OffBeat Magazine November 2019 by OffBeat Magazine

INSIDE:

TERENCE BLANCHARD BAMBOULA 2000 JOHNNY SONNIER GHALIA WARREN STORM ESTHER ROSE WIDESPREAD PANIC L’il Queenie PAUL SANCHEZ

NEW ORLEANS MUSIC, FOOD, CULTURE—NOVEMBER 2019

Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50

CONTENTS TA B L E

p. 24

p. 20

20 Blues Out of Nowhere

6 Letters 7 Mojo Mouth

The journey of Ghalia Vauthier.

A message from the publisher.

8 Fresh

My Music with Jenna Guidry; Five Questions with trumpeter James Andrews; Widespread Panic at UNO Lakefront Arena; Five Questions with Roots of Music’s Executive Director Morgan Stewart; The Beverage Roots of Swamp Pop and more.

12 Obituary: Leigh “L’il Queenie” Harris. 14 Ghost Stories Paul Sanchez tells his tale.

18 The Devil Went Down to New Iberia

22 We Are The Rhythm

Bamboula 2000 embraces Cuba as it turns 25.

24 Taking the World, by Storm

Yvette Landry discovers Warren Storm in a new book and CD.

26 Lower 9 Valentine

Esther Rose’s emotional resonance.

The History of New Orleans Rock By James Lien

36 OffBeat Eats 37 Restaurant Review

Michael Dominici reviews Banana Blossom Thai Restaurant.

38 Reviews

Nicholas Payton, Lilli Lewis Project, Bobby Rush, Ghalia, Esther Rose, Notel Motel, Richard Piano Scott’s Twisty River Band, Dr. Michael Torregano, Wino Willy and more.

46 Listings Roberto Carcassés and Cimafunk on tap in 53 Backtalk with Terence Blanchard. November.

30 Resistance, Existence, Time,

BLAST FROM THE PAST March 1998

p. 30

28 Cuban Invasion

Johnny Sonnier’s frenetic accordion defined a new Cajun music style.

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O F

Space & Blackness

Brandan “Bmike” Odums’ truth-telling activism.

Another important artist who emerged around about the same time was Little Queenie & the Percolators. She was the first act to play at Jimmy’s Club, a music club that opened on Willow St. in 1978. “The nickname came from the [Chuck Berry] song, but truthfully, it originally came from an ex-boyfriend of mine, explains Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris, “who used it on me to try and, you know, get to me.” But still, I always noticed that the actual “Little Queenie” in the lyric is someone that the protagonist of the song is completely smitten with.” (To read more this issue can be purchased at http://www.offbeat.com/shop/back-issues/1998/offbeat-magazine-march-1998/)) NOVEMBER 2019

letters

“When I first got here Royal Street was filled with street musicians and Frenchmen Street still had a bit of funkiness to it.”—Richard Egner, New Orleans, Louisiana

Subscription prices

You evil bastards... you know you have me over a barrel with these price hikes. I can no more resist renewing my subscription to OffBeat than I can resist jamming down a Central Grocery muffaletta on the banks of the Mississippi when I’m in your lovely town. So fine. Renewed I am. Besides, the local media in Fort Worth, Texas does a lousy job covering Mardi Gras Indians. (I hope you know the seeming anger is totally tongue-in-cheek. I’m a huge fan of you guys.) —Jim Kerrigan (Wild Man in Abstentia), Fort Worth, Texas

Spencer Bohren

I got to know Spencer Bohren a bit when I was doing music reviews and when he was in Tucson he would stop in my class when I taught school and always play for the kids— he had a lot of fans out here. —Bob Gottlieb, Tucson, Arizona

Jamie Lynn Vessels

This is in response to Paul Sanchez’s interview (My Music, October 2019) with Jamie Lynn Vessels.—ED. When I finally got up the courage to share with other people it was more rewarding than I imagined. It’s not easy, and oftentimes still a struggle, but I hope you can/are doing the same. —Jamie Lynn Vessels, New Orleans, Louisiana

Night Time Economy

This letter is in response to Ashlye Keaton’s and Gene Meneray’s guest editorial “New Orleans’ ‘Night Time Economy’ Needs An Intervention.”—Ed. I’ve lived and worked as a full-time musician in San Francisco, Seattle and New Orleans for the past 40 plus years. Can I imagine a San Francisco without a Fillmore? For the first 15 years I lived there the Fillmore was shuttered and frankly it didn’t detract from living or working there. Why list that as a “treasure” when Winterland arguably had more significant shows than the Fillmore? To my knowledge both Seattle and San Francisco are no longer

Louisiana Music, Food & Culture

NOVEMBER 2019 Volume 32, Number 12

places any musician minus a “star” can afford Publisher and Editor-in-Chief to live. Gentrification has sucked the life out Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com of the neighborhoods that I and others my Managing Editor age were part of: the punk revolution-along Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com with hip-hop—the last real cultural phenoms. Web Editor I’m in year seven in New Orleans and New Amanda “Bonita” Mester, amanda@offbeat.com Orleans is heading in the direction of Seattle Consulting Editor and San Francisco. So using them as a model John Swenson to “help” in my mind is a giant mistake. When Layout and design I first got here Royal Street was filled with Eric Gernhauser street musicians and Frenchmen Street still Listings Editor had a bit of funkiness to it. While Checkpoint Katie Walenter, listings@offbeat.com Charlie and others have stayed funky there’s Contributors Stacey Leigh Bridewell, Michael Dominici, nothing funky about Dat Dog and the Daiquiri Robert Fontenot, Bill Forman, Herman Fuselier, shops, etc. Fortunately, for the musicians in Jeff Hannusch, Tom McDermott, this town our city officials are so incompetent Amanda “Bonita” Mester, Paul Sanchez, and corrupt most likely nothing will happen. I John Swenson, Christopher Weddle, think history suggests that most of their efforts Dan Willging, John Wirt, Geraldine Wyckoff have either lined their pockets or mucked Cover PHOTO Noé Cugny things up. And remember we don’t have either Videographer/Web Specialist the population or the “Daddy Warbucks” Noé Cugny, noecugny@offbeat.com companies like Google and Microsoft to come Advertising Sales/ in to “save the day” on their terms. Promotion and Event coordinator —Richard Egner, New Orleans, Louisiana Camille A. Ramsey, camille@offbeat.com Bamboozled

Advertising Design

PressWorks, 504-944-4300

This letter is in response to Scott Billington’s Interns guest editorial “What Does A New Orleans Music Jay Chris, Nick Coleman, Michael Frank, Lauren Hicks, Gabriella Killett Industry Actually Mean?”—Ed. Distribution I’m a local drummer. I’ve played all over the Patti Carrigan, Doug Jackson South, since 1993. If musicians in Louisiana ask where, when, and how much—they would find gigs that pay. But Louisiana is part of the Chitlin’ Circuit. In the South, musicians OffBeat (ISSN# 1090-0810) is published monthly are still bamboozled to play shows for very in New Orleans by OffBeat, Inc., little. And musicians allow themselves to be 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116 taken advantage of. The other problem in (504) 944-4300 • fax (504) 944-4306 e-mail: offbeat@offbeat.com, New Orleans is that there’s a small clique of web site: www.offbeat.com musicians who get all the recording gigs and overseas work. And if you’re not in the list, you simply don’t get work. —James Broussard, New Orleans, Louisiana

Correction

The October 2019 OffBeat cover story, “Ain’t No Limitations: The Soul Rebels Pave The Roads And Knock Down The Doors,” erroneously reported that trumpeter Marcus “Red” Hubbard played with New Breed Brass Band. We regret the error.—Ed.

/offbeatmagazine

Copyright © 2019, 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 $65 per year ($70 Canada, $140 foreign airmail). Back issues are available for $10, except for the Jazz Fest Bible for $15 (for foreign delivery add $5) Submission of photos and articles on Louisiana artists are welcomed, but unfortunately material cannot be returned.

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.

NOVEMBER 2019

O F F B E AT. C O M

The Difference Between New Orleans and Nashville

mojomouth

y friend John Snyder, attorney, producer, professor and visionary recently retired as the director of Loyola’s Music Industry Studies Program. A lot of students and colleagues (myself included) hated to see him leave, as he elevated the Music Industry Studies program to a new level. (OffBeat honored Snyder earlier this year with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education at our Best of the Beat Awards). I’ve written quite a bit in the past disputing the notion that New Orleans can potentially be another Nashville.The naïve business development person will look to Nashville (and Austin) as business models for developing New Orleans’ music industry. New Orleans is a “music city,” right? Well, it is, but not like those two cities.There are no other music cities like New Orleans. Snyder recently shared a very apt and erudite description of how and why New Orleans cannot be compared with Nashville in a memo he shared with the consultancy group that is researching and ultimately presenting recommendations to GNO, Inc. on developing our music industry, and I’d like to share it with you: “Avoid comparisons between New Orleans and Nashville. New Orleans is more about non-conformity and Nashville is more about conformity; New Orleans is more diverse, Nashville more homogeneous; New Orleans is more home-grown, Nashville is more about the movement of East and West Coast employers and employees to

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A Note From Publisher J an Ramsey

Nashville; New Orleans is more of a culture of survival and consumption and Nashville is more about growth and IP [intellectual property] creation and monetization; New Orleans is more about music of the streets and Nashville is more about music on the radio to sell products. “Jazz is about improvisation and new structures; Nashville is about formula and repetition; New Orleans music is about rhythm and movement; Nashville is about emotion and remembrance. Musically, jazz is about harmonic and rhythmic complexity; country music is about simplicity and familiarity.The people who made the music of New Orleans and Nashville shared struggle and poverty but that’s all they have in common, in the most general sense.These are overstatements but they point to distinctions that suggest differing ways in which to grow and develop, not so much from emulation as differentiation.” He’s said it better and more succinctly to differentiate the kinds of music towns New Orleans and Nashville are. We are distinctly different in our approach to music. Nashville is formulaic to appeal to the largest common denominator of music consumer, what is now marketed as “country music.” New Orleans is just the opposite. We have a very strong sense of self here; we know we’re different, and like it that way. So what can New Orleans do to keep its musical soul and monetize its music? The obvious ways are to take the music that’s already been written and to promote it to a market of business consumers: films, gaming, commercials and such.There’s already a strong movement by the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) that’s presented and is developing more ways for local music makers to get their music—their intellectual property—into the lucrative film and commercial markets. O

NOVEMBER 2019

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY

MY MUSIC

“I was born in Raceland, Louisiana and have lived in New Orleans since I was a sophomore in high school; I’m 21 now. I had my first singing lessons when I was six, but my mom and dad always liked to say I was singing around the house ever since I could. When I was really young, sitting at my house in Houma, I saw an alligator run into a pond in the vacant lot across the street, and it inspired this song called ‘Louisiana Hurricane.’ That year the Saints were going to the Super Bowl. I was really invested in football ’cause my dad would have it no other way, and I made a remix of the song with Martin Folse and

Chad Roland who I wrote the song with, ‘Louisiana Hurricane (Super Bowl re-mix).’ The song did really well with local radio KCIL, and was played in Miami during the Super Bowl, which I was really excited about. I wrote ‘Cajun Angel,’ inspired by my dad’s side of the family and my heritage, which was on KCIL as well and received some national airplay—crazy times to be a kid. My first time on stage was at Voice of the Wetlands when I was 11. My dad kind of knew Rueben Williams, Tab [Benoit]’s manager. It’s a small town— everybody knows everybody— so they had me play with my dad and all his buddies.

with emphasis on Pop performance. I love playing music in New Orleans: it’s like a family here, and every single space feels like a place I started singing in Nashville where I can express myself. I think a lot, and my parents were we have such a strong mentorship incredible—driving, bringing me ’cause music is the clockwork of 14 times a year. I went to NOCCA, I initially got the city. I’m writing for the first time in for musical theater but decided since my mom and I lost my dad that jazz piano was more my unexpectedly. It put me in a funk thing. I learned a lot about music for a while, and I wasn’t writing… theory; I learned a lot of great he was a guitar player and it hurt music I hadn’t heard before and a lot about piano in general from too much to play without him. Someone really wise told me that Michael Pellera. he was probably singing songs in I attended Loyola for Music my ear but I probably couldn’t hear Industry Studies and graduated a year and a half early with a degree them because I was upset. I took a in Popular and Commercial Music, closer listen and he was.” —Paul Sanchez a Music Industry Studies program

Photo courtesy of the artist

Jenna Guidry

T h r e e - n i g h t H a l lo w e e n - W e e k e n d S ta n d When illness forces both the Rolling Stones and their lastminute replacement, Fleetwood Mac, to cancel their appearances at the 50th anniversary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, who you gonna call? Such high-profile holes in the Jazz Fest schedule would understandably inspire panic among the festival organizers. Fortunately, they have a loyal friend in Widespread Panic, the veteran jam-rock band from Athens, Georgia. “We treat Jazz Fest right because they’ve always done us right,” Widespread Panic bassist and vocalist Dave Schools said recently from a recording studio in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. “We weren’t planning on being on tour, but it was pretty easy for us to come and play at Jazz Fest. It’s almost like second nature. They called and said, ‘Can you help us out?’ The answer, of

NOVEMBER 2019

course, was ‘Yes.’ ” Widespread Panic’s May 2 appearance at Jazz Fest was the band’s twelfth appearance at the Fair Grounds Race Course and sixth non-racetrack nighttime performance for the event. “We’ve done Jazz Fest pretty much every other year,” Schools said. “We were babies the first time we did it [in 1997].” Widespread Panic’s affection for Jazz Fest extends to New Orleans in general. “Even before we could afford to stay in New Orleans,” Schools said, “we’d play there and then go back to a cheap hotel room somewhere between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. But does anyone actually sleep when they’re young and performing in New Orleans? I didn’t.” Widespread Panic is returning to New Orleans for a threenight Halloween-weekend stand, October 31 through November 2 at the UNO Lakefront Arena.

They know the venue well, having previously played multi-night engagements there. “It is a second home for us and they’ve always been cool with our fans,” Schools said. “Our fans come for the music and then they get released into the town and everybody has a great time. It’s New Orleans, so there’s a party no matter what.” As arenas goes, the Lakefront Arena is small, something Widespread Panic prefers. “Not that there’s anything wrong with playing the Monster Dome and any huge outdoor festival, but the intimate thing is great,” Schools said. “At our age, we enjoy places like the Fox Theatre [in Atlanta]. We play a venue in Milwaukee

called the Riverside that’s just an old proscenium theater, but something about the sound, the closeness of everyone; it creates an energy bubble that’s exactly right.” True to form, Widespread Panic will play a different set at UNO every night. “Plus, all bets are off because one of the shows is Halloween night. Tricks? Treats? Knock on our door and see what happens.” Widespread Panic will perform October 31-November 2 at the UNO Lakefront Arena. —John Wirt O F F B E AT. C O M

Photo courtesy of the artist

Widespread Panic at UNO Lakefront Arena

S O U ND C HE C K

Treme Creole Gumbo Festival Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy of the artist

Five Questions with trumpeter James Andrews Did you grow up in the Treme? Absolutely! I grew up in the Treme. My family lived in Armstrong Park before they tore it down … it was the old Treme, like the old Caledonia… we lived around that Sewerage and Water Board plant inside the park by the auditorium. Then they tore all the houses down in the Treme and they made the park. Then we moved to Dumaine and Robertson. Was the first gumbo you ever had Creole gumbo? The first Creole gumbo I ever had in my life? My Grandmother, Jesse Hill’s wife, she makes the best… oh my god, what can I

tell ya’? At one time I could only eat her gumbo, I couldn’t go to a restaurant, it was always like cheating to me, ya’ know? When my grandmother would cook a gumbo she’d put anything in it, chicken feet, pig’s feet. She would put the hot sausage, that’s what gives it a different twist, the hot sausage and she put all the meats in it and it was… aw man! You’d know you was home with family when you taste her gumbo. Do you cook your own Creole Gumbo? No, no, I don’t cook gumbo. I let my grandmother and my aunties and everybody make the gumbo. I cook the red beans but… I leave the gumbo to da

best. Did you first start playing music in the Treme? Yep, We started out tap dancing and shining shoes, that led to the music part of it. Then I start playing music with my brothers and my cousins in the Treme and we used to go out to Jackson Square to play for the tourists and then we started playing with Danny Barker and The Roots of Jazz Band. Then my brothers and me started the All Star Brass Band. We played The World’s Fair when we was young and that led to other stuff. What’s it like when you play Creole Gumbo Festival?

Aww… when I come back to play that festival… plus, it’s always in Armstrong Park and I always feel some kind of feeling playing in Armstrong Park. It brings me back… to where I come from and it brings me back to a time in my life, just being in that park. I used to do so many things in that park and some kind of way, the music and life always leads me back to Armstrong Park… for some reason. —Paul Sanchez

Photo courtesy of the artist

Five Questions with Roots of Music’s Executive Director Morgan Stewart On November 22, one of New Orleans’ premier music-education organizations will host a fundraiser with performances from some of the city’s most in-demand musicians. The Roots of Music’s Executive Director Morgan Stewart tells us more about Support Your Roots ’19. Tell us about the work you do at Roots of Music At the Roots of Music we provide free, year-round, high quality instrumental music education, academic support and mentorship to over 150 kids between the ages of 9 and 14. We offer transportation to and from our program as well as a hot meal before the students go home. Five days a week, 12 months a year. What aspects of the work Roots of Music does inspires you the most? I am inspired by watching the students grow musically, socially, and academically during their OF F B E AT.C OM

time at Roots of Music. Also to see the joy the students bring to different audiences during their performances. The students have made international appearances at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and Curaçao, Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Canada and the French Jazz Sous Les Pommiers Festival. Watching the kids represent their city as musical ambassadors makes me love what we do even more. How does an organization like Roots of Music reflect the history and future of New Orleans music? The Roots of Music pays homage to the past by preserving the unique music and cultural heritage of the city. Our program is a reflection of the large middle-school marching bands the city used to have prior to Hurricane Katrina. The music staff arranges and provides a wide variety of music for the students

to play which educates our kids about the musical greats such as Louis Armstrong and John Phillip Sousa. Our music staff also incorporates current pop and hip-hop songs into the repertoire to keep up with current musical trends. We help our students embrace their musical future by preparing them to succeed in the city’s high school music programs including the jazz and classical programs at The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). What do folks have to look forward to at the November 22 fundraiser? Our guests are going to enjoy a fun night of cocktails, food, silent auction bidding and live

music from The Soul Rebels, Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas and Kam Franklin of The Suffers. How can folks become involved with Roots of Music, at the fundraiser and beyond? By making a donation to the organization, volunteering their time, following us on social media or signing up for our newsletter. More information on how to get involved can be found on our website, therootsofmusic.org. —AMANDA “Bonita” MESTER NOVEMBER 2019

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY

T h e B e v e r a g e R o ots o f S wa m p P o p

Who knew?

All around the world, Swamp Pop now refers to the style of rock ‘n’ roll which is strictly indigenous to Southwest Louisiana. “Swamp Pop” music rose to popularity in the late 1950s and 1960s, when Cajun and Creole teenagers traded in their accordions, fiddles and steel guitars in exchange for drums, saxophones and electric guitars. The distinctive genre, once aptly described as “half fais do-do and half Domino” by saxophonist Harry Simoneaux, originally was blandly tagged “South Louisiana rock ‘n’ roll.” However, this unique style of music well deserved a more colorful appellation and it eventually did get one. In in the early 1970s, when earliest compilations of this music began appearing in Europe, a handful of British musicologists began referring to this style of music as “Swamp Pop.” The term from England stuck, even with stubborn

Louisiana writers and musicians. Within a decade “Swamp Pop” was globally accepted for describing the genre. Today there’s currently a Swamp Pop museum and the term has appeared on several titles of books and CDs. But hold on, mes amis. A group of Camp Columbus tenderfoots and braves from Kitchener, Ontario, on the shores of Paradise Lake, coined the term “swamp pop” over a decade before the musical moniker became popular. However, the “swamp pop” we referred to had nothing to do with South Louisiana music. We bought “swamp pop” in the camp canteen each afternoon for a nickel each summer during the early 1960s. “Swamp pop” was a tasty blend of Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Teem (once a popular lemon lime beverage). The blend of the three soft drinks produced

a taste blast and created a distinct color. “Swamp pop” was the perfect term for our concoction for two reasons. In Canada, soft drinks are simply referred to as “pop,” the shortening of “soda pop.” Secondly, and most importantly, Camp Columbus’ “swamp pop” actually resembled the same swampy water contained in Paradise Lake, the same water we swam and canoed in every day. And boy, “swamp pop” had a kick! Sadly, our “swamp pop” was eventually forgotten—ironically right around the time the term was introduced to music

fans—when Camp Columbus was shuttered forever. However, the appellation “Swamp Pop” on a line of beverages lives on today. Two companies in Louisiana are currently using the name. There is now a sugar cane-based beverage made in Lafayette called “Swamp Pop.” So too is a strawberry-based cream soda-like drink produced in Ponchatoula. Nevertheless, regardless of the worldwide popularity of Swamp Pop—and I love that music—I’m of the opinion that term originated at Camp Columbus in Southern Ontario, Canada. —Jeff Hannusch

S WEE T T WEE T S Michael Tisserand @m_tisserand just got word that the local nudist colony is having a flash sale

bday, wait around in your cold ass office for hours crying/trying to get all cute for my license pic

The Soul Rebels @SoulRebels Had the best time hanging in NOLA with @OffBeatMagazine for our cover shoot. Check out the BTS now!

