John Scofield & the Piety Street Band

It's not every concert you attend where you suddenly realize "hey that's Bonnie Raitt sitting down there a few rows in front of us." What artist could draw a legend like that to sit in the audience? We were fortunate to be able to see legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield last week with a crack ensemble of master musicians from New Orleans billing themselves as the Piety Street Band. With the amazing Jon Cleary on keyboards and vocals, George Porter Jr. on bass and vocals and Ricky Fataar on drums, we knew we were in for a treat. Their arrangements of a set of classic gospel tunes rocked the house. Fortunately, the set is available on their new album Piety Street. Definitely worth a listen!

www.lala.com/#artist/john.scofield

http://www.johnscofield.com/

Brother Tyrone

If I'd come across this self-released gem (Mindbender) from New Orleans any sooner, it would have been a serious contender for my favorite album of 2008. This is the real deal. You'll hear echoes of classic soul and blues singers like Al Green, Johnnie Taylor, and Bobbie Blue Bland, but Brother Tyrone is a true original. What a voice! And he's backed by some amazing male gospel singers and a crack ensemble of NOLA musicians, recorded at the Piety Street studios. Give this a listen and you'll need to order it or download it immediately!

http://cdbaby.com/cd/brothertyrone