OffBeat Magazine February 2010 by OffBeat Magazine

CARNIVAL TALES N QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT N BOBBY CHARLES N DEBBIE DAVIS N GALACTIC B FE

10 Y 20 R A RU

S E A D R G O M I D R A M The many faces of Helen Gillet.

LOUISIANA MUSIC, FOOD AND CULTURE Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50

Features 10 The Winners

You voted Alllen Toussaint and The Bright Mississippi Best of the Beat.

There’s more to Carnival’s favorite songs than a soundtrack for masking.

22 Meet Da Boys 26 Framed

Quintron and Miss Pussycat tell Abby Lunetta about their plans to put their life and art on display at NOMA.

30 Carnival Tales

No detail is too improbable in a Mardi Gras story.

36 A Good Fit

John Swenson recounts cellist Helen Gillet’s efforts to find her musical place in New Orleans.

44 In the Kitchen with Debbie

Singer Debbie Davis gets all steamed up with Elsa Hahne.

Departments 6 Letters 8 Mojo Mouth 14 Fresh 20 Obituary: Bobby Charles 42 Obituary: Ned Theall 46 OffBeat Eats

Peter Thriffley and Rene Louapre review Taqueria D.F., and Anders Osborne is in The Spot at Lebanon’s.

48 Reviews 53 Club Listings 61 Backtalk with Galactic’s Ben Ellman & Robert Mercurio

Alex Rawls talks to members of Galactic about their new album, Ya-Ka-May. “We ended up writing Morgus a really nice letter telling him what fans we were,” Ben Ellman says. “And we sent him a track and we just made it a little more personal: ‘Dear Mr. Morgus’.” FEBRUA RY 2010

Letters

“It’s the music that is bringing a lot of people there and the politicians should do everything they can to encourage more live music.”—Mike Geesey, Lancaster, PA

Louisiana Music & Culture February 2010 Volume 23, Number 2 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com Managing Editor Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com

BITTERSWEET POTLUCK Just wanted to let you know that I received the “Super Potluck” box you sent me last week, and am enjoying looking through all the old issues. I moved to the New Orleans area in 1994 but didn’t really start getting into the music scene until 1997 or 1998. I haven’t missed a day of Jazz Fest or French Quarter Fest in about 10 years now. Seeing some of what I missed in the first few years I lived here is somewhat bittersweet! Thanks again, and keep up the great work at OffBeat. —Frank Williford, New Orleans, LA

MARKETING MUSIC I’ve been traveling to New Orleans for 30 years. I visit six to eight times a year, maybe more now that my daughter is living there as a volunteer in Americorp for St. Bernard Project. I bring a group of 50 or so twice a year for Voodoo Fest and St. Patty’s Day. The driving force behind my visits is the music. I own a bar in Pennsylvania and most of the music we play there is New Orleans-based. We even had Bonerama play there a few months ago, and it was a great day. The point I’m making is that it’s the music that is bringing a lot of people there and the politicians should do everything they can to encourage more live music. Of course the culture, great food and party atmosphere help as well, but it’s the music. I had tickets to come to New Orleans right after Katrina and diverted to Austin instead. Music City my ass, I often travel from Sunday to Wednesday because of my business and there were limited choices for music, maybe three venues. Did see Cyril Neville there, but all he did was bad mouth New Orleans then sing songs about how great New Orleans was. I’m not sure if anyone really understands how big of an asset live music is to the city. This information should be contained in all

marketing promotions for the city, and it should somehow let travelers know that there is so much more to the city then Bourbon Street. Hell, its taken 20 years for Frenchmen Street to become popular, and many tourists still don’t know about it. —Mike Geesey, Lancaster, PA If anything good came from Katrina, it seems to be a greater degree of cooperation/ coordination among musicians, writers, etc. Perhaps that increased partnering of various artists has helped the industry survive in spite of the enormous obstacles created by the various City agencies, etc. I just spent the week at Umbria Jazz in Italy, and spoke with many world famous musicians who LOVE New Orleans and its music. I had a long conversation with Monty Alexander who told me things about the New Orleans/Jamaican connection that were most enlightening. Monty reminded me that Troy Davis had been in his band for some years. So much of the music of the modern world has been influenced by New Orleans music in many areas. Is there any other City in the U.S.A. that has such a wonderful reputation in ANY of the arts? What can possibly be the reason that the City government turns not only a “blind eye” to the musical culture but a downright “evil eye” to one area that is unquestionably recognized in the world as a “success story” that every other city can only wish for! It just can not be that difficult to see the connection with the success of the City and the success of the music industry, can it? —Gary Edwards, New Orleans, LA

ON TOUR I’m a big supporter of live Louisiana music especially zydeco, Cajun and blues. I check out Louisiana Music on Tour in OffBeat online every week to see if any bands are playing in my area. Please spread the message that this is a good way to get the word out about your gig even in places like New Mexico. —Dia Winograd, Santa Fe, NM

OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.

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Associate Editor Alex Rawls, alexrawls@offbeat.com Consulting Editor John Swenson Listings Editor Craig Guillot, craigguillot@offbeat.com Contributors Sarah Franz, Elsa Hahne, Jeff Hannusch, Aaron LaFont, Rene Louapre, Abby Lunetta, Tom Macom, Kathleen McCann, Kyle Petrozza, Juli Shipley, John Swenson, Peter Thriffiley, Jr., Dan Willging, Courtney Young, Zachary Young Cover Elsa Hahne Cover Make-Up Artist Asia Strong Design/Art Direction Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Advertising Sales Ben Berman, benberman@offbeat.com Margaret Walker, margaretwalker@offbeat.com Josie Hendler, josiehendler@offbeat.com Advertising Design PressWorks, 504-944-4300 Business Manager Joseph L. Irrera Interns Rosalie Cohn, Sarah Franz, Madison Lagrone, Abby Lunetta, Tom Macom, Kathleen McCann, Lauren Noel, Kyle Petrozza, Caitlyn Ridenour, Cait Smith, Courtney Young, Zachary Young Distribution Patti Carrigan, Doug Jackson, Shea MacKinnon OffBeat (ISSN# 1090-0810) is published monthly in New Orleans by OffBeat, Inc., 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 944-4300 • fax (504) 944-4306 e-mail: offbeat@offbeat.com, web site: www.offbeat.com Copyright © 2009, 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 at $39 per year ($45 Canada, $90 foreign airmail). Back issues available for $6, except the May issue for $10 (for foreign delivery add $2). Submission of photos and articles on Louisiana artists are welcome, but unfortunately material cannot be returned.

MOJO MOUTH

I Hate Mardi Gras!

hat got your attention, right? I don’t really, but my attitudes towards the day have sure changed over the years. Last year really stands out because of two things: Antoinette K-Doe died last year on Mardi Gras Day. The weather last year was just so perfect; everyone in my neighborhood was having a fantastic time. And then I heard that Antoinette had passed away. It was so ironic because she had had a heart attack on Mardi Gras the year before but seemed to have recovered so well. What a terrible shock. Antoinette was a wonderful person: kind, giving, spiritual, witty. I’ll think of her now every time Mardi Gras rolls around. Last year was also a bit scary in other ways. Joseph and I live just a block-and-a-half from Second and Dryades, the meeting place for many Mardi Gras Indian tribes, particularly the Wild Magnolias. Lots of people from all over the city gather there to drink, party, dance and visit with their neighbors and friends. Last year’s gathering was so cool. I usually see my old friend John Sinclair there; Frenchy, painting

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up a storm; Bo Dollis, of course; and so many other folks in the arts and music communities. But Second and Dryades is in Central City (my ’hood, y’all!)—which is notorious amongst locals for being one of the most crime-ridden in the city. It’s certainly one of the poorest areas of town, and when there’s poverty, there’s crime. Anyway, we schlepped down to St. Charles Avenue, spent some time with our friends and family there, and then headed back to Second and Dryades. In the 45 minutes or so we were down at Dryades Street, there was a shooting involving several people at Second and St Charles. We just missed the violence with the St. Charles Avenue crowd because we were safe at Second and Dryades (the so-called “bad neighborhood”)! Just like Antoinette’s death, that little incident will stick with me for a long time. I’ve wondered for many years if violence might take its toll on New Orleans festivals and celebrations; so far it sure hasn’t. It has been a problem with many of the second-line parades, but it’s never going to stop New Orleanians from celebrating their most beloved

holiday: Mardi Gras. Hell, if the Saints can go to the Super Bowl, anything can happen! If crime trends continue, we need to stop the proliferation of easy access to guns. Of course in order to really stop violence, we need a better police force, superior education and less poverty. More job opportunities and less corruption from government, too. It’s not going to happen overnight. We need a committed populace and effective, honest government to change our city. By the time you get this magazine, you’ll have about a week to make up your mind who you want to vote for in the upcoming New Orleans mayoral election. I believe the candidate who can work to accomplish all these goals and more—and undoubtedly the candidate who’s done the most for music and culture during his tenure as Lieutenant Governor—is Mitch Landrieu. He’s got my vote. Go out, have a great, safe Mardi Gras, and be sure to vote on February 6, even though it’s the day before the Super Bowl. We can’t afford to make another mayoral mistake.—Jan Ramsey

www.OFFBEAT.com

BEST OF THE BEAT

hen Allen Toussaint’s The Bright Mississippi was released, we said, “(Producer Joe) Henry treats these recordings not as pop, jazz nor R&B but as art song—an elevated, sophisticated thing that draws from vernacular traditions. As an American treasure, it’s the sort of treatment Toussaint merits, and it’s a treatment that is sympathetic with his piano playing. He is relentlessly tasteful and elegant, choosing notes with care and sensitivity to space and context.” Evidently, we’re not the only ones who feel that way about the album. It was nominated for a Grammy, and you selected it as Album of the Year and Toussaint, Artist of the Year and Best Piano Player. We presented these and all of the Best of the Beat awards January 20 at the Harrah’s Theatre and January 22 at the House of Blues. Since we went to press before these events, we can’t show you photos from those nights here, but go to OffBeat.com for pictures and reports. Thanks to our sponsors—Harrah’s New Orleans, Abita Beer, WWL-TV, Louisiana Entertainment Office, Capital One Bank, Sweet Home New Orleans, MusicSwingsVotes.org and Loyola School of Music Business Studies—and all the musicians and restaurants who helped make the Best of the Beat happen. We’ll be back this time next year; will you join us?

George Porter, Jr.

MUSIC AWARDS Best Blues Performer Tab Benoit

Best Blues Album Wishing Well: Honey Island Swamp Band

Best R&B/Funk Performer Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

Best R&B/Funk Album Live at the Maple Leaf: Joe Krown, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Russell Batiste, Jr.

Best Rock Performer Theresa Andersson

Best Rock Album Paper Empire: Better Than Ezra

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Performer Juvenile

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album No Ceilings Mixtape: Lil Wayne

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Honey Island Swamp Band www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: Jeffery Dupuis

The Winners W

Theresa Andersson

BEST OF THE BEAT

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstafunk

Troy Andrews

Lil Wayne’s Mixtape

Best Traditional Jazz Performer

Best Bass Player

Best Radio Station

Kermit Ruffins

George Porter, Jr.

WWOZ

Best Traditional Jazz Album

Best Guitarist

The Bright Mississippi: Allen Toussaint

Sonny Landreth

Best Festival

Best Contemporary Jazz Performer

Best Drummer

Terence Blanchard

Johnny Vidacovich

Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Best Saxophonist

Choices: Terence Blanchard

Donald Harrison

Best Brass Band

Best Clarinetist

Rebirth Brass Band

Dr. Michael White

Best Cajun Performer

Best Trumpeter

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews

Best Cajun Album

Best Trombonist

Alligator Purse: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Delfeayo Marsalis

Best Zydeco Performer

Best Tuba/Sousaphonist

Terrance Simien

Matt Perrine

Best Zydeco Album

Best Piano/Keyboardist

Live 2009: Wayne Toups

Allen Toussaint

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Performer

Best Accordionist

The Iguanas

Terrance Simien

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Album

Best Violinist/Fiddler

Stew Called New Orleans: Paul Sanchez and John Boutte

Theresa Andersson

Best Emerging Artist

DJ Soul Sister

Honey Island Swamp Band

Best Cover Band The Bucktown All-Stars

Song of the Year “Hey God”: John Boutte and Paul Sanchez (written by John Boutte and Paul Sanchez)

Songwriter of the Year

Best DJ Best Other Instrumentalist Washboard Chaz, washboard

Artist of the Year Allen Toussaint

Album of the Year The Bright Mississippi: Allen Toussaint

Voodoo Music Experience

Best Festival Outside New Orleans Gretna Heritage Festival

Best Recording Studio The Music Shed

Record Label of the Year Park the Van Records

Producer of the Year Tracey Freeman

Best Record Store Louisiana Music Factory

Best Instrument Store International Vintage Guitars

Best Studio Sound Engineer Chris Finney

Best Booking Agency White Oak

Best Manager Reuben Williams

Best Music Attorney Ashlye M. Keaton

Best Music Photographer Zack Smith

Best Club Owner or Manager Tom Thayer (d.b.a.)

Best Concert Promoter Hypersoul

Paul Sanchez

Best Female Vocalist

Juvenile

Music Awareness Award

Irma Thomas

BUSINESS AWARDS

WWL-TV

Best Male Vocalist

Best Club

Music Business of the Year

John Boutte

The Blue Nile

The Music Shed

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www.OFFBEAT.com

FRESH

Grammy Business T

he 52nd Annual Grammy Awards are filled with ties to New Orleans and Louisiana. From the nominations of Harry Connick, Jr. in the Pop category and Allen Toussaint and Terence Blanchard in Jazz categories to the acknowledgements of the True Blood soundtrack and Dave Matthews’ latest effort (recorded at Piety Street Recording), the diversity of the Louisiana music scene is well represented at the Grammy ceremonies. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Best Zydeco or Cajun Album category, only the third of its kind in the history of the Grammy awards. Not only does the award honor the talents of our musical ambassadors, it works to garner worldwide recognition for a genre deeply embedded in the roots and folklore of southern Louisiana. The influence of the newly-initiated category has sent shockwaves through the Cajun music community, giving a boost to its musicians and the culture as its presence means more work and more attention for its players. “It is exciting to have been nominated three times in a row,” Pine Leaf Boys’ vocalist and accordion player Wilson Savoy says. “Now that a Grammy category exists for Cajun and zydeco musicians, new life has been breathed into the recording industry here. Everyone is excited and recording new records and playing new tunes, something new. Local bands are traveling more and more and receiving more deserved recognition from outside of Louisiana. I think this Grammy category for Cajun and zydeco musicians is a milestone in the popularity of Cajun music outside of Louisiana.” The Pine Leaf Boys are nominated for Live at 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For Terrance Simien, who worked with his wife Cynthia Simien to introduce the category and won the first Cajun/zydeco Grammy award in 2008, the awards help to spread the word about zydeco and Cajun music to the world. “Cajun music was confined to the swamp,” he says. “We used to do it in dance halls when it was just about playing and having folks enjoy the music. Now I see things differently. We’re here to educate people on the culture and the music, change the way they see it, the way they see us.” The Cajun and zydeco artists have used the Grammy to do more business, and so has the Louisiana entertainment industry. In conjunction with Louisiana Music Partners, the third annual Night of Louisiana Music will be held in Los Angeles the evening before the ceremonies. Making its debut at the GRAMMY Museum, the best of the bayou will be presented to an audience of guests from music, film and tourism industries. The showcase will highlight the rich cultural heritage of our state and feature the talents of current Grammy nominees the Magnolia Sisters, Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, Zachary Richard, and C.C. Adcock. The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards air Sunday, January 31 on CBS. —Juli Shipley

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A Family Affair W

hen Canadian indie rock sisters Tegan and Sara started talking about where to write their new album in 2008, New Orleans came up. Right after Hurricane Katrina, Sara Quin came to New Orleans during a break from touring. “Sara had this really amazing experience,” Tegan Quin says. “She said, ‘The people there are amazing, and everyone has banded together, and they’re helping each other, and it’s beautiful.’ She talked about it endlessly. We hadn’t been there a million times, like Los Angeles or New York or Chicago, where you play all the time. It’s kind of like this weird, magical place. We went down with a photographer and wrote a book about the experience (In, with photographs by Ryan Russell, available now). We were staying in a guest house in the French Quarter, but they were doing renovations, and it was kind of old and spooky. We realized we couldn’t really set up a drum kit there. In the end, we went to the Music Shed and spent the week writing.” Despite playing music together for 14 years, the two had never actually written anything together before, Tegan says. “The trip itself inspired Sara and I, and I think we both realized that we actually could write songs together. After knowing each other all our lives, we’d never even tried, and it was working and felt really awesome.” When the two got to New Orleans, they had already written nearly 40 songs for Sainthood, their 2009 album, so only two made it onto the record. “The songs we wrote down there were really great, but they all had a certain vibe. We ended up feeling that those songs shouldn’t see the light of day unless they saw the light of day together as a package. I think fans especially will find them really interesting because it’s just Sara and I playing and no one else.” Expect to see the New Orleans session released as an EP “down the road eventually, maybe in the next year,” Tegan says. Tegan and Sara play Tipitina’s February 24. —Kathleen McCann www.OFFBEAT.com

FRESH

hat first year, we had it in Blake’s living room, and everyone just had an amazing time” says Rotary Downs drummer Zack Smith. “The next year, we had it in Blake’s backyard, and we had people sliding on the ground and partying their asses off.” Along with co-creator Blake Haney of Dirty Coast and others, Smith threw the initial Not-So-Super, Super Hero party to provide an alternative to the Saturday night Mom’s Ball during Mardi Gras. “We had been going to Mom’s Ball for the last 10-11 years and had decided it was not as much fun, and that we were going to throw another kind of costume party” says Smith. Eventually, the party moved to the Hi Ho Lounge, but last year’s crowd grew to over 300 people, so many that “people didn’t have a chance to see everyone’s costume, because it was so packed,” Smith says. He and Haney decided to move the party to d.b.a. on Frenchman Street. Its space and sidewalk windows will give people chance to show off their not-so-super costumes. This year, a costume and semi-super power are required. Recalling some favorite costumes from previous years, Smith cites “The SuperVisor, who had a gigantic visor, oxford shirt, and coffee cup, and bothered the bands all night to keep on schedule. The World’s Greatest Grandpa, who had the super power to be able to find a quarter behind anyone’s ear, and his nemesis Captain Vulgar, who would just scream obscenities at everyone.” Last year, a friend of Smith’s attended as “Captain Safety, who had orange cones and would put them around anyone who spilled a beer or was dancing too crazy.” In response, Smith went as Captain Safety Compromiser, wearing a belt with banana peels on it. This year’s music line-up includes Rotary Downs, The Not-SoSuper, Superhero All-stars, (featuring Simon Lott, Mike Gamble,

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Photo: Rob Savis, collage: elsa hahne

Be Your NotSo-Super Self “T

Justin Peake and James Singleton) sandwiched between sets by the Brian Coogan Band, and concluding with what Smith promises to be a sweaty, hip-shaking performance by the Not So Elvis. “We usually have to cut him off for fear for his health,” Smith says. “His costume starts out white and by the end, it’s a wet, grayish color.” Rotary Downs has been in the studio laying down tracks for its upcoming album, scheduled to be out in New Orleans March 5, and nationwide on March 25. “The band has been putting in no less than 14-hour days with producer Ivan Klisanin at every major recording studio in New Orleans,” says Smith. Rotary Downs will hold a CD release party with the Givers at One Eyed Jacks on March 5. —Sarah Franz www.OFFBEAT.com

FRESH

A New Game

he circus is pulling out new tricks for the New Year. A new cast of new characters and a transition from their typical rhythm and blues beat to rock ’n’ roll has the New Orleans Bingo! Show enthused for the new year. Fans familiar with cabaret-inspired performers, well acquainted with the theatrics, the costumes and the original video footage, shouldn’t fear; the funhouse isn’t going anywhere. The transformation is part of the evolution of the show, Executive Producer Ron Rona explains. “We want to be creative all the time,” he says. “It’s definitely not a knock on a performance we’ve done before. Clint [Maedgen, founder and lead vocalist], being the musical juggernaut that he can be, constantly loves to be on the forefront of changing what he does, and sometimes it involves different players to keep things fresh.” Trixie Minx, founder of the local burlesque troupe Fleur de Tease, is one of the new members to join the team. “Trixie is going to fill that ingénue spot,” Rona says. “We’ve worked with Trixie a bunch of the past two, three years. We couldn’t be more pumped about it.”

