Happy Birthday, June Yamagishi!

New Orleans-based Guitarist June Yamagishi was born on June 6, 1953, in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. He is the guitarist for bands Papa Grows Funk and the Wild Magnolias. He has been a major force in the Japanese blues and jazz scene since the early 1970s. In 1995, Yamagishi left his well-established career behind in Japan to live in New Orleans where he still lives today. Since he found his home in the Crescent City, he has played with musicians including Earl King, Henry Butler, Davell Crawford, Marva Wright, George Porter, Jr., among many others in addition to the two groups he is a member of. Today we wish June a very happy birthday!

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

UP FROM THE STREETS New Orleans: The City of Music

For New Orleanians, music is a way of life and the foundation of their cultural resilience. Eagle Rock Entertainment and Michael Murphy Productions, Inc. present Up From The Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music, a feature length documentary that showcases the culture of New Orleans through the lens of music. Hosted by Oscar nominee and six-time Grammy Winner Terence Blanchard, the film tells stories of music as a vehicle to help battle racial injustices, unite people in good times and bad, and how music continues to be a vital form of expression today. 

Once you purchase an “e-ticket” for $12, you will be sent a link & password to view the film at home. Your purchase supports one of 50 local movie theaters nationwide (available here), as well as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund, a statewide relief initiative that supports New Orleans and Louisiana musicians who have lost income due to the pandemic. The ticket order is good for 7 days, and viewers will have 72 hours to watch the film once they’ve started watching it.

Enjoy this engaging, award-winning documentary about the most unique U.S. city, New Orleans!

Get Down and GiveNOLA Virtual Concert on May 27th!

This YLC Wednesday at the Square: Get Down and Give NOLA digital concert will harness the power of music to unite our community behind a common cause – multiplying our impact by giving together. While we couldn't get together in-person this spring, we're excited to share that we'll be gathering virtually to celebrate what would have been an incredible season.

The musicians from this year's line-up, as well as several beloved alumni, are donating songs for you to enjoy at our Get Down and Give NOLA virtual concert. They're eager to share their messages with you on what it means to be proud to call New Orleans home. Watch live at 5pm NOLA time, 3pm L.A. time, on May 27 on the YLC Wednesday at the Square Facebook page or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSUa-GMXJUx693u1COdNXbg).

Enjoy performances by: Alexis & the Samurai, Amanda Shaw, Anders Osborne, Andrew Duhon, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Daria + The Hip Drops, Dave Jordan + Rurik Nunan, Erica Falls, Flow Tribe, Galactic, Kermit Ruffins, Little Freddie King, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Marc Broussard, Margie Perez, Marcia Ball, N.O.B.A.B.E, New Orleans Johnnys, The Quickening, The Revivalists, Robin Barnes, and Shamarr Allen.

Young Leadership Council, in partnership with AOS Interior Environments and the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is hosting this event. 2020 was the fifteenth-anniversary season for YLC Wednesday at the Square. Please consider donating $15 to help support our 2021 season and YLC’s nine community-service projects. GiveNOLA Day is Tuesday, June 2, and you can pre-schedule your gift online today at https://www.givenola.org/young-leadership-council

Jazz Fest Crafts Online Auction - May 26 to June 1, 2020!

In an effort to support the hundreds of visual artists who would have participated in JazzFest 2020, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation is pleased to host the online Jazz Fest Crafts Auction. For many participating artists, sales from Jazz Fest constitute a large percentage of their yearly income; your auction bid is an opportunity to support these vendors while also purchasing a unique piece of art.

Beginning Tuesday, May 26, the Foundation will feature 25 artists each week, for four weeks. View and bid on this week's items, featuring works from the artists listed below, starting at 10am NOLA time, 8am L.A. time, here: https://one.bidpal.net/jazzfestauction/welcome. 

Bidding on closes on June 1st at 8pm NOLA time, 6pm L.A. time. 100% of your bid will go to the artist. Artists featured in the subsequent weeks will be announced soon.

Celebrating Memorial Day - Thanks to Our Veterans!

Celebrating World Whisky Day!

World Whisky Day was founded in 2012 and falls on the third Saturday of May each year. The day supports the charitable organization Just a Drop, which helps to provide clean water and sanitation in poor countries. Bottoms up!