Thursday, Feb. 9
The resurgence of the New Orleans brass band in the late 2000s was just about the unlikeliest musical development of its time. In some ways, it was a product of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, a living proof of the steadfastness of the people of the Crescent City who endured such horror, natural and manmade. [...]

David Simon and HBO's Treme—a chronicle of the musicians and other residents of New Orleans struggling to rebuild their homes and lives after Hurricane Katrina—could never hope to meet the bar set by their previous Baltimore-based series, The Wire. But it has done something that its predecessor couldn't: For all its somberness and hardship, it [...]

Whenever I tell folks I like New Orleans brass bands, I gotta convince them that the groups are funky like old-school DC go-go combos, not sedate like old-fashioned Dixieland troupes.  That is the case with Mama Digdown's Brass Band, who are appearing at the Surf Club Thursday night (conflict of interest note—I told them about [...]

Saadiq/Legend at DAR Constitution Hall; Dr. John and the Lower 911 at Blues Alley
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Raphael Saadiq and Dr. John are both on tour at present, peddling different brands of regressively delightful music to packed, loyal audiences. The Doctor (Mac Rebennack, to get technical) and Saadiq (né Wiggins) wear their influences on their sleeves and dress [...]