TRAVEL A self-proclaimed “compulsive reader,” author Terri Peterson Smith provides lots of travel advice for fellow book fans in Off The Beaten Page: The Best Trips for Lit Lovers, Book Clubs and Girls on Getaways. Smith shares some tips for how to plan the perfect book-centric trip, and includes a chapter on New Orleans. Smith’s itinerary for the Big Easy includes places frequented by famous writers in history, including Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop – one of Tennessee Williams’ favorite spots.
HISTORY As a band that’s been around for more than 100 years, you could assume the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band has a dynamic history. That is what author Sally Newhart explores in her new book The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band: More than a Century of a New Orleans Icon. The book includes a detailed history of the members and the phases of the band, including Louis Armstrong’s time with the group, the effects of World War II and how the late Bob French got an invitation to play for President Barack Obama.
JAZZ All New Orleans music fans know Kermit Ruffins, and his latest album is a testament to why. We Partyin’ Traditional Style! is like an ode to the city, with classics such as “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” and “When The Saints Go Marching In” combined with the album’s first single, “Treme Second Line.” Ruffins’ style showcases the traditional jazz New Orleans is famous for and his new album shows how Ruffins is continuing one of the city’s most famous traditions.
ROCK/FUNK New Orleans band Bonerama calls their style “brass funk rock” and that’s what you’ll hear on the group’s latest album Shake It Baby. The rock influence is easy to pick up – Mike Mills of R.E.M. is a special guest and the closing song is a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” – but the album also has a New Orleans feel thanks to the group’s brassy sound.
