said. “And that’s why Devon and Charlie left.”

Nevertheless, Zito is all for doing future festival gigs with the original Brotherhood lineup. “Whenever you get out of something and look back, it’s like, ‘Wow, that was awesome,’” he said. “And I also realized that at the time we were doing it. Definitely there are no hard feelings. I love those guys.” During Zito’s years with the Brotherhood, Neville, like Winter, encouraged Zito to unleash his guitar chops. “Cyril always wanted me to rock,” he said. “But the previous years when I played like that, I was drinking and doing drugs.” It took time for Zito to feel comfortable rocking again, to play without inhibition-easing substances in his system. “Now I’m trying to get over that and let it all hang out. Cyril thinks I can do it. Johnny thought I can do. I’m the one who didn’t always believe it.” Zito may question himself and his talent, but he never doubts his blues foundation. “I like emotional music,” he said. “Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Johnny Winter—when I hear them, I believe it. They mean it. That’s the most important thing to me.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

ROAR!

Where the Wild Things Are ROAR! rocks like a lion, jams like a lamb.

DECEMBER 2016

Photo: B. hockensmith

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oming from Colorado, it was interesting for me to learn how many lines are drawn from both the punk and jazz scenes in New Orleans,” Carly Meyers says while sitting in Stumptown Coffee with her ROAR! bandmate, drummer Adam Gertner, as both drink from glasses of icedcoffee spiked with whiskey. “Playing with a brass band really taught me how to loosen up,” continues Meyers, who sings and plays trombone, keys and vibraphone in the duo. “I love to be spastic and dance and just be crazy on stage, and that energy transferred when we started playing with Mike [percussionist/bandleader Dillon].” “We didn’t have a name for that spastic energy before we started playing with Mike,” jokes the affable Gertner, 26, his grin arriving in perfect time to expound upon Meyers’ words, one of several instances of the two completing one another’s ideas and memories. The two long-time friends walked to the coffee shop inside the Ace Hotel from their nearby apartments inside the St. Joe Lofts for an interview on the first Friday in November, when autumnal air finally graced the city. “We didn’t know it was punk rock. Then we met Mike and then we got into punk rock.” A bouncy, beatific blue-eyed beauty, Meyers, 25, laughs as she recalls the two being “willfully” kidnapped in 2011 by Dillon, a masterful multi-instrumentalist roughly twice their age, for three years of “touring constantly.” At the time they joined Dillon’s band, Gertner and Meyers had already released an album as Yojimbo, a trio that included keyboardist Doc Sharp, who has since moved to Chicago. In August 2015, ROAR! was born. Gertner was already schooled in New Orleans’ grand drumming tradition by the time he stepped foot on the campus of Loyola University,

where he planned to pursue a degree in jazz studies. “In middle school, a friend of mine burned me a CD and a couple of songs on it were by Galactic,” he explains. “I emailed Stanton Moore and he agreed to give me a lesson when the band came to Denver. I went and met him at the Fillmore [Auditorium] in 2004. He told me, ‘You gotta move to New Orleans.’ He also gave me a list to study [which included the Meters, James Brown, Dave Brubeck and James Black].” The aspiring drummer dropped out of Loyola after a year, but not before inspiring Meyers—a year his junior but a close friend after years at Denver School of the Arts—to likewise enroll at Loyola to pursue the school’s noted jazz studies degree. “He kept telling me that I just had to move down here,” Meyers says. “He said to me that how the saxophone is to New York, the trombone is to New Orleans. I was like ‘Whatever, whatever,’ until I came to visit and I thought, ‘This is heaven—I have to move here.’” Meyers also dropped out of Loyola after a year. “We decided By Frank Etheridge

we just wanted to gig,” she says. She already had plenty of musical education to prepare her, as she started learning African marimba from her mother at age six. In fifth grade, she picked up trombone. “It was a done deal as soon as I started playing it,” Meyers says of the instrument. “I knew what I needed to do with my life.” This chosen fate ultimately led to the October independent release of ROAR!’s debut album, La-Di-Da. “It’s a good representation of what our shows are like because the live factor is what we were going for in the studio,” Gertner says. That’s because the album came about after Nashville-based producer Tim Craven (Death from Above 1979, Kacey Musgraves) approached Gertner and Meyers after a ROAR! gig in the Music City, where ROAR! played as part of a tour opening for California rockers ALO. Craven, running sound that night at Exit/In, approached them after the gig. “He came to us and said, ‘I love this music,’” Meyers says. “‘I

want to work with you. I want to capture this live sound.’” The nine songs on La-Di-Da were recorded over two days on just a couple of takes in Nashville in late winter at Craven’s recently opened Welcome to 1979 Studios. Album highlights include “Orange Peaches,” a party jam that doubles as a nasty-women anthem, Gertner’s John Bonham–like bashing on “Fortune Telling” and the funkfilthy track “Fly.” All these elements weave the dense fabric of ROAR!’s sound, which hits a lot harder than a duo should, as Gertner employs pre-programming samples atop this drumming to complement Meyers’ mad-science mix of keys, vibraphone and trombone transmitted through a matrix of pedals and effects. But there’s more to ROAR!’s dynamic yet primal sonic allure than just the tools they use. “It does feel like a bigger sound,” Meyers says, “because of the communication you have to have. You have to be locked in, so you have this unified sound. It’s harder work than we’ve ever done. We definitely sleep better than we’ve ever slept before.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

ANDERS ORBORNE

Send Him a Friend Anders Osborne’s road to sobriety. Photo: rose osborne

nders Osborne’s status as a musician in recovery is well known. In many of his songs he’s dealt with the spiritual and emotional issues related to the journey back. But there’s another, nitty-gritty side to the process: He’s a musician, and musicians have to work. Which of course means going straight back to the clubs where the old temptations flow. That’s the idea behind his newly founded Send Me a Friend Foundation, named for one of his mostloved songs and co-sponsored, ironically enough, by the Oskar Blues Brewery. The simple goal is to provide real-time support for newly clean people in the music world, so they can get back to their art and their livelihood. The program launches December 15 at John Bukaty’s Studio and Gallery at 841 Carondelet Street (the night before his two-night Holiday Spectacular at Tipitina’s). The benefit will include an intimate performance along with a talk and Q&A session. Osborne has managed to do his best work since cleaning up, and to work at a faster pace than ever. His cause nowadays is making sure that others get the same chance. So tell me how this foundation came about. We are still very much at the birth of this, and trying to listen to as many people as possible, with a lot more experience than me, to get it just right. The idea is that when you get out of rehab and start the process of sobriety in any way, shape or form—you’re trying not to get loaded anymore, but you’re struggling with being able to go back to work. So you’re a musician, sound engineer, a roadie, a dancer, whatever. We’re trying to provide a databank or a source,

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with lots of people we’re calling the friends, so someone can be with you during the performance part. We’re having a hotline they can call, and they can use it when they set up tours. If you’re playing a gig on Bourbon Street, or you’re a lighting guy in Columbus, Ohio, you can call this number. So it’s not affiliated with a particular recovery process? I used AA and NA when I got sober, but it doesn’t have to be By Brett Milano

about that. We just want to get music industry people back to work. What they tell you is that you should take a year off as you get deeper into recovery. And I remember thinking, what does that mean? Do you tell doctors this? You’re telling someone to just change their job. There is still a little bit of preconceived idea that this is almost like a hobby, that you’re doing this because you’re playing around and having fun. I was in foreclosure, facing

bankruptcy—so I’m about to lose my house, and you want me to find a new profession? I was really floored by that. To me it meant that I could go to a seven dollar an hour dishwashing gig, or I could continue to make decent money and take care of my family. To do that I have to go back to music, which I’ve dedicated 30 years of my life to. So we are not taking people to meetings, not exchanging phone numbers, www.OFFBEAT.com

ANDERS ORBORNE not doing any of that. The idea is more like ‘just got clean, it’s me and my trumpet, and now I have to go back to the 504 Club.’ You may need someone to take the alcohol out of your rider, for example. It’s not just for famous people, because they can get all the help they want. You began working the clubs again soon after your recovery. How much of a challenge was that? A lot of the things I’d done, I did so much they were habitual. It wasn’t just the addiction part, it was the habits. Right before the gig I’d have a drink. When I talk to people, I’d have the drink between me and the people I talk to, so we’d have the distance. So many things come with the drink. The biggest struggle I had was that everybody was not aware of the fact I was trying to be clean. So old friends may set up a tray with shots and send it to the bandstand—that would happen. And in my case I had to start from scratch. I had killed my career to the point where I was playing for the tip jar at Chickie Wah Wah on Tuesdays. And in the beginning you don’t have a lot of leverage, so people are in your face—I had a girl drop drugs in my hand when I was onstage; there’s a lot of that stuff. So I enjoyed it when people from AA would just come and sit at the shows, it felt good that they were there with me.

like “Soul Livin’” [from Ash Wednesday Blues] where you talk about going on a bender, seeing a prostitute and going to a clinic afterwards—if a song was going to make me want to clean up, that would be the one. Yeah, those songs started coming out when I realized I was not doing too well. I was still using a lot, but somewhere in that period I realized I

needed to be very honest in my songwriting, I couldn’t just write them in a general way. Maybe not always confessional, but telling somebody about yourself, whether it’s a love song or one like that. That was really when I started finding my voice. At that time I would try to stay clean and I would last a few months or a year. That went hand in hand with my personality and character flaws and my shortcomings.

You’ve mentioned in the past that you tried to clean up a couple times before you were successful. What was it that finally went right? I’m trying not to sound trite or whatever, but it was definitely some kind of divine intervention. Something different happens, this time the coin dropped in the machine and the candy came out. I got it, it fell through, I could see this whole thing

Were you able to avoid slipping back? Yeah, I’ve stayed clean this entire time, so I was lucky. I did pick up some bad food habits. I gained some weight, ate a lot of sugar. So I found a mild substitute, which I’ve now gotten off of. Plus I was pretty public about my stuff. Not everybody has my attitude or my approach to recovery—I was spreading the word, basically putting up the radar. That gave me strength and it made people start helping me out. You were pretty public even before cleaning up. A song www.OFFBEAT.com

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dropping in my soul. The whole tape started to play out where I could see all the shit I had done, I couldn’t stop it from playing in my head. It was devastating, appalling. A cathartic and a huge experience. It was clearly time for me to see who I was, and I was not well. I was not a pleasant man, I was very selfish. Probably still am, but I’m working on it. What about your band and your crew—do you allow them to be indulgers? Yeah, of course, but it depends on how they drink. If they drink or get high on the gig, which means before they go up—I’m past that and I’m really not interested in having it happen. If someone I work with smokes a lot of weed, that doesn’t bother me, but they need to be there if we’re catching a flight. And I know how that works because I‘d miss flights seven times out of ten. Do you think there’s a particular need to form something like Send Me a Friend in New Orleans? I don’t think the need is higher here than anywhere else. There is a good drinking culture here. I’ve been here 34 years and these are the best partiers I know. They know how to handle themselves, know how to do it for extended times and still make it home. It’s sort of the Mediterranean way of drinking, a slower, longer process. But the addiction process is the same anywhere in the world. This is one of the more open-minded environments I’ve ever been in. I haven’t experienced too much prejudice here on any topic. I think this is just part of what we do: We drink, we get addicted, and then we figure out how to stop being hooked. We love all

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If they drink or get high on the gig, which means before they go up—I’m past that and I’m really not interested in having it happen. the things that New Orleans gives us, and this [the foundation] is one of those. I think it helps us in a music town to set an example. I know how destructive it became, but was there ever a time when the drugs and alcohol helped you play? It helped my insecurities. But that had nothing to do with music, that was a different entity. Music was there at ten in the morning, and I wasn’t getting fucked up then. But then there’s insecurity and peer pressure, especially when you’re getting up onstage—how many people can really do that? So you’re creating a very self-conscious situation, and I needed help with that. But you need to separate that from the music. Take the fact that Louis Armstrong was doing weed—that was recreational, but the music itself required endless amounts of work and dedication. I think of a guy like Stanton Moore—I’ve never seen a guy work more at his craft than him, it’s all he ever does. He spends countless hours perfecting the best thing in his life. So musicians really have more experience than most people do. Once you didn’t have alcohol to take care of those insecurities, what did? I think repetition, I just had to keep doing it. There were small victories early on, like it took 10 or 12 gigs before I figured out how to be centered. I honestly couldn’t remember which leg I used to stand on. Was it the left or the right? Did I used to look at the audience? Am I too loud here? All those things were going on when I got back to playing. And then there was a moment when I realized, okay, I can stand on both feet—that was really the beginning.

