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The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival gets a lot of flack for booking artists not exclusively categorized as “jazz,” and this year, there were plenty of online trolls and critics pointing out the alleged disparity with particular regard to the headliners. Among those being called out who played the second weekend, May 2-5: The Rolling Stones on Thursday; Foo Fighters, Hozier, and Steel Pulse on Friday; and Neil Young, Greta Van Fleet, and Queen Latifah on Saturday. Sunday was an exception, as headliners Trombone Shorty, Bonnie Raitt, and Earth, Wind & Fire all cross over into typical jazz territory on occasion (other perhaps atypical examples who performed the first weekend, April 25-28, included Vampire Weekend, Juvenile, Heart, The Killers, and The Beach Boys).

I’d surmise that most if not all of these naysayers have never actually attended the 53-years-running festival. If they had, or done sufficient analysis, it’s more likely they’d realize the folly of their overgeneralized assumptions.

It’s not wrong, however, to point out that most closing acts weren’t bread-and-butter jazz, but there are a few points in defense of the overall fest’s status worth recognizing. First, festival culture in general would ostensibly be on the brink of extinction if it hadn’t evolved to incorporate more contemporary artists seeing as the bulk of fans fueling ticket sales are largely younger demographics. The trend is evident across the board with one chief example being Bonnaroo, which for years closed out with legacy acts like Elton John, Tom Petty, and Billy Joel, but scores of young fans were taking off early, so, with some exceptions, there were largely bigger pop acts brought on to wrap up the 4-day fest like The Weeknd, The Killers, Paramore, and Foo Fighters.

Yet, cynics are forgetting one other important element highlighted in the New Orleans fest’s moniker: “heritage.” And that aspect — the idea that the music of any active artist, regardless of genre category, owes oodles to roots musicians, many of whom hail sectors (blues, R&B, classic rock, you name it) that were heavily influenced by jazz sentimentalities. The Rolling Stones — whose performance marked a historic moment in the event’s history, in large part because they’ve been Jazz Fest’s white whale headliner for several years running — gave a pointed nod by bringing out Crescent City jazz queen Irma Thomas to perform “Time Is On My Side.” It was an especially resplendent moment for the fact those both Thomas and The Stones recorded versions of the song in 1964. The Foo Fighters and Neil Young likewise could never deny their legacy owing itself to jazz forbears, evident during their sets simply by virtue of delving into extended, sometimes freeform jams. Foos frontman Dave Grohl offered a specific note: “The best week of my life was spent here with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band,” a reference to 2014 sessions that led to the song “In The Clear,” featuring the legendary group on eighth studio album Sonic Highways.

That said, it isn’t a stretch to note that jazz, a key aspect of general music history and a New Orleans tradition through and through, is an integral part of the glue that ties all the fest’s artists together. A more obvious crossover example from Saturday’s lineup was Rhiannon Giddens, who declared that she and her band were on a mission to guide the audience on a journey through American music, “because all the things come together in the American sound … [starting with] Louisiana.” She proceeded to crush it with a rendition of traditional creole song “Dimanche après-midi,” featuring French vocals and furious fiddle.

As a first-time Jazz Fest attendee, it was a revelation to me that — within the bulk of the lineup leading up to headliners, which played out across 14 stages (plus additional popups) — the reigning sound was majority artist from all eras who are jazz-based. How could anyone deny that notion, especially considering sublime performances from contemporary performers Allison Russell and Samara Joy (who won the Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album accolades at this year’s Grammy Awards for latest album Linger Awhile)? And while Queen Latifah’s Saturday performance leaned heavily on her classic hip-hop catalogue, she made her point by opening the set with sultry crooner “When You’re Good To Mama,” pulled from the 2002 Chicago soundtrack. Then there was a full solo set from the Queen of New Orleans Jazz, Irma Thomas, on Sunday, and you absolutely can’t make an argument against that one.

Jazz Fest’s staggering commitment to music heritage on a global scale was also evident in their Cultural Exchange program, which this year highlighted artists from Colombia. Standouts among the performances included the highly influential Grupo Niche, a significant feature on the main stage from Cimarrón and a wildly colorful and exuberant show from percussion-based Matachindé in the exchange tent itself. Also impossible to ignore within the context of legacy — at this festival in particular — was the joyful tribute to the late Jimmy Buffet, led by his Coral Reefer Band and featuring guests such as Irma Thomas, Sonny Landreth, Trombone Shorty, and Buffet’s oldest daughter, Savannah (who joined for crowd favorite “Fins”). Buffet and his band played Jazz Fest about a dozen times over the years, and in that same vein, other nods to the fest’s longstanding traditions included Bonnie Raitt (who made a similar number of appearances over the decades in some form or another) and Leo Nocentelli of The Meters (who perhaps has more features at the fest than most artists save for the Neville Brothers).

