Professor Longhair, The Last Mardi Gras (Atlantic)
Mardi Gras news reports have me thinking about the late pianoman Professor Longhair, one of the all-time greatest of New Orleans musicians. And they have me wishing I could come across a used copy of this out-of-print live LP, or that I had convinced the St. Louis county public library system to give me their copy when they cleared out their vinyl collection. Instead I just have a beat-up cassette dub of it, but even in that shape it’s a beautiful album, the best at capturing the essence of Longhair’s exuberant style.
Dr. John, Right Place, Right Time (Hyena)
The Mardi Gras mood also has me playing this great new release of a 1989 Mardi Gras performance by Dr. John. It has a full-band sound, a late-night party mood, and a bunch of classic New Orleans tunes performed impeccably.
A Tribe Called Quest, The Love Movement (Jive)
A feeling of mourning over hip-hop producer Jay Dee ’s death is still lingering for me, and has me going through the albums he worked on. That means even the final Tribe album, which is easily their weakest, but still quite good.
Jay Dee, Donuts (Stones Throw)
This one’s still blowing me away as well: a mesmerizing batch of spacey, funky instrumentals.
The Lucksmiths, Warmer Corners (Matinee)
This album came out last year but I still can’t shake it out of my stereo.
Kanye West, Late Registration (Roc-a-Fella)
Same goes for Kanye’s second album; it’s been talked about to death, but that doesn’t diminish its richness.
The Amazing Race (Tuesday, CBS)
One of the most exciting TV shows ever is back with its ninth season. Unlike the recent (and lame) ‘family edition’, this one is a real season, with regular folks doing a sped-up sort of globe-trotting.
The Like Young, Last Secrets (Polyvinyl)
Find the closest calendar and mark a big X on May 9, the release date of The Like Young’s third album, which broadens their still stripped-down and raw rock sound in really effective ways.
I Am Robot and Proud, The Electricity in Your House Wants to Sing (Darla)
Mark your calendar, too, for this one, with a release date of April 3. Shimmering electronic music, very enjoyable.
Willie Nelson, You Don’t Know Me: Songs of Cindy Walker (Lost Highway)
Watch for this one much sooner: March 14. It’s one of my favorite albums of the year so far, Nelson doing a really beautiful job singing a bunch of old country-swing songs, all written by Cindy Walker.
