Max Wild may not be a household name yet, but his new recording, Tamba, may just changed that. Now based out of New York, Wild has created a fascinating soundscape based on the traditional sounds of Zimbabwe with a healthy dose of American influences. The disc also features the last work of the late Sam Mtukudzi- a young talent who was the son of the great Zimbabwean legend, Oliver Mtukudzi. Sam passed away in a tragic car accident this past March. The album is dedicated to his memory.
New Disc from Zimbabwean Saxophonist

 Jeff Albert Quartet at Open Ears Series
This evening the inventive trombonist Jeff Albert will be joined by the drummer Dave Cappello, the multi-reedist Ray Moore, and the bassist Jesse Morrow upstairs at the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street. All four players are adventurous musicians and this should be a great night of music. The band starts as close to 10 PM as possible and plays for a couple of hours. There is no cover charge, but guests are encouraged to tip the band.
Deacon John Plays Snug Harbor
Of all the players that matriculated through the trenches of the New Orleans music business in the late 1950s, “Deacon†John Moore is by far the most versatile musician. The British Invasion of the 1960s, didn’t phase him though it reportedly decimated much of the R&B scene. He just changed tacks and began playing his guitar with psychedelic effects and wearing paisley. The same can be said for his people-pleasing approach in every era since although I haven’t heard a rapper in his band- yet. Tonight Deacon John and the Ivories grace the stage at Snug Harbor- the modern jazz mecca on Frenchmen Street. While much has been made elsewhere in the media about it being a rare occurrence- a jump blues showman on a jazz stage- Moore will undoubtedly take it in stride. Just like he has done his entire career.
Free Fridays Continue at Tips with the Bingo Show!
Clint Maedgen, like so many New Orleans musicians, wears many hats. His main gig these days is playing saxophone and singing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He did a wonderful rendition of the Kinks’ tune, “Complicated Life†with the Pres Hall Band at the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Tonight, he leads his theatrical rock band, The New Orleans Bingo Show! in a free show at Tipitina’s.
Uncle Lucius at the Maple Leaf
Uncle Hank does it again. The Maple Leaf will host Austin’s Uncle Lucius this evening in the latest attempt by the bar’s booking agent to broaden the musical horizons of the denizens of uptown. Uncle Lucius blends rock, country and soul influences into a hybrid that references a bit of hard rock, a bit of Motown and lots of electric guitar. They have played at all of the major clubs in Austin and are in the midst of long tour that will take them across the South and all the way to New York City where they will play at Sullivan Hall. In the middle of the tour is a stop at Fitzgerald’s outside of Chicago for that legendary clubs’s annual 4th of July Great American Music Festival.  Both of those venues are favorites for fans of New Orleans music and I consider the three bookings to be a vote of confidence for this talented ensemble.
Shakira’s Percussionist at Zeitgeist
Ravish Momin’s most high profile gig is with the South American superstar. But tonight he is performing with his Trio Tarana. He has been described as an outstanding and renowned percussionist and laptop creator in multiple styles fusing jazz, Indian, multi-ethnic world music, post-rock and electronica. Trio Tarana features intriguing instrumentation. In addition to Momin on percussion, Skye Steele plays violin and Greg “Cosmo D” Heffernan plays cello. All three use looping and other effects. They are all prominent and highly in-demand players in the downtown NYC and international creative music scenes and have extensive performance and recording resumes with many major figures in jazz, electronic, world and alt-pop circles including Shakira, Natalie Merchant, Bill Frisell, Alice Coltrane, Rufus Wainwright, Cyro Baptista, and the Bindlestiff Family Circus. The show begins at 8:00 PM. The Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center is located at1618 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
Good Enough for Good Times at D.B.A.
The Galactic offshoot band, which features guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio now plays more often in New Orleans than their main group. After last night’s free show at Tipitina’s, which was marred by horrible sound (the second time I have observed this problem in the last couple of weeks), they return to their stomping grounds on Frenchmen Street. With keyboardist Joe Ashlar out of town, the stellar Brian Coogan rounds out the band with drummer Simon Lott.
Voodoo Fest Announces 2010 Lineup
The Voodoo Music Experience is scheduled for Halloween weekend, October 29-31 in New Orleans’ City Park. They announced the preliminary lineup yesterday and it includes some grizzled rockers, indie darlings and lots of locals. Here’s the initial bookings- Muse, Ozzy Osbourne, Weezer, MGMT, Drake, Florence and the Machine, Interpol, Hot Chip, Metric, Deadmau5, Street Sweeper Social Club, Jakob Dylan and Three Legs, Buckwheat Zydeco, Raphael Saadiq, Cage the Elephant, Minus the Bear, Janelle Monae, Eli “Paperboy†Reed, Galactic with Guest, The Airborne Toxic Event, Jonsi, Innerpartysystem, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Rebirth Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Big Al Carson, Stanton Moore Trio with Anders Osborne, Voice of the Wetlands All Stars featuring Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, George Porter Jr., Waylon Thibodeaux, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Johnny Sansone, The Soul Rebels, Theresa Andersson, Basin Street Records Revue featuring Kermit Ruffins, Dr. Michael White and Jeremy Davenport. George Porter, Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners, 
Toubab Krewe, John Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Treme Brass Band with Uncle Lionel Batiste, Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, The New Orleans Bingo! Show, The Happy Talk Band, Fleur De Tease Burlesque Revue, Rotary Downs, DJ Soul Sister, Honey Island Swamp Band, Rosie Ledet, Fatter Than Albert, Leo Jackson and the Melody Makers, AM, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights, Shannon McNally, Creole String Beans, Locos Por Juana, Flow Tribe, Consortium of Genius, Luke Winslow-King, Noisician Coalition, DJ Quickie Mart, Debauche, Helen Gillet and the Local Skank.
Meschiya Lake CD Release Party
There are so many bands in New Orleans that are mining the traditional sounds of jazz, blues and the various hybrids that emerged during the early part of the 20th century that it’s hard to keep them straight. There’s the Cottonmouth Kings, Tuba Skinny, The New Orleans Jazz Vipers, St. Louis Slim and his various aggregations, the Loose Marbles, the New Orleans Moonshiners, and the Palmetto Bug Stompers. Then there are the vocalists, like Ingrid Lucia, Miss Sophie Lee, and Linnzi Zaorski that all have bands backing them. Many of these groups share the same musicians and their domain is Frenchmen Street. At the head of this class, if only for the reason that she is having her CD Release Party tonight off of Frenchmen Street at One Eyed Jack’s, is Meschiya Lake. Her band is called the Little Big Horns and they rock in an anachronistic way- they play music from before rock was invented. But they still rock.
Talib Kweli, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Naked Orchestra
Who says it’s the middle of the summer slow season in New Orleans. It’s a Tuesday and there are three very good options for hearing live music. At the House of Blues, conscious rapper Talib Kweli turns on the energy in the main room while the revivalists in the Carolina Chocolate Drops play old time Appalachian music in the Parish. For music that more outside the mainstream but is bound to engage your mind, check out Jonathan Freilich (pictured) and his big band, the Naked Orchestra at Snug Harbor. His group is stocked with the cream of the local crop of improvising jazz talent.
Featured Weekly Event
who? Treme Brass Band
when? Wednesdays
where? The Candelight Lounge
Treme Brass Band on Wednesday nights!
Featured Link
WWOZ Radio
