Album Review: Ron Carter & Ricky Dillard - Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Ron Carter & Ricky Dillard

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

*** out of *****

Two legendary artists come together, combining the worlds of Jazz and Gospel on Blue Note Records/Motown Gospel, Sweet, Sweet Spirit. Ron Carter and Ricky Dillard work to fuse their bass and choir master talents, delivering ten combinations of holy/engaging offerings.

Dylan Cover #728 Blind Boys of Alabama "Every Grain of Sand"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Blind Boys of Alabama playing "Every Grain of Sand"

All April RtBE focuses our Monday Dylan Cover Series on artists who are playing this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Today is Blind Boys of Alabama who play the festival Thursday April 23rd

Year In Review 2025 - Favorite Album Art

We kick off our Year in Review section of 2025 with the first feature in the Best of... wrap up: Album Art. 

Just like in years past, we will be choosing our favorite albums of the year, a few that were underwhelming, our favorite live shows, and highlight some fantastic archive releases, all of which will be posted over the next few days. 

Today we are starting out by judging books (records) by their covers (vinyl sleeves, jackets, digital pics, etc) with our Favorite Album Art Work of 2025.

The biggest gripe RtBE has with digital music is not the quality (that has been massively improved) nor the disposal nature of it (still a problem, but whatever), it is the lack of amazing album covers and art work.

Sure there may be great album art out there but seeing it on a screen, on Spotify or elsewhere is nothing compared to holding an LP or even a CD booklet with pages of lyrics, pictures etc. 

Thankfully the rise of vinyl is helping this dilemma but it is still not enough. The hours we spent staring, actually holding, examining tons of covers while listening to music can't be adequately recorded, it added new dimensions to the sounds. You are connected to album in a more physical way; things were deeper, more evocative...Anyways...

Here comes RtBE's Favorite Album Art of 2025. 

Album Review: Robert Finley - Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya

Robert Finley

Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya

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

Never one to do things the 'normal way' Robert Finley approached his first gospel album with no set material, just a sense of the lord speaking through him. What rolled out was, Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya, a funky good time that has one foot in church, and the other one on the late night dance floor getting down with wild abandon. 

Album Review: Big Freedia - Pressing Onward

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of Big Freedia's Pressing Onward

Album Review: Sister Gertrude Morgan - Let's Make A Record

Sister Gertrude Morgan

Let's Make A Record

*** out of *****

The fantastic Tipitina’s Record Club’s newest release is a reissue of Sister Gertrude Morgan's only full length release, 1971’s Let’s Make A Record. This singular gospel rarity arrives on white vinyl, the same color Morgan wore once she became a bride of Jesus, preaching her sermon throughout New Orleans.

Dylan Cover #612 Sinéad O'Connor "Property of Jesus"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Sinéad O'Connor playing "Property of Jesus" 

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series.

In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

For November and December we highlight covers from: Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International 

Thoughts on Original:

While Bob was moving back into his secular waters with his album Shot of Love, the first song recorded during those sessions was very closed to the church, and that was "Property of Jesus". Dylan was very much in his Saved phase when this tune was written and recorded. No smirking trickster in these lyrics, just straight ahead fire and brimstone with big late 70's early 80's layers of instrumentation and backing vocals. One of The Bard's better praise songs that walks the line between rock and gospel.   

 

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

A unique voice in modern pop music Sinéad O'Connor could flutter and float vocal or growl and rip your heart out with her singing. Troubled, opinionated, unfairly maligned, O'Connor has a lot of multitudes, and she unfortunately is gone too soon. While RtBE were never huge fans, we always respected her, her fierce determination and her majestic vocals.   

Thoughts on Cover:

O'Connor ups the snarl and turns on the folk/punk for this take on the tune. It moves along at a fast pace as she sings with a force and a touch of anger. It is an odd choice of a cover from O'Connor who always had a rocky relationship with religion (to say the least), as this one is straight ahead, but that was Sinéad, full of mystery.  

Merry Christmas.  

Live Review: Rough Seven - BJ's Lounge, New Orleans, LA 5/6/23

Rough Seven

BJ's Lounge, New Orleans, LA 5/6/23 

One of the most engaging, spill-your-soul-on-the-floor, New Orleans acts reunited for a run through of dirty, noisy, heartfelt, rock on a sweaty Saturday night in BJ's Bywater Lounge as the Rough Seven took flight once again. 

The band is led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Ryan Scully as he deals with heartbreak, rage, mental anguish and society as a whole around swelling crescendos and blast outs of brass, bass, guitar, keys and drums, as the group lock in around the vocals. Opening with a newer tune titled "Orange Potatoes" the band got revved up building the tension as Stoo Odom pumped the bass and Mike Andrepont hit the kit. 