I assume your sobriety has something to do with the pace you’ve been working at lately, with three albums in the past year and a half. Yeah, I think so—and I’m making two more in December, if that answers your question. The idea is that I want to make two records in two days. It sprung from the necessity of today, because it’s harder to sell actual hard copies. We used to sell anywhere from 10 to 40,000, you’d move some records, stay alive. That has been eradicated by the new streaming phenomenon. So me and the engineer Mark Howard said, what if we approach it like documentation, but still with the idea that they are going to be world-class recordings. You do all the prep work and you are very concise about the execution, go see if you can get a masterpiece in a day. That is the idea. Musically I think it will have a more driving rhythm section. Bass, drums and my guitar are going to try and lock into something that is more pulsating and has a driving tempo—not a loop, but hypnotically driving forward. Instead of keyboards, I am going to have two background singers do the shaping with just vocal parts. The lyrics are based on my family, where a lot of the women have passed away. So it is about the strength of the women—my mother, grandmother and my aunts, seeing if I can tell their story. So that’s one of the albums. The second is going to be a completely different thing, but I want to keep that one a surprise. O www.OFFBEAT.com

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COVER STORY

Cowboy Mouth’s Fred LeBlanc celebrates being alive.

f you caught Cowboy Mouth at the 2015 Jazz Fest, you saw one of the best moments of Fred LeBlanc’s life. With the band preceding Jimmy Buffett at the Acura Stage—and thus playing to one of the largest crowds that Fest can hold—LeBlanc brought his five-year-old son Bash (Sebastian) onstage to hit some drums during the finale. You’ve seldom seen a dad grinning more proudly, and you’ve never seen a rock ’n’ roll wild man look more like an old softie. “Having kids is obviously the best thing I ever did,” LeBlanc says. “That [Jazz Fest appearance] was totally unplanned, and he’d never seen me play before. I’d sing little songs around the house—‘Bash is taking a bath, la-la’—and he’d yell at me to stop. And I’d say hey, people pay good money to see me do this! So we were there before Buffett, there’s a hundred thousand people in front of us, and I bring my son out. We get the audience to shout his name, and we put some protective headphones on him. Ever since then his favorite game to play around the house is Jazz Fest, he’ll pick up a pair of sticks. And he can hang around with me now, because he knows what I do is cool.” LeBlanc the dad has just released his first children’s book, Fred: The New Orleans Drummer Boy (with illustrator Marita Gentry). It’s his first venture outside the rock world—though not too far outside, since it’s the story of a pint-size drummer who dreams of getting onstage. Meanwhile Cowboy Mouth—the band he formed in 1990 with Paul Sanchez and original bassist Paul Clement, and with ex-Red Rockers guitarist John Thomas Griffith joining soon afterward—has rounded its twenty-fifth anniversary with no signs of slowing down or packing in. Living as a single dad has an impact on LeBlanc’s life nowadays—for one thing, it means he has to commute a lot (and maintain two residences), since the ex-wife and kids have moved out of New Orleans. It’s also made him think some more about what his band means to him. “One of the main reasons that I keep doing Cowboy Mouth is so that my kids can understand that life can be a get-to as opposed to a have-to. They can see that what Daddy does gives him a lot of joy. It really makes me proud when people tell my little boy, ‘Your dad is really good’—it’s a compliment, and the band isn’t something that I shove on them.” Not surprisingly, the book is a sweet kids’ tale with a funky local spin. Little Fred leads a band with his friends J.T. and E.V. (patterned respectively on Griffith, and LeBlanc’s two-and-one-half-year-old daughter Evangeline). Problems arise when their new bass player Little B (a nod of course to Bash) gets scared to go onstage; he conquers his fear and has some fun. “It’s kind of a miniature version of a Cowboy Mouth show. In the book, he’s nervous about playing his first show and the other kids say, ‘Don’t get scared, get excited.’ So the energy is turned to a beneficial purpose instead of being used against you. That’s why I always say the opposite of love isn’t hate, because they’re both intense amounts of energy; the opposite of love is apathy. In the book, Little B is able to turn his fear energy around and that makes a huge difference for him. Of course that’s easier said than done, but maybe kids can get that lesson from it.” The faces in Cowboy Mouth have changed, but the essence remains the same: If you’re losing faith and need a lift, they’re the band for www.OFFBEAT.com

the job. You can see them in the worst of moods, and by the end wind up rolling on the floor during “Jenny Says” with everybody else. LeBlanc will remind you at every turn that you need to celebrate being alive—like, immediately—and he’ll cue Griffith for a solo while the band revs it up. Part of the appeal is always watching the first-time attendees who’ve heard the one song on the radio and don’t know what’s coming. For LeBlanc, it all goes back to young days watching gospel services on TV. “I’d get up on Saturday morning and watch the reruns of this one guy—they’d rerun his service before the Bugs Bunnies. He’d be preaching and he’d say, ‘You’re watching Chan-tel 26!’—That’s the way he’d say it, he wouldn’t say ‘channel’. Growing up Catholic, you were always taught, ‘You’re an original sinner, you never deserve the kingdom of God, but give us your money.’ And here I saw this spiritual thing where a lot of people were cutting loose, feeling a connection to something greater that was a release. That was the idea of how I wanted to approach the band—I wanted something that would be punk rock ’n’ roll gospel.” Over the years he’s collected his share of wild rock stories, one of the best coming (pun intended) from a New Years Eve show at the Hyatt Superdome a couple years back. “I never see what’s happening in the audience. We’ve played festivals where women are flirting with you, removing clothing. And people say, ‘Did you see that?’ Nope, never do. So on this occasion we’re playing, the stage is pretty high and the audience is pressed against the stage. I’m playing the bass drum and I’m thinking ‘Hmmm—I didn’t hit that beat just now.’ We keep playing, I’m hearing these beats I didn’t play, and I don’t know what’s going on. But apparently there was a couple celebrating bringing in the new year in their own special way, right there on my drums.” This behavior is not necessarily encouraged when Cowboy Mouth return to play that gig again this year. The serious side of Cowboy Mouth is that they really do aim to be life-affirming, and LeBlanc says there have been times—including a lowdown time quite recently—when he’s needed it himself. “I went through a really bad divorce last year and it beat the hell out of me. I was looking at what I thought was the dissolution of my family and I’ll tell you honestly, I came close to checking out. So we do this great show in Deadwood, South Dakota, we had five thousand people going berserk. We’re flying home the next day and this guy was on the plane, he told me I’d inspired his son to play drums. I said great, thanks very much—but in my line of work you can tell there are other things people aren’t saying. Then before the plane took off he grabs me and says, ‘Hey man, I’ve been in recovery for so many days and your song ‘I Believe’ was the one thing that got me through.’ And he gives me a hug. And I’m feeling like… There’s no way I can tell you how much that means to me now. The whole idea of putting something like that out into the world. It’s all part of life’s rich pageant.” Cowboy Mouth’s story has been rocky at times; it’s no secret that not everyone who’s left the band has done so on the friendliest terms. LeBlanc doesn’t speak ill of any ex-bandmates, but he does make it clear that he runs a tight ship. DECEMBER 2 016

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Though they never called much attention to it, the women in the lineup gave a whole different energy to what had been a testosterone-heavy band.

album for the label, Hurricane Party, remains in the can), followed “Music is a business. And whether you’re Mick Jagger or you’re by an Atlantic deal that lasted only one album (Easy). This ushered some band playing Jimmy Buffett covers in a bar, there are two things in a confusing period for the band, including a long string of bass you need to keep in mind: The first is that music is a service industry. players—Mary Lasseigne, Sonia Tetlow, Regina Zernay, and Casandra And the second is that there are millions of people who would give Faulconer all came and went in quick succession. The rhythm guitar their left nut to be me on my worst day. I can’t knock anybody who slot likewise saw turnover, with Vance DeGeneres (Ellen’s brother and played in this band. I never ask people to play a certain way, I just say, ex-Cold/Backbeats founder) and Jonathan Pretus (now the Breton ‘Here are the chords, give it your best.’ And that’s all I ask, that they Sound’s frontman) both doing stints. And sometimes the band give their all. When they stop doing that, I think it’s maybe time to wasn’t even on the album: 2003’s Uh-Oh was mostly LeBlanc playing keep my eyes and ears open for someone else. I’ve given my life and everything, though a couple of Griffith/Sanchez tracks were added (a my professional career to this band and I don’t want to see it suffer financial decision, LeBlanc says—being stuck between label deals, they because of other people’s problems or lack of motivation.” bypassed the studio and just released the demos). Many longtime fans came aboard around 1996–97, when “Jenny Though they never called much attention to it, the women in the Says” (originally a song LeBlanc wrote and recorded with Dash Rip lineup gave a whole different energy to what had been a testosteroneRock) was on the radio and their best-selling album, Are You With heavy band. “It was never a conscious thing, like ‘Ooh, let’s get a Me? was in the stores. I can vouch that the very best shows were female bass player.’ Rob Savoy came from the Cajun tradition, which sometimes played for the smallest crowds; the first one I saw—at the gave him a certain style and charisma. When he left, Mary came in and now-defunct, Aerosmith-owned club Mama Kin in Boston—was close she was a very high-endy bass player and I thought, ‘This is different, to a life-changer. Every song was different—here’s a roots-rocker, now but it works.’ [She left due to family issues.] And I’ll say that Casandra a Replacements-type blast, now some power pop and now a taste of was just a musical genius, and that she made me a better drummer country—and everything fit together. Everybody sang and everybody [she took a gig with Cirque du Soleil in 2014]. threw in songs, but it all sounded like a band; they managed to The current lineup, he swears, is in it for deliver an overall message of faith and the long haul. Guitarist Matt Jones is only redemption without being smarmy about the second non–New Orleanian to join the it. And if you weren’t truly feeling the band (Faulconer was a Canadian transplant), spirit, that drummer would step into the and a friend from the Baltimore band crowd to make sure you were. Jimmie’s Chicken Shack. “The difference That “Jenny Says” lineup—LeBlanc, is that he can also play lead. Sanchez and Griffith, Sanchez and bassist Rob Pretus were great, but they were basically Savoy—looked like an unshakeable band rhythm-based players. Now I have two kickof brothers. They even had a band anthem ass guitar players who can blaze.” Bassist (“The Ballad of Cowboy Mouth,” on the Brian Broussard is, like LeBlanc, a former live album All You Need is Live) that saluted member of Dash Rip Rock, though their their chemistry and namechecked every tenure was years apart: LeBlanc played on member. Yet that lineup splintered soon the first two Dash albums in 1986–89, while after, with Savoy and then Sanchez leaving Broussard came along in the 2000s (they (the former now in Creole String Beans, also played in the New Orleans Raunch the latter with a notable solo career). “We and Soul All-Stars, a punk Mardi Gras band had that public image of unity, to a certain put together by Jello Biafra and Dash’s Bill extent. But there are bands higher up the Davis). “Playing in Dash was like being hit echelon who had the same kind of image, by a two-ton rock ’n’ roll hammer,” LeBlanc and the same problems as us. Sanchez says. “I’ll give Bill Davis his due, we had wanted to do his own thing, that had been troubles when we worked together but he’s evident for a long while. It became very a great musician. And he had vision that apparent that there was either going to be a lot of people had—that you had to be a parting of the ways, or a destruction of proud of being a Louisiana band, that it was the entity. The changes at that time were necessary for the band to survive. And Fred LeBlanc’s children, Evangeline and Sebastian still an exotic thing to everyone else.” As for the current Mouth lineup, “The once they came about, it forced me to be better as a leader and a business owner, instead of just the requisite lead four of us, we travel together, we hang out, we enjoy each other’s company. It’s really good. And of course, it helps that Brian owns a singer and troublemaking drummer.” brewery.” (That would be the Covington Brewhouse, which he coPart of that involved taking the reins during the years of personnel owns after stints brewing for Abita and NOLA.) changes. The MCA contract went south around that time, (the third

DECEMBER 2016

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“What I’d tell people about Fred is that he’s a good songwriter first and foremost, all those shenanigans are a secondary thing.” —John Thomas Griffith

That leaves John Thomas Griffith, the band’s copilot for all these years, and the one whose punkrock background gives the added shot of urgency. “We may be on two completely different planets, but he’s still my brother,” LeBlanc says. “I’m sure our relationship has matured a lot over the years. He can require a lot of patience, and I’m sure not easy to deal with at times. But I hope he knows that when push comes to shove, I’ve got his back.” And push really did come to shove two years ago, when Griffith faced some serious trials. Though it wasn’t made public at the time, he got a severe blood infection that reached a valve and required open-heart surgery. “It was very much a close-to-death kind of thing,” Griffith says now. “Fred came and sat by my bed for three or four days and talked me through it, and not a lot of people would do that. Then when I’m back for my first show, we’re onstage and he says, ‘Back from the dead, it’s John Thomas Griffith!’ I thought about that for a second, but that’s the way he works. He finds the humor in things and he makes you laugh.” “What I’d tell people about Fred is that he’s a good songwriter first and foremost,” Griffith says. “All those shenanigans are a secondary thing. Aside from being that evangelistic preacher that everybody sees onstage, he’s written some beautiful songs, and we don’t even get to play half of them. Punk rock brought us together but he’s a real encyclopedia of music—we’ve got what, 15 albums and most of those songs are his. I’m not one to put my relationships into songs, but he does it all the time. And I think his being such a prolific songwriter gets lost in those shenanigans of Cowboy Mouth.” Indeed, LeBlanc doesn’t mention his song catalogue, or his no-slouch ability as a drummer, when he considers his musical contribution. “As a drummer I’m a hell of an entertainer,” he says. “You gotta understand, my job is getting up there and beating stuff and screaming for two hours. That’s really therapeutic, I would recommend it highly. My drumming is actually very simple: I’m a huge Ringo fan, he and Ziggy [Modeliste] are it for me. And I’ve never been one who’s afraid of speeding up the tempo. I always tell people that my talent isn’t playing music. I just know how to move a huge amount of energy effortlessly, and I use music to do it.” Like many veteran bands, Cowboy Mouth are looking for alternative ways to market their music. The current CD, The Name of This Band Is Cowboy Mouth—with re-recorded greatest hits and a few new songs— was one such attempt. (“It’s more like, ‘greatest hit and eleven other songs,’” LeBlanc points out.) A more intriguing possibility is a reality TV show starring the band, probably with the same title. They shot a pilot earlier this year with producer Andrew Arnold, who “sunk a good chunk of change into it”; the show is now being shopped around.

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But the essence of Cowboy Mouth will always be tied to the live show. Says LeBlanc, “When I was going through the divorce I was telling my friends, ‘What do I do? I’m lost emotionally, I’m just done.’ And they said, ‘When I’m upset I just listen to you guys. You oughta try it.’ And that’s a great effect to have on the world around you. When we started this project I didn’t want it to be the biggest band in the world; I wanted it to be the best. And of course that’s not attainable because it’s a creative endeavor. But there have been moments when the band and the audience are one wild joy-gasm of energy. And I think, this is really good. I’d be hard-pressed to find something like this in the world.” That’s Cowboy Mouth in a nutshell, spirituality crossed with wild abandon. You can’t get much more New Orleans than that, and the band and its frontman are something worth celebrating. Are you with me? O www.OFFBEAT.com

EATS

photos: Elsa Hahne

Alex Siler/Primitivo

“W

hen I first came to New Orleans, we were doing a lot of busking just to pass the time. That was in 2007. It was mostly for fun—we had jobs and stuff, but if we had the night off we’d go downtown and busk. And when I was in high school, we’d come here on St. Patrick’s Day, learn Irish tunes, and play around town. There was only one Irish bar in Gulfport [Mississippi, where I’m from] and they wouldn’t let us in because I was like 14 or 15. I moved to New Orleans the day after I graduated high school. I wanted to play music. Mostly I play the drums, but I’ve played guitar in a couple of bands. I love the variety here. There’s rock, there’s blues... Buskers are amazing because they can fill the whole street. There is so much talent. I still busk every now and then, but I’d rather be the spectator. There’s this guy who follows you around and sings ‘My Girl,’ and then there’s the

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guy who only sings ‘Behind Blue Eyes’—really loud, and kind of metal. Even if you’re not a serious performer, following your passion or whatnot, the people who have fun—or at least are kind of crazy—and just do it, I like that stuff. I drink to buskers, to having fun wherever you go, even where you can’t get in to play. The audience is just as important; you’re in it together. Without an audience, you’re kind of just singing outside. I’m calling this drink Voice of the Stageless. I like overly sentimental drink names. I always loved the Last Word. It just sounds romantic, like I should be drinking it alone at four in the morning, singing to myself. I do my own infusions. We make our falernum in-house. That’s zest of eight limes, three ounces of ginger, two tablespoons of sliced almonds— toasted, and if I have time I smoke them a little bit—about 40 cloves, six ounces of rum, one

By Elsa Hahne

eighth of a teaspoon of almond extract, and then you let that sit overnight and add some rich simple syrup. Strain it all out, and then you have falernum, which is a Trinidadian, tropical, herbal syrup. It’s the base for most tiki drinks and one of my favorite ingredients. This morning, I was like, ‘Oh, forgot to shower! Forgot to do my hair.’ Didn’t really prepare for this, didn’t really prepare for anything, but I think that’s a testament to my style of bartending. Like busking, we roll and tumble.”

