Ten time Grammy-Nominee Meshell Ndegeocello will be performing a live set on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in Los Angeles on Thursday, January 5, 2012. Meshell will highlight songs off her current album, Weather (November 2011). Meshell will also be featured sitting in with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, Friday, January 13, 2012.
Weather was produced by Joe Henry (Aimee Mann, Solomon Burke, Ani DiFranco) and features collaborations with the likes of Chris Connelly (ex-Revolting Cocks, Ministry), Benji Hughes, and Joe himself. Meshell's diverse and acclaimed musical career has included prior collaborations with Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Billy Preston, Chaka Khan and many more.
Catch Meshell performing live on stage throughout the US as well as on tour dates in France and Switzerland in late-May and early-June. Please see Tour Dates >>
Loudon Wainwright III's "Newt Gingrich Is Running For Pres" On You Tube Now
Loudon Wainwright III has posted a video of his new song, "Newt Gingrich Is Running For Pres" sung to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." This is just the latest in a long line of topical tunes Loudon has written about public figures over the course of his illustrious career.
In 1999, Loudon released Social Studies, an album comprised of topical and satirical songs originally produced for National Public Radio (NPR). The CD found Loudon taking aim at public personalities Tonya Harding, O.J. Simpson, Manuel Noriega, the late US Senator Jessie Helms, and President Bill Clinton.
Loudon Wainwright III performs "The Krugman Blues"
More recently, Loudon's tribute to Nobel Prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, "The Krugman Blues," appeared on his limited edition CD, 10 Songs For The New Depression (March 2010). The New Yorker Online posted a video of Loudon performing the song as complement to an article profiling Krugman in the March 1, 2010 issue of The New Yorker. Loudon's most recent studio CD was the Grammy Award winning High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (August 2009). He was also honored with numerous Year End Best Of accolades for a box set of his work, 40 Odd Years, co-produced by celebrated writer/director/producer Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up). Watch for Loudon's upcoming, Older Than My Old Man Now tentatively set for April release.
The Blind Boys Of Alabama Celebrate The Holiday Spirit with Daryl Hall
The Blind Boys of Alabama appeared with Daryl Hall on a very special Christmas edition of the award-winning internet and television series "Live From Daryl's House." The show premiered Dec. 15 exclusively at lfdh.com and will be shown on television stations around the country at later dates. "This was a very special show for me, as I have been a fan of The Blind Boys of Alabama since I was about 14 years old," enthused Daryl about their appearance. "I used to listen to them and groups like them after church on WDAS radio in Philly." Daryl joins the group for a set of seasonal classics including "Born In Bethlehem," "Go Tell It On The Mountain," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and "Last Month of the Year." Also featured will be the title track from the Blind Boys' latest release, "Take the High Road."
In other news, The Blind Boys performed recently at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, paying tribute to the life, legacy, and music of Aretha Franklin, during the 16th annual American Music Masters series.
7 Rosebud Artists Nominated for 12+ Blues Music Awards: Tommy Castro, Ruthie Foster, Charlie Musselwhite, Marcia Ball, Jon Cleary, Bettye LaVette and Duke Robillard All Honored with Nominations
Tommy Castro is once again among the most-nominated artists this year. He garnered nominations for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Band of the Year and Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year (all awards which he has won previously). In addition, Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue - Live! (which features Tommy and his band on their own and alongside various other artists) is nominated for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year. He is also featured in the nominated DVD, All Jams on Deck (shot on the October 2010 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise). The "Jams" DVD also features fellow Rosebud Artists Marcia Ball and Coco Montoya among others. In a related nomination, longtime Tommy Castro Band saxophonist Keith Crossan is up for Best Instrumentalist - Horn.
Ruthie Foster is also among the most-nominated artists this year with 3 nominations: for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, the Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year (an award she won last year) and DVD of the Year for her Live At Antone's DVD.
25-time BMA winner Charlie Musselwhite is nominated in 2 categories he won last year: Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica and Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year. Bettye LaVette is nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, an award she has won previously. Duke Robillard is nominated for the Gibson Guitar Award, an honor he has won previously 4 times (when the category was known as Best Instrumentalist - Guitar). Both Jon Cleary and Marcia Ball are nominated for Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year. Marcia has been honored with 4 of her 8 previous Blues Music Award wins in this category. This is Jon's 3rd nomination in the category.
Trombone Shorty Leads In Best of The Beat Awards With 8 Nominations. Irma Thomas, Jon Cleary, Michael Doucet and More Honored
Rosebud Artists have once again been honored with a plethora of nominations in the Best of The Beat Awards. The awards are presented by OffBeat magazine, recognizing the best of New Orleans music. Trombone Shorty lead all other artists with 8 nominations, including Artist of the Year; Album of the Year for For True; Song of the Year for "Do To Me"; Best R&B/Funk Artist; Best R&B/Funk Album for For True; Best Trombonist; Best Trumpeter and Best Music Video for "Do To Me." Last year Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue were honored with awards in 5 of these categories for both Artist (their 3rd) and Album of the Year as well as both Best R&B/Funk Artist (also their 3rd) and R&B/Funk Album in addition to Best Trombonist honors for Trombone Shorty. He has also received 2 previous awards for Best Trumpeter.