James “Damn Yankee” Cullen @AccidentalCajun At some point in almost every New Orleans related discussion people remind me that I’m not from here. So to set the record straight - I’m not from here.

Ashley Coleman Thomas @ashleymcoleman_ For anyone who has ever felt like giving up. Not just in life, but in pursuit of your dreams, in a relationship, in parenthood, “Don’t you ever let go.” This visual by @ PJMORTON. This is one of my favorite songs on Paul. Gets me emotional every time. Motel Radio @motelradiomusic Biggest dick move by the DMV is the fact that your license expires on your bday. That’s exactly what I want to do on my

NOVEMBER 2019

MaCCNO @musicculture504 From corner bars to culinary institutions, predatory real estate practices are damaging the sustainability of New Orleans culture. The catalyst for the move? The Motwani family bought the building and are apparently changing the terms of the lease.

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inmemoriam

NOVEMBER 2019

Leigh “L’il Queenie” Harris (1954 – 2019) guitarist Tommy Malone went on to form the subdudes). The band’s scant recorded legacy included a 45rpm release of poet Ron Cuccia’s “My Darlin’ New Orleans,” a paean to New Orleans. It’s a song that’s long been identified with Harris, who was then an integral part of the Cuccia’s Jazz Poetry Group. “Anyone who hasn’t heard the original live recording of ‘My Darlin’ New Orleans’ at the CAC in July 1979 by Ron Cuccia & The Jazz Poetry Group—recorded by Cosimo Matassa—is missing one of Leigh’s all time-great performances,” said Palazzotto. In her career, she shared stages and recorded with local and national artists, including Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, James Booker, the Meters, B.B.

King, Elvis Costello, the Neville Brothers, Bryan Ferry and many more. Harris moved to Greensboro, North Carolina after losing her New Orleans home in Hurricane Katrina. Her relationship with the city and its musicians remained strong though, and in May 2016, after Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer, local singer Debbie Davis hosted “Gawd Save the Queen,” a benefit concert at Snug Harbor to help raise funds to reduce Harris’s exorbitant medical bills. The benefit included performances by Susan Cowsill, Darcy Malone, Spencer Bohren, Josh Paxton, Jimmy Robinson, Matt Perrine and many others. Harris’ last CD Purple Heart, released in early 2019, collects

a dozen unreleased recordings Harris made from 2003 to 2005. The album opens with a version of “My Darlin’ New Orleans” and includes a cover of David Bowie’s “Stay.” On July 25, 2019, the New Orleans City Council honored Harris for her contributions to New Orleans music. Harris’s son, Alex Harris McDonald, accepted the declaration. The Percolators’ signature “My Darlin’ New Orleans” with Harris’s vocals is still considered a quintessential New Orleans song. Thirty years after its release, it closed the premiere episode of the HBO series “Treme.” Leigh is survived by her son, daughter-in-law, husband Rick Ledbetter, and hundreds of friends and New Orleans music lovers. O F F B E AT. C O M

Photo BY CLAYTON CALL

Leigh “L’il Queenie” Harris, vocalist and frontwoman of 1970s and early ’80s rock band Li’l Queenie and the Percolators has passed away at age 65 from cancer. Harris grew up in Old Metairie and experienced her first musical triumph at the age of 11 when she sang “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” at the Tulane University Folk Festival. Years later, in 1975, she secured her first professional gig performing at the long-gone Oak Street club, Jed’s. “I sang and played guitar; it was great, Lil’ Davey and Marva Wright sang there, that’s how I met all of those people,” Harris said in an OffBeat interview. In the late ’70s she and keyboardist John Magnie formed a duo which evolved into Li’l Queenie & the Percolators. The band combined Harris’ powerful voice with funk, R&B and jazz. In 1980, upon the band’s first performance in New York City, John Rockwell, a music critic for The New York Times, wrote, “Miss Harris has more voice, personality and stage presence than any other young performer this observer has encountered in a very long time.” But even with positive reviews, Harris found it difficult to get signed since most record companies found her music too eclectic to classify. “I’ve never known what my direction was; I like so many kinds of music. Nobody could say fish or fowl,” she said, but Baton Rouge music manager Johnny Palazzotto did manage to get both Harris and Magnie a songwriting deal with Almo/Irving A&M Records’ publishing division. The Percolators disbanded in 1982 (Magnie and Percolators’

SA UL PA

NCH

save New Orleans took place on an individual basis. It was thousands of acts of will by people who stood up and played the greatest role of their lives. Of course, there was an unusually large number of artists leading the way, because New Orleans is a city where most art thrives in public and is not commodified. One of the artists whose transformation helped the city refresh its soul was Paul Sanchez. Before Katrina, Sanchez was an overshadowed sidekick to the voluble front man Fred LeBlanc in Cowboy Mouth. Sanchez likened his time in that band to being in a dysfunctional family. When he lost everything he owned in the flood that followed Katrina, Sanchez threw caution to the wind and quit the Mouth. Sanchez drew the Death card from the Tarot deck. But as any street corner card reader will tell you, the Death card is also about rebirth, about transformation, and Sanchez rose from its ashes like a phoenix. He recorded a remarkable series of albums. He wrote the score to a musical adaption of the book Nine Lives and assembled a who’s who of New Orleans musicians to perform by John Swenson it and record it as an album. He put together the Rolling Road Show, a kind of musician’s self-help organization that included dozens of talented local players and became a staple at Jazz Fest. He took part along with Jim McCormick, Alex McMurray and the late Spencer Bohren in the wonderful songwriting project The Write Brothers, whose debut album was a classic piece of New Orleans music. I have gotten used to getting a call from The dreams I had were fun but they were dreams meant for the young Sanchez saying that he was readying his latest album. His postI had to start anew so I could grow Katrina workload—Exit To Mystery Street, Farewell To Storyville, Stew I had to learn to breathe had to learn to believe in myself Called New Orleans, Red Beans And Ricely Yours, Bridging The Gap, I had to learn to let it go Nine Lives, Everything That Ends Begins Again, Heart Renovations, Life Is —Paul Sanchez, “I’m A Song, I’m A Story, I’m A Ghost.” A Ride, One More Trip Around The Sun—has been astonishing. So you can imagine my surprise when he called to inform me that he was t’s been 15 years since New Orleans was left for dead after getting ready to release his last album, I’m a Song, I’m a Story, I’m a Hurricane Katrina. Officials from the lowest to the highest level of Ghost. When pressed, he admitted that he was retiring. government looted what was left of the city while its population This is your last album? was being shipped all over the United States. Social media as we Well, you know there are no such things as albums anymore. know it today did not exist; there was no way for violently separated Albums collect music on a disc and in my generation albums as art families to find information about each other, no means to return really became something. The Beatles really turned it into art. CDs unless you had money. It was so bad that if you didn’t live through it came along and the album concept survived but I don’t think the yourself you probably can’t even believe what happened. additional music added anything. I think there was something perfect People talk of how the city remade itself, but the truth is that the about those Beatles albums being 35 minutes long. You’d get together city, the state, the federal government and the law enforcement estab- with friends, crack the record open, and then in the pause you took lishment completely botched the recovery. Whatever happened to to turn the record over you could talk about side one before you

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Photo BY JOANNA DEGENERES

Paul Sanchez tells his tale.

listened to side two. It was a very communal thing. But now I just feel done. I feel like the way I used to do things is over. Then I got really sick, and I definitely couldn’t do anything at that point. It was time for me to figure out what was next. I haven’t written since I finished this album. Normally I would write several songs a week but I’ve come to a stop. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ve considered just writing stories for a while. I did a little remembrance of Dr. John when he died and Tom Piazza contacted me and suggested I should do some writing. What happened to you? I had some shoulder pain last year. I thought I’d pulled a muscle. I kept driving through the summer and the muscle kept getting worse. I had to drive right-handed because the pain was so bad. It got so bad I could hardly play. The whole time I was also developing a vocal problem, my voice wasn’t functioning properly, and that was really bizarre. I was fine singing but I couldn’t speak. When I got home I had to cancel my gigs, I was in such pain, I couldn’t even lay down, I had to sleep in a chair with my chin on my chest. I couldn’t speak; I couldn’t play the guitar so I felt the universe was speaking loud and clear. Then I got an abscessed tooth infection that was so severe I couldn’t open my mouth. My dentist put me on antibiotics and three days later I woke up with my neck swollen out to here and I was unable to breathe. I went to the emergency room where they said I had something called Ludwig Angina, a rare condition where the abscess in your tooth goes to your sinus cavity, then your heart, and it kills you. They had to do emergency surgery. Luckily the surgery worked and when I came out of the surgery within three days I was playing guitar again. But the speech thing persisted. I went to see a speech pathologist and a throat specialist. I had two endoscopies. I went to a brain specialist and had a brain scan. I did psychic cleansing, a spiritual reading, acupuncture. I went to a psychiatrist and began hypnotherapy. That has yielded some results, dealing with childhood trauma. But I feel I have had so much to say in the last 14 years since Katrina, I’ve been blessed. It feels right to step away and accept the changes in technology and the changes in my age and the changes in what the audience expects. What was your childhood trauma? I always thought my father was an orphan, but when he died I found out he had three brothers and three sisters and he wasn’t born in Delacroix, he was born in White Castle, Louisiana. His mother was a Creole woman and she had an affair with a white man here in New Orleans and he got her pregnant, and then dumped her because he was married. My grandfather was from the Canary Islands and he was dark-skinned, he married and they had six kids. His wife died in the flu epidemic of 1917 and he became a drunk and gave away his children to family members. But he ran out of family members and knew some people in Delacroix, so when my dad was in the third grade— he was nine years old—he gave my father to these people to work

as an indentured servant. When he was 16 my father ran away to New Orleans and got a job as a waiter, where he met my mother. So that whole part of my life was a lie. He died when I was six but I have no memories of him. Through my psychiatrist I found I have other memories from when I was five, just none of my father. After Katrina you quit Cowboy Mouth and took time off before re-embarking on your solo career. I went to Belize for three months. It was lovely and peaceful, there were no cars, and I learned to write songs in Spanish. After three months I realized that I liked it so much because it reminded me of New Orleans so I thought okay, I’ll go home. So I came home and it was empty. I got to be friends with different jazz musicians and started to play with them in John Boutté’s band. I had to learn to be a better songwriter because I had to learn to be a better guitar player. John Rankin taught me a lot about how to play in those contexts. Those were the best of times, those were the worst of times. It was empty, it was sad, it was beautiful. I had been shut down so long in Cowboy Mouth I was bursting with ideas. I aspired to write in every style effortlessly. I wanted every record to be different. I started with Exit to Mystery Street. The next one was Farewell to Storyville which was really stripped down, then came Stew That is New Orleans, me playing electric guitar and telling stories about New Orleans. Every record changed and that was fine. Then there was Nine Lives which I stumbled into bitching and moaning like I do most great things in life. I was still processing Katrina and yet I was able to process it through this book and these characters. When I listen to it now I realize it’s not the book, it’s me. How did the Rolling Road Show evolve? I was recording Exit to Mystery Street and the Young Leadership Council got in touch and asked me to do a show at Lafayette Square. I said I’d love to. They came back and said “We’re a youth organization and we’re concerned that you’re a little old for the crowd we’re going for, would you mind sharing the stage with Ivan Neville?” So I called Ivan and he said “Paul, you know we’re the same age, right?” I told him I knew that but that’s what we had to do to get the gig. So he agreed and we did it. After the show a woman came up to me with tears in her eyes, it was only October after Katrina, and she said “Everything on that stage reminded me so much about New Orleans as it was, thank you.” So I thought I’d keep doing it. The next time I did it I had Shamarr Allen on trumpet and somebody came up at the end of the show and said “What’s the name of the band?” I was calling it Paul Sanchez and friends, but my drummer, who’s a yat, says “That’s a rolling road show is what it is!” So the name stuck and we’ve had so many members through the years. That band became a kind of template for the cast of Nine Lives. Yes. I love Debbie Davis, so she chose a lot of the singers who ended up on the record. And I was a big fan of the Boutté family so I wanted to use as many of them as I could. I had Arsène and I had Lillian and

Those were the best of times, those were the worst of times. It was empty, it was sad, it was beautiful. I had been shut down so long in Cowboy Mouth I was bursting with ideas. I aspired to write in every style effortlessly. I wanted every record to be different.

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NOVEMBER 2019

Vance and Tanya and Teedy and John and Peter so that was like a dream of mine to do an album with them. It helped me find myself. Do you think that Spencer Bohren’s passing had any impact on your idea to start over again? Spencer’s life impacted my life. I admired him so much from the time I was 19. I wanted to be that troubadour who travelled the world telling his stories. Spencer leaving the way he did seemed a part of this journey that I’m on. The journey had already begun before his illness was announced. It was a journey away from live performances, away from the road, a way to reassess how to be an artist, and Spencer’s passing, Art Neville’s passing, Dr. John’s passing, seemed to reinforce the idea that what I do has value and I need to find valuable ways to share it, and not just make a living from it. There are other ways to make money. I’m not sure what they are [he laughs] but there’s only one way to deliver the truth as I know it. Do you think you’ll write more songs? I haven’t. I’ve written some with friends who stop by and say would you write with me and I do. But for the first time... in years... I don’t... think about it. Will you tour to promote this record? Not really. So this is it. Yeah. You’re not going to stop performing altogether, are you? I’m not sure. My audience has dwindled dramatically over the years. It began to get harder to get gigs out of town—hard to get gigs in places that used to be strongholds like Chicago. I think it’s an acceptance of the age of my audience and an acceptance of my age and my place in pop culture, I don’t know. But you’ll still play in New Orleans. Mmm, sparingly. It sounds like a retirement. It would be a retirement if I could find another way to make a living. So far I’m striking out in that regard. One of the things I most admire about John Lennon is that he quit for five years. It’s not easy. You love it so much. I’m not much of a businessman so I wasn’t able to turn Paul Sanchez into much of a business concern. Your records have gotten more and more personal, more about your life, your relationships, the people you met on the road, the breakup with your wife and how you tried to recover from that. My solo records were to a certain extent always about my life, musical postcards I mail to my younger self. That was always my intention. Stripped away from all the artifice and pretense and grandstanding of Cowboy Mouth, but they’re the same songs. I probably became more open because I was taking more time making the records by myself. This one is a very different story coming off the heels of the rock record that I made last year One More Trip Around the Sun, which was very celebratory. This one is a reckoning. The first song is me claiming I’m gonna write a thousand songs but I don’t know what lies ahead, and then the next song is “Walking in

Liverpool.” I wrote a verse and a chorus about me going to Liverpool, where I called my friend Pete Riley to play guitar and sing on it. I asked him to write a third verse about an older guy who’s lived in Liverpool all his life and he brought in his son to write the second verse. It became a beautiful round. I re-recorded a few Cowboy Mouth songs in Liverpool because I didn’t think the band did justice to them. One was “Mary Don’t Two Step” with Michael Doucet, a Cajun version. With “Great Wide-Open World” we had this great week of pre-production, then right at the end Fred [LeBlanc] goes, “I have this great idea for a part in the middle.” Before I could catch my breath and say “that’s the lamest idea I’ve ever heard” it ended up in the song. For about 20 years I couldn’t listen to the song so I put it on this record so I could listen to it again. And I recorded a bunch in Lafayette with Mark Bingham, Michael Doucet and Tiff Lamson from Givers. I recorded a couple of songs in Nashville. So it was recorded in all these different places. The final song is “I’m a Song, I’m a Story, I’m a Ghost.” This is all so moving. There’s this sense that everything in New Orleans is rolling toward... ...a big finale. All those people going all at once. Not just all, but all that was revered. And that’s the thing that I fear has been lost to the young people. They’ve lost the ability to savor. They’ve lost the ability to have reverence for the moment. They don’t revere the idea that they got to be in the presence of Dr. John, that they got to be in the presence of Uncle Lionel.

My solo records were to a certain extent always about my life, musical postcards I mail to my younger self.That was always my intention. Stripped away from all the artifice and pretense and grandstanding of Cowboy Mouth, but they’re the same songs. I probably became more open because I was taking more time making the records by myself.

NOVEMBER 2019

I finished my talk with Paul feeling vaguely depressed. Clearly, he was pretty depressed himself. It was a bad summer with so many musical heroes and friends dying, and Paul was visibly suffering from the effects of his illness. But when I listened to the album, I heard the Paul Sanchez who transforms grief into hope, a man who can summon a smile in the face of tragedy, a New Orleans cultural warrior who can never really quit. The last verse of the album makes me think all of those things about Paul: Now that I’ve grown old All my stories have been told My songs sung to strangers and to friends I’m surprised to find I got more songs on my mind So I guess I’ll keep singing ’til the end So naturally I got back to him to see if he’d changed his mind. At the end of the title track you seem to be saying that you want to write songs and you will sing as long as you can. But you told me you haven’t written since then. Is that still the case? It’s my last album. Sheryl Crow also announced that her new release O F F B E AT. C O M

is her last for the same reasons as me. The album, which I love as an art form, is a thing of the past. I may record songs sometime in the future but I haven’t written by myself since I broke down last October. Are you currently working with other songwriters? I’ve never documented my songwriting friendship with John Rankin. We’ve written a lot together, we’ve talked about doing a duo record and that is one thing I’d like to get done. There is a Write Brothers record that will be released early next year. But I’ve said a lot with four solo releases in the last three years and for now I don’t have anything to say. I always write with other writers when they ask. I love songwriting, it’s still the most natural thing in the world for me to do and helping someone else with a song is a joy. Songwriting is easy, life is hard. I know you’ve had to cancel some gigs but have played others. What are your feelings about continuing to perform? Have they changed since we talked? My health has been a challenge this year. I was touring non-stop from July of 2013 until last October and I wore myself out on a molecular level. I’ve spent the year mostly recovering from two surgeries and that’s healing you need in your body and your mind. I’m not sure how I feel about performing in the future to be honest. I’m working through what I hope is the last of some vocal challenges. If I can put it behind me, I may perform more but for now I’m playing very few live shows. I’m trying my hand at writing but even that is mostly for me, for now. I’ve turned a page from who I was and what I wanted. I’m no longer a boy who longs to be, I’m a man who is, and I’m figuring out who I will be next. O OF F B E AT.C OM

NOVEMBER 2019

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The Devil Went Down to New Iberia Johnny Sonnier’s frenetic accordion defined a new Cajun music style.

