Various Artists
Mardi Gras New Orleans
EMIMusic Special Markets/Starbucks

Sold exclusively at Starbucks stores, you’ll find a big piece of New Orleans music featuring our Mardi Gras jams, R&B, jazz, and even a little rock ‘n’ roll from local favorites. The Dixie Cups start things off with the famous Mardi Gras Indian chant “Iko Iko,” while The Wild Tchoupitoulas “Meet de Boys on the Battlefront.” Now the Neville Brothers do a great combo of “Brother John/Iko Iko,” and the late Ernie K-Doe speaks from the grave with “Tain’t It the Truth.” Fats Domino is featured with his famous “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and Professor Longhair’s “Go to the Mardi Gras” gets your spirits high when listening to this fabulous collection. Other local artists include Irma Thomas, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Dr. John, and even James Booker. As a New Orleanian, I was stunned to find such a flavorful local CD at my favorite Starbucks coffeehouse, but it’s obvious since their huge conference last year a bit of N’Awlins got under their Seattle skin.  By all means if you love local artists and good party music, run now and grab a copy of this CD while it’s still in stock for the Mardi Gras season. The $12.95 price is a steal when you hear the quality, the songs, and artists that are all together on this one CD. It’s a must to listen to while you’re drinking a king cake-inspired vente cinnamon dolce latte. –Sheri McKee


Little Freddie King
Gotta Walk with Da King
MadeWright Records

Little Freddie King goes live in his latest CD release, a ruckus that is reminiscent of the juke joint gigs across the Mississippi Delta where he honed his craft. The self-taught guitarist’s appearance at the 9th Annual Thirsty Ear Festival in Sante Fe, New Mexico spawned a nine song collection of unassuming tracks, with the boorish vocals and moderately distorted guitar licks that define the sound of the elder statesman of the New Orleans blues scene. Bobby “Lightning Rod” Lewis DiTullio blows the harp, answering the call laid out by King’s signature licks. “I Use to Be Down,” is a triumphant cry that gives testimony to the survivalist quality of King, besting the years of drink and merriment that punctuate the themes of his musical tales. “Mean Little Woman” captures King’s crude, gut-bucket style, commendably. This live performance replicates the gnarly, disconsolate ambiance that makes King the champion of the straight-shootin’ lounge lizards of the Crescent City. -Craig M. Cortello


Maryland Jazz Band of Cologne Featuring Lillian Boutte
Let’s All Go Down to New Orleans (Live at the Palm Court Jazz Café)
GHB Records

Lillian Boutte has reigned as the leading European ambassador of New Orleans music for decades. The Maryland Jazz Band of Cologne is one of Germany’s leading New Orleans style jazz bands, frequently touring with New Orleans musicians and scheduling concert excursions to the Crescent City. When Boutte joined the band at the Palm Court Jazz Café on March 25, 2008, it seemed a perfect opportunity to capture the impact of New Orleans music on an international scale. The album (and the evening) kicks off with “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South,” made famous by Louis Armstrong and beautifully interpreted by Boutte, alternatively softly sweet and boisterously punctuated, and finished with a small dose of scat. The band playfully echoes Boutte’s chorus in “C’est Si Bon.” Don Vappie, best known as the banjo-wielding leader of The Creole Jazz Serenaders, wrote the liner notes and sat in on the track “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans,” offering a riveting guitar accompaniment in a simple duet with Boutte. - Craig M. Cortello


Nick Gill
Self Titled
Indie

With boyish good looks and an ambitious smile, the cover of Nick Gill’s third CD highlights the 18-year-old’s vocal talent. Recorded locally at Fudge Studios and produced by Jack Miele (The Molly Ringwalds) and Jacques DeLatour, Gill shows much promise musically as his career has only just begun. There’s great raw emotion communicated through his tracks enabling Gill to sound more like a young Jack Johnson rather than a high school student playing guitar. Gill conveys this emotion successfully on “How It Feels (to Lose a Friend)” and speaks of not conforming to society’s demands in “That Life,” embellished by local cello player Jack Craft. Gill is definitely one artist to keep your eye on as he has the potential to be on VH1 in rotation and following in John Mayer’s footsteps. –Kevin McKee



