At Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana: It was five days before my 19th birthday, and I’d received a ticket to see Van Halen as a gift. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Jon Cleary is a big enough fan, and an accomplished enough musician, to mix it up on this forthcoming tribute record — which is smartly subtitled “Having Fun with the Songs of Allen Toussaint.” You May Also Like: No related posts.

Louisiana’s Sonny Landreth, long known for his wizardry on the slide, has never issued an all-instrumental recording — until now. Due May 22, 2012 on his own Landfall label, Elemental Journey will include guest appearances by Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani, among others. You May Also Like: Sonny Landreth BoldlyRead More

Another Monday, another teetering stack of new music goodness — just waiting to be tipped over, then rifled through. You May Also Like: Illegal Crowns [Tomas Fujiwara, Mary Halvorson, Taylor Ho Bynum + Benoît Delbecq] – ‘Unclosing’ (2023) Terry Bozzio, David Gilmore, Jose James + others: Five for the Road

Blues belter Irma Thomas, who shot to fame with soulful 1960s-era renditions of “(You Can Have My Husband but) Don’t Mess with My Man,” “It’s Raining” and “Time Is On My Side,” will be honored today with a new bronze statue at Musical Legends Park in New Orleans. You MayRead More

Tab Benoit plays the blues with all of the natural fury, sweet romance and dark mysteries of Louisiana — so neatly matching his home state’s essence in structure and feel that it might be easy to call him the Bayou State’s Stevie Ray Vaughan. You May Also Like: No relatedRead More

More often than not, it’s seemed like Dr. John has relied on the dark mysteries of his voice — rather than the material — to sell his records. Of course, what a voice it is: Full of wry sweetness, weed-smoke inscrutability and spicy indignation. You May Also Like: The BlackRead More

Ellis Marsalis would have had a sweeping impact as a musical innovator and longtime educator even if he hadn’t parented a series of famous jazz-playing sons.

The Clash once had an album called Combat Rock, but William A. Thompson’s combat music called Baghdad Music Journal (2006) was hardly a figurative statement You May Also Like: Linda and Richard Thompson, “The Great Valerio” (1974): One Track Mind

Papa Grows Funk returns with its most collaborative effort yet, as Needle in the Groove boasts a whopping three producers — including Louisiana legend Allen Toussaint — and a set of songs composed together as a group. You May Also Like: John ‘Papa’ Gros – River’s On Fire (2016)