NOVEMBER 2019

O F F B E AT. C O M

Photo by David Simpson

by Herman Fuselier “Paul Daigle on the Jukebox,” “In the Barn” and a ohnny Sonnier refers to Cajun music as his French cover of Keith Whitley’s “’Til a Tear Becomes blessing. Originals and covers that Sonnier put his own stamp on decades ago are some of the most requested a Rose” with Helen Boudreaux are considered classics. Sonnier turned “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Charlie on Cajun radio in southwest Louisiana. Daniels’ million seller from 1979, into “The Devil Went Down to New For 27 years, Sonnier was a dancehall king, often playing seven Iberia.” His frenetic accordion on the tune pointed the way toward nights a week. His work put him in the Cajun French Music Associa“zydecajun,” a rock, R&B and zydeco tion’s Hall of Fame in 2017. style that turned Wayne Toups into Sonnier credits a knack for a superstar. knowing what Cajun music fans Sonnier’s a capella start to the like. “I was blessed with being able Cajun standard “Chere Alice” has to distinguish how to put songs been the most requested song on together and what I thought would “Louisiana Proud” radio station make hits,” said Sonnier, 59, who lives KBON 101.1 FM for more than two near Lafayette, Louisiana. “So far, it’s decades. Sonnier recorded the song been good. 40 years ago, at the age of 19, as “It’s mostly songs that tell a story filler during the recording session or something that I’ve lived. I never for his “Devil” single. The single is thought I would have gone this far filler again on the Roger tribute CD. when I first started. A lot of it has to Producer Floyd Soileau of Swallow do with the musicians I was blessed Records insisted Sonnier re-release to play with.” the song. “Nobody had ever done it Sonnier had more blessings a capella style,” said Sonnier. “[Jo-El] last August when he swept the Sonnier had cut it with a fiddle Le Cajun Awards, Grammy-style starting on it. Being crazy like I was honors that the CFMA issues back then, I decided to do it like that annually. A Tribute to Aldus Roger & and it made a hit. More, an album Sonnier recorded “Sometimes you come across a with longtime BeauSoleil accorsong that people are familiar with, but you put your own style on it. dionist Jimmy Breaux, claimed Best Male Vocalist (Sonnier), Best They end up liking it better than the original.” Accordionist (Breaux), Best Fiddler (Joshua Richard), Band of the After 44 years in music, Sonnier is ready to churn out more Year, Best Traditional CD of the Year and Best First CD (Sonnier and originals. But a work-related injury has thrown him off course. Sonnier Breaux). fell off a trailer, leaving him with damage to his rotator cuff, elbow The only Le Cajuns not won by Sonnier were Female Vocalist of the Year (Amelia Biere) and the Song of the Year, “Reve a Lui (Dream and nerves in his hands. Months of therapy have switched him from accordion to steel guitar on the bandstand. of Him),” by Blake Miller and the Old-Fashioned Aces. Sonnier could His recovery continues. But he’s not blocking the blessing of his not win the top song honor since the tribute CD was all covers from hit-making talent. “It’s been a good ride. I don’t plan on stopping—yet. legendary accordionist Aldus Roger. I’d like to play more festivals. There’s hardly any Cajun dancehalls Roger and the Lafayette Playboys entertained with a smooth, around anymore—they died off. In southwest Louisiana, you have a orchestrated style that broke new ground for Cajun music in the festival every weekend. 1950s and ’60s. Roger became a TV star, hosting his own show on “At my age, it feels good to slow down. I’m down to playing once KLFY-TV 10 in Lafayette. At the age of 14, Sonnier played drums in Roger’s band. “Aldus was or twice a month. Back in my day, I was playing five or six nights a week—for years. It takes its toll on you. That night life is a killer. Jimmy’s hero,” said Sonnier, a native of Opelousas, Louisiana. “Jimmy “We used to play four-hour jobs. I don’t know who invented that. learned a lot from him. We were just talking one night and we came But now, we got down to three hours. Some places still want four, across the idea of a CD. We said ‘Let’s do it.’ So we did it.” but that last hour just kills me. I had enough with three because I The awards continue Sonnier’s reputation for creating satisfying sounds for Cajun music fans. Hits, like “Send a Message to My Heart,” play nonstop.” O

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t’s one thing to pay your dues in order to sing the blues, but what if you discover the music, fall in love with it, learn to play it, and eventually thrive in the genre with almost no support system at all? That’s the remarkable story of Ghalia Vauthier, who made quite a bit of noise in the blues scene with her debut album Let the Demons Out and has now just entered the Billboard blues charts at number three with her latest release, an ode to the Mississippi Hill Country blues by Robert Fontenot called Mississippi Blend. It’s a journey of both distance and discovery, from her birthplace of Brussels to the Crescent City and several blueswas like 45 to 75 years old, and I’m 19,” she remembers. But I’d bring themed points in between. Sort of an “Eat, Play, Love.” out all my friends and it would be a whole new young audience for She’s sometimes credited herself as Ghalia Volt, an Anglicization these places.” of her last name that fits her electric, rock-blues style well but Eventually she saved her busking and gig money and followed seems unnecessary in the land of “laissez les bon temps rouler”: her the music to the only place it could lead her—the roots of the charming Francophonic accent belies a good command of English, and blues homelands. She booked transit to America with a guitar and a she only occasionally pauses to search for le bon mot litteralement. backpack, hopping the more recent rails of Amtrak (and Greyhound) She describes her hometown as “a very cultural town, sort of a like her legends, journeying from Chicago to Memphis to the Delta melting pot of old cultures.” Nevertheless, “there’s a big musical and then to New Orleans on a musical journey she herself describes culture in Belgium, it’s just not really a blues town. That part of Europe as a “pilgrimage.” is more about electro? You know, dance music.” “I also did it to challenge myself,” she says, recalling how she took So while she came to music early, her blues discovery took a while. every open-mic night she could get. “I would always come up on “Me and my brothers were not raised as a musical family, but I just stage. I would not allow myself not to, even if I was scared or intimistarted singing in front of the TV,” she recalled. “I actually started out dated. Because that’s how I learned. I would sit in with everyone, St. as a big old school punk and garage fan, you know? MC5, Stooges, Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Chicago.” But it was a demo she made in Sex Pistols, Cramps, the Clash. But once I researched and understood St. Armant with Sonny Landreth drummer Brian Brignac (“for fun”) where that music came from, it brought me back to rockabilly, then that caught the notice of Ruf Records, who found her busking back in rock ’n’ roll, then into blues and jazz, but also ragtime, gospel, everyEurope and asked her to come back to the Crescent City to record thing.” Skip James and J.B. Lenoir were major influences on her guitar her debut, Let the Demons Out, with local mainstays Mama’s Boys style, but her equally distinctive and quite authentic vocal style was (Johnny Mastro, Dean Zucchero, and Smokehouse Brown). born from soaking up a bevy of female blues, jazz, and gospel greats Now she returns with Mississippi Blend, the result of another like Ruth Brown, Big Maybelle, LaVern Baker, and Wynona Carr. pilgrimage, this time to the state’s famed Hill Country. She’d already “I loved playing the blues,” she says now, “but there was no demand apprenticed in the Delta: “Brookhaven, McComb, Monticello, for it in Brussels, so I just created my own show in the street. Busking, Clarksdale… the whole Blues Trail really. People would look at me and you know? And I look back on it—it was great because I could be my say, ‘Why are you here?’” She laughs. “They were very nice, but many own boss. Nobody forces you to play anything, but you have to be of the originals don’t play the music there anymore. There’s a few old good because you have to catch the attention of people walking by.” guys I got to meet, like Robert Belfour, but everybody’s dying, you There was one (and only one) true blues club in the city, a know.” well-regarded dive bar called Grain D’Orge. But it certainly wasn’t The more rhythmic, groove-oriented Hill Country style fit her enough to live on, which is why a teenage Ghalia, just out of school perfectly. “I’m so glad I could meet them,” she goes on. I got to learn and working at a local record store, caught her big break quite things like the Bentonia-style blues. I’d sit on their porches and say, unexpectedly when a customer came in looking to put up flyers to ‘Show me how to play that riff.’ That’s how I learned when I was find a singer for his blues band. “I said, no! You can’t put that up here, busking. I’m always looking for a groove, a riff. A feeling. A lot of because that singer is me!” she laughs. She begged for a shot, and she feelings.” Ghalia doesn’t have any plans to expand her education with made the most of it: “My audition became my rehearsal.” an album in the style of Memphis or Chicago as of now; she’s yet to That band, with the unlikely moniker of The Naphtalines, took her tour with her new songs. But you can bet wherever she lands next, around the region, allowing her to find an audience finally in nearby she and her guitar will be quick to pick up the language. Let’s just cities like Liege and Antwerp. “It was strange because the whole band hope more youngbloods like her will learn to speak it. O

Blues Out of Nowhere

NOVEMBER 2019

O F F B E AT. C O M

Photo COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

The journey of Ghalia Vauthier.

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Congo Square Rhythms Festival Sunday, November 17 at 2:30 p.m.

amboula 2000—which is celebrating its 25th anniversary—and David D Omni, a Cuban multi-faceted artist, make the miles between New Orleans and the island nation vanish on their collaborative release Cuba to Congo Square. To achieve this, they didn’t physically share a studio though Bamboula’s founder, leader, percussionist and vocalist Luther Gray and musician and poet Omni, who co-produced the album, do share musical and cultural philosophies. They agree on respecting tradition while incorporating modern styles like hip hop and Woods, is greeted by a trumpet and samplings. Gray electronic technology. describes the song as having “Africa, Cuba and New “It’s a natural transition,” Gray Orleans stacked on top of each other.” explains. “Each generation moves it “The sound and the vibration of the drum are along—it is the evolution of the music.” by Geraldine Wyckoff all about healing and communication,” he continues. The sound of a drum naturally opens At drum circles he suggests that the participants the lively title cut, written by Cubanthink about personal healing. “The feelings that we have in our minds born Alexey Marti, Gray and rapper Ray Wimley. It lyrically stands as are transferring to our souls and through the drum that vibration is the theme of the CD and the only selection on which Omni wasn’t coming to the universe. It brings people together in unity.” involved. “The drums speak of struggle and freedom in Cuba and Early on, Gray came to understand the solace that could be Congo Square—our ancestors’ gift to the world,” sings Gray. “We are achieved by playing a drum. Always having an ear for rhythms, Gray the people, we are the rhythm,” a chorus of voices joins in. found refuge and direction in his life when at age 16 he got his first Gray first met Omni when a friend brought him to a Sunday conga. After a night of gang-related violence on the streets of Chicago, afternoon drum circle, an event that is presented weekly by the the teenager was wise enough to know that he should lay low for Congo Square Preservation Society that Gray founded. “We were a while and “armed” himself with the conga and books including drumming and he danced like crazy doing these Michael Jackson Leroi Jones’ “Blues People” and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” spins,” Gray remembers with a laugh. “It was love at first sight.” Omni sat in with Bamboula 2000 at the 2017 Jazz Fest. On Omni’s co-authored by Alex Haley. “I’m most proud that Bamboula 2000 has been able to continue return in 2018, Gray gave him five CDs that Bamboula had previfor 25 years and put out six records,” says Gray adding that the vast ously released. He took them back to Cuba and by that fall he had majority of the material on the albums was original tunes. “That’s like remixed 11 tunes from the albums in his studio. They all appear on 60 songs out there and everything was self-produced.” Cuba to Congo Square. The songs range stylistically from the tradiBamboula 2000 and the Congo Square Preservation Society have tional ambiance of “Way of Peace” by original Bamboula member, dancer and percussionist Jamilah Muhammad and Gray, to the African been crucial in elevating the profile of the drumming tradition of flavored, electronically enhanced “Drummer Man In Cuba” that gets a Congo Square and its importance in this city’s musical heritage. “For 30 years we’ve been working to preserve and protect the modern boost by Omni’s electric guitar. sacred ground that is Congo Square,” declares Gray who hopes to “Moments of Love,” which first appeared on Bamboula 2000’s album We Got It Goin’ On, receives a total remake when Omni brings activate all of Armstrong Park as a cultural center. Cuba to Congo Square ends on a light, dance-friendly note with in a reggae rhythm, sings the lyrics in Spanish and provides all the “Bamboula Crazy,” that includes electronically produced sounds instrumentation and effects except for the opening piano. It totally grooves skankin’ style and combines the styles of New Orleans, Cuba resembling those of exotic birds flying high and free in a jungle. Their “calls” become a reminder of the importance the drum has played and Jamaica. “The man is a genius,” Gray exclaims of Omni, who also in communication throughout history. As the album’s opening song produced the graphic designs for the new album. “David creates declares, “The drums speak of struggle and freedom in Cuba and soundscapes like a movie. He’s censored in Cuba and they [the Congo Square.” O government] really would like him to move to the United States but Bamboula 2000 celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sunday, November he wants to stay in his neighborhood.” 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Cafe Istanbul and at the newly-combined Drums of all sorts and sizes—congas, bata, djembe, dun dun—are core to Bamboula 2000. On the traditional “Kakilambe,” the rhythmic Congo Square Rhythms Festival/Treme Creole Gumbo Festival on November 17, 2019. “drum chorus,” which includes original Bamboula member Cameron

We Are The Rhythm

NOVEMBER 2019

O F F B E AT. C O M

Photo COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

Bamboula 2000 embraces Cuba as it turns 25.

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Taking the World, by Storm

NOVEMBER 2019

Yvette Landry discovers Warren Storm in a new book and CD. by John Wirt photos of Storm with his fellow Louisiana musicians and such national stars as Fats Domino, Dr. John, Buddy Guy, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Robert Plant, Paul Simon, Hank Williams Jr. and John Fogerty. Despite his horde of celebrity photos, Storm told Landry that he deeply regrets not taking a photo with Hank Williams Sr. When Storm was a child, he shook hands with the hillbilly Shakespeare, but didn’t have a camera then to capture that especially historic moment. “Warren missed that opportunity,” Landry said. “But as soon as he got camera, that was it. He takes pictures even till this day.” The Taking the World, by Storm book inspired Storm’s new album. Recorded at Dockside Studio in Maurice, it features Landry, her band, the Jukes (featuring Roddie Romero), and guest stars John Fogerty, Marc Broussard and Sonny Landreth. “In the middle of writing the book,” Landry recalled, “someone mentioned that it would be cool to re-release one of Warren’s records. I said, ‘Why would we do that? He’s here, he’s singing. Let’s go in the studio with my band and do a record. Wouldn’t that be fun for him and us?’” The Taking the World, by Storm album includes remakes of Storm’s debut single, 1958’s “The Prisoner’s Song” and “Mama, Mama, Mama,” and new recordings of the Louisiana classics “Mathilda,” “Those Lonely, Lonely Nights,” “Let the Four Winds Blow,” “Tennessee Blues” and “Rainin’ in My Heart.” Fogerty sings guest vocals for Storm’s version of his song, “Long as I Can See the Light.” Saying he can’t afford to stop working, Storm performs with Willie Tee and Cypress as well as Landry and the Jukes. But it’s not only about money. “I can’t retire because music is my whole life,” he said. “Music keeps me alive. And I like to see people having fun and dancing and everything. It makes people happy.” O O F F B E AT. C O M

Photo BY Daniel Sanda

n southwest Louisiana, the singing, drumming godfather of swamp pop is a local celebrity. Warren Storm’s fans include Yvette Landry, the swamp pop and Cajun musician who’s written a new book about him, Taking the World, by Storm. Landry also spearheaded the 82-year-old musician’s new album of the same name. “I’m so fortunate,” Storm said of the twin projects. “I thank God for letting me live long enough to enjoy this wonderful moment in my life.” Landry was 17 when she first experienced a Storm performance, but she didn’t actually meet him until last year. Storm showed up at one of Landry’s Thursday night gigs with steel guitarist Richard Comeaux at Buck & Johnny’s in Breaux Bridge. She couldn’t believe it. “I looked through the window and saw that jet-black hair and jet-black mustache,” she remembered. “I said, ‘Oh, my God. Warren Storm is about to walk in this place!’” Landry later invited Storm to lunch. She wanted to give him a copy of her latest album, Louisiana Lovin’, which features her rendition of a song he recorded, “I Need Somebody Bad.” After lunch, Storm invited Landry to see the vast collection of photos he’s taken with his music heroes and peers during his 71 years in music. “I’m looking at the pictures and there’s Warren with Willie Nelson,” Landry recalled. “There’s Warren and Ray Price. There’s a picture of Elvis Presley signed to Warren. I knew him as Warren Storm, the swamp pop musician, but I had no idea that his career was what it was.” Landry went home and told her husband, Luke Bourque, about her lunch with a legend. Bourque told her that she’d found her new project. “Warren would love to have his story told,” he said. “Just like you didn’t know about this, other people out there don’t know about his career with all these people.” At first, Landry wasn’t enthusiastic about taking on the challenge of wrangling Storm’s long and colorful life into a book. Her husband suggested she sleep on it. “I hardly slept,” she said. “I thought about it the whole night.” The next morning, Landry made an exploratory phone call to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, publisher of her two children’s books, The Ghost Tree and Madame Grand Doigt. To her surprise, UL Press asked if she could complete the project within a year. Gathering material for the book, Landry visited Storm once or twice week. Any thoughts of sticking with planned questions or collecting chronological information quickly flew out the window. “Whatever it was that day, that’s what it was,” she said. “You’ve got to just let the horse run.You can’t keep him in the lanes. Warren is the ultimate musician, all over the map. The stories were cute and funny, but when it came time to put everything together in some kind of order, that became a puzzle.” Reflecting Storm’s free-ranging storytelling, Landry chose to not write a conventional biography. Her conversations with Storm, she said, “were so interesting and fun that I thought it would be better if readers could experience what I experienced. So, we settled on the question-andanswer format.” Also true to their meetings, Taking the World, by Storm is filled with

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t’s hard to imagine a place where people are by Bill Forman Blame It on the Moon” is a stripped-down acoustic ode more devoted to music than New Orleans, mainly to closing-time heartache. “Why does flying feel like falling because there isn’t one. Even so, a number of musicians who call the down,” she sings, “you can’t tell the sky from the ground.” Crescent City home find more recognition outside its city limits. While most singer-songwriters have spent a good portion of their A case in point is Esther Rose. The singer-songwriter spent the better lives navigating fretboards, Rose didn’t start playing guitar until she was part of September touring nationally as a support act for Nick Lowe, 27. Prior to that, her instrument of choice was a washboard. but continues to maintain a low-profile in her own city. Meanwhile, “I don’t do the washboard chores anymore,” says the musician, who her recently released sophomore album, You Made It This Far, has recently turned 32. “That was really just a gateway for me to learn been getting rave reviews in the national music press. Paste Magazine how to play music in bands. I didn’t play guitar at the time, but I’ve called it “nothing short of a triumph,” always been a songwriter, so I would while Pitchfork likened her songs to the write songs using my voice and melody. experience of “reading faded and worn And when I learned to play guitar to entries from our own beloved diaries.” accompany myself, it was just total Rose relocated to New Orleans freedom. I don’t ever jam out on the from her native Michigan in 2010 and washboard now, but I do have one has since become part of a semiprominently displayed at home. They’re underground Americana scene centered beautiful and I love them.” around Mashed Potato Records, an While Esther Rose’s name rarely independent label and recording studio appears in live music listings or on in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward. It was chalkboards in club windows, she’s not there, over the course of four days, that entirely absent from hometown stages. Rose and her band—lap-steel player You just need to know where to look. Matt Bell, fiddler Lyle Werner, bassist “I play fairly often at the Dragon’s Dan Cutler and drummer Cameron Den, which is my favorite venue, during Snyder—recorded the album’s ten songs their All-Star Covered Dish Country on a vintage Ampex reel-to reel. Jamboree,” says Rose. “It’s a weekly “There are these little imperfections Tuesday-night gathering of songwriters and inconsistencies that I just love,” says and Americana-type bands that Joy Rose of the limitations that go handPatterson and Matt Bell have been in-hand with two-track recording. “Like hosting for years and years. That’s kind of there’s this really cool moment in the been my home base for forming a band first 30 seconds of ‘Always Changing’ and sharing my songs. There’s a really where I’m just playing solo acoustic and supportive community of songwriters you can hear a faint thunderclap—which that show up to listen to each other in reality was a massive thunderclap— in this safe, welcoming environment. A right when we were in the middle of lot of the musicians who play there are the take. And none of us stopped, so it’s from traditional jazz bands, and this is in there. And when we recorded ‘You their outlet for expressing their love for Made It This Far,’ there’s the sound of Dan’s keys jingling, which happens country music.” to land right on the word ‘switch.’ For me, those are like little treasures As for fans outside that small circle of kindred spirits, Rose can only that you would never come up with on your own.” guess at what draws them to her music. As with her 2017 debut This Time Last Night, Rose’s new album “When somebody spins my music on Spotify, I hope that they can has an emotional resonance that harkens back to her earliest musical feel some release from the complications in life. With songwriting, I tend heroes: the slight catch in her voice that’s reminiscent of Patsy Cline and to take something that’s been bothering me—or something that I’m Hank Williams; the introspective intimacy that, like Joni Mitchell’s, falls on just in love with—and I analyze it in a way that feels really good. And by the sweeter side of bittersweet. the time I’ve written the song, I truly feel better about everything. So I The album is also impressive from a lyrical standpoint. The poignant hope that’s something that other people can experience. Because that’s title track, written during a visit to L.A., includes images of people what music is all about to me. I don’t know why other people make “pushing around their heart in a goddamn grocery cart,” while “Don’t music, but that’s why I do it.” O

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Photo COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

Esther Rose’s emotional resonance.