Voice of the Stageless 1 ounce Redemption rye whiskey 1/2 ounce Xicaru Silver mezcal 3/4 ounce lime juice 1/4 ounce raspberry syrup (see recipe below) 1/4 ounce falernum (see description) 3/4 ounce Cocchi Rosa aperitif wine Orange peel

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass without ice. Serve with an orange twist.

Raspberry Syrup 1 12-ounce bag frozen raspberries 1 pint sugar 1 pint water Citric acid, to taste Salt (optional) Boil raspberries with sugar and water. Cool, then strain and add citric acid to taste, starting with a pinch. Salt to taste if you wish. www.OFFBEAT.com

Café Degas: 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635 La Crepe Nanou: 1410 Robert St., 899-2670

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 Palm Court: 1204 Decatur St., 525-0200 Rivershack Tavern: 3449 River Rd., 834-4938 Southport Hall: 200 Monticello Ave., 835-2903 Snug Harbor: 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 Three Muses: 536 Frenchmen St., 298-8746 Three Muses Uptown: 7537 Maple St., 510-2749

GERMAN

NEIGHBORHOOD JOINTS

FRENCH

Jaeger Haus: 833 Conti, 525-9200

ICE CREAM/CAKE/CANDY Aunt Sally’s Praline Shop’s: 2831 Chartres St., 944-6090 Bittersweet Confections: 725 Magazine St., 523-2626 La Divina Cafe e Gelateria: 621 St. Peter St., 302-2692 Sucré: 3025 Magazine St.,520-8311 Tee-Eva’s Praline Shop: 4430 Magazine St., 899-8350

INDIAN Nirvana: 4308 Magazine St., 894-9797

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 Primitivo: 1800 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 881-1775

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

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IRISH The Irish House: 1432 Saint Charles Ave., 595-6755

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 Parkway Bakery and Tavern: 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047 Phil’s Grill: 3020 Severn Ave., Metairie, 324-9080; 1640 Hickory Ave., Harahan, 305-1705 Sammy’s Food Services: 3000 Elysian Fields Ave., 948-7361 Tracey’s: 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413

ITALIAN

Chiba: 8312 Oak St., 826-9119 Mikimoto: 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., 488-1881 Seoul Shack: 435 Esplanade Ave., 417-6206 Sukho Thai: 4519 Magazine St., 373-6471; 2200 Royal St., 948-9309 Wasabi: 900 Frenchmen St., 943-9433

MEDITERRANEAN Byblos: 3218 Magazine St., 894-1233 Mona’s Café: 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115

MEXICAN/CARIBBEAN/SPANISH

Banks Street Bar & Grill: 4401 Banks St., 486-0258 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 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

Basin Seafood and Spirits: 3222 Magazine St., 302-7391 Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill: 1 Poydras St. 569-3380 LeBayou Restaurant: 208 Bourbon St., 525-4755 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

Spot

How often do you come? I try to resist coming here all the time. I like ice cream in general. I have a running joke that when I retire I’m just going to work here, scoop ice cream. Sounds so easy, sounds so simple—I know it’s not, but I like to think it is. That’s what I hope my future job will be: mostly pleasant, like my music career—mostly pleasant.

Fulton Alley: 600 Fulton St., 208-5593 Mondo: 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633 Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934

MUSIC ON THE MENU

SEAFOOD

What do you get here? Always ice cream. Sometimes a cannoli.

LOUISIANA / SOUTHERN

Barú Bistro & Tapas: 3700 Magazine St., 895-2225 Juan’s Flying Burrito: 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000 El Gato Negro: 81 French Market Place, 525-9846

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

Matt Rhody hits the

Adolfo’s: 611 Frenchmen St., 948-3800 Little Vic’s: 719 Toulouse St., 304-1238

JAPANESE/KOREAN/SUSHI/THAI

PIZZA

What about flavors? I’m a sucker for strawberry. I remember growing up in Minneapolis, going to my fiddle lesson and if I had a good lesson, my mom would treat me to a sundae and French fries. What about nuts? No nuts! Never in dessert, especially ice cream. Not even pistachio? Okay, I’ll do that, but no walnuts! —Elsa Hahne

Angelo Brocato 214 N. Carrollton Ave. (504) 486-0078 www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: ELSA HAHNE

Kingfish: 337 Chartres St., 598-5005 Mr. B’s Bistro: 201 Royal St. 523-2078 Restaurant R’evolution: 777 Bienville St., 553-2277

Ye Olde College Inn: 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683 Warehouse Grille: 869 Magazine St., 322-2188

DINING OUT

Shank Charcuterie Chef Kris Doll has spent most of his New Orleans culinary career toiling away in obscurity in the depths of the back of the house. The sultan of salami spent the better part of eight months in the back of Donald Link’s Herbsaint, amassing more than half a ton of charcuterie for the opening of Cochon Butcher. Doll then joined Adolfo Garcia’s team, where his high-end Italian training was a perfect match at a Mano, although his role soon expanded across all of Garcia’s local restaurants, before he left to be the first butcher at Cleaver & Co. With the opening of Shank Charcuterie across from St. Roch Market, Doll has stepped up from behind the curtain and maintained his role as butcher while also assuming the responsibilities of chef, waiter, retail clerk, cashier and dishwasher. In between pouring wine by the glass and plating meatballs crowned with crushed tomato and parmesan, Doll is often washing silverware or selecting a skirt steak for

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a customer and dispersing cooking instructions while simultaneously stirring a pot of spicy collard greens enriched with bacon trimmings. The juggling act is a wonder to watch and fruitful for those with patience, especially when dining in. A 20-foot food counter creates an intimate setting similar to dining at a sushi bar, where the line between customer and chef is effectively nonexistent. The short menu is remarkably diverse, ranging from grilled chicken with Thai chile to ropa vieja over coconut rice. Pulled pork sliders are dressed with white barbecue sauce, and the burger is often hand-formed to order: a thick patty of coarse-ground beef sandwiched between Texas toast smeared with Dijonnaise. The wait for lunch passes much more pleasantly while nibbling on a charcuterie plate, which may feature chicken liver pate drizzled with cane syrup, a sizzling link of lamb merguez flaked with red pepper, a wedge of asiago studded with black peppercorns, and vibrant Castelvetrano olives. The retail case in the front of the shop overflows with a cornucopia of locally sourced meats, from boudin-stuffed chickens and whole rabbits to duck confit and pickled pigs feet. Typical cuts of beef such as ribeyes and strips are usually well stocked. Shank is a one-stop shop for the ultimate sausage party, offering classic boudin, spicy creole chaurice and even porcini-

Photo: RENEE BIENVENU

EATS

stuffed links. Luscious hogshead cheese and mild pimento cheese, both made in-house, of course, are the perfect prelude to any holiday meal. While Doll’s omnipresence gives the illusion that Shank is a one-man band, everyone knows that behind every great man is a great woman. In this case, that would be Doll’s girlfriend and business partner Carolyn Kolbe, who (in the words of Doll) “handles the smart stuff.” Together the duo have created a butcher shop and café where seeing the sausage being made is part of the charm. —Peter Thriffiley 2352 St. Claude Ave.; Tue–Thur 10a–7p, Fri-Sat 10a–8p, Sun 10a–5p; (504) 218-5281, shankcharcuterie.com

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REVIEWS

Reviews When submitting CDs for consideration, please send two copies to OffBeat Reviews, 421 Frenchmen Street, Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116

CDs reviewed are available now at 421 Frenchmen Street in the Marigny 504-586-1094 or online at LouisianaMusicFactory.com

Completely Authoritative

Mia Borders Fever Dreams (Blaxican Records) In the past, Mia Borders was one of those obviously gifted artists who hadn’t settled a musical direction yet. For her last album, Quarter-Life Crisis, she enlisted Anders Osborne as producer and made a more rocking, guitar-centric record—a bit outside her comfort zone, but it was a kick to hear her try it. But this time she does what apparently comes naturally—an acousticbased, retro-soul approach steeped in Bill Withers, Joan Armatrading and later Marvin Gaye. And not only does she sound at home, she sounds completely authoritative. If she’d sequenced this album differently, it would trace the arc of a relationship: There’s a bitter kiss-off to an ex (“Sara”), a hopeful song about a new relationship (“Cool Breeze”), a more blissful song about same (“Sugar in My Soul”) and finally, a celebration of a newborn child (“Love You”), with the baby sounds appearing in the mix—a touch that risks being cutesy, but it works. And it shows what she can do as a vocalist: The sassiness of “Find Another Lover” makes it the immediate grabber (though the promise of “You won’t find another motherfucker like me” will keep it off the radio). But its real

DECEMBER 2016

payoff is in the fadeout, where she wails “Don’t leave me” in a higher, pleading voice, revealing the emotions behind the attitude. The near-rap breakdown on “Leave Me Alone” is another adventurous touch that works, and the production touches—strings on the title track, close-miked acoustic guitars and atmospheric keyboards—keep the voice and the feelings upfront. The songs here make her personal experiences sound universal, and shed light on the deeper matters of the heart, which after all, is what soul is all about. —Brett Milano

Gregory Agid Quartet Words Are Not Enough (Independent) It’s gratifying that a next generation of musicians looks to the compositions of some of this city’s masters—and sometimes their teachers and mentors—to record and preserve. Clarinetist Gregory Agid, who’s been active on the jazz scene as a student and professional since his 2000 arrival in New Orleans, opens Words Are Not Enough with a beauty, “Nevermore,” from saxophonist/ educator/producer Harold Battiste. With its gentle melody and swing, the wonder of this song is that it sounds so much like the composer himself. The group, with Agid, guitarist Joshua Starkman, bassist Max Moran and drummer Darrian Douglas, obviously understood the essential, peaceful soul of the tune and the man. At the end of a program that includes new material from each of the band members and several standards, the quartet goes to another New Orleans great,

clarinetist/educator Alvin Batiste, for his very funky “Salty Dogs.” It offers each of these guys the opportunity to show another side of their musical personalities, with Agid’s clarinet dancing to each note and Starkman struttin’ some of his more blues/rock/funk licks. The talented players traverse eras with ease and authenticity, moving from Duke Ellington’s “Prelude to a Kiss” to the wild, freedom-filled ride of Douglas’ “Hate and Love Cannot Coexist.” Agid was well-prepared for this adventure, having studied with Alvin Batiste, one of a limited number of clarinetists in modern jazz. Top to bottom, this album offers pleasure from its stylistic agility. For example, Agid brings an old-school–flavored clarinet to Starkman’s “Sweetie” and Douglas stands unafraid to eagerly use his whole drum kit for accents on Moran’s “Undying Love,” despite the ballad’s quietude. Words Are Not Enough embraces all jazz music with fresh hearts and minds. —Geraldine Wyckoff

The Tumbling Wheels Play the No Counts (United Bakery) On the cover of this CD, which shows the five undressed band members crammed into a backyard pool, the Tumbling Wheels look like a bunch of out-of-time hippies. They sound like one too, and that’s a compliment: If you’re going to play old-fashioned string-band music, the last thing you want to do is sound contrived or ironic. Slightly tongue-in-cheek is fine, though, and part of this album’s appeal is its overall good-naturedness. A bigger part is the songwriting; as the Wheels (who named the CD after a previous band incarnation) are good

at writing new songs that sound old. The haunting tunes “Don’t Forget Me” and “Sleepwalking” are keepers, and “Tumblin’ Wheels” is a classic-model wanderlust song. “Oh Shit!” is their drinking/hangover song and probably a rouser live; but on disc you can catch clever lyric lines like “the dawn cracks its yolk over me” and “I’m gonna crunch those numbers like a bag of kettle corn.” “Rotten Town,” which opens the disc with some folkish a cappella harmonies, is a nice local variation on the Ewan MacColl/Pogues favorite “Dirty Old Town.” There’s nothing fancy in their instrumentation—on most tracks, acoustic bass is the lead instrument—and there are occasional echoes of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks (we would in fact love to hear this band cover “How Can I Miss You When You Don’t Go Away”). Much of the spotlight rightly goes to Rachel Wolf, an open-hearted singer who, on “You Never Showed Me How,” manages to get some poignancy out of a lyric about crawfish. —Brett Milano

Sean Ardoin + Zydekool Live at the Chicken Run! (Independent) In the past few years, Sean Ardoin has noticed that zydeco www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS

recordings, admittedly his included (Return of the Kool), have been so clean and impeccably done that some of the necessary energy has been lacking. Well, problem solved. Along comes Live at the Chicken Run!, a maniac live recording from the cavernous Lake Charles Civic Center that shows things don’t have to be clinically perfect to be electrifying. The engaging Ardoin fronts an uber-tight band that relentlessly barrels through dense arrangements and shifts into new tunes with hardly a second of down time. Not only is Zydekool tight instrumentally, its vocals are unbelievably synchronized. While Ardoin sings lead, his group often weaves full-force background vocals that add punch to an already walloping attack. “Nikki’s Secret Century” builds the fast and furious momentum to apocalyptic heights with Jeffrey Malbroux’s darkish keyboards and Ardoin chanting “remember me for centuries.” “Whoa! Whoa!” is even hotter. Ardoin strings together infectious “yaga-yagas and woo-woo-woowoos” that evolve into a funky zydeco-meets-Parliament groove. Give Ardoin his props—it’s hard to imagine this live affair having any more creative energy than what’s already boiling here. Woo! Woo! —Dan Willging

The New Orleans Swinging Gypsies Esplanade Swing (Independent) The eight-fingered solos of Django Reinhardt loom large over all gypsy jazz, and that goes double for this debut album, mostly instrumental and strung with at least half a www.OFFBEAT.com

DECEMBER 2 016

REVIEWS

dozen of the guitar master’s finest works, not so much reimagined as reinvigorated by a group of young locals also infatuated with New Orleans Dixieland. This mixture of trad and hot jazz doesn’t result in a stylistic advance; the many Django numbers are a little bit swingier to be sure, and one of the only originals on the album, the leadoff title track, is practically giddy with its heady mix of guitar, violin and sax runs, trading off as frantically as cars changing lanes on the Causeway. Mainly this is gypsy jazz with a couple of covers, but the group’s main contribution is the addition of a tap dancer—that’s right—who actually serves the group quite well as a percussionist. If you want to hear some clean fresh recordings of some of Reinhardt’s best works with a slightly New Orleans flair, this sextet is for you. Like a punk band ripping into pop chestnuts, they’re faster, brighter, sprightlier and livelier than the originals, which is saying something when it comes to Django. But next to obvious classics like “Swing 42” or lesser known pieces like “Lulu Swing” are surprises—Satchmo’s “Mahogany Hall Stomp,” Kenny Ball’s “Midnight in Moscow,” the Gershwins’ “Lady Be Good.” These gypsies drag tradjazz back to their camp rather than drag Django into the side streets of the Quarter, but gypsy has become such an integral part of our new hipster Bohemia that a well-timed history lesson couldn’t hurt. —Robert Fontenot

