Fusion in the most complete sense of the word, Ginger Baker‘s all-too-brief Horses & Trees melds jazz, funk, world music, electronica, reggae, hip-hop and something noiser still.

Photo from my poster collection by Nick DeRiso Dr. John further defines an ass-shaking new synthesis on Desitively Bonnaroo. Even today, there’s really no roadmap for the crazy-eyed co-mingling of R&B, jazz, island beats, blues, boogie funk and hoodoo whackadoo splashed across this LP, recorded alongside fellow New Orleans legends Allen Toussaint and the Meters more than 35 years ago. [...]

Photograph by Andy Goetz By Nick DeRiso Big Sam’s Funky Nation, all brass and sass, opens its latest CD with a floor-rattling invitation to shake every thing you’ve got. For all of its musical prowess, that remains the one and only goal of this fun-loving, funky-butt recording by New Orleans-based trombone-playing bandleader Sammie Williams, formerly of the Dirty Dozen Brass [...]

Photo by Maria Camillo by S. Victor Aaron Sometimes it takes a fantastic cover of a song to make you realize how good the original has always been. This One Track Mind is about one of those times. When I think of the eponymous Pat Metheny Group album from way back in 1978, the first songs that come to mind [...]

By Matt Reynolds With the landmark announcement on Wednesday that Simon and Garfunkel will be taking the stage at this years’ New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, it finalizes what may be one of the best lineups in the event’s history. Also manning the two weekend jubilee in the Crescent City are stellar acts such as Allman Brothers Band, Dr. [...]