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Cuban Invasion here is music everywhere in by Geraldine Wyckoff Market on Friday, November 8, this philosophy also prevails. New Orleans just like here in “When I created Interactivo that’s what I was trying to do,” says Cuba,” said pianist and composer Roberto Carcassés Carcassés of the collaborative ensemble’s free-flowing membership. by phone while sitting in a park in his hometown of Havana. “It’s the same combination of African and European and all kinds of races and “There was a different mentality [in Cuba] that people had to belong to one group. People in Interactivo don’t feel obligated to be in the cultures.” band and do nothing else.” Cuban rhythms will fill the air as the multi-talented Carcassés For Friday’s Interactivo show, Carcassés’ quartet will be joined by and the Cuban-born members of his all-star band—drummer jazz poet and rapper Telmary. “She’s amazing,” Carcassés declares. Oliver Valdes and bassist Nester de Prado, plus percussionist Cesar “She didn’t study music, she started rapping Bacaro—who presently lives in New naturally. When she raps she talks about Orleans—perform at multiple shows during love and social issues.” The group will also early November. The musical “invasion” expand with the addition of New Orleans begins with the pianist’s residency and trombonist Christopher Butcher and tuba performance at the University of New player Steve Glenn. Orleans where he will hold a workshop “The difference between Interactivo and for students and perform at the college’s the quartet is that we fly more,” Carcassés popular Jazz at the Sandbar series on says. “When you play for people to dance, Wednesday, November 6. you really have to make them dance.” He A graduate of Havana’s prestigious explains that one or two numbers might be National School of Arts, Carcassés has jazz-based to give the musicians the opporpreviously led workshops including tunity to improvise, though much of the time spent in the classroom at Stanford repertoire will be song-based so that people University. He says that he doesn’t prepare can sing along. lessons, rather he just shares his experience. “To be a Cuban is many things and many “Something I think is central is freedom, contradictions,” Carcassés says. to push the boundaries and try to do “Cuban music is always open to influsomething different, something new,” he ences. You can bring to Cuban music explains. “My experience is the combination different sounds and different ways of of my love of music and my love of freedom playing and combine it with anything—with and for work. Music is something you have tango, with funk, mariachi and European to work, you have to practice all the time music. That’s something that makes Cuban and keep getting richer.” music develop all the time. That’s why Cuban The group moves over to Snug Harbor music is always evolving.” on Thursday, November 7: a show that will “I feel like I’m a home when I’m in New Orleans,” Carcassés says include Roberto’s father, Bobby Carcassés, a multi-instrumentalist and with sincerity. “I enjoy it every time I go—every time is different.” vocalist who is renowned for his scatting. “Dad is a very important Putting a Cuban-flavored topper on the month is the return to person in Cuba and someone who really fought to develop the Tipitina’s on Thursday, November 14 of the hot young vocalist blending of jazz and Cuban music,” Roberto says, adding that his father will play flugelhorn with his quartet. “I worked with him always, Cimafunk, who tore the place up last spring. Born Erik Rodriguez in since I started playing jazz and started playing good, though I wasn’t a the rural town of Pinar del Rio, Cimafunk brings it on strong with his member of his band. My father is like me, we are all the time listening Afro-Cuban funk and showmanship to match. Cimafunk’s name was inspired the Cimarrones, slaves who escaped plantations and founded to each other; we are interacting, like asking and responding.” their own settlements, and his hard-core devotion to funk. Declared The jazz ensemble, which Carcassés describes as a “wild quartet,” will perform original material, classic American modern jazz tunes and one of Billboard’s 10 top artists to watch in 2019 and making the charts with his infectious “Me Voy,” Cimafunk has also played with material from Cuban composers. When Roberto is at the keyboard, Interactivo though, as Carcassés explains, he’s been so in demand his Cuba is never very far away. In New Orleans, musicians tend to mix things up, with many artists activity with the band has been scarce of late. Big Chief Juan Pardo of the Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians, who boasts Cuban turning up in a variety of bands and playing a variety of genres more often than in most locales. It’s truly a music community. With the 2001 heritage, will be a special guest at Cimafunk’s show that will include performances by the New Breed Brass Band and students from the formation of the contemporary, co-operative ensemble Interactivo, which is directed by Carcassés and performs at the New Orleans Jazz Trombone Shorty Academy. O

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Photo BY Veronica-Vero, ArtMusic

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Roberto Carcassés and Cimafunk on tap in November.

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Brandan “Bmike” Odums’ truth-telling activism. by Amanda “Bonita” Mester Photos by Noé Cugny “New Orleans is a place where you can just

fall into art,” says Brandan “Bmike” Odums. “You can find it anywhere, without a cost of admission.” We’re sitting in his office at Studio BE, the 35,000 square-foot Bywater warehouse space he’s turned into a center for his activism-through-art. In addition to housing his sprawling “Ephemeral.Eternal” exhibit, the building is the central nervous system of a globally recognized movement including educational programs, panel discussions, film, merchandise and more. A massive yellow exterior wall adorned with a young, haloed Black girl with hands outstretched greets visitors. Anyone who lives in New Orleans has seen—or “fallen into”—work by Bmike, though perhaps unknowingly. Odums refers to himself as a “public artist” who prefers painting faces on a building rather than on framed canvases. Whether it’s his mural of Buddy Bolden on S. Rampart Street, the bygone New Orleans East “Wall of Peace” inspired by Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” or the Treme mural honoring the late musician Trumpet Black, his work punctuates our daily lives without requiring much

effort from us. Known primarily for his use of vibrant spray paint-based portraiture, his art encourages conversations about resistance, existence, time, space and Blackness. The NAACP Image Award-winning creator (who will showcase his first solo “museum” show, “Not Supposed to BE Here,” at Tulane University in January 2020) produced more than a dozen murals and room-sized installations for “Ephemeral.Eternal,” his debut solo exhibit. That’s right. His first solo exhibit is housed in a 35,000 square-foot building. It serves as an example of the audacious, purposeful, largescale approach that makes a Bmike piece instantly recognizable. Murals by Odums have appeared in places as disparate as Times Square and Palestine. His work has been celebrated by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Emmy-winning comedian Chris Rock, Academy-Award winning rapper Common, civil-rights icon and athlete Colin Kaepernick, Emmy-winning journalist Katie Couric and other titans of various industries. The subjects of his work range from contemporary victims of police

killings like Mike Brown and Eric Garner to historical figures including Fred Hampton and Fannie Lou Hamer. Some of his subjects are wellknown, some are nameless—but all of them beckon us to seek truth about who they are and why they matter, while following the guiding principle of “paint it where it ain’t.” Odums’ work invites us to think about reality, without abstraction. Sure, his subjects are literally larger-than-life, with skin tone that might be a shade of blue, but ultimately what he’s sharing is an overall truth. “Artists are here to disturb the peace,” he says, quoting author James Baldwin. For Odums, there must be intention behind work. More often than not, that intent is directed towards challenging, or at least analyzing, the status quo. “In order for there to be order, there has to be a perception of peace,” he tells me. “That’s how order reaffirms itself—if everything is okay at all times, we don’t need to dismantle anything. It’s the artist’s job to investigate the idea of order and peace. We saw that in postKatrina New Orleans. You heard mixtapes from rappers and musicians talking about things happening here, while others said the city was bouncing back. I remember there was a PSA, some tourism piece, where John Goodman was saying everything was okay. But the artists

they can’t sell it, no one knows who they are,” he tells me. Eventually, he began painting portraits of revolutionary Black icons in the empty Florida public housing in the 9th Ward. After posting a picture of his Malcolm X painting online, interest in his work grew and he began returning to the site regularly, documenting everything. The growing street-art gallery inside the old projects needed a name. “I don’t know how it landed on Project BE,” says Odums. “A large part of the internal conflict I was going through at the time was that friends and family were saying ‘You’re wasting your time. Why are you wasting all this money on spray paint to go do this in a building that’s going to get torn down, where no one will see it?’ I liked the name Project BE because it was about the joy I felt in that moment, of what it meant to be.” Odums began collaborating with members of the local graffiti community and Project BE caught the attention of other creatives as well as the media. Once a newspaper published an article saying the Florida projects would be demolished, curious people began flocking to see the extemporaneous, fleeting exhibit. The Housing Authority of New Orleans wasn’t interested in turning it into a sanctioned, public exhibit and Project BE was permanently shuttered.

were talking about something completely different. As an artist, I’m going to walk you into this space that’s a little more than reality—it’s truth-telling. That’s part of the responsibility.” Odums’ work is unambiguous. One of his installments is a makeshift basketball court, with a handcuffed Black arm in an orange jumpsuit and the words “1/3 Black males will go to prison in their lifetime. 3/10,000 will go to the NBA” spray-painted on a wall. “I can always articulate what my intentions are, and at its best I can create something where it’s impossible to separate the intention from it. That’s why I choose to be as direct as possible,” he says. Studio BE—which celebrates its fifth anniversary on November 15—is the third installment in a trilogy, and the following is an abridged version of how it all began. Our full conversation can be found in the online version of this story. Years ago, Odums was more focused on videography than painting, directing videos for well-known hip-hop artists including Curren$y, Juvenile and Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def). He was spending a lot of time in abandoned locations, where the neglected and overgrown settings whispered stories of bygone inhabitants. One day, he stumbled upon a huge painting of a bird on the archway of a building. “It really messed up my head. I was like, ‘Who did this, how did they do it, and why?’ It was beautiful. I got really interested in street art in these abandoned spaces, because it really broke all the rules of art—

Soon thereafter, Odums was on the Westbank shooting another music video. This time, the setting was the empty Charles DeGaulle Manor apartment complex, which became the site of the monumental Exhibit BE. With the owner’s permission, Odums and a collective of graffiti and street artists transformed the five story abandoned locale into the largest single-site public art exhibition in the American South. According to his website, all of the art in Exhibit BE “spoke to the spatialized racial violence that had led to the site’s unoccupied state.” “We didn’t want it to be just an attraction, we wanted it to be confrontational,” he says. One of the subjects Odums painted at Exhibit BE was George Carter, a child activist and member of Rethink who was murdered in 2014. “It was so beautiful to see people of all types entering the space, from people who lived there, to people who had never entered the Westbank before, walking around, taking pictures—it was dope to see this living version of art, about responding and being present, about getting you out of your comfort zone.” During the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in January 2015, Exhibit BE’s final weekend was celebrated with a historic event, dubbed “Block Power.” With co-sponsorship from developer Sean Cummings and actor Hill Harper, the three-day festival culminated with on-site performances from Erykah Badu, Dead Prez and David Banner as well as locals Trombone Shorty, Christian Scott, Dee-1 and more.

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“Anybody there that day will talk about this shared sacredness,” says Odums. “It’s very difficult to synthesize or redo it. There was this collection of energy that was the polar opposite of toxic—the idea of community. There were people wiping away tears in the crowd. It was one of those moments where, years after, people say ‘I was there,’ and it won’t happen again.” What did happen was Exhibit BE solidified in Odums’ mind his status as an artist. “What was accomplished was so far outside of what was expected. I became more intentional about painting in public spaces. What I learned was that art was about community and reality, and it’s not about creating a fabricated, alternative world.” The artist now recognized world-wide for giant pieces of work began with a goal that is Lilliputian by comparison. He just wanted to stand out from his high school peers at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). “I was at Edna Karr [High School] on the Westbank—that’s where my family’s from, in Algiers—and I remember NOCCA did this presentation in the gym,” he tells me while sketching something in his notebook. “And I said, ‘This is where I need to be.’ So I started doing half a day at Edna Karr and half a day at NOCCA. That’s when I was really introduced to fine art as an institution, as a career. My goals were small. I just wanted to be the best artist in the school. I think that’s why, when I graduated NOCCA, I said ‘I’m not doing art anymore,’ because I’d reached the pinnacle.” Mary Jane Parker, chair of the Visual Arts department at NOCCA and his former teacher, remembers fondly the student she refers to by his first name. “Brandan was one of our best students,” she recalls. “He has amazing drawing skills and he eventually learned this skill of translating his ability to draw what he sees into this large-scale format, which is pretty impressive.” His talent alone, she says, doesn’t aptly quantify Odums’ contributions to the art world. “He’s finding a way to connect to the community. He’s more of a character than, say, a DiVinci. He has his finger on the pulse of what needs to be done to pull the city together or to create an action that really gets people from all walks of life excited.” Born in Oceanside, California to a New Orleanian mother and a father in the Marines, an infant Odums lived here before moving to military bases in Japan, Korea and North Carolina, shuffling around every couple of years. By the time he and his brothers were near high-school age, their dad retired and settled the family in New Orleans, where he remained up until Hurricane Katrina. But even before then, the future Bmike was sketching his fate. Beginning around his second-grade year, he began “doing what was necessary to become an artist,” including taking art classes. “I remember this infomercial where they sent you this package and art test, and you get these art classes via the mail,” he says. “I remember doing it, and they were attracted enough to send a representative. My parents never pursued it, but there was intention, even back then.” Through the upheaval of his semi-nomadic childhood, art became Odums’ way of introducing himself to folks with whom he was sharing new space. Unlike his athletic brothers, he was “terrible” at sports, so art became his social identity. It was at NOCCA that identity became even more consequential. “My proximity to Black art wasn’t present,” he says of his teenage years. “The internet wasn’t a huge thing; social media wasn’t really a thing at all. At NOCCA at the time, I was a minority. The way they taught art was a very European mindset—any art institution was like that, because they taught Van Gogh and stuff like that. I was like, ‘None of these are my story.’ ” He took a media arts class and fell in love with video.

At the University of New Orleans, Odums enrolled in the film department. There, he channeled his creative energy into studying the works of Black directors like Spike Lee, Hype Williams, Ernest Dickerson and Director X. He began releasing videos as part of a collective known as 2-Cent Entertainment, formed in 2005. Around the same time, he was introduced to the artwork of Emory Douglas, whose graphic art featured prominently in newsletters published by the Black Panther Party. “His work was presented as art with a function,” Odums recalls. He says Douglas’ work was his first time seeing something he identified as Black art. The Black experience has become a fundamental thread running through all of Odums’ work, from his works proclaiming “I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams” to his Hurricane Katrina installation at Studio BE reminding viewers “You Are Still Here.” His art echoes the functional art of Emory Douglas and countless other Black artists whom Paul Robeson may have described as “gatekeepers of truth.” “I think truth-telling is activism,” Odums says when asked about

Orleans but the sentiment is the same: art should exist without confines. “Art is so interwoven into our experience, it’s culture, it’s how we make our time on this planet beautiful,” he says. “Art is too connected to the way we exist, so for me it’s always about ‘how can I extract the idea of art from the definition of art?’” The utilization of unorthodox spaces is the primary way in which Bmike has extracted idea from definition. He’s deeply committed to the collaborative spirit of street art, conscious of how his work affects the people in whose neighborhoods he paints. “I’m conscious of not being a singular voice, especially in a public space,” he says. “The wackest thing for a street artist to do is to forget that the word ‘public’ is in ‘public art.’ It’s not about me exploiting the public space to say what I always wanted to say, and I have problems with artists who think about it that way. There has to be some type of responsibility when you’re entering someone’s space, like when you enter someone’s home and you have to take your shoes off. Even when I’m working in New Orleans, I don’t have to see this every day,

how his art makes him an activist. “It’s always going to be a form of activism: to assert my story in a space where people won’t necessarily want to hear it. There are certain responsibilities that are innate with being an artist. Resistance is resistance. Just the fact that you exist showcases a type of activism. I represent a type of reality that makes people uncomfortable in a lot of ways. Sometimes I’m in white spaces, where I’m a type of Black male they haven’t seen—ever ...that’s a type of activism.” Odums—who in October was given the 2019 Black Excellence Icon Award by the 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans association—was recently asked by someone if being a Black artist makes him feel marginalized. “What great art does is make the margins attractive, it makes the margins sexy,” he responded. “Black art has always been about ‘this is the margin, the place you’re afraid of, but we’re going to make it so exciting that you’re going to want to experience it.’ Black art always started off as the edge, like jazz was the edge, where people could only see it in a seedy place or whatever. Rock ’n’ roll was the edge. The edges then get pulled into the center, and then people look for new edges. As a Black artist, your proximity to success is either existing in a representation of the edge, or fighting against the idea that you’re an artist on the edge.” Georgia O’Keeffe once said, “Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.” In Odums’ case, that city is New

but the house across the street does. So, we have to think about how we can collaborate.” Most of us don’t think about New Orleans when thinking about street art, but this city is in many ways the perfect place for it. “New Orleans presents art in a way that’s not elitist,” says Odums. “You go to other places, and what you see is that the best of who they are is behind a velvet rope. In New Orleans, the best of who we are is generally accessible to anyone, which can be problematic. I’m constantly fighting for the idea that to invest in New Orleans is to invest in the culture creators of this city. However, I’m deeply concerned and afraid of what happens—do we become L.A.? Do we become New York, where all the culture creators are inaccessible, because they’re on this pedestal, where they’re inaccessible because of press, agents, photographers?” New Orleans has a lengthy history of harnessing the transformative nature of art and performance to unmask collective pain, from second lines to Mardi Gras parades to John T. Scott’s sculptures and much else. As Odums puts it, “That’s ultimately the thread of what I love about this city—the idea of the alchemist, of turning pain into beauty. “You have the ability to experience this trauma or pain and you can turn it into gold.” Read the extended interview on OffBeat.com for Brandan “Bmike” Odums’ thoughts on creative agency, collaboration, gentrification and more as well as a conversation with Sean Cummings. O

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offeats AMERICAN Port of Call: 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120

MUSIC ON THE MENU Banks Street Bar & Grill: 4401 Banks St., 486-0258 BARBECUE Buffa’s: 1001 Esplanade Ave., 949-0038 The Joint: 701 Mazant St., 949-3232 Carnaval Lounge: 2227 St. Claude Ave., COFFEE HOUSES 265-8865 Café du Monde: 800 Decatur St., 525-4544, Chickie Wah Wah: 2828 Canal St., 304-4714 56 Dreyfous Dr., 635-8033 Gattuso’s: 435 Huey P Long Ave., Gretna, 368-1114 CREOLE/CAJUN House of Blues: 225 Decatur St., 412-8068 Cochon: 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123 Howlin’ Wolf’s Wolf Den: 907 S. Peters St., Cornet: 700 Bourbon St., 523-1485 529-5844 Galatoire’s: 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021 Le Bon Temps Roule: 4801 Magazine St., Gumbo Shop: 630 St. Peter St., 525-1486 895-8117 New Orleans Creole Cookery: 508 Little Gem Saloon: 445 S. Rampart St., Toulouse St., 524-9632 267-4863 FINE DINING Maison: 508 Frenchmen St., 289-5648 Commander’s Palace: 1403 Washington Mid City Lanes Rock ‘N’ Bowl: 4133 S. Ave., 899-8221 Carrollton Ave., 482-3133 Josephine Estelle: Ace Hotel, 600 NOLA Cantina: 437 Esplanade Ave., Carondelet St., 930-3070 266-2848 Justine: 225 Chartres St., 218-8833 Palm Court: 1204 Decatur St., 525-0200 Mr. B’s Bistro: 201 Royal St. 523-2078 Rivershack Tavern: 3449 River Rd., 834-4938 Southport Hall: 200 Monticello Ave., FRENCH Café Degas: 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635 835-2903 La Crepe Nanou: 1410 Robert St., 899Snug Harbor: 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 2670 Three Muses: 536 Frenchmen St., 298-8746 GERMAN Bratz Y’all: 617-B Piety St., 301-3222