John Beasley
Positootly
Resonance Records

Born in Shreveport in 1960, keyboardist John Beasley took the inspiration for this CD from an old picture he had seen of a couple dancing at Club Desire in the Ninth Ward. “That’s how the songs started taking on the direction of my Louisiana roots,” he says in a recent interview quoted in the CD’s liner notes. But Beasley’s style reflects more than just his local roots. Having played backup for acts as diverse as Miles Davis, Chaka Kahn, and Steely Dan, his music transcends a multitude of genres, even while retaining its basic straight-ahead jazz styling. Seven of the CD’s ten tracks are Beasley originals and, in keeping with the record’s title, Brian Lynch’s trumpet and Bennie Maupin’s saxes lend distinctive “toots” to Beasley’s mellow, rolling, Horace Silver-like piano technique. The first two tracks, “Caddo Bayou” and the title track set the pace for most of the rest of the CD, a good mix of up-tempo numbers and slower, more laid-back tunes. Sprinkled throughout, though, are strains of Latin and funky jazz, especially on the Bobby Timmons tune, “So Tired,” in which Beasley shines on a Fender Rhodes keyboard. Rounding out the group are James Genus on bass, Munyungo Jackson on percussion, and the great Jeff “Tain” Waits on crashing drums and cymbals. Although now “bi-coastal” with homes in L.A. and N.Y., Louisiana can still proudly call John Beasley one of our own. –Dean M. Shapiro

Corey Harris
blu.black
Telarc

If there is a single word to describe guitarist/vocalist Corey Harris, it would be “versatile.” Though known mainly as a reggae artist, Harris demonstrates equal proficiency in the blues and R&B genres, with strains of gospel, folk, and hip-hop thrown into the mix. Many of the lyrics, delivered primarily in a reggae beat, are decidedly political in their overtones, touching on black pride and Harris’ Rastafarian connections. “Conquering Lion” is a paean to Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s “Lion of Judah,” and the spiritual father of the Rastafari movement. There are further references to Selassie in “Backlash,” the best of the reggae-style songs on this CD in the opinion of someone who is not too much into reggae. “Blessed Seed,” a slower reggae track, is also a reference to Selassie and the triumph of the Ethiopians over Mussolini and would-be Italian colonization attempts in the 1930s. All but one of the CD’s 14 tracks are Harris originals or collaborations with his keyboardist Chris “Peanut” Whitley, who also produced the record. Saving the best for last with a cut simply titled, “Blues,” Harris demonstrates what he is fully capable of on guitar and vocals. It is as bluesy as it gets and, if every other cut on this CD was this good I would give it a five-star rating. Instead it rates about a three and a half. –Dean M. Shapiro

Davy Mooney
Ghosts of Music, Past
Independent

Often music from the singer-songwriter genre offers tunes that are lyrically complex yet melodically and harmonically simplistic, leaving the listener moved by the story, yet musically unsatisfied. When a jazz artist with the pedigree of New Orleans native Davy Mooney, a recent graduate of the Thelonious Institute of Jazz Performance ventures into that singer-songwriter genre, he brings the musical tools to give his narratives a fitting complement. Mooney has made a name on the international music scene as an accomplished young jazz guitarist, with a focus primarily on instrumental music. His alter-ego is that of a solo artist playing nostalgic songs in coffee houses and small bars, and Ghosts of Music, Past is a collection of material developed through that excursion. The music has a fittingly haunting quality, appropriate in the sense that Mooney has been haunted by these songs for years. Highlights of the album fraught with themes of relationships, doubts, and complex emotions include “The Noisy People,” a flowing arpeggio-laden tale that questions the virtues of the hectic lifestyle. “Maybe Tomorrow” chronicles how the lessons of the past, both painful and blissful, lay the foundation for the future’s possibilities.
Beautifully crafted harmonies, simplistic instrumentation delivered exquisitely and void of percussion, all perfectly set to Mooney’s soft-toned vocals to create an arresting musical journey. Stylistically compelling, melodic, and mellow, Ghosts of Music, Past is a pleasant glimpse at the other side of Mooney. - Craig M. Cortello