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The new core lineup includes Michael Miller (Bones, Liquidrone), who has worked with Maedgen over the past decade. He was originally the guitarist four years back, but he returns as the bassist. On keys will be multiinstrumentalist Lucas Davenport (Earl Can Bird, Clint Maedgen +9), who has also collaborated with Maedgen in the past. And Keith Hajjar (The Bad Off, Rock City Morgue) will be on drums. “One of the goals is to bring the rock back in. There’s something sonically that we’re looking for with big drums, big keys,” Rona says. The new troupe will be uprooted from New Orleans and will be the opening act for the Polyphonic Spree for Southern Comfort’s Australian Carnivale Tour, February 17-28. “I started this in 2002, and honestly I really need to feel like it’s still new for me to continue to do it,” Clint Maedgen says. “I’m excited to have a whole new crew. I think there’s going to be an excitement to it that hasn’t really been there in a while.” As the “support group” for the Polyphonic Spree, Maedgen looks forward to possibly collaborating on tour. “I have a song with a gospel feel to it called ‘There is a Light’ which is easily transferable over to a gospel choir presentation, and I’m excited about the possibility of doing that!” The theatrical invasion Down Under will give Maedgen and his crew an opportunity to share a piece of their New Orleans musical culture with Australia. “I’m looking forward to taking an opportunity to show that part of the world a different side of New Orleans,” he says. “We get dismissed about being about Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, coming to town, throwing up, making a mess and then going home. That’s not my New Orleans. My New Orleans is far richer, with a lot more integrity and history to it. I love the opportunity to spread that message in any small way I can.” —Courtney Young www.OFFBEAT.com

IN MEMORIAM

Bobby Charles L

ouisiana lost one of the brightest jewels on its musical crown with the passing of Robert Charles Guidry a.k.a. Bobby Charles on January 14, 2010. The reclusive Charles, 71, who had diabetes and had suffered a bout with cancer, died at home. While Charles was a moderately successful recording artist, he excelled as a songwriter. When Johnnie Allan claims Charles “practically invented swamp pop music,” he’s not far off the mark. Charles’ 1950s recordings of “On Bended Knees,” “Why Can’t You” and “Why Did You” are virtually templates for South Louisiana rock ’n’ roll, a genre eventually labeled swamp pop. Born February 21, 1938, in Abbeville, Charles fell under the

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spell of Cajun music, Hank Williams and Fats Domino as a teen. He downplayed his music aptitude, joking, “I can’t even play a radio.” Nevertheless, Charles formed a band called the Cardinals with some high school buddies. When he wasn’t singing with the band or doing school work, Charles sat in his room writing words to songs that didn’t exist yet. “I wrote songs as a hobby,” said Charles. “I didn’t take it seriously because it was so easy.” His songwriting might well have remained a hobby had fate not stepped in in the form of a tipsy woman during the summer of 1955. “We finished playing a dance and stopped on the way home to drink some coffee,” Charles said. “We were getting ready to leave when I

turned around to my piano player and said, ‘See you later alligator.’ There was a table full of people by the door that were drunk. One of the ladies said something that caught my ear. I went back and asked her what she said. She told me, ‘Aw, after awhile crocodile.’ Well, that clicked. I went home and wrote that song in 20 minutes.” He told record store owner Charles Relich about the song. Relich told Chess Records’ Leonard Chess, and soon after Charles sang the song to Chess over the phone, he was in New Orleans cutting the track with his band. Charles and the Cardinals spent the better part of a weekend at J&M Studio cutting “Later Alligator” and “On Bended Knees.” Once released, “Later Alligator” started making noise in the South. With sales picking up, Chess arranged for Charles to appear on American Bandstand and a slot on a rock ’n’ roll road show along with Chuck Berry. In the meantime, Bill Haley covered the song (as “See You Later Alligator”), turning it into a top 10 hit. While Charles benefited greatly as the writer, Haley’s version killed his version’s chart action. Charles returned to the studio but couldn’t repeat the success of “Later Alligator.” After leaving Chess in the late 1950s, Charles signed with Imperial, the same label Fats Domino recorded for. “Fats came to Lafayette and I went back stage to see him,” Charles said. “He told me to come see him sometime in New Orleans. I told him I was broke and couldn’t afford to. Fats laughed and said, ‘Why don’t you walk?’ That was my hook. I went home and wrote ‘Walkin’ to New Orleans.’” By the mid-1960s, Charles was disillusioned with music. He tried to settle down with his wife to raise four sons, but he eventually

found himself in Woodstock, New York, where he recorded a selftitled album for Bearsville in 1972 produced by himself, John Simon and Rick Danko. It earned critical praise, but it sold poorly and Charles retreated to a sprawling house he rented near Abbeville. He made a brief appearance in the Band’s documentary, The Last Waltz in 1976, but Charles pretty much kept to himself and he rarely performed in public outside of occasional guest appearances with musical friends at Tipitina’s. In 1986, Charles cut an album in Nashville where he enlisted Willie Nelson’s band, his friend Neil Young, and put it out on his own label, Rice N Gravy. “I want to get something started down here,” said Charles at the time. “In the past the state has been victimized by the big labels in New York and L. A.” In the mid-1990s, the house he lived in outside Abbeville burnt to the ground, and he wound up in Holly Beach with his four sons where he owned a house. Hurricane Rita struck in 2005 and wiped out his house and the rest of Holly Beach. Charles got out ahead of the storm and moved into a double-wide trailer near Abbeville. In 2008, he released Homemade Songs, which included some of the tracks recorded in Nashville, and Charles co-wrote tracks for his friend Dr. John’s Grammy-winning City That Care Forgot. Charles recently completed a new album, Timeless, again working with Dr. John. “Bobby was the first person to draw attention to the music of South Louisiana,” said Johnnie Allan, who recorded several of Charles compositions. “He had a lot of adversity, but he always seemed to overcome it. I lost a good friend, but my god, the songs that man wrote. The world’s lost a great songwriter.” —Jeff Hannusch www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: Cezanne, Dockside Studio

1938-2010

CARNIVAL SONGS

Meet De Boys L

et’s face it, music is as much a part of Mardi Gras as Zulu, Rex and hangovers. Not surprisingly, the majority of classic Mardi Gras songs were recorded during the golden era of New Orleans rhythm and blues, roughly the late 1940s to mid-1960s. The brass band revival of the 1980s provided a few Carnival musical highlights, but it’s been a long time since someone has written or recorded a Mardi Gras song that has really captured the public’s attention. Why? “I don’t know, but there sure hasn’t been one in a while,” says James “Sugarboy” Crawford, laughing. Crawford accounted for the Carnival classic “Jock-A-Mo.” “Maybe it’s because Mardi Gras is too civilized now. When I wrote ‘Jock-A-Mo’ over 50 years ago, the (Mardi Gras) Indians carried knives and hatchets. When one tribe got in another tribe’s territory, they started fighting. Now it’s pretty much a fashion show for them. “Plus, Mardi Gras isn’t just a New Orleans event anymore. It’s seen and celebrated all over the world. When Professor Longhair sang, ‘You will see the Zulu King on St. Claude and Dumaine,’ that was a big thing then. Zulu only had one float then and they didn’t have a set route; they just went barroom to barroom. Now everyone can watch the parades on TV.” Warren Hildebrand heads up Mardi Gras Records and released Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the first full album of Mardi Gras songs, in 1977. He agrees that there hasn’t been an identifiable Mardi Gras song to come along in some time. “That hasn’t stopped people from writing and recording them, though,” he says. “There’re new ones almost every year. In fact, a guy pitched one to me just today and I told him I’d give it a listen and see if it’s good enough to put out next year. The last really identifiable Mardi Gras song I remember was

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Professor Longhair: “Big Chief”

Big Chief Jolly of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Rebirth’s “Do Whatcha Wanna,” and that came out 20 years ago. “Maybe it’s because there’s no singles jukeboxes any more. A lot of the classic Mardi Gras songs got to be popular from being played on jukeboxes. My dad had All South Distributors and we sold the Mardi Gras singles (to jukebox operators). When I started the label, albums were becoming real popular and I though it would be a good idea to collect the more popular Mardi Gras singles on an album.” Some of these songs were on Hildebrand’s album; others should be.

Professor Longhair: “Go to the Mardi Gras” By Jeff Hannusch

A major source of Mardi Gras music was the late Henry Roland Byrd a.k.a. Professor Longhair. Longhair recorded “Go to the Mardi Gras” on several occasions, and as early as 1949. However, the definitive version was recorded in 1959 for Ron Records. Driven by his unique rumba piano, crashing horns and a crisp second-line drum beat, the song became Longhair’s signature. Longhair delivers what may well be the ultimate musical New Orleans travelogue. It’s probably the best known of all Carnival songs and has been covered several times, most notably by Fats Domino in 1953 under the title “Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”

Penned by Earl King, and recorded by Professor Longhair in 1964, the inspiration for “Big Chief” wasn’t the Mardi Gras Indians, but rather King’s mother. “I wrote ‘Big Chief’ back in school,” recalled Earl King in 1982. “When we went to work on this project with Professor Longhair, I got to thinking about the Mardi Gras, and went back to my book. “Me and Wardell (Quezergue) wrote out the horn arrangement for 15 pieces. Meantime, me, Fess and Smokey Johnson got together and rehearsed it. When we got to the studio, Fess thought there was going to be four-pieces, but there were all these musicians hanging around the studio. Fess says to me, ‘What are all these guys doing here? I guess they’re waiting for the next session, huh?’ “I said, ‘Probably so.’ So Fess gets in behind the piano and plays his little intro, then Smokey and the rhythm section falls in, then all of a sudden, where the big crash of horns come in, Fess stops playing— bam! He says, ‘What is that?!’ “I said, ‘That’s the rest of the guys that are playing on the session.’ So we took a 15 minute break for Fess to compose himself. He says, ‘Man, we really don’t need all them.’ “I said ‘I know, but they’re going to play, man.’ After he got his head together, he was all right.”

Al Johnson: “Carnival Time” When Al Johnson composed “Carnival Time,” he was just looking to come up with something, “A little different.” “The lyrics say let them (the clubs) burn down, but the places weren’t really on fire—I just meant that people there were having a good time. “We tried to get the song out earlier, but the musicians couldn’t www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: SYNDEY BYRD

There’s more to Carnival’s favorite songs than a soundtrack for masking.

CA RNI VAL SON GS

In 1976, Art Neville thought recording his uncle [Big Chief Jolly] singing traditional Mardi Gras Indian songs with his band, the Meters, and his brothers, might be a good idea. Turned out it was. get it together. I was told that to be good, you had to be different. Well, ‘Carnival Time’ was so different the musicians had a hard time playing it (Apparently, there were multiple takes on the song and several musician changes before they came up with an acceptable master.) I still don’t think they got it 100 percent right.” Released right before Mardi Gras in 1960, the single didn’t do much at the time, but in later years, its popularity increased. Now Carnival wouldn’t be complete without it.

The Hawketts: “Mardi Gras Mambo” The Hawketts were a group of teenaged musicians led by vocalist/ keyboardist Art Neville. Their version of “Mardi Gras Mambo” was a cover of a string band recording, originally recorded by Jody Levins. The Hawketts’ version was produced by New Orleans disc jockey Ken Elliot a.k.a. Jack the Cat at radio station WWEZ. He in turn leased it to the Chess label in Chicago. It was an instant hit on the streets of New Orleans. Two decades later, it was covered again by the Meters, a group led by Art Neville.

Sugar Boy Crawford: “Jock-A-Mo” “I’m not singing ‘Jock-AMo’ on that record,” specified Sugarboy. “I’m singing ‘ChockA-Mo,’ The label (Checker) misspelled it. But after it came out, there was nothing I could do. “‘Jock-A-Mo’ came from two songs that I used to hear the Mardi Gras Indians sing. When I was growing up, I lived near the Battlefield (Simon Bolivar and Melpomene Street) where the Indians paraded. When they ran up on each other they’d shout, ‘Jock-AMo-Fi-Na-Na’ and ‘Iko Iko.’ When I recorded ‘Jock-A-Mo,’ I didn’t have

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in mind to do a Carnival record; I just wanted to do a good song.” “Jock-A-Mo” proved to be a local best seller prior to 1954’s Mardi Gras, but was forgotten by Ash Wednesday. However, for two weeks every year since then it renews its popularity.

Bill Sinigal & the Skyliners: “Second Line” While “Second Line” has become a marching and brass band favorite, the song has rhythm and blues roots. Bill Sinigal was a popular R&B saxophonist/bass player. His trumpet player, Milton Batiste, played R&B and Dixieland music. “Second Line” is actually a combination of two songs,” recalled Batiste in 1989. “‘Picou’s Blues’ and ‘Whuppin’ Blues.’ The idea for the intro came from Dave Bartholomew. He’d play that riff when he wanted to get the band back on the bandstand.” Recorded on Cosimo Matassa’s White Cliffs label in 1963, the single did well locally during Carnival until White Cliffs folded in the late 1960s. The master disappeared and no more singles were pressed. Record stores still got requests for the song and it was covered by a group from Baton Rouge, Stop Inc., on JB’s Records in 1974. Sinigal’s version has since been reissued by Universal, but the Stop Inc. version has supplanted the original in popularity.

The Wild Tchoupitoulas: “Meet De Boys on the Battlefront” “Meet the Boys on the Battlefront” was a virtual plan for a Mardi Gras Indian tribe on Mardi Gras day. The Wild Tchoupitoulas was a 13th Ward tribe led by the spirited George Landry a.k.a. Big Chief Jolly. Besides his tribal duties, he played a mean blues piano and was an inspiration to his nephews,

the Neville Brothers. In 1976, Art Neville thought recording his uncle singing traditional Mardi Gras Indian songs with his band the Meters, and his brothers, might be a good idea. Turned out it was, as The Wild Tchoupitoulas album is a classic. The album contained “Meet De Boys on the Battlefront,” where Landry bragged about how pretty and tough his tribe was.

from a century-old nursery rhyme often heard on the streets of New Orleans. It was originally recorded in 1952 by Paul Gayten as “They Asked for You (Down at the Zoo).” The Meters borrowed it, created some new lyrics, added a syncopated second-line rhythm and created a Mardi Gras classic.

Smokey Johnson: “It Ain’t My Fault”

In a city of wonders, perhaps nothing is more wondrous than the Mardi Gras Indians tradition. In addition to marching through the streets in stunningly elaborate homemade suits, some of the tribes have recorded some very popular Mardi Gras music. One such tribe was the Wild Magnolias. While these two songs have been long associated with each other and were released on same album in 1976, they have completely different origins. “Handa Wanda” was produced by Quint Davis and recorded in 1970 at the Deep South Studio in Baton Rouge. It was Davis’ idea to back up the traditional Indian chants with contemporary New Orleans musicians, and he put together a stellar band that included Snooks Eaglin and Willie Tee. The single appeared on Davis’s Crescent City label and became a Carnival best seller. The entire tribe is listed as writers of the song, including their Big Chief and lead singer, Bo Dollis. “Handa Wanda” drew the Wild Magnolias to the attention of a French record producer, Philippe Rault, who had relocated to New Orleans. Rault signed the tribe in 1975 to Barclay Records, enlisting most of the same musicians from the earlier session. He brought them all to Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, where the Wild Magnolias recorded the Willie Tee-penned “New Suit.” The song became a popular single on jukeboxes across Central City. O

This was an R&B instrumental recorded for NOLA Records in 1965 that has since become a brass band favorite. “Smokey came by the office one day and said, ‘I got a song I want to record,’” said arranger Wardell Quezergue, referring to the innovative drummer. “I said, ‘How does it go?’ Smokey started tapping the drum part on my desk with his knuckles. I said, ‘That’s great, but how does the melody go?’ Smokey says, ‘Quiz, I ain’t got one. You got to come up with that.’ Well, I wound up writing a melody that complimented the beat. The title was just something we pulled out of the air.” Johnson’s single enjoyed brief local popularity but exploded when the young brass bands evolved two decades later. Now it’s played by nearly every brass band and high school marching band in New Orleans. “I thought it was a great tune for brass bands,” added Quezergue. “It’s got a great second line beat and people love to hear it at a parade.”

The Meters: “They All Asked for You” The city’s premier funk band, the Meters, recorded this on their 1975 Fire on the Bayou LP. “They All Asked for You” came

The Wild Magnolias: “Handa Wanda”/”New Suit”

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Q&P

Framed Q

uintron and Miss Pussycat have been keeping New Orleans weird for years now with their respective art—Quintron as electro-musician/ inventor and Panacea Theriac, a.k.a. Miss Pussycat, as puppeteer. The husband/wife duo help each other with their creations—the background music to her puppet shows and videos is composed by Quintron, while Miss Pussycat adds colorful flair to Quintron’s shows, shaking maracas and contributing vocals. Their home is a reflection of their separate-but-shared work. There is a comfortable living space for the two of them, then a dark, sort of industrial basement where Quintron composes his electronic beats and constructs his sleek and surprisingly large Drum Buddies. In a completely different space (with pink walls, no less), puppets of different shapes, colors, sizes and species crowd around, leaving only enough room for a small walking path. These seemingly different creative worlds run parallel to each other, which is exactly how Miss Pussycat came up with the theme for their upcoming exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art: Parallel Universe. “We needed a title that sort of incorporated both of us,” Quintron says. “We work very separately but we’re always together. So it had to be oblique enough to have some connection to what I was doing and what Miss Pussycat was doing, and also tie it together.” It’s pretty hard to imagine a display of ornate Faberge eggs

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lined up next to sweaty, shirtless Quintron spinning his Drum Buddy at a show, but these two completely different realms of art have come together thanks to the discriminating eye of Miranda Lash, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at NOMA. Amongst the Monets, Renoirs and Picassos, Quintron and Miss Pussycat will have their own space exhibiting the surreal clash of underground electronic music and subversive puppetry. The idea of putting an exhibit together came after Miss Pussycat met Lash at a party. “We just hit it off and started talking about paintings and art,” Miss Pussycat says. “Later she called and wanted to hang out. We met at Angelo Brocato’s and she asked if I wanted to do something at NOMA. Basically, anything.” “She left it pretty open to discussion for what we wanted to do,” Quintron says. “So this is our brainchild.” In Miss Pussycat’s gallery, some 200 of her puppet creations will be on display in glass encasements. She has created “Spirit Hair,” a new episode for her ongoing puppet series Trixie and the Treetrunks. She

By Abby Lunetta

created some new characters for “Spirit Hair,” and the episode will only be shown during the run of the exhibition. The next gallery will feature several examples of Quintron’s patented invention, the light-activated synthesizer known as the Drum Buddy. They will be under glass as works of art. “It would never, ever occur to me to make a sculpture, ever,” says Quintron. “But I will make a musical instrument, and try to make it as beautiful as possible. It doesn’t need to have these fine wooden cabinets and beautiful, metallic acrylic tops. But I really wanted it to be this Ferrari of musical instruments.”

