Celebrating the Birthday of Lil' Buck Sinegal

Born Paul Alton Senegal on January 14, 1944, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal was a legendary blues and zydeco guitarist and singer. He was known as the Master of the Stratocaster, and played with Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, and many others during his 60 year career. Sinegal once said, "I am probably more known as a zydeco guitarist... [but] I've always been a bluesman...Zydeco is the blues. It's basically blues played with accordion.” Sadly, he passed away on June 10, 2019, in his Lafayette home, but this incredibly talented bluesman’s music lives on.

Photo: robbiesaurus

Celebrating the Birthday of Danny Barker

Guitarist, banjo player, singer and author Daniel “Danny” Barker was born in New Orleans on January 13, 1909, and performed as a rhythm guitarist for several bands throughout the 1930s, including Cab Calloway. Throughout his career, he played with noted artists including Jelly Roll Morton and Sidney Bechet, as well as touring with his wife, singer Blue Lu Barker. From the 1960s, Barker's work with the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band was pivotal in ensuring the longevity of jazz in New Orleans, producing generations of new talent, including Wynton and Branford Marsalis who played in the band as youths. Barker passed away on March 13, 1994, but his music lives on! Today we appreciate his many contributions to the City and music we love.

Happy Birthday, James Andrews!

Trumpeter and vocalist James Andrews was born in New Orleans on January 12, 1969, into a musical family that includes his grandfather Jesse Hill, younger brother Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, and cousin to Glen David Andrews and the late Travis "Trumpet Black" Hill. Andrews has the nickname “Satchmo of the Ghetto.” Raised in the Tremé neighborhood, Andrews played in a number of brass bands, including the Treme Brass Band, Junior Olympia Brass Band, and the New Birth Brass Band, before launching his own band, James Andrews and the Crescent City Allstars. He also played with multi-instrumentalist Danny Barker. In 1998, he released the album Satchmo of the Ghetto, which was produced by Allen Toussaint and featured Dr. John on all 11 tracks.

In 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, James Andrews was one of the first musicians to return to New Orleans following the flooding. He and his brother, Trombone Shorty, played at Jackson Square a mere 17 days after Katrina hit the area, and, at a later show at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Andrews was the first to declare "We’re gonna rebuild this city, note by note." Today we wish this incredible performer a very happy birthday!

Photo: http://jamesandrewsmusic.com

Carnival Season Begins on January 6th!

Epiphany, on January 6, has been recognized as the start of the New Orleans Carnival season since at least 1900; locally, it is sometimes also known as Twelfth Night. Carnival season is a time for eating, drinking and partying before the 40 days of Lent, characterized by sacrifice and fasting. Carnival is filled with parades, balls, parties and other celebrations culminating in Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Mardi Gras always occurs on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and Carnival ends at midnight on Fat Tuesday, as Lent begins.

Happy Birthday, Trombone Shorty!

Trombone and trumpet player, singer songwriter, producer, actor and philanthropist Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews was born in New Orleans on January 2, 1986. Andrews grew up in Tremé and comes from an exceptional New Orleans musical family, including his grandfather, singer songwriter Jessie Hill, older brother, trumpeter and bandleader James Andrews, and cousins, trombonist Glen David Andrews and the late Travis “Trumpet Black” Hill.  He appeared onstage with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at age 4, was a bandleader by age 6, and was a member of the Stooges Brass Band in his teens. He attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) with fellow New Orleans musician Jon Batiste. In 2005, Andrews toured with Lenny Kravitz as a featured member of the horn section, and since 2009 he has toured with his own band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Notably, in 2010, Andrews released the album Backatown, which was No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Contemporary Jazz Chart for nine consecutive weeks and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Andrews added “actor” to his resumé in 2010, and in 2013, when he appeared in seven episodes of HBO’s Treme series. In 2011, he released For True, in 2013 Say That to Say This, and in 2017 Parking Lot Symphony. In 2018, Andrews received a Blues Foundation Award in the Blues Instrumentalist, Horn Category. 

Andrews has performed with a Who’s Who of musical talent, including The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, U2, Green Day, Rebirth Brass Band, Maceo Parker, Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gary Clark Jr., Janelle Monáe, Madonna, Queen Latifah, and many, many more. Since 2014, he has built a friendship with Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters that has seen them sit in on each other’s performances throughout the years. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s annual Tremé Threauxdown (New Orleans) and Voodoo Threauxdown (worldwide) tours bring his amazing music to fans every year. 

Andrews collaborated with former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to form the Horns For Schools Project, which ultimately evolved into the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which works "to preserve and perpetuate the unique musical culture of New Orleans by passing down its traditions to future generations of musicians." In 2012, the Foundation, in partnership with Tulane University, created an After School Academy in New Orleans to mentor aspiring, high school musicians. In 2016, Andrews received the Heinz Award in Arts and Humanities for “his achievements as a musician and for his community work to preserve and pass on to youger generations the rich musical heritage of his native New Orleans”. Happy birthday to one of the Big Easy’s most talented, charismatic and altruistic musical performers. 

Photo by: I, Information - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Infrogmation

Celebrating National Bloody Mary Day!

National Bloody Mary Day serves up one of the world's most popular hangover cures on January 1st. But, you don’t have to be hungover to enjoy this  cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s, and its name is associated with a number of historical figures—particularly Queen Mary I of England, who was nicknamed "Bloody Mary", and with Hollywood star Mary Pickford. Others believe this cocktail was named after a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood. Whatever its origin, drink in the New Year with this delectable cocktail!