NEIGHBORHOOD JOINTS Cake Café: 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010 Dat Dog: 601 Frenchmen St., 309-3362; GROCERY STORES 5030 Freret St., 899-6883; 3336 Breaux Mart: 3233 Magazine St., 262-6017; Magazine St., 324-2226 2904 Severn Ave. Metarie, 885-5565; Junction: 3021 St. Claude Ave., 272-0205 9647 Jefferson Hwy. River Ridge, 737Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant: 8146; 315 E Judge Perez, Chalmette, 701 Tchoupitoulas St., 523-8995 Mardi Gras Zone: 2706 Royal St., 947-8787 Parkway Bakery and Tavern: 538 Hagan Ave., INDIAN 482-3047 Nirvana: 4308 Magazine St., 894-9797 Piece of Meat: 3301 Bienville St., 372-2289 Sammy’s Food Services: 3000 Elysian Fields JAPANESE/THAI/CHINESE Ave., 948-7361 Bao & Noodle: 2700 Chartres St., 272-0004 Mikimoto: 3301 S Carrollton Ave., 488-1881 Tracey’s: 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413 Ye Olde College Inn: 3000 S. Carrollton Sukho Thai: 4519 Magazine St., 373-6471; Ave., 866-3683 2200 Royal St., 948-9309 Wasabi: 900 Frenchmen St., 943-9433 PIZZA LOUISIANA / SOUTHERN Midway Pizza: 4725 Freret St., 322-2815 Balise Tavern: 640 Carondelet St., 459-4449 Pizza Delicious: 617 Piety St., 676-8482 La Petite Grocery: 4238 Magazine St., Slice Pizzeria: 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525891-3377 7437 Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., Theo’s Pizza: 4218 Magazine St., 894-8554; 943-3934 4024 Canal St., 302-1133; 1212 S Clearview, 733-3803 MEDITERRANEAN Mona’s Café: 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115

MEXICAN/CARIBBEAN/ SPANISH Barú Bistro & Tapas: 3700 Magazine St., 895-2225 El Gato Negro: 81 French Market Place, 525-9846; 300 Harrison Ave., 488-0107; 800 S Peters St., 309-8804 Juan’s Flying Burrito: 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000

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SEAFOOD Briquette: 701 S Peters St., 302-7496 Deanie’s Seafood: 841 Iberville St., 5811316; 1713 Lake Ave. Metairie, 834-1225 VIETNAMESE Namese: 4077 Tulane Ave., 483-8899 WEE HOURS Buffa’s Restaurant & Lounge: 1001 Esplanade Ave., 949-0038

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diningout

photo courtesy of Banana Blossom

anana Blossom opened at its original location in an unassuming strip mall in Gretna a decade ago. It quickly became a word-ofmouth destination dining hot spot for some of the very best Thai cuisine in the region. What set Banana Blossom apart then was chef/owner Jimmy Cho’s approach: the use of impeccably fresh local ingredients, authentic recipes, and flawlessly presented dishes prepared with attention to detail and finesse. Last year, Banana Blossom relocated to a new location with twice the seating, but more than that, the new space is a substantial upgrade. The low ceilings and rudimentary furnishings of the former location have now been replaced by a handsomely appointed dining room with a chic bar area adjacent to an open-faced kitchen. The main dining room has a modern, minimalist kind of Warehouse District aesthetic with off-white brick walls punctuated by beautiful lighting, sturdy but comfortable dark wood tables and chairs, and stylish black and white photographs. In short, we finally have a place in the 504 that rivals The Slanted Door in San Francisco; and that is really saying something about how much the post-Katrina dining landscape has evolved. One of the first things one notices about the menu at Banana Blossom is that besides the Thai classics one would expect, there are many offerings that venture far afield from the traditional fare—in large part due to chef Jimmy Cho’s passion for traveling and presenting dishes inspired by flavors from Singapore, China, India, Japan, the Silk Road diaspora, and of course, local

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variety of vegetables spiced with crispy garlic and garlic sauce over jasmine rice. Spicy basil is similar; just take out the garlic craziness. As for “Ginger Lover,” well, you get the picture. The section of signatures includes Ka Pao Gai described as “Thailand Street Food” and consists of ground chicken, chili, onions, carrots, basil and a sunny-side-up egg over jasmine rice. The main reason why I make the trek to Banana Blossom, however, is for their fantastic curry. At least four different curries are offered, but I never visit without trying the sublime green curry. Back notes of lemongrass, galangal, ginger, shallots, onions, garlic and exotic spices infuse an Review by Michael Dominici unctuous coconut milk stew fragrant with Thai basil and Louisiana dishes as well. Larb Gai consisting of julienned vegetables. Protein offerings Appetizers include crispy rice onions, carrots, ground chicken, range from chicken, beef, paper pork rolls with Thai glass cilantro and mint tossed in a zippy soft shell crabs, trout, crispy noodles and mushrooms served rice vinegar-lime dressing. Similarly, oysters, tofu, and shrimp. Red with a sweet chili peanut sauce the glass noodle salad also curry, Masaman curry with bursting with yin-yang sensation. includes shrimp and tomatoes. sweet potatoes and peanuts, Pork dumplings are offered both Avocado rolls are a big hit served pineapple curry, and the steamed or fried and accomwith a kickin’ peanut sauce. Fried signature Chiang Mai Noodle panied by a tangy soy-ginger brussel sprouts are enhanced by with yellow curry make for dipping sauce. Baby back ribs get the crunch of julienned carrots tough choices—my suggestion: a kick of chili, and the lamb with and fried shallots and given a bring friends! Panang curry is accompanied by little extra zest with a kimchi chili Over a half-dozen dessert delicious puffy roti bread. The dressing. The classic Tom Yum soup choices are available, ranging coconut shrimp is one of the has an incredible aroma and deep from banana ice cream to fried best versions in town; expertly spice, attributed to lemongrass New York Cheesecake, and fried, and served with a sweet that we enjoyed with the shrimp of course…roti! Stuffed with chili sauce. There are many other option. Likewise, Tom Kha is rich Nutella! seafood appetizers including spicy in flavor with galangal-infused Banana Blossom Thai clams, crispy calamari, and intercoconut milk enhanced with lime. Restaurant is worth making a esting takes on our local “BBQ” Noodle dishes range from the special trip. Servers are eager sauce—here sans butter, including best version of Thai Prime Minisand willing to provide helpful BBQ shrimp, BBQ fried oysters, ter’s Plaek Phibunsongkhram’s suggestions ranging from selecand BBQ spicy green mussels. 1930’s classic Pad Thai in town tions to spice levels, and the Another successful locally-inspired (I mean, they even offer bacon), service is on point. Best of all, riff is the boudin pie fashioned out to Korean ramen, Singapore flat Banana Blossom expands the of the roti bread and garnished noodles with kimchi, to Pad Woon parameters of local flavors. O with creole mustard and pickled Sen with mung bean glass noodles, 500 9th Street, Gretna, peppers. eggs, and mixed vegetables. 504-500-0997 – Monday – Traditional soup and salad selecThe stir-fry section calls out to Saturday; Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 tions at Banana Blossom include spice fans. Thai Garlic features a p.m.; Dinner, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Banana Blossom

NOVEMBER 2019

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

Devoid of Barriers Nicholas Payton Relaxin’ with Nick

(Smoke Sessions Records)

Nicholas Payton swings, hard bops, bebops, sings, gets sentimental, takes it out and adds a bit of electronics on this double album, Relaxin’ with Nick, recorded live at New York’s intimate Smoke Jazz & Supper Club. Playing trumpet, acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes and adding vocals and samplings, Payton is teamed with the dynamite and compatible rhythm section of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (not related) all of whom have performed together, though not in this configuration. Many folks who have yearned to hear Payton play and blow straight-up jazz get their wish on the opening, title cut, “Relaxin’ with Nick.” He shows himself as a now-accomplished pianist on an original tune that reflects its name. It’s a straight-up swinging number performed by an acoustic jazz trio until another instrumentalist, the brilliant trumpeter Payton, steps in to make it a quartet minus the acoustic keys and complete with the Rhodes. That mood continues on “C,” a

tune from Payton’s Letters album that spotlights the big warm tone of Peter Washington’s bass on this magnificently captured recording. Amusingly, Payton’s great jazz knowledge of all that came before continually enters the picture as heard on “C,” when he references Cole Porter’s classic “Night and Day” and also when he ends numbers with a traditional jazz flair as he does on the chestnut “Tea for Two.” Payton’s “El Guajiro” offers a change of pace and includes a sampling of Cuban trumpeter Manuel “Guajiro” Maribel’s voice from a song off Payton’s fine release Afro-Cuban Mixtape.The Rhodes plays a big part on this selection before the leader’s trumpet burns over the raging drums of Kenny Washington. A highlight of the recording is Payton’s “Jazz Is a Four-Letter Word,” that was inspired by and includes the sampled voice and scat-like offerings of the great drummer Max Roach. It then takes off in a beboppin’, toe-tapping acoustic piano, bass and drum setting that’s punctuated by Payton’s true to tone and highflying trumpet.The crowd—that plays an important part in the ambiance of the album—definitely digs it and repeats Payton’s vocal chant: “Jazz is a four-letter word.” More romantic moments occur on Payton’s lovely “Othello” which displays his ever-greater talent and emotional delivery on acoustic piano as well as the depth and heights of his trumpet prowess. He sings on this cut as well as on

the ballad, “When I Fall in Love” on which his breathy vocals enhance the sincerity of lyrics. In contrast, Payton and Peter and Kenny Washington move the music forward in less melodic yet nonetheless dramatic fashion on “F,” another of the trumpeter/ keyboardist’s tunes from his Letters album. Everybody’s up for and in on this creative game. It’s a watch out, here we come moment. Relaxin’ with Nick is just what the title promises as Nicholas Payton, Peter Washington and Kenny Washington invite listeners to their world where improvised music moves pleasurably and vigorously through the ages devoid of barriers. —Geraldine Wyckoff

Lilli Lewis Project We Belong

(Louisiana Red Hot Records)

As a solo act, Lilli Lewis referred to her style as orange music, meant to distinguish it from blues proper. It made sense, too: her version of the folk blues comes from a nurturing, Earth Mothertype perspective, not that of a sassy Delta diva, and from that stance, combined with the folk

tradition, her gift for interpretation, a generally positive outlook, a firm moral certitude, and definite jazz filigrees, orange music was born. So what happens now that she actually forms a jazz combo? How does this mood indigo affect her natural hue? Well, it’s more about what you don’t expect: there are no long workouts with everyone trading the spotlight, nor are there any attempts at full free-jazz band improv.The new setup really does seem to be about adding splashes of color—on “Coretta’s Song,” which by its very arrangement conjures the spirit of the slain civil rights leader’s wife, guest Dr. Michael White’s clarinet and Kirk Joseph’s sousaphone give a sepia tone tint of trad-jazz dirge to her lament, like period costumes, while the opener “We Belong” matches Lewis’ own moody piano break with Smokey Brown’s guitar and a pensive bass line by the project’s real MVP, local mainstay Dr. Jimbo Walsh. And Joseph pairs up with Glen David Andrews’ trombone to add just a delicate touch of ska to Lewis’ righteous, easy-skanking “When the Rain Comes In.” (Delicate ska? That’s just how light their touch is.) That apocalyptic warning, however, sets up a midpoint shift in tone that plays out to the very end: the calming triptych of “Kisses,” “Warm and Gentle People” and “Beauty Beyond Reason” are glorious soundscapes that perfectly delineate the LP’s stated goal of “radical decency”: physical intimacy, community, and a dedication to preserving innocence.That having been said, you don’t need

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

NOVEMBER 2019

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to feel her gentle pan-cultural righteousness in order to appreciate her sonic palette: a pair of ears and an open mind will do. It’s the kind of experience that challenges you not to accept the artist so much as your own self. —Robert Fontenot

Norbert Susemihl All Stars Live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum 2019 (Independent)

This fall’s release from long-time

bi-annual visitor, Norbert Susemihl, features quite a few hometown faces. Norbert leads on trumpet and vocals with Oliver Bonie on alto sax, Craig Klein on trombone, Shaye Cohn on piano, Molly Reeves on guitar, Roland Guerin on bass, and Jason Marsalis on drums.The album was recorded live at The U.S. Mint as part of the first Rhythm and Flow Festival organized by Sweet Music Medicine, a non-profit for the benefit of New Orleans Musicians.

The Perfect Introduction Various Artists Blues Kings of Baton Rouge (Bear Family)

Most of this material has been around the track more times than a seven-year-old Fair Ground’s claimer. J.D. Miller’s usual suspects are in the mix, but for the first time, these masters are mixed in with field recordings taped by folklorist Harry Oster, as well as a few other random sides. The golden age of Baton Rouge blues was the mid ’50s to mid-’60s, but by the late ’60s, the genre was considered a relic.Thankfully, the global blues revival discovered this classic material which spurred hundreds of music collections and books about Baton Rouge blues. This collection is bookended on the second CD by two lesser-known Slim Harpo gems—“Rainin’ In My Heart” and “Talking Blues (aka Blues Hangover).” Over a loping, hypnotic beat that could only have come out of Miller’s Crowley studio, Harpo relates a tale of an evening on “the stem” with bandmates James, Rudolf and Tomcat. All of Harpo’s familiar material is here to the point where you could assemble a greatest hits collection just from his material found here.You could also cull a similar set on Lightnin’ Slim from his sides here. “Rooster Blues,” “Wintertime Blues,” “Bad Luck”—all still are timeless blues and are included.Two other blues kings, Lazy Lester and Lonesome Sundown, are in the mix but not to the extent of the previously mentioned. Lesser-known artists Silas Hogan, Jimmy Anderson, Schoolboy Cleve and Tabby Thomas also capture the distinctive Baton Rouge sound and are on board. Of the primitive field recordings, listeners will note these bear no resemblance to what was coming out of Miller’s studio. But it’s all great stuff. Butch Cage, Smoky Babe, Isaiah Chattman, Robert Pete Williams—their music all helped launch the folk blues movement of the early ‘60s. Over 50 tracks are included and as with most European reissue labels, the collection has great sound, notes and historic pics that are part of the package. If you’ve been listening to this music for some time, you might pass on this one. However, Blues Kings of Baton Rouge would be the perfect introduction to this fascinating music. —Jeff Hannusch

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Norbert always knows how to put together a great band. Here he’s got Craig, Oliver, and Molly from The Jazz Vipers; Shaye Cohn from Tuba Skinny; New Orleans Musical royalty, Jason Marsalis; and former

Allen Toussaint/Dr. John bassist Roland Guerin. I’m sold just on the line-up.The result is a top-notch band faithfully rendering traditional New Orleans classics like “Big Chief,” “Delta Bound,” “Over in the Gloryland,” and “I Ain’t Gonna Give You None of My Jelly Roll.”

Ghalia Mississippi Blend (Ruf Records)

—Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Jim Stephens Yellow River

landscapes or rather soundscapes as the case may be. Much like a lazy river road that Leading the excursion is Jim tirelessly meanders from town to Stephens on guitar, lap steel, and town, Yellow River, the latest release harmonica. Recorded at Esplanade from Jim Stephens, transports Studios in New Orleans, Stephens the listener through a myriad of utilizes three different rhythm sections featuring New Orleans’ Milk Williams of Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Sam Price from Honey Island Swamp Band and Sam Bobby Rush Shahin and Noah Young from Sitting on Top of the Blues Naughty Professor. Adding to (Deep Rush) the extravaganza is an absolutely Eighty-six years young with 26 slamming horn section featuring albums to his credit, Bobby Rush, among others, Big Sammy Williams a native of Tallulah, Louisiana, is on trombone and Jeffrey Watkins like Ole Man River, he just keeps of the New Orleans Suspects on rolling along. Like many of his past tenor saxophone. releases, Rush’s style is somewhat “Torture Me” kick starts the trip predictable, but his brand of blues-funk is always pleasing to his many with the horn section in full flight fans on CD and live. He likes to mimic selected lyrics from an older but to show that the roadmap on blues number and then put it into a new song and arrangement. On this trip is pointless, Stephens and the opener “Hey Hey Bobby Rush” he does it again borrowing from company completely change gear Howlin’ Wolf. Our man declares several times “I’m a blues man,” but on “Spend My Life” that features this is way more funk than blues, featuring a hypnotic groove along vocalist Ariel Skye and pianist with some bluesy harmonica. He latter brags on his “good thing” and Shaun Martin. declares indeed she is “good stuff,” largely because she wears “skinBefore you know it, the terrain tight britches.” She’s also cited in the catchy “You Got the Goods on changes again and “Old Time You” which features an up-tempo, bluesy guitar and Rush’s attractive Religion” transports the listener to downhome harmonica. His playing on “Bobby Rush Shuffle” does a full-fledged Gospel Tent revival. indeed prove he is a “blues man” as this track is in the tradition of a It’s not until “Rice n’ Greens” that Little Walter instrumental.The only real traditional blues here is the the guitar takes center stage, slow “Recipe For Love” (not Muddy’s song) that features some fine and Stephens along with Andre acoustic picking and as usual, clever ribald lyrics. (‘I want a slice of her “BoyWonder” Coles make the wait cake, and a piece of her pie.’) As predictable as “Slow Motion” is, it’s worthwhile as they deliver some quite amusing with Rush coming off here as a southern soul version fine and nimble fretwork. Other of Barry White.The closer “Bowlegged Woman (Knock Kneed Man)” highlights include the greasy “Yellow has been a mainstay of Rush’s live sets since he originally recorded River” with Stephens on lap steel. the song in 1972—again, Rush updates the original while updating the With stops in the worlds of jazz, arrangement and adding some new touches. Honestly, Sitting On Top of blues, rock, funk, soul, and gospel, the Blues is comparable to his other releases.That being said, all of the Stephens and company cover a Master of Southern Soul’s other 45s, LPs, 8-tracks, cassettes and CDs lot of ground in a short period have always been enjoyable listens. of time. Buckle up and enjoy the —Jeff Hannusch scenery of Yellow River. (Ropeadope)

If you haven’t read the article on Ghalia Volt in this issue—go ahead, we’ll wait—you might not know just how impressive her story is. Born in Brussels, she discovered and nurtured her love for the blues practically all alone, eventually journeying to America to study it first-hand. She’s already been to

Blues Man

—Christopher Weddle

NOVEMBER 2019

Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta looking for the perfect bluesy groove, but she may have found it with her second album, which is dedicated to the Mississippi Hill Country strain of the art form, mostly found north of Oxford and which she’ll formally be debuting live at Chickie Wah Wah on November 2. It would be tempting to call this her Fat Possum record, but it wouldn’t exactly be accurate. Although her version of the blues has always been electric and filtered through her rock and punk roots, the approach here is purely organic, with no remixes or outside “modern” influences, just a kinetic propulsion generated by the venerable Cedric Burnside and Cody Dickinson alternating on drums, topped off by Ghalia’s ability to move from an indie rasp to a keening howl in the space of a single phrase (not to mention her proficiency on both slide and dobro). Unlike a lot of female blues singers, Ghalia doesn’t push too hard at being sassy or sultry, even as she works the genre’s most basic concerns from sex O F F B E AT. C O M

(“Squeeze”), to death (“Meet You Down the Road”), to loneliness (“First Time I Died”). Like her hero J.B. Lenoir, she gets political on “Why Don’t You Sell Your Children?” which starts as a boiling Canned Heat boogie before springing into a raveup whenever the truth gets too real (“Turning black honey / into gold money”). Meanwhile, Cedric’s grooves stick so close to the martial fife-and-drum bedrock of Hill Country that Volt’s rebellious energy provides a whole new way forward for the music. In fact, Ghalia’s secret weapon may be her love of pure rockabilly: Cody’s double-time pushes her into a kind of frothy, early-Elvis joy on “Squeeze” and Marie Kinghr’s 1958 semi-obscurity “I Thought I Told You Not to Tell Them.” And if you’re still skeptical, there’s a take on “Wade in the Water,” done as a duet with Watermelon Slim, which arrives with enough Old Testament gravitas to make it sound like the blues set Johnny Cash and Hope Sandoval never attempted. Ghalia may have taught herself the blues, but there’s no reason to believe it’ll pin her down. —Robert Fontenot

“Interlude,” “Why Did it Take So Long,” and “There’s Nothing Here Anymore;” and finishes with the uplifting joy of “I’m a Survivor” and “Big Baby JC”. Dr. Mark St. Cyr, who is related to the pioneering jazz banjoist, Johnny St. Cyr, released the album in conjunction with a live production at The Marigny Opera House on August 29th 2019. St. Cyr says composing the album was emotionally challenging, but his intention was to create music that would inspire, heal, and uplift not just survivors of the storm, but anyone who has ever experienced trauma. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Esther Rose You Made it This Far (Father / Daughter)

Twenty years ago, no one would have guessed that the Lower 9th Ward would become one (Independent) of the hippest recording studio Major currents in New Orleans hotspots in the country. But as history and music motivate Uptown became Hollywood this album from St. Cyr Jazz. South, CTC (cross the canal) Composed by trumpet player became Gulf Coast Nashville Dr. Mark St. Cyr, What We Carry and that same strange mixture of is a musical suite based on the tragedy, technology, gentrification experience and after-effects of and Bohemia has come to define Hurricane Katrina. It features Amos 21st Century NOLA. For better Singleton on piano, Daryl Davis or worse, the symbol of the city’s on guitar, Julianna Compton on street cred is now a semi-rural cello, Mitch Hayes on drums, and artist’s enclave. Dr. Mark St. Cyr on trumpet and The New Comfortable fits piano. Its eight tracks reflect on Esther Rose well on her second trauma and survival, the horrors and likely breakthrough album. people witnessed, and the strength Marrying the croon of Patsy Cline it took to stay standing. It begins with the twang of Loretta Lynn in solitary despair with “August and the adenoidal angst of Tammy 29, 2005,” “I Couldn’t Imagine,” Wynette, she sounds even more and “We Need Help;” transitions relaxed here than on her debut, to melancholy pensiveness with effortlessly mixing classic country St. Cyr Jazz What We Carry

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tropes with an indie sensibility. In fact, so natural is her approach, having only learned guitar a few years ago to solidify her songwriting, that it may take you a couple of passes to realize this is a new country classic, catchy and winsome, homey yet with an old master’s attention to detail.

