Saturday, February 28, 2015

From my iPod 2/28/2015: New Orleans / Louisiana

(This is its own category, because although most of these groups could be placed in other categories an indelible part of New Orleans lives in and constructed them.  New Orleans is a gumbo and the collection of this music heard together, because there is a link unlike any other place on the planet.) 


·         Aaron Neville – solo work for the angelic voice for New Orleans [The Very Best of the Neville Brothers: Aaron & Art Neville (2006), My True Story (2013)]

·         Allen Toussaint – One of the greatest composers in modern American music history with amazing piano chops, Icon [The Complete Toussan Sessions (1958), From A Whisper To A Scream (1970), Southern Nights (1975), Songbook (2013)]

·         Big Freedia– New Orleans bounce rap Queen [Just Be Free (2014)]

·         Brandford Marsalis – trumpet player from the first family of New Orleans jazz, less formal than Wynton [Bloomington (1991), Four MFs Playin’ Tunes (2012)]

·         Clarence ‘frongman’ Henry – a poor man’s Fats Domino with very lonely music that rocks on the piano that borders exuberance and depression that screams New Orleans [Ain’t Got NO Home: The Best of Clarence ‘frogman’ Henry (1956)]

·         Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown – swamp blues guitar player in a cowboy hat and Dixie Andre Williams kind of sound [Down South… In The Bayou Country (1974), Back to Bogalusa (2001)]

·        Clifton Chenier – the zydeco king with a blues and folk two step party [Louisiana Blues and Zydeco (1965), The Best of Clifton Chenier (1975), 60 Minutes with the King of Zydeco (1988)]

·         Coolbone Brass Band – decent jazz band that is more traditional than party [Coolbone Swing Troop (2012)]

·         Cowboy Mouth – New Orleans rock music that will grasp your soul and make you want to kick yourself in the ass for thinking life wasn’t worth living [It Means Escape (1994), Are You With Me? (1996), All You Need Is Live (2000), Mouthin’ Off…Live! France ’92 (2005), Fearless (2008)]

·         The Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Classic veteran New Orleans Brass Band music with a trumpeter that can play two trumpets at once [Live Mardi Gras in Montreux (1985), The New Orleans Album (1990), This is Jazz 30: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (1997), Back Jump (1999), Medicated Magic (2002), What’s Going On (2008)]

·         Dr. John – voodoo master piano/funk guru with Yat/blues lyrics [Gris-Gris (1968), In The Right Place (1973), The Ultimate Dr. John (1987), Goin’ Back to New Orleans (1992), Duke Elegant (2000), All By Hisself Live at the Lonestar (2003), N’awlinz: Dis, Dat Or D’Udda (2004), Mercenary (2006), City Lights (2008), City That Care Forgot (2008), Locked Down (2012)]

·         Dr. Michael White – classy jazz on the clarinet [Jazz From the Soul of New Orleans (2002), Blue Crescent (2008)]

·         Ellis Marsalis – the piano patriarch of the first jazz family of NOLA [On the First Occasion (1998)]

·         Emile Barnes – clarinetist Bourbon Street foot stomp jelly-roll style band [Emile Barnes’ Louisiana Joymakers: Opening Night at Preservation Hall (2013)] – music from 1920’s to 1940’s

·         Fats Domino –the real Elvis, if there is a king of rock and roll, the foundation, the root, Fats might be it, the greatest musician in New Orleans history, yes even above Louis.  Fats defined rock and roll at the piano and singing in a way that broke barriers on a global level; icon, the man, bow people.  Fats sang some of the greatest rock n’roll love songs of joy and pain ever performed.  Fats created rock n’roll on the piano, Chuck Berry on guitar. Fuck Elvis. The Out of New Orleans boxset changed my life.  Icon [Fats Domino Out of New Orleans (1993 – music spans career), Walking To New Orleans (2002), Live At Monteux (2005), Greatest Hits: Walking to New Orleans (2007)]  Music 1949 to 1980

·         Flaming Arrows – Afro-Indian tribal Congo Square Bamboula rhythm New Orleans music, let’s go get ‘em [Here Come The Indians (1997)]

·         Galactic – New Orleans funk/rock demigods that will make you shake all night and can play with a cast characters [We Love ‘Em Tonight Live at Tipitinas (2001), ), Vintage Reserve(2003), Ya-Ka-May (2010), The Other Side of Midnight Live in New Orleans (2011), Carnivale Electricos (2012)]

·         Harry Connick Jr. – Frank Sinatra-like with New Orleans Blues and a Marsalis’ trained pedigree piano chops.  [Harry Connick, Jr. (1987), 20 (1988), When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack (1989), Blue Light, Red Light (1991), 25 (1992), Eleven (), Come By Me (1999), Songs I Heard (2001), Only You (2004), Oh, My Nola (2007), Your Songs (2009), Every Man Should Know (2013), Smokey Mary (2013)]

