Continuing series of music at Luna Libre- Music with Dayna Kurtz - Tacos!

Luna Libre is a new food and music spot on St. Claude Ave. I have been asked to do some curating for the Tuesday series. Come over the great food and music.

It is to be a really good listening room and the next 4 weeks will have some great artists (including the Author tomorrow.

Tuesdays 7-9pm:

This week:

November 19- Dayna Kurtz (blues and original music)


TACOS everybody!

Curating a series of music at Luna Libre- Music- Tacos!

Luna Libre is a new food and music spot on St. Claude Ave. I have been asked to do some curating for the Tuesday series. Come over the great food and music.

It is to be a really good listening room and the next 4 weeks will have some great artists (including the Author tomorrow.

Tuesdays 7-9pm:

November 5- Jonathan Freilich Solo (guitar and songs)

November 12- Alex Mcmurray & Luke Allen (Bards of the neighborhood)

November 19- Dayna Kurtz (blues and original music)

November 26- Joe Cabral and Friend- (brilliant musician and robust pillar of The Iguanas)


TACOS everybody!

007 is back on the scene- Oct 18-20 DBA, New Orleans & Pensacola, Fla

Do you love ROCKSTEADY music?

007 does too.


Jeffrey Clemens is back around so we have a show Friday the 18th at DBA, 10pm. We will also play two nights at the Paradise Inn, Pensacola, Fla. Oct 19-20.

For those of you who missed the sensation of 007 in the heyday it comprised of:

Jeffrey Clemens (G-Love & the Special Sauce)- drums/vocals
Alex Mcmurray (Alex Mcmurray)-guitar/vocals
Joe Cabral (The Iguanas etc.)- bass/ vocals
Jonathan Freilich (see website)- Guitar

And was greater than the sum of the parts (which was confusing for people so oriented toward the diminutive.)

IMG_2728.jpeg

'I think you should go home' - for Alex Mcmurray's 50th Birthday

As some may know, my old friend, Alex Mcmurray, is turning 50. He is some impressive songwriter and musician and occasionally some of us in different ways are included in some of his bardic expositions. Recently, for my birthday he published this piece which can be found on his band camp page here…

That features a very touching piece of writing about the odd circumstances through which we met and the mighty days in the 90s, all put in better writing than I could redo here.

However, this time it is his birthday, and I put together this piece of music for him. I don’t have the store systems for selling it to you all, or setting it up for download but I put it here so you can check it out for your pleasure and edification.

It’s recorded and mixed by me, in the old home studio, and I have included the voices of a couple of his old friends, Michael Mehiel  and Glenn Hartman.

20151126-DM1_3961.jpg

Alex Mcmurray

Part 1 of an interview with Ryan Scully and Josh Cohen

There has been a long gap since the last interview went up.  Apologies to those who have been requesting more.

We'll kick off the next set with a really great one.  The other parts will follow very soon.

The Morning 40 Federation are a band that has great resonance with a certain swath of New Orleans locals who see in them the embodiment of a certain set of life experiences that very definitely were in fast effect at one time in New Orleans and in a long gone era of a certain way that Bywater used to look.  The reflections from that are still reverberating strongly and the mighty 40s continue on once in a while.  As we find out here, they are still writing.

Ryan Scully is a fascinating music writer that I've been trying to catch up with for an interview since the 90s.  Currently he is also fronting another interesting band, Scully and the Rough 7.

Josh Cohen is a saxophone player and writer for the 40s as well as being crafty in some other areas and, really quite philosophical.  

These folks have amazing insight into the old problem of the correspondence between life and music and, of the folks I have interviewed, they have some of the most unexpectedly profound things to say on the subject.

Alex Mcmurray is often involved in what sometimes becomes a quite multi-layered discussion.

It all happens on the interviews page...

 

As always, it's also available as a podcast on itunes.

At Yuki with The Jackals

Tonight at Yuki at 525 Frenchmen St.- 8pm til

These days, The Jackals are rare.   Old friends, greater thanks than the sum of parts.  All that kind of thing.  A wild an unpredictable repertoire with great playing all around.

