Happy Carnival Y’all. Put on some Allen Toussaint this afternoon. “Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta” is a good way to get the party started.

We’ve dialed up Mahalia Jackson singing “How I Got Over” on a cloudy Carnival afternoon in the 9th Ward of New Orleans. Continue Reading

Snooks Eaglin passed away today back in 2009. Some obits from the era claimed he was 72 – others 73.

We’re listening to a 17 year old Snooks on the all-time Mardi Gras classic “Jockamo,” that’s him backing Sugar Boy Crawford.

Eaglin had a career that spanned over a half a century. He played with, and was revered by legendary New Orleans cats like Allen Toussaint and Professor Longhair. Thousands of people took to the streets for the second line that marched him to the grave

A good introduction to his style is the 1971 LP “Possum Up A Simmon Tree.”

If your Carnival season needs a hot boost put “Arabian Love Call” by Art Neville on the Hi-Fi. This 7″ slab released in 1959 on the Specialty label but it sounds like it came out mid-last week.

“Country Woman” was the “b” side to Boo Breeding’s 1956 7″ slow-burner “Low and Lonesome.” It dropped on the New Orleans Imperial label back in 1955.

Photo taken at CTC Steppers, February 2020.

From time to time we take a break from Johnny Adams and Lee Dorsey to put on some of the new school hip hop folks like Skiibandz out of DC. We’re not gonna take our old UGK or New Kingdom CDs to the pawn shop to clear out room for him but he’s definitely worth a listen.

We’re listening to “The Emperor of the World” aka Ernie Kador aka Ernie-K-Doe, one of the biggest personalities to ever erupt out of the New Orleans music scene. Continue Reading

One of the landmark songs of Carnival is “They All Asked For You” by the Meters. If you ever find yourself in a grumpy mood or just feeling bogged down by inertia put this cut on and you will immediately be lifted onto a higher plane.

It’s impossible to believe that this song is over four decades old. It sounds like it was released this morning.

We love sitting around listening to old Imperial records from New Orleans glory era of r&b. “Jump Children” is a soul shouter from Dave Bartholomew with his old buddy Fats Domino banging out the piano parts. There’s also a compilation CD of the same name.