In addition to the display of Drum Buddies, visitors will be able to create their own Drum Buddy beats. “I’m building an interactive Drum Buddy arcade kiosk,” he says. “I wouldn’t say it’s a game because there are no points and you can play forever. There’ll be headphones and buttons. It’ll be behind glass, but you can make it work by remote.” The Drum Buddy gallery will also feature paintings by Michael Frolic, a deceased local artist who bequeathed much of his work to the Ninth Ward’s Saturn Bar. The next gallery over will be the final exhibit—Quintron himself. “This was his idea,” Miranda Lash says, laughing. “When he told me, I could not believe it. How www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: ELSA HAHNE

Bywater duo Quintron and Miss Pussycat put their life and art under glass and on the walls at NOMA this month.

can you say no? He’s going to be here five days a week, from 10 to 5, for three months.” As far as Lash, Quintron and Miss Pussycat know, nothing like this has been done before at a museum. The nearest thing to it at NOMA was back in the 1970s when sounds from the expressway were piped into the gallery. Visitors will be able to watch Quintron at work, but will not be allowed to interact with him since the primary purpose of his being there is to create a new album. “I have no plan at all,” he says. “I’m going into it with a completely blank slate. I have no songs written, no idea whether it’s going to be one long orchestral, instrumental movement of ambient music or whether it’s going to be 50 punk songs.” Quintron wanted to incorporate some of the museum’s existing art into his exhibit, so they took to the vaults. “When we started out, we looked at antique furniture, we looked at china dolls, we looked at decorative porcelain,” says Lash. “We looked at everything. It was really fun for me because even I don’t get to spend a lot of time in storage. It was good to have a reason to just be with art.” Finally, Quintron decided to surround himself with an audience of 19th Century portraits—“As many as we can cram in there,” he says. “Salonstyle.”

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For Lash, the decision to present such a seemingly unlikely show in NOMA was an intuitive one. “You have to ask yourself, ‘What is the most interesting project in the room’?” she says. “It’s this one. It’s a leap of faith.” The traditional NOMA patrons are not necessarily the types of people who go to Quintron and Miss Pussycat’s shows, and Lash isn’t sure how the museum’s audience and their audience will come together. “You can never predict,” she says. “I think that people who have loved them for a long time are definitely going to come out. There may be negative reactions, but that’s true of every good show. If I had to guess, I think people might say, why are you showing them?

They’re not classically what you would think of as visual artists. Why not give it to a painter? Why music and why puppets? Why something so lowbrow?” Lash then answers her imagined critics with her own set of rhetorical questions. “I mean, what is ‘highbrow’ and what is ‘lowbrow’? If young people without a lot of money like it, does that mean it’s not as important? Does that mean they don’t know better? Can we only trust someone with a higher education?” The unspoken answer that reverberates within Miss Pussycat’s whimsical Puppetland and pounds out of Quintron’s light-speckled Drum Buddy is a resounding no.

So, what’s the point, then? Miss Pussycat laughs and says, “To make weird stuff.” “Fueling of any discussion is good,” Quintron adds, “but my point of view [is] it’s not a statement about lowbrow or highbrow art. Like what [Miss Pussycat] says all the time, what we make are really useful things. They’re not made, necessarily, as art objects. Especially puppets.” Miss Pussycat expands on this. “I like things that are really kooky but are very practical, like maraca warmers,” she says. “And you know, puppets are kind of like a tennis racket or a frying pan or a fishing pole. It’s something you do something with. It’s not something that just sits here and you don’t touch. I mean, they’ll be under glass at the museum because they have to be.” Whether Quintron and Miss Pussycat meant for their creations to be termed art is now beside the point. Those who came to NOMA for the Disney show may never deign to call what they do art, but a trip to the museum will at least force them to consider it. And who knows? They may very well enjoy a voyeuristic look into a universe they didn’t realize paralleled their own. The opening reception for “Parallel Universe” is January 29 from 5:30-9 p.m. at NOMA. The show will be up from January 20May 2. For details on a screening of Miss Pussycat’s puppet films and a Quintron listening party, go to NOMA.org. For upcoming Quintron and Miss Pussycat shows, go to OffBeat.com. O www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: ELSA HAHNE

“Puppets are kind of like a tennis racket or a frying pan or a fishing pole. It’s something you do something with.”

CARNIVAL TALES

Fake Dogs, Bellies, and Big-Ass Amps A

nyone who visits New Orleans during Carnival season will have a plethora of stories to pack their bags with and bring home. But for us locals who have been immersed in the traditional beads, booze, debauchery, king cake and Mardi Gras Mambo, our tales of

Carnival experiences are unique. They’re similar to the tourists’ stories, but they’re shaped by a tighter connection to the city, its history and traditions. Our stories offer a glimpse into the rich culture of New Orleans that visitors may miss.

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New Orleans’ musical community is by no means immune to Carnival’s magic. We asked a handful about their most memorable Mardi Gras experiences.

James Andrews, jazz musician

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When I was a kid, I watched Tootie Montana coming out with his white Indian

suit on. I was at Orleans and Claiborne out under the bridge. It was so spectacular that I always wanted to be a Mardi Gras Indian from that day on, finding some red beans and rice under the Claiborne bridge—just that whole Claiborne experience!

Chaz Leary, washboard player Last Mardi Gras I had a fake nose ring, fake tattoo. I got a realistic stuffed dog, and was dragging it around on a leash with me. People thought it was a real dog, coming up to me saying, “You shouldn’t do that to that dog!” People from Uptown don’t get it! A dog even came up to me and sniffed the fake dog’s butt. That was the best part!

Margie Perez, singer

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My first Mardi Gras, I was following the Krewe du Jieux through the French Quarter and we made a stop. Because this was my first Mardi Gras, I didn’t understand the stopping so I stayed a little longer, and when I walked out they were already gone. I asked somebody where the parade went, and they directed me to Decatur Street so I started running, and I caught up with the parade. I realized it wasn’t the same one, but I thought, “Well, it’s a parade anyway.” They were playing the song “My Little

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By Courtney Young

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Photo at left: Skip bolen, collage: Elsa Hahne

No detail is too improbable in a Mardi Gras story.

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Margie” and I thought, “This is cool. I lost the first parade, and found this other parade, and they’re playing my song!” It was the St. Ann Parade, and the Storyville Stompers were the band. My friend Hart McNee was in the band; turns out he was calling my name to get my attention, and the band thought he was saying “Play Margie!” so that’s why they started playing the song! When Hart passed away this past year, we had a second line for him. At one point I was in front of the band and we were trying to decide which way we were going. Somebody said, “Hey Margie!”—about to say which way do we go?—and the band started playing “My Little Margie”! It was bizarre that it happened twice!

Joe Krown, keyboards I don’t have a whole bunch of Mardi Gras stories. I live in Uptown on a parade route, so we watch several parades right from our porch. Most of the time I’m home catching beads right near my house and policing my property. I’ve been in the Quarter on Mardi Gras Day several times and outside of people watching, nothing too eventful occurred. One year we played at d.b.a. on Frenchman Street on Mardi Gras Day and the power went out. Again, nothing eventful really happened. Everyone behaved relatively cool.

Bru Bruser, Govt Majik By far my favorite Mardi Gras memory was in 1994 when George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars played the Wednesday

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and Thursday nights before Mardi Gras at Tipitina’s. Both shows lasted five-plus hours and had us walking out of there with the sun coming up. They were truly transcendental experiences that really opened my mind to the force and possibilities of a live music experience. Somehow, I managed to get my camera in and out of there in one piece! Will someone please start bringing back the national acts of that caliber back during Mardi Gras?!

Chris Lee, Supagroup In 2007 I almost didn’t make Mardi Gras. I was in New York City attending classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and my class show was on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras. I finished the performance knowing that outside was a hellacious ice storm. Instead of going to JFK, where I knew JetBlue had a horrible record during weather, I checked online and sure enough, my flight was canceled. I re-scheduled for Thursday to go to Houston, and then bought a ticket from Houston to New Orleans. I was up all night, literally, and at 5:15 a.m. catch www.OFFBEAT.com

ES Photo: Erika Goldring

L L TA NIVA R CA

think it was her) because when she sweet-talked the gate guy, it made my earlier sympathy ploy earlier seem amateurish at best. So then there were three slots left and about 15 people clamoring for them. Miraculously, I’m next! I’m going to make Mardi Gras! I walk on the plane and the last two seats go to Eli Manning and Johnny Damon. When I arrive in New Orleans, my brother Benji has been waiting for me two hours and is pissed. But at least I didn’t miss Mardi Gras. the J train to JFK. Once at the airport, it’s total mayhem. People are everywhere, all freaking out. I stand in the lines inside for a while, and worried I would miss my flight, get in the Skycap line outside in the 2-degree-Fahrenheit weather. The line was still long, but least I could see my goal. I, of course, am wearing a jacket appropriate to New Orleans cold, but not New York’s, so it’s a long cold wait. I give my bag to the guy outside and he informs me that my flight to Houston has been canceled. Jesus! Back to the inside line for another hour and a half. The lady who finally waits on me tells me there are no open seats and no flights, but she can book me next Wednesday. “Doesn’t Fat Tuesday mean anything to you?” I scream. The next counter lady over looked like she’d been crying. After I applied a little sweet talk and a dollop of sympathy, she put me at the top of the standby list. At the gate, hours later, all the standbys glare at each other. When the plane finally boards, there are eight slots available. About five of them go to Marva Wright and her family (at least I www.OFFBEAT.com

Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Mardi Gras icon I was a grand marshal for Muses, and that really a great one. I rode in the parade and I was in a convertible, and “Carnival Time” and “Mardi Gras Strut” played the whole time. That was really exciting. The Krewe du Vieux made me King of Krewe du Vieux and that was great. I said I was the best king that was for that year. And I’ve even done some stuff with that thing on Monday night, Orpheus. I have a couple of my Mardi Gras cups from Krewe du Vieux, and last year I did something with Grela and I have a couple from there, too. Last year I marched with the Red Beans and Rice. That’s a new group of people that’s just getting started, and they officially made me grand marshal all the time. I’m the official grand marshal. We walked in the Treme on the Monday before Mardi Gras, and that was a great experience. I’m going to march again this year, and they’re working on my outfit. It’s made out of red beans and rice. It’s very interesting. It’s really a great feeling to be in a parade. It’s unbelievable, and it’s almost unexplainable. FEBRU A RY 2 010

Photo: SKIP BOLEN, COLLAGE: ELSA HAHNE

CA RNI VAL TAL ES

They’re hollering your name, ‘BIG AL, THROW ME SOMETHING!’ It’s a wonderful feeling throwing something to some special person. You’re secured up there just by a rope; hope for the best and make sure you got your peepee bucket with you!

Alfred Doucette, Mardi Gras Indian Mardi Gras when Antoinette K-Doe passed—I wasn’t masking that year, so I had to go home and put an Indian suit on and sing for Antoinette K-Doe. This was last year. She died on Mardi Gras. That was my most memorable experience.

Gal Holiday, honky-tonk singer We live on the corner of Gov. Nicholls and Decatur. We have the balcony that wraps around, so we’ve been throwing a party for years. Adults and kids are welcome. Two years ago, we dragged out the Marshall Half Stack—a giant, loud amplifier, usually used for rock bands. We had a whole bunch of guitar players and bass players, and they would jam out for about five minutes, act like rock stars and walk away. When some of the walking krewes would come through Decatur, they would play along with the music, but on rock guitars. It was very funny—and loud!

Big Al Carson, blues singer I’ve walked parades all my life, as a tuba player for many years with the Olympia Brass Band, Tuxedo Brass Band. I’m an old school guy from way back. The first time I was able to be on top of a float was with one of the

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carnival krewes playing on top. It was a wonderful experience to see what goes on from that angle, but it was the coldest carnival we ever had back in the ’80s. It was freezing! It was terrible, but we made it! Just seeing how people hustle for beads and getting the attention of the people, being able to get close to them, a special person wanting something and they’re hollering your name ‘BIG AL, THROW ME SOMETHING!’ It’s a wonderful feeling throwing something to some special person. You’re secured up there just by a rope; hope for the best and make sure you got your peepee bucket with you!”

Derrick Moss, the Soul Rebels’ drummer In 2006, the first Mardi Gras after Katrina, I was surprised at how many people were out there and we still had a good time. Somewhere around Canal Street, I looked up and they had a film crew filming us in the parade. Come to find out it was Spike Lee and his film crew, and that footage wound up in the movie When the Levee Broke on the HBO special. We’re in it! We’re in the movie.

Trixie Minx, burlesque dancer I am what most people casually refer to as a “bead

whore”. I dress up in bright costumes, ridiculous wigs, do high kicks, shout, and on occasion reach over small children at parades. My first Zulu was no exception. I was determined to get a coconut, especially since the parade was so freaking early! I was dressed as a pink poodle and spastically running along the floats. One rider said he would give me a pair of panties if I put them on. I said I would put them on if I got a coconut. He threw me a flimsy yellow rayon thing that could barely pass for panties (especially by burlesque standards) which I quickly put over my head like a mask. Though it wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, I got the coconut! I typically like to be pregnant during Mardi Gras. Not really pregnant, but I wear a fake belly under my costume and everyone seems to have something to say. One woman told me, “It’s okay if you drink as long as it’s beer” and another asked, “Are you trying to make a statement about abortion?”

But my favorite was a guy who said, “I have one of those, too!” and showed me his beer belly. It’s also really funny when you run into people you haven’t seen in a few months and they aren’t quite sure if you are really pregnant. On Mardi Gras, I normally do a group costume with a bunch of friends. We’ve been the cast of Apocalypto, death metal Vikings, and most recently the greatest acts in Vegas. It really doesn’t get better than a bunch of wonderful people coming together to be totally ridiculous for the pure pleasure of it. O www.OFFBEAT.com

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HELEN GILLET

Good Fit H

elen Gillet steeled herself against the January chill as she stood on a bright Marigny street corner right down Dauphine Street from Hubig’s bakery. Despite the cold, Helen was having too much fun trying out various costumes for a photo shoot to complain. “I really love dressing up,” says Gillet in a faux French outfit, her soft brown eyes shining out from under huge eyelash extensions. “I did a show in Kansas City wearing a body suit by Lady Gaga’s designer,” she says, laughing through silver lipstick after changing into a black and white Mardi Gras costume to pose with her electric cello. Her long, flowing auburn hair is tightly crammed under a platinum blonde wig, and she has donned a corset with black and white vertical stripes that clash effectively with the horizontal stripes on her hosiery. “What you wear can affect the whole performance, even the mood of the audience,” she adds, now dressed in the formal black attire you might expect a classical cellist to wear. “It doesn’t effect how you play, but it can affect what you play.” With Mardi Gras only weeks away, Gillet has a full schedule for the season, but don’t ask her what she’s going to wear on Fat Tuesday. “I always wait until the last minute to decide on a costume,” she says. “It’s part of the fun. www.OFFBEAT.com

Last year I put together a costume and called myself Bath Time. I collect Bath Buddies, washcloths with pictures of animals on them. When I was growing up in Belgium, these particular washcloths which you wore on your hand like a glove were very popular. I got this red pinstripe pantsuit and cut the legs off so it looked more like a dress, then I attached the Bath Buddies to it with safety pins. I wore fish glasses and put sponges in my hair. The whole thing took a couple of hours to put together.” Gillet’s Mardi Gras activities include marching with the Krewe of St. Cecilia. “The late Hart McNee was involved with that. He put together the music and his wife Kate organizes the parade,” says Gillet. “We meet at Feelings Cafe on Mardi Gras morning and parade from there to Canal Street. I don’t know what I’ll be playing yet; it might be drums or clarinet or trombone, but I’d really like to figure out a way to march with the electric cello.” Last year, Gillet began a couple of new Mardi Gras traditions, both involving Mardi Gras Indians. “I live next to Smokey Johnson in the Musicians’ Village,” says Gillet. “Last Mardi Gras morning indians came to his house to serenade him. I woke up to the sound of people chanting and hitting tambourines. He was sitting on his porch, surrounded by

By John Swenson

them. It was wonderful, so I’ll be looking forward to that again this year.” Gillet helped begin another Mardi Gras tradition last year when she played at the Hi Ho Lounge as part of the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra. That was the first time this fascinating gathering of New Orleans musicians backed Mardi Gras Indians with bold new arrangements of traditional material featuring the string section of Gillet and Mark Paradis in addition to a souped-up funk band led by guitarists Papa Mali and Camile Baudoin. “Our first gig was Mardi Gras day,” she says. “The orchestra part has to do with the fact that there’s cello and violin up there along with clarinet. I love learning new music, and I love taking the cello out into different places. The cello offers different things in different contexts.” In the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra, Gillet’s long, broad bow strokes accent Reggie Scanlan’s bass lines and add a fascinating drone to the bottom end of the groove. “As a cellist, I don’t often have the opportunity to play in a funk band setting, especially in front of an audience that is dancing,” she says, “and I definitely got into the spirit. It was so much fun. It’s definitely influenced by some of the more rhythmic cello players I’ve listened to, like Abdul FEBRU A RY 2 010

Photo: elsa hahne

Cellist Helen Gillet wears different suits all year. Not just for Mardi Gras.

Wadud of the Julius Hemphill Orchestra. It’s a very rhythmic style of playing cello.” Gillet may look a little unusual playing cello in such a setting, but her performance entirely justifies the premise. Her playing is suffused with soul. That quality of soul is in evidence in the rest of her work as well, whether she’s playing with the James Singleton String Quartet, the New Orleans Bingo! Show, free improvisation sessions with the Open Ear and Scatterjazz programs, as part of the Naked On the Floor

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Photo: elsa hahne

HE LEN GILL ET

Orchestra, backing up trumpeter Leroy Jones, playing with neighbors like Schatzy and the Happy Talk Band or leading her own group, Wazozo, through a set of French chansons. Gillet traveled a long and convoluted road en route to becoming a New Orleans musician. Born and raised in Belgium, she lived part time between the ages of 3 and 12 in Singapore. In Singapore, she sang musical theater, invaluable training for the constant role-switching her eclectic music career requires.

