Customer Reviews

Louisiana Music: A Journey From R&b To Zydeco, Jazz To Country, Blues To Gospel, Cajun Music To Swamp Pop To Carnival Music And Beyond

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Rick Koster's Louisiana Music is the first and only guide to the variety of musicians in this southern American state: others have focused on specific styles (Creole, Cajun, Zydeco) but Louisiana Music considers the past and present of jazz, rock, gospel and other styles of both urban and lesser-known areas, including the Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Louisiana Music is a `must' for avid fans of Louisiana music.

This is an excellent book that covers the many diverse genres of Louisiana Music. The Forward is written by Fred LeBlanc of the New Orleans Rock Band "Cowboy Mouth" - (Please see the DVD "The Name of the Band is Cowboy Mouth"). The author along with a Louisiana friend Brent Blackwell, a.k.a. "Louisiana Black" take an "Odessy" into Louisiana Music, beginning in the New Orlean's French Quarter. However, their "journey" takes them to all parts of the State and to all the major genres of Louisiana Music.

Their journey begins with "Jazz" - the birth of an "art form". Afterall, New Orleans is the "birthplace of jazz". The late/great Louis Armstrong, a.k.a. "Satchmo",is the focus in this section, along with many other contributors to this art form known as "Jazz". Next, modern jazz and brass bands are covered. Some of the Artists include: Branford Marsalis (he is in the DVD "Warren Haynes Presents the Benefit Concert Vol.8" - he is an outstanding Saxaphone player), Harry Connick, Jr., Marcia Ball, The ReBirth Brass Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Olympia Brass Band, and others.

Then the author procedes into "Rhythm & Blues" (including the Piano Giants) Artists include: Henry "Professor Longhair" Byrd, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, "Fats" Domino, Dr. John and others. Then it gets into the hit makers of the Neville Brothers, the Funky Meters (See their DVD filmed at a N.O. Jazz Festival), Irma Thomas, Lloyd Price, Galactic (a N.O. Jam Band), and others.(Please see the DVD "Make it Funky" - a Story of New Orleans Music).

Next, the journey extends into "The Blues", and covers such "giants" as "LeadBelly" from the Shreveport area, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Buddy Guy, and "newer" artists of Kenny Wayne Shepard from Shreveport, Tab Benoit, Sonny Landreth, and others.

The Journey enters into Cajun & Zydeco music, where the major players are BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet (Please see their DVD filmed at the N.O. Jazz Fest), Chifton Chenier (the late/great King of Zydeco - please see his DVD), Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Wayne Toups & ZydeCajun (He has "southern rock" influences), Buckwheat Zydeco, Queen Ida, and others.

The Gospel Music of Louisiana in explored. Major artists here include: the late/great Mahalia Jackson born in New Orleans (The Queen of Gospel), and the Cox Family (they are from Cotton Valley, Louisiana, & they were in the "movie" & "soundtrack" of "O Brother Where Art Thou" - They are Gospel Bluegrass). Then you get secular artists who have recorded Gospel Music, these include: Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, Hank Williams Jr., and others.

Then, Rock & Roll Music is discussed. As far as Rock & Roll, you get the Louisiana Bands of Cowboy Mouth, Better Than Ezra, Louisiana's LeRoux (they had the big 1970's hit "New Orleans Ladies", The Radiators (they are a Jam Band), Jerry Lee Lewis, Lucinda Williams, Phil Anselmo (the former lead singer for the Dallas area "Metal" Group Pantera), and others.

The Country Music scene in Louisiana is then explored. The legendary, historic "Louisiana Hayride" radio show from Shreveport is explored (Please see the DVD "Louisiana Hayride"). Many "new" country & rockabilly artists moved to Shreveport (for a year or so), to be on the "Louisiana Hayride". Some include: Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton and others. Plus, a Louisiana native son James Burton (an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) performed as a guitarist for the "Louisiana Hayride" (James Burton was not in the book, but I thought I'd mention him). Major players in the Louisiana country music genre include Webb Pierce (from West Monroe), Floyd Cramer (he moved to Shreveport to be part of the Louisiana Hayride), Faron Young, Doug & Sammy Kershaw, Hank Williams, Jr.(he was born in Shreveport while his Dad, Hank Sr. was a member of the Louisiana Hayride). Other Louisiana Country Stars include Tim McGraw, Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, Trace Adkins, Andy Griggs, Evangeline (a talented female group from New Orleans), and others.

Louisiana even has a "Pop Star", Brittany Spears from Kentwood.

The music of the Mardi Gras Indians is discussed, along with "Voodoo Music", "Swamp Pop" and even New Orleans "Rap & Hip-Hop".

This is a very comprehensive, and very well presented book about the diversity of Louisiana Music. I found it to be very informative, and interesting to read. Louisiana is a unique state and so is it's music. If you like music history, or want to learn more about Louisiana Music, then I highly recommend this book. Thanks!!!!

Just finished this book. It is another great effort on the part of this very talented writer. This will make for a wonderful addition to my music collection as a fantastic reference book. This work is HIGHLY recommended! Rick Koster -- keep writing!

Hey - it does what the title says. It is not the greatest book on the subject - but I appreciate the writing style, and the journey that the author leads us on. It is a very very broad subject - Louisiana Music - and the book could be 100 times bigger and not cover it all. This is an OK book for the beginner student on Louisiana Music.

This book contains a plethora of very valuable histories
of many well known and (more importantly) lesser known Louisiana bands and artists. Mr. Koster, although from neighboring Texas, has really done his homework on this project. You can also find Mr. Koster's dry humor come into play throughout.

If you like this book, you will also enjoy Mr. Koster's book on the history of Texas music called, you guessed it, "Texas Music".