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Kid Congo Powers: New Album & East Coast Dates

SPRING RELEASE FOR GORILLA ROSE; TOUR STARTS FEB. 11

The legendary Kid Congo
Powers
, co-founder of the Gun Club, guitarist for The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, will be
releasing his new album with his group Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds this spring. Titled
Gorilla Rose, the album follows in the footsteps of the band’s 2009 Dracula Boots with
more ram-charged boogaloo, sleazy psychedelia and Chicano garage rock.

In The Red records is gearing up for
the new album by releasing a series of oddball limited edition vinyl-only records by the band. The first of these
releases dropped this week in the form of the “Five Greasy Pieces” subscription series. This is a very limited edition
(250 of each) series of five different singles each containing two brand new tracks. Starting in January In The Red
will be issuing one of these a month. The fifth and final single in the series will come with a handsome box in which
all five will be housed. The only way to obtain these singles is to buy a subscription on the In The Red website. In
March In The Red will be issuing a live LP by the band titled Live At The Prom which will be
another vinyl-only limited edition release available exclusively online.

Catch Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds on their North East tour this February.

KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS TOUR DATES

2.11 Jack Pot Saloon Lawrence, KS
2.12 Crosstown Station Kansas City, MO

2.13 Off Broadway Night Club St Louis, MO

2.14 MOTR Pub Cincinnati, OH

2.15 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH

2.16 Howler’s Coyote Cafe Pittsburgh, PA

2.17 Bandito’s Burrito Lounge Richmond, VA

2.18 Comet Ping Pong Washington, DC
2.19 TBA New York, NY

Kid Congo Powers
Tour Dates

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Kid Congo Powers News
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Kid Congo Powers
Concert
Reviews


Olam may enter carbon credits market on African timber project

Olam International, a commodity supplier backed by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Pte, may enter the carbon credits market based on the acquisition of a timber project in the republics of Congo and Gabon.

The company will review building a power plant fueled by biomass and ways to restore degraded forest areas at the tt Timber International AG operations it agreed to buy this week, Robert Hunink, Olam’s global head of wood products business, said today on a conference call. The power plant may cost about 12 million euros ($21 million) and save burning 3 million liters of diesel, he said.

Read more…

Olam +0.3%; Strong Earnings Trajectory – Nomura

Olam International (O32.SG) +0.3% at $3.08 with barely a million shares traded as the company’s latest acquisition in Africa fails to generate much interest in a very lackluster broad market.

Olam is buying tt Timber International — which will give it access to 1.6 million hectares of sustainable forest concession in Congo and Gabon — for EUR29.6 million (around $52 million), on a cash and debt-free basis; the transaction is expected to be completed by mid January.

Read more…

Oprah To Play Brothel Madam In “Ruined”

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has been roped in to play a brothel madam in the big screen adaptation of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize-winning book Ruined. The novel tells the tale of a woman in war-torn Congo who tries to stop the women working for her from getting caught in the war between rebel armies [...]

JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology

INCLUDES 111 TRACKS, 200 PAGE BOOK OF ESSAYS,
TRACK ANNOTATIONS AND HISTORICAL
PHOTOS


JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology

Seven years in the making, JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology will be released by Smithsonian
Folkways on March 29, 2011. The six-CD box set traces the turning points of this 20th-century tale through its
legendary innovators and exemplary exponents: Armstrong, Ellington, Basie, Parker, Gillespie, Davis, Hancock,
Corea, Coltrane
and many more. The set opens with Scott Joplin‘s 1899 “Maple Leaf Rag” and spans
the entire century, closing with Tomasz Stan´ko‘s 2003 “Suspended Night Variation VIII.”

As the successor to the original 1973 milestone Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, the set has been
substantially updated with more than eighty percent new selections. In its nearly eight hours of music, many
hundreds of musicians are featured on 111 tracks, and the set is accompanied by a 200-page book of essays, track
annotations and historical photos. The six CDs encompass ragtime, New Orleans, swing, bebop, hard bop, cool,
modal, free, fusion, Latin and many more of the variegated creations in jazz’s magnificent sound mosaic.