Steve Pistorius Steamboat Days (Independent) Steve Pistorius has been serving up great rag, Jelly Roll Morton, stride and New Orleans jazz for

DECEMBER 2016

as long as one can remember, yet every time you hear him, you experience something new. Of his many bands over the years, the one here is among the best. Clarinetists Orange Kellin and James Evans are very skilled on their own, but their synergy is something special: They goad each other to higher heights. It’s a great thing to hear them floating and weaving like kites in a storm, only to end a tune landing side by side in a perfect dovetail. There are always nicely unearthed rarities on a Pistorius production, but my favorites here are two semifamiliar tunes in disguise. It’s fun to hear the James P. Johnson piano solo “Crying for the Carolines” in a band arrangement, with the verse, sung by Evans with his usual (unusual) élan. “Quién Será,” a 1953 cumbia better known as “Sway” when it was given Anglo lyrics, is played convincingly as a Jelly Roll Morton–esque instrumental. Perhaps Benny Amón, the Colombian-American drummer on this session, suggested this one. Sidney Bechet, Jabbo Smith, Eubie Blake, Clarence Williams, King Oliver and Fats Waller are covered as well. This CD is a delight. —Tom McDermott

Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys Live at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (FAC) Considered a musician’s musician, the venerable Walter Mouton is the stuff legends are made of. For the past 65 years, he has led the Scott Playboys, and he has played La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall for 45 years, 30 straight on Saturday nights. Ironically, for his decades of performing, he only recorded www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS

Christmas in New Orleans The NOLA Players Christmastime in New Orleans (AimHigher/Verve) In many ways, Christmastime in New Orleans sounds just as one might expect when an 18-piece ensemble of some of this city’s best modern jazz musicians apply their talents to holiday classics. That’s not to say that there are no surprises here. To the contrary, many of the arrangements, provided by pianist and musical director Mike Esnault, offer a new way of considering familiar carols and holiday favorites. What can be anticipated is a certain sense of community and musical understanding that exists when guys whose paths have crossed often on the local jazz scene meet up. In other words, these musicians not only play as one but sound as if they are really enjoying themselves. That the album was recorded here in New Orleans, with the band set up in a circle on the Saenger Theatre stage, appears to have reinforced the sense of camaraderie that lives in the music. Some of the tunes—like “I Saw Three Ships”—are at first barely recognizable. With its expansive arrangement, “Three Ships” often changes personalities, from Esnault’s lively piano at its opening to solid big band swing. It even includes an unusual percussion solo by Jason Marsalis, who is featured elsewhere on vibraphones. Among classic Yuletide fare such as a joyous “Joy to the World” and a syncopated “Deck the Halls,” the large ensemble looks back to trumpeter Louis Armstrong’s hit, “Christmas in New Orleans,” performed with a slinky attitude. “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” an old gospel song that is often sung during the Christmas season, provides a handclapping change of pace. Everybody seems to be in on this number, stepping up to solo while an organ brings it to church. Boasting 14 tunes, Christmastime in New Orleans is a big, sparkling holiday package of jazz performed in spirit of the city and season. —Geraldine Wyckoff

Al “Carnival Time” Johnson and Margie Perez Don’t Go, Santa! (Toby Wraye Music) This hilarious single, produced by the irrepressible Louie Ludwig, is bound to get airplay during the holiday season on WWOZ. It’s right up its alley—or, better yet, down its chimney. It’s old school rhythm and blues all the way, complete with suggestive lyrics and vocalist Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, who was on the scene in the midst of this city’s R&B heyday. Perez is too young to have been there but she’s picked up on the slinky flavor and innuendos during her residency, which gives authenticity to her sexy delivery of lyrics like “I know he checked his list and he knows I’m naughty and nice.” Meanwhile, “Santa” is trying to get away from her lure so he can make his Yuletide deliveries. “Dancer and Prancer, get up there you lazy deer,” sings Johnson. Somehow, that he says “deer” instead of the more correct “reindeer” tickles the funny bone. The horn section of saxophonist Derek Huston, trombonist Craig Klein and trumpeter Doyle Cooper provide the call-and-response to lines like her “He takes off in his sleigh, how can he be so mean?” and his “I got to get flying, the babies need their toys.” “Don’t Go, Santa!” a shout out that’s surprisingly never heard in the tune is, as WWL-TV’s Frank Davis would say, “naturally New Orleans.” —Geraldine Wyckoff www.OFFBEAT.com

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REVIEWS a single 45 consisting of “Lonely Girls’ Waltz” and the accordionist’s signature “Scott Playboy Special” as the B side. Since he prefers his band’s live sound over a studioproduced one, culling choice cuts from his Festivals Acadiens et Créoles performances (1992–2014) only made good sense. These 17 tracks are a worthy representation of the Scott Playboys’ fluid dancehall style, one that’s buoyed by motoring drums, walking bass and ringing steel. Mouton’s razor-sharp precision, impeccable timing and efficient accordion playing are prominent throughout but most saliently on “Hick’s Wagon Wheel Special” and “Papa George” where he really steamrolls on the loud little box. In the liner notes, Mouton comments that he never wrote songs but fit the songs of others into his style. That explains the healthy assortment that includes two tunes from the Creole/zydeco realm, Canray Fontenot’s “Allons danser” and Geno Delafose’s swinging “C’est pas la paine brailler.” While playing a wide range of favorites is a hallmark of any topnotch dance band, so is interacting with the audience. On “B.O. Sparkle Waltz,” Mouton gets his audience to mimic Leroy Broussard’s high screams on the chorus. During the “Scott Playboy Special,” he acknowledges members of the audience before blasting into the stomping breakdown. A pleasant surprise that was worth the wait. —Dan Willging

Melissa Etheridge Memphis Rock N’ Soul (Concord Music)

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Grade “A” Disco Sh$t (Fire on the Bayou)

had more than a touch of the blues mama about her, and her rep was built on deeply painful, emotionally complex relationship songs. So it makes sense that she would take on a set of Stax classics, even if that means she’s also taking on the unenviable task of trying to make people forget Otis Redding for three minutes. It’s like not thinking about an elephant. She’s correctly gambled that her passion is up to the task, though, so even though her voice is only adequate and appropriate—more supple than Pops Staples on her cover of “Respect Yourself,” but less dynamic than Mavis’—she still gets the job done. What’s more, she uses these classics to get deeper into her own muse than she has in years; her Memphis is not bar-band Blues Brothers blackface but the real gritty, greasy Memphis of, say, Cinemax’s Quarry. Changing the lyrics of “Respect Yourself” takes some bravery, too: Transforming a sideswipe at the hippie culture’s lack of decorum into a plea for nonviolent change makes it more relevant to the Age of Trump and somehow also more righteous in its anger. Using the Hodges Brothers for backup and getting Willie Mitchell’s son Boo behind the boards makes everything, including those Otis covers, sound more like the Hi label than Stax, giving it not just continuity but a new, silkier sheen on songs as iconic as B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby,” Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” and William Bell’s “I Forgot to Be Your Lover.” You won’t forget the originals for long, but Melissa earns the right to spell “Memphis” in the title with a capital ME. —Robert Fontenot

In a lot of ways, hip-hop and pop have become almost indistinguishable from each other in the club, yet Ca $ell’s R&B version of it is sweet and smooth, with just a little chopped and screwed sizzurp drizzled on top. This makes sense, because even though there’s been a lot of hip-hop about slinging dope and a lot about smoking it, this music tries to have it both ways. Call it a soundtrack for the perpetually mellow hustler: It all comes across nice and easy without losing any of its street cred.

Despite the fact that there’s a little bit of trap-style noise sculpture in “Ballin’,” for example, this is slick stuff, brain candy, all stutter steps and acoustic guitars and synth gloss, a perfect soundtrack

Between Piety & Desire Kristin Hersh Wyatt at the Coyote Palace (Cash Music) Kristin Hersh makes albums you have to think about, which can be the commercial kiss of death (and in her case, has been for 30 years and counting). Which doesn’t mean her work lacks an emotional kick, especially on this new release—a double studio CD packed inside a hardcover book. At first glimpse, the emotional tone is chilly and haunting, but it draws you in the more you listen, and its warmth and beauty get more obvious each time. Most of these songs were released online over the past three years, a stretch that saw the end of a marriage and the death of a close friend (fellow songwriter Vic Chesnutt). The songs here don’t refer specifically to either (she already dealt with both in a book last year, Don’t Suck, Don’t Die). But from the opening “Bright”—where a pretty acoustic guitar intro gets swallowed by a wave of sighing voices and nasty distorted guitars— there’s a sense of storminess throughout, whether the music is calm (“Sun Blown” harks back to Big Star’s Third) or manic (“Green Screen,” a garage rocker with a wild, skittering guitar solo). The book collects lyrics, photos and the song comments that were posted online—often with the kind of self-deprecating wit that’s familiar from her live shows. As a lyricist Hersh can drop a great one-liner (“You’re my nightmare in shining armor”), but she prefers to work with moods and images: “Elysian Fields” and “Between Piety & Desire,” the first songs she’s written about her New Orleans neighborhood, both capture the unearthly feel of the place. As a singer she’s as good with disarming whispers as she is with banshee wails, and playing every instrument herself, she proves a remarkably flexible rock band. The hooks and catchy bits don’t announce themselves, but are better for it. Good to know that someone still makes albums to get lost in. —Brett Milano

bookmark

No one can accuse Melissa Etheridge of not having guts, and not just because of her status as an early LGBTQ icon, but recording a themed album of covers has become practically as de rigueur as a Christmas album, especially for older artists. Etheridge isn’t just taking on any old set of soft-rock standards, though. She started out more or less as a folkie, she’s always

Ca $ell

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REVIEWS if you’re cruising or smoking (but not both, wink wink). It’s the kind of mixtape where a song like “Still Bouncin’” doesn’t bounce or twerk at all. It just kind of... limps, like the rest of the album. (Stoned is the way of the walk.) There are harder trunk tapes out there, to be sure, but none more professional sounding; the fire of this debut EP is, like the smoke itself, just this side of legitimate. —Robert Fontenot

Kevin Ray Clark The Awakening of Calm (Independent) New Orleans musicians and New Age music are an unlikely mix. But trumpeter Kevin Clark gave his melodies to jazz pianist Matt Lemmler to reconfigure; the result is the instrumental backdrop for a narration of poems by Walt Whitman, Rumi, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. If you like New Age concepts and slow music to meditate to (as I do), you will enjoy this. Every aspect of the CD is well-executed. Any project that gets these scribes’ words out there in the ether is a worthwhile endeavor; a nice example of what New Orleans musicians can accomplish when they want to stretch. —Tom McDermott

Nick Sanders & Logan Strosahl Janus (Sunnyside Records) In Roman mythology, Janus is a god of two faces, one that looks forward and the other backward. That this particular figure stands as the title of pianist Nick Sanders and saxophonist Logan Strosahl’s album seems apropos. The two musicians are presented in a duo format performing music that stylistically embraces the past and future, sometimes within a single tune. Sanders, a New Orleans native, and Strosahl, who hails from Seattle, met and explored their improvisational passions together as students at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music. On Janus, this long association has resulted in each musician having a www.OFFBEAT.com

clear understanding of the other’s intentions in time and space. Sanders’ “Sigma” opens up this unusual yet emotionally rich album. The tune becomes quite dissonant while it touches enough jazz bases to ring with a certain familiarity. Next up is a Strosahl original, “Allemande,” with its gentle, almost classical feel, one can imagine the sway of a minuet. Quickly the rhythm quickens on “Thelonious,” an album standout with its unpredictable, quirky, Thelonious Monk–like take on time. Interspersed between original tracks, Sanders and Strosahl turn to standards on which to create a palette to blend their colors. They sweetly resurrect “Old Folks,” with Strosahl’s saxophone “singing” the melody and Sanders acting as the accompanist. Interestingly, Strosahl brings an oldschool tone to his instrument. It’s followed by “Be-Bop Tune,” a song that sounds like its title despite the absence of bass and drums. A certain spirituality fills the more classically oriented “Les Amusemens,” with the exchanges between Sanders and Strosahl suggesting a chamber music duet. Janus is definitely a two-faced creation that musically mimics the god from whom it derives its name. Sanders and Strosahl possess the talent and desire to look back and forward simultaneously. —Geraldine Wyckoff

Buku Broux Live from Jackson Square (Independent) Multiculturalism is nothing if not the lifeblood of New Orleans culture, from its food to its music to its architecture, which is why it’s always great to see a band consciously try DECEMBER 2 016

REVIEWS

Louisiana Soul Revival Louisiana Soul Revival featuring Doug Duffey (Independent)

to combine elements that maybe haven’t been mashed up before. In this case, Buku Broux lays down Brazilian rhythms mashed up with good old NOLA funk, and then uses that to set off a jazz odyssey of competing saxophone and violin solos, both heavily processed and tricked out almost to the point of psychedelia. Add to this a similarly electronically tweaked version of a traditional African harp, or kora, and you get a truly unique and eclectic mix of cultures. At times during this band’s second album, it feels as if the forests of Brazil or the jungles of darkest Africa have started to grow right out of the urban sidewalk; the soundscapes they paint often feel teeming with life, like the wilderness itself. But it’s electric life. While they create a far more exotic atmosphere than what you would find in most jazz clubs, Buku’s lack of a true bottom end also makes their sonic palettes a little more spritely and ethereal; their electrified kora is the lowest instrument here, but it doesn’t move the rhythm along so much as provide a universally folkish background for all the improv. To call it fusion would be to belabor the obvious. All the pancultural streams flowing through these sixteen instrumentals—which were indeed recorded live and outside, though you’d never know it from the insular production—feel naturally at home with each other, whether it’s the Middle Eastern guitar apoplectics of “Cyclops” or the pointedly titled “Roots, Harp, Reggae” or a “Misirlou” that takes the standard all the way back to the bazaar. And a bazaar is ultimately where this group would sound most at home: a gathering place to celebrate our shared humanity. —Robert Fontenot

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Steve Giarratano Steve Giarratano and Friends (Sound of New Orleans) Originally recorded in 1995, reedman Steve Giarratano opted not to release this jazz recording with guitarist Bill Huntington, bassist Jim Markway and drummer Johnny Vidacovich. He did, however, hold onto the high-grade cassette given to him by Sound of New Orleans’ Gary Edwards, who later lost his masters via Katrina, making Giarratano’s coveted cassette the only available source to resurrect this. 21 years later, the proceedings sound remarkably fresh and draw from a wide swath of standards. To vary the tones and textures, Giarratano alternates on alto and soprano sax, clarinet and flute. Interestingly, Huntington, normally regarded for his bass acumen, adds a feathery, eloquent touch to his guitar solos. The opening track, the rhythmically quirky “Freedom Jazz Dance,” feels the most modern as Giarratano’s passages are answered by Huntington and Markway. Introspective compositions “Moody’s Mood” and Coltrane’s haunting “Equinox” are balanced with festive tunes like the Brazilian-flavored, flute-fueled “Carioca” and “Blue Bossa” for a perky change of pace. The last two tracks find Giarratano bringing it home with Louie Armstrong’s “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue” and the Original Dixieland Jass Band’s “Clarinet Marmalade,” still in a sleek quartet format, of course, and not the boisterous Dixieland presentation. As evidenced by this sleeper of an album, Giarratano’s playing seems limitless, which was the whole point after all. —Dan Willging

It’s hard to imagine what keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter Doug Duffey hasn’t done in his six decades in the music biz. He was active in New Orleans’ music scene during four different decades (’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s), released several recordings including one on Rabadash Records and has had songs waxed by Parliament/ Funkadelic, George Clinton and Rare Earth. Though he wrote the bulk of these tunes in the ’70s, when he presented them to his band Louisiana Soul Revival (LSR), magic happened and hence, this debut.