Beginning and ending with guitar-and-voice-only bookends, “You Made It This Far” excels at portraits of a moment, whether it be a memory of a rural childhood (“Goldenrod and Applecrisp / Harvest time feels like this”) or a meet-cute right when it starts to get real (“I know you’ve got some

Make the Songs Your Own Roger Mason Jolie Blonde et Amiable Brune: Love Songs from Cajun and Creole Louisiana (Éditions Tintamarre / Centenary College of Louisiana Press)

BOOKMARK

As he states in his authoritative body of work, Roger Mason is neither a Cajun, nor a trained ethnomusicologist, but a retired music teacher who lived in France for most of his adult life. In 1969, he became enchanted with Louisiana Francophone music and started collecting lesser-known story songs that eventually resulted in this gorgeous songbook illustrated by French artist Yves Gros. Similar to Irene Whitfield’s 1939 seminal Louisiana French Folk Songs, Mason provides lyrics and translations, explanations and staff music with guitar chords for over 50 songs to be sung by old and new audiences alike. All songs deal with the many facets of love, divided into various categories. Several songs were learned from ballad singer Alma Barthélemy, who was neither Cajun nor Creole but an Atakapas Ishak/Chawasha Native American who Mason interviewed and field recorded on various stateside visits. Barthélemy’s treasure trove “Pyrame et Thisbé” parallels the story of Romeo and Juliet but deviates with Pyrame ending his life, erroneously thinking Thisbé had already died. Though Mason states his intent was not to present songs from the popular Cajun dancehall vein, nonetheless, there are a few. Some songs, like Rodney Balfa’s version of “Les petits yeux noirs,” were learned from The Balfa Brothers during their tours of France in the ’70s. Interestingly, “J’ai passé devant ta porte” is listed here with six verses, whereas more modern renditions typically have only two or three, thus placing this version in an earlier context. One song, “Quand vous voudrez faire une amie” dates back to the 16th century but oddly enough, its third verse bears some similarity to The Balfa Brothers’ “Parlez-nous à boire.” But just because Mason documents traditional songs doesn’t mean he’s opposed to modifications. If you need to change a chord, a key or an accompanying instrument; do it. “Printed songs are just blueprints, not the final product. Make the songs your own,” he writes. As Mason puts it, “The tradition is strong enough to hold up on its own.” —Dan Willging

NOVEMBER 2019

girls at home / Please make them go away”). Matt Bell’s lap steel and Lyle Werner’s fiddle add just the right touch of loopy sincerity to her originals, piercingly sweet and comically drunken all at once.You can also feel every bent nail and creaky floorboard in the home where this was recorded, but that has as much to do with Esther’s author’s eye and guileless delivery as it does the neighborhood itself. Still, when she sings “Lower 9 Valentine” it’s almost impossible to tell whether she’s seducing a lover or nesting in a new and happy place. And it doesn’t matter.

complementary band that effectively builds on Holmes’ deep-blues foundation. Cypress Grove opens with Holmes’ solo acoustic rendition of the Skip James classic, “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.” Downon-the floor, deep-in-the hole blues though the song is, Holmes finds a modicum of hope in the beatendown darkness. He also swears that if he ever gets off the greasy floor, he’ll never fall so low again. In contrast to “Hard Times,” other tracks groove hypnotically on the strength of Holmes’ guitar and Mississippi bass player Eric —Robert Fontenot Deaton and Nashville drummer Sam Bacco. Above subterranean Jimmy “Duck” Holmes rhythms, Auerbach adds distorted Cypress Grove neo-psychedelic guitar lines to (Easy Eye Sound) “Catfish Blues” and Marcus King Mississippi’s Jimmy “Duck” plays gliding, reverb-heavy slide Holmes plays the raw country guitar for “Rock Me.” Although blues style identified most famously several of the album’s songs seem with his Bentonia bluesmen to drop over a bluff rather than end predecessors, Skip James and Jack in a premeditated fashion, Holmes Owens. Bentonia musicians tune and his star-aided new album are the open strings of their guitars to indeed living blues. —John Wirt a minor chord.The innate sadness in minor keys gives the music its Wino Willy characteristically mournful sound. Holmes, the owner-operator of Burlap (Bag Season Records) the Blue Front Café, Mississippi’s MC-producer-DJ Wino Willy is a longest-running juke joint, has recent addition to the lo-fi hip-hop long deserved an audience.The scene of New Orleans (he was 72-year-old has released albums before Cypress Grove, but this latest born in Edison, New Jersey). With locals he founded Bag Season, a project was produced by a rock collective and indie label. Under star. Dan Auerbach of the Black that imprint in partnership with Keys, the producer of Dr. John’s Superjock he released Burlap, Grammy-winning 2012 album, Locked Down, led the Cypress Grove a 10-track album featuring his production alongside beats by sessions at his studio in Nashville. Auerbach also plays electric guitar friendkerrek, Prospek, Sep Rock and more. For fans of touchstones like for the album, joining a small, O F F B E AT. C O M

trio’s 2014 release Trilogy, abounds with brilliance.The group was again caught live, this time in Bologna, Italy, and the ambiance of the room and those in attendance truly add to the richness of the musical

MF DOOM, Madlib and Ras G, Burlap is a phenomenal contribution to the thriving caverns of underground hip-hop in this city. Burlap exposes the grainy, organic, downtempo proclivities he espouses as a beatmaker and MC. Perhaps nowhere else is the quasi-discordant genre more on display than on “The Off Key,” which embraces intentional dissonance. It features vocalist Saint Amethyst, granddaughter of George Porter, Jr. With Wino Willy’s relaxed delivery, her jazzy singing makes the song perfect for a walk to the streetcar on a rainy day. Burlap is inspired by Wino Willy’s travels in Philadelphia, China and New Orleans, a mélange most obviously performed on “G Money.”The song features Chinese MC Vertigob and bemoans the scourge of capitalism. “Suis Generis” is a standout cut; it triggers the head-nodding associated with great hip-hop, while tackling a complex topic through lyrical dexterity (in this instance, it’s the bourgeoisie). Fans of this are encouraged to check out Wino Willy and members of the extended beat scene at Counter Sessions at the Sea Cave on St. Claude Avenue. —Amanda “Bonita” Mester

Chick Corea Trio Trilogy 2 (Concord Jazz)

Considering the masterful musicians involved—pianist Chick Corea, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade—it comes as no surprise that Trilogy 2, the two-disc follow-up to the

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experience. Most importantly, the performance was recorded flawlessly—as if you were there. The stimulating repertoire progresses effortlessly beginning with the jazz standard, “How Deep Is the Ocean?” that is re-imagined by Corea and the trio’s members whom he introduces as his “genius partners.” Soon the ensemble moves on to several Thelonious Monk tunes, a composer the pianist often turns to, including “Crepuscule with Nellie,” that strolls with that quirky Monk kilter. On Monk’s hard-hitting classic, “Work,” Blade pops his drums in unanticipated fashion as he goes one-on-one with Corea. No part of a drum kit is safe from Blade’s creative sticks, brushes and mallets. Trilogy 2 overflows with highlights such as Corea’s original “La Fiesta” that dates back to the first album by his all-star group, Return to Forever.This cut has it all, with its memorable melody, bright Latin rhythm and the pianist’s ability to perform at breath-taking speeds and with great elegance.The second disc begins with Steve Swallow’s “Eiderdown,” that after a quiet start explodes with energy. McBride takes the opportunity to mix it up with the leader on his fellow bassist’s composition. Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” provides an excellent vehicle for the trio as it dances with a light, joyful Latin flavor. McBride’s

bowed bass “sings” the melody accented by Corea’s piano and the minimal, well-placed tapping of Blade’s drums. Listeners should join the audience in its obvious appreciation of the Chick Corea Trio’s magnificent performance as captured on Trilogy 2. —Geraldine Wyckoff

Notel Motel Heavy & Sweaty (Last Hope) Turns out it’s pretty easy to create the perfect indie rock barbecue/pool party playlist for the sketchier suburbs of NOLA. According to Notel Motel’s second album, all you need is: a rhythm section with a relentlessly up-tempo sort of skip; electric piano and/or the cheesiest organ you can get your hands on (see Smash Mouth); vague but still somehow disturbing lyrics; 13 insane earworm hooks, fresh; that’s it. This isn’t meat and potatoes rock, more like a $5 box of fried something that’ll make you a little queasy later. But just a little: this trio largely skirts the sleazier aspects on these dozen tracks in search of weird tone poems. In fact, the lyrical vaguery is almost maddening next to the relentless catchiness of the choruses; there’s something about the neighborhood dog-with-personality (every block’s got one) and a few lines about stealing chicken from a gas station dumpster, but except for the hilarious “Leaving In July” (“...is for quitters”), that’s about it. And that’s fine, because when these songs keep rotating

back to the hook, the equally insistent grooves have already buried them in your subconscious for good. Which, given lyrics like “I got bulimia from watching TV / MTV TV / Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” is probably where they should stay. —Robert Fontenot

Richard Piano Scott’s Twisty River Band Port of New Orleans (Independent)

Richard Scott is one of those fellows—there are a few in town—who boggle with their ability to play multiple instruments: In his case, trombone, tuba, guitar, bass, and at the upper echelons, piano and accordion. He was a longtime pianist and later trombonist with the Dukes of Dixieland, and now can be found at Fritzel’s and many other locales. This “Twisty River Band” takes a little while to hit its stride, but ends up yielding some pretty fine songs. “Uncle Sammy’s Alligator Farm” finds Scott singing in a Dr. John/ Tom Waits growl/persona, which is quite funny if you know how genteel a dude he is.The secondlining “Birthday in New Orleans” is a clever concept song that needed to be written, spoiled only by the absurd line, “It’s never rainy or cold.” “Maybe You Should Dance” speaks an eternal truth. The album’s apex, and a song that should be a new New Orleans standard (almost impossible these days, it seems) is “Awful Nice People.” It’s a funny mix of bonhomie and implied violence, and was inspired by one of Danny Barker’s tales.The following cut, “Going Home to Glory,” is about NOVEMBER 2019

Another Latin-accented piece, “Mojitos After Dark,” incorporates Afro-Cuban rhythms, Ashlin Parker’s trumpet, Geddes’ sax and Mike Loupe’s well-cast guitar. The punchy, sassy horn parts Geddes and Parker play in “The Groove” almost make big-band impact. A pop-R&B-jazz piece, —Tom McDermott “The Groove,” showcases Torregano’s composing chops Dr. Michael Torregano and his electric keyboard playing, Morning Inspiration heard in call-and-response with (KWS/Concord) Geddes’ sax. Like so many New Orleans The versatile Torregano moves musicians, Dr. Michael Torregano covers the stylistic waterfront. His to a mellow atmosphere for influences include Earth, Wind & the ballad “Midnight Creep” and mystical ambiance for the album’s Fire, The Spinners and Michael Jackson as well as Oscar Peterson, most vocal-laden track, “Ancestor’s Call.” These contrasting George Benson, Al Jarreau and pieces and Morning Inspiration in Miles Davis. A pianist, composer total reveal Torregano’s versatility, and singer adept at traditional bright musical personality and jazz and standards, Torregano abundance of inspiration. sweetens Morning Inspiration, his —John Wirt fifth album, with pop and rhythmand-blues. Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind My chops are rolling!! as good a hymn as I’ve ever heard a local write. The back-up cast is solid, with Ryan Burrage and Gerald French taking top honors. I’m very glad to have this disc; Scott has not produced enough of these in his two decades here.

(EllerSoul Records)

Besides playing piano, electric keyboards, kalimba and singing, Torregano composed, produced, engineered and mixed Morning Inspiration. The title song sets the album’s feel-good tone with melodic pop-jazz and a smoothjazz groove. Torregano and Alex Geddes—the saxophonist who performs regularly with Torregano—ably fill the album’s dominant soloist roles. A multiinstrumentalist, Geddes moves to flute for “Live Wires,” an instrument well-suited for this Latin-tinged piece propelled by bassist Wilbur Thompson and drummer Chris Guccione.

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Jason Ricci’s ebullient blues harp style often gets him tagged as the next Butterfield, but his backstory reveals a true iconoclast who’s not so easily pegged. Ricci came to the blues naturally after an adolescence spent as a hardcore Portland punker, which is why he usually eschews the shuffle and even the funk for the

straight 4/4. It also helps explain why his electric and instrumental cover of Zeppelin’s “Going to California” sounds like a real road trip (without losing one bit of

the original’s effervescence) and why “Snow Flakes and Horses” sounds like an Aerosmith take on R.L. Burnside’s “Let My Baby Ride” (Ricci sat in with the great man for a while). The inestimable John Lisi’s presence on guitar absolutely does not hurt, either, bumping everything up one hurricane cat with his squalling solos. The title track utilizes a lot of James Brown-style starts and stops to showcase Jason’s furiously pentatonic harp licks— Butterfield’s intensity tempered by Little Walter’s swing—but Lisi’s “Break in the Rain” is the peak of this session, a jam-band throwdown (or is it hoedown?) that allows Ricci’s freak flag to fly in a most naturalistic style not seen since Perry Farrell. And since moving here in 2011, Jason’s come bearing gifts this time out in the form of a religiously correct version of Barbara Lynn’s “If You Should Lose Me” and a Saints theme, complete with parade beat, called “Who Dat Nation.” Okay, this being Ricci, he subtitled it “Fuck the Falcons.” We’ll take it. —Robert Fontenot

Lakou Mizik HaitiaNola (Cumbancha)

After playing Jazz Fest in 2017, Haiti’s Lakou Mizik had an epiphany for a cross-cultural collaboration with New Orleans’ finest, which resulted in this recording that features the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Trombone Shorty, Jon Cleary, Cyril Neville, The Soul Rebels, Leyla McCalla, Lost Bayou Ramblers and others. Since New Orleans is considered the northern part of the Caribbean, it has historically been influenced by its Haitian refugee emigrants. The eight-person troupe is an explosive tour de force, constantly mixing a mesmerizing variety of world sounds,

tribal beats and choral arrangements that surround and swirl above enchanted ears. Some vocal performances, such as “La Fanmi” sung by Lakou Mizik’s Nadine Remy and accompanied by Cleary on piano, are simply lovely. Because the selections are generally dense, you really have to listen for the contributions of Lakou Mizik’s Louisianan brethren since they blend in so well. Horns by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Trombone Shorty on “Renmen” and “Pistach Griye,” respectively, are more prominent on the boisterous outros. Yet, Lost Bayou Ramblers’ jaunty Creolesque edge on “Grann” isn’t as noticeable until the end. Interestingly, McCalla’s pulsing cello plucking is immediately salient on “Rasanbleman,” but even more remarkable is her singing in Creole midway through. Where this collaboration hits its stride is on “Iko Kreyòl,” an adaptation of “Iko Iko” relayed through a Haitian perspective. Similarly, Neville’s proclamation of “keep our culture” on “Sa Na Kenbe” is the most unifying moment of all. Despite the guest appearances, it’s still Lakou Mizik’s show, one that is worth exploring through repeated listens. The bilingual 18-page liner notes written in English and Haitian Kreyò provide explanations and lyrics that offer insight about the traditions, hopes and issues of our southern Caribbean neighbors. —Dan Willging

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

THURSDAY OCTOBER 31 30/90: Kennedy and the M.O.T.H. (RK) 2p, Carolyn Broussard (FO) 5p, Deltaphonic (FK) 9p, DJ Torch (VR) 10p, Big Easy Brawlers (BB) 11:59p Buffa’s: Meryl Zimmerman (JV) 5p,Tom McDermott and Antoine Diel (JV) 9p Café Negril: Claude Bryant and the All-Stars (VR) 6p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: People Museum, New Thousand,Whipcream (VR) 9p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 7p, Cha Wa, Sexual Thunder (FK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Halloween Dance Party with Lil Jodeci and guests (VR) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Jack Harlow (HH) 7p House of Blues: Helmet: 30th Anniversary Tour (ME) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p, Elephant Wrecking Ball (VR) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (JV) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p Kerry Irish Pub:Will Dickerson (FO) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (BB) 11p One Eyed Jacks: the Iceman Special (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Cafe:Tim Laughlin and Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation AllStars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Rusty Metoyer and Zydeco Crush (ZY) 8p Snug Harbor: Halloween with Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Spotted Cat: Sal Geloso Trio (JV) 2p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby):Tarot with JP (VR) 7p Three Muses:Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Gal

NOVEMBER 2019

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

Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (SI) 8p Tipitina’s: Galactic feat. Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Motel Radio (VR) 10p UNO Lakefront Arena:Widespread Panic (VR) 7:30p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl 504 (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10:30p FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1 30/90: Matt O’Ree and Eryn (BL) 2p, Jon Roniger and the Good For Nothin’ Band (JV) 5p, Soul Project (FK) 8p, DJ Dot Dunnie (VR) 10p, Gene’s Music Machine (FK) 11p Café Negril: Shawn Williams (VR) 2p, Dana Abbott Band (VR) 6p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Secondhand Street Band (BB) 6p, check website 9p d.b.a.: Russell Welch Hot Quartet (JV) 4p, Swinging Gypsies (JV) 7p, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles (MG) 11p Dos Jefes: Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 10p Fillmore:Tulane’s Tipping Point feat. Mavis Staples, Chris Robinson, Anders Osborne and others (VR) 8p Gasa Gasa: the Tronegone Band,Vintage Pistol (FK) 11:59p; Hash Cabbage (FK) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jake Landry and the Right Lane Bandits (FO) 7p House of Blues: Stiff Little Fingers, the Avengers (PK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Elephant Wrecking Ball feat. Neal Evans, Scott Flynn, and Dan Africano (FK) 11p Howlin’ Wolf: Papa Plays the Nite Tripper: John “Papa” Gros’ All-Star Tribute to Dr. John feat.Theresa Anderson, Brad Walker, John Culbreth, Daniel Seriff, Matt Booth, Russ Broussard and others (FK) 11:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p New Orleans Jazz Museum: Honoring the Kidd Concert feat. Roger Lewis, Herlin Riley,