Gillet went through an upheaval in her family life that still seems to trouble her years later. “My whole world changed when I was 12,” she says. “My family broke up, and my mother and brother and I moved to Chicago while my dad stayed in Belgium. I got much more passionately into music at that point. The one thing that traveled with me over three continents was my cello. It was a really clear companion for me. I learned very well in Chicago playing classical music with orchestras. There were great programs there. I went to college in Madison, Wisconsin and after a year being in a girl punk band and taking odd jobs, playing classical music, it just wasn’t doing it for me. I started hanging out at the Velvet Lounge in Chicago. I needed to get more involved in musical freedom.” Gillet moved to New Orleans at age 23 and enrolled in graduate school at Loyola, but her real goal was to grow as a musician and become part of the community here. “My technical skills were good and I could read, but I wanted to be involved with improvising. I wanted to learn how to improvise full time,” she explains. “I sensed that this city had something to offer. I had to get out of the Midwest. I needed to go somewhere where I could live my life as an adult. During my first year at Loyola, I did a lot of wedding jobs. There is a need for classical cellists who can read music, so I was able to survive until I started meeting other musicians like James Singleton who were interested in playing with me.” Gillet credits her work with the Astral Project bassist, who was assembling a string quartet, as the turning point in her New Orleans life. “I have to thank James Singleton for what he did for me,” she says. “When I moved here, he was looking for a cello voice for his string quartet and he gambled on me. He welcomed me into that ensemble even though I was very green. I had played Indian music and done workshops, but I was still very new at it all. He allowed me to spread my wings and take big risks, make mistakes and learn and learn and learn. And also he introduced me to Johnny Vidacovich. I feel like I’m getting so much out of the New Orleans tradition.” Soon Gillet found herself playing in other settings as well. “Since I’ve gotten here I’ve run across a lot of people reaching out and saying things like, ‘Could you read this chart?’ On my first tango gig, I had to transpose my parts from the violin. www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: elsa hahne

HE LEN GILL ET

I was scared but after I managed to get through my first gig at the Blue Nile, I realized what I had accomplished. People are willing to take risks on me in public at a gig. By being in the music community here, I feel like I’ve been able to explore all these different types of music. I don’t know of any other city that can really happen in, where you just know you’re going to fit in. People welcome you. You don’t have to prove yourself every minute. I feel like I really fit in as a musician and artist; I’m able to really explore a lot of different styles of music.” Gillet was briefly displaced by Katrina but was back in town within weeks, playing at the Sound Cafe with Daron Douglas on violin in an early version of Wazozo they called Christmas in the Trenches. Gillet sang in French, an idea that came to her after she learned a song as a birthday gift to her father. “For my dad’s birthday five or six years ago, I learned a song by a Belgian folksinger named Julos Beaucarne. He’s a very interesting man; he’s also a sculptor and a poet. He lives in a farmhouse not far from where I grew up. When we left for Chicago, my dad was very alone and he became friends with Julos Beaucarne, so I learned ‘Le Petit Royaume’ to sing for my dad’s birthday. He loved it. I could tell he loved it, so I decided to start learning more of these old French folk songs. “They were comforting to me because they were kind of nostalgic and they also helped me keep up my French. It’s always been an interest to me in my adult life to try to incorporate my French upbringing into my life in the states. So I thought I’d learn to sing these songs. I don’t have a guitar player, so I’ll just accompany myself on my cello and I taught myself how

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to sing and play which was really fun. It opened up another world of understanding about song from the bass line up to the melody. It’s a great thing to do, to sing and play at the same time. Georges Brassens came back in the picture. He’s a singer/songwriter from France. His words are the most beautiful

poetry in French; it’s like reading some of the best French poets. A lot of his lyrics go over my head, so it’s a continuous objective to try to understand his beautiful lyrics. That’s how the band started. “When I came back to New Orleans, I met up with Daron Douglas. I was still practicing really, and Daron

would have my back. She filled out the melodies so I could take a break from singing, and then the band grew from there. We added guitar and then my dear friend Luke Brechthelsbauer from college moved down here. He was a clown in the Barnum and Bailey circus and he decided to come here and play the harp. So we started www.OFFBEAT.com

HELEN GILLET playing these songs together and I decided to record them. It’s an all string band. There’s no drums. The band’s obviously not a typical New Orleans band; it’s gone through a lot of permutations—not to say it won’t change in the future.” Gillet and Douglas still play together every Thursday night at Yuki, magic acoustic gigs that evoke the image of Parisian café music from the 1920s. It’s not hard to imagine music like this being played in early 20th Century French Quarter cafes when the city was still strongly connected to French colonial culture. The shows are often frequented by other musicians. Clint Maedgen asked Gillet and Douglas to play with him on one of his projects after seeing them perform, an association that led to Gillet playing with the New Orleans Bingo! Show. Gillet was the band’s special guest at this past Voodoo, where she was the cellopaying zombie in the band. Like a lot of struggling artists around the city, Gillet lived in various apartments until she qualified for a house in the Musicians’ Village, the final step in her quest to call New Orleans home. “Owning a house given the lifestyle I have—it’s important to have a place that stays the same especially when you’re involved in so many different projects,” she says. “Also to get the support from elder musicians who look out for me. I’ve become close friends with Smokey Johnson and I don’t know if I would have ever met him if I didn’t live in the Musicians’ Village. He’s out there in his wheelchair all the time looking out for me. He talks about his career and the history of New Orleans music. He has all these great stories and really he encourages me. ‘Go get ’em, killer,’ he always says when he sees me going out to a gig. I feel really inspired by him, and there’s a lot of security in being part of a community.” When she moved in, Gillet thought the Musicians’ Village was going to be a musical hotbed but so far that hasn’t materialized. “I don’t want to break anyone’s bubble, but we don’t share our music on a day-to-day basis at all,” www.OFFBEAT.com

she says. “The last time I checked, the Marsalis Music Center was still scheduled to be built, but something is holding it up. They’ve got the lot cleared. I think they’re waiting for the financing. If it’s built—when it’s built, I should say—the plan is for a community center with office rooms, a performance space and a teaching space. I think there’s a potential recording studio, too. I’m really looking forward to something like

that happening because we could use a place to gather, even a small coffee shop where we could put up a bulletin board. We talked about having a block party.” Gillet is part of a generation of young musicians from around the world who were called to New Orleans by its music and culture and decided to make the city their home. These musicians respect and learn from the city’s traditions while bringing

new ideas and attitudes to its historically multicultural mix. “I definitely am very passionate about making New Orleans my home,” she says. “It’s a place that makes me feel like I can be an adult, and a place that kind of ties together a lot of what I’ve been through in my life. This is my place for life. I moved my grandmother’s piano in here. I waited to move it down here until I knew I had a place for it where it could live.” O

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IN MEMORIAM

Ned Theall Photo: Matthew Schlenker

1937-2010

ed Theall, the noted saxophonist, arranger and bandleader of the Boogie Kings died in a Lafayette hospital January 8, 2010. He was 72. Theall had played with the group as recently as New Year’s Eve. Born in Abbeville, Louisiana, and a long-time resident of New Iberia, Theall joined the group in the mid-1960s after a hitch in the U. S. Air Force and a short stint with Kenny and the Jokers. Under Theall’s direction, the Boogie Kings shifted from swamp pop music to blue-eyed soul. The group had several vocalists during the decade including Gee Gee Shinn, “Count” Jerry Jackson, Duane Yates, Gary Walker and Clint West. The Boogie Kings recorded under their own name for the Jin, Montel and Instant labels. They also worked in the studio backing other singers for several Louisiana record labels. During the 1960s, the Boogie Kings toured extensively throughout the South and even had a lengthy stint on the famed Las Vegas strip. The band disbanded in 1969 when faced with the competition of the British sound as bookings

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vanished. Under Theall’s direction, the Boogie Kings regrouped in 1975, more or less on a part time basis, remaining popular in South Louisiana and East Texas. “Ned was the one that kept that band together and organized it,” said Johnnie Allan, a contemporary of Theall and a respected authority on the music of South Louisiana. “That was his life. He even maintained their Web site, did their bookings and merchandising. I didn’t work with the Boogie Kings much, but they backed me on a couple of my recordings including ‘Little White Cloud.’ The Boogie Kings weren’t big on originals; they were more of a copy band. The only originals I can think of were ‘Philly Walk’ and ‘I Love That Swamp Pop Music.’ “They were extremely popular between Lake Charles and East Texas. That was their territory.” The Boogie Kings most recent CD, Walkin’ the Dog, was released in 2007. Most of their previous recordings have been reissued on CD. Theall leaves a wife, three children and several grandchildren. —Jeff Hannusch www.OFFBEAT.com

E TH

Y AV GR

In the Kitchen with Debbie “I don’t think I ever did learn to cook, honestly. I just made up a bunch of stuff as I went along. It’s something I started doing out of necessity. Either because I was trying to impress somebody, or because I created small people who were hungry and I was obligated to feed them. I started making baked ziti with my mom; it’s a New Jersey thing. Baked ziti is almost more popular than lasagna in Jersey and I’m not sure why, except that you don’t have to be as patient with the pasta. Plus New Jersey is crawling with Italian people. I’m not one of them, but I grew up with them. Lots of Irish and lots of Italians—lots of Catholics, and they all like to eat and drink. Some more than others. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of cheese. More than two pounds of cheese in this dish, which I’m not apologetic about at all. I’m not shy with the garlic either, especially in the wintertime, because it keeps me from getting sick. I may smell awful, but I’m healthy and awful. Healthy and stinky is fine with me. Both my kids are under the age of seven so they’re both kind of picky. I started making different dinners for everybody. I got over that real quick. Now I try to make sure there is at least a side dish the kids can eat, so they’ll eat that, and then try the thing that I’ll make them try that I know they’re not going to like, because you have to try it at least once. If you can find it, if you can muster it, if you can grow it, if you can at all do it—fresh basil. I keep a pot in the window of my kitchen and I kill it often, by being me. I can keep mammals alive, plants not so much. My dogs always live past their 15th birthday, my kids are in the 90th percentile for height and weight, but I can look at a plant sideways and kill it. My oldest son is six and in kindergarten, thank God. My youngest is two and a half. My kids eat a lot of peanut butter and

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listen to music and I don’t have to find a toy or a tooth or whatever else has gone missing. Oddly enough, there is sanctuary in the kitchen. Really good cheese, I like to splurge on. Romano, parmesan, asiago, any of the exotic Italian cheeses. And by exotic I mean expensive. Don’t get that shit in the jar. If you get that shit in the jar, you may just as well not eat. The stuff in the green can. It’s cheese food, it’s what they feed cheese. It says right on the can. No thanks. I use my hands. It might seem unsavory to some people, but they don’t wear out, they don’t need to be sharpened, and they always do exactly what I tell them to.”

Debbie’s Baked Ziti 1 (15-oz) tub ricotta cheese 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pound uncooked rigatoni, ziti or any short cut pasta 1 quart red sauce (whatever you like, homemade or not) 4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese 1 pound shredded mozzarella

jelly sandwiches in school. I don’t think I could keep people alive if not for peanut butter. If you’ve got a peanut allergy you’re going to die on my watch. I try to cook things I can use more than once. Make enough, so there’s another meal we can get out of it. I’m big on the leftovers, big into cooking once and eating twice. Because honestly, there are so many other things I need to do. I cannot say this enough—don’t overcook the pasta! In fact, undercook it. It should be less than al dente, so it’s thirsty when it goes in the oven. Otherwise it won’t

By Elsa Hahne

absorb the sauce, and it’ll be past ready to eat when you take it out. I learned the starts of this recipe when I lived in Jersey, but I didn’t start refining it until I got here. Not being afraid is what happened. Not being afraid to experiment and use more spices. Jersey can be a puritanical development, so it can be a bit tame, a bit conservative. In New Orleans, the motto is “If less is more, imagine how much more more would be.” There is no shame in going a little bit too far. I like cooking, I think primarily because when I’m in the kitchen, everybody leaves me alone. I can

Mix spinach with ricotta and garlic. Add pepper and salt to taste. Cook pasta according to directions on package, but undercook it by 2-3 minutes. Drain and mix with red sauce, Romano and mozzarella (saving two fistfuls of cheese to sprinkle on the top.) Now for the “dumping, scooping and splashing” stage: Grease a deep pan, about 6” by 9”. Put a thin layer of pasta on the bottom. Cover with ricotta mixture. (Next you can add a layer of sautéed eggplant or cooked fresh sausage.) Add another layer of pasta, then another layer of ricotta. Finish with a layer of pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. O www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: ELSA HAHNE

Singer Debbie Davis gets all steamed up.

EATS

AMERICAN Hard Rock Café: 418 N. Peters St., 529-5617. O’Henry’s Food & Spirits: 634 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-9741; 8859 Veterans Blvd., 461-9840; 710 Terry Pkwy., 433-4111. Port of Call: 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120. St. Charles Tavern: 1433 St. Charles Ave., 523-9823. BARBECUE The Joint: 801 Poland Ave., 949-3232. Squeal Bar-B-Q: 8400 Oak St., 302-7370. BREAKFAST Daisy Dukes: 121 Chartres St., 561-5171. Lil’ Dizzy’s Café: 1500 Esplanade Ave., 569-8997. Mena’s Place: 200 Chartres St., 525-0217. New Orleans Cake Cafe & Bakery: 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010. COFFEE HOUSE Café du Monde: 800 Decatur St., 525-4544. Café Rose Nicaud: 634 Frenchmen St., 949-2292. Dee’s Coffee, Cake and Copy: 401 Baronne St., 596-2012. CREOLE/CAJUN Atchafalaya Restaurant: 901 Louisiana Ave., 891-9626. Clancy’s: 6100 Annunciation, 895-1111. Cochon: 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123. Dick & Jenny’s: 4501 Tchoupitoulas, 894-9880. Galatoire’s: 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021. Gumbo Shop: 630 St. Peter St., 525-1486. K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen: 416 Chartres St., 524-7394. Mulate’s: 201 Julia St., 522-1492. Olivier’s Creole Restaurant: 204 Decatur St., 525-7734. DELI Mardi Gras Zone: 2706 Royal St., 947-8787. Stein’s Market and Deli: 2207 Magazine St., 527-0771. Verti Marte: 1201 Royal St., 525-4767. FINE DINING Antoine’s: 701 St. Louis St., 581-4422. Bombay Club: 830 Conti St., 586-0972. Broussard’s: 819 Conti St., 581-3866. Commander’s Palace: 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221. Emeril’s: 800 Tchoupitoulas, 528-9393. Iris Restaurant: 321 N Peters St., 299-3944. Lüke: 333 St. Charles Ave., 378-2840. Maison Dupuy Hotel: 1001 Toulouse St., 586-8000.

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Mat and Naddie’s: 937 Leonidas St., 861-9600. Mr. B’s Bistro: 201 Royal St. 523-2078. Restaurant Cuvée: 322 Magazine St., 587-9001. 7 on Fulton: 701 Convention Center Blvd., 525-7555. Stella!: 1032 Chartres St., 587-0091. Tujague’s: 823 Decatur St., 525-8676. FRENCH Café Degas: 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635. Delachaise: 3442 St. Charles Ave., 895-0858. Flaming Torch Restaurant: 737 Octavia St., 895-0900. La Crepe Nanou: 1410 Robert St., 899-2670. Crepes à la Cart: 1039 Broadway St., 866-2362. Restaurant August: 301 Tchoupitoulas St., 299-9777 ICE CREAM/GELATO Creole Creamery: 4924 Prytania St., 894-8680. La Divina Gelateria: 3005 Magazine St., 342-2634; 621 St. Peter St., 302-2692. Sucré: 3025 Magazine St., 520-8311. INDIAN Nirvana: 4308 Magazine St., 894-9797. ITALIAN Domenica: 123 Baronne St., 648-1200. Eleven 79: 1179 Annunciation St., 299-1179. Irene’s Cuisine: 539 St. Philip St., 529-8811. Maximo’s: 1117 Decatur St., 586-8883. Tommy’s: 746 Tchoupitoulas St., 581-1103. JAPANESE/KOREAN/SUSHI Gimchi: 3322 Turnbull Dr., Metairie 454-6426. Kyoto: 4920 Prytania St., 891-3644. Mikimoto: 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., 488-1881. Miyako Japanese Seafood & Steak House: 1403 St. Charles Ave., 410-9997. Wasabi: 900 Frenchmen St., 943-9433. MEDITERRANEAN Byblos: 3218 Magazine St., 894-1233. Fellini’s: 900 N Carrollton Ave., 488-2155. Jamila’s Café: 7808 Maple St., 866-4366. Mona’s Café: 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115. MEXICAN/CARIBBEAN/SPANISH Juan’s Flying Burrito: 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000. El Gato Negro: 81 French Market Place, 525-9846. Nacho Mama’s: 3240 Magazine St., 899-0031. RioMar: 800 S. Peters St., 525-3474. Tomatillo’s: 437 Esplanade Ave., 945-9997. MUSIC ON THE MENU Carrollton Station Bar and Grill: 140 Willow St., 865-9190. Chickie Wah Wah: 2828 Canal St., 304-4714. House of Blues: 225 Decatur St., 412-8068. Le Bon Temps Roule: 4801 Magazine St., 895-8117.

NEIGHBORHOOD JOINTS Amy’s Vietnamese Café: French Market Flea Market, 352-9345. Café Reconcile: 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 568-1157. Camellia Grill: 626 S. Carrollton Ave., 309-2676. Crabby Jacks: 428 Jefferson Hwy., 833-2722. Sammy’s Food Services: 3000 Elysian Fields Ave., 948-7361. Slim Goodies: 3322 Magazine St., 891-3447. Ye Olde College Inn: 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683. PIZZA Fresco Café & Pizzeria: 7625 Maple St., 862-6363. French Quarter Pizzeria: 201 Decatur St., 948-3287. Slice Pizzeria: 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525-7437. Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza: 4218 Magazine St., 894-8554. Turtle Bay: 1119 Decatur St., 586-0563. PO-BOYS / SANDWICHES Mahony’s Po-Boy Shop: 3454 Magazine St., 899-3374

Parkway Bakery and Tavern: 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047. SEAFOOD Acme Oyster & Seafood House: 724 Iberville, 522-5973. Bourbon House: 144 Bourbon St., 274-1831. Casamento’s Restaurant: 4330 Magazine St. 895-9761. Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill: 1 Poydras St. 569-3380. Drago’s Restaurant: 2 Poydras St. (Hilton Hotel), 584-3911; 3232 N. Arnoult St., Metairie, 888-9254. Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar: 739 Iberville St. 522-4440. SOUL Dunbar’s: 501 Pine St., 861-5451. Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934. Willie Mae’s Scotch House: 2401 St. Ann St., 822-9503. THAI Sukho Thai: 1913 Royal St., 948-9309. WEE HOURS Clover Grill: 900 Bourbon St., 523-0904. Mimi’s in the Marigny: 2601 Royal St., 872-9868. Molly’s At The Market: 1107 Decatur St., 525-5169. St. Charles Tavern: 1433 St. Charles Ave., 523-9823.

Anders Osborne hits the What are you in the mood for? The gyro plate! I’m starving, and it’s a full plate.

Photo: KYLE PETROZZA

AFRICAN Bennachin: 1212 Royal St., 522-1230.

How often do they see you here? At least once a week when I’m not on tour. There are quite a few Middle Eastern places uptown, why Lebanon’s? It’s good, consistent and convenient; my kids go to school just a few blocks away so I can grab a bite before picking them up.

Lebanon’s Café 1500 N Carrollton St. (504) 862-6200

OffBeat

Mid City Lanes Rock ‘N’ Bowl: 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3133. Palm Court Jazz Café: 1204 Decatur St., 525-0200. Rivershack Tavern: 3449 River Rd., 834-4938. Southport Hall: 200 Monticello Ave., 835-2903. Snug Harbor: 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696.

Any other places in town you like? Mona’s has gotten better and we’ll go out to the Mediterranean Café too for a Moroccan and Algerian twist, but Lebanon’s is a favorite.