A blue ribbon executive committee selected the final 111 recordings from thousands of tracks recommended by
dozens of jazz experts, and with annotations contributed by a team of 35 scholars and educators, JAZZ
offers a wellspring resource for jazz fans of all stripes – educators, students, musicians, beginners and
aficionados.

Click here for more information.

JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology Track List:

Disc 1
1. Maple Leaf Rag – Dick Hyman

2. In Gloryland – Bunk’s Brass Band

3. Livery Stable Blues – Original Dixieland Jazz Band

4. Dipper Mouth Blues – King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band

5. The Stampede – Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra

6. Black Bottom Stomp – Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers

7. Singin’ The Blues (Till My Daddy Comes Home) – Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra

8. Back Water Blues – Bessie Smith and James P. Johnson

9. Black And Tan Fantasy – Duke Ellington And His Orchestra

10. From Monday On – Bix Beiderbecke & Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra

11. West End Blues – Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

12. Weather Bird – Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines

13. That’s a Serious Thing – Eddie Condon’s Hot Shots

14. Handful of Riffs – Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson

15. You’ve Got to Be Modernistic – James P. Johnson

16. Moten Swing – Bennie Moten and His Kansas City Orchestra

17. Everybody Loves My Baby – The Boswell Sisters

18. Maple Leaf Rag – Sidney Bechet

19. Dinah – Fats Waller and His Rhythm

20. Swing That Music – Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra

21. Honky Tonk Train Blues – Meade “Lux” Lewis

22. Mean To Me – Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra

23. For Dancers Only – Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra

24. One O’Clock Jump – Count Basie and His Orchestra

25. Harlem Congo – Chick Webb and His Orchestra

Disc 2

1. Minor Swing – Quintette du Hot Club de France

2. Mary’s Idea – Mary Lou Williams with Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy

3. When Lights Are Low – Lionel Hampton

4. Body and Soul – Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra

5. Honeysuckle Rose – Benny Goodman and His Orchestra

6. Tiger Rag – Art Tatum

7. Ko-Ko – Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra

8. Hard Times (Topsy Turvy) – Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

9. I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me – The Chocolate Dandies

10. Stardust – Artie Shaw and His Orchestra

11. Let Me Off Uptown – Gene Krupa and His Orchestra

12. Shaw ‘Nuff – Dizzy Gillespie’s All-Star Quintette

13. Manteca – Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra

14. Virgo from The Zodiac Suite – Mary Lou Williams

15. Dexter Rides Again – Dexter Gordon

16. I Want to Be Happy – Lester Young – Buddy Rich Trio

17. Indiana – Bud Powell

18. Embraceable You – Charlie Parker Quintet

19. Four Brothers – Woody Herman and His Orchestra

20. Misterioso – Thelonious Monk Quartet

21. Lady Bird – Tadd Dameron Sextet

22. Tanga – Machito and His Afro-Cuban Orchestra

23. September in the Rain – The George Shearing Quintet

24. WOW – Lennie Tristano Sextet

Disc 3

1. Boplicity – Miles Davis Nonet

2. The Golden Bullet – Count Basie Octet

3. Popo – Shorty Rogers and His Giants

4. Walkin’ Shoes – The Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker

5. 23 Degrees North, 82 Degrees West – Stan Kenton

6. Daahoud – Clifford Brown – Max Roach Quintet

7. Django – The Modern Jazz Quartet

8. The Preacher – Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers

9. I’ll Remember April – Erroll Garner Trio

10. Jonaleh – The Chico Hamilton Quintet

11. Tricrotism – Lucky Thompson Trio

12. St. Thomas – Sonny Rollins

13. Call For All Demons – Sun Ra and His Arkestra

14. When I Grow Too Old to Dream – Nat “King” Cole and His Trio

15. Stompin’ at the Savoy – Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald

16. Blues in the Closet – Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson

17. Ol’ Man River – Oscar Peterson Trio

18. Summertime – Miles Davis: orchestra under the direction of Gil Evans

Disc 4

1. Moanin’ – Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers

2. Meet B. B. – Count Basie and His Orchestra

3. So What – Miles Davis Sextet

4. Giant Steps – John Coltrane Quartet

5. Better Git It in Your Soul – Charles Mingus

6. Blue Rondo à la Turk – The Dave Brubeck Quartet

7. Ramblin’ – Ornette Coleman Quartet

8. Work Song – Cannonball Adderley

9. Wrap your Troubles In Dreams – Sarah Vaughan

10. My Favorite Things, Part 1 (Single Version) – John Coltrane Quartet

11. Waltz For Debby – Bill Evans

12. Round Midnight – George Russell Sextet

13. Cotton Tail – Ella Fitzgerald with the Duke Ellington Orchestra

Disc 5

1. One by One – Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers

2. The Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto

3. A Love Supreme Part I: Acknowledgement – John Coltrane Quartet

4. E.S.P. – Miles Davis Quintet

5. Haig & Haig – Clark Terry – Bob Brookmeyer Quintet

6. King of the Road – Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery

7. Isfahan – Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

8. The New National Anthem (from A Genuine Tong Funeral) – Gary Burton

9. Matrix – Chick Corea

10. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down – Miles Davis

11. Celestial Terrestrial Commuters – Mahavishnu Orchestra

12. Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock

13. Long Yellow Road – Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band

14. Jitney No. 2 – Cecil Taylor

15. Bright Size Life – Pat Metheny

Disc 6

1. Maple Leaf Rag – Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams

2. Birdland – Weather Report

3. My Song – Keith Jarrett

4. Iya – Irakere

5. Bush Magic – Art Ensemble of Chicago

6. Steppin’ – World Saxophone Quartet

7. The Glide Was in the Ride – Steve Coleman Group

8. Manenberg (Revisited) – Abdullah Ibrahim

9. Nothing Personal – Michael Brecker

10. Airegin – Tito Puente

11. Down the Avenue – Wynton Marsalis Septet

12. Ting Ning – Nguyên Lê

13. Kilayim – Masada

14. Hey-Hee-Hi-Ho – Medeski Martin & Wood

15. Neutralisme – Martial Solal and Johnny Griffin

16. Suspended Night Variation VIII – Tomasz Stan´ko


International justice: In the dock, but for what?

Enthusiasm is flagging for spectacular trials to punish war crimes and human-rights abuses

IF BEING busy is the test, then international justice is in rude health. This week saw a landmark in the short, sputtering history of the International Criminal Court (ICC), an institution based in The Hague that is supposed to be the ultimate resort against infamies which might otherwise go unpunished. On November 22nd, after many procedural twists, the trial began in earnest of Jean-Pierre Bemba, a rich Congolese warlord and the most senior political leader to be detained by the ICC so far. He is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity—not in Congo, but in the neighbouring Central African Republic, where he intervened on the president’s side during a coup attempt. The ICC is also about to name six prominent Kenyans as alleged instigators of the violence that followed the 2007 elections.

Elsewhere in the Dutch city, the tribunal on ex-Yugoslavia will soon have further questions for Radovan Karadzic, political leader of the Bosnian Serbs, about the massacre near Srebrenica in 1995 (see table). Two other special-purpose courts in The Hague will also be busy. One deals with Sierra Leone and is trying Liberia’s former president, Charles Taylor. Another is struggling, despite opposition from the armed Shia opposition in Lebanon, to investigate the bomb attack that killed Rafik Hariri, then prime minister, in Beirut in 2005. Most important of all, the United Nations Security Council must decide what to do about Sudan, where president Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the ICC. …