With its four-piece brash horn section, LSR is the perfect muscle for Duffey’s songs and hearty, soulish voice. Leadoff track “Funky Bidneh” bolts out of the chute as the disc’s most infectious tune, yet the swirling funk/jazz sax-fueled “It Ain’t What Ya Do” and the rhythmically grooving “I Don’t Need

A Pandora Curator’s Candyfloss Dream Amanda Shaw Amanda Shaw (Independent) This would be Amanda Shaw’s big national swing-for-thebleachers superstar bid if she had just turned 18; as it is, a lot of people still think of her as Louisiana’s sweetheart, Brenda Lee with a fiddle and even more Cajun flavor. She’s already reached the “ripe old age” of 26, as it turns out, but this new EP feels like a reset nonetheless—she loads up the front end with straight pop and shores up the back with a few wellchosen back-to-the-bayou roadtrips. Even so, she always sounds ready to step on stage at the CMAs; fortunately, because she’s taken the time to find herself in her tradition, it all works pretty well. “Busy Body” makes Chubby Carrier sound like Katy Perry, and it turns out to be an improvement? Yes. And it’s still hard not to love her. She zipped right past puberty without going through that gross schoolgirl fantasy larval stage; she remains more Brenda and less Britney. “Red Plastic Cup” does the best job at shotgun-marrying her country sensibilities with her new pop ambition, working that old Swift-Gaga empowerment-throughpartying thing, and the “champagne inside the cup” metaphor is a perfect distillation of her crossover sound, too. “Adieu Rosa” is the most traditional Cajun song here, while “Don’t Treat Me Like Your Woman” taps into a classic honkytonk strain that goes all the way back to Loretta Lynn, but “Crazy ‘Bout My Boy” is the real standout, a Pandora curator’s candyfloss dream. Her fiddle is still all over everything, too. Ironic that the actual teenage Amanda once defiantly declared I’m Not a Bubblegum Pop Princess, but now that her voice and her pen are as supple as her bow, she’s earned it. Just program out her re-retread of the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” which will not save anyone from the Upside Down. —Robert Fontenot www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS Ya Anyway” ensure that this isn’t just a one-hit album. LSR guitarist Dan Sumner did a masterful job in arranging, most notably on the uplifting “Just for Tonight,” where you sense love will somehow work out for the protagonist, even though the outcome is never revealed. On “Do It Right,” sultry background vocalists Betsy Lowe and Naomi Holder step into the spotlight to deliver a helluva hormone-flying performance. Only one song, “1-900-for-Love,” feels like ’60s vintage, hardly the image of revival since everything else seems so fresh and relatively contemporary. —Dan Willging

Paul and Friends Journey of the Heart (P&J Records) Christian yacht rock? Seems like an unlikely sub-subgenre of popular music, even in today’s balkanized music industry. However, this is the real deal—and Paul, who’s actually Australian Paul Sammarco operating his own Christian label out of Houma—is more than up to both sides of the deal. A little jazzy, a little folky, very poppy and terribly, terribly smooth, Paul’s second album is his most accomplished ode to late-’70s light rock, but with oldschool religious themes. You know, all that passé stuff like love, peace of mind, and brotherhood. And why not? if Seals and Crofts can do it for Bahá’i and Cat Stevens can do it for Islam, there’s no reason Paul can’t turn up with something that sounds a little like both, with a bit of America, Christopher Cross, Firefall, late-period CSNY and Todd Rundgren thrown in for good measure. Replacing the warm glow of consumer hedonism with the peaceful easy feeling of The Word, however—although the more oblique cuts like “Call Her Mellow” and “Find Your Paradise” could have easily become lite-FM faves in 1979. And as if to prove everyone’s welcome to his mellow, there’s a medley of the 23rd Psalm and “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” replete with faux children’s choir, that is by turns elegiac and worthy www.OFFBEAT.com

of a Billy Joel deep cut, and a noteperfect recreation of Neil Sedaka’s hit “Laughter in the Rain,” which in this context feels like it’s leaving only one set of footsteps. —Robert Fontenot

Hamid Drake + Jeff Zielinski Sawt-e-Sarmad (Independent) Drummer and percussionist Hamid Drake has made many sojourns to New Orleans and is usually associated with creative jazz saxophonist and educator Kidd Jordan. The Chicago native is a traveler both musically and physically, having studied an array of rhythmic and melodic cultures with an emphasis on nations in Africa and the diaspora. First gaining recognition behind the drums in jazz combos, he has increasingly turned his attention and vast skill to the frame drum, a simple instrument of many voices. On Sawt-e-Sarmad, which is a “Sufi term referring to the sound which intoxicates man,” the master is joined in a frame drum duo by New Orleans percussionist Jeff Zielinski. The album’s conversation is primarily between these two instruments with Drake providing meditative vocal chants and Zielinski adding textures with congas and a gong. The drummers’ first collaborations were at the Ashé Cultural Arts Center’s presentations, the inspiring “Celebration of the Drum” and “Sacred Drums.” Thus they were prepared to enter a New Orleans studio to capture the “spontaneously composed” material on the album. On “Ether,” the quick-fingered Drake produces a sound similar to that of a drum DECEMBER 2 016

REVIEWS

Paul Sanchez presses rewind on his first solo album.

Paul Sanchez Jet Black and Jealous (PSM/Little Fish Platters)

“M

ost of it was recorded in 1989. I was in New York, making friends with people in the anti-folk scene. During the mid-’80s a few people got together—Roger Manning, Brenda Kahn, Lach, Kirk Kelly—and there was a scene on Avenue A, an old lady named Sophie owned the bar called Sophie’s. They’d push aside the pool table and you’d stand under a bare naked lightbulb. Everybody got three songs, then they’d stay, nurse their beers, critique your songs and cheer you on. The first night I walked in, the MC was John S. Hall from King Missile, and people were shouting at him to read something. So he read, ‘Cut off my penis, didn’t need it anyway…’ And I thought, ‘I’m home.’ I got an audition with CBS Records, they turned the death clamp on me and said, ‘See what you got, kid.’ And I got a contract, but then Tommy Mottola was fired, and the new label head released all the acts. So before I left New York to move back to New Orleans I went to Roger Manning’s house, sat on the floor, recorded every song I had, and used that as a demo tape for years. Then in 1992 I’m playing with Cowboy Mouth and a woman comes up to me and says, ‘You look like you’re in a terrible mood.’ And I said ‘I don’t like the band I’m in, I’m a songwriter and nobody cares.’ So I gave my tape to this woman, Cathy Hendrix of Little Fish Platters, and she wanted to put it out. I said ‘Great, let’s book studio time.’ And she said ‘No, the guy on this tape believes nobody in the world will ever hear these songs. That’s desperation we’ll never capture in the studio.’ So the only real studio recordings are three songs that we didn’t quite get right on the tape. And I added the instrumental, ‘Carl Calls Kristie,’ because Cathy thinks every album needs to have one. I was working in New York on a Matt Dillon movie, A Kiss Before Dying, as a production assistant. I was staying with some friends who’d just fallen in love and were making a lot of noise about it, and I was getting divorced so I wasn’t in the mood. I started going for walks and one night I walked from Avenue A to Houston Street, and

decided I’d drink a shot at every bar along the way—not realizing there are more bars per capita in the Village than there are in New Orleans. It was a very long walk. And when I got back to the apartment, drunk as a coot, I grabbed my guitar, went up on the roof and wrote ‘Light It on Fire.’ We did that song in Cowboy Mouth, because when we started out we were all doing songs from our backgrounds. I remember saying to Fred, ‘We should do that song “Jenny Says.”’ And he said ‘No, we can’t do that, it’s a Dash Rip Rock song.’ ‘Picture of You Wearing Bones’ is literally about mentally picturing somebody dead—that’s a very New Orleans way of expressing anger. ‘Louisiana Lowdown and Blue’ is one I wrote in New York, I’d been listening to the Neville Brothers’ album Neville-ization and trying to riff on Bob Dylan’s guitar lick from ‘Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.’ So that’s where the riff in my song comes from, even though it wound up sounding nothing like Dylan. We didn’t do ‘Jet Black and Jealous’ in Cowboy Mouth because it wasn’t a rocker—but ironically enough, when the Eli Young Band covered the song [in 1998], they rocked the hell out of it. The cover came at a really good time for me—the flood had happened, I’d left the band and I was lost, so I got a song on the country charts while I was getting my life together. When I heard Eli Young’s version I thought it was so different that it wasn’t even my song. If they’d just put it out I wouldn’t have recognized it. This album showed me how easy it is to put out a record; up until then I’d been waiting for permission. It happens to be my most popular CD and a few of the songs got used on Mouth records, so that gave them a second life. All my songs are my life story, it’s all one song that I started writing when I was six. Songwriting for me is the easiest thing on the planet—it’s the rest of life that’s the challenge. —Brett Milano

“...he read, ‘Cut off my penis, didn’t need it anyway…’ And I thought, ‘I’m home.’”

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roll played on a snare. Other techniques, like rubbing the drum head, offer complementing tones. As can be imagined, Sawte-Sarmad—with its ancient, meditatively spiritual nature—is an unusual album. Experiencing a frame drum performance live—and especially the stunning hand work of Drake—is far easier to grasp and appreciate. —Geraldine Wyckoff

The Spike Band What It Means (Independent) Usually when an act starts singing a blues-funk song about how much they love étouffée, they’re not doing much more than creating a bit of merch for Crescent City tourists to take home—and there’s nothing wrong with that. Not everybody gets to have as much New Orleans as they want all the time. And if a few songs can trigger some good memories in the midst of their suburban zombiehood, so much the better. Spike Sikes, however, is sort of a tourist himself, an El Paso native and Coast Guard vet who has finally found a place to settle down. Not by any means an unusual story. But even though he’s making his home in California now, when he sings about New Orleans, he sounds like he feels at home here, too: He recorded most of these songs in the Marigny, after all. And a genuine feeling of putting down roots after a long period of roaming pervades the entirety of his third CD. That opening cut, “Ain’t Nobody Got Nothing on New Orleans,” turns out to be something of a red herring; most of the time, www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS he’s crafting an elegant sort of country-soul not unlike the kind found on history’s greatest ode to hearth and home, Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey album. He doesn’t reach that level of transcendence—not many do—but the mood is definitely there, a real warmth that makes even simple phrases like “Having a cold Coca-Cola” or “Nothin’ will do like hot chicken soup” seem filled with import. This holds true even when the band is opening up like classic Dr. John on “New Orleans,” conjuring up a shanty on “By the Sea” or indulging in a little trad jazz on the steps of “Buddy Bolden’s House.” Has this wanderer really figured out what “it” means? It certainly sounds like it. When he travels these days, it’s mostly musical. And he doesn’t have to stray very far. —Robert Fontenot

Chris Miller Le boute s’approche (Independent) Cajun musician Chris Miller knocks it out of this park on this 18-track/8 originals affair that’s primarily rooted in the classic dancehall sounds of Aldus Roger and Joe Bonsall. Unexpectedly discovering a studio drum set’s vintage sound was the turning point; playing string-muting barre chords on an acoustic guitar added a thick, throbbing bottom end to solidify the rhythms without an electric bass. Due to scheduling conflicts with his Bayou Roots bandmates, the Lake Charles multi-instrumentalist recorded most of this himself with just a few guests—like Laine Thibodeaux, whose steel guitar gives the title track a delightful Western Swing crawfish flavor. The most ingenious selection is the translated rendition of Jimmy C. Newman’s “Cry, Cry Darling” as “Braille, braille, cherie.” It’s the song that launched Newman to Nashville in ’54 but amazingly was never reverse-engineered into Cajun music until now. Killer tracks are everywhere. The exhilarating, reed-crunching www.OFFBEAT.com

“Crowley Two-Step” artfully downshifts into a heavenly fiddleled melody of “La Valse Duralde” where Miller, coincidentally, nails his most emotive singing of the album. The last half rocks with surprises. There’s a solo accordion Quebecois-style as well as an accordion duet with Tim Broussard where both play in different keys, yet meld seamlessly together. There’s also a polka, a mazurka original and updated lyrics to “Jolie Blond.” The home recording of Miller and legendary nonagenarian Milton Vanicor playing “The 99 Year Waltz” is absolutely hair-curling and a reminder that this strand of Cajun music has just about disappeared. Highly recommended; don’t miss the document download of translations and explanations on bayouroots.com. —Dan Willging

Cauche Mar Cauche Mar (Independent) When is a metal band not metal? Possibly when it takes the chamber music route, as Cauche Mar does here on their debut EP. It’s not that this sextet doesn’t rock—drummer “Matt” and bassist “Ellis” pound away at the beat with a sort of thrash-groove punkish hybrid that anyone from Metairie can slip right into. It’s the edges that are airbrushed. This is the first metal album in a long time where the guitars are almost an afterthought; there’s still a roar, but it’s more of a backdrop, while most of that all-important top end has been taken over by DECEMBER 2 016