I heard you’ve traveled in the Middle East and northern Africa. Does this food ever bring you back? I traveled a lot, but we’d usually just eat what we could when we had money, you know. Sometimes you’d hear of an olive harvest or a festival and make your way there.—Kyle Petrozza www.OFFBEAT.com

DINING OUT Taqueria D.F. Last month during his performance of the inaugural New Orleans’ Speaker Series, culinary bad boy Anthony Bourdain highlighted the proliferation of food trucks as a growing trend in eating out. Around the country, lunch trucks that were once scoffed at as the lowest form on the dining hierarchy are now revered by loyal followers who track their favorite munchie mobiles on Twitter. Fans of Taqueria D.F., though, need not worry about where to find their favorite tacos and tortas for lunch. D.F., which stands for “Districto Federal” a.k.a. Mexico City, has found a permanent home on South Claiborne Avenue across from the New Orleans Water Treatment Facility. Powered via a yellow extension cord running from the laundromat next door, D.F. is usually best marked by a gathering of blue collar workers dining on paper plates while sitting along a concrete parking lot wall. But because the desire for a cheap and filling lunch crosses social and economic borders, construction workers with

www.OFFBEAT.com

concrete dust on their boots often find themselves waiting in line with the jacket and tie squadron from the CBD. Steam bins of various meats await on the opposite side of the ordering window, which allows the diner a cursory inspection of the “menu.” Meanwhile, the tabletop griddle sizzles with beef awaiting the next order. Tacos, a bargain at $1.50, come double wrapped in corn tortillas and simply dressed with diced onions, chopped cilantro, and wedges of lime for squeezing. The chewy beef tongue may be your first foray into offal, but it won’t be your last. And if you enjoy the tongue, try the tripe. The griddle gives it an undeniably chewy, but tender crust while the salsa verde provides a sharp contrast to the earthy tripe. For the pork lovers, soft bits of chicharron and slices of al pastor are also available.

Photo: KYLE PETROZZA

EATS

The tortas place your choice of meat inside an avocado-and-cheese-smeared soft roll with lettuce and tomato. The tender strands of barbacoa have much in common with the beloved roast beef poboy, but an altogether different flavor. Cumin and a touch of spice rule this slow-braised meat. Xenophobes fear taco trucks, but if hating fresh, authentic food served quickly and cheaply is wrong, we don’t want to be right. Corner of Eagle Street and S. Claiborne Avenue; Open daily from 10 a.m. until. —Peter Thriffiley, Jr. and Rene Louapre

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REVIEWS

Reviews

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

CDs reviewed are available now at In the French Quarter 210 Decatur Street 504-586-1094 or online at LouisianaMusicFactory.com

Sampling New Orleans

Galactic Ya-Ka-May (Anti-) When Galactic parted ways with Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet, there was a lot of concern about what the band would become without a front man. Would it jam on Blue Note-like jazz-funk riffs until that well was dry? As From the Corner to the Block and the new Ya-KaMay suggest, those concerns were right and wrong. Vocalists are good for Galactic, but with Ya-Ka-May particularly, Galactic treats vocals

Still the King Earl King and Roomful of Blues Glazed (Hep Cat) This is the return of a very good old friend as Hep Cat has reissued one of the earliest albums from the catalog of New Orleans’ Black Top label. Earl King and Roomful of Blues fit like a hand inside a glove and this is the proof. The New England-based band frequently played Tipitina’s in the early 1980s, and producer Hammond Scott and myself would pick Earl up at the

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as instruments and a part of the composition, not the raison d’être for the song. Even performances by Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint and Bo Dollis are integrated into the band’s tech-savvy notion of funk rock (or in some cases, rock funk), and the result is a 100 percent contemporary incarnation of New Orleans funk, one without nostalgia or piety. In a sense, Ya-Ka-May is the band’s purest homage to the Meters, the band that inspired Galactic. The Meters of “Cissy Strut” and “Pungee” were not a solo-oriented band; the instruments fit together like clockwork to create a funky whole. Similarly, the tracks here rarely spotlight any member of the band; it’s all ensemble work, with Ben Ellman’s baritone sax briefly audible at one moment, or a Jeff Raines’ guitar fill jumping out for a moment before returning to the mix. But the massive bass sound could be Robert Mercurio or Rich Vogel’s keyboards, and the funky drums could be Stanton Moore, or they could be looped or

the product of a few percussionists. Whatever, it’s a selfless album. From the Morgus sound bite that opens the album, Ya-Ka-May is very much a New Orleans album. The ghost of second line beats and classic grooves are at the heart of these tracks, and the voices not only represent the city’s signature artists—including John Boutte and Walter “Wolfman” Washington— but the bounce community as well, with appearances by Cheeky Blakk, Big Freedia, Katey Red and Sissy Nobby. Each brings new textures and rhythms to their tracks, and their vocals work on their own and as parts of the pieces. Toussaint is unusually animated in “Bacchus” as he sings about “heading for the future,” and his vocal is fed through a Leslie speaker so that it he sounds as if he’s singing from underwater. He’s followed immediately by the bratty voice of Katey Red barking out a Popeyes order, and just two tracks earlier, Irma Thomas sounds like an emotional pillar in “Heart of

Tastee Donut shop on Louisiana Avenue and usher him over to 501 Napoleon on those evenings. Anyone who saw and heard Earl jam with Roomful there will tell you that it was some of the most memorable music they ever heard. Getting Earl together with the band in the studio was no-brainer. He had a book full of great new material for the1986 session and it’s displayed here. The set opens with the magnificent “It All Went Down the Drain,” a song that describes a doomed love affair in a way only Earl King could. In fact love— the lack of it, the procurement of it, the retention of it, and the management of it—is a common theme here, as songs like “Love

Rent,” “Iron Cupid” and “Three Can Play the Game” demonstrate. King covers himself a couple times—”I Met a Stranger” and “Lonely, Lonely Nights”— and there’s even a “new” Carnival song, “Mardi Gras in the City” (King pronounced it “Mardi Graws”). With five horns, Roomful of Blues provided a big, punchy sound, and they covered the quirky rhythms King demanded to a tee. In fact, there’s only one straight blues and that’s the instrumental “Somebody’s Got a Tail.” Needless to say, the success of Glazed got King out of the donut shop a lot more as he toured Japan and Europe after its release. Even though Black Top issued two more King albums,

Steel.” Still, the governing personality remains Galactic’s, not the singers, who are treated almost like samples. There’s a lot audacious about YaKa-May, but New Orleans is long overdue for an audacious album. In this case, Galactic has made one that challenges many of the city’s musical conventions while showing a profound affection and belief in the fundamental impulses behind them. That it’s not just bold but engaging makes it doubly successful. —Alex Rawls

Cedric Watson et Bijou Créole L’Esprit Créole (Valcour) When Cedric Watson’s eponymous debut dropped in 2008, only the astute realized that this was not just a solo record by a talented Pine Leaf Boys member but a premonition of greater things to come. His amicable departure from the band made sense; Watson had too much to say about

he wouldn’t surpass these recordings. This is one of the 10 best New Orleans R&B albums recorded in the last 30 years. If you missed this the first time around or you want a reminder of how talented Earl King was, you should be all over this one. —Jeff Hannusch www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS

his Creole culture not to be his own front man. Fast forward to 2010 and Watson’s cultural immersion is even more evident. As the title L’Esprit Créole implies, the accordionist/ fiddler embraces the Louisiana Creole spirit that’s manifested throughout his original brand of music (Watson wrote 10 of the 12 tunes). He channels those who came before him and does it well, such as a crunchy John Delafose-style number (“Bijou Créole”), the R&B/jazz grooves of Clifton Chenier (“La Sud de La Louisiane”) and a blasting rendition of BéBé Carrière’s “Bluerunner.” Like his forebears, he sings nearly every tune in French and two in particular are sung in Creole, the dialect that’s primarily spoken along the Atchafalaya Basin. Watson doesn’t stop there. He follows the Creole bloodlines to their ancestral Haitian homeland. On some tracks, he slows down the normally torrid dance tempos with Caribbean-styled melodies, horns, percussion and rhythms, while “Lafayette La La” represents the oldtime precursor to zydeco and exudes natural Caribbean influences. Watson doesn’t succumb to anyone else’s notion of what Créole/zydeco music should be, and long-time listeners of the genre will recognize riffs and embellishments,―including the snap groove bass lines of “Bluerunner,”―as being new and inventive. And maybe then they’ll realize that Watson is an innovator who is far from reaching his peak. —Dan Willging

The Soul Rebels No Place Like Home (Independent) I’ll never understand live albums. They may have been cut on hot www.OFFBEAT.com

nights, but they rarely sound hot. Instead, they tell listeners about the hot night they missed. No Place Like Home doesn’t make me feel like I was there; it makes me wish I’d been there, or that they’d cut these performances in a studio so they could have the impact these recordings ask you to imagine. Soul Rebels are one of the most dynamic live bands in town right now, and with 2005’s Rebelution, they made one of the best brass albums of the last decade. These songs might be the follow-up, but the vagaries of live recording mean horns drift in and out of the mix, vocals are thin and there’s little bottom end. It’s a shame because the Soul Rebels are a must-hear band these days. They’re adding new flavors to brass, including go-go elements, a hip-hop sensibility, and part of the opener, “Start if Off Right,” recalls Afrobeat. That they can be that diverse and easily, immediately engaging at the same time without sounding showy or self-conscious is impressive. You can hear that on No Place Like Home, but the sonic difference when the album gets to the four studio tracks that end the album only underscores the opportunity missed. “Get Up” and “Freak Like Me” don’t need a live audience to make the tracks cook. I’m sure a live album sounded like a good idea, but a good studio album would have been a better one. —Alex Rawls

Snooks Eaglin Teasin’ You (Hep Cat) This Black Top Records reissue takes us back to 1991 when Snooks Eaglin was at the apex of his career. The song list here reads like a set he would have played at the Rock FEBRU A RY 2 010

REVIEWS songs. On Die Young, she presents such vast soundscapes that it is hard to believe that almost the entire record was recorded in homes and closets in New Orleans. The production work of Keith Ferguson (World Leader Pretend) is impeccable. Blair’s understated-but-earnest voice carries the record. Half Leslie Feist, half Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries, Blair’s youthful vocals breathe life into her delightfully unfolding melodies. ’n’ Bowl or Jazz Fest, and includes Though lacking in dynamics, her a stellar back-up group. Producer Hammond Scott surrounded Snooks voice still rings heartbreakingly clear. She has a definite charm. with local heavy hitters, including The record is a cohesive work, George Porter, Jr., Sammy Berfect, and Herman Ernest, as well as Texas yet each song shines with its own peculiarities. “Hello Halo” spins saxophone legend Grady Gaines. with fluttering confusion, featuring Then he pretty much let the tape a refrain of “I don’t know what I’m run. Naturally, the bulk of this CD saying,” whereas “So That’s It” is a consists of reworkings of familiar slow and steady piano ballad, the New Orleans R&B nuggets. In only one of the album. “Candy in fact, Earl King must have gotten the Kitchen” may be the only outlier, a handsome BMI check upon the featuring a thumping drum machine release of this one as there are no fewer than three of his compositions and dance-inspired lyrics, bordering more on dance than indie. here, including the title track. Die Young was a long time Our man is anything but subdued coming. It’s developed, with subtle here as he lets it hang out on beauty and definite direction. Blair the likes of “Baby Please Come Home,” “Lily Mae” and the old Fess has got a good thing going for her; standby, “Red Beans.” Even on the hopefully it will not take another five years for her to release a record, slow blues “Black Night,” Eaglin but if she needs it, let her have it. sings and plays like he’s pissed —Tom Macom off. There’s also a mind-boggling instrumental included here, and his version of “Sleep Walk” sounds like High Performance he’s playing two guitars, not one. Live from Breaux Bridge Pt. 2 The list of in-print Snooks Eaglin (Swallow) CDs is short (Wish they’d make his Imperial catalog available again) so As promised, Live from Breaux this is a welcome release as well as Bridge Pt. 2 (Live from Breaux a reminder of what we lost with Bridge was released in March, 2009) his passing last year. is the second installment of live —Jeff Hannusch recordings by Cajun supergroup High Performance. If you’re reading this review for advice on which volume Blair to purchase first, forget it – making Die Young such a recommendation is practically (Autumn Tone) impossible. This one continues where Pt.1 left off: another throttling, In Die Young, Blair presents a sonorous indie-pop gem five years in blood-pumping foray into the the making. The New Orleans native’s musical territory where ’60s dancehall first full-length album, Die Young is a Cajun and honky-tonk country party together. Except that here, the daydream swimming with resonant sextet that includes Steve Riley and instrumentation and melodic vocals. screaming steel ace Richard Comeaux Blair (Gimma, when she lived are warmed up and running hotter here, before moving to Los Angeles than ever. Comeaux plays a slamming then Brooklyn) sounds like a natural ride on Aldus Roger’s adaptation of at crafting compelling, catchy pop

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“Allons a Lafayette,” christened here as “High Performance Lafayette Two Step’” “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down,”―possibly the best non-Hag rendition yet of the Merle Haggard classic,―features these pounding notes in the middle that are like adding gas to an already blazing fire. Girls scream on “Hick’s Wagon Wheel Special” as if they were falling out of a roller coaster. And then there’s Jimmy Bearb, a sturdy vocalist who almost falls into the contemporary country camp except, to his credit, he’s grittier and not generic enough. He pulls off the Belton Richard tunes so well that it wouldn’t be surprising if the silverhaired, former heartthrob never went back into retirement again. —Dan Willging

Boo Boo Davis Ain’t Got a Time (Blank & Tan) If you’re into the striped down, North Mississippi/Fat Possum sound, then Boo Boo Davis might just be for you. Chord changes here are a rarity and entire songs can consist of one vocal line repeated over and over. Even in these narrow confines, Davis has a distinct style going on. He sings like he means it, and while his harmonica playing will never be compared to Little Walter or Jimmy Reed, it serves its purpose. The band can also get a nice groove going, especially when it decides that one chord is not enough. Money, and the need to obtain more of it, seems to be an overriding theme here. On the title track, Davis gets downright upset about his financial situation and he lets the listener know it in no uncertain way. He’s also pretty frantic explaining why he’s come down with the “Boo Boo Blues.” www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS One listen to this one will confirm that Boo Boo Davis is funkier than your average bluesman. —Jeff Hannusch

Don Rich You’re Mistaken (Jin) By now it’s a safe bet that Don Rich won’t gallop into any virgin territory. With another platter of fan-favorite, heartfelt originals and well-chosen swamp pop covers, he doesn’t have to. But what’s surprising about his 10th CD is that the track sequence is entirely different than what Rich originally submitted to Jin Records. Instead of leading off with the uptempo strutter “It’s My Life,” the first four songs are slow ones, allowing him to build a subtle groove as he explores the facets of love. Of these tracks, the co-written original “If You Still” is the most uplifting with its profession of unconditional love. Regardless if

it’s an original or a well-known cover, Rich is a quality vocalist who sells the song and its sentiments. He still links back to swamp pop’s glory days, and sideman Rick Folse is one reason why. He makes the one-man horn section sound full by overdubbing three swooning tenor saxes and one baritone. Rich is the other reason, of course, reverently handling such gems as Fats Domino’s “Before I Grow Too Old” as if they were his own. Anyway you look at it, Don Rich still has game. —Dan Willging

A Moon over the Marigny Miss Sophie Lee Tallulah Moon (SophieLeeMusic) Tallulah Moon, the latest from singer Miss Sophie Lee, sees her accompanied by a band culled largely from members of the Cottonmouth Kings. The sound is New Orleans jazz meets gypsy swing, the latter suggested by John Rodli’s briskly strummed guitar and Matt Rhody’s highflying violin. Miss Lee’s singing has a highly conversational quality, and the more fun she sounds like she’s having, the more fun we have listening. It’s an approach that can bring warmth and intimacy to the music, but gone awry it can make things rather dreary. Consider the album’s opener (and strongest track), “Delta Bound”. Every lilt and twirl of Miss Lee’s voice is full of infectious glee; what she www.OFFBEAT.com

lacks in raw “oomph” she makes up for in grace and zeal. It’s hard not to smile (and maybe even to sing along). Alternately, consider “We Can’t Go on This Way”, a track that is utterly charming but for the flatness of Miss Sophie’s vocal. This song ought to be right up her ally; it is, after all, a “you and me”-type love song, perfectly suited to her nod-anda-wink style. Yet she doesn’t seem to be feeling it, so neither do we. The musicians play their parts well; Bruce Brackman and Charlie Fardella, on clarinet and trumpet, respectively, wail with great gusto. The sound quality of the live tracks (recorded at Mimi’s in the Marigny) leaves a little to be desired, but this is a lively record, satisfying if inconsistent. —Zachary Young FEBRU A RY 2 010

REVIEWS

Mark Darnell-Marquez/ 9 Ghosts Lunar Year (11:11 Music) With Lunar Year, multiinstrumentalist/composer Mark Darnell-Marquez adds singer/ songwriter to his musical persona, 9 Ghosts. Previously under the moniker, Darnell-Marquez released an arresting piano set, The Book of Disquiet, as well as an evocative electro-acoustic chamber suite, In Twilight. Here, once again, Darnell-Marquez demonstrates his mastery of the sonic landscape. Produced by Tom McDermott, Lunar Year is wrought with anguish, despair, and longing. Vocally and lyrically, DarnellMarquez proves just as capable, delivering an equally gripping and haunting performance. Through creeping atmospherics and a weighty acoustic strum, he guides the somber “A Day of Radiance”: “If I could turn back the hands of time, you know I’d make things right / We could live like God’s children, sleeping in the afternoon sunlight.” On many levels, Lunar Year brings to mind Thom Yorke’s recent solo album The Eraser. However, where Yorke relied on electronic textures and synthetic beats to create The Eraser’s air of detachment, DarnellMarquez’s intricately layered piano and guitar melodies give Lunar Year’s dissonant textures a more humanizing quality. Though bleak, a dim and fleeting dream looms over the agony of “The Sustainer,” the misery of “Your Majesty,” and the isolation of “The Boatless Sea.” Additionally, several instrumental collages steer Lunar Year’s course, and while the piercing shifts of “White Halo / Anew-Amen” and the drifting lull of “Tall Ships” certainly add to the thematic motif, other numbers tend to belabor this dour, woebegone saga. Still, Lunar Year makes for a compelling—albeit chilling—listen, especially the CD version, which includes an utterly bewitching rendition of King Crimson’s prog masterpiece “In the Court of the Crimson King.” —Aaron LaFont

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Spirit of New Orleans Mahogany Hall Stomp (Spirit of New Orleans) Leroy Jones joins Helsinki natives Spirit of New Orleans for some “traditional New Orleans jazz with a 21st Century flavor.” Along with standards including “St. James Infirmary”, the band tackles hymns (“Amazing Grace,” “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”) and even an original by Jones (“Esko’s Delight”). Not surprisingly, it’s Jones who seems most at home in this music, though musicianship is solid all around. Risto Salmi on reeds gives some great solos. But something’s missing from SONO’s sound. Many tracks start convincingly but fail to take off, plodding toward the finish line and then fizzling. I found myself pleading for the band to let loose a little. This is music that benefits from the occasional crescendo, but here the volume dial is stuck. Eepi Ursin’s vocal work is a case in point. She’s polished and confident, but her subdued approach seems oddly out of place. As a Finnish group, perhaps SONO doesn’t feel enough ownership of this music to really make it their own. They seem terrified of putting a foot out of line, yet this is music that would profit greatly if they did just that. SONO’s style shines through best on playful tracks like “Esko’s Delight,” a tight, witty composition that benefits from the clarity of the group’s sound. Other times, though, it feels like they’re just going through the motions. The motions are immaculately choreographed, to be sure. Spirit of New Orleans has this music down to a science, but that might be their problem. —Zachary Young www.OFFBEAT.com

When you’re out, text the word ‘offbeat’ to 33669 for daily listings. For complete listings, go to www.offbeat.com

Listings EXPRESS

Here are OffBeat’s highlights of music and entertainment in New Orleans and the surrounding area for the current month. Each day’s events are listed in alphabetical order by club or venue. Listings are compiled based on information provided by clubs, bands and promoters up to our deadlines. Unfortunately, some information was not available at press time and listings are subject to change. Special events, concerts, festivals and theater listings follow the daily listings. For up-to-theminute, complete music listings, check OffBeat’s web page at www.offbeat.com. For more details on a show, call the club directly. Phone numbers of clubs are shown in this section and/or at www.offbeat.com. To include your date or event, please email information to our listings editor, Craig Guillot at craigguillot@offbeat.com or call 504-944-4300. Mr. Guillot can also provide listing deadlines for upcoming issues.

