2025 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Artists Announced

Yesterday we predicted some artists that might play this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. We got a few right, but the full list can be seen here.

Below we chat about some artists we are excited to catch down south in a few months.

Album Review: Brass Queens - Hot Tub Sessions Vol. 1

Brass Queens

Hot Tub Sessions Vol. 1

**** out of *****

The Brooklyn based, brass band outfit, Brass Queens continue their evolution with their first collection of all original tunes titled, Hot Tub Sessions Vol. 1. It is their strongest release so far. 

Lemon Power Release New Single "I'm an Animal"

The London-based duo, Lemon Power, have released their new single "I'm an Animal".

Check out the ripping single below:

2025 New Orleans JazzFest Artist Predictions

The lineup for the 2025 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be announced tomorrow but RtBE got the early scoop...

Album Review: Mike Stern - Echoes and Other Songs

Mike Stern

Echoes and Other Songs

***and1/2 out of *****

The NYC based, veteran guitarist Mike Stern hadn't released any new music since pre-pandemic, so here comes Echoes and Other Songs, a long running record that plays with Stern's love of fusion, jazz and rock. Having played with everyone from Miles Davis to Bela Fleck, Stern is adaptable but retains his sound.  

New Single/Video from Blondshell "T&A"

Blondshell's self titled debut record, was one of the best of the last few years, it finished high on our Best of 2023 list as well.

Now, Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum's follow up If You Asked For A Picture, is due out in May. The first single "T&A" is here and it is a continuation of the first albums sound and style.

Check it out now:

Dylan Cover #665 Cæcilie Norby "Like A Rolling Stone"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artist is Cæcilie Norby performing a cover of "Like A Rolling Stone" 

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover:
The song that launched a true revolution, with an opening snare drum like a dead man's last pistol shot baby. "Like A Rolling Stone" is mega in all fashions, Dylan is accusatory, mad, feed up, zoned out, poetic, rambling and always moving with the sound as the track is large and in charge even today. One of the Bard's top 3 songs any which way you break them down, "Like A Rolling Stone" has been covered by a ton of people and it (usually) always kicks ass. 

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:

This is the first time we have heard Cæcilie Norby who is a Danish jazz singer. Also playing on this track is Bass, Cello, Lars Danielsson Piano, Leszek Możdżer , Electric  Guitar: Nguyên Lê.

Thoughts on Cover:

A unique version, miles away from the original, that has a lot of instrumentation and cuts out lots of verses and choruses. A unique, breezy cover and a fun addition to Jazzy January.   

Full Show Friday: David McMurray - Southside Festival of Jazz 2014

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing). This week...David McMurray! 

RtBE has been a fan of McMurray's for a while now and wanted to get him into our Full Show Friday series during Jazzy January. 

Here he and his band are in 2014:

New Single/Video from Taylor Barton "Get Off My Ship"

Taylor Barton has released a video for her her song "Get Off My Ship".

Check out the tune below:

Album Review: Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Jazz Is Dead 021

Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Jazz Is Dead 021

*** out of *****

The Jazz Is Dead label was started in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block. The goal of Jazz Is Dead has been to work with global music legends in both comfortable and unique spaces, exposing them to a new generation, sounding fresh while honoring their established sound. 

On the labels most recent release, Jazz Is Dead 021, they curated a a selection of unreleased songs from the upcoming Jazz Is Dead Series 3, resulting in a high powered "mix-tape/sampler" of funky/jazzy styles from different future releases that works well together, but also will inspire listeners to dig deeper and buy future albums.

One song from each upcoming release is presented here. The deep pulsing bass, flighty flutes and shimmering cymbals kick things off, working well on "Moreno feat The Midnight Hour" as whistling, strings and horns build up the slick track. "Os Acestrais feat Dom Salvador" is OK with strong vocals from Salvador, but much better is the Afrobeat excursion "Obi do Woa (If Someone Loves You) feat Ebo Taylor" which pumps up the excellent percussion and funky groove, highlighting the album.  

That upbeat energy recedes a bit with the dreamy/floating "Uana Ete feat Joyce e Tutty Moreno" while "Menina Do Tororo feat Antonio Carlos e Jocafi" uses electro-keys and a samba soul vibe very reminiscent of the great Jorge Ben. 