REVIEWS violins, cellos and piano. Sort of like Rasputina with Slayer bleeding through the next room over. It actually works really well— they’re just replacing one kind of drama with another—and much of the fury and all of the gothic sadness remain intact. You still won’t confuse these guys with the doom-metal band of the same name out of Montreal: the NOLA Cauche Mar self-identify as a “folk crust metal orchestra,” which is as good a description as any, and their particular corner of the apocalypse is rooted in real life concerns (“Slavery=Caste=Class,” “Victims of War”), while their delicate side has more than a touch of the Parisian coffeehouse and “Ode to Bitches” is about as brutal as an orchestra can get. If they ever figure out how to hide all the seams, hunker down. —Robert Fontenot

Big Joe Kennedy Big Joe Kennedy’s 504-Tified (Independent) BJK is one of NOLA’s betterkept secrets. He’s got a strong pianistic touch, immersed in the NOLA tradition of Dr. John and James Booker. In addition he’s a booming, bluesy singer who can turn sly quickly. 504-Tified is an aggressive mix of NOLA R&B (“Junco Partner,” “Let’s Make a Better World,””Sea Cruise”), trad standards (“Sugar Blues,” “Doctor Jazz”) and lesser-known trad (“Tain’t No Sin”). Big Joe has something of Harry Connick Jr.’s energy and brio. He delivers a fine cover of Connick’s “Come by Me” and plays “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” with a slow swing that’s a nice pace from the

DECEMBER 2016

usual hecticity. There are, as well, crazy outliers like “Stayin’ Alive” (yes, ha ha ha ha, “Stayin’ Alive,” that one), and a slow, gospelly “Runnin’ Wild.” You can catch Big Joe on the Natchez playing with the Dukes of Dixieland, or on weekends at his regular solo gig at the 21st Amendment. Or check out this disc, a fine outing from one of our city’s emerging piano talents. —Tom McDermott

K. Jones and the Benzie Playboys Morning Train (Independent) Though K. Jones and the Benzie Playboys honor John Delafose, Boozoo Chavis and Preston and Keith Frank here, they do so flexing a Beau Jocque muscle and a guitar-heavy sound. Accordionist Kirk Jones allows his two guitarists plenty of free-wheeling rides that should appeal to rockers and jam banders alike, beyond the zydeco fiefdom. The title track, the disc’s most powerful, is virtually unstoppable; “Holdin’ On,” a Jones original, doesn’t let up much either. Bassist Doug Albright motors around with a fat, slippery sound and gives the Creole fiddle tune “Blue Runner” a solid anchor. For being so rooted in trad, interestingly, “Hold on to It” is a progressive zydeco-reggae concoction showing what the band can do with a Bobby Byrd tune. The sweetest moment arrives when the band artfully downshifts into a lovely twinfiddles rendition of Dewey Balfa’s historically significant “Newport Waltz” from a torrid “Why You Want to Make Me Cry.” It’s hard to imagine anything sounding better on this Tony Daigle mix-mastered affair where most parts, especially drums, are clearly audible. While every arrangement is quite active, nothing overshadows Jones’ vocals, allowing every word to be heard and his gritty performance to be appreciated. —Dan Willging www.OFFBEAT.com

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Listings

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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

MONDAY NOV 28

Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Helen Gillet (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Benny Maygarden (VR) 6p, Alex McMurray (ID) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 7p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: Ben Fox and the Manouche Masters (JV) 7p, Hangover Mondays with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Appleford (FO) 8:30p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, the Resident Aliens (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Sarah McCoy and the Oopsie Daisies (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p

TUESDAY NOV 29

Bombay Club: Tom McDermott (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila, and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Albanie Falletta (VR) 6p, Jon Cleary (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Gasa Gasa: Progression (VR) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Grass Mud Horse (FO) 6:30p, Marshland (FO) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Marc Stone (BL) 7p Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Gregory Agid, CoolNasty (VR) 4p

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Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Cindy Scott Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 9:15p

WEDNESDAY NOV 30

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (JV) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Reggae Night (RE) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Paintbox feat. Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: David L. Harris Duo (TJ) 7p Maison: Jazz Vipers (JV) 6:30p Maple Leaf: the Original Gentlemen feat. Big D Perkins, Jellybean Alexander and Cornell Williams (VR) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Palm Court Jazz Club: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 8p Smoothie King Center: Dolly Parton (CW) 8p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajungrass (KJ) 7p

THURSDAY DEC 1

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Duo (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (VR) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 6:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, Dave Easley and Papa Mali perform music by the Grateful Dead (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Lightnin’ Malcolm and RL Boyce (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Upstairs: Synthetic Ghosts, Killer Dale, Sharkzilla (VR) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bubble Bath Records Residency feat. Bionica, Meghan Stewart (VR) 9p House of Blues: Nonpoint, Escape the Fate, Get Scared, Through Fire, Failure Anthem (RK) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Joy Theater: Steve Vai (VR) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Reid Poole Duo (JV) 7p Maison: Good For Nothin’ Band, Sweet Substitute, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 11p Orpheum Theater: Jambalaya the Musical (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Curly Taylor (ZY) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: Ms. Lauren Hill (RB) 8p Smoothie King Center: Maxwell, Mary J. Blige (RB) 7p Snug Harbor: Gregory Agid Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Sarah McCoy and the Oopsie Daisies (JV) 4p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Meschiya Lake (JV) 7:30p Three Muses Maple: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p

FRIDAY DEC 2

Banks Street Bar: Kettle Black, Sam Price and the True Believers (VR) 9p

Bombay Club: Riverside Jazz Collective (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Harry Mayronne and friends (JV) 5p, Davis Rogan (VR) 8p, Cecile Savage (JV) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Michael Pearce (BL) 6p, Peter Bradley Adams (VR) 8p, Minos the Saint performs The Beatles’ Revolver and 66 (VR) 10p d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 6p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Hi-Ho Lounge: Relapse with Matt Scott (VR) 10p House of Blues: Departure: Journey Tribute Band, Behold the Brave (CR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Parsons (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Leroy Jones, Victor Atkins, David Harris and Jamison Ross (JV) 7:30p Maison: Claire and the Company, Swinging Gypsies (JV) 1p, Shotgun Jazz Band, Soul Project, No Good Deed (VR) 7p Maple Leaf: Miss Mojo, Sexy Dex and the Fresh (VR) 10:30p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Music Box Village: Lost Bayou Ramblers with Rickie Lee Jones, Langhorne Slim and Spider Stacy (KJ) 6:30 & 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: Camel Toe Lady Steppers Annual Toe Down feat. Boyfriend, Tank and the Bangas, Fleur de Tease, DJ Fayard Lindsey (VR) 9p Orpheum Theater: Jambalaya the Musical (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Topcats (VR) 9:30p Saenger Theatre: John Prine (FO) 7:30p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, St. Louis Slim and Andy J. Forest (JV) 6p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 10p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Loose Marbles (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Russell Welch (JV) 7p Tipitina’s: the Main Squeeze, Sexual Thunder (FK) 10p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SATURDAY DEC 3

Bombay Club: Steve Gordon (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Suzy and Darcy Malone with Amasa Miller (VR) 5p, Sherman Bernard and the Ole Man River Band (VR) 8p, LaeLume (JV) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Peter Bradley Adams (VR) 9p, Jimbo Mathus and Robert Finley (VR) 10p d.b.a.: Little Freddie King (BL) 11p Dragon’s Den: Claire and the Company (JV) 7p, Backspin (VR) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 7p, Sexy Back with DJ G (VR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Close Me Out (CO) 7p, Hustle with DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Soundclash Juke Jam Pajama Party (HH) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Speed the Mule (FO) 5p, Annual Beatles Tribute with Roux the Day (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7 & 9p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Cajun Fais Do Do feat. T’Canaille, Smoking Time Jazz Club (VR) 1p, Smoking Time Jazz Club, MainLine, Big Easy Brawlers (VR) 7p Maple Leaf: Col. Bruce Hampton and Madrid Express (VR) 11p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Music Box Village: Lost Bayou Ramblers with Rickie Lee Jones, Langhorne Slim and Spider Stacy (KJ) 6:30 & 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: the Deslondes, Jon Hatchett Band, the Wasted Lives (CW) 9p Orpheum Theater: Jambalaya the Musical (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Brian O’Connell with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 6p, Preservation Hall-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Bonerama (BB) 9:30p

Saenger Theatre: John Cleese and Eric Idle (CO) 8p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Gal Holiday, Lynn Drury, Kim Carson and Ron Hotstream (CW) 7p Spotted Cat: Antoine Diel and Arsene DeLay (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Davis Rogan Band (JV) 10p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Luke Winslow King (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Tom McDermott (JV) 11a, Davy Mooney (JV) 5p Tipitina’s: Yelawolf, Bubba Sparxxx, Jelly Roll, Struggle Jennings (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SUNDAY DEC 4

Banks Street Bar: Stuff N Things (FK) 4p Bombay Club: Tom Hook (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Gerald French Trio (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Pat Flory and Mike Kerwin (BL) 6p, Pat McLaughlin Band (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p Dragon’s Den: the Zen Future Sessions Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal and Dignity Reve (JV) 7p; Upstairs: Church (EL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Skinny Lister, Trapper Schoepp (FO) 8p House of Blues: the Sounds, Zipper Club, My Jerusalem (ID) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Maison: Chance Bushman and the NOLA Jitterbugs, Slick Skillet Serenaders (SI) 10a, Leah Rucker, Meghan Stewart, Higher Heights (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud with Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 6p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher and Licorice Sunday (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Three Muses Maple: Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 11a Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

MONDAY DEC 5

Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Benny Maygarden and Thomas “Mad Dog” Walker (VR) 6p, Alex McMurray and Pat McLaughlin (SS) 8p d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai (ID) 7p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: Steve DeTroy and the Swing Revue (GY) 7p, DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (JV) 9p House of Blues: Kongos (RK) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Zeus (FO) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Frank Fairbanks (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Mutiny Squad (JV) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Ooh Poo Pah Doo: James Andrews and the Crescent City All-Stars, Bobby Love (VR) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Sarah McCoy (JV) 4p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p

DECEMBER 2 016

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Loose Marbles (JV) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robinson Band (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p

TUESDAY DEC 6

Blue Nile: PJ Morton (VR) 10p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Albanie Falletta (VR) 6p, Jon Cleary (VR) 8p Civic Theatre: Seu Jorge performs A Life Aquatic: A Tribute to David Bowie (FO) 8:30p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (JV) 9p Ellis Marsalis Center for Music: Jan Clements and Family Holiday Extravaganza (JV) 6:30p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Grass Mud Horse (FO) 6:30p, Marshland (FO) 8p House of Blues: Lupe Fiasco, RXMN, the Boy Illinois (HH) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Marc Stone (BL) 7p Maison: Geovane Santos Brazilian Jazz Quartet, Gregory Agid Quartet, Brasszilla (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 9:15p

Palm Court Jazz Café: Tim Laughlin with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Louis Ford (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Lil Nathan and the Big Tymers (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Pat Casey presents Three Views of a Secret: A Tribute to Jaco Pastorious Part 1 (JV) 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Keith Burnstein (JV) 7p Three Muses Maple: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 7p UNO Lakefront Arena: Here Comes the Funny Tour feat. Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade and Nick Swardson (CO) 7:30p Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p

FRIDAY DEC 9

Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Willie Green (JV) 7:30p Bombay Club: David Harris (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: David Hull (VR) 5p, Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (VR) 8p, Rebecca Zoe Leigh (VR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, call club (VR) 8p Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country Persuasion (CW) 7p, Donovan Wolfington, Hovvdy, Fishplate (ID) 10p Contemporary Arts Center: Stew and Heidi present Notes of a Native Song (BL) 7:30p d.b.a.: 007 (VR) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p

PLAN A: Holiday Events During the month of December, Christmas New Orleans Style events take place across the city, including Reveillon dinners, concerts, visits from Santa, levee bonfires, caroling and more. Holiday.NewOrleansOnline.com. St. Louis Cathedral Christmas Concerts generally run for an hour, 6-7 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public. The music schedule is as follows: Joe Lastie’s Family Gospel (Dec. 1); Charmaine Neville (Dec. 4); Rachel Van Voorhees (Dec. 5); Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (Dec. 6); Greater St. Stephen Mass (Dec. 8); Tim Laughlin (Dec. 11); Alexis & the Samurai w/ Guests (Dec. 12); Irma Thomas Sings Gospel (Dec.

WEDNESDAY DEC 7

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Dave Hickey and Jacob Tanner (VR) 6p, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p Circle Bar: the Iguanas (RK) 7p 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 Dragon’s Den: Reggae Night (RE) 10p Gasa Gasa: Cracker, the Whiskey Gentry (RK) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Xena (BQ) 9p House of Blues (the Parish): Howard Jones Band (PO) 8p, Jet Lounge (HH) 11p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): David Wax Museum (FO) 9p Joy Theater: the Fixx (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Maison: Swamp Kitchen, Jazz Vipers, Dana Abbott Band (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Terence Higgins and friends (VR) 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: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Creole Stringbeans (SI) 8p Saenger Theatre: Tony Bennett (JV) 8p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Helen Gillet with Tim Robertson (MJ) 9p Three Muses: Albanie Falletta (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 7p Three Muses Maple: Dr. Sick (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p

THURSDAY DEC 8

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Duo (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Lynn Drury (VR) 5p, Tom McDermott and Chloe Feoranzo (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, Bandicoot Xmas Party (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Luke Winslow King (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: Upstairs: NOLA Fam (HH) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bubble Bath Records Residency feat. the Grid with Nesby Phips, Nebula Rosa (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Reid Poole Duo (JV) 7p Maison: Good For Nothin’ Band, Roamin’ Jasmine, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 11p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Evan Christopher and David Torkanowsky (JV) 6p Old Point Bar: Hallelujah Hat Rack (RK) 9p Old U.S. Mint: N.O. Jazz National Historical Park Arrowhead Jazz Band (JV) 2p

DECEMBER 2016

Contemporary Arts Center: Stew and Heidi present Notes of a Native Song (BL) 7:30p d.b.a.: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 11p Dragon’s Den: Mark Farina (VR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Erin McKeown, Sean Bruce (SS) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: Brown Improv (CO) 8p, Hustle with DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p House of Blues (the Parish): Amanda Shires, Andrew Leahey and the Homestead (FO) 9p International Vintage Guitars: HollyRock (VR) 1:30p Joy Theater: Jim Jefferies (CO) 7:30 & 10:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Van Hudson (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7 & 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Swamp Donkeys, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, Fu Fu All-Stars, Gene’s Music Machine (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Naughty Professor, Organized Crime (FK) 11p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Music Box Village: Gogol Bordello presents Western Dada (VR) 6:30 & 8:30p Orpheum Theater: LPO Holiday Spectacular (CL) 7:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Brian O’Connell with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 6p, Preservation Hall-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Elvis Christmas Show (VR) 9p Saenger Theatre: Toys for Tots’ Santa Meets Sousa Holiday Concert with the Marine Corps Band New Orleans (VR) 7:30p Snug Harbor: John Ellis and Double Wide (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Tom McDermott (JV) 11a, Davy Mooney Trio (JV) 7p Tipitina’s: Dragon Smoke (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Bayou Cajun Swamp Band (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p