AC AU BL BU BB SH KJ KS CL CO CW DN FE FK GS IR IN MJ TJ JV LT ME PK PP RG RH RB RR SI SW TC VO ZY

A Cappella Acoustic Blues Bluegrass Brass Band Cabaret/Show Cajun Christian Classical Comedy Country Dance Folk Funk Gospel Indie Rock International/World Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Trad Jazz, Variety Latin Metal Piano/Keyboards Pop/Top 40/Covers Reggae Rap/Hip Hop Rhythm & Blues Rock Swing/Gypsy Spoken Word Techno/Dance/Electronica Vocals Zydeco

SMOKE-FREE SHOW

MONDAY FEB 1

Apple Barrel: Sam Cammarata and Dominick Grillo (BL) 8p, Johnny J. & Benny Maygarden (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Smooth Jazz Combo (MJ) 9p BMC: the Franklin Avenue Underpass Jazz Band (JV) 7p, New Orleans Moonshiners (JV) 10p Checkpoint Charlie: John Lisi & Delta Funk (BL) 11p, Beth Patterson (BL) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Evan Christopher’ (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews (JV) 9p Donna’s: Les Getrex & the Blues All-stars (BL) 9p

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Dos Jefes: John Fohl (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Noxious Noize Punk & Metal Night (ME RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Willie Locket & All Purpose Blues Band (PP) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Bob French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Bruce Bono (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Papa Grows Funk (FK) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (TJ) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Kermit Ruffins (MJ) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: open blues jam feat. Chuck Credo (BL) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Taize (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Can’t Hardly Playboys (PP) 9p Zeitgeist: Terrence McManus, James Singleton and Rick Trolsen (VR) 9:30p

TUESDAY FEB 2

Apple Barrel: Kenny Swartz & the Palace of Sin (BL) 10:30p, Kenny Claiborne (BL) 8p Banks Street Bar: Big, Fat & Reggae Night (RG) 9p Blue Nile (Balcony Room): Incense Merchants plus Terrence McManus (MJ) 10p BMC: Sweet Jones (JV) 10p, Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Anders Osborne, John Fohl and Jonny Sansone (VR) 8p d.b.a.: Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Dancehall Classics feat. DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p, Dragon’s Den: MC Trachiotomy, Liquid Peace Revoluion (RH) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Jason Marsalis (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: John Craigie (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Dwight Breland (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Girls with Magic Kids, the Smith Westerns (VR) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall-stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Ernie Vincent and Irving Bannister (OR) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Organ & Labyrinth feat. Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop (PP) 9p

WEDNESDAY FEB 3

Apple Barrel: Andy J. Forest (BL) 10:30p, Wendy Darling (BL) 8p Banks Street Bar: Gravity A (RR) 9p Blue Nile: United Postal Project (MJ) 8p; Khris Royal & Dark Matter (FK) 11p BMC: Domenic (BL) 7p, Jeremy Phipps and Monday’s Date (JV) 9:30p Candle Light Lounge: Treme Brass Band (BB) 9p

d.b.a.: Tin Men (JV) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dos Jefes: Bob Andrews (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Frenzi, Daniel Steel, Proppa Bear (RH) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Irvin Mayfield NOJO Jam (MJ) 8p, Kermit Ruffins (MJ) 5p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Barret (PP) 4:30p, Al Hebert (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: the Wild Magnolias (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Alec Ounsworth (RR) 9p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: St. Peter All-stars feat. Lars Edegran (TJ) 8p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Swing Night feat. Joe Krown (SI) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet (MJ) 8p 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop & the Garlic Truck Band (PP) 9p

THURSDAY FEB 4

Apple Barrel: the Louisiana Hellbenders (BL) 10:30p, Dave Gregg & the Odd Man Band (BL) 8p Banks Street Bar: Acoustic Songwriters feat. Dave Jordan (AU) 9p BMC: Jamey St. Pierre & the Honeycreepers (JV) 10p, the Low Stress Quintet (JV) 7p Blue Nile: Reggae Night with DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p Carrollton Station: the Kinky Tuscaderos (RR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: Self-Righteous Brothers (BL) 11p, Beth Patterson (BL) 7p Columns: Fredy Omar (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (PK) 7p, Mathus & Derrick Freeman (JV) 10p Donna’s: Tom McDermott and Meschiya Lake (JV) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Harrah’s: Sharon Martin (JV) 6p House of Blues: G.Love & Special Sauce, Redeye Empire (OR) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf: Groundation’s Bob Marley Tribute Tour (RG) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Play Hour feat. Roman Skakun (VR) 5p, Johnaye Kendrick (VR) 8p Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Kelcy Mae (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich (VR) 10p Mimi’s in the Marigny: Linnzi Zaorski (SI) 10p Ogden Museum: Ogden After Hours feat. Shannon McNally (OR) 6p Palm Court: Crescent City Joymakers feat. Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Brass Band Thursday feat. Paulin Brothers Brass Band (BB) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: First Take and Marlon Jordan (MJ) 10p

Rock ’n’ Bowl: Zydeco Night feat. Geno Delafose (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Segeunon Kone (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Choral Evensong (VR) 6:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p Vaughan’s: Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers (MJ) 8:30p

FRIDAY FEB 5

Apple Barrel: John (BL) 4p, Kenny Holladay and Rick Westin (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p Banks Street: Life Without Elvis, the Unnaturals (RR) 11p Blue Nile: Mykia Devon & Jason Butler 7p; Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (FK) 10p BMC: Sasha Masakowski (JV) 7p, Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 1:30a, Fredy Omar con su Banda (LT) 10:30p Carrollton Station: Susan Cowsill Band Covered in Vinyl Series (RR) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Threadhead Fridays feat. Paul Sanchez & Friends (OR) 8p Columns: Alex Bachari Trio (JV) 5p d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 6p, Elastic Waste Band feat. Jeremy Lyons with Dana and Jarome (FK) 10p Donna’s: Pinettes Brass Band (BB) 9p Dos Jefes: Joe Krown Trio (JV BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Soul Rebels Brass Band, Down Autotomii (BB RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p House of Blues: Frontiers: a tribute to Journey (RR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf:Aquaforce,Alkatraz Out Patient (RR) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Professor Jazz Piano Series feat. Joe Krown (PK) 5p, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (MJ) 8p, Midnight Burlesque Ballroom feat. Trixie Minx and Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (MJ) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge: Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Steve Keith (BL) 5p, Brooks Hubbert (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: free oysters with Joe Krown (PP) 7p; J’ Monque’D Blues Band (BL) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Bruce Bono (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Gravy, Easy Company (FK) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: New Orleans Bingo! Show (RR) 9p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lucien Barbarin (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Leroy Jones and the Preservation Hall Jazz Masters (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Cortland Burke Band and Callooh! Callay! (MJ) 10p Republic New Orleans: MyNameisJohnMichael (RR) 11p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Four Unplugged (RR) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Dirty Bourbon River Show feat. New Grass Country Club and Booty Trove Brass Band (BB) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

SATURDAY FEB 6

Apple Barrel: Maxwell Eaton (BL) 4p, Sneaky Pete (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p FEBRU A RY 2 010

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Banks Street: Soul Project (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p; Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers (TJ) 10p BMC: Jayna Morgan & the Sazerac Sunrise (JV) 7p, Benny Turner & Real Blues (JV) 10:30p Carrollton Station: Thinkenstein, Khris Royal and Dark Matter (OR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: BWRG (BL RR) 7p, Ernie & the Top Notes (BL RR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Flamenco feat.Ven Pa’ Ca (LT) 9p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 11p Donna’s: Wild Magnolias (FK) 9p Dos Jefes: Acoustic Swiftness (AU) 10p Dragon’s Den: Microshards, Stress Ape, Statutory Triangle, Truth Universal (RR RG) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (PP) 8p

House of Blues (the Parish): Sondre Lerche, JBM (RR) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Derek Douget (MJ) 8p, Brass Band Jam feat. Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge: Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Tobin-Specht Trio (BL) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Anders Osborne (FK) 11p; Billy Iuso & the Restless Natives, 12a Little Tropical Isle:Al Hebert (PP) 5p, Late as Usual (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: call club Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lionel Ferbos (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Soul Rebels (BB) 10p

Rock ’n’ Bowl: the Wiseguys (PP) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Astral Project (MJ) 8p 10p Southport Hall: Band Camp (PP) 10p Tipitina’s: 101 Runners feat. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and guests, 3 pc. Spicy (FK) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (BL) 9p

SUNDAY FEB 7

Apple Barrel: Kenny Claiborne (BL) 4p, Rolllin’ Hills (BL) 8p, Dave Gregg & the Odd Man Band (BL) 10:30p BMC: Ras Chemash Lamed (JV) 6p, Gal Holiday (CW) 9p Columns: Chip Wilson (JV) 11a d.b.a.: Jeremy Lyons & the Deltabilly Boys (BL) 10p Donna’s: Jesse McBride & the Next Generaion Jazz Band (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: St. Dad, the Schreds, Nervous Jungle (RR) 10p

Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p; Willie Locket & the All Purpose Blues Band (BL) 8p Harrah’s: jazz brunch feat. Tim Laughlin (JV) 11a Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Mason’s Revisited feat. Germaine Bazzle and David Torkanowsky (MJ) 7p Kerry Irish Pub: call club Le Bon Temps Roule: Suplecs (RR) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late as Usual (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Precinct: Funk Mob feat. Tiffany Kahr (FK) 10p Spotted Cat: Rites of Swing (JV) 3p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Mark Barrett (PP) 4p; Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

MONDAY FEB 8

Apple Barrel: Sam Cammarata and Dominick Grillo (BL) 8p, Andre Bouvier & the Royal Bohemians (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Smooth Jazz Combo (MJ) 9p BMC: the Franklin Avenue Underpass Jazz Band (JV) 7p New Orleans Moonshiners (JV) 10p Checkpoint Charlie: Beth Patterson (BL RR) 7p, John Lisi & Delta Funk (BL RR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road (JV) 7p Columns: David Doucet (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews (JV) 9p Donna’s: Les Getrex & the Blues All-stars (BL) 9p Dragon’s Den: Noxious Noize Punk & Metal Night (ME RR) 10p, Fuzzy & the Shopping Carts (RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Willie Locket & All Purpose Blues Band (PP) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Bob French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Catania (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Bruce Bono (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Papa Grows Funk (FK) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Rock ’n’ Bowl: open blues jam feat. Chuck Credo (BL) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Taize (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Can’t Hardly Playboys (PP) 9p

TUESDAY FEB 9

Apple Barrel: Kenny Claiborne (BL) 8p, Kenny Swartz & the Palace of Sin (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Big, Fat & Reggae Night (RG) 9p Blue Nile (Balcony Room): Mark Weliky Group plus late set with Simon Lott & Mike Gamble (MJ) 10p BMC: Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 7p, Deltabilly Duo (BL) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Anders Osborne, John Fohl and Jonny Sansone (VR) 8p Columns: John Rankin (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Cottonmouth Kings (JV BL) 9p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Alex Pena, Sour Mash Hug Band (RR) 10p, Dancehall Classics feat. DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Ed “Sweetbread” Petersen (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Honky Tonk Open Mic feat. Jason Bishop (CW) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Dwight Breland (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Shannon Powell and the Preservation Hall-stars (JV) 8p Rock ’n’ Bowl:Al “Carnival Time” Johnson (RB) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble (MJ) 8p 10p

F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 0

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Trinity Church: Organ & Labyrinth feat. Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop (PP) 9p

WEDNESDAY FEB 10

Apple Barrel: Wendy Darling (BL) 8p, Shotgun House (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Gravity A (RR) 9p Blue Nile: United Postal Project (MJ) 8p; Khris Royal & Dark Matter (FK) 11p BMC: Domenic (BL) 7p, Jeremy Phipps and Monday’s Date (BL) 9:30p Candle Light Lounge: Treme Brass Band (BB) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: T-Bone Stone (BL RR) 7p, Andre Bouvier & the Royal Bohemians (BL RR) 11p Columns: Ricardo Crespo (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Tin Men (JV BL) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dos Jefes: Bob Andrews (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Frenzi, Daniel Steel, Proppa Bear (RH) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Play Hour feat. Kermit Ruffins (MJ) 5p, Irvin Mayfield NOJO Jam (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Barret (PP) 4:30p, Al Hebert (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: the Wild Magnolias (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Automobil and Heist Almighty (OR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Swing Night feat. Johnny Angel (SI) 8:30p

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Snug Harbor: call club Tipitina’s: Papa Mali’s 3rd Annual Supernatural Ball feat. George Porter, Jr., Nigel Hall, Soul Rebels and guests (FK) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop & the Garlic Truck Band (PP) 9p

THURSDAY FEB 11

Apple Barrel: Dave Gregg & the Odd Man Band (BL) 8p, Kenny Holladay & the Rollin’ Blackouts (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Acoustic Songwriters feat. Dave Jordan (AU) 9p Blue Nile: Reggae Night with DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p BMC: the Low Stress Quintet (JV) 7p, Benny Turner & Real Blues (BL) 10p Carrollton Station: Mia Borders (RR) 9p d.b.a.: Grayson Capps (JV BL) 11p Donna’s: call club Dos Jefes: Rick Trolsen & the New Orleans Poboys (JV BL) 9:30p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Winter Blackout 2010, the Expendables, Iration, Passafire (RR) 7p Howlin’ Wolf: Rebirth Brass Band (free) (BB) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Play Hour feat. Roman Skakun (MJ) 5p, Johanye Kendrick (MJ) 8p Jeremy Davenport Lounge: Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Tobin-Specht Trio (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 10p Old Point Bar: Marc Stone & the Levee Creepers feat. Andy J. Forest and Keith Vinet (BL) 6p, Adam Crochet & I Tell You What (BL) 9p

Palm Court: Crescent City Joymakers feat. Duke Heitger (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Brass Band Thursday feat. New Birth Brass Band (BB) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: MyNameisJohnMichael, M@People’s Collective, special guests (VR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Zydeco Night feat. Chris Ardoin (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Colin Stranahan Quintet (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: RJD2, Kenan Bell, Happy Chichester (VR) 10p Trinity Church: Choral Evensong (VR) 6:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p Vaughan’s: Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers (MJ) 8:30p

FRIDAY FEB 12

Apple Barrel: John (BL) 4p, Kenny Holladay and Rick Westin (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Local Skank’s Valentine’s Kissing Party (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Mykia Devon & Jason Butler 7p; Anders Osborne with Mia Borders (RB) 10p BMC: Sasha Masakowski (JV) 7p, Fredy Omar con su Banda (LT) 10:30p, Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 1:30a Carrollton Station: House of Fallen Trees (RR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: Damn Frontiers (BL RR) 7p, the Louisiana Hellbenders (BL RR) 11p Columns: Alex Bachari Trio (JV) 5p d.b.a.: Ingrid Lucia (SI) 6p, Pine Leaf Boys (KJ) 10p Donna’s: Original Royal Players Brass Band (BB) 9p Dos Jefes: Eric Traub Trio (JV BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: LAX, Slow Burn Burlesque (DN SH) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Hangar, The: Crowbar, Exhorder and Flesh Parade (ME) 10p

Hi Ho Lounge: Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 10p House of Blues: Better Than Ezra (RR) 10p Howlin’ Wolf NorthShore (Mandeville): JJ Muggler Band, Ernie Vincent (RR) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Soul Rebels and Hot 8 Brass Band (free) (BB) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Professor Jazz Piano Series feat. Joe Krown (PK) 5p, Stooges Brass Band (BB) 8p Jeremy Davenport Lounge: Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (BL) 5p, Foot & Friends Birthday Bash (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: free oysters with Joe Krown (PP) 7p; Juice (FK) 11p; Groovesect (FK) 1a Little Tropical Isle: Bruce Bono (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Mimi’s in the Marigny: Zazou City (SI) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Old Point Bar: Mission Tribute (BL) 9:30p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Clive Wilson (JV) 7p Prytania Music & Spirits: Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Bourbon River Show (BB VR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: the Radiators (RR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: call club Southport Hall: Bag of Donuts Mardi Gras Extravaganza (PP) 10p Tipitina’s: New Orleans Social Club feat. Ivan Neville, George Porter, Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Henry Butler and Raymond Weber, DJ Soul Sister (FK VR) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

SATURDAY FEB 13

Apple Barrel: Maxwell Eaton (BL) 4p, Sneaky Pete (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Juice (FK RR) 10p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p; Cyril Neville’s Carnival Party (FK) 10p

FEBRU A RY 2 010

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC BMC: the Brewing Company Jazz Band (JV) 7p, Soul Rebels (BB) 10:30p d.b.a.: Not-So-Super Superhero Party feat. Rotary Downs and the Brian Coogan Band (VR) 10p Donna’s: Leroy Jones Jazz Quintet (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots (JV BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: DJ Swamp (VR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (PP) 8p House of Blues: Better Than Ezra (RR) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Rebirth Brass Band, Papa Grows Funk (free) (BB FK) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Shannon Powell (MJ) 8p, Midnight Brass Band Jam feat. Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (BL) 5p, Rites of Passage (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Billy Iuso & War Chief Juan of the Golden Camanches (FK) 11p; Honey Island Swamp Band 2a Little Tropical Isle: Al Hebert (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: call club Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Krewe of Elysius Mystery Ball (RR) 9p Prytania Music & Spirits: the Blue Party, Birdcity, Street Friends (VR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Kermit Ruffins (MJ) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Chris Thomas King (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Galactic, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (FK RR) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p Zeitgeist: Louis Moholo, Dennis Gonzalez’ Yells at Eels and Tim Green (VR) 9p

Banks Street Bar: Smooth Jazz Combo (MJ) 9p Blue Nile: Soul Rebels (BB) 10p BMC: the Franklin Avenue Underpass Jazz Band (JV) 7p, New Orleans Moonshiners (JV) 10p, Govt Majik (RR) 1a Checkpoint Charlie: Domenic (BL RR) 7p, the Unnaturals (BL RR) 10p, R. Scully Rough (BL RR) 12a Columns: David Doucet (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews (JV) 11p Donna’s: Les Getrex & the Blues All-stars (BL) 9p Dos Jefes: Joe Krown Trio (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Noxious Noize Punk & Metal Night (ME RR) 10p, Gravity As Lundi Gras Bash feat. Bionica (FK RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Willie Locket & All Purpose Blues Band (PP) 8p Howlin’ Wolf: George Porter, Jr. & his Runnin’ Pardners (free) (FK) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Bob French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p

PLAN A: Sondre Lerche From Bergen, Norway, (now living in Brooklyn) Sondre Lerche was signed to Virgin/ EMI before his 16th birthday. His latest release Heartbeat Radio on Rounder Records follows his critically acclaimed soundtrack to the movie Dan in Real Life. His music is upbeat pop with elements of Brazilian, jazz and folk. Lerche’s distinctive voice and talent for writing quirky, sunny yet melancholic pop tunes justifies his popularity. Lerche’s chord choices are unexpected and