Alex Mcmurray-guitar,vocals
Joe Cabral-bass, vocals
Jonathan Freilich-guitar
Doug Garrison-drums

Come see the group that started that whole Bacchanal thing.  You might get an interesting new hang going.

We will answer the question- "Is a Jackal an Iguana?"

Tom Paines house concert yesterday at Mr John's Tropical Paradise

Why tell you late?  Because it is a nice scene for playing really acoustic music that I didn't know about.  You might find out about one of them here...

Anyway, the Tom Paines made their first appearance in years, and I enjoyed it.  The shrimp etoufee also rocked.

That record is still available by the way.  get it on Alex Mcmurray's website...

And while you are here, have a sample...

Naked Orchestra at Cafe Istanbul, NOLA this Monday- 1/19/2015

The Naked Orchestra will play again at the site of the band's recent return to action. Another very solid lineup of some of the finest in New Orleans.  "Not to be missed!"  exclaimed a previous audience before loosening it all up and heading out into the streets.

So far the lineup is as follows:

James Walsh-conductor
Janna Saslaw-Flute
Chris Kohl-Clarinet
Steve Bertram-Bassoon
Martin Krusche-soprano sax
Ray Moore-Alto sax
Brad Walker- Tenor sax
Jason Mingeldorff-Baritone sax
Scott Frock-trumpet
Jeff Albert-trombone/ electronics
Devon Taylor-tuba
Carl LeBlanc-guitar
Jonathan Freilich-guitar/director
Robin Sherman-bass
Marcello Bennetti-drums

feat. Alex McMurray-vocals

 

Naked Orchestra at Istanbul Sept. 2014

Naked Orchestra at Istanbul Sept. 2014



Roundup of last weekend

Sitting in airport to Hamburg for a two week stint in Germany with the klezmer all-stars duo.  That is Glenn Hartman and I- accordion and guitar.

Still frozen in my mind was the wondrous musical night at Chickie Wah Wah on Saturday night with the James Singleton Quartet.  (Johnny Vidacovich-dr; Rex Gregory-sax, b.cl, sax; James Singleton- bass; Jonathan Freilich-gtr).  I had the feeling it went better than the previous Chickie Wa Wa show, which is really something because of how interesting that show was.

Also memorable were a couple of hits with the Washboard Chaz blues trio.  I got to revisit on the outside, a lot of the music that drives me on the inside.  And it was fun too- if not very physical- "I've got blisters on me fingers"

Before all that, in the daytime, i got to play a Tom Paines set up at the old Ironworks.  Mcmurray in good form after just having his first kid show up in the world.  Congratulations to him!

The whole trip to New Orleans was such a pleasure. Getting to visit and play with the musicians I know.  Cavort around town with all my old friends.  Back soon, of course- it's jazzfest. the Klezmer All- Stars are on at the top of the first weekend.  See you there.

 

 

Tonight at Bacchanal- w/ Bill Malchow, Alex Mcmurry, Kevin O'Day

It's such a crazy week that I omitted an announcement about tonights really promising show at Bacchanal Wine in the Bywater.  Great food too.

Showtime is 7:30-10:30p

Electric Eggplant Cover.JPG

Alex Mcmurray-gtr;vcls
Bill Malchow-keys; vcls
Kevin O'Day- drums
Jonathan Freilich-gtr;vcls

Kevin O'Day! That should be something! 

Ecumenical music? 

 

 

Tonight at Saturn Bar, NOLA- The Tom Paines-11pm

I almost forgot to mention it, but always worth a catch if you like the old acoustic guitars rolling and blending around some of the old songs.   And, what better time in American history to remember old Tom Paine...

Alex Mcmurray- guitar, vocals

Jonathan Freilich- guitar, vocals. 

Come find out how chicken is best cooked for an obscure Liberian songster...

Albu is still available and sounds great thanks to Mark Bingham at Piety St. Studios... 

