Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is a New Orleans sensation - ...
592529
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is a New Orleans sensation - this book is a tribute to growing up with music in Treme.
3488278
Jazz's greatest living musician (not named Sonny Rollins)continued his mid-60's hot streak with this album. Shorter's composing and playing stimulate and challenge with the brilliant rhythm section of Hancock, McBee, and Chambers. Highly recommended!!
4350340
This is THE best history of New Orleans jazz from the origins to the brass band revival of the 80s and even the current post-Katrina renaissance.  Well written, impeccably researched and thoughtful.  Plus Charters is one of the few people alive who actually had the chance to see some of the New Orleans pioneers live (since he moved to New Orleans in 1950 when people like Alphonse Picou were still playing).  An essential book
3825078
If you have heard modern cajun and modern zydeco he is where it all started. He was a creole five foot tall walking wealth of talent. He has been gone from this earth 62 years,but he truly did do what god sent him here for. He is the godfather.  The songs are very primitive, but usually when someone helps contribute to the roots of a music, their recordings are more primitive in most cases. He brings the creole and the cajun together in music, because he is the roots for the modern version of both.  My godmother is an Ardoin she is related to amede and that is how I first heard of him. His music brings pride to anyone who has creole blood or even cajun (that includes me because I am part creole myself). Anyone with an appreciation for our creole culture, the louisiana culture period and our music and history will do themselves a great service by purchasing this cd. All of the blues songs are very good. His one step and two step songs are good as well.  He was like Robert Johnson, he was an extremely talented black musician from the old days with an unusual extraordinary wealth of talent who lived a short life, made very little money for his talents, and died a horrible death by the hands of someone who was jealous. He like robert, left us  too soon and he played the blues creole and acadian(cajun) style.  Not to ramble, but this cd is a valuable treasure of songs from a long lost musical legend. God bless you, AMEDE'. In creole (male' wah) and bye bye catin (bye bye baby).
4972259
Five OUTSTANDING Stars! This is #19 in the "This is Jazz" series of recordings of well-known jazz artists and covers a wide swathe of mid-period music from the stellar, highly-influential DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame composer, arranger, saxophonist Wayne Shorter. It basically covers a 15 year period that picks up after Shorter's brilliant sideman phase with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and the Second Great Quintet of Miles Davis (featuring Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Ron Carter) and ends before the current 21 Century period which sees Shorter, now entering his 80s, still continuing on a upward career spiral with his current award-winning quartet and projects. Drawn primarily from "Native Dancer" in 1974 'co-starring' legendary Brazilian singer, composer Milton Nascimento (featuring the awesome "Ponte De Areia", which went on to become an MPB classic song in Brazil, as well as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Diana"), then from his Weather Report phase with "Eurydice"  from the eponymous debut of "Weather Report"-1971; a beautifully mysterious Shorter composition called "Lusitanos" from 1975 featuring an outstanding bass performance by Alphonso Johnson as well as great solo and section work from Joe Zawinul and Shorter, and 1980's "Port of Entry" from the final Weather Report album here "Night Passage". And finally "Mohagany Bird" from Shorter's "Phantom Navigator" album in 1986. These are all great tracks in one outstanding collection, but there is the more expensive 2 disc, 22-track "Footprints: The Life and Music of Wayne Shorter" recording which covers the Blakey, Miles, Gil Evans, Weather Report, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, and solo career phases. But for the price and the amount of music from a big slice of his career, this recording is Highly Recommended as an introduction to this amazing musician, composer, and leader. Five SWINGING Stars!  (10 tracks; Time-52:54)
463572
In recent years the music of New Orleans has been reissued at a pleasing pace, with labels from Soul Jazz to Funky Delicacies unearthing rare finds from the city's past. Of course, since Katrina preserving the century-plus of great music and cultural history of N.O., from the earliest jazz through funk and hip-hop, seems all the more critical and precious. Undoubtedly one of the prime movers of New Orleans soul and funk over the past 50 years is songwriter/producer/pianist Allen Toussaint. A decade ago EMI issued a 2-CD set, "The Minit Records Story" that featured 28 tracks written and produced by Toussaint during his first 'golden' era, 1959 - 63 (the second disc covers the resurrected label's non-N.O. soul years, 1966 - 70), and Capitol issued a too-slight 20 track overview of the same material a few years ago. Sundazed Records has contributed mightily to the city's musical heritage by reissuing The Meters' seminal catalog (1968 - 77) as well as two CDs collecting the superb work of Lee Dorsey produced by Toussaint during Dorsey's Amy/Sansu period (1965 - 70). The 2-CD set under discussion, "Get Down Low!" features 50 remarkably consistent and varied tracks Toussaint (mostly) wrote and produced for Sansu/Amy, after his Minit years (and a two year stint in the Army). As such it contains fewer national hits. Many of these artists and tracks are reissued here for the first time in decades.