SUNDAY FEB 14

Apple Barrel: Kenny Claiborne (BL) 4p, Rolllin’ Hills (BL) 8p,Adam Crochet & I Tell You What (BL) 10:30p Blue Nile: call club BMC: Ras Chemash Lamed (JV) 6p, Gal Holiday (CW) 9p Carrollton Station: Dash Rip Rock, Cortland Burke & the Waste of Times (RR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: open mic feat. Jim Smith (BL RR) 8p Columns: Chip Wilson (JV) 11a d.b.a.: the Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p, Papa Grows Funk feat. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (FK) 11p Donna’s: Jesse McBride & the Next Generation Jazz Band (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: Simon Lott (OR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p; Willie Locket & the All Purpose Blues Band (BL) 8p Harrah’s: jazz brunch feat. Tim Laughlin (JV) 11a Howlin’ Wolf: Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (free) (FK) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): David Torkanowsky Mardi Gras Bash (JV) 7p Kerry Irish Pub: Schatzy & Associates (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Wild Tchoupatoulous Indians & Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown, Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes (FK RR) 10p Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Precinct: Jason Neville feat.The Mardi Gras Trio (FK) 10p Prytania Music & Spirits: the Revivalists, Stathakula, New Grass Country Club (RR) 10p Snug Harbor: Space Heaters (MJ) 8p 10p Spotted Cat: Rites of Swing (JV) 3p Tipitina’s: Trombone Shorty’s 4th Annual Bacchus Blowout feat. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (FK MJ) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Mark Barrett (PP) 4p; Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

MONDAY FEB 15

Apple Barrel: the Louisiana Hellbenders (BL) 8p, Mike Darby & the House of Cards (BL) 2a

F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 0

Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson & Friends (BL) 4p, Rites of Passage (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Derty Bird & Wise Bird 10p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Bruce Bono (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Papa Grows Funk (FK) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Quintron & Miss Pussycat (RR) 9p Prytania Music & Spirits: Flowtribe, Easy Company, DJ (VR) 10p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Galactic, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (FK RR) 10p Trinity Church: Taize (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Can’t Hardly Playboys (PP) 9p

TUESDAY FEB 16

Apple Barrel: Mike Hood & Big Pearl (BL) 7p, Kenny Swartz & the Palace of Sin (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Big, Fat & Reggae Night (RG) 9p Blue Nile: The Fessters (RR) 6p BMC: Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 7p, Eric Gordon & the Lazy Boys (JV) 10p, Rockin Jimmy & the Po-boys (VR) 1a Café Negril: John Lisi and Beth Patterson (BL) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: R. Scully Rough (RR) 9p, Suplecs (ME) 5p, Debauche (BL RR) 12a Columns: John Rankin (JV) 8p d.b.a.: New Orleans Klezmer All-stars (JV) 3p, DJ Matty (VR) 7p Dragon’s Den: Dancehall Classics feat. DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p, No Small Money Brass Band (BB) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p

engaging, and he has an appealing rapport with the audience, often telling stories between songs. Lerche quickly draws you in, making your first meeting with him memorable. Lerche released his first record, Faces Down, in 2001, and earned a Best New Artist award at the Norwegian Grammys. Rolling Stone named it one of the 50 best records of the year. Two Way Monologue (2004), Duper Sessions (2006) and Phantom Punch (2007) followed, along with a number of EPs and tours with everyone from Elvis Costello to A-ha (which is a bigger deal than it sounds; they continued to have hits in Europe until they recently decided to call it quits in 2010). Lerche performs without his band, but his stripped down approach allows him to assert his song’s most immediate and best melodic possibilities. Sondre Lerche appears at the Parish at House of Blues with singer-songwriter JBM (Canadian Jesse Marchant) opening. Saturday, February 6. —Joseph Irrera www.OFFBEAT.com

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Kerry Irish Pub: Jeff Phillips (BL) 7:30p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Dwight Breland (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Trinity Church: Organ & Labyrinth feat. Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop (PP) 9p

Rock ’n’ Bowl: Zydeco Night feat. Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Kellye Gray Quartet (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Choral Evensong (VR) 6:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p Vaughan’s: Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers (MJ) 8:30p

WEDNESDAY FEB 17

Apple Barrel: John (BL) 4p, Kenny Holladay and Rick Westin (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Rich’s Birthday Bash feat. Clockwork Elvis (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Mykia Devon & Jason Butler 7p; Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers (TJ) 10p BMC: Sasha Masakowski (JV) 7p, Fredy Omar con su Banda (JV) 10:30p, Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 1:30a Columns: Alex Bachari Trio (JV) 5p d.b.a.: Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 6p,Walter “Wolfman”Washington & Russell Batiste (FK) 10p Donna’s: Banu Gibson (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: Seraphium (RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p House of Blues: Appetite for Destruction (RR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf NorthShore (Mandeville): In Media Res (OR) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: PJ Morton CD-release (FK) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Professor Jazz Piano Series feat. Joe Krown (PK) 5p, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 8p, Midnight Burlesque Ballroom feat. Trixie Minx and Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Buddy Francioni and Home Grown (BL) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: free oysters with Joe Krown (PP) 7p; Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Review 10p Little Tropical Isle: Bruce Bono (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Jazsalsa (FK) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Old Point Bar: Johnny J & the Hitmen (BL) 9:30p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Clive Wilson (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: St. Peter All-stars feat. Lars Edegran (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Pose LLC Imagery Fashion Show (SH) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Patrick Henry & the Liberation Band (RR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio (MJ) 8p 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

Apple Barrel: Wendy Darling (BL) 8p, 19th St. Red (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Gravity A (RR) 9p Blue Nile: United Postal Project (MJ) 8p; Khris Royal & Dark Matter (FK) 11p BMC: Domenic (BL) 7p, Jeremy Phipps and Monday’s Date (JV) 9:30p Candle Light Lounge: Treme Brass Band (BB) 9p Columns: Ricardo Crespo (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters (BL) 10p, Tin Men (JV) 7p Dragon’s Den: Frenzi, Daniel Steel, Proppa Bear (RH) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Playhour feat. Kermit Ruffins (MJ) 5p, Irvin Mayfield NOJO Jam (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Barret (PP) 4:30p, Al Hebert (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown (PK) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Automobil (VR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Swing Night feat. Jerry Embree (SI) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Spencer Bohren (MJ) 8p 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop & the Garlic Truck Band (PP) 9p

THURSDAY FEB 18

Apple Barrel: Dave Gregg & the Odd Man Band (BL) 8p, Shotgun House (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Acoustic Songwriters feat. Dave Jordan (AU) 9p Blue Nile: Reggae Night with DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p BMC: Jamey St. Pierre & the Honeycreepers (JV) 7p, the Low Stress Quintet (JV) 7p Checkpoint Charlie: Domenic (BL RR) 7p, the Fens (RR) 11p Columns: Fredy Omar (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Andrew Duhon (JV) 7p Donna’s: Tom McDermott and Meschiya Lake (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Todd Duke Trio (JV BL) 9:30p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Harrah’s: BRW (JV) 6p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Playhour feat. Roman Skakun (MJ) 5p, Johnaye Kendrick (MJ) 8p Jeremy Davenport Lounge: Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Denise Marie and Marcel Koster (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (FK) 10p Ogden Museum: Ogden After Hours feat. James Westfall and the Muskrat Ramblers (RR) 6p Old Point Bar: Marc Stone & the Levee Creepers feat. Andy J. Forest and Keith Vinet (BL) 6p, Mischa & the Kim Carson Band (BL) 9p Palm Court: Crescent City Joymakers feat. Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Brass Band Thursday feat. Tornado Brass Band (BB) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Musicians Exchange Presents (VR) 10p

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FRIDAY FEB 19

SATURDAY FEB 20

Apple Barrel: Maxwell Eaton (BL) 4p, Sneaky Pete (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Wreckage Revival, the Converts (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p; Silent Cinema CD release party (RR) 10p BMC: Jayna Morgan & the Sazerac Sunrise (JV) 7p, Eric Gordon & the Lazy Boys (JV) 10:30p Carrollton Station: Lucy’s Walk, Street Hanks (RR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: One Mind Brass Band (BB) 7p, Green Muntles (BL RR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: call club d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Otra (LT) 11p Donna’s: Wild Magnolias (FK) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (PP) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Shannon Powell (JV) 8p, Brass Band Jam feat. Free Agents Brass Band (BB) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p

Kerry Irish Pub: Steve Keith (BL) 5p, Foot & Friends (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Chris Mule Band 10p Little Tropical Isle: Al Hebert (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Alvin Youngblood Hart (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p One Eyed Jacks: We Landed on the Moon!, Glasgow, Elsinore, Sun Hotel (RR) 9p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lionel Ferbos (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: call club Rock ’n’ Bowl: John Mooney, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley Quartet (MJ) 8p 10p Southport Hall: the Boogiemen (PP) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

SUNDAY FEB 21

Apple Barrel: Kenny Claiborne (BL) 4p, Rollin’ Hills (BL) 8p, Mike Darby & the House of Cards (BL) 10:30p Blue Nile: Sexy Salsa Sundays (LT) 7p BMC: Ras Chemash Lamed (JV) 6p, Gal Holiday (CW) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: open mic feat. Jim Smith (BL RR) 8p, Remey Fest (BL RR) 12p Columns: Chip Wilson (JV) 11a d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 10p Donna’s: Jesse McBride & the Next Generaion Jazz Band (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: Sissy Sundays feat. Sissy Nobby and DJ Rusty Lazer (RH) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p; Willie Locket & the All Purpose Blues Band (BL) 8p Harrah’s: jazz brunch feat. Tim Laughlin (JV) 11a House of Blues: One Night of Queen (RR) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Mason’s Revisited feat. Germaine Bazzle and David Torkanowsky (JV) 7p Kerry Irish Pub: Steve Keith (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Palm Court: Sunday Night Swingsters feat. Lucien Barbarin (JV) 7p Precinct: Russel Batiste & Friends (FK) 10p Snug Harbor: Jonathan Kreisberg Quartet (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Cajun Fais do do feat. Bruce Daigrepont (KJ) 5:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Mark Barrett (PP) 4p; Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

MONDAY FEB 22

Apple Barrel: Butch Trivette (BL) 10:30p, Sam Cammarata and Dominick Grillo (BL) 8p Banks Street Bar: Smooth Jazz Combo (MJ) 9p BMC: New Orleans Moonshiners (JV) 10p, the Franklin Avenue Underpass Jazz Band (JV) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: call club (JV) 7p d.b.a.: Glen David Andrews (JV) 9p Donna’s: Les Getrex & the Blues All-stars (BL) 9p Dos Jefes: John Fohl (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Noxious Noize Punk & Metal Night (ME RR) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Willie Locket & All Purpose Blues Band (PP) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Bob French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Bruce Bono (PP) 9p FEBRU A RY 2 010

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Maple Leaf: Papa Grows Funk (FK) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p Rock ’n’ Bowl: open blues jam feat. Chuck Credo (BL) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Taize (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Can’t Hardly Playboys (PP) 9p

Prytania Music & Spirits: DJ Night (VR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Swing Night feat. Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite Boys (SI) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Nova Nola feat. Bill Summers (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Tegan and Sara, Steel Train, Holly Miranda (PP) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop & the Garlic Truck Band (PP) 9p

TUESDAY FEB 23

Apple Barrel: Dave Gregg & the Odd Man Band (BL) 8p, Andy J. Forest (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Acoustic Songwriters feat. Dave Jordan (AU) 9p Blue Nile: Reggae Night with DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p BMC: the Low Stress Quintet (JV) 7p, Benny Turner & Real Blues (BL) 10p Checkpoint Charlie: Domenic (BL RR) 7p, the Fens (BL RR) 11p Columns: Fredy Omar (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (PK) 7p, Ernie Vincent & the Top Notes (FK) 10p Donna’s: Tom McDermott and Meschiya Lake (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Alexandra Bosworth (JV BL) 9:30p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Harrah’s: Tonia (JV) 6p House of Blues (the Parish): Reverend Horton Heat, Dash Rip Rock (RR) 8p House of Blues: Yes (RR) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Playhour feat. Roman Skakun (MJ) 5p, Johnaye Kendrick (MJ) 8p Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: call club Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (BB) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: the Trio feat. Johnny Vidacovich and guests (VR) 10p Ogden Museum: Ogden After Hours feat. Andre Williams (OR) 6p Old Point Bar: Marc Stone & the Levee Creepers feat. Andy J. Forest and Keith Vinet (BL) 6p, Michael Liuzza Group (BL) 9p Palm Court: Crescent City Joymakers feat. Leroy Jones and Katja Toivola (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Brass Band Thursday feat. Tornado Brass Band (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: M@ People’s Collective (RR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Zydeco Night feat. Geno Delafose (ZY) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Ray Moore & Brasilliance (MJ) 8p 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p Vaughan’s: Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers (MJ) 8:30p

Apple Barrel: Kenny Claiborne (BL) 7p, Eve’s Lucky Planet (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Big, Fat & Reggae Night (RG) 9p Blue Nile (Balcony Room): Justin Peake & Simon Lott (MJ) 10p BMC: Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 7p, Lynn Drury (JV) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Anders Osborne, John Fohl and Jonny Sansone (VR) 8p Columns: John Rankin (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Dancehall Classics feat. DJ T-Roy (RG) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Jason Marsalis (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Honky Tonk Open Mic feat. Jason Bishop (CW) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Marc Barret (PP) 4:30p, Dwight Breland (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Shannon Powell and the Preservation Hall-stars (JV) 8p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Sweet Home New Orleans Presents (RR) Snug Harbor: Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble (MJ) 8p 10p Trinity Church: Organ & Labyrinth feat. Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jason Bishop (PP) 9p

WEDNESDAY FEB 24

Apple Barrel: Wendy Darling (BL) 8p, Andre Bouvier & the Royal Bohemians (BL) 10:30p Banks Street Bar: Gravity A (RR) 9p Blue Nile: United Postal Project (MJ) 8p; Khris Royal & Dark Matter (FK) 11p BMC: Domenic (BL) 7p, Jeremy Phipps and Monday’s Date (JV) 10p Candle Light Lounge: Treme Brass Band (BB) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: Nervous Duane (BL RR) 7p, T-Bone Stone (BL RR) 11p Columns: Ricardo Crespo (JV) 8p d.b.a.: Tin Men (JV) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Deckbar & Grille: Deckbar Blues Jam feat. John Lisi (BL) 8:30p Dos Jefes: Bob Andrews (JV BL) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Frenzi, Daniel Steel, Proppa Bear (RH) 10p Funky Pirate: Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p House of Blues: Rebelution, Soja, Zion I (RR) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Playhour feat. Kermit Ruffins (MJ) 5p, Irvin Mayfield NOJO Jam (MJ) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Barret (PP) 4:30p, Al Hebert (PP) 9p Maple Leaf: Tribute to Big Easy Piano feat. Tom Worrell (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p

F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 0

THURSDAY FEB 25

FRIDAY FEB 26

Apple Barrel: John (BL) 4p, Kenny Holladay and Rick Westin (BL) 8p, the Hip Shakers (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Big, Fat & Delicious Kickball Kickoff (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Mykia Devon & Jason Butler 7p; t.b.a. 10p BMC: Sasha Masakowski (JV) 7p, Fredy Omar con su Banda (JV) 10:30p, Jeff Snake Greenberg (JV) 1:30a Café Negril: Beth Patterson (BL) 7p Carrollton Station: 61 South (RR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: Sweet Jones (BL RR) 7p, T-Bone Stone (BL RR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Pfister Sister Pfriday (JV) 5p, Threadhead Fridays feat. Paul Sanchez & Friends (OR) 8p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Columns: Alex Bachari Trio (JV) 5p d.b.a.: Ingrid Lucia (SI) 6p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 10p Donna’s: Original Royal Players Brass Band (BB) 9p Dos Jefes: Eric Traub Trio (JV BL) 10p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (BL) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Reverend Horton Heat, Lost Bayou Ramblers (RR) 9p House of Blues: Henry Rollins Frequent Flyer Tour (SW) 8p Howlin’ Wolf NorthShore (Mandeville): Bout it Brass Band (BB) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Bridge House Recycled Fashion Show (SH) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Professor Jazz Piano Series feat. Joe Krown (JV) 5p, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (MJ) 8p, Burlesque Ballroom feat. Trixie Minx and Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Damien Louvier (BL) 5p, Lynn Drury (BL) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: free oysters with Joe Krown (PP) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Bruce Bono (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Brian Coogan Band (FK) 10p Mimi’s in the Marigny: Linnzi Zaorski (SI) 10p Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lucien Barbarin (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Leroy Jones and the Preservation Hall Jazz Masters (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: Giant Octopus (RR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: call club Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Trio (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Soul Rebels CD-release party (BB) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

SATURDAY FEB 27

Apple Barrel: Maxwell Eaton (BL) 4p, Sneaky Pete (BL) 8p, Andre Bouvier & the Royal Bohemians (BL) 11p Banks Street Bar: Smiley with a Knife, Nite of a Thousand Indie Bands (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p; t.b.a. 10p BMC: Jayna Morgan & the Sazerac Sunrise (JV) 7p, Chegadao (JV) 10:30p Bombay Club: James Rivers Movement (JV RB) 9:30p Carrollton Station: John Rankin, Jimmy Robinson and Phil Degruy (RR) 9p Checkpoint Charlie: T-Bone Stone (BL RR) 7p, Static Parade (BL RR) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Stephanie Niles & Family Swamp Band (RR) 9p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Jon Cleary (PK) 11p Donna’s: Leroy Jones Jazz Quintet (JV) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p, Big Al Carson & the Blues Masters (PP) 8p House of Blues: Keb’ Mo (RR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf: Nina Storey, May Goldberg (OR) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Shannon Powell (JV) 8p, Brass Band Jam feat. Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 12a Jeremy Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Tobin-Specht Trio (BL) 5p, Rites of Passage (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Al Hebert (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes (FK) 10p Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Old Point Bar: Dash Rip Rock (RR) 10p One Eyed Jacks: Matt Hires, Jason Castro, Caitlin Crosby (OR) 9p

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Palm Court: Palm Court Jazz Band feat. Lionel Ferbos (JV) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Band feat. Mark Braud (JV) 8p Prytania Music & Spirits: the Lobbyists (RR) 10p Rock ’n’ Bowl: Eric Lindell (RB) 9:30p Snug Harbor: Bob Dorough (MJ) 8p 10p Southport Hall: Southport Hall’s 6-year anniversary feat. the Chee Weez (PP) 10p Tipitina’s: Groovocrats, Riverleft (RR FK) 10p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

SUNDAY FEB 28

Apple Barrel: Kenny Claiborne (BL) 4p, Rolllin’ Hills (BL) 8p, 19th St. Red (BL) 10:30p Blue Nile: Sexy Salsa Sundays (LT) 7p BMC: Ras Chemash Lamed (JV) 6p, Gal Holiday (CW) 9p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bug Stompers (JV) 6p, Mas Mamones (VR) 10p Donna’s: Jesse McBride & the Next Generaion Jazz Band (JV) 9p Funky Pirate: Mark Penton (PP) 4p; Willie Locket & the All Purpose Blues Band (BL) 8p Harrah’s: jazz brunch feat. Tim Laughlin (JV) 11a House of Blues (the Parish): POS, Dessa, Astronauts (RR) 8p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Royal Sonesta): Mason’s Revisited feat. Germaine Bazzle and David Torkanowsky (JV) 7p Kerry Irish Pub: Irish Session (BL) 5p, Patrick Catania (BL) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Jason Bishop (PP) 4p, Late As Usual 9p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (VR) 10p Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Palm Court: Sunday Night Swingsters feat. Lucien Barbarin (JV) 7p Precinct: Funk Mob feat. Young Nevilles (FK) 10p Snug Harbor: Jonathan Frelich’s Naked Orchestra (MJ) 8p 10p Tipitina’s: Cajun Fais do do feat. Bruce Daigrepont (KJ) 5:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Mark Barrett (PP) 4p; Debi & the Deacons (PP) 9p