Irma Thomas is nominated once again for Best Female Vocalist. She won this award last year for the third year in a row. Irma is also one of the writers and a featured performer on Song of the Year nominee "Could Have Been Worse". The song is on the album Nine Lives - A Musical Adaptation by Colman DeKay and Paul Sanchez. Allen Toussaint is also featured on Nine Lives, which received additional nominations including Album of the Year and Best Roots Rock Album. Jon Cleary is nominated for Best Piano/Keyboardist for the fourth year in a row. His frequent band members James Singleton and Matt Perrine were also nominated for Best Bass Player and Best Tuba / Sousaphonist respectively.
BeauSoleil's Michael Doucet is nominated for Best Violinist/Fiddler, a category he has also won in past years. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's Kirk Joseph is nominated for Best Tuba / Sousaphonist for the second year in a row.
In addition to the above, Papa Grows Funk's Needle In The Groove CD was Co-Produced by Rosebud artist, the legendary Allen Toussaint and also features "Big D" (Dwayne Williams) from Orleans Avenue. The CD is nominated for Best R&B / Funk Album. Congratulations to all the nominees!
Best of The Beat Award Nominees are selected by the editors and writers of OffBeat and voted on by the public. To vote and for more information on the awards click here. The awards take place January 27, 2012 at Generations Hall in New Orleans. Catch all the nominees live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>
Bettye LaVette Featured on Amnesty International Bob Dylan Tribute
LaVette is featured among a stellar and diverse group of over 80 artists across the generational and musical spectrum including Adele, Joan Baez, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, Diana Krall, K'NAAN, Ke$ha, Diana Krall, Lenny Kravitz, Queens Of The Stone Age and Jeff Beck among others. Chimes of Freedom features 75 newly recorded Bob Dylan songs - plus a few previously unreleased recordings like Bettye's - with all proceeds benefiting Amnesty International.
A two-time Grammy nominee, most recently in 2011 for Interpretations - The British Rock Songbook (Best Contemporary Blues Album), LaVette was also recently featured with fellow Rosebud artist, Meshell Ndegeocello, on The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute, Live From the Beacon Theatre NYC, benefitting the Japanese Red Cross' earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. Through Chimes of Freedom, Amnesty International seeks to enlist support for its fight against censorship and attacks on free speech. In addition to purchasing the album at amnestyusa.org/chimes, supporters will find actions they can take to help individuals whose freedom of expression is under threat.
Check out Bettye performing live on stage, Please see Tour Dates >>
Trombone Shorty JAZZIZ Magazine Cover, Music Rising Web Spotlight And Sound Opinions Broadcast
Trombone Shorty scores the cover story on JAZZIZ magazine's Winter 2011/2012 issue, on newsstands soon. The eight-page feature includes interviews with Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and others, exploring his history and experiences growing up in New Orleans and more. Click here to read the article. The cover story comes with his Downbeat cover story still on the stands and directly in the wake of cover stories on France's Jazz News and Switzerland's JAZZ N' MORE magazines.
Trombone Shorty is also featured as the Music Rising December Spotlight Artist. Music Rising is a campaign launched to rescue the musical culture of the Central Gulf region of the US from the destruction caused by the catastrophic hurricanes of the summer of 2005 by replacing the musical instruments lost or destroyed in the deluge. The campaign was created in November of 2005 by U2's The Edge, Bob Ezrin and Henry Juszkiewicz with inaugural partners Gibson Musical Instruments, Guitar Center Music Foundation, MusiCares and Musician's Friend.
With a mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been carrying their distinctive sound around the world on behalf of Preservation Hall, a unique venue that embodies the city's musical legacy. With a cast of musicians schooled through first-hand experience and apprenticeship into the music's historic traditions, Pres Hall has served as a vital link to the earliest days of one of America's most beloved forms of popular music.
Catch The Blind Boys, Allen and Trombone Shorty performing individually, please see Tour Dates >>
Marcia Ball and Jim Lauderdale Both Nominated for 2012 GRAMMY Awards - Trombone Shorty and Dirty Dozen Brass Band Members Featured on Nominated Albums
Marcia Ball and Jim Lauderdale have both been honored with 2012 GRAMMY Award Nominations. Marcia's Roadside Attractions is up for Best Blues Album, her fifth GRAMMY nomination overall and a very impressive fourth CD in a row of hers to be nominated. Jim's Reason And Rhyme is nominated for Best Bluegrass Album. This is Jim's sixth GRAMMY nomination overall including GRAMMY wins in 2008 and 2002.
Both Trombone Shorty and Dirty Dozen Brass Band members Gregory Davis and Roger Lewis are featured on 2012 GRAMMY nominated albums. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is a featured performer on Jeff Beck's Rock 'N' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul (nominated for Best Rock Album). Troy also wrote the song "AP Touro" for the Rebirth Brass Band's album Rebirth Of New Orleans, nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album. Jeff Beck and Rebirth are featured guests on Trombone Shorty's latest album, For True, along with 2012 GRAMMY nominees Warren Haynes and Ledisi. The Dirty Dozen's Gregory Davis (Trumpet) and Roger Lewis (Saxophone) are featured on the track "Ya Messinagh" from Tinariwen's album Tassili, which is nominated for Best World Music Album.
Congratulations to all the nominees! Check out Marcia, Jim, Trombone Shorty and The Dirty Dozen performing individually live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>
Trombone Shorty is also featured as the 