·         Henry Butler – New Orleans’ blind piano playing soul singer [Pianola Live (2008)]

·         Hot 8 Brass Band – past midnight New Orleans’ brass to make you dance [Tombstone (2013)]

·         Irma Thomas – the soul queen of New Orleans [A Woman’s Viewpoint: The Essential 1970’s Recordings (1973), If You Want It, Come and Get It (1999), My Heart’s in Memphis: The Songs of Dan Penn (2000)]

·         Irvin Mayfield – world class trumpeter and a pillar of modern jazz [Love Songs, Ballads, and Standards w/ Ellis Marsalis (2008), A Love Letter To New Orleans (2011)]

·         Jason Marsalis – the talent continues [In a world of Mallets (2013)]

·         Jelly Roll Morton – The birth of foot stomp sidewalk jazz: foundational [Birth of the The Hot – The Classic Chicago “Red Hot Peppers” Sessions 1926-27)]

·         Jeremy Davenport – cabaret singer with a trumpet doing his thing in the lounge [Maybe In A Dream (2009)]

·         Jerry Lee Lewis – classic country piano wild child like a poor man’s Little Richard [20 Classic Jerry Lee Lewis’ Hits! (1957)]

·         John Boutte – New Orleans’ Sam Cooke [Jambalaya (2008)]

·         Kermit Ruffins – Modern Louis Armstrong and New Orleans ambassador with a humble keeping it real style who will also cook you some BBQ at his show [Swing This (1999), Throwback (2005), Live At Vaughn’s (2007), Happy Talk (2010), We Partyin’ Traditional Style (2013)]

·         Los Hombres Calientes – Latino rhythm jazz side project of Irvin Mayfield [Vol 5 Carnival (2009)]

·         Louis Armstrong – The icon of New Orleans jazz and trumpet virtuoso, unique world class voice, his songs with Ella are timeless [1923-1931 Louis Armstrong (1927), 1932-46 Louis’ Love Songs (1938), Hello Dolly (1964), Platinum Classics: The Very Best of Louis Armstrong (2005), The Definitive Collection (2006), Blow Satchmo Blow (2010)] – Music late 1920’s to early 1960’s

·         Louis Prima – big band king of swing rhythm king with New Orleans trumpet chops [Capitol Collectors Series (1991), Let’s Swing It (2006)] – music late 1950’s to early 1970’s

·         Louisiana Red – blues man kickin’ raw with his tongue out telling you to take your hand off that turkey [Live in Montreux (2000), A Different Shade of Red (2013), No Turn on Red (2014)]

·         Mahalia Jackson – greatest gospel singer ever vocalizing the pain and passion of a people of slavery being given Jesus by their enslavers to appease plantation life carrying forward into the civil rights movement and the confliction of the soul in the cultural contradiction [Just Over the Hill, There’s A City Called Heaven (50 song compilation, not sure on year), Live at Newport 1958, The World’s Greatest Gospel Singer (1955)] Music from 1930’s to 1970’s

·         The Marsalis Family – from poverty to the New Orleans modern jazz family, their jazz influence is global and Harry Connick should pay Ellis Marsalis royalties on every album he sells [A Jazz Celebration (2009). Music Redeems (2010)]

·         The Meters – The foundation of New Orleans funk and house party good times music, with George Porter’s world-class bass guitar [Struttin’ (1970), Fire On the Bayou (1975), ,The Meters Anthology (1995), Funky Meters Fiyo at the Fillmore (2003), The Very Best of the Meters (2005)]

·         The Neville Brothers – The Marsalis family is the first family of NOLA jazz, the Neville’s are the first family of old school Mardi Gras Indian funk tribal blues groove NOLA rhythms Art, Charles, Aaron, Cyril and Ivan Neville [Yellow Moon (1989), Fiyo On the Bayou(1981), Brother’s Keeper (1990)]

·         Nicholas Payton – skilled trumpeter with classic refined musicianship [Payton’s Place (1998)]

·         Olympia Brass Band – classic New Orleans second line march down the street in captains hats with a tuba, sax, umbrella, trumpet leading you to glory [The Olympia Brass Band ()]

·         Pete Fountain – the great Dixie land jazz clarinetist making the people happy [Best of Pete Fountain (2007)]

·         Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Classic of the classic French Quarter traditional jazz wake up on Sunday morning and do the good work in the walk [New Orleans Vol 1 (1977), New Orleans Vol II (1988), Marching Down Bourbon Street (1997), Shake That Thing (2004), That’s It! (2013)]