"Golden Parachute" amped up the guitars of Scully and Rob Cambre, along with Meschiya Lake's backing vocals while "Sugar Daddy" delivered a sexy slow groove to the packed house. The outfit caught it's breath, but only for a second, as keyboardist Ratty Scurvics began the classic "I Would Rather Go Blind" which was a barn burning showcase for Lake, as she belted out the tune with a raw power that was staggering; a clear set highlight. 

Not resting one bit, the band began the slow burn of "Meltdown" which was a guitar showcase for Cambre and Scully as they interwove allowing Cambre's adventurous noise flourishes to crash and land with precision. Things then took a sentimental turn with one of the Rough Seven's sweetest songs, "St. Anthony" before another garage rocker “Where’s My Phone” delivered a Them “Gloria” vibe, which utilized Rick Hukill's trombone to great effect. The extended effort dripped into "Preacher By Day" which slowly worked it's way into a noise rock blaze up, with chaos swirling around the packed house and small stage.  

The bands dynamite set wrapped up with their cover of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful", a song the group has made their own. Engaging the crowd to sing along, Scully and Lake sung with energetic, uplifting positivity while the band pushed and pulled with glorious fluidity and power. The climax was just that as Lake crowd surfed through the bar with everyone vibrating on another level as the Rough Seven reunion wrapped up, highlighting a Jazzfest weekend filled with them.  

___________________

The Rough Seven are one of RtBE's favorite bands of all-time. Support the band, and peep some video from the show below:

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Starts Today, Stream on WWOZ

The best festival in America returns today! If you can not get to the Big Easy for The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, WWOZ has the answer.

You can stream the festival through their website. This is one of the best radio channels in the country, so you should pop in and stream regularly (and donate), but these next two weekends are a must if you can't be at the Fairgrounds.

RtBE will be down very soon and we can not wait, we will be checking out this stream to tide us over, you should do the same. Peep a few videos of acts playing this weekend:

Dylan Cover #565 Ben Sidran "Gotta Serve Somebody"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Ben Sidran  playing "Gotta Serve Somebody'"

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

This month we are also doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series. In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

This month we highlight Ben Sidran's Dylan Different for a full month of Dylan Covers.

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
This powerful call of hell-fire and brimstone rained down from the mountaintop as Dylan proclaimed his faith proudly, and this was the first song that most of the public heard confirming the fact that Bob did indeed "Go Jesus". It is point and fact with its belief and message. You gotta serve somebody... can't be simpler then that when it comes to faith can it? The original has a driving beat and a propulsion to it that sounds urgent, but not as urgent as Bob sings, reinforcing the proclamation through his powerful lyrics and leaving no man or woman on the sidelines...he brings everyone into this spiritual battle, and whatever your beliefs it is impossible not to feel Bob is committed as he runs through the verses and chorus.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

RtBE had not heard of Ben Sidran before this month. He is a a smooth keyboardist and jazz vocalist from Chicago who started his musical career in the Steve Miller Band. Recording over 40 albums, he is a music lifer. 

Thoughts on Cover:

A grooving smooth cover with slow burning sax and upfront vocals from Sidran.  One of the better ones this month. 

Year In Review 2022 - Favorite Archival Releases

Each year the music industry dips into the past to deliver box sets, live albums, re-masters and outtake collections to sell to the music loving masses (present company included). This look back will round up some of RtBE's favorite archival releases from the past year. 

Usually these releases can fall into the money grab category, not really adding much outside of revenue for the label and (hopefully) the artist. Every now and then though some spectacular collections are unearthed and are worth any price. 

RtBE includes live albums in this category, since they were recorded in the recent or distant past and thus fall into archival release status. 

With the increase in vinyl, and enhanced Record Store Days to help smaller sellers, there are more and more archival releases each year. RtBE are sure to miss a lot of them, but the quality and abundance is exciting. Post your favorites, or any we may have missed in the comments. 

These were our favorite archival releases of 2022, click the link in the title for full length reviews. 

Album Review: Mavis Staples & Levon Helm - Carry Me Home

Mavis Staples & Levon Helm 

Carry Me Home

**** out of *****

Back in June of 2011 Mavis Staples and long time friend/collaborator Levon Helm brought both of their touring bands together to perform and record at Helms studios in Woodstock, NY. The resulting show/playing has finally been released as the fantastic Carry Me Home. 