Toussaint also worked with a number of other small labels during the '60s, so the quality of this material is indeed striking. This set covers a mere two years, after all. But it is packed with minor classics and delightfully eccentric one-offs like the surreal Omar Khayyam's "The Rubaiyats" and Diamond Joe's "Gossip Gossip." Imagine, if you will, what Toussaint was doing between the witty and soulful Minit classics and the harder funk of The Meters, and that's a general picture of what's on this set. Some artists - Betty Harris, Lee Dorsey, Benny Spellman, and Earl King - are well known, others - Willie Harper, Curley Moore, Lee Calvin Lee - remained local figures. Sundazed manages to mine the gold, or the gumbo, however, from the loping two-part title track (by Moore, with marvelous piano trills by Toussaint) to the proto-psych-funk "Hot Tamales, Parts 1 & 2" by one Prime Mates. Betty Harris revisits Mojo Hanna territory with "Bad Luck," and two of Dorsey's many classics ("Ride Your Pony," in its mono single mix, and "Holy Cow") are included. One hears traces of Stax and Motown, but mostly that's what they are - traces. Toussaint the auteur stands out at both his most likeable - many melodies and grooves stick in your head after just a couple of plays - and singular. One can certainly discern his rhythmic stamp, lighter than, say, Eddie Bo's, but always irregular and infectious. And by the time of the last sessions to be included, Art Neville's "Bo Diddley" and the unissued-at-the-time "Too Late" the sound and presence of The Meters is unmistakeable. "Get Down Low! The Soul Of New Orleans '65 - '67" feature marvelous songs, deep grooves, great singers, and New Orleans' finest session men, all brought together by Toussaint during a brief but wonderful period.
4291799
I rarely watch anything "New Orleans" because the storylines are clich and the accents are horrid, not to mention it's ALWAYS Mardi Gras (as if we have nothing else to offer). NOT the case with Treme!

I can't believe it's taken us so long to pick up this show! It's a wonderfully written and incredibly accurate portrait of New Orleans post Katrina. The music alone makes me all happy, hopeful and weepy at the same time.

Watch it. If you fall in love with the story, characters and/or music...then you'll know why we cherish this beautiful city.
648187
This 30-cut collection is an ample extract from an out-of-print, four-CD, 119-track set produced for the 1996 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It's filled with great artists like Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Amos Milburn, Roy Brown, and Earl King, who play their original hits and much more. You'll never appreciate the wonderful heritage that is Crescent City Rhythm & Blues until you hear these songs, which range from stride piano and jump blues to doo-wop and rock 'n' roll. In the 1950s and 1960s, these songwriters and performers formed the basis for much of modern popular music.

Some of my favorite selections are the legendary "One Night (of Sin)" (later recorded by Elvis Presley), "I Hear You Knocking," and "Blue Monday," all by Smiley Lewis; the indispensable "I'm Walkin'," "Walking to New Orleans," and "Ain't That a Shame" by the Fat Man, Fats Domino; and the hilarious "Mother-In-Law" and "A Certain Girl," both by Ernie K-Doe.

You also get the rollicking "Let the Good Times Roll" by Shirley & Lee, the wise and witty "The Monkey (Speaks His Mind)" by Dave Bartholomew, the rather unhinged "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" by Jessie Hill, and the heartbreaking "It's Raining" by Irma Thomas. You've gotta love doo-wop groups like The Showmen, The Spiders, and The Bees; the latter group performs "Toy Bell," which Chuck Berry remade into the raunchy "My Ding-a-Ling." To wrap things up, enjoy the original classic "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman. Written by Allen Toussaint, the song was later covered by both The Rolling Stones and The Who. And there are 16 more great songs on this CD!