As a whole, the festival celebrates cultural heritage in ways that stretch far beyond music: visual arts, craftsmanship (woodworking, blacksmithing, etc), even circus performances. And the food … WOW. Y’all, at least half the experience of Jazz Fest is indulging in the incredible variety of cuisine, a mouth-watering array of local flavors infused with ingredients from virtually every culture imaginable. Go for the music, stay for the food.

So, if you’re one of those hopping on Reddit boards and taking issue with the 8-day event eschewing the supposed theme of its name, take careful consideration. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was and still is — even in the modernized landscape of 2024 festivals — an homage to all the intertwined threads of musical culture, which inevitably connect to jazz. It’s a home for fans of all stripes: young, old, funky and outlandish, rockers, swing, funk and hip-hop aficionados, diehard hippies, historians and world travelers, to name a few. Prior to my firsthand experience, I didn’t fully understand the extent of Jazz Fest’s inclusivity, both musically and socially, but by the end, there was no doubt that the community welcomes anyone with an open mind and a love for live music. I implore everyone: before you hand down your final judgment, make the pilgrimage, experience the magic, and find out for yourself.

Check out an exclusive photo gallery from the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival below.

Foo Fighters

Hozier

Queen Latifah

Bonerama

Matachinde

Atmosphere

Galactic

Allison Russell

Hotboy Ronald

Big Chief Bird And The Young Hunters

Cimarron

Leo Nocentelli

Cowboy Mouth

Samara Joy

Rhiannon Giddens

Neil Young And Crazy Horse

Irma Thomas

Grupo Niche

Jimmy Buffet Tribute

Earth Wind And Fire

The Wallflowers

They say you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house, and according to some rap fans on Twitter (mainly fans of Drake, probably), Metro Boomin should have done some remodeling before sparking the whole tiff with Drake that eventually drew in ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, and The Weeknd.

Over on Twitter (which I am never calling “X,” thank you very much), #MetroGroomin is trending after fans resurfaced some (very) old tweets from Metro in which he “jokes” about with underage fans. In one, he writes, “I’m tryna tell #oomfs [one of my followers] that ‘age ain’t nothin but a number’ lol.” (In 2011, Metro was 18 years old.)

Metro was the catalyst for the so-called “rap civil war” that exploded over the past month. After rumors circulated online of discord between Drake and the hit making producer late last year, the simmering rivalry boiled over with the release of Metro and Future’s joint album We Don’t Trust You. On the album track “Like That,” Kendrick Lamar unloaded an open invitation on Drake and J. Cole, but things quickly spiraled as other rappers got involved, J. Cole dipped out, and Drake and Kendrick engaged in an increasingly nasty back-and-forth that included accusations of abuse.

The NCIS collection of shows has been rapidly growing with more recently announced spin offs including a Younger Gibbs series and a Ziva/Tony combo show. This has even led people to wonder whether Pauley Perrette will ever return to the franchise (she will not, unless she has a complete change of heart), but not every bit of the related news is positive.

In late April, Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reported that CBS had made the decision to cancel spin off NCIS: Hawai’i after three seasons:

It came down to the wire, but NCIS: Hawai’i ultimately didn’t make the cut for next season at CBS. The news comes days before the network is set to announce its fall schedule on May 2 and before the Season 3 finale of Hawai’i is scheduled to air on May 6. According to sources, the episode was not meant to be a series finale and includes a tease for what was to come but fans won’t be left reeling by a major cliffhanger.

Unfortunately, that sources who fueled last line did not nail the details because the series — which has been definitively cancelled by CBS due to “financials” — did end on a cliffhanger, although obviously, the cast and crew did not foresee this happening. Now, viewers might never know if LL Cool J’s character (Sam, who moved over from NCIS: LA) definitely survives his bioweapon exposure, and that’s only the beginning of frustrations for those who aired grievances following this turn of events.

At this time, CBS has not announced that there will be a wrap-up episode to tie any loose ends, and sadly, this happens in TV. Heck, I’m still waiting to find out who got killed at the altar in the unintended series finale of FOX’s Melrose Place spin off, Models Inc., but not even Melrose producer Darren Star or Models Inc. star Carrie-Anne Moss know the answer to that question!

(Via Deadline & Variety)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Story tells the action-packed origin story of the iconic character first introduced in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy steps in as the titular Furiosa, and the actress is already getting early rave reviews for her portrayal of the rogue warrior.