The record was produced by Larry Campbell and both bands were involved. Mavis Staples Band: Mavis Staples - Vocals Yvonne Staples - Harmony Vocals Donny Gerrard - Harmony Vocals Vicki Randle - Harmony Vocals Rick Holmstrom - Guitar Jeff Turmes - Bass Stephen Hodges – Drums and Levon Helm Band: Levon Helm - Drums, Vocals Amy Helm - Harmony Vocals Larry Campbell - Harmony Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin Teresa Williams - Harmony Vocals Brian Mitchell - Piano, Keyboards Jim Weider - Guitar Steven Bernstein - Trumpet Jay Collins - Tenor Sax Erik Lawrence - Baritone Sax Byron Isaacs - Bass Clark Gayton - Trombone.

The full power of the combined outfit is evident from the get go as "This Is My Country" delivers soulful horns, great drumming, guitar, backup vocals and a damn good lyric; this is some righteous protest music. Along with the excellent "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free" that sense of fighting for equality and respect is delivered with firm grace by Staples who still sounds glorious, but also perturbed she still has to sing songs like these. 

The album dips heavily into the gospel roots of both artists as "Wide River To Cross" uses sweet sounds of spiritual healing and the full energy of the band, "Hand Writing On The Wall" adds just a touch of country rock to the gospel while "Farther Along" is a full on hymn. The outfit keeps the gospel feel while dipping more into blues based offerings with the slower guitar work out "Trouble In My Mind" and a pair of organ drenched slow burners "Move Along Train" and "This May Be The Last Time". 

Mavis is in fine vocal form throughout (as are the back up singers) but the full outfit truly explodes on "When I Go Away" which is gorgeous combination of everything both of these bands do so well. The bass and drums lead the ominous sounding rendition of Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" before the grand finale of "The Weight" as Levon contributes his strained vocals for the first time, during his last years (Helm died in 2012) Levon's vocals were very few, so it is nice to hear him at all.        

Two old friends who brought their backing bands together for a triumphant celebration of soulful, gospel based, roots rock and roll, Carry Me Home is a joyous capturing of fine musicianship from legends of the genre. 

___________________________________

Support the artists, buy the album, peep some video below:

Full Show Friday: Aretha Franklin Fillmore West - 03/07/71

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...Aretha Franklin!

It is time for "The Queen of Soul" to jump into our Full Show Friday series. This is the official audio and video of this historic concert.  Full set list below. 

Pro shot pro sound, enjoy:

Aretha Franklin - Full Concert Recorded Live: 3/7/1971 - Fillmore West (San Francisco, CA) More Aretha Franklin at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com Subscribe to Music Vault: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF Setlist: 0:00:00 - Respect 0:03:57 - Call Me 0:08:52 - Love The One You're With 0:13:30 - Bridge Over Troubled Water 0:21:01 - Share Your Love With Me 0:25:04 - Eleanor Rigby 0:27:43 - Make It With You 0:32:36 - Don't Play That Song 0:36:15 - You're All I Need To Get By 0:41:02 - Dr. Feelgood 0:49:08 - Spirit In The Dark 1:04:44 - Spirit In The Dark (Continued) 1:14:06 - Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)

Live Review: Rough Seven 5/7/2022 @ BJ's Lounge New Orleans, LA

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of the Rough Seven's blowout gig at BJ's Lounge in New Orleans on 5/7/2022.

RtBE are huge fans of Scully, Stoo, Rob, Ratty, Mike, Rick and Meschiya. They are one of our favorite bands in the world and the fact we could catch them twice in one weekend (second night review coming soon) contributed to making this our favorite Jazzfest trip in 12 or 13 years.   

This band needs more love.  We interviewed them way back in 2011 and reviewed their amazing first album, Give Up Your Dreams, ranking it super high on our list of RtBE's favorite albums of the decade. Have seen them live a bunch and they played a few of our favorite shows ever (literally). We also reviewed Codebreaker as well, which is now out on Scully's bandcamp. 

This band rules, read the review. I don't see any video from this show online, but here is an old video from them. 

Year In Review 2021 - Favorite Archival Releases

Each year the music industry dips into the past to deliver box sets, live albums, re-masters and outtake collections to sell to the music loving masses (present company included). This look back will round up some of RtBE's favorite archival releases from the past year. 

Usually these releases can fall into the money grab category, not really adding much outside of revenue for the label and (hopefully) the artist. Every now and then though some spectacular collections are unearthed and are worth any price. 

RtBE includes live albums in this year end review as well, since they were recorded in the recent or distant past and fall into archival release status. 

With the increase in vinyl interest and enhanced Record Store Days to help smaller sellers, there seem to be more and more archival/live releases each year, we are sure to miss a lot of them, but the quality and abundance is exciting. 

