Off Broadway did "Stay in Time," correct? I remember that song from about the time I graduated high school, but I don't remember hearing anything else from them.

But my part of Wisconsin was well within the range of Chicago AM (John Records Landeker, anyone?) and Rockford FM stations. So I had at least some exposure to bands like Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon before they broke nationwide.

Off Broadway did "Stay in Time," correct?

Yes. I love that song and hadn't heard it for 35 years or so.

eta: "Full Moon Turn My Head Around" is from the same album and is also great.

I remember not caring for it at the time. But that was early in my Adult Contemporary/Big Band period, which was also the period of my reaction against things Midwestern. I might react very differently if I heard it again today.

Now that I'm dating someone who's 58, we've been listening to quite a lot of '60s and '70s rock and psychedelic music. While I'm pretty familiar with all the popular bands of those genres, Anne has turned me on to all sorts of more obscure stuff. And stuff I heard as a kid but haven't since.

While I'm pretty familiar with all the popular bands of those genres, Anne has turned me on to all sorts of more obscure stuff.

There's a great box set by Mojo called Acid Drops, Space Dust and Flying Saucers which covers a ton of the Brit psych era. I'm a fan of the sole Tomorrow album.

That looks amazing!

Ok, y'all, I just got the call I've been waiting for -- it's an opportunity for songwriting for an indie movie. But I need hivemind help for it -- one of the specs is for New Orleans style blues. I know the basics, like Professor Longhair, James Booker. But I could use some cites from the music peeps here and the N'awlins crowd. Period stuff, but maybe also some more modern references? You got ideas?

Dr. John, Muddy Waters, Earl King.

But I could use some cites from the music peeps here and the N'awlins crowd. Period stuff, but maybe also some more modern references? You got ideas?

There are multiple and various tributaries into the mighty muddy of New Orleans music.

Since there are no recordings of Buddy Bolden, I'd start with the Jelly Roll Morton's Library of Congress stuff. He was a composer and pianist and singer, and was playing in Storyville whorehouses by the time he was ten.

Lewd stuff like "Winin' Boy Blues' is the basis of Nola music:

[link]

(Almost certainly way too raw for you to cover, but you have to know the era. It was originally whorehouse music, just like tango was.)

(His assertion on the intro that playing piano alone stamped a man as effeminate is such a "What?" moment that it actually opens a big window into the culture and era.)

He composed: "King Porter Stomp," "Grandpa's Spells," "Wolverine Blues," "The Pearls," "Mr. Jelly Roll," "Shreveport Stomp," "Milenburg Joys," "Black Bottom Stomp," "The Chant," "Original Jelly Roll Blues," "Doctor Jazz," "Wild Man Blues," "Winin' Boy Blues," "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say," "Don't You Leave Me Here," and "Sweet Substitute" among others.

Louis Armstrong's early recordings with the Hot Fives are some of the best things ever, and, of course, eh was a massively influential vocalist as well as trumpet player.

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If you want more contemporary takes on that stuff, one of my favorites is Ingrid Lucia (who I first saw singing in New Orleans with her family band The Flying Neutrinos, when she was about 12):

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All the people mentioned above by Dana are, of course, essential. Dr. John does an especially good job of tapping into the various traditions - pulling from James Booker's suis generis piano stylings to Mardi Gras Indians to Allen Toussaint.

Compare:

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to:

Joe Liggins' original (which I love):

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Neville Brothers also, of course.

Irma Thomas is my favorite soul era singer from NOLA:

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Fantastic, guys, will check it all out, thanks so much.