·         Professor Longhair – definition of New Orleans piano-based playin’, maybe the most under advertised NOLA musician that never got his due, Despite Fez’s presence at Tipitina’s he should have been so much better known.  The quintessential Mardi Gras artist [Rock ‘n Roll Gumbo (1977), Crawfish Fiesta (1979)]

·         Radiators – New Orleans rock n’ roll swamp party [Radiology (1985), Live AT the Great American Music Hall (1998), Bucket of Fish (2002), New Dark Ages (1995)] music 1978 to 2011

·         Rebirth Brass Band – The New Orleans brass band, street brass music at its best, make you dance with a drink in your hand all night.  If you are in New Orleans on a Tuesday head to the Maple Leaf on Oak Street. If I am ever feeling down, I put this on and all is right with the world.  [Throwback feat Kermit Ruffins (2005), Do Watch Wanna (2008), The Main Event: Live at the Maple Leaf (2008), Rebirth Of New Orleans (2011), Rebirth of New Orleans (2011), Move Your Body (2014)]

·         Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr.– two-step rocking zydeco [Zydeco Man (2008)]

·         Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band – yes it’s Kirtan, yes its New Orleans yogi’s we dat too.  Beautiful grasp of our human interconnection with what we are [Unity (2014)]

·        Sidney Bechet – icon of the clarinet and saxophone in Louis Armstrong’s era, creole New Orleans roots [The Best of Sidney Bechet (2001)] Music 1930’s to early 1950’s

·         Snooks Eaglin’ – country blues in a bottle and a pork chop bone little ray Charles from New Orleans playing guitar [Baby, You Can Get Your Gun (1987), Country Boy in New Orleans (1991)] – music 1960’s to 1970’s

·         Soul Rebels – if you are in NOLA on a Thursday past midnight go to Le Bon Temps on Magazine you won’t regret it either: Brass band funk rolling [No Place Like Home: Live in New Orleans (2010), Unlock Your Mind (2012)]

·         Terence Blanchard – top shelf jazz on trumpet paid his dues [Romantic Defiance (1994), Jazz In Film (1999)]

·         Teresa Andersson – Swedish-born NOLA-strong came with Anders Osborne beautiful voice and can play any instrument [Teresa Andersen The EP (2006)]

·         Trombone Shorty – young torch-bearer of New Orleans pop-brass to the Globe [Backatown (2010), For True (2011), Trombone Shorty’s Swingin’ Gate (2012), Say That To Say This (2013)]

·         Wild Magnolias– original Mardi Gras Indian nation led by the recently deceased Big Chief Bo Dollis featuring Monk Boudreaux and Snooks Eaglin.  When you listen you have to imagine the feathers and the roots of what it meant for escaped slaves to meet Native nations in Southern Louisiana that make Congo Square what it is to begin to drink this music [The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1974)]

·         Wild Tchopitoulas– NOLA Neville Brothers paying homage to the flame that started their musical path [The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1991)]

·         Wynton Marsalis– this family is just blessed, classic trumpet and beautiful compositions  [Standard Time Vol 2: Intimacy Calling  (1991), Joe Cool Blues w/Ellis Marsalis (1995), Standard Time Volume 3: Resolution of Romance (), Blood on the Fields (1997)]


Compilations

·         Basin Street Sampler (2012) – Basin Street Records
·         City of Dreams: A Collection of New Orleans Music (2007)
·         Goin’ Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino (2007)
         Essential Louisiana R&B (2005) – Ernie K Doe, Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, Art Neville, Earl King
·         J’ai Ete Au Bal (I went to the dance) (1990)
·         Jazz Gumbo (includes Oliver Morgan Who shot the La La) (1995)
·         Louisiana Blues, Best of New Orleans Blues (2012)
·         Louisiana Piano Rhythms (2005)
·         The Louisiana Recordings: Cajun & Creole Music II (2010)
·         Louisiana Saturday Night ()
·         Best of Mardi Gras Indians (2012) – Wild Magnolias, Flaming Arrows, Hundred & One Runners

·         Mardi Gras In New Orleans (2001) – Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, Marcia Ball, Rebirth, Dirty Dozen,
·         Mardi Gras In New Orleans, Vol II (1989)
·         New Orleans Blues (2013)
·         New Orleans Revival (40-54) (2006)
·         Treme – The Sound of New Orleans
·         Treme II – More Classic Sounds From New Orleans
·         Treme: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 1 (2010)
·         Who Dat? (2006) – Saints songs [Aaron Neville, Rebirth, Olympia, Rockin Dopsie]


{All of these comps are a mix of Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Al Hirt, Louis Prima, Bo Dollis, Pete Fountain, and lesser known artists to the world like Al Johnson, Walter Washington, Eddie Bo, Oliver Morgan, Anders Osborne, Paul Lenart, Tab Benoit, Lee Dorsey, and Professor Longhair, who are super stars in New Orleans that are worth checking out}

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