"Viajante de Planeta Azul feat Hyldon" is a cinematic offering that is swirling and dramatic with deep bass and lots of layers of sound before "Atlas" wraps up the sampler/record on a soothing note, using chimes, bells, percussion and more to ease out of Jazz Is Dead 021. 

Designed more to widen the scope of the listener and to get them ready for upcoming full length releases from these artists in 2025, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have done an admiral job working with legends in these fields and crafting enjoyable tunes in their style. 

New Single from Nayla Savannah "Diary"

The Long Beach, CA based artist Nayla Savannah released a new single, "Diary".

Check out the tune below and here is hoping everyone is safe out in LA:

Album Review: Charlie and the Tropicales - Jump Up

Charlie and the Tropicales

Jump Up

***and1/2 out of *****

For their third album Charlie and the Tropicales take their engaging mix of mid century Caribbean sounds filtered through a New Orleans lens, and flush it out with a host of guest vocalists onboard for the exciting ride. 

Happy Anniversary to Angels & Vagabonds Debut, The A&V EP

Hard to believe @angelsvagabonds released our debut effort, The A&V EP eleven years ago today.

It has been fun writing about music on various websites and publications over the last fifteen plus years, but nothing beats the act of creating music, playing it live and recording it. Our first EP was an excellent experience, a huge learning process for me personally, and the whole band are still very proud of the final result.

From the serendipitous cover photo that stayed exactly as Bruno_Pek_ shot it, to the great production from our good friend Glen, to the contributions of everyone involved, The A&V EP is a joy to remember. More importantly, we still like listening to it and you can do that now.

You can download from our bandcamp site, you can buy it from iTunes, stream it on Spotify or below. As always, thanks for reading, and on this day I can say thanks for listening to my music.

 

Live Review: Phish - 12/28-29-30/24 MSG NYC

Phish 

Live: 12/28-29-30/24 

MSG NYC

Another year wrapping up finds Phish returning to their annual holiday run at the world's most famous arena. RtBE went to 3 of the 4 show at Madison Square Garden, skipping New Years Eve, and has a few thoughts about them.

Dylan Cover #664 Louisa Bey "Everything Is Broken"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Louisa Bey playing "Everything is Broken"

Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:

If Bob wasn't the Bard "Everything Is Broken" would just be another tossed off song. However, is anything with Dylan just simply tossed off? Well..yeah...this song certainly feels tossed off to me...sorry. Oh Mercy is a hell of an album, one of Dylan's classics, and this song is fine, it just can't even stand close to any of his all-time gems, not remotely close. One of the reasons I started this cover series was to show how amazing The Bard's songs are in just about anyone's hands, but if the original of this tune was written by Joe Schmo would people think it was great, or is it just the Dylan name that gives it clout?  

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

This is the first time coming across Louisa Bey, who is a French Jazz singer. 

Thoughts on Cover:

Interesting cover that skitters and slides around with a mix of light rock and modern jazz sounds as Bey sings with a mix of anger and passion.

Full Show Friday - Makaya McCraven - Live KEXP 2022

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing). This week...Makaya McCraven! 

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2025 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.

New Single/Video Hot 8 Brass Band "Ain't No Sunshine"

New video out for the New Orleans based outfit Hot 8 Brass Band, covering Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine". 

Check out the touching tribute below:

Album Review: Nubya Garcia - Odyssey

Nubya Garcia

Odyssey

**** out of *****

Nubya Garcia's sophomore release, Odyssey, on Concord Records is a follow up to her excellent solo debut Source and continues the talented tenor saxophonist, bandleader and composer's, evolution. The record finds Garcia spreading her wings, moving away from the more straight ahead grooves of her debut to excellently widen her sonic scope. 

New Single/Video from Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse - "I Told My Baby"

Check out the new single/video from Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse - "I Told My Baby" featuring Kitten de Ville. 

The rocker is a hoot, check out the video below:

Album Review: The Headhunters - The Stunt Man

The Headhunters

The Stunt Man

**** out of *****

The Headhunters, the remaining members of Herbie Hancock's backing band as well as some modern jazz greats, are experiencing a renaissance lately and the excellent The Stunt Man is another winning addition to their catalog.