These were our favorite archival and live album releases of 2021, click the link in the title for full length reviews. 

Album Review: Pastor T.L. Barrett - I Shall Wear A Crown

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!

It is of the Pastor T.L. Barrett's newest box set, I Shall Wear A Crown. 

This is a pretty amazing collection of funky gospel soul.  The bass playing in particular is impressive from all involved, hell, everything is impressive; this is a fierce collection of soulful tunes. Even if gospel music isn't normally your bag, you can probably get down with these most of these tunes. 

You can buy the box here, peep some video below:

Happy 20th Anniversary to Robert Randolph & the Family Band - Live at Wetlands

On this date, 20 years ago, Robert Randolph & the Family Band played their final show at Wetlands in Tribeca, downtown Manhattan and recorded it for a live record which would be released the following year, simply titled Live at Wetlands.

I was in attendance at this show and it was a barn burner. A bit of personal history before diving into this...

Dylan Cover #491 Charlie Daniels & World Outreach Worship "Gotta Serve Somebody" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by  Charlie Daniels & World Outreach Worship playing "Gotta Serve Somebody"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
This powerful call of hell-fire and brimstone rained down from the mountaintop as Dylan proclaimed his faith proudly, and this was the first song that most of the public heard confirming the fact that Bob did indeed "Go Jesus". It is point and fact with its belief and message. You gotta serve somebody... can't be simpler then that when it comes to faith can it? The original has a driving beat and a propulsion to it that sounds urgent, but not as urgent as Bob sings, reinforcing the proclamation through his powerful lyrics and leaving no man or woman on the sidelines...he brings everyone into this spiritual battle, and whatever your beliefs it is impossible not to feel Bob is committed as he runs through the verses and chorus.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
RtBE loves "Devil Went Down to Georgia", who doesn't?!?  Daniels actually played with Dylan as a session musician back in the day and the Marshall Tucker Band even having a few more hits of his own before his passing in 2018.  

Thoughts on Cover:

A pretty solid cover that gives good vocal work and a few picking guitar breaks to enhance the passage.Nice work from an artist RtBE disagreed with a lot while he was still alive and kickin....

Full Jazzfest Lineup Announced with Rolling Stones Special Day

A surprising late announcement (after the initial announcement) finds the best festival in America adding a first ever Wednesday to their schedule and fulfilling the dream of having The Rolling Stones play the Fairgrounds.  

What a major score and RtBE will be there. We were pumped to catch them back in 2019 when they were scheduled to play and wrote about them in the Masters Series that month, but it never came to be. 

Now the band will headline a full day at the festival with only local acts playing before them, including RtBE favorites like Samantha Fish, New Orleans Suspects, Mem Shannon and many more.  The full lineup is below with the Rolling Stones playing a special set to close the first (and probably last) ever Wednesday at Jazzfest.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 13 The Rolling Stones, Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars featuring Tab Benoit, George Porter Jr., Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Johnny Vidacovich, Johnny Sansone, and Wayne Thibodeaux, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Anders Osborne, Samantha Fish, The Dave Brubeck Centennial featuring Chris and Dan Brubeck with special guests Joey DeFrancesco and Bobby Militello, Pell, Cowboy Mouth, Charley Crockett, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Lena Prima, Mem Shannon & the Membership, Free Agents Brass Band, Joe Krown & Jason Ricci featuring Walter Wolfman Washington, Nigel Hall, Philip Manuel, New Orleans Suspects, SOUL Brass Band, Seva Venet’s New Orleans Banjo Celebration, Alexey Marti, Spyboy J & Thee Storm Mardi Gras Indians, Louis Ford & His New Orleans Flairs, Claude Bryant & The All-stars, On The Levee Jazz Band, Lyle Henderson & Emmanu-EL, T’Monde, Drake Milligan, Treces del Sur Latin Band, Jackson Square Allstar Brass Band, Jacye & ‘em, The Trio Plus One, Davis Rogan, Akia J. Nevills, The Gospel Inspirations of Boutte, Lady Prince of Wales and Women of Class Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Cheyenne and Young Seminole Hunters Mardi Gras Indians…

To get in the mood here are some of the bands playing this upcoming special day at Jazzfest 2021. 

New Single from Kyle Roussel "Daylight"

The New Orleans based piano player Kyle Roussel has released his newest single, and his debut as a vocalist, titled "Daylight".

A few years back we caught Roussel for the first time in the Jazz Tent down in New Orleans and were blown away. He is super talented and can't wait to hear more from him as "Daylight" combines 2nd line percussion and horns, with modern R&B and gospel. A great mix and here's hoping a full length is coming soon from the artist.