Feed the world

How hunger has changed across the developing world

TWENTY-NINE countries suffer from “alarming” levels of hunger, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report published on Monday October 11th. The “Global Hunger Index” (GHI) gives developing countries scores based on three indicators: the proportion of people who are undernourished, the proportion of children under five who are underweight, and the child mortality rate. The worst possible score is 100, but in practice, anything over 25 is considered “alarming”. Scores under five, meanwhile, are indicative of “low hunger”. Since 1990 the overall level of the index has fallen by almost a quarter (though the data do not cover the period of the global recession beginning in 2008). Two-thirds of the 99 countries counted in 1990 have reduced their populations’ hunger levels. Kuwait, Malaysia, Turkey and Mexico have been the most successful, cutting their scores by over 60%. Those where hunger has increased include North Korea, Comoros and Congo. Congo’s GHI score fell by over 60%, the worst of any country.

More Daily charts …

Emerging infections: No good deed goes unpunished

Smallpox has gone, but monkeypox is now rearing its ugly head

ONE of the greatest public-health victories of the last century was the eradication of smallpox. After the disease was pronounced extinct, in 1980, people stopped using the smallpox vaccine. That seemed the ultimate symbol of technology’s triumph over a medieval scourge.

Alas, it turns out that the end of vaccination has unleashed new demons. Researchers have long suspected that smallpox vaccine also provides protection against diseases such as monkeypox and cowpox, and three decades ago a committee of experts weighed up whether ending vaccination for smallpox might allow one of those diseases to spread in humans. They decided this was unlikely. Now, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests they may have been wrong. A team led by Anne Rimoin of the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted surveys of people living in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They found a dramatic surge in monkeypox—a disease which, though not as bad as smallpox, kills up to 10% of those it infects. …

Playing For Change U.S. Tour

ONE DOLLAR OF EVERY TICKET PURCHASED GOES TO THE PLAYING FOR CHANGE
FOUNDATION


Playing for Change

On the heels of their recently completed summer run, the Playing For Change band returns to
North America this fall for a national tour which kicks off October 13, at McEwan Hall in Calgary. The fall tour
encompasses over 25 shows in major cities nationwide. The group will donate $1.00 of every ticket purchased to
the Playing For Change Foundation.

Their 2010 fall tour is highlighted by the addition of famed Senegalese guitarist Ilon Ba (Baaba Maal) to the
stellar Playing For Change band which includes percussionist Mohammed Alidu (Northern Ghana), vocalist
Clarence Bekker (Netherlands/Suriname), vocals/harmonica Grandpa Elliott (New Orleans),
vocals/percussionist Mermans Kenkosenki (DRC Congo), guitarist Jason Tamba (Kinshasa, the
capital of DRC Congo) and vocalist Titi Tsira (Gugulethu, African township in the Western Cape).

Wed/Oct-13 Calgary MacEwan Hall
Sat/Oct-16 Atlanta, GA Center Stage

Sun/Oct-17 Asheville, NC Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF)

Tue/Oct-19 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theater (Soundstage)
Wed/Oct-20 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Fri/Oct-22 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Sat/Oct-23 Austin, TX Antone’s
Sun/Oct-24 Houston, TX House of Blues

Wed/Oct-27 Los Angeles, CA Wilshire Ebell
Fri/Oct-29 Petaluma, CA Mystic Theatre
Sat/Oct-30 San Francisco, CA Yoshi’s
Mon/Nov-01 Medford, OR Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater
Tue/Nov-02 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Wed/Nov-03 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
Fri/Nov-05 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
Sat/Nov-06 Aspen, CO Belly Up
Mon/Nov-08 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center

Tue/Nov-09 Madison, WI Capitol Theater

Wed/Nov-10 Chicago, IL TBD
Sat/Nov-13 New York, NY The Concert Hall – Ethical Center

Sun/Nov-14 Northampton, MA Calvin Theater
Mon/Nov-15 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
Wed/Nov-17 Boston, MA Symphony Hall
Thu/Nov-18 Lebanon, NH Lebanon Opera House

Sat/Nov-20 New Haven, CT Stage One

Sun/Nov-21 Annapolis, MD Ramshead on Stage

Mon/Nov-22 Washington, DC The Birchmere

Playing for Change
Tour Dates

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Playing for Change News
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Playing for Change
Concert
Reviews


Serbian medics to care for UN chief

Serbia’s medical team in in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been tasked with providing medical care for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The UN chief is due to visit that African country for the 50th anniversary of its independence.