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

Carl LeBlanc, Kirk Joseph, Michael Torregano Jr. and Don Paul (JV) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Like A Heartbeat: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac feat. Amy Trail, Marc Paradis, Colin Davis, Hannah Krieger-Benson, Carolyn Broussard, Graham Robinson, Danny Abel (CR) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lucien Barbarin and Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Dana Abbott Band (JV) 2p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 6p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 10p Starlight: Sean Riley (BL) 4p, Salt Wives (GY) 8p, Old Nobodaddy Presents: Service (VR) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Cue’d Up with G-Cue, B2B, DJ Kemistry feat. Pro$per Jone$, Hugh Augustine (VR) 9:30p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Esther Rose (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Keller and the Keels, Handmade Moments (VR) 11p UNO Lakefront Arena:Widespread Panic (FK) 7:30p SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2 30/90: Jonathan Bauer Project (MJ) 11a, Kettle Black (SS) 2p, Rebel Roadside (BL) 5p, Big Mike and the R&B Kings (RB) 8p, DJ Torch (VR) 10p, Big Easy Brawlers (BB) 11p Buffa’s: Loose Cattle (CW) 11a, the Salt Wives (GY) 6p, Greg Schatz (VR) 9p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 2p, Jamey St. Pierre Band (VR) 6p, Khris Royal and Dark Matter (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Fraulein Francis and the Sleazeball Orchestra (JV) 6p, Electric Blue Yonder, Ever More Nest (FO) 9p Circle Bar: Gram Parsons’ 73rd Birthday Bash (CW) 7p d.b.a.: Sabertooth Swing (JV) 4p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 7p, Soul Rebels (BB) 11p Fillmore: Drag Divas Brunch (VR) 10:30a House of Blues (Foundation Room): the Quickening (SO) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den):Will and the Foxhounds (FK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Midnite Ramblers: Funkin’ the Stones NOLA Style feat. Marc Stone, Mark Rechler, Jordan Anderson, Eric Bolivar, Roadside Glorious (FK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Bloody Mary Festival (VR) 12p Jazz Playhouse: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Keva Holiday (VR) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Paul Ferguson (FO) 9p Music Box Village: Damo Suzuki’s Network with members of Bitchin’ Bajas (VR) 7p New Orleans Creole Cookery: the Cookery Three (JV) 6p One Eyed Jacks: Stoop Kids, People Museum, Jank Setup (VR) 9p

Palm Court Jazz Café: Greg Stafford and Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Antoine Diel and Arsene DeLay (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Starlight: Heidijo (JV) 5p, Bad Penny Pleasuremakers (JV) 8p, Cajun Dance Party with 99 Playboys, the Swamp Blossoms (KJ) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): NOJO 7 (BB) 8:30p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): DJ Kazu (VR) 11p Three Muses: Dan Schroeder (JV) 5p, Davis Rogan (VR) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Dumpstaphunk (FK) 11p UNO Lakefront Arena:Widespread Panic (FK) 7:30p SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3 30/90: Mikayla Braun (SO) 11a, Set Up Kings (RB) 2p,Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (FK) 5p,T’Canaille (KJ) 9p Café Negril: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 6p,Vegas Cola Band (JV) 10p Candlelight Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme All-Stars (BB) 8p Carnaval Lounge: Anne Elise Hastings and her Revolving Cast of Characters (FO) 6p, Sage Rouge, South Jones (RK) 9p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p Fillmore: Drag Divas Brunch (VR) 10:30a Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Bloody Mary Festival (VR) 12p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Joy Theater: Gwar, Sacred Reich,Toxic Holocaust, Against the Grain (ME) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: DJ Sugar Ray (VR) 4:20p,TBC Brass Band (BB) 6p Kerry Irish Pub:Van Hudson (FO) 8p One Eyed Jacks: Anamanaguchi (VR) 8p Our Lady of Guadalupe: Jazz Mass (JV) 9:30a & 11:30a Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Will Smith (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher and My Clarinet Heroes (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Aurora Nealand and the Reed Minders (JV) 2p, Robin Barnes and the FiyaBirds (JV) 7p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Starlight: Steve DeTroy Trio (JV) 5p, Gabrielle Cavassa (JV) 8p, Starlight Sessions (JV) 10p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, the Clementines (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Bishop Gunn, Magnolia Bayou (VR) 9p MONDAY NOVEMBER 4 30/90: Margie Perez (SO) 5p, New Orleans O F F B E AT. C O M

Super Jam presented by Gene Harding (VR) 9p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay and Charlie Wooton (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (VR) 8p Café Negril: Noggin (VR) 6p, Soul Project NOLA (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Rebecca Leigh and Harry Mayronne (JV) 6p, Comic Strip (CO) 9p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Gasa Gasa: Hand Out, My Epic, Mess, Maintenance (RK) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: James Williams (VR) 6p, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Irvin Mayfield (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: Russian Circles,Windhand (VR) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation AllStars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Swing Night with DJ Twiggs (SI) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Movement Mondays:WHIV 102.3 Live Broadcast (VR) 6p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5 30/90: Mem Shannon and the Membership Band (BL) 5p, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale (BL) 9p Café Negril: Marla Dixon Band (VR) 6p, Dimondick Gorilla and the Swingin’ Vines (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Carmela Rappazzo (JV) 6p, the Zoltars, Marina Orchestra (ID) 9p Civic Theatre: Angel Olsen (ID) 8p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p,Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Ellis Marsalis Center for Music: Detroit Brooks (JV) 6p Gasa Gasa: Cat Clyde (ID) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): DJ Doug Funnie (RK) 6:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Big 6 Brass Band (BB) 7p, Stuart Coles’ Straight Ahead Jam Session (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Hugh Morrison (FO) 8:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Latin Night (LT) 7p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel):Tech Tuesdays NoFUN Meetup (VR) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby):Tech OF F B E AT.C OM

Tuesdays Hack Night (VR) 7p Three Muses: Sam Cammarata (JV) 5p WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6 30/90: Justin Donovan (BL) 5p, Big Mike and the R&B Kings (RB) 9p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 6p, Luscious Duchess (VR) 10p Candlelight Lounge: Andrews Brass Band (BB) 8p Carnaval Lounge: David Roe (PI) 6p, Quinn Sternberg Band, Sam Taylor Sound, Georgi Petrov Quartet (JV) 9p Cove at UNO: Jazz at the Sandbar presents Roberto Carcasses (JV) 7p d.b.a.:Tin Men (RK) 7p,Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dmac’s: Songwriter Sessions feat. Mark Carson and Dana Abbott (FO) 8p Fillmore: AJR (RK) 6:30p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Sam Colgate Trio (JV) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): UNO Rock Ensemble (RK) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Big Sam’s Crescent City Connection (JV) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Angie’s Karaoke (KR) 7p, Blue Tang People (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub:Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: Jaye Jayle, Missing, ExSpecter (VR) 7p,Vixens and Vinyl (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 5p, Preservation AllStars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Pat Barberot Orchestra (SI) 8p Santos: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10:30p 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 Starlight: Davis Rogan (VR) 5p,Tuba Skinny (JV) 8p, Hot Jazz Jam (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Sinking City Selects (VR) 8p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7 30/90: Andy J. Forest (BL) 5p, Raw Deal (FK) 9p, DJ Trill Skill (VR) 10p Botanical Garden (City Park):Thursdays at Twilight Series feat.Warren Storm with Yvette Landry and the Jukes (JV) 6p Buffa’s: Rebecca Leigh, Harry Mayronne and Chris Wecklein (JV) 5p,Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Café Negril: Claude Bryant and the All-Stars (VR) 6p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Ivor Simpson-Kennedy (BL) 6p, the Salt Wives (KZ) 9p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 7p, Cole NOVEMBER 2019

express Williams Band (VR) 10p Fillmore: the Raconteurs (RK) 7p House of Blues (Foundation Room): the Tempted (BL) 6p House of Blues: Jidenna (HH) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Big Bad Daze, Swamp Stank, Brave New World, Rust (RK) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Mario Abney (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub:Vincent Marini (FO) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Kettle Black (SS) 6p Orpheum Theater: RuPaul’s Drag Race (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger and Tim Laughlin with Crescent City Joymakers (JV) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie (ZY) 8p Snug Harbor: Roberto Carcasses Quartet with Bobby Carcasses (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Harlequeen presents Honor Thy Mother (VR) 9p Three Muses:Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Mia Borders (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Black Joe Lewis (VR) 9p Vaughan’s: DJ Black Pearl 504 (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10:30p FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8 30/90: Retrofit (BL) 2p, Kennedy and the M.O.T.H. (RK) 5p, Ace Carlson (BL) 8p Buffa’s: Lynn Drury (VR) 6p,Tyler Millet Trio with Clint Pigg and Jamal Watson (JV) 9p Café Negril: Shawn Williams (VR) 2p, Dana Abbott Band (VR) 6p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Arsene DeLay (RK) 6p, Picozapato (LT) 9p d.b.a.: Russell Welch Hot Quartet (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 7p Gasa Gasa:This Will Destroy You (RK) 8p, the Dude Ranch: Blink 182 Tribute (RK) 11:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Debauche (GY) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Jesse Cotton Stone, Nekisopaya (BL) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Shannon Powell Jazz Quartet (JV) 7:30p,Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye (BQ) 11p Joy Theater: BASSIK Anniversary feat Borgore, Kai Wachi,Throwdown, Klutch (EL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Irish Enough (FO) 5p, Beth Patterson (FO) 9p One Eyed Jacks: Sharks’ Teeth Album-release show, Ex-Specter, Palm Sunday (VR) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lucien Barbarin and Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8

NOVEMBER 2019

& 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, Dr. Brice Miller and Buku NOLA (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): 1Social presents the Living Room Experience (SO) 9:30p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Soul Rebels Album-release party (BB) 10p Treme Art and Music Lounge: Grand Opening Party feat. Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 9p SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9 30/90: Sleazeball Orchestra (JV) 11a, Chicken and Waffles (JV) 2p, Organami (JV) 5p, Mofongo (LT) 8p, DJ Fresh (VR) 10p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (SO) 11p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 2p, Jamey St. Pierre Band (VR) 6p, In Business (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Cole Williams Gospel Trio (GS) 6p, Ari Carter, Mighty Brother, Micah McKee (RK) 9p d.b.a.: Sabertooth Swing (JV) 4p,Tuba Skinny (JV) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 11p Gasa Gasa: Mike Doughty Plays Soul Coughing’s Ruby Vroom 25 Year Anniversary Tour (RK) 9p House of Blues (the Parish): Inferno Burlesque (BQ) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Skyzoo, Elzhi (HH) 10p Howlin’ Wolf:Vintage Trouble, Kyle Daniel (SO) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Mike Kerwin and Geoff Coats (FO) 5p,Van Hudson and friends (FO) 9p One Eyed Jacks: Kikagayu Moyo, Minami Deutsch (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Greg Stafford and Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis and BGQ Exploration (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, James Martin Band (JV) 10p Starlight: Heidijo (JV) 4p, Shawan Rice (SO) 7p, Julie Odell (FO) 9p, Ajäi (FO) 11:30p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Big Easy Brawlers (BB) 9p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11:30p Three Muses: Dan Schroeder (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Treme Art and Music Lounge: Grand Opening Party feat. Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 9p UNO Lakefront Arena: Kevin Gates, Polo G, YK Osiris, Rod Wave, Sdot Fresh (HH) 8p SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10 30/90: Berthena Banks (RB) 11a,Truman Holland and the Back Porch Review (SS) 2p, Carolyn Broussard (FO) 5p,T’Canaille (KJ) 9p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 11a, Fr. Ron and Friends (VR) 4p, Steve Pistorius Jazz Quartet (JV) 7p Café Negril: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 6p,Vegas Cola Band (JV) 10p Candlelight Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme All-Stars (BB) 8p

Carnaval Lounge: Real Rob (VR) 6p, Rotten Cores (RC) 9p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p Fillmore: Drag Divas Brunch (VR) 10:30a Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Magic Beans, Mungion (VR) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: DJ Sugar Ray (VR) 4:20p,TBC Brass Band (BB) 6p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p One Eyed Jacks: Allah-Las, Maston (VR) 8p Orpheum Theater: Bianca Del Rio (VR) Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher presents Jazz a la Creole feat. Don Vappie (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Jamey St. Pierre Band (JV) 2p, Robin Barnes and the FiyaBirds (JV) 7p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Starlight: Buku do Choro (LT) 5p, Gabrielle Cavassa (JV) 8p, Starlight Sessions (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Saints Game Screening (VR) 12p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, the Clementines (JV) 8p MONDAY NOVEMBER 11 30/90: Dapper Dandies (TJ) 5p, New Orleans Super Jam presented by Gene Harding (VR) 9p Café Negril: Noggin (VR) 6p, Soul Project NOLA (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Alison McConnell (SS) 6p, Comic Strip (CO) 9p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): Reignwolf (RK) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: James Williams (VR) 6p, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Irvin Mayfield (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Hugh Morrison (FO) 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: Monolord, Blackwater Holylight, Space Cadaver (VR) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 5p, Preservation AllStars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Rhythm Stompers (JV) 10p Starlight: Sweet Magnolia Jazz Band (JV) 8p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel):Too Trill Trivia with Eric and Terri (VR) 6p, Movement Mondays: WHIV 102.3 Live Broadcast with with Mayors PAC (VR) 6p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Washboard Rodeo (JV) 8p TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12 30/90: Set Up Kings (RB) 5p, In Business (FK) 9p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Nutria (JV) 7:30p Buffa’s: Charlie Wooton (VR) 7p Café Negril: Marla Dixon Band (VR) 6p,

Dimondick Gorilla and the Swingin’ Vines (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Antoine Diel and Daniel Schroeder (JV) 6p,Transiberian Nightmare Drag Show (VR) 9p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p,Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Shawan Rice (SO) 6p House of Blues: Alejandro Aranda is Scarypoolparty (PO) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Big 6 Brass Band (BB) 7p, Stuart Coles’ Straight Ahead Jam Session (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub:Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Smoothie King Center: Jonas Brothers (PO) 7:30p 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 Starlight:Taste Buds (JV) 5p, NuSpeak (JV) 8p, Baby Boy Bartel and the Boys (RK) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel):Tech Tuesdays NOLASec Meetup (VR) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby):Tech Tuesdays Hack Night (VR) 7p Tipitina’s: Dinosaur Jr., Easy Action (RK) 9p WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13 30/90: Justin Donovan (BL) 5p, Colin Davis and the Night People (SO) 9p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 6p, Luscious Duchess (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Live Jazz Group (JV) 6p, Carson Station (RR) 9p Cove at UNO: Jazz at the Sandbar presents Jon Ramm (JV) 7p d.b.a.:Tin Men (RK) 7p,Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Gasa Gasa: Jacuzzi Boys,Tattered Rabbit (RK) 9p House of Blues (the Parish): Cautious Clay (RB) 8p House of Blues: Static-X, Devildriver (ME) 6p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Angie’s Karaoke (KR) 7p, Blue Tang People (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Saenger Theatre: Elvis Costello and the Imposters (SS) 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 Starlight: Davis Rogan (VR) 5p,Tuba Skinny (JV) 8p, Hot Jazz Jam (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel):Think Less Hear More (VR) 8:30p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p O F F B E AT. C O M

express THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14 30/90: Andy J. Forest (BL) 5p, Soul Project (FK) 9p; DJ Fresh (VR) 10p Buffa’s: Andre Bohren (PI) 5p,Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Café Negril: Claude Bryant and the All-Stars (VR) 6p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Geovane Santos’ Jazz Brasileiro (LT) 6p, Loose Cattle (FO) 9p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 7p, Deltaphonic (FK) 10p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Kennedy Kuntz and the Men of the Hour (SO) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Steel Woods (CW) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Jamali Maddix (CO) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Mario Abney (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Johnny J. and the Hitmen (RC) 6p Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger and Tim Laughlin with Crescent City Joymakers (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Don Vappie’s Grio Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): the Finest in Funk with AJ Hall (FK) 9p Three Muses:Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Arsene DeLay (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Cimafunk (VR) 9p Vaughan’s: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10:30p, DJ Black Pearl 504 (VR) 9p FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 30/90: Jeremy Joyce (BL) 2p, Bywater Skanks (FK) 5p, Sleazeball Orchestra (JV) 8p, DJ Trill Skill (VR) 10p, Smoke N Bones (FK) 11p Buffa’s: B Side Beatniks with Larry Scala (JV) 6p, Ortner, Singelton and Zdybel (JV) 9p Café Negril: Shawn Williams (VR) 2p, Dana Abbott Band (VR) 6p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Lilli Lewis Project (BL) 6p, Dang Bruh Y, Mystery Girl, Jack and Jackrabbits (FK) 9p d.b.a.: Russell Welch Hot Quartet (JV) 4p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 7p Fillmore: Cody Johnson (CW) 8p Gasa Gasa: Lee McKinney, Felix Martin, Shambles (VR) 7:30p Historic New Orleans Collection: Olivier Latry (CL) 6p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Or Shovaly Plus (JV) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): John 5 and the Creatures (ME) 8p House of Blues:Thievery Corporation (EL) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Chrishira Perrier OF F B E AT.C OM

(SO) 10p Joy Theater: the 4th Annual Last Waltz (VR) 9p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: DJ Sugar Ray (VR) 4:20p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Halfway To Bob Dylan’s Birthday Tribute with Foot and Friends (FO) 9p One Eyed Jacks: Andrew Duhon, Kristin Diable (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lucien Barbarin and Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 6p, Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): AfroXotica with Andrea Peoples, DJ Ojay, Kodjo (AF) 11:59p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Jagged Little Pill: An Alanis Morissette Tribute, My So-Called Band: A ’90s Tribute (RK) 10p SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 30/90: Co. and Co.Travelin’ Show (JV) 11a, Bob Gagnon Quartet (JV) 2p,Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (SS) 5p, Deltaphonic (FK) 8p, DJ Torch (VR) 10p, Big Easy Brawlers (BB) 11p A Studio in the Woods: FORESTival: A Celebration of Art and Nature feat. Lost Bayou Ramblers and others (VR) 10a Buffa’s: Dave Ferrato and Irene Sage (BL) 6p, Keith Burnstein (SS) 9p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 2p, Jamey St. Pierre Band (VR) 6p, DJ Raj Smoove (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Alex McMurray (SS) 6p, Kuwaisiana, Island Days, Bad Misters (ID) 9p d.b.a.: Sabertooth Swing (JV) 4p,Tuba Skinny (JV) 7p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 11p Fillmore: Drag Divas Brunch (VR) 10:30a House of Blues (the Parish): Christone “Kingfish” Ingram (BL) 9p House of Blues: Pennywise (PK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): 602 Prophet, Glasshouse Worldwide, NCOGNITA, ATRAIN, Boi Fonto, K Loyal, Big SP (HH) 10:30p Howlin’ Wolf: 99 and the 2000 Throwback Festival feat. Ghetto Twins, Partners N Crime, Fila Phil, Lady Red, Ricky B, Ms.Tee, Kilo, Cheeky Blakk, Magnolia Chop, Hot Boy Ronald (HH) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Keva Holiday (VR) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Crescent and Clover Celtic Band (FO) 5p,Will Dickerson (FO) 9p Landry-Walker High School: George Lewis Legacy Concert and Lecture feat. Dr. Michael White (JV) 7p New Orleans Jazz Market: Zardis presents Pairings (JV) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p NOVEMBER 2019

express Snug Harbor: Ike Stubblefield Organ Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Russell Welch’s Band (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Another Day in Paradise (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): La Noche Caliente with Muevelo and Mambo Orleans (LT) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Soul Glow: aDynamiteBounceRemixExperience (SO) 4p Three Muses: Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p UNO Lakefront Arena: Fantasia (PO) 8p SUNDAY NOVEMBER 17 30/90: Rose Cangelosi (RK) 11a, Set Up Kings (RB) 2p,Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (FK) 5p, Chris Klein and the Boulevards (BL) 9p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 11a, Molly Reeves and Nahum Zdybel (VR) 4p, Steve Pistorius Jazz Quartet (JV) 7p Café Negril: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 6p,Vegas Cola Band (JV) 10p Candlelight Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme All-Stars (BB) 8p Carnaval Lounge: the Two’s (RR) 6p, Dirty Rain Revelers,Tough Old Bird (FO) 9p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p Fillmore: Brockhampton (VR) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): the Coathangers (PK) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: DJ Sugar Ray (VR) 4:20p,TBC Brass Band (BB) 6p Kerry Irish Pub:Traditional Irish Session (FO) 5p, Beth Patterson (FO) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Crescent City Joymakers (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Will Smith (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher: Clarinet Road feat. Joe Ashlar (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Giselle Anguizola and the New Orleans Swinging Gypsies (JV) 2p, Robin Barnes and the FiyaBirds (JV) 7p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Saints Game Screening (VR) 12p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, the Clementines (JV) 8p UNO Lakefront Arena: For King and Country (VR) 7p MONDAY NOVEMBER 18 30/90: Margie Perez (SO) 5p, New Orleans Super Jam presented by Gene Harding (VR) 9p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay and Charlie Wooton (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Café Negril: Noggin (VR) 6p, Soul Project NOLA (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Dick Johnson Band (BL) 6p, Comic Strip (CO) 9p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): the Jauntee, NuSpeak (FK) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p

