Happy Thanksgiving!

Celebrating the Birthday of Dr. John

On November 20, 1941, New Orleans gifted the world with Malcolm “Mac” John Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, the Night Tripper. Rebennack was a singer, songwriter and musician whose unique “New Orleans Sound” combined blues, pop, jazz, soul, boogie woogie, funk, and rock n roll, and whose stage appearance was inspired by Mardi Gras Indians and voodoo shaman. He made his album debut with Gris-Gris in 1968, and had a hit single in 1973 with “Right Place, Wrong Time”. Over the following decades, Dr. John has released numerous albums and songs covering a wide range of styles and genres, becoming a six-time Grammy winner along the way. He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Dr. John passed away in his beloved New Orleans on June 6, 2019.

Happy Birthday, Tab Benoit!

Singer songwriter, guitarist, and drummer Tab Benoit was born November 17, 1967, in Houma Louisiana. A guitar player since his teenage years, he plays primarily Delta blues on his 1972 Fender Telecaster, but he’s skilled in a number of blues styles. Benoit learned from blues legends, and formed a trio in 1987, playing clubs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Two years later he began touring other parts of the South, and started touring more of the United States in 1991. He landed a  recording contract in 1992, and has been prolific since then, releasing 19 recordings between 1993 and 2012. In that time, he has collaborated and performed with countless legendary musicians including his regular crew, bassist Carl Dufrene and drummer Darryl White, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Cyril Neville, Brian Stoltz, George Porter, Jr.., Kenny Neal,  Debbie Davies, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musselwhite, Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton, Anders Osborne, Michael Doucet, Ivan Neville, and more.

In 2007, Benoit won his first B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award presented by the Blues Music Awards, the most prestigious recognitions afforded to Blues musicians. Benoit was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010, and two years later, he won three separate Blues Music Awards: Contemporary Blues Male Artist; Contemporary Blues Album (for 2011's Medicine); and for the second time, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. In 2013, the second year in a row, Benoit won the Blues Music Awards Contemporary Blues Male Artist.

In 2003, Benoit founded 'Voice of the Wetlands,' an organization promoting awareness of the receding coastal wetlands of Louisiana.He promotes the issues that plague Louisiana's imperiled coast to his national audience, and supports outreach and education about Louisiana's Wetlands loss and how Louisiana's rich culture is endangered as its wetlands disappear.In 2010, Benoit received the Governor's Award - Conservationist of the Year for 2009 by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.

Photo: Bengt Nyman

Celebrating the birthday of Ellis Marsalis!

Pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis was born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934. Marsalis was the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis played with Al Hirt and other musicians in the 1950s and ‘60s, and in the ‘70s he taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and became a leading educator there, as well as at the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. His students have included New Orleans musicians Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison,  Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Marsalis recorded numerous albums and was featured on the recordings of many musicians, but he focused his efforts on teaching, encouraging students to listen and experiment. As a result, he influenced the careers of many musicians, and in 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. And, in 2008, Ellis Marsalis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. A further honor was bestowed on him when the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians' Village in New Orleans was named in his honor, and in 2011 he and his sons were group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Sadly, Marsalis passed away on April 1, 2020, at 85. Ellis Marsalis was beloved by all, not just for his musical talent, but his gift to his students, his City, and the world. He was a truly great musician and educator, and he is sorely missed. Today we celebrate his life, and we are thankful to have had him as part of our lives.

Photo by: Leepaxton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375231

Celebrating the Birthday of Buckwheat Zydeco

Legendary accordionist and zydeco musician Stanley “Buckwheat Zydeco” Dural, Jr, was born on November 14, 1947, in Lafayette, Louisiana. One of 13 children, he worked on a farm picking cotton at age five, and got his nickname due to his braided hair resembling that of the “Our Gang/The Little Rascals” character Buckwheat. His father was a skilled amateur Creole accordion player, but young Dural preferred rhythm and blues. He became proficient at the organ, and by the late 1950s he was backing Joe Tex, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and many others. He originally led a funk band for five years before joining iconic zydeco performer Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band as organist in 1976. After that, he was enthusiastic about zydeco, took up the accordion in 1978, and started his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco a year later. By 1983, they were nominated for a Grammy, and another in 1984, 1985, and 1986, finally winning in 2009 for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album, “Lay Your Burden Down”, his final album.

Dural performed with numerous musicians including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, Paul Simon Dwight Yoakam and Ry Cooder. His music has been featured in films and television, and he won an Emmy for his music in the CBS TV movie Pistol Pete: The Life And Times Of Pete Maravich. He maintained an extensive touring schedule, and played many major music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (numerous times), Chicago Blues Festival, Newport Folk Festival, San Diego Street Scene, Montreux Jazz Festival, the Voodoo Experience, and countless others. Sadly, Dural died of lung cancer at age 68 on September 24, 2016. This day we celebrate the birthday of a legend of Louisiana music, Buckwheat Zydeco!

Photo by: HorsePunchKid

Celebrate National Happy Hour Day!

November 12th is National Happy Hour Day! As if we needed a reason to celebrate…..