DR Congo oil tanker blaze kills 200

At least 200 people are feared dead after an oil tanker exploded and set fire to parts of a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The truck, travelling from Tanzania, overturned in the village of Sange near the country’s eastern border.

Methane Release From the Gulf Oil Spill: What Does It Mean? How Bad Could It Get?

Tremendous quantities of methane are being emitted by the Gulf oil spill.The methane could kill all life in large areas of the Gulf.However, rumors being spread widely around the Web claiming that the methane could bring on a doomsday catastrophe are n…

International justice: Courting disaster?

At its forthcoming review, the International Criminal Court has things to celebrate, things to improve and pitfalls to avoid

EVERY time the world learns of some unspeakable outrage from a benighted battle zone, the cry goes out that such things must never recur. That was the reaction after the Rwandan genocide; after the ethnic cleansing, mass killing and rape perpetrated in former Yugoslavia; after the terrible atrocities of Sierra Leone and Congo; and after the targeting of civilians in Sudan’s Darfur region. So to its supporters, the opening eight years ago of an International Criminal Court (ICC) based at The Hague, ready if no one else will to arrest and try the worst perpetrators of such crimes, was a step in the right direction. Yet as they gather in Kampala, Uganda, on May 31st for a two-week review of the ICC’s workings, the 111 states that accept its jurisdiction face big responsibilities.

Their hard look at the court’s role and record comes as the ad-hoc tribunals set up to try those responsible for atrocities in Rwanda, Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone (before the ICC existed) are winding down. As their permanent replacement, the ICC is gaining authority as the proper court of last resort for three sets of crimes: crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. Its record in handling cases it has taken on so far will be under close scrutiny. …

Hopscotch Festival Adds Raekwon, Dungen, Bowerbirds

THE TRIANGLE GETS EVEN FULLER IN SEPTEMBER

Dungen

The inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival has announced the addition Raekwon, Dungen, Bowerbirds, Woods and Locrian to the lineup. Scheduled for September 9-11, 2010, in downtown Raleigh, Hopscotch will present 120 bands in 10 venues over three days.

“These new acts reflect the approach we’ve taken from the beginning – we want diverse and noteworthy people to play Hopscotch, whether they’re from here or outside the Triangle,” says Hopscotch director Greg Lowenhagen. “The artists represent a variety of musical genres and do it as well as anyone. As fans first and organizers second, that was essential to us.”

Hopscotch is also adding a strong pool of local acts to its inaugural lineup. Raleigh rockers Bright Young Things will play, as will Chapel Hill’s In the Year of the Pig. Asheville’s Floating Action and Chapel Hill’s Bellafea complete the lineup additions.

Raekwon will join 9th Wonder of Durham, NC on Friday, September 10 at Lincoln Theatre for a showcase curated by 9th Wonder. Nearly a dozen local groups will join that bill, including Actual Proof, The Away Team, Big Remo, Kaze, K-Hill, Rapsody, The Remix Project, Skyzoo and Tyler Woods.

