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New Orleans Playlist: The Sounds of the Crescent City
August 25, 2008
One of the nicest things about spending the summer in New York City is having to choose from a cornucopia of free music performances. This past weekend, I was torn between my old favorite, the 15th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival held in Harlem and the East Village, and the 25th Annual Roots of American Music Festival at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. In the end, I opted for the Upper West Side as Saturday's evening performance celebrated the rich musical traditions of NOLA. While I am already a big fan of Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans (check out the NPR profile), the concert introduced me to the marvelous John Boutté, whose heartfelt rendition of Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927" held the audience spellbound, and the rousing sacred steel guitar funk of The Campbell Brothers (technically from Rochester, NY ), backed up by New Orleans-based Kirk Joseph's Backyard Horns.
August 29 marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, but rather than mourn the devastation the storm wrought, why not honor the city's resiliency and spirit with some terrific music for your patrons. Still going strong at age 67, Irma Thomas is Simply Grand, accompanied by such greats as Ellis Marsalis, Dr. John, Norah Jones, and Randy Newman
Speaking of Dr. John, the soul man offers his own take on Katrina in City That Care Forgot, 
while Elvis Costello teams up with Allen Toussaint in The River in Reverse to pay tribute to Toussant's hometown. And party with John Boutté and his playful Good Neighbor.
Posted by Wilda Williams on August 25, 2008 | Comments (0)