NOVEMBER 2019

Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: James Williams (VR) 6p, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Irvin Mayfield (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Hugh Morrison (FO) 8:30p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Swing Night with DJ Twiggs (SI) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 10p Starlight: Dayna Kurtz and Robert Mache (JV) 4p, Lulu and the Broadsides (BL) 7p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Movement Mondays: WHIV 102.3 Live Broadcast with Chinua (VR) 6p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Joe Cabral (VR) 8p

Nova Love (LT) 6p, Leafdrinker, Caustic Casanova,Vedas (RK) 9p Cove at UNO: Jazz at the Sandbar presents Karrin Allyson (JV) 7p d.b.a.:Tin Men (RK) 7p,Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Angie’s Karaoke (KR) 7p, Blue Tang People (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub:Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra (JV) 7p 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 Starlight: Davis Rogan (VR) 5p,Tuba Skinny (JV) 8p, Hot Jazz Jam (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Shape of Jazz to Come (JV) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Schatzy (JV) 8p

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19 30/90: Mem Shannon and the Membership Band (BL) 5p, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale (BL) 9p Buffa’s:Treme Tuesday with Tom McDermott (JV) 7p Café Negril: Marla Dixon Band (VR) 6p, Dimondick Gorilla and the Swingin’ Vines (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Meryl Zimmerman and Kris Tokarski (JV) 6p, Catie Rodgers Big Band (JV) 9p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p,Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Robert Cline Jr. (JV) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Immortal Technique (HH) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Big 6 Brass Band (BB) 7p, Stuart Coles’ Straight Ahead Jam Session (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: the Elf on the Shelf (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 Three Keys (Ace Hotel):Tech Tuesdays GDG New Orleans Meetup (VR) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby):Tech Tuesdays Hack Night (VR) 7p Three Muses: Sam Cammarata (JV) 5p, Mia Borders (JV) 8p

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21 30/90: Andy J. Forest (BL) 5p, Smoke N Bones (FK) 9p, DJ Fresh (VR) 10p Café Negril: Claude Bryant and the All-Stars (VR) 6p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Leslie Cooper (JV) 6p, Josh Benitez Band (FK) 9p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 10p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Mike Doussan (FK) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Skizzy Mars (HH) 8p House of Blues: As I Lay Dying (ME) 7:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (JV) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Mario Abney (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Rod Picott (SS) 6p Old Point Bar: Hanna Mignano Trio (RK) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger and Tim Laughlin with Crescent City Joymakers (JV) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Chubby Carrier and Bayou Swamp Band (ZY) 8p Snug Harbor: Karrin Allyson Ensemble (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks (JV) 2p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Four or Five Times Swing Night with Meschiya Lake and the Big Horns with dancers Amy Johnson, Ian Monroe, Laura Manning (SI) 7p Three Muses:Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Arsene DeLay (JV) 8p Vaughan’s: DJ Black Pearl 504 (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10:30p

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 20 30/90: Justin Donovan (BL) 5p, Big Mike and the R&B Kings (RB) 9p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 6p, Luscious Duchess (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: KatieCat and Cain Bossa

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22 30/90:Tony Lee Thomas (BL) 2p, Jonathan Bauer Project (MJ) 5p, Dat Band (VR) 8p

Buffa’s: Meryl Zimmerman (JV) 6p, Hannah KB Band (SS) 9p Café Negril: Shawn Williams (VR) 2p, Dana Abbott Band (VR) 6p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: St. Roch Syncopators (TJ) 6p, Looniest Toon, Fantasy Non Fiction, Mosquito Eater (ID) 9p d.b.a.: Russell Welch Hot Quartet (JV) 5p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers (ZY) 11p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jake Landry and the Right Lane Bandits (FO) 7p House of Blues: Bustout Burlesque (BQ) 8 & 10:30p Jazz Playhouse: Shannon Powell Quartet (JV) 7:30p,Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye (BQ) 11p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 5p,Van Hudson and friends (FO) 9p Mahalia Jackson Theater: NOBA presents Pilobolus in Shadowland (DN) 8p New Orleans Jazz Market: Roots of Music Fundraiser feat. Soul Rebels,Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Kam Franklin (VR) 7p New Orleans Jazz Museum: CC Adcock and Tommy McLain (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: DJ Soul Sister presents Soulful Takeover (FK) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lucien Barbarin and Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, Soul Brass Band (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Brass and Beats feat. Kings of Brass and Raj Smoove (BB) 8:30p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Harvest the Music Benefit feat. Honey Island Swamp Band, Brass-A-Holics, Bo Dollis, Jr. and the Wild Magnolias, Miss Mojo (VR) 7:30p SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23 30/90: Sleazeball Orchestra (JV) 11a, Ole Man River Band (RB) 2p, Simple Sound Retreat (PO) 5p,TLT Band (BL) 8p, DJ Torch (VR) 10p, Hotline (RK) 11p Buffa’s:Walter “Wolfman” Washington (BL) 9p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 2p, Jamey St. Pierre and the Honeycreepers (VR) 6p,Vegas Cola Band (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Royal and Dumaine Hawaiians (VR) 6p, Muevelo (LT) 9p d.b.a.: Sabertooth Swing (JV) 4p,Tuba Skinny (JV) 7p, Brass-A-Holics (BB) 11p Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall: Tribute to Spencer Bohren with Andre Bohren, Alex McMurray, Paul Sanchez, Jim McCormick and Dave Pomerleau (BL) 6:30p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Burris (FK) 7p House of Blues: Low End Theory Players Present: A Tribute to Outkast (HH) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Dave Hickey (FO) 5p, Lynn O F F B E AT. C O M

express Drury (FO) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p SideBar NOLA: the Self-Righteous Brothers feat. Phil Degruy and Cranston Clements (VR) 7p, Simon Lott,WATIV, Justin Peake (MJ) 9p Snug Harbor: Sasha Masakowski and Art Market (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Jazz Band Ballers (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel):Troy Sawyer Birthday Bash (BB) 9p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Archive with Felice Gee (VR) 10:30p Three Muses: Dan Schroeder (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24 30/90: Shawn Williams (BL) 11a,Truman Holland and the Back Porch Review (SS) 2p, Carolyn Broussard (SS) 5p,T’Canaille (KJ) 9p Café Negril: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 6p,Vegas Cola Band (JV) 10p Candlelight Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme All-Stars (BB) 8p Carnaval Lounge: Pfister Sisters (JV) 6p, Ever More Nest (FO) 9p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p Dmac’s: the Broken Picks (RK) 8p Fillmore: Drag Divas Brunch (VR) 10:30a Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band

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(BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: DJ Sugar Ray (VR) 4:20p,TBC Brass Band (BB) 6p Kerry Irish Pub:Will Dickerson (FO) 8p One Eyed Jacks: Robert Finley (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Will Smith (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher and the Faubourg Variations (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: John Lisi and Delta Funk (JV) 2p, Robin Barnes and the FiyaBirds (JV) 7p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Starlight: Buku do Choro (LT) 5p, Gabrielle Cavassa (JV) 8p, Starlight Sessions (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Saints Game Screening (VR) 12p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascal (JV) 5p, the Clementines (JV) 8p MONDAY NOVEMBER 25 30/90: Dapper Dandies (JV) 5p, New Orleans Super Jam presented by Gene Harding (VR) 9p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay and Charlie Wooton (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (VR) 8p Café Negril: Noggin (VR) 6p, Soul Project NOLA (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Margie Perez (SO) 6p, Comic Strip (CO) 9p

d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): Cattle Decapitation, Atheist (ME) 6:30p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: James Williams (VR) 6p, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Irvin Mayfield (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Rhythm Stompers (JV) 10p Starlight: Ben Fox-Trot (JV) 4p, Fantasy Non Fiction, Jack M. Senff, Kelly Duplex (ID) 7p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Simple Play Networking Happy Hour (VR) 5p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Meschiya Lake (JV) 8p TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26 30/90: Set Up Kings (RB) 5p, In Business (FK) 9p Café Negril: Marla Dixon Band (VR) 6p, Dimondick Gorilla and the Swingin’ Vines (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Antoine Diel and Daniel Schroeder (JV) 6p,Transiberian Nightmare Drag Show (VR) 9p d.b.a.: Dinosaurchestra (JV) 7p,Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Fillmore: Incubus (VR) 7p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Rich

Collins (SS) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Joy Theater: Gryffin, the Knocks, Bunt (EL) 9p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Big 6 Brass Band (BB) 7p, Stuart Coles’ Straight Ahead Jam Session (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: Mikal Cronin, Shannon Lay (VR) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 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 Starlight: Nahum Zdybel (JV) 4p, Read the Sands (JV) 7p, Goodnight Starlight (FO) 9p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Angelica Rahe (LT) 8:30p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby):Tech Tuesdays Hack Night (VR) 7p Three Muses: Josh Gouzy (JV) 8p UNO Lakefront Arena: the 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen (VR) 7:30p WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27 30/90: Justin Donovan (BL) 5p, Colin Davis and the Night People (SO) 9p

NOVEMBER 2019

express Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 6p, Luscious Duchess (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge:Tiffany Pollack and Co. (SS) 6p, Julie Odell, Laura Fisher, Naughty Palace (VR) 9p d.b.a.:Tin Men (RK) 7p,Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Fillmore: K. Michelle (VR) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Big Sam’s Crescent City Connection (JV) 8:30p Joy Theater: BASSIK presents the Gobble Wobble feat. Subtronics (EL) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Angie’s Karaoke (KR) 7p, Blue Tang People (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 5p, Preservation AllStars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: the Mixed Nuts, DJ Jubilee (VR) 9:30p 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): Psychedelic Society of New Orleans Meet-Up (VR) 7p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Joy Patterson and Matt Bell (JV) 8p Tipitina’s:Tipitina’s Tribute to Dr. John with George Porter Jr. (FK) 8p

NOVEMBER 2019

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 30/90: Andy J. Forest (BL) 5p, Armando LeDuc y Salsa Royale (LT) 9p, DJ Dot Dunnie (VR) 10p Café Negril: Claude Bryant and the All-Stars (VR) 6p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge:Thanksgiving Football on the Big Screen (VR) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: Brass-A-Holics (JV) 8:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p, Mario Abney (JV) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie (ZY) 8p Spotted Cat:Thanksgiving Potluck with Tom Saunders and the Hot Cats (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Saints Game Screening (VR) 7p Vaughan’s: DJ Black Pearl 504 (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10:30p FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 30/90: Jonathan Bauer Project (MJ) 2p, Jon Roniger and the Good For Nothin’ Band (JV) 5p, Crooked Vines (FK) 8p, DJ Trill Skill (VR) 10p, Gene Harding’s Birthday Bash (VR) 11p Banks Street Bar: Little Freddie King (BL) 10p

Buffa’s: Charlie Wooton Project feat. Hèli (VR) 6p, Song Swap with Patrick Smith and friends (VR) 9p Café Negril: Shawn Williams (VR) 2p, Dana Abbott Band (VR) 6p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Kool Moe Dee Appreciation Society (CO) 9p d.b.a.: Russell Welch Hot Quartet (JV) 5p, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses (JV) 7p, Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 11p Fillmore: Jeezy (HH) 8p House of Blues: PJ Morton (RB) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Pig Lizard (RK) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Lucien Barbarin and Kevin Louis with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat.Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Undertow:Tribute to Tool (VR) 8p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Soul Rebels (BB) 9p Three Muses: Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 30/90: Jonathan Bauer Project (MJ) 11a, Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (SS) 2p,

Jeremy Joyce (BL) 5p, Sam Price and the True Believers (RK) 8p, DJ Fresh (VR) 10p, Soul Project (FK) 11p Café Negril: John Lisi and Delta Funk (VR) 2p, Colin Davis and the Night People (VR) 6p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carnaval Lounge: Alex Bosworth (ID) 6p, Pallbearers (PK) 9p d.b.a.: Sabertooth Swing (JV) 4p, Ricky B with Cheeky Black, Lady Red and DJ Redd (BO) 11p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Keva Holiday (VR) 8p One Eyed Jacks: LUTHI, Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 9p Palm Court Jazz Café: Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Brass feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p Saenger Theatre: Chris Tucker (CO) 9p Snug Harbor:Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony (JV) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Mothership:Tribute to Led Zeppelin (VR) 8p Spotted Cat: Jazz Band Ballers (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p,Vegas Cola Band (JV) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel Lobby): Sierra Green (SO) 8:30p Three Muses: Dan Schroeder (JV) 5p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Tipitina’s:Tank and the Bangas, the Suffers, Casme (VR) 10p

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backtalk

n June, the Metropolitan Opera announced that it will stage an opera by an African-American composer for the first time in the company’s 163-year history. New Orleans jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard composed Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the Met’s historic choice. “He’s a brilliant composer,” Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, told The New York Times following the announcement. The opera may premiere in New York as soon as the 2020-2021 season. Times classical music critic Anthony Tommasini reviewed Fire Shut Up in My Bones’ world premiere production at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. “Vocal lines,” Tommasini wrote in June, “flow from lyrical wistfulness to snappy declamations; dense big-band sonorities in the orchestra segue into lighter passages backed by a jazz rhythm section. And there are rousing evocations of gospel choruses at church, blues and, during a fraternity party, a rhythmic chorus of spoken words, finger snapping and dance steps.” Kasi Lemmons based the Fire Shut Up in My Bones libretto on a memoir by Louisiana native Charles Blow, a New York Times The Metropolitan Opera recently announced that it will opinion columnist. Blanchard previously composed musical stage your second opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Was scores for Lemmons’ films Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine having an opera presented by the Met a longtime goal? and, opening November 1, Harriet, a biopic about Underground No. It’s one of those things that remind me of who I am and Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman. where I came from. My father loved opera. He was an amateur This year has been a big one for Blanchard, including his baritone who sang in the church and he did operatic recitals sixth Grammy Award and UCLA’s announcement that he has here and there. When he was a kid, my father sang in a group been named the first Kenny Burrell Chair in Jazz Studies at the called the Harlem Harmony Kings. When they sang on the radio Herb Alpert School of Music. The Met and UCLA announcein New Orleans, they would have to go up the back steps of ments follow the Oscar nomination Blanchard received in the radio station on Canal Street and then leave from the back January for Spike Lee’s BlacKKKlansman. Lee and Blanchard have steps. They couldn’t go through the front door. Once the Met collaborated on more than a dozen films since the trumpeter announcement hit, I thought about my father. My dream was to composed the music for 1992’s Malcolm X. be Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. My father’s dream was to sing Blanchard received another honor in October when the New at the Met, but now this has happened to me. Orleans Film Society presented him with its career achievement At first, you didn’t know how historic the Met’s award. And the New Orleans Film Festival screened two new announcement was? Blanchard projects, Harriet and the Michael Murphy documentary, The New York Times called and said, “Do you realize you’re the Up from the Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music. first African-American composer to have an opera staged at the Speaking from Los Angeles, Blanchard—whose laurels also Met?” I didn’t even know—never even thought about it. The Met include his 2016 Best of the Beat award for best contemporary news didn’t strike a chord in me until I saw the reaction people jazz artist—talked about Harriet, Up from the had to it. And then I thought of how proud my dad by John Wirt Streets and his historic place in American opera. would be. I wish he were here to see it. But it’s

Terence Blanchard

Photo BY Heidi Gutman

talks back

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backtalk probably a good thing that he’s not here, because we wouldn’t be able to keep him off the stage. Your father would want to be in the production? Oh, yeah. We’d have to find a role for him. You became a lover of mid-20th-century jazz, but you grew up with a father who loved classical music? Was that a source of conflict? He listened to Carmen, La Bohème. He loved all the classics. Sometimes we would have arguments. He’d say, “Man, that music you play, those guys play too many notes!” And then he’d say, “Sit down, boy. Listen to this. Listen to that melodic line. Now, you see? That’s music.” My dad was in a social group called the B Sharps, geared around people of color who were into opera. That blows me away when I think about the Metropolitan Opera announcement. My mind was geared always to Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis. But then somebody asked me to write an opera and all of that pre-jazz stuff popped back up in my mind. I realized, yeah, all of those classical concerts and recitals play a role into what I’m doing now. Before you accepted the Kenny Burrell Chair in Jazz Studies at UCLA, you’d been busy for decades with many wonderful projects. Was it difficult to commit your time and talent to UCLA? I did have to think about it, because I knew I’d have to be here in L.A. for a portion of the year. I also thought it was an honor to contribute to a program like this, especially coming behind one of the greatest musicians of our history. And you moved to Los Angeles a few months ago? It’s still hard for me to say that I’ve moved. I say I have a place here and I have a place in New Orleans. I’m not giving my New Orleans place up. All of my friends are there so, yeah, I’m bicoastal. You play a big role in Up from the Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music, Michael Murphy’s new documentary about the city’s music, culture and history. Murphy says Up from the Streets is the most important film he’s ever made. I can believe that because it chronicles how people take how influential our New Orleans culture is for granted. And Michael has done the research, turned over a lot of stones, unearthed all of these connections. I’m so proud of Michael and Cilista [Eberle, supervising producer at Michael Murphy Productions]. It’s a brilliant film. I want everybody to see it. Murphy didn’t originally envision you as the documentary’s on-screen guide and host. Did you evolve into that role? When they first called me, they wanted us to produce it. I’m like, “All right, cool. I’m down with that.” But then my role just grew

and grew and they allowed that to happen. You are a warm and welcoming presence in Up from the Streets. Mike has a way of keeping things light, so, yeah, I got comfortable. I didn’t take myself too seriously. I didn’t think of myself as Walter Cronkite. To be honest, I tried to be New Orleanian. Because we don’t get the credit that we’re due for a lot of things, we’re always trying to convince people. So, it’s like we’re having a conversation about all of these great things that happened in New Orleans. In addition to Up from the Streets’ world premiere at the 30th New Orleans Film Festival in October, the New Orleans Film Society presented you with a career achievement award on the festival’s closing night. Yeah, isn’t that something? I guess I’m reaching that age—naw, I shouldn’t say that. It is a true honor to be recognized in that fashion. When I started out in this business, I thought that I was going to just be a guy who loved to play music and played in clubs on the weekend. But I’ve been blessed with the opportunities to be around a lot of great people and great projects. Up from the Streets is definitely one of those. The film festival also screened Harriet, which features a musical score by you. Did Harriet touch you in an especially deep way? Harriet is a profound film. It puts Harriet Tubman’s journey in such perspective. She was a diminutive woman who changed the course of history through her passion and will. But I don’t even talk about the film that much because I want people to experience it from the beginning to the end. I’m not saying that because I worked on it. I’m saying that because I’m proud of it. Every now and then you work on a great project but then hate to use superlatives to describe it because they sound like such clichés. But those are the best words I can find for this project. Following the movies Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine and Talk to Me and the opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Harriet is the fifth project you and writer-directors have collaborated on. Like your longtime partnership with Spike Lee, do you and Kasi [Lemmons] have a strong creative connection? Kasi is my sister, man. We’ve collaborated for a number of years and we’ve become family. She’s smart, she has a powerful point of view. It’s great to work with her. And the producers allowed Kasi to make her movie [Harriet]. These types of movies, we put them in these baskets where we say, “This is a black woman’s movie.” It is not. This is a movie for everybody to experience, because it makes you realize history can be changed by even a small gesture. So, don’t ever think that your efforts to do good can ever be too small. O

I didn’t think of myself as Walter Cronkite.To be honest, I tried to be New Orleanian. Because we don’t get the credit that we’re due for a lot of things, we’re always trying to convince people. So, it’s like we’re having a conversation about all of these great things that happened in New Orleans.

NOVEMBER 2019

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