LOUISIANA MUSIC ON TOUR THERESA ANDERSSON Feb 24 Lake Charles LA Central School Feb 25 Baton Rouge LA Manship Theater Feb 26 New Iberia LA Sliman Theater Feb 27 Lafayette LA Vermillionville BEAUSOLEIL AVEC MICHAEL DOUCET Feb 12 Milwaukee WI Northern Lights Theater Feb 14-15 Berwyn IL FitzGerald’s Feb 26 Covington LA Columbia Street Tap Room Feb 27 Lafayette LA Blue Moon Saloon BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION Feb 5 North Adams MA Blues & Funk Festival Feb 6 Bondville VT Red Fox Inn Feb 12 Salisbury MA Tupelo Music Hall Feb 13 New York NY Le Poisson Rouge BONERAMA Feb 13 New York NY Le Poisson Rouge Feb 19-20 Chicago IL Martyrs DR. JOHN Feb 5 Wilmington DE Grand Opera House Feb 6 Englewood NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center Feb 9 Annapolis MD Rams Head On Stage Feb 11 Shippensburg PA H. Ric Luhrs Perf. Arts Center Feb 12 Morristown NJ The Community Theater Feb 13 Montclair NJ Wellmont Theater FEBRU A RY 2 010

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Feb 14 Ridgefield CT Ridgefield Playhouse Feb 16 Milwaukee WI Northern Lights Theater Feb 19 St. Louis MO Blanche M. Touhill PAC Feb 20 Kansas City MO Ameristar Hotel & Casino Feb 21 Charleston WV Clay Center For The Arts & Sciences GALACTIC Feb 2 Boston MA Paradise Feb 4 Philadephia PA TLA Feb 5 New York NY Terminal 5 Feb 6 Washington DC 9:30 Club Feb 9 Raleigh NC Lincoln Theater Feb 10 Charleston SC Music Farm Feb 11 Charlotte NC Visulite Theater Feb 12 Atlanta GA Variety Feb 18 St. Louis MO The Pageant Feb 19 Lawrence MO Granada Feb 20 Denver CO Fillmore Theater Feb 21 Aspen CO Belly Up Feb 23 Missoula MT The Wilma Theater Feb 24 Bellingham WA The Nightlight Feb 25 Whistler BC Whistler Village Square Feb 26 Seattle WA Showbox At The Market Feb 27 Portland OR Roseland Theater Feb 28 Crystal Bay NV Crystal Ballroom

ALLEN TOUSSAINT Feb 12 Milwaukee WI Northern Lights Theater Feb 18 Raleigh NC Center for the Performing Arts Feb 19 Evanston IL Space

FEBRUARY 20 Bywater Art Market: The fun art market features paintings, pottery, glass, furniture and more. 9a-4p. BywaterArtMarket.com.

FEBRUARY 14 Okeanos, Mid-City, Thoth (Uptown) 11a, Bacchus (Uptown) 5:15p, Napoleon (Metairie) 5:30p

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE Feb 16 Philadelphia PA World Café Live Feb 17 Northampton MA Iron Horse Feb 18 Cambridge MA Regattabar Feb 19 New York NY Highline Ballroom Feb 20 New Haven CT Yale University Feb 21 Bondville VT Red Fox Inn Feb 23 Richmond VA Jazz Composers Alliance Feb 24 Baltimore MD 8X10 Feb 25 Falls Church VA State Theater Feb 26 Wilmington DE Big Chief’s Feb 27 Pittsburgh PA Rex Theater Feb 28 Charleston WV Mountain Stage

FEBRUARY 27 Book Signing: Author Jackie Collins signs her new book Poor Little Bitch Girl at Harrah’s Masquerade. 2-4p.

FEBRUARY 15 Proteus, Orpheus (Uptown) 5:15p, Zeus (Metairie) 6:30p

CONCERTS

FEBRUARY 19-21 The Altar Boyz: This production tells the inspiring story of five small-town boys who try to save the world one screaming fan at a time. Harrah’s Theatre.

FEBRUARY 5 Video Games Live: Witness an immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games played by a live symphony orchestra. UNO Lakefront Arena. 8p.

HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND Feb 5 San Francisco CA Boom Boom Room Feb 19 Baton Rouge LA Chelsea’s Feb 27 Daphne AL Moe’s BBQ

FEBRUARY 6 A Night of Rhythm & Love: Head to the New Orleans Convention Center for a special concert featuring Kem, Angine Stone and Joe. 7:30p.

THE IGUANAS Feb 5 Falls Church VA State Theater Feb 12 Teaneck NJ Mexicali Live

FEBRUARY 9 Garrison Keillor: Enjoy the second speaker in the New Orleans Speaker Series with a prolific storyteller, performance artist, radio host and comedian. Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts. 7:30p. NewOrleansSpeakerSeries.com.

ERIC LINDELL Feb 12 Charlotte NC Double Door Inn Feb 15 Vienna VA Jammin’ Java Feb 16 Virginia Beach VA Jewish Mother Feb 17 Annapolis MD Rams Head on Stage Feb 19 Fall River MA Narrows Center for the Arts Feb 20 New York NY Sullivan Hall ZIGABOO MODELISTE Feb 5 Los Angeles CA The Mint CYRIL NEVILLE Feb 3 Boston MA Paradise Feb 4 Philadelphia PA TLA Feb 5 New York NY Terminal 5 Feb 6 Washington DC Club W Feb 9 Raleigh NC Lincoln Theater Feb 10 Charleston NC Music Farm Feb 11 Charlotte NC The Visulite Feb 12 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse Feb 18 Providence RI Bryant University Feb 19 St. Louis MO Broadway Oyster Bar Feb 20 Chicago IL The Space Feb 21 Auburn Hills MI Callahans Feb 24 Bondville VT Red Fox Inn Feb 25 Fairfield CT FTC Stage One Feb 26 Norfolk CT Infinity Hall Feb 27 Atlantic City NJ Mardi Gras IVAN NEVILLE’S DUMPSTAPHUNK Feb 19 Palm Beach Gardens FL Borland Theater Feb 20 Orlando FL The Plaza Theater Feb 21 Tampa FL Skipper’s Smokehouse Feb 27 Charleston SC The Pour House THE RADIATORS Feb 18 St Louis MO Old Rock House Feb 19 Kansas City MO Knuckleheads Saloon Feb 20 Des Moines IA Hoyt Sherman Place RED STICK RAMBLERS Feb 26 Madison WI Wisconsin Union Theater Feb 27 Evanston IL SPACE

F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 0

FEBRUARY 25 Jay-Z: The legendary hip-hop artist brings his BP3 tour to the New Orleans Arena. 7p.

FESTIVALS FEBRUARY 14 Bayou Blues Festival: Enjoy an evening of live blues at the Baton Rouge River Center Arena. 6p. FEBRUARY 27 Big Easy Blues Festival: The 3rd annual music festival features performances by Mel Waiters, Sir Charles Jones, Clarence Carter, Latimore, Ms. Jody, Lenny Williams and Floyd Taylor. UNO Lakefront Arena. 7p.

SPECIAL EVENTS FEBRUARY 4-25 Ogden After Hours: Visit the Ogden Museum every Thursday evening for live entertainment by a variety of local musicians. Check the OffBeat daily listings for a schedule of performances. 6p. OgdenMuseum.org. FEBRUARY 6-27 Gretna Farmer’s Market: Head to Gretna every Saturday for a farmer’s market featuring food and wine vendors and cooking demonstrations. 8:30a12:30p. GretnaLa.com. FEBRUARY 13 Sankofa Marketplace: Held every second Saturday of the month in the Lower 9th Ward, this market features fresh produce, arts and crafts, live music, health screenings, children’s activities and more. SankofaMarketplace.org.

THEATER & DANCE FEBRUARY 1 Ambie Awards: Ambush Magazine presents its seventh annual awards for excellence in theater. Donations and funds will benefit NOCCA’s Theater Department. (504) 5815812, CabaretLeChatNoir.com.

FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 14 Renew Revue: This original cabaret show features Ricky Graham and looks into New Orleans’ continuing renewal with music and song. Fri. & Sat. 8p, Sun. 6p. (504) 581-5812, CabaretLeChatNoir.com. FEBRUARY 24-MARCH 7 Ameriville: This young group fuses poetry, jazz, hip-hop, politics, blues and Spanish melodies to create an unforgettable theater experience. Southern Rep Theater. (504) 522-6545, SouthernRep.com.

MARDI GRAS PARADE SCHEDULE JANUARY 31 Little Rascals (Metairie) 12p FEBRUARY 5 Oshun (Uptown) 6p, Cleopatra (Westbank) 6:30p, Excaliber, Atlas (Metairie) 6:30p, Eve (Mandeville) 7p FEBRUARY 6 Choctaw, Adonis (Westbank) 11a, Pontchartrain (Uptown) 2p, Nemesis (St. Bernard) 4p, Caesar (Metairie) 6p, Olypmia (Covington) 6p, Sparta, Pygmalion (Uptown) 6p FEBRUARY 7 Alla (Westbank) 12p, Carrollton (Uptown) 12p, Dionysus (Slidell) 1p, King Arthur (Uptown) 1:15p FEBRUARY 10 Druids (Uptown) 6:30p, Thor (Metairie) 7p FEBRUARY 11 Babylon, Chaos, Muses (Uptown) 5:45p

FEBRUARY 16 Zulu (Uptown) 8p, Rex, Elks Orleanians, Crescent City (Uptown) 10a, Argus, Elks Jeffersonians, Krewe of Jefferson (Metairie) 10a, Grela, Bes (Westbank) 11a, Gladiators (St. Bernard) 10a.

OTHER MARDI GRAS EVENTS FEBRUARY Mystic Krewe of Shangri-la: The group will stroll through the streets of the Quarter with a live band and four stops along the way. Participants receive a stroll bag with goodies including a shirt, beads and throw cups. Prices start at a whopping $250. Call (228) 8607284 or visit KreweOfShangrila.com. FEBRUARY 7 Krewe of Barkus: New Orleans finest dogs prance and prowl to the theme of “The Dogs go Barking In” at this fun canine parade. The event starts at 2p in Armstrong Park and takes a 15-block route through the French Quarter. (504) 522-0239, Barkus.org. FEBRUARY 12-15 Mardi Gras Mask Market: Head down to the French Market and discover an array of hand crafted masks from local artists. FrenchMarket.org. FEBRUARY 13 Endymion Extravaganza: The super krewe’s mega party takes place back in the Louisiana Superdome. As of press time, entertainment has yet to be announced but check Endymion. org for more information. FEBRUARY 14 & 16 Courir de Mardi Gras: Leave behind the crowds and glimmering floats of New Orleans for a traditional Cajun Mardi Gras where local men set out on horseback to “raid” local farms and chase chickens. Takes place in various towns including Church Point (2/14) and Mamou (2/16). ChurchPointMardiGras.com. FEBRUARY 15 Lundi Gras Celebration: Celebrate Lundi Gras with the Krewe of Zulu down near Woldenberg Park and the Riverwalk. There will be concerts, second lines and more along the river from 10a-5:30p. LundiGrasFestival.com.

FEBRUARY 12 Hermes, D’etat (Uptown) 6p, Selene (Slidell) 6:30p, Orpheus (Mandeville) 7p, Morpheus (Uptown) 7p, Centurions (Metairie) 7p

FEBRUARY 15 Orpheuscapade: Welcome Harry Connick Jr.’s mega celebration as they enter the Convention Center at this legendary celebration. This year’s entertainment includes Taylor Dayne, Smashmouth and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. 7p2:30a. Call (504) 822-7200 for tickets.

FEBRUARY 13 NOMTOC (Westbank) 10:45a, Iris (Uptown) 11a, Tucks (Uptown) 12p, Endymion (Uptown) 4:15p, Isis (Metairie) 6:30p

FEBRUARY 16 Bourbon Street Awards: The outrageous costume contest begins outside of Oz nightclub at 800 Bourbon St. 12p.

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BACKTALK

[Galactic’s]

Ben Ellman far left, Robert Mercurio far right.

hen Galactic and Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet parted ways in 2004, there were whispers of concern about what the band would become without a vocalist. Rather than replace DeClouet, they recorded From the Corner to the Block, a hip-hop-oriented album that showed Galactic to be harder and more contemporary than their previous albums had suggested. “Second and Dryades” presented a modern incarnation of Mardi Gras Indian music with looped percussion backing Monk Boudreaux, and the title track updated the brass band sound with guests the Soul Rebels and Juvenile. The new Ya-Ka-May follows in that direction. On one level, the album documents who’s out there, presenting such legendary figures as Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas and Bo Dollis next to such beloved figures as Walter “Wolfman” Washington and John Boutte and bounce artists Cheeky Blakk, Katey Red, Big Freedia and Sissy Nobby. But

it also presents each in a more context; so much is stripped away from Irma Thomas’ “Heart of Steel” that what was once likely a fairly standard R&B track becomes skeletal, almost dub-like, giving Thomas’ voice enough space to hear it as iconic. When Galactic makes bounce, it makes it as Galactic bounce, referring to the beat without losing the band’s personality. It’s bolder than From the Corner to the Block in that it often treats the vocalist as an instrument—regardless of his or her stature—and shapes it and the music to create something new. It’s the product of the group embracing the studio—something many New Orleans musicians do with great reluctance—but the result is an album that isn’t just good for New Orleans or good New Orleans music, but something that’s good with New Orleans at its core.

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By Alex Rawls

What will happen to these songs live? Have you considered bringing some of the voices on tape?

Ellman: Yeah, there’s a couple. There’s the one with Bo Dollis, which is already set up in a modern context like a sampled voice anyway in the song. Maybe Morgus, too. (Morgus the Magnificent is sampled for the album opener, “Friends of Science”.) Mercurio: Yeah, Morgus is definitely coming on. Ellman: Did you know it was Morgus? Yeah, that’s a pretty distinctive voice. Mercurio: He didn’t want us to put his name. That was an interesting thing, trying to get clearance from Morgus. Ellman: It was kind of hard to dig him up, and we finally we got a letter from—I guess it was from one of his partners—who mentioned that he was very doubtful that Morgus would give us clearance because he’s very protective of his likeness. We ended up writing Morgus a really nice letter telling him what fans we were, and we sent him a track and we just made it a little more personal: FEBRU A RY 2 010

Photo: C. Taylor Crothers

Ben Ellman & Robert Mercurio talk back

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I think Allen was very disturbed about what he had learned because Bacchus was, I guess, a strange character. “Dear Mr. Morgus.” He responded to that in a positive way, but in the end he was like, “I’d prefer if you not put my name on it.” Mercurio: I’m wondering how many people are going to get that one. I think maybe you’d have to be from New Orleans to really get that voice.

Ellman: And one way to do that is to deal with it in a more modern context. I don’t think Allen would have made a song like that necessarily, and that was the goal of our record—to take them out of their element a little bit and put them somewhere else.

How were the songs written? Ellman: We sent tracks to different people, and a lot of people ended up recording in one context, which was later changed. We set up a lot of situations where the artist would feel comfortable, more in their element, and then did some work after they left. From Allen Toussaint who came in with probably the most elaborate idea to the sissy rappers who came in and did their thing. Mercurio: We set up an Indian beat for Bo Dollis and ended up just sort of using his a cappella vocals as sample material, which we incorporated into our music.

Where’d the lyrics for Irma’s “Heart of Steel” come from? Ellman: They were something we had kicking around from some demos for Ruckus that we figured Irma would sound great singing. It was another one of those songs that in the context in which she sang it, the music in the background was a little bit different. Really, a lot different. The song was originally a more standard R&B song. Mercurio: She thought it was an Allen Toussaint song. I remember her saying, “Did Allen write this?” Ellman: But once again, we did this same treatment of stripping it and reimagining it after she left and we had her vocals.

Where did the idea come from to process Allen’s voice? Ellman: Putting Allen through a Leslie (speaker) was a nod to production techniques that he’s already come up with. I wish we would have invented that but it’s been done for a while, particularly with Allen on one of our favorite songs, “Southern Nights”. Allen, more than a lot of people, had done a lot of homework. We had sent everyone the tracks that we considered scratch titles without the intention of anyone writing the narrative based on the title. And that one we had come up with during the Bacchus parade so we called it “Bacchus”. What Allen did though, was he read a lot about who Bacchus was, and learned a lot about Bacchus as a person and the history of Bacchus. Which I really didn’t know anything about at the time. I think he was very disturbed about what he had learned because Bacchus was, I guess, a strange character. So he wrote the lyrics? Mercurio: Yeah. One thing I admired about that track is the nerve to record one of the most beloved piano players in New Orleans and reduce his piano part to one phrase. Ellman: We were just serving the song. We weren’t serving the guest on the track. Mercurio: We didn’t want to make another Allen Toussaint song; we wanted to make another Galactic song.

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One of the interesting things about this album is the degree to which you embraced the studio. Ellman: It’s just fortunate that we have a studio. These days, the concept of going into the studio and recording a record has changed so much because everyone has a project studio in their bedroom, and it’s so much easier to record music that way. It gives you the time to look at it differently, rather than look at it as a snapshot as the musical moment that happened right then and there. It’s more like painting a picture instead of taking a snapshot. The hardest part is to say when something’s done. We’ve made a lot of records going into the studio recording road-tested material. We’ve done many records like that, and that’s what we do for a living. We go on the road and we do that and people tape it, and being able to go into the studio and work with the music the way we’re able to is really exciting. There is a world of possibilities, so it’s also an exercise in discipline in that way of knowing when something is right and moving on and accepting it. What track took the longest to find its final form? Ellman: Maybe the Irma and Allen songs. It’s Allen and it’s Irma, so you’re trying to serve the artist in a way that’s respectful and modern and artistic. I think those two probably because

they changed more from their original state more than the other ones. Were there points where you remade it in one direction then realized you made a wrong turn days ago? Mercurio: Sometimes we had to take it back two days. Ellman: We had a goal to make the music modern but still reflect what’s going on in the city, and try to really be a cohesive thing that reflects the city and all of the different kinds of musical styles in the city. There were moments when we realized that we weren’t accomplishing that, and that all we were really doing was something that has been done before, or taking the easier road like, “This is Irma, and this is how you would expect to hear Irma Thomas in a song.” And there was some rethinking of the goals of our music, and making it cohesive. If something sounded too much like something Allen had already done or too standard R&B, it lost its cohesiveness in the way the album plays together. Were the last two albums a result of working with Dan “the Automator” Nakamura [Gorillaz, Dr. Octogon] on Ruckus? Using the studio as a creative space? Ellman: At the same time we started working with Nakamura was the time when we got our first studio, so he really wasn’t all that involved. Mercurio: He really wasn’t. Ellman: One thing we did learn from him was that it’d be a lot better to do it ourselves. We’d save a lot of money and get more freedom to get what we wanted. Mercurio: What he did was he hooked us up with some people that helped collaborate on some writing, and I think that was the first time that we worked with somebody else that was a lyricist. That just proved to be a good thing for us. Dan, I think he just showed up and I don’t know what he did. Ellman: It was just a coincidence that it was the same time that we got our own studio. Mercurio: That was the first project that we had done when we had set up our own recording space. We learned the process a little more; we learned on each record more and more. We engineered our last record. We engineered this on our own, and we learned how to use our studio. O www.OFFBEAT.com