Director Edgar Wright gave his own mini-review of the film, which hits theaters on May 24th. He posted on Instagram, “Even though I understand what it takes to make a film, I still don’t understand how Dr. George Miller does it. I was lucky enough to see Furiosa a month ago, and I’m still reeling at how films like his exist. It’s so intricate, detailed, and immersive. The planning and love that have gone into the staging, blocking, and design are just unreal. Hats off to George and team for giving us 45 years of imaginative, visceral cinema. The movie is a feast for your eyes and ears, a full circle to the first Max adventure in 1979.”

Not only is Wright a fan of the flick, he also revealed that he had an integral part in Anya Taylor-Joy landing the role. The actress starred in Wright’s Last Night In Soho in 2021, which inspired George Miller to reach out after he had seen the film. He further explained:

Way back in March 2020, literally 48 hours before the pandemic shutdown happened and the country shut down, I had dinner with George Miller in London after he watched an early cut of ‘Last Night In Soho’. He asked me if Anya would be a good choice to play young Furiosa, and I responded, ‘Do it, do it! She’s a star, get her now!’. I texted Anya that night to expect a call from George Miller, and I’m so thrilled to see the results four years later. What a ride, you will enjoy!

So, we would have never gotten Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa if she had never been spiritually stalked by Matt Smith in Last Night In Soho. He always wins! Check out the full post below.

The 2024 Met Gala went down yesterday (May 6), and like always, some creative looks were on display. Doja Cat showed up in a soaking wet white t-shirt dress, and Camila Cabello came through with something similar in terms of wetness.

Cabello’s dress appeared relatively ordinary, although it certainly wasn’t in that it featured over 250,000 Swarovski crystals, weighed 15 pounds, and took over 450 hours to make, as E! notes.

What was actually more attention-grabbing, though, was her purse. It wasn’t a purse at all, really, but rather, just a solid block of ice. As Vogue notes, inside the ice was a single rose, inspired by the one on the Jane Wade-designed invitation to the event. As Cabello walked the red carpet with her ice, it was dripping all over her hands and onto the venue floor.

In an interview with Variety, Cabello explained, “I feel like the theme was very impermanent, things changing, but also my album, Miami, we’re dripping. We’re wet, we’re icy, but we’re melting.”

She also told E!, “My hands are really cold. I can’t feel my hands.”

Yesterday was overall pretty major for Cabello. Aside from making noise at the Met Gala, she also announced the title and release date of her upcoming album: C, XOXO is set to drop on June 28.

Last night’s Met Gala festivities served up some truly classic, head-turning, head-scratching, eyebrow-raising ensembles that will surely be remembered among some of the events most creative. Doja Cat took an interesting angle on the flowers theme, while Usher’s dramatic look inspired comparisons to all kinds of pop culture superheroes. Another star whose outfit generated a ton of buzz on social media was Lizzo, whose form-fitting brown dress and accompanying headdress had many users making arboreal observations, including “I Am Groot.”

The star recently drew plenty of social media attention after posting about being “tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” leading some to speculate that she was announcing her departure from the music business. However, she later clarified her statement in another post, “When I say I quit, I mean quit giving any negative energy attention. What I’m not gonna quit is the joy of my life, which is making music.”

Her comments may have been spurred by having to deal with an ongoing lawsuit from some of her former dancers, who alleged that she created a hostile work environment. She has since requested a dismissal from the suit, as many of the complaints lodged within it pertain to Lizzo’s dance team captain, Shirlene Quigley, whom the plaintiffs say made inappropriate sexual comments.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

6lack announced the No More Lonely Nights Tour, PartyNextDoor did the same for his Sorry, I’m Outside Tour, as did Lucky Daye for The Algorithm Tour. Normani reflected on her time in Fifth Harmony, and Mary J. Blige opened up about her future in music. Elsewhere, 4batz dropped his debut project U Made Me A St4r while Coco Jones, Ravyn Lenae, and others returned with new music.

Here’s what the music world had to offer in the past week:

Ravyn Lenae — “Love Is Blind” & “Love Me Not”

Ravyn Lenae fans were hit with good news this week as the singer announced her sophomore album Bird’s Eye. Together with the announcement, she released two singles — “Love Is Blind” and “Love Me Not.” The former reflects on the regrets of a past relationship while aiming to grow for the next one, while the latter captures the relationship of desiring someone without being dependent on them.

Charlotte Day Wilson — Cyan Blue

Toronto singer Charlotte Day Wilson delivers another beautiful body of work with her second album Cyan Blue. The 12-track release includes a sole feature from Snoh Aalegra in what amounts to an elegant showcase of growth and improvement (especially on the songwriting end).

Coco Jones — “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”

Coco Jones finally experienced her breakout moment in 2023 thanks to What I Didn’t Tell You. Now, the singer is gearing up to release her official debut album, beginning with her new single “Here We Go (Uh Oh).” “It’s the impossible mission to move on from this chapter, from this person, from this cycle,” Jones said about the charismatic and confident song in a press release.

