Joseph Irrera

The 22nd annual Best of the Beat Music Awards and party were held on January 19 at Generations Hall. The house was packed with the nominees, not only hoping to be recognized for their work in 2016, but to join in the celebration. As our readers may know, the Best of the Beat Awards started

Thomas W. Jacobsen, OffBeat contributor and author, died at home in St. Louis of lung cancer on January 15. Jacobsen was devoted to jazz music since he was a teenager, […]

In the ’80s, DeClouet had a series of hits in Japan and the UK, but he never saw the break he was looking for until he hooked up with Galactic.

In 1988 ECM released Keith Jarrett’s studio recording of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book One. ECM has now released a live version of the same music. The live recording and performance took place at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in upstate New York in 1987. The Well-Tempered Clavier, or in German Das wohltemperierte Klavier, is

New Orleans-born singer/songwriter and rockabilly legend Jim Oertling passed away in his home on July 10, 2020. His family moved to San Antonio, where Oertling graduated from high school in 1960 and later attended Louisiana State University, graduating in 1965. As a student at LSU, Oertling formed a band, Jim Oertling and the Bayou Boys,

The 30th anniversary season of the LPO is scheduled to begin on September 24, 2020 and includes performances from Branford Marsalis and more.

Ronald Joseph Falgout, bassist for Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys and former owner of R.J. Marine Tile, died on Monday, May 3, 2021 at the age of 74. Falgout was one of eight children (three brothers, four sisters) born to Irene and Guy Falgout. He was raised in Marrero and attended Immaculate Conception, Marrero

Roger Hahn, a native New Yorker, but an adopted son of New Orleans, has passed away. Hahn wrote for OffBeat, Cultural Vistas, NPR, Rhythms, Country Roads and many more. He also wrote The Sounds of Louisiana: The Twenty Essential Music Makers.

André Bohren has been playing classical piano for many years. Since I have a love for classical music, whenever Spencer Bohren (André’s father, who passed away in 2019) visited me […]

Street musician, harp player and vocalist “Grandpa” Elliott Small was a staple performer on the corner of Royal and Toulouse streets in the French Quarter. He died on March 8 from complications of a skin infection that spread to the bloodstream. He was 77. Small was born on July 10, 1944, in New Orleans and

Carlo Nuccio, drummer and singer-songwriter, died at his home in New Orleans of complications related to liver cancer on August 24. He was 61. Growing up in New Orleans Born in New Orleans in 1961, Nuccio attended De La Salle High School on St. Charles Avenue. In an interview with Jonathan Freilich, Nuccio talked about

The documentary “A Taste of Heaven: The Ecstatic Song & Gospel of Maestro Raymond Anthony Myles,” will be presented at the New Orleans Film Festival that kicks off on November 3, 2022. Written, produced and directed by Grammy Award-winning producer Leo Sacks, Sachs was a first-hand witness to Myles trials and triumphs before his murder in October 1998. Sachs also produced the Raymond Myles studio album A Taste of Heaven.

Irvin Mayfield was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2022, but was released on January 9, 2023, after serving less than a year. Although Mayfield pleaded guilty to diverting $1.3 million in New Orleans Public Library Foundation funding to other accounts for personal use, I continue to wonder why he and his business

Irvin Mayfield was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2022, but was released on January 9, 2023, after serving less than a year. Although Mayfield pleaded guilty to diverting $1.3 million in New Orleans Public Library Foundation funding to other accounts for personal use, I continue to wonder why he and his business partner Ronald Markham were the only ones that were held responsible.

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra to feature women conductors. Two upcoming concerts will feature women conductors, that also include very impressive repertoires.

Chances are that if you have an interest in blues, Cajun, zydeco or ethnic music, you’ve probably got a few Arhoolie CDs on your shelf. Chris Strachwitz, the founder of Arhoolie Records, died of complications from congestive heart failure. He was 91. A frequent visitor to New Orleans, Strachwitz was an early supporter of community

Poet, political and marijuana activist and writer John Sinclair died of heart failure at the Detroit Receiving Hospital on April 2, 2024, he was 82.

Singer and songwriter, Clarence “Frogman” Henry passed away, after years of declining health, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. He was 87.

This guide should help in choosing from the panoply of cultures, rhythms and sounds available at Jazz Fest to ensure your experience hits all the right notes. It’s arranged alphabetically by band name so you can search when your favorite act is playing by stage and time, with handy reference bio information. It’s easy to use on any mobile device to look up info by band, day, time or stage. Just go to our responsive site OffBeat.com.

Jazz Fest A to Z