| Jazz |
Forget everything you think you know about Louisiana music. This is a conceptual album that defies genre, carving out its own niche and captivating those of us fascinated by such ambitious undertakings. Louisiana is at once folklore, a touch of blues, a dash of funk, and a richly blended musical heritage. This album weaves it all together, offering a stroke of pure genius. It paints vivid scenes and portraits across a state—and across the United States. An album for both body and soul. A collection of “Poetry and Music to dream and dance by.” Its motto? “The FUN is the biggest part of FUNKY.” Its refrain: “Here, freedom is unlike anywhere else in the world,” speaking of Louisiana and the United States.
This double album immerses you in its riches for two hours and 18 minutes.
The journey is joyous, balancing a deep respect for ethnic roots with arrangements and compositions that feel strikingly contemporary. The Rivers Answer Moons Band, an ensemble of stars, delivers a captivating performance.
Those lucky enough to hear it are effusive in their praise:
“Like Shakespeare, Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, Virginia Woolf, and Carson McCullers, DON PAUL uses words as music.” —DAVID AMRAM
“There’s no question about the artistic talent of ROGER LEWIS.” —DODIE GOULD
“KIRK JOSEPH is a musician unlike any other.” —ELVIS COSTELLO
DON VAPPIE is enshrined in the Banjo Hall of Fame.
HERMAN LEBEAUX drummed and played percussion for ALLEN TOUSSAINT for over 20 years.
ALEXEY MARTI, a Cuban native, has led his own band across two albums since 2017.
“This was an extraordinary experience,” wrote LOUIS MICHOT to Don Paul after he and his brother ANDRÉ MICHOT recorded five tracks for Histoires de Louisiane in July 2024.
“This is what music should sound like,” declared BIG CHIEF SHAKA ZULU after listening to the 12 vocal tracks at a listening session at the Angela King Gallery last August.
“I could listen to these songs all night,” said KELLY LOVE JONES during the same event.
It’s an album whose lyrics and music inspire immediate love.
“I LOVED IT!” wrote KATE SMITH.
“The arrangements are vibrant and poignant, as rich as the precious lives they portray. You can taste the colors and feel the sounds.”
“I adore it!” said JACKIE HARRIS. “This is an exceptional album, and the music is extraordinary.”
“I love it so much,” wrote NANCY YVONNE MEREDITH. “So much gratitude for these generous gifts and this truly marvelous achievement.”
“The production blew me away. Everything is incredible. I love it. What an amazing project,” wrote PEARL MCDONALD.
“Wow! What a mix! It sounds fantastic,” wrote MELISSA GREGORY RUE.
“Don, I just wanted to tell you the new album is AMAZING! You’re fantastic!” wrote LINDA SEABRIGHT.
“I love Histoires de Louisiane,” said JENNIFER MAXWELL. “It fills me with positive feelings.”
“The album is incredible, and I’m proud to have been a part of it,” wrote LYNN DRURY.
“As soon as I get a download, it’s on my show,” wrote HOBART TAYLOR.
DPRAM—Don Paul and Rivers Answer Moons—thanks every person and moment that contributed to the creation of Histoires de Louisiane, and extends special gratitude to engineers JUSTIN TOCKET, RICK G. NELSON, ADAM KEIL, and DAVID FARRELL, as well as Marigny and Dockside studios.
With guest appearances by HERLIN RILEY, MICHAEL TORREGANO JR., MARIO ABNEY, and ERICA FALLS on the track “Get Your JAM On!” and LYNN DRURY on “Some Rain Tonight,” this album is a treasure trove of musical brilliance.
There’s simply nothing to criticize here. Just open your mind and let yourself be swept away. Don Paul’s voice will inevitably win you over, delivering its distilled poetry like fine rum—leaving you wanting more and more. This is an artistic masterpiece, deserving of a place among those albums—or in this case, double albums—we deem essential.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, January 2nd 2025
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