When I think of the genius of the late, great Allen Toussaint, I think of the masterpiece he made with Lee Dorsey in 1970.

In the period immediately after New Orleans’ levees failed under Hurricane Katrina’s onslaught beginning on Aug. 29, 2005, musicians began trying to make sense of things.

Sonny Landreth reminds us just how important the blues is, as both foundation and (maybe most importantly) as launching pad.

John Fred and His Playboy Band coupled fun with quality, and ‘Agnes English’ ranks as a perfect example of their vision and abilities.

They plunge a ladle deep into the Deep South’s bubbling gumbo pot of musical influences.

Lillian Axe proves once again that they’re one of the most underrated hard rock acts out there.

Very much rooted in the sludgy swamp metal of Down and Crowbar, there’s also a heavy influence of Southern and stoner rock about White Light Cemetery.

Sometimes, it’s the whole experience that will make a show you’ll never forget. That was certainly the case when I saw Jackson Taylor and the Sinners for the first time.

While the legacy of the Subdudes is firmly cemented as one of the uplifting and satisfying supergroups in recent roots music history, its front man is busy building upon his own legacy. You May Also Like: David Philips – Get Along (2018) Cuong Vu 4-Tet, featuring Bill Frisell – ‘ChangeRead More

Brent Johnson was born in south Texas, but having spent most of his life in New Orleans, he’s more of a Louisiana guitar slinger than a Lone Star State one. You May Also Like: John ‘Papa’ Gros – River’s On Fire (2016) Wilko Johnson – I Keep It To Myself:Read More