Dr. John is pissed off -- about oil companies eating up the Wetlands, presidents and congressman and mayors turning their backs on New Orleans, and policemen trying to shut down second-line parades, among other things. His new CD, City That Care Forgot, channels his rage in powerful groove-laden fashion. Here's a link to my review. … [Read more...] about dr. john’s healthy dose of rage
muddy feet, clear politics at jazzfest.
Politics were in the air during jazzfest -- literally. While the Neville Brothers closed the event on the Acura stage, a plane circled above the Fair Grounds towing a banner that read: "Shell, Hear the Music. Fix the Coast You Broke." Not all the commentary was so overt, and none as visible, but it was there if you kept your eyes and ears open. Mind you, it's too easy in New … [Read more...] about muddy feet, clear politics at jazzfest.
goodbye, lincoln center; hello, wider world
Arturo O'Farrill told me that he and his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra were "cast out of the castle" after five years as a resident ensemble with Jazz at Lincoln Center. But he's hardly packed it in: He's created his own nonprofit, established a broader aesthetic mandate with the orchestra's first season at Symphony Space, and grown outspoken about Latin jazz as no exotic … [Read more...] about goodbye, lincoln center; hello, wider world
let my people go (home)
Just when I was feeling guilty about heading into Passover without a thought of my desert-crossing ancestors or my going-without-bread family members, I ran into Ronald Lewis, a sweet-hearted, tough-minded guy who is still among the lonely pioneers who've returned to his Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood. (He was a key character in a piece I did for Salon last year.) "You comin' to … [Read more...] about let my people go (home)
tribeca film fest: worthy docs
I'm in New Orleans now, gearing up for jazzfest (and here's a little psych-up piece I did for Billboard on that). But were I in NY, and were I attending the Tribeca Film Festival, I'd be sure to catch a terrific documentary by Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elie, "Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans." My synopsis in the Village Voice guide to the fest is here … [Read more...] about tribeca film fest: worthy docs