COMPLETE LINEUP
9th Wonder, Active Child, Actual Proof, Akron/Family, All Tiny Creatures, American Aquarium, Americans in France, Aminal, Aquarelle, Atlas Sound, The Away Team, Balmorhea, Bear in Heaven, Bellafea, Best Coast, Big Remo, Birds of Avalon, Black Congo NC, Bowerbirds, DJ George Brazil, Bright Young Things, Broken Social Scene, Brutal Knights, Richard Buckner, Burning Star Core, Cannabis Corpse, Caitlin Cary’s Small Ponds with Tres Chicas, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Cults, Greg Davis, Dex Romweber Duo, Double Dagger, Double Negative, Dungen, The Dynamite Brothers, EAR PWR, ExMonkeys, First Rate People, Floating Action, Followed by Static, Ben Frost, Fucked Up, Future Islands, Golden Boys, The Golden Filter, Goner, Gray Young, Ryan Gustafson, Hammer No More the Fingers, Harlem, Harvey Milk, Horseback, John Howie Jr. & The Rosewood Bluff, In the Year of the Pig, I Was Totally Destroying It, Javelin, Jeb Bishop Trio, Juan Huevos, Kaze, K-Hill, Kill the Noise, The Kingsbury Manx, Kooley High, Kylesa, The Light Pines, Locrian, Lonnie Walker, The Love Language, Lucero, Luego, Max Indian, Erin McKeown, Megafaun, DJ Merlin, Midtown Dickens, The Moaners, The Monologue Bombs, Motor Skills, Mountains, Jon Mueller, Marissa Nadler, No Age, NOMO, Ocean, Old Bricks, Panda Bear, Pattern Is Movement, Pictureplane, Plague, Pontiak, Public Enemy, Raekwon, Rapsody, The Remix Project, The Rosebuds, Ned Rothenberg, DJ Sami Automatic, Schooner, Sightings, Sleepy Sun, spcl gst, Spider Bags, Thien, Tigercity, Tortoise, Treasure Fingers, Tyler Woods, US Christmas, Sharon Van Etten, Veelee, Vincent Black Shadow, War on Drugs, Washed Out, Weedeater, Wet Mango, Whatever Brains, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Woods, Yip-Yip.


Uprooted

The number of internally displaced people grows

THOSE who have been forcibly uprooted by violence within countries, known in the jargon as “internally displaced people” (or IDPs), are often just as vulnerable as refugees, those who flee persecution by crossing an international border. A new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council notes a steady increase in the global population of IDPs, to 27.1m in 2009. Almost 5m people are displaced in Sudan, more than any other country, although the number of IDPs in Colombia is estimated to be nearly as high. Over 1m are also displaced in Congo, Iraq, Somalia and Pakistan, where recent anti-Taliban assaults by the Pakistani army near the border with Afghanistan have uprooted many civilians. Cyprus, which was split after a Turkish invasion in 1974, has the largest share of its population living elsewhere.

Tila Tequila Leaves Little To The Imagination At Album Launch Party [Pics]

Tila Tequila — or Ms. Tila, as she likes to be called these days — is still keeping it classy…. Just when you thought the reality F-lister couldn’t possibly embarrass her parents (anyone else with morals) more, she showed up at The Congo Room in Los Angeles for the release party for her new album, Welcome [...]

UN investigates massacre claims in Congo

The UN is investigating reports of a massacre by Ugandan rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A senior UN official says as many as 100 people were killed in the alleged attack, which is believed to have taken place in February.

UN warns on early Congo pull-out

The UN’s top humanitarian official has warned against a premature withdrawal of the organization’s military force from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese government wants the UN mission to leave the troubled country by the end of August next year.

Jazz Fest 4.29 Thurs | Photos & Best Of

Words by: Tom Speed | Images by: Dino Perrucci & Chad Smith

Jazz Fest – Weekend 2 – Day 1 :: 04.29.10 :: Thursday :: New Orleans, LA

Dave Schools – WSP :: 04.29.10 :: Jazz Fest

The opening day of Jazz Fest‘s second weekend brought with it clear skies, temperatures in the mid 70s and a slight breeze – ideal weather for an outdoor music festival. After severe rain and mud stained the first weekend, the sunshine was a welcome respite for festival faithful.

The day’s aural, gustatory and otherwise indescribable cultural delights provided a banquet of sensory inputs for the incessantly insatiable. The following is a brief but faithful recounting of some of the highlights.


