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It’s a great week for local music! Check out all the amazing local artists you can see this week. Ain’t NOLA a grand place to live?
Monday, September 15
King James & the Special Men
BJ’s Lounge
10pm
Funky jazz, jazzy funk, low down 9th Ward style from King James & the Special Men tonight at BJ’s for their weekly Monday night gig. King James’ shows are often packed and go on till the wee hours of the morning. This slow, hot, end of summer night is a great time to experience these carriers of the New Orleans classic R&B flame.
Tuesday, September 16
Kermit Ruffins & The BBQ Swingers
Bullet’s Sports Bar
6pm
Kermit Ruffins is, undisputedly, one of the top trumpeters in New Orleans today. This Basin Street Records artist personifies the fun rocking times that modern jazz can bring. He has appeared on HBO’s Treme multiple times, and recently took over the late, great Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-In-Law Lounge (now Kermit’s Mother-In-Law Lounge). The native New Orleanian was called an “unabashed entertainer” by the New York Times, who complimented his “bright, silvery tone” of playing. Check out his Tuesday night gig with the BBQ Swingers, with whom he won Offbeat’s 2003 Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Band or Performer.” Hasn’t slowed down since.
Wednesday, September 17
Meschiya Lake & Tom McDermott
Chickie Wah Wah’s
8pm
Repeat winner of the Big Easy Awards’ “Best Female Performer of the Year,” Meschiya Lake is not one to miss. Tonight (and most Wednesdays at Chickie Wah Wah), she’s backed by talented pianist Tom McDermott. Together, the duo makes for a laid-back evening with fantastic music at one of New Orleans’ finest small venues.
Thursday, September 18
Alabama Slim
Apple Barrel
10:30pm
If you like blues, real blues, Alabama Slim is your man. Slim was born in 1939 and grew up playing juke joints throughout Alabama. He moved to New Orleans in the 1960s. Recently, he’s collaborated with another living New Orleans legend, Little Freddie King. Slim has graced the stage of Lincoln Center in New York… and here he is for you in a tiny room on Frenchmen Street.
Friday, September 19
Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters
The Frenchmen Theatre
10pm
“The Wolfman’s Back!” Walter “Wolfman” Washington has been an icon on the New Orleans music scene for decades. Though his roots are in blues, he also brings in funk and R&B tinges to create his own unique sound. He formed his first band in the 1970s and has kept on ever since, collaborating with such legends as Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, and Johnny Adams. Washington played the famed Apollo Theater, and has graced the stage at Jazzfest many times. He and his band will be tight—they’ve played together for 28 years.
Saturday, September 20
The Afghan Whigs w/Joseph Arthur, King James & the Specialmen
Civic Theater
9pm
When the Afghan Whigs first reunited in 2012, it was only going to be for a few shows. The short reunion still set angsty 1990s hearts aflutter, though—and luckily for fans, those few shows turned into a whole new album (Do to the Beast) and a full-scale nationwide tour that has its second stop in New Orleans tonight. The Civic Theater is one of the oldest venues in New Orleans and will surely provide an appropriately moody backdrop to the Afghan Whigs’ hard rocking tales of heartbreak and lust. New Orleans is a favorite of the band’s—so much so that part of the group now resides here. Lead singer Greg Dulli is a partner in the Marigny’s R Bar, and guitarist Dave Rosser lives in Algiers, the inspiration for one of the new album’s songs that was written during Mardi Gras 2013.
Sunday, September 21
The Leroy Jones Quintet
Christ Church Covington
5pm
Up for something different? Catch the Leroy Jones Quintet across the lake, at Covington’s Christ Church. This is sure to be a soulful show. Leroy Jones is one of the keepers of the flame for New Orleans traditional jazz, and has been called “one of the top New Orleans musicians ever” by some critics. Jones now performs with his quintet in an effort to expose audiences everywhere to the authentic music of New Orleans—names like Louis Armstrong, Buddy Bolden, and other greats—while putting their own, more modern, twist on it. Jones is a member of the New Orleans Jazz Hall of Fame, and has performed many times at Satchmofest, Jazzfest, and French Quarter Fest. Jones has also taken his act to high profile national stages, including television appearances on Leno, Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Oprah, and many more.