Joe Lovano Us Five
Folk Art
Blue Note

Coming into prominence in the late 1980s, internationally renowned reed-man Joe Lovano has served as a bridge between the generations of the older and newer forms of jazz, with emphasis on the straight-ahead styling of his idols John Coltrane and Sonny Stitt. With more than two dozen CDs as a band leader and another two dozen collaborations since 1985, Lovano’s output has definitely been prodigious. On this CD, Lovano reaches back a generation or two for most of the musicians in his Us Five combo which, in his own words, gives him “fresh eyes and fresh ears,” allowing him to move in new directions. And, though decidedly partial to the straight-ahead genre, Lovano is not limited to it. Several of these tunes show Afro-Cuban and other exotic musical influences. But, best of all, are Lovano’s incredible improvisations, of which there are many examples among the nine original tracks. Unlike many improvisers, Lovano never strays too far from the basic melody. He can go wild and crazy for a few bars but he always returns to a logical note progression at the end of each riff. And, in addition to playing just the standard alto and tenor saxes, he also shines on several other exotic reed instruments, including the aulochrome—a double soprano sax with a keyboard down the center, and a tarogato—a half-clarinet, half soprano sax. Backed by James Weidman on piano, Esperanza Spalding on bass, Otis Brown III on drums, and Francisco Mela on a battery of exotic percussion instruments, this CD is yet another fine effort by one of the great jazz artists of our time. –Dean M. Shapiro



Various Artists
Putumayo Presents Rhythm & Blues
Putumayo World Music

Putumayo brings together a collection of the best rhythm and blues artists, legendary and some of today’s rising stars, to create an incredible album that’s a must for any fan of R&B music. Local soulful favorites Irma Thomas and Henry Butler contribute “River Is Waiting,” Snooks Eaglin brings “A Mother’s Love,” while James Hunter croons “’Til Your Fool Comes Home.” Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings gives a flavorful “100 Days, 100 Nights” while Sam Moore, Keb’ Mo’, and Angie Stone bring a memorable Louisiana harmonica way to “Wang Dang Doodle.” This phenomenal CD truly brings together the top names of R&B music, the essence, inspiration, and roots behind today’s hip hop music, and the honest lyrics that grasp the realism of life. This CD is full of raw emotion and love interpreted through musical instruments. –Kevin McKee

Metronome The City
Objects To Be Destroyed
Indie

With their second full length album, Metronome The City blasts their latest stellar sensation Object To Be Destroyed. Contemporary beats, techno guitar riffs, and 80s inspired video game soundtracks fuel the energy of their destruction. Transcending the musical influences of Yes, Rush, and other progressive rock groups, Metronome The City embraces their multi-layered musical compositions through aggressive psychedelically inspired storytelling within their sound. Envision the Mad Hatter and his tea party caffeinated and fueled with musical instruments—the result is pretty awesome and forward thinking to say the least. It’s very clear that band members Patrick Condon, Brad Theard, William Gilbert, Brad Guillory, and Marc Laporte bring their art, creativity, dreams, and nightmares to the table when it comes time to record an album together. Some personal favorites on this CD include “Snow Job,” “Surfdubsludge,” and “Laser Back” for creating that feeling of flight through the realm of sound. The intro of “Metronomics” sounds like it could easily be an ipod commercial theme while the sitar on “Thunderhead,” played by Aaron Nitzkin, takes the listener on a journey of enlightening spiritually and dark discovery. Although their album title may reflect an enraged destruction, the members of Metronome The City are building strength and greatness within their work. Sheri McKee

Monk Hazel & His New Orleans Jazz Kings
Monk Hazel & His New Orleans Jazz Kings, Featuring Al Hirt & Pete Fountain
GHB Records

New Orleans native Monk Hazel reigned as a master drummer and bandleader, dating back to the 1920s. Noting the fact that Hazel was generally under-recorded in his early years, GHB Records releases this collection of two distinct bands and recording sessions from the mid-1950s, continuing the label’s commitment to historically significant material. The album includes five previously unreleased tracks. The combo on tracks 1-5 includes Pete Fountain and Al Hirt, capturing some of Hirt’s earliest recording session work, from 1955. Hirt’s work sparkles on “Of All the Wrongs,” a lazy flowing tune, and the up-tempo “A Long Way to Tipperary,” and Rita St. Claire provides the vocal performance on both tracks. Tracks 6-13 from 1957 include 4 of the previously unreleased tracks, closing with “Sin To Tell A Lie.” Dutch Andrus plays trumpet and Roy Zimmerman carries the chordal accompaniment on piano, joining Hazel on both recording sessions. It’s a top-notch New Orleans Dixieland collection to satisfy the appetite of the jazz purist. -Craig M. Cortello