On May 1, a star-studded lineup will play “New Orleans Musicians for Obama”, an effort to lend support to President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign. Organizers Gaynielle Neville, Jimmy Anselmo, Diane Ireland and OffBeat’s Jan Ramsey have pulled together a musical lineup that so far includes Dr. John, Irvin Mayfield, the Neville Family, Zigaboo Modeliste, Caesar Brothers Funkbox, the Help, Deacon John, Leo Nocentelli, Bonerama, James Andrews, Cyril Neville, Rejected Youth Nation, Kermit Ruffins, Marcia Ball, George Porter, Jr. and more. Celebrity guests include Alfre Woodard. The show will take place at Generations Hall, and tickets range from $50 to $200 for VIPs, and they’re on sale now from EventBrite.com.
Drawing on the blues, soul, R&B, and jazz music of his hometown, Neville makes music that is entertaining, thought-provoking, and never predictable. The only problem that I have with The Essential Cyril Neville is the album’s twelve-song length. Unlike many modern CD releases, I wish that they’d included another three or four songs to take advantage of the format’s longer run time…and that’s less of a real complaint than praise for Neville’s music
On March 20, Ani DiFranco begins the second leg of her tour in San Diego in support of ¿Which Side Are You On?, her first new studio album in three years. The dozen track record is an exquisitely varied and colorful work, intimate and direct, while not only encapsulating the noted DiFranco creed, but also expanding on her storied treatise in a most modern and sophisticated way. The artist’s new album also features Ivan and Cyril Neville, Anaïs Mitchell, Adam Levy, Matt Dillon, Skerik, and folk icon Pete Seeger, along with a diverse range of subject matter that helps magnify its sublime framework.
Read more about the new album over on JamBands.com.
Ruf Records announces the signing of Royal Southern Brotherhood, which consists of Cyril Neville (percussion and vocals), Devon Allman (guitar and vocals), Mike Zito (guitar and vocals), Charlie Wooton (bass) and Yonrico Scott (drums), and will release the group’s debut self-titled CD on May 8. The new CD was produced by Grammy-winner Jim Gaines and recorded at Dockside Studio near Lafayette, Louisiana. Ruf Records is distributed in the U.S. by the Allegro Corporation.