You can buy the disc from an Amazon Marketplace seller and pay less than $10, versus over $200 for the rare box set. A complete track listing follows, including artist and timing:

1 The Fat Man - Fats Domino - 2:36
2 3 x 7 = 21 - Jewel King - 2:33
3 Stack-A-Lee, Pt. 2 - Archibald - 2:28
4 Goin' Home - Fats Domino - 2:09
5 Bon Ton Roulet - Clarence Garlow - 2:54
6 Toy Bell - The Bees - 2:21
7 Blue Monday - Smiley Lewis - 2:41
8 I Didn't Want to Do It - The Spiders - 2:43
9 Traveling Mood - Wee Willie Wayne - 2:26
10 Feel So Good - Shirley & Lee - 2:47
11 I Hear You Knocking - Smiley Lewis - 2:43
12 Witchcraft - The Spiders - 2:34
13 Ain't That a Shame - Fats Domino - 2:25
14 Let the Good Times Roll - Shirley & Lee - 2:22
15 One Night - Smiley Lewis - 2:25
16 Chicken Shack Boogie - Amos Milburn - 2:29
17 Let the Four Winds Blow - Roy Brown - 2:01
18 Sick and Tired - Chris Kenner - 2:30
19 I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino - 2:01
20 The Monkey - Dave Bartholomew - 2:26
21 I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday - Bobby Mitchell - 2:24
22 Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pt. 1 - Jessie Hill - 2:18
23 Come On, Pt. 1 - Earl King - 2:31
24 Walking to New Orleans - Fats Domino - 1:55
25 Mother-In-Law - Ernie K-Doe - 2:33
26 It Will Stand - The Showmen - 2:19
27 A Certain Girl - Ernie K-Doe - 2:43
28 I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) - Barbara George - 2:22
29 It's Raining - Irma Thomas - 2:06
30 Fortune Teller - Benny Spellman - 2:11
4040725
As I write my review of A little Gumbo in Her Face, I cant help but feel a little homesick for the beautiful city of New Orleans.  Ms. Faustina managed to make me fall in love again with The Big Easy!  I walked the beautiful streets of the French Quarter and ate fried oysters at the Dragos restaurant.  This book will fill your heart with hope, love, and sorrow as you walk the journey of two Creoles destined to be together.  You will find yourself cheering for Manon and Andy.....for true love.
1166549
If you like southern flavored soul shouting with your R&B, loaded with straightforward lyrical storytelling ... this son is for you.

Jeff Floyd appears to be one of the better soul shouters making the rounds in the southern chitlin music circuit.  He appears to have appropriated many of the nuances of the styles of Johnnie Taylor & Tyrone Davis.

This epic length two stepper is perfect for getting your groove on in a sweaty juke joint.  The sheer time ... over 7 minutes ... hearkens back to the days of the disco when one track would last seemingly forever.

The theme of randomly finding true love in a random highway encounter along with Jeff Floyd's gospel-tinged vocals makes this song a pleasant experience. .
1741830
I was never a huge fan of Louis Armstrong because the most I knew about him was the song "What A Wonderful World", though I like that song I had heard it so many times it kind of got on my nerves.  At the time I wasn't aware of the fact that Louis was a trumpet player.  In the 90s I became interested in big band music thanks to spending hours talking with my grandma about the good ol' days.  Through my research I became a huge fan of Duke Ellington's music.  One album that had become my essential favorite was Duke's one meeting with Louis Armstrong's band on the album "The Great Summit".  Because of that album I wanted to learn more about Louis Armstrong and this album came highly recommended so I purchased it and it too has become one of my essential favorites.

The story of how this album came about as documented in the liner notes are almost as interesting as the music.  To sum it up Long player records at the time were still new and the record execs were trying to come up with a good use of this "new" technology.  One person suggested to come out with a W.C. Handy album.  Handy was pretty much the founder of the blues.  During the early part of the 20th century he documented many traditional songs and original compositions and played them live but there is very little actually recorded by Handy.  In 1950 do to being blind he was no longer able to play but Louis Armstrong was recommended to perform his classic songs because he was a fan of Handy's and had played many of his songs over the years.  It also helps that Handy was a great admirer of Louis work as well.

For the fans of Louis' trumpet work it is very prominently showcased here and sounds incredible.  For the fans of his voice he and vocalist Verma Middleton are all over this as well.  These songs are very enjoyable and fun to listen to and you can tell that Louis loves these songs because you can hear in his voice that he had a lot of fun creating this documentation of Handy's work.

