New Orleans Gets Its Groove Back

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Michel Martin of NPR interviewed Keith Spera, music writer for the Times-Picayune, and Irvin Mayfield, Grammy and Billboard Latin Music Award winning recording artist, about New Orleans 6 years after the levees broke.  Keith has a terrific new book entitled Groove Interrupted. Irvin has a new book/CD entitled A Love Letter to New Orleans.  

Listen to the podcast HERE.

Irvin Mayfield – Kermit Ruffins – Roy Hargrove

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Love Sessions A Festival of Giving

Love Sessions: 11 Nights of Giving. 7 nights at Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse followed by 4 nights at Irvin Mayfield’s I Club.  Ticket sales each night go to a different charity.

August 19 – 25: The Thriller at the Irvin Mayfield Jazz Playhouse

Irvin Mayfield v. Kermit Ruffins

August 26 – 29: Love Moments at Irvin Mayfield’s I Club

The Roy Hargrove Band & The Irvin Mayfield Band

Irvin’s beautiful new book/cd, A Love Letter to New Orleans, will be available each night. $24 of each book sold will also go to the charity of the night.  Kermit Ruffins’ CDs, including his latest, Happy Talk, will be available as well, and $3 of each CD sold will go to the charities. Charities supported include New Orleans Public Library Foundation (8/19), Dress for Success (8/20), LSU Psychiatric Mental Health Services (8/21), Dag’s House (8/22), Son of a Saint Sports Foundation (8/23), Unity (8/24), St. Mary’s Academy (8/25), North American Mission Board (8/26), Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative (8/26), Children’s Hospital (8/27), New Orleans Haitian Relief Task Force (8/28), and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (8/29).

Tickets – http://jazzplayhouse.frontgatetickets.com/ or http://iclub.frontgatetickets.com/

If a show says “sold out” come out about 9p and space will open up.  Doors 7:30p. Show 8:15p.

Irvin and Kermit are taking this thing seriously. Watch how they are working out HERE.

Read a feature story in the Times-Picayune and Nola.com on the battle HERE.

 

Can’t be here but want to feel you’re a part of it?  Visit our online store and we’ll donate $3 for each CD purchased and $4 for each book to the causes from 8/19/11 through 8/29/11.

 

Downbeat Magazine Critics’ Poll

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Excited to find out that Basin Street Records made the Downbeat Magazine Critics’ Poll for Best Record Label (Aug 2011).  Also named on the poll, Dr. Michael White for clarinet, and Jason Marsalis for vibes.

Can’t Wait for Treme Season 3

Posted by  mark

Just finished watching TREME season 2 finale on HBO for the 3rd time.  It’s amazing TV. Thank you to HBO, David Simon, Eric Overmyer, Nina Noble, Blake Leyh and all the rest of their amazing writers and crew.

The lagniappe for us are the numerous references to our artists and music.  Here are just a few things you may have seen or heard just in the season 2 finale related to our label (there were performances this season by Jon Cleary, Kermit Ruffins, Henry Butler and Rebirth Brass Band, and additional music licensed from Dr.Michael White.)

  • Cornell Williams (of Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen) continues to shine as an actor
  • Wendell Pierce (who narrated Irvin Mayfield’s Strange Fruit CD and attended Ben Franklin High School with BSR president Mark Samuels) who deserves an Emmy
  • References by Trombone Shorty (who has performed on several of our CDs) to the fact that he’s leaving for Japan to take a gig with Henry Butler (who has recorded 3 CDs with us)
  • Performances by Rebirth Brass Band (who just released their latest CD with us) at the Maple Leaf Bar
  • A poster of Kermit Ruffins’ Swing This! in the WWOZ studio
  • A poster of Basin Street Records artists in LaDonna’s bar
  • A performance at Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse (Irvin has released 11 projects with us)
  • Jazzfest performance by Donald Harrison (who performed on Irvin Mayfield’s first CD extensively, and a few other BSR projects)
  • The Jazzfest performance by Donald Harrison included Mike Clark on drums (Mike is a c0-leader of the Headhunters, who released Evolution Revolution on our label)
  • Near the end DJ Davis announces that a song playing was by Kidd Jordan. He serves as the artistic director of Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp that starts for its 17 year on July 5, 2011.  Please make a donation TODAY to the camp at http://www.LouisArmstrongJazzCamp.com/donation and help the next generation get the education (musically and otherwise) that they deserve.

Can’t wait for season 3!  In the meantime, I’ll probably watch seasons 1 and 2 a few more times.