SUNDAY DEC 11

Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Relapse with Matt Scott (VR) 10p House of Blues: Loyola Music Industry Showcase (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Vincent Marini (FO) 5p, Beth Patterson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: John Mooney, Marc Stone and Joe Krown (BL) 8:30p Maison: Kala Bazaar Swing Society, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Resident Aliens, Big Easy Brawlers (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Russell Batiste’s Birthday Party (FK) 11p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Music Box Village: Gogol Bordello presents Western Dada (VR) 6:30 & 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: HAMP Fest feat. Morning 40 Federation, Debauche, Cole Williams Band (VR) 9p Orpheum Theater: LPO Holiday Spectacular (CL) 7:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Karma (VR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 10p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Meschiya Lake (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Russell Welch (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SATURDAY DEC 10

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Quartet (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Mikayla (VR) 5p, Dave Ferrato’s Later on Decatur (VR) 8p, Keith Burnstein (VR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: call club (VR) 8p Civic Theatre: Benefit for Dave Rosser feat. the Afghan Whigs, Mark Lanegan, Ani DiFranco, Morning 40 Federation, King James and the Special Men, C.C. Adcock and the Lafayette Marquis (RK) 8p

13); Tony Green and Gypsy Jazz (Dec. 14); Christmas Organ Spectacular w/ Emmanuel Arakélian (Dec. 15); St. Louis Cathedral Annual Concert (Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m.). City Park presents Celebration in the Oaks through January 1st, its 30th annual holiday lights festival. NewOrleansCityPark.com/ Celebration-In-The-Oaks. St. Augustine is the oldest African-American Catholic church in the United States and is located at 1210 Gov. Nicholls Street. Free parking and admission. Concerts run for one hour, 4-5 p.m. Scheduled to perform are James Andrews (Dec. 3); Shades of Praise (Dec. 10); Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (Dec. 17). New Orleans’ official holiday parade, Krewe of Jingle starts at Lee Circle at 1 p.m. on December 3. Afterwards, go visit the Roosevelt Hotel’s Waldorf Wonderland Lobby (pictured) to experience a holiday tradition since the 1930s.

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Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Steve Pistorius (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns Quartet (JV) 8p Circle Bar: Micah McKee and friends, Blind Texas Marlin (FO) 7p, Country Night with DJ Pasta (CW) 10p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, MainLine (BB) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Zen Future Sessions Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal and Dignity Reve (JV) 7p; Upstairs: Church (EL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8p Maison: Chance Bushman and the NOLA Jitterbugs, Tuba Skinny (JV) 10a, Royal Street Winding Boys, Swinging Gypsies, Higher Heights (JV) 4p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 10p Orpheum Theater: LPO Holiday Spectacular (CL) 2:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Craig Klein with Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore SONO Drum Camp Finale (JV) 5:30p, Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Three Muses Maple: Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 11a Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

MONDAY DEC 12

Banks Street Bar: Dignity Reve’s Piano Showcase (JV) 7p, Lilli Lewis (RB) 9p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Benny Maygarden and Thomas “Mad Dog” Walker (VR) 6p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.:Alexis & the Samurai (ID) 7p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: Pandiani and the Hot Four (GY) 7p, DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (JV) 9p House of Blues: Niykee Heaton (HH) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Sarah Simmons (SS) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, the Key Sound (JV) 4p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Nick Waterhouse (VR) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p

TUESDAY DEC 13

Banks Street Bar: Stuart McNair Band (RK) 9p Blue Nile: PJ Morton (VR) 10p Bombay Club: Tom McDermott (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Albanie Falletta (VR) 6p, Jon Cleary (VR) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Grass Mud Horse (FO) 6:30p, Marshland (FO) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: NOLA Dukes (VR) 7p Maison: Slick Skillet Serenaders, Gregory Agid, Corporate America (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p

WEDNESDAY DEC 14

Banks Street Bar: Major Bacon (BL) 10p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Dave Hickey and Jacob Tanner (VR) 6p, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8:30p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Reggae Night (RE) 10p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Marina Orchestra (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Next iStandard New Orleans Producer Showcase (HH) 9:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: David L. Harris Jr. Duo (TJ) 7p Maison: Dinosaurchestra, Jazz Vipers, In Business (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Ed Williams’ Birthday Jam with Rumpelsteelskin and friends (VR) 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 Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Boogie Men (SI) 8p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Blood on the Dance Floor (VR) 6:30p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 7p Three Muses Maple: Dr. Sick (JV) 7p

THURSDAY DEC 15

Buffa’s: Alexandra Scott and Josh Paxton (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 7:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, Billy Iuso Christmas Show feat. Eddie Christmas, Brad Walker, Mike Burkart and Ron Johnson (VR) 8:30p d.b.a.: Little Freddie King (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Upstairs: Soundclash (HH) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bubble Bath Records Residency feat. Jasen Weaver Band presents Gundam Wing, Extended Trio (JV) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Reid Poole Duo (JV) 7p; Milonga Osada Tango (LT) 7:30p Maison: Good For Nothin’ Band, Asylum Chorus, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 11p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Roman Street (GY) 6p Orpheum Theater: Baroque Christmas (CL) 7:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Tim Laughlin and Charlie Halloran with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 6p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Louis Ford (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Leroy Thomas (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Spencer Bohren’s Big Ol’ Christmas Shindig (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Sarah McCoy and the Oopsie Daisies (JV) 4p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p

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St. Louis Cathedral: Christmas Organ Spectacular feat. Emmanuel Arakelian (CL) 6p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Pat Casey presents Three Views of a Secret: A Tribute to Jaco Pastorious Part 2 (JV) 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Joe Cabral (JV) 7:30p Three Muses Maple: Esther Rose (JV) 7p Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p

FRIDAY DEC 16

Bombay Club: Tim Laughlin Trio (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Kelly Shaw with Fr. Ron (VR) 5p, Pfister Sisters (JV) 8p, Yardbird Sweethearts (JV) 11p Civic Theatre: Zebra (RK) 8p d.b.a.: Kenny Brown (BL) 10p Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall: Don Vappie’s Creole Christmas (VR) 6:30p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Koan Fest (HH) 8p, Relapse with Matt Scott (VR) 10p House of Blues: Bricks in the Wall: the Sight and Sound of Pink Floyd (CB) 9p Joy Theater: the Jesus and Mary Chain (RK) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Vincent Marini (FO) 5p, Celtic Christmas with Betsy McGovern and Beth Patterson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Maison: Eight Dice Cloth, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Raw Deal, Big Easy Brawlers (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Chris Mule Band (RR) 11p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Mixed Nuts (VR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses Maple: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 7p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Loose Marbles (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Anders Osborne Holiday Spectacular (VR) 10p

SATURDAY DEC 17

Banks Street Bar: Round Pegs Christmas Party feat. John Fohl, John Lisi, Beth Patterson, Egg Yolk Jubilee, Deadly Fists of Kung Fu (VR) 9p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper Jazz Band (JV) 5p, the Royal Rounders (VR) 8p, Michael Liuzza (VR) 11p Civic Theatre: Jim James, Twin Limb (RK) 8:30p d.b.a.: Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 11p Dragon’s Den: Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 7p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Drunktoons (CO) 7p, Hustle with DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Parsons (FO) 5p, Crossing Canal with Patrick Cooper and Ruby Ross (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Little Freddie King (BL) 7:30p Mahalia Jackson Theater: Delta Festival Ballet presents The Nutcracker (DN) 7:30p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Leah Rucker, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, Kumasi, Fu Fu All-Stars (VR) 10p Maple Leaf: James Booker Birthday Tribute feat. James Singleton, Johnny Vidacovich and others (VR) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s Annual Birthday Bash (BL) 11p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Old Point Bar: Truman Holland and the Back Porch Review (RK) 9:30p Old U.S. Mint: New Orleans Dance Collective (DN) 2p, the Cowen Brothers with Brian Seeger (FO) 3:30p Orpheum Theater: New Orleans Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker (DN) 2 & 7p Palm Court Jazz Café: Brian O’Connell with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Mo Jelly, the Essentials (RB) 9p Snug Harbor: Phillip Manuel Christmas Show (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Tom McDermott (JV) 11a, Davy Mooney (JV) 5p Tipitina’s: Anders Osborne Holiday Spectacular (VR) 10p

SUNDAY DEC 18

Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Gerald French Trio (JV) 7p Café Istanbul: Oh Crap, It’s Christmas feat. Debbie Davis, Matt Perrine, Alex McMurray, Josh Paxton, Andre Bohren, Michael Cerveris, Susan Cowsill and Paul Sanchez (VR) 7p Crazy Lobster: the Gator Bites (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p

DECEMBER 2 016

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, Andy J. Forest (VR) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Zen Future Sessions Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal and Dignity Reve (JV) 7p; Upstairs: Church (EL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz and Heritage Center: Trombone Shorty Foundation’s Tunes for Toys feat. Trombone Shorty Academy, Soul Rebels (JV) 7p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Irish Session (IR) 4p, Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Mahalia Jackson Theater: Delta Festival Ballet presents The Nutcracker (DN) 2p Maison: Chance Bushman and the NOLA Jitterbugs, Luneta Jazz Band, Eight Dice Cloth (JV) 10a, Leah Rucker, Higher Heights (VR) 7p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 10p Orpheum Theater: New Orleans Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker (DN) 2 & 7p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kerry Lewis and Meghan Swartz with Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Creole Christmas feat. the Preservation Hall All-Stars (TJ) 2:30 & 4p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Tom McDermott Tribute to Scott Joplin (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Kristina Morales and Bayou Shufflers (JV) 6p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Three Muses Maple: Sam Cammarata (JV) 11a

MONDAY DEC 19

Banks Street Bar: Dignity Reve’s Piano Showcase (JV) 7p, Lilli Lewis (RB) 9p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Benny Maygarden and Thomas “Mad Dog” Walker (VR) 6p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai (ID) 7p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p; Kala Bazaar Swing Society (GY) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Appleford (FO) 8p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Vegas Cola (JV) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Washboard Rodeo (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Beach Combers (RK) 9p

TUESDAY DEC 20

Blue Nile: PJ Morton (VR) 10p Bombay Club: Tom McDermott (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Albanie Falletta (VR) 6p, Alvin Youngblood Hart Acoustic Set (BL) 8p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Grass Mud Horse (FO) 6:30p, Marshland (FO) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Joy Theater: Drop the Mic feat. Ricky Dillon, the Gabbie Show, Jack Baran, Andrew Lowe, Chachi Gonzales (CO) 7p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Marc Stone (BL) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Maison: Shynola, Swinging Gypsies, Gregory Agid Quartet, Lungi and the Fungi (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Messy Cookers (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 9:15p

WEDNESDAY DEC 21

DECEMBER 2016

Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p House of Blues: Arctic Lights (PO) 6:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: David L. Harris Jr. Duo (TJ) 7p Maison: Kala Bazaar Swing Society, Jazz Vipers, Organized Crime (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Space and Harmony (VR) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Orpheum Theater: Jambalaya the Musical (VR) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars (TJ) 5p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Rocky’s Hot Fox Trot Orchestra Christmas Swing Show (SI) 8p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Schatzy (JV) 7p Three Muses Maple: Dr. Sick (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

THURSDAY DEC 22

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Duo (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Yvette Voelker and the Swinging Heathens (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Chloe Feoranzo (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p, Eric’s Bloom’s Wacky Xmas (VR) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Circus Darling (BQ) 9p House of Blues: NOCCA’s Home for the Holidays Benefit feat. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and Orleans Avenue, Irma Thomas, John Boutte, James Andrews, Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers, Cyril Neville, Stanton Moore Trio, Herlin Riley (JV) 6:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Reid Poole Duo (JV) 7p Maison: Good For Nothin’ Band, Swamp Donkeys, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 11p Old Point Bar: Gregg Martinez (RK) 9p Orpheum Theater: Jambalaya the Musical (VR) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Louis Ford (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Masakowski Family Band does Christmas (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Sarah McCoy and the Oopsie Daisies (JV) 4p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Pat Casey presents Three Views of a Secret: A Tribute to Jaco Pastorious Part 3 (JV) 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Joe Cabral (JV) 7:30p Three Muses Maple: Esther Rose (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p

FRIDAY DEC 23

Banks Street Bar: Tangerine Dreams (BQ) 10p Bombay Club: Steve Pistorius (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Jerry Jumonville (VR) 5p, Melanie Gardner (JV) 8p, Tuba Skinny (JV) 11p Bullet’s: Original Pinettes (BB) 8:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Michael Pearce (BL) 6p, Paul Sanchez (RR) 8p d.b.a.: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 6p, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers (ZY) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Relapse with Matt Scott (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Appleford (FO) 5p, One Tailed Three (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Carmela Rappazo Trio (JV) 7:30p Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 4p, Big Easy Brawlers, No Good Deed (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Mike Dillon Band, Jerk Offisers, Dirty Mouth (VR) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Steve Mignano (RK) 9:30p Orpheum Theater: Jambalaya the Musical (VR) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Boogie Men (VR) 9:30p Saenger Theatre: Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker (DN) 3 & 7p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Southport Hall: Marc Broussard Christmas Show (VR) 8p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 10p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Russell Welch (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Loose Marbles (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SATURDAY DEC 24

Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p Bombay Club: Meryl Zimmerman Trio (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Christmas Film Festival (VR) 5p Chickie Wah Wah: Clockwork Elvis (VR) 8p Dragon’s Den: Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 7p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: the Rip Off (CO) 7p, Hustle with DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Slick Skillet, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, MainLine (BB) 10p Maple Leaf: Khris and Christin’s 2nd Annual XxXMas Jam feat. John Michael Bradford, DJ KRoy and special guests (VR) 11p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Preservation Hall: Creole Christmas feat. the Preservation Hall All-Stars (TJ) 1p, 2:30p, 4p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Bayou Cajun Swamp Band (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p

St. Roch Tavern: Jerry Giddens (VR) 7p Tipitina’s: Dr. John and the Nite Trippers (RB) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 9:15p

WEDNESDAY DEC 28

Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Dave Hickey and Jacob Tanner (VR) 6p, Aurora Nealand and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Reggae Night (RE) 10p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Spodie and the Big Shots (JV) 6:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Paintbox with Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: David L. Harris Jr. Duo (TJ) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Royal Street Winding Boys, Jazz Vipers (JV) 4p Maple Leaf: Super Jam feat. members of the Revivalists, Naughty Professor, Cardinal Sons and others (VR) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Groovy 7 (SI) 8p

continued from page 48

Algiers Bonfire and Concert takes place December 3 at 200 Morgan Street with music by Bag of Donuts at 5:30 p.m. The bonfire lighting at 8:30 p.m. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds its annual Art of Giving holiday shopping event on December 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring work by artists and artisans from the Center for Southern Craft & Design. OgdenMuseum.org. The third annual LUNA Fete (pictured) runs December 7-10 and features artist-built video and light installations in Lafayette Square. ArtsNewOrleans.org. Running of the Santas Festival and Pub Crawl takes place December 17, starting at 11 a.m.