This collection I believe is an essential for classic jazz fans and even if you don't consider yourself a Louis Armstrong fan you may want to check this out because this album converted me.  Also the sound is incredible.  It was mastered from a collector's LP because the original masters were damaged and you would never know it because it sounds like it was recorded yesterday.
15499
As proof that dreams can come true, this is a partnership between two legends that play weekly gigs at New Orleans' Spotted Cat.  First, this is a&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Miss-Sophie-Lee/dp/B002X09GZA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Miss Sophie Lee</a>&nbsp;album. For the uninitiated, she's the Crescent City incarnation of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Billie-Holiday/dp/B00006AWJC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Billie Holiday</a>. Even the album cover makes this connection as it's clearly inspired by Holiday's classic&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/1947-Down-Beat-magazine-portrait/dp/B0061RLVUY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">1947 Down Beat magazine portrait</a>. Second, her band is the great&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/New-Orleans-Jazz-Vipers/dp/B000U8X6R6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">New Orleans Jazz Vipers</a>. Featuring Joe Braun, these guys are the current kings of New Orleans style Jazz. While playing a traditional music, their sound is enhanced with the infusion of Gypsy Jazz. The instrumentation includes clarinet, alto sax, trumpet, piano, violin, guitar, bass sax and upright bass. Considering a joining between Sophie Lee and the Vipers, Sachmo couldn't have arranged a better musical marriage. How successful do these two forces jell? Let's just say that the honeymoon never ends. It's difficult to pick highlights since the recording is so packed with winners. 'I Want to be Happy' is an infectiously upbeat song that swings hard.  Lee does a fantastic retelling of Irving Berlin's 'Blue Skies.' 'Bread and Gravy' swaggers. 'Am I Blue' is a great Blues tune. 'Stairway to the Stars' has the sort of upbeat, romantic vibe that percolates through so much of the effort. Miss Sophie Lee's voice has to be heard to be believed. Most of the tunes on this 2006 release are four minutes in length, featuring amazing solos by the Vipers. "Miss Sophie Lee and the New Orleans Jazz Vipers" is an essential NOLA Jazz album.
3757274
George Lewis's liquid and introspective clarinet playing was a key part of the New Orleans jazz revival. His sound had a delicate liquid quality that was uniquely his, very different from, and to me far more moving than the smoother, more woody sound of Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw. This box set by the Danish Storyville label includes much of Lewis's important work, including a concert at Ohio State University and an excellent session with Papa Bue's Viking Jazz Band. There's also a booklet, with photos and an excellent essay by Chris Albertson.
2892702
This rather brief CD (just 35 minutes), a straight reissue of an LP) gives listeners a good example of the playing of trumpeter Bob Scobey. Taken from his earliest period as a bandleader, these Dixieland performances also feature trombonist Jack Buck, either Darnell Howard, Albert Nicholas or George Probert on clarinet, pianists Burt Bales or Wally Rose and banjoist Clancy Hayes who also takes a few vocals. Excellent goodtime music. -
485161
You don't have to be from the South to appreciate the regional flavor of elegant New Orleans. Putumayo's collections are wonderful mood and background music. New Orleans Christmas, with its smooth, big band sounds is ideal for this season's Christmas parties, especially if the hosts happen to be serving gumbo or jambalaya.

New Orleans Christmas includes 11 classic Christmas songs that have been spiced up by the best from the Crescent City. Most of the tracks are in the older New Orleans music style with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "White Christmas" bringing a modern feel to the swingy collection. New Orleans Christmas also includes traditional New Orleans songs that have been warmed with a holiday vibe, such as "Santa's Second Line" where tambourines and trumpets blend Christmas flavor into a New Orleans marching song.

Throughout New Orleans Christmas the equilibrium between holiday music and regional sounds is harmonious and seamless. James Andrews' trumpet version of "Christmas in New Orleans" is reminiscent of Louis Armstrong, and pianist Ellis Marsalis and his son, drummer Jason Marsalis, contribute a bebop departure from early sounds in "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." The whole collection delivers variety, one of New Orleans' finest artistic hallmarks, with sounds that switch effortlessly between R&B, country, swing, blues, and jazz influences.

There are many reasons why listeners will enjoy this collection of traditional Christmas songs, but one of the most rewarding may not be a matter of music. A portion of the proceeds from New Orleans Christmas will be donated to the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity's Musicians Village Project, a construction of 81 homes for New Orleans musicians who were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Not only is this a timely act of charity, but it also enables listeners to support the future production of New Orleans jazz. After all, it is the season for giving, and there is so much reason to give! -Elizabeth Whitmore
2079530
Shorty Rogers is one of my favorites from the West Coast Jazz scene. HIs style is quirky and surprising, albeit a little loud on some parts of many of his favorite recordings. I learned his name when I purchased an LP of this charismatic recording in the mid 80s. I wore it out. Bright, cheerful and very well crafted, the sounds inspire a very dry martini or two or at least a fine Gavi di Gavi with a slight frizzante'
2472890
I heard Evan Christopher with Tom McDermott in NOLA 5 or 6 years ago and think Evan is about the best clarinetist around. And Tom is certainly no slouch either. Evan has that deep sound reminiscent of Sidney Bechet and has truly studied the roots of New Orleans music.