Tom’s Top Three Aural

#1 Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes (Gentilly Stage)
Every day of Jazz Fest is marked by that intangible Jazz Fest magic – a single set or experience that makes the spine tingle. Sometimes it comes as planned, but usually it comes unexpectedly. Thursday it came in the form of Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, his top-flight acoustic band that includes Jerry Douglas on dobro and Jim Lauderdale on guitar, along with mandolin, fiddle and bass instrumentation.


The group worked their way through a stellar set of roots rock renditions from Costello’s catalog and some choice cover selections. They nimbly navigated their way through the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of The Devil” and the Stones’ “Happy.” They breathed new life into Costello stalwarts like “Allison,” “Peace, Love and Understanding,” and a down-tempo reboot of “Every Day I Write The Book.” Costello brought out New Orleans legend and collaborator Allen Toussaint for a rousing “encore” that consisted of five songs and left the crowd in bliss. Magic.

#2 Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (Acura Stage)

With a double bass assault, Dumpstaphunk harnesses the runaway power of decades of incessant, ferocious chugging. They serve as the torchbearers of that delightful slice of American music known as New Orleans funk. In a city and festival full of contenders to the throne, they are the kings of the hill. By the time they launched into the now-anthemic thrust of “Put It In The Dumpster” their harnessed momentum had exploded into a full-blown frenzy.


#3 Sunpie Barnes & The Louisiana Sunspots (Congo Stage)
The warm weather was the perfect backdrop for Sunpie Barnes’ soulful set of swinging zydeco.

Tom’s Top Three Gustatory

#1 Crawfish Pie
From the people that bring you the Natchitoches meat pie, this particular crawfish pie was fluffy on the outside, creamy on the inside and possessed just the right amount of spice to become a new favorite.

#2 The Ruby Slipper
Though it’s often inadvisable to eat before entering the Fairgrounds racetrack, an early breakfast at this local mid-city joint provided a much needed and well-spiced Bloody Mary, not to mention a delicious take on Eggs Benedict that incorporated a grilled tomato. It was the perfect prelude to a great day at the fest.

#3 Coors
Because the banquet beer will do in a pinch.

Tom’s Top Three Lagniappe

#1 Field Trips
The sight of numerous middle school groups roaming the festival grounds on field trips gave reason to believe in an oft-maligned local school system that was imparting an undeniably unique life lesson on regional heritage and a serious steeping in the arts.

#2 Funny Hats
Big, small, wide, pointy, colorful, floppy, majestic, droopy. You gotta love a hat party, and Jazz Fest is among the biggest and best in the world.

#3 Chance Encounters
You know those people that you only kinda know, and if you’re bad with names (raise your hands!) you know them only by face and not necessarily by name, but it doesn’t matter. They’re at Jazz Fest, and it’s great to see them.

var siteRoot=”http://www.jambase.com”;var newPhotoIndex=”0″;$(document).ready( function() { $(“#GalleryWidget”).load(siteRoot+”/Photos/Widget.aspx?galleryID=44″);}); New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Thursday Weekend 2 | New Orleans Fairgrounds | New Orleans, LA Second weekend of Jazz Fest kicks off with Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, Elvis Costello, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Steve Martin, Blues Traveler, Kirk Joseph, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sunpie Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots, Dr. Klaw, Soul Rebels Brass Band, 101 Runners, Martin Sexton, Dee Dee Bridgewater and more… View Photos

Check our Jazz Fest Survival Guide for Must See Bands, food suggestions and
more…

Check out First Weekend Friday coverage of Jazz Fest here.

Check out First Weekend Saturday coverage of Jazz Fest here.

Check out First Weekend Sunday coverage of Jazz Fest here.

Check back tomorrow for more coverage of Jazz Fest…

JamBase | New Orleans

Go See Live Music!


Belgian bid to ban “racist” Tintin

A Congolese man is trying to get a controversial Tintin book banned in the cartoon star’s home country of Belgium. The ginger sleuth’s “little (black) helper” in Tintin in the Congo is seen as “stupid and without qualities”, Bienvenu Mbutu is quoted as saying.