 

TOMPAINEScover.jpg

Tonight at Circle Bar- The Jackals 10pm

So good last week we got another shot.  Come out.  As Alex Mcmurray (there tonight!) says, it's ecumenical music.

last week's crowd

last week's crowd

The Jackals  are:

Doug Garrison- drums
Joe Cabral-bass
Jonathan Freilich-guitar
Alex Mcmurray-guitar

Oh yes...Alex and Joe sing songs too.  And not all in one language either.  Collectively we are unafraid of a multilingual universe. Lengue, eh? 

Doug Garrison

Doug Garrison

Joe Cabral

Joe Cabral

Gray Gankendorff and Alex Mcmurray  

Gray Gankendorff and Alex Mcmurray  

At 3muses tonight at 8pm-joe Cabral band

Tonight. after your linen has been truly gallery dirtied. get over to three muses- nola. great songs played at a high level. no sacrifice of essential humanity involved. you will beam and easily grab a fine wine at the same time!

Alex Mcmurray-guitar/vocals
James Singleton-bass
Joe Cabral-saxophone
Jonathan Freilich

The Jackals ride again-Circle Bar Wed Aug 7-10pm(that's tonight!)

Hard as it's been to get some time where we can all make it, we finally did.  If you are unfamiliar with The Jackals, it was the sequel to 007 which became 00-Doug when drummer Jeffrey Clemens wasn't around.  Lip service had to be paid to those voices that attempt minor potential gains through strict name recognition, so we changed the name to The Jackals.  Now it is vastly distinguished from 007.  You'll see!

Anyway we are at The Circle bar this Wednesday at 10pm.  

Be there or don't. But...

As Louis Armstrong said "I never was born to be a Square about anything, no matter what it is..."   

How about you? 

The lineup is:

joe cabral

joe cabral

Alex Mcmurray

Alex Mcmurray

Alex Mcmurray-guitar, vocals
Jonathan Freilich- guitar
Joe Cabral-bass, vocals
Doug Garrison--drums

 

Circle Bar Show tonight

M'luds, Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm pausing the words on the death of the constitution and the snarky spy humor (see facebook) to bring the following announcement:

Tonight at the circle bar in New Orleans at 10:30pm I'll be performing withAlex McMurrayDoug Garrison and Bill Malchow. We will be engaging in everybody's favorite form of offline subversion- MUSIC! - the good kind. Cheaper than a Po' Boy (now a local designer sandwich). 
For those of you concerned with class and respectability, Mcmurray will be grass fed and fennel rubbed and rear gentrified
The great caroline valencia will be bartending. its the perfect midweek gateway to the rest of the week. Don't miss it!
See you tonight

Few shows just added

Check out-

Tonight at Blue Nile(New Orleans) and the open ears series- with Joe Cabral-Bari sax; Jeff Albert-trombone; Doug Garrison Drums

Tomorrow, July 4th 6pm-at DBA New Orleans with The Mirlitones- Washboard Chaz; Alex Mcmurray- gtr, voc

Friday 6th July 9:30pm- at Hermes Bar with Los Muertos featuring Rod Hodges (gtr) Doug Garrison-drums; Joe Cabral-bass

Saturday 7th July 10pm- at Tipitinas with Derrick Freeman presents Smoker's World- cavalcade of New Orleans musical personalities.

Come out for a great and varied week of music.

Return to weekly shows at Bacchanal, New Orleans

A very happy return to a weekly gig at The Bacchanal Wine Bar in New Orleans.  The fun kicks off tomorrow, Monday June 11 at 6pm, with The Tom Paines: Alex Mcmurray- guitar, vocals; Jonathan Freilich- guitar, vocals.

The music is different each week and will feature all of my groups and associations and occasionally something completely new.  The concerts will go on until mid-August.

The food and wine is also outstanding.

WWOZ radio performance.

Yesterday, the quintet performed on WWOZ for their pledge drive. The group was:

Jonathan Freilich-guitar

Aurora Nealand-alto and soprano sax

Dan Oestreicher- sax

Joe Cabral- bass

Doug Garrison- drums

Energetically speaking, the performance went well; a crazy morning energy. Some precision elements flying out the window, sacrificing themselves for a rapid phoenix-like, burn up to get the energy to carry through the transmitters.