SUNDAY DEC 25

Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a Dragon’s Den: the Zen Future Sessions Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal and Dignity Reve (JV) 7p; Upstairs: Church (EL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Benny Grunch Christmas, Geno Delafose (VR) 5p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Brandon Moreau and Cajungrass (KJ) 2p, Bayou Cajun Swamp Band (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

TUESDAY DEC 27

Blue Nile: PJ Morton (VR) 10p Bombay Club: Tom McDermott (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Grass Mud Horse (FO) 6:30p, Marshland (FO) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Maison: the Rumproller, Gregory Agid, Soul Company (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Arrythmias (VR) 8p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p

www.OFFBEAT.com

FRIDAY DEC 30

Bombay Club: Scott Myers (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Riverside Jazz Collective (JV) 5p, Gentilly Stompers (JV) 8p, Gumbo Cabaret (VR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Michael Pearce (BL) 6p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 6p, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Hi-Ho Lounge: Pretty Lights Pre-Party feat. Daily Bread, Ageless, Antihero B2B Mister (VR) 3p, the Sufficients (PO) 7p, Relapse with Matt Scott (VR) 10p House of Blues (the Parish): LouMuzik Live (HH) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Van Hudson (FO) 5p, Will Dickerson Band (FO) 9p Maison: Kala Bazaar Swing Society, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Brass-A-Holics, Big Easy Brawlers (BB) 10p Maple Leaf: call club (FK) 11p Mardi Gras World: Pretty Lights (EL) 9p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Revival (RK) 9:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 6p, Preservation Hall Brass Band feat. Daniel Farrow (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Bucktown All-Stars (VR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 10p Three Muses: Rob Wagner (JV) 5p, Russell Welch (JV) 9p Three Muses Maple: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SATURDAY DEC 31

MONDAY DEC 26

Banks Street Bar: Dignity Reve’s Piano Showcase (JV) 7p, Lilli Lewis (RB) 9p Bombay Club: Davy Mooney (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Benny Maygarden and Thomas “Mad Dog” Walker (VR) 6p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p d.b.a.: Alexis & the Samurai (ID) 7p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: Hot Club de Cosmos (GY) 7p, DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Appleford (FO) 8p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, the Key Sound (JV) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr.’s Birthday Bash (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Topcats (VR) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Loose Marbles (JV) 7p

Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p

Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra (JV) 8 & 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): the Asylum Chorus: A Holiday Show (SO) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Sarah McCoy (JV) 7p Three Muses Maple: Dr. Sick (JV) 7p Tipitina’s: Dr. John and the Nite Trippers (RB) 9p

THURSDAY DEC 29

Banks Street Bar: Kelcy Mae (RK) 9p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Duo (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Tuba Skinny (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy (VR) 6p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Grayson Capps (RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bubble Bath Records Residency feat. Max Moran and Neospectric, Simon Lott (VR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf: Pretty Light Pre-Party feat. Russ Liquids Electric Kool-Aid Test, Marvel Years, Cofresi, Sky Society (EL) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Lynn Drury (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Reid Poole Duo (JV) 7p Maison: Roamin’ Jasmine, Good For Nothin’ Band, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 11p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Louis Ford (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Chris Ardoin (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Sarah McCoy and the Oopsie Daisies (JV) 4p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p Three Muses Maple: Esther Rose (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

at Manning’s. The run from the Rusty Nail to Generations Hall at 5:45 p.m. Music at Generations Hall at 6 p.m. with Category 6 and Flow Tribe. Snofari Adventure at the Audubon Zoo December 2631 features an “ice” skating rink and family entertainment. AudubonInstitute.org. Friends of the Cabildo and the Historic New Orleans Collection present Creole Christmas December 27-29, a tour of five historic houses dressed in traditional holiday decor. FriendsOfTheCabildo.org. Crescent Park hosts New Year’s Eve at the Mandeville Wharf beginning at 7 p.m. with music and beverages for sale. Fireworks at midnight. FrenchMarket.org. The French Quarter celebrates New Year’s Eve with live music in Jackson Square, a fleur de lis drop at Jax Brewery and midnight fireworks on the river. CrescentCityCountdown.com.

Bombay Club: Leroy Jones (JV) 10p Buffa’s: Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band (VR) 5p, Michael Liuzza (VR) 8p, Antoine Diel and the Misfit Power (VR) 9p, Keith Burnstein (VR) 1a Carrollton Station: Eric Lindell and friends (BL) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Marcia Ball with Helen Gillet and Dana Abbott (VR) 8p Circle Bar: Mod Dance Party (RB) 10p Crazy Lobster: Poppy’s Poppin’ New Year’s Eve Review (VR) 11a & 4p Creole Cookery: Trad Stars Jazz Band (JV) 11a d.b.a.: Soul Rebels (BB) 11p Dragon’s Den: Eight Dice Cloth (JV) 7p, New Year’s Eve Dance Party (VR) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 8p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Pretty Lights Pre-Party feat. Mikey Thunder, Wax Future, Robbie Dude, Dino Brawl (VR) 4p, Hustle with DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p House of Blues (the Parish): Bad Girls of Burlesque NYE Blowout (BQ) 8 & 11p Howlin’ Wolf: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 9p Hyatt Regency: Big Night New Orleans’ NYE Gala feat. Cowboy Mouth, Chee-Weez, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Kid Kamillion and others (VR) 9p Joy Theater: Foundation of Funk and Dumpstaphunk feat. Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr., Eddie Roberts, Robert Walter (FK) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Roux the Day (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Reid Poole Quartet (JV) 9:30p, NYE Blowout with Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 10:30p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, Royal Street Winding Boys, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, New Orleans Suspects, Glen David Andrews, No Good Deed (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: call club (VR) 11p Mardi Gras World: Pretty Lights (EL) 9p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Old Point Bar: One Percent Nation (RK) 9:30p Orpheum Theater: NYE Celebration feat. the Revivalists, Seratones (SO) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: New Year’s Eve Gala feat. Lars Edegran, Will Smith, Louis Ford, Benny Amon and Richard Moten (TJ) 9p Preservation Hall: NYE Show with special guests (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Tab Benoit (BL) 9p Smoothie King Center: Amy Schumer (CO) 8p Snug Harbor: Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Sarah McCoy (JV) 12p, Ecirb Mueller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Three Muses: Bailey Hinton (JV) 9:30p Tipitina’s: Galactic, Boyfriend (VR) 10p

DECEMBER 2 016

BACKTALK

Jim James

of My Morning Jacket

“Y

ou can talk about it all you want, but what you gonna do? Time’s your oyster, the grave is always getting closer,” sings Jim James on “We Ain’t Getting Any Younger Pt. 2,” one of many calmly distressing tracks from his new solo effort, Eternally Even. Released just four days before this year’s historic election, the album carries itself with a reluctant confidence, like a sage who has always known the impending doom was there the whole time. In a lot of ways a Jim James solo album is something of an odd product. As frontman and primary songwriter for beloved indie rockers My Morning Jacket, he already has a respectable platform from which to deliver the music that is his message. Yet something about Eternally Even—as well his only other solo release, 2013’s Regions of Light and Sound of God—seems decidedly distinct from his band’s output. The lyrics on the newest record, in particular, feel like they were written with today’s news cycle in mind, even as the music that buoys them digs many decades into the past for inspiration. Considering the album’s topical nature, the timing of its release appears very deliberate. It also heralds the coming of James’ latest solo tour, which is set to reach New Orleans’ Civic Theatre on Saturday, December 17. I caught up with the enigmatic rock icon less than a week after the release of Eternally Even—and just two days after the fateful 2016 election— to discuss his latest project, working with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and much more. You just released your second solo album, Eternally Even. The record is a little haunting. There’s a sense of foreboding throughout much of it that, frankly, feels almost prescient considering the events of the past few days. Was that the vibe you were going for? Yeah, I’ve just been thinking about it a lot and worrying about it a lot and wanting to try and do my part to be a part of the discussion and, hopefully, be a force of good. Obviously, I’m very sad that things turned out the way they did, but I think that’s what music is here for, to kind of give us hope through dark times and help us work on things together. I feel like that’s how I work on things, through music. I feel like that’s how most people feel when listening to www.OFFBEAT.com

music. It’s one of the most useful things we have in our lives, one of the greatest gifts. Your solo tour kicks off next week [November 15]. Do you think these songs will take on a new meaning, or perhaps a new urgency, in the live setting? I feel with a record like this, I’m trying to speak to a lot of what’s going on. Yeah, we’re going through some dark shit right now. I feel like your mind, all of our minds, always adapt to what has happened around us. You hear things differently, and you see things differently based on what has happened. So yeah, everything has taken on a new weight. I feel like there’s so many of us that are worried about the future and worried about everything. Yeah, I feel like it’s all gonna take on a new weight. By Sam D’Arcangelo

talks back

Despite the album’s lyrical weight, the music is actually pretty laid back. It’s sonically pleasing music that you can kind of chill to. Was there an intention to create a dichotomy between the lyrical and musical aspects of the album? Not really. I don’t really see it that way, but that was kind of a cool thing about the music. It wasn’t written with any goal in mind. It was written as improv pieces or it was taken from samples of songs that I really liked, so it was a cool way to make a record. I had never done that before. All the music kind of existed, and then lyrics and melodies and stuff started popping out of my head over this existing music, which I then cut and edited and messed with and added things to make it fit these songs that the pieces were turning into. It was a strange experience for me. DECEMBER 2 016

B AC

KTA

I’ve spent so much time in New Orleans and I’ve produced a record with Preservation Hall Jazz Band...Those guys are really great friends so every time we come to town there’s some cause for celebration. How do you approach a solo album differently from a My Morning Jacket album? At what point do you decide the songs you’re working on are going to be pieces for Jim James and not My Morning Jacket? The songs just kind of tell me. I have a real love for working in the studio and playing music alone, and I feel like I’m kind of always just doing that. When I’m not on tour that’s kind of my job or whatever, just making music. I love doing it. So solo records for me are these fun ways for me to keep creating because, I love to play in the band and I love doing side projects and stuff, but I also love just being alone in the studio as well. You touched on this a little bit earlier, but a lot of this record does feel like it was born out of these jam sessions or improv sessions. Is that how you often go into the recording process? No, really not ever. Normally I have an idea for a song or I have the chords for a song and I start building a song from scratch. There is no pre-existing thing. Whereas in this case, all this music was pre-existing instrumental music that had never been written with the intention of any vocals or any, ‘song structure.’ So it was a really different thing for me. Are you saying you went looking back at previous things that you had recorded, maybe half thought out songs or instrumental segments, and then turned them into fleshed out songs? No, I had these pieces of instrumental music that this composer, Brian Reitzell, and I had made trying to score a few films, and that didn’t end up getting used for the films. I had always loved these pieces of music and they just came back up on shuffle one day while I was walking. I really got into them and, you know, it was five or six years ago that we did these pieces of music. But for whatever reason, my brain reconnected with them because I had always loved them. I had thought of them, for a while, as a side thing or just an instrumental record of these improv pieces, but then lyrics and melodies started popping out so I followed that path. I didn’t know you were involved in any film scoring work.

DECEMBER 2016

I’ve tried to be. I’ve always been fired for being too weird, so I’ve never successfully been involved in any film scoring work. How important is improvisation to you as a component of your live show? Can we expect to see some of these songs tweaked with on stage? Yeah, definitely. We’ve already been doing that. We did a little warm-up run a month ago and were really having fun with the songs, so there’s already improv changes and things that are happening to the songs. It feels really fresh and it feels really good to play these songs right now. You’re performing in New Orleans on December 17. Considering the musical history, is there anything special to you about this city? Oh God yes. I’ve spent so much time in New Orleans and I’ve produced a record with Preservation Hall Jazz Band that we recorded in the Hall. Those guys are really great friends so every time we come to town there’s some cause for celebration and we just hang out. I love the city so much and have spent countless hours walking around. There’s so much magic to be found there and I feel lucky to have some really good friends there. It’s always a high point. Is there any particular place in town that you always make sure to visit while you’re down here? The Hall is the most important to me. I’ll never forget walking in there for the first time and it kind of felt like where music was born, and I know that’s where a lot of really great jazz music was born. Being in there, having made a record in the Hall and having played in the Hall, I’ve really felt the power. It’s like a portal or something. You step in there and you’re stepping into another time. It’s one of the most powerful places I’ve ever been. How did your relationship with the Preservation Hall guys develop? I guess six or seven or eight years ago, I’m bad with time, they did a benefit record where they had different singers come to the Hall and sing with the guys. I was invited to do that so I came down and met everybody and just really hit it off with Ben Jaffe. It was an amazing time. Then we brought them out on tour with

My Morning Jacket, and they would open the show and then play with us. We really enjoyed each other’s company and had a great time. Ever since then we’ve been really good friends. I wanted to talk to you about another artist that you’ve developed a bit of a relationship with, and that’s Roger Waters. I saw you perform with him at Newport Folk and outside of New York for the Love For Levon [Helm] benefit, then I heard you recently performed with him at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit. How did that relationship first develop? He was coming to do the Levon benefit and, I can’t remember why he didn’t have his band, but somebody said to him, ‘Hey have you heard My Morning Jacket? Would you be interested in them backing you up?’ And he was; so we did that Levon thing and had a great time. He reached back out to us about Newport and, obviously, we were excited to do that, and then he reached back out about Bridge School. It’s been this cool, amazing thing. Definitely something we never counted on, hearing from him again. It’s been such an honor and such a privilege to stand next to one of the true greats of music. He’s, indisputably, made some of the greatest records that humans have ever made. It’s wild, but he’s such a nice guy and he remembers everybody’s names. He doesn’t come in acting like an egomaniac or anything. He’s a very, very down to earth guy, but he’s also extremely intense and knows exactly what he wants. It’s always thrilling to work with him. I saw that, in all the shows My Morning Jacket have played since Bridge School, you’ve managed to incorporate a different Pink Floyd song into your set. It’s funny because we spent all this time learning all his songs and, of course, we love those songs. We know everybody loves those songs. Are there any new projects on the horizon for you? I know you’ve got this tour coming up, but anything with Jacket after that? We’re doing another Jacket record in the spring, which will hopefully be out sometime next year. I’m not quite sure yet. I’ve got songs written for that so yeah, that’s on the burner. O www.OFFBEAT.com