4batz — U Made Me A St4r

Following viral moments thanks to the success of “Act II: Date @ 8,” Dallas singer 4batz is here with his debut project U Made Me A St4r. Through 10 songs and a feature from Kanye West, 4batz reflects on a past relationship with a woman who ultimately cheated on him and sparked the fire that made him the star he is today.

Audrey Nuna — “Jokes On Me”

If you needed proof about Audrey Nuna’s versatility, look no further than her new single “Jokes On Me.” The genre-bending record is a breezy and electronic track that Nuna says came about thanks to “being around people that I could feel vulnerable with.” She added, “It’s a song about going through ups and downs with someone to realize in the end that the irony is pointing right back at you.”

Felix Ames — Jena (Deluxe)

Six months after he released his debut project Jena, Milwaukee singer Felix Ames unveils its deluxe edition. Adding to the project’s original 12 songs, Ames gives fans a treat with three additional songs including the excellent “Mr. Weatherman.”

RINI — “Miracle”

Following last year’s UltraViolet EP, RINI is back in action with his new single “Miracle.” The track is a funky effort anchored by an infectious chorus and honest lyrics that make RINI a worthwhile listen.

Kenyon Dixon — “Still”

With The R&B You Love: From The ’99 And The 2000 and The R&B You Love Tour on the way, Kenyon Dixon arrives with a pep in his step thanks to “Still.” The upbeat and groovy record is dedicated to an ex that Dixon just can’t move on from. Attempts to replace her have failed over and over again, leading to Dixon accepting that the woman in question is “the one” for him.

PJ Morton — “Smoke And Mirrors”

Ahead of the release of Cape Town to Cairo next month, PJ Morton drops a third single from the upcoming 9-track project. “Smoke & Mirrors” arrives as a horn-heavy track that blends sounds known to Morton as well as the new ones he discovered during a 30-day trip to Africa, which inspired the entirety of Cape Town To Cairo. “I realized that perceptions usually depend on who is telling the story,” Morton said about the song. “This song is also inspired by my journey through the music industry.”

Fana Hues — “Paper Tigers”

Fans Hues season is now underway! The singer returned with “Paper Tigers,” a soaring track that puts Hues’ pristine and sharp artistry on display. “This song is about the discovery of a fresh love that’s so good, you have to scream about it,” Hues said about the song in a press release.

Eli Derby — “Run It Up”

The independent campaign continues for DMV singer Eli Derby with his new single “Run It Up.” The track follows “Her Type” which he released in February as his first single since leaving LVRN. The bouncy record is led by a thumping bass as Derby sings highly of himself, speaking of his success in music, with money, and with the ladies.

In recent years, the Disney cartoon Darkwing Duck has been the subject of much nostalgia, especially surrounding its admittedly jammin’ theme song. Well, fans might be looking for a remix from none other than R&B superstar Usher after his uber-dramatic Met Gala 2024 ensemble inspired comparisons to the titular character, along with a plethora of other similarly-garbed characters from across popular culture. Here’s a look at the Alexander McQueen fit, with featured Drake Mallard’s signature broad-brimmed hat and an actual cloak.

Among the comparisons Usher received were also the Phantom Of The Opera:

Tuxedo Mask from the anime Sailor Moon:

And pulp comics hero The Shadow (and the ’90s film quasi-ripoff, Darkman).

Earlier this year, Usher donned some similarly striking looks as he took the stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, somehow finding the time in the 15-minute set for multiple wardrobe changes, custom Air Jordan 4s, and some innocent canoodling with guest star Alicia Keys, who joined him onstage to sing their 2004 collaboration, “My Boo.”

Meanwhile, Usher wasn’t the only star to turn heads with his ensemble. Doja Cat put a whole new spin on the term “wet look” (topping her feline transformation from last year’s gala).

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock have been buds for years, and it’s nice to know that unlike their Lake House counterparts, they actually aren’t separated by time and space. They are just a normal pair of pals!

The two first worked together on the 1994 action flick Speed, which became a surprise hit. While the duo spent 90 percent of the movie looking at the road instead of each other, audiences were rooting for the pair.

“We had an affection,” Reeves said on the 50 MPH podcast this week. “And the characters themselves have an affection. I think Jack and Annie’s is different than Sandra’s and Keanu’s, but I think we played off each other and I think it was just fun. I think, also, we kind of trusted each other, right?” The costars both appeared on the podcast to commemorate the movie’s 30th anniversary.

When asked about teaming up with Bullock again, Reeves was enthusiastic. “I mean, you know — we’d freakin’ knock it out of the park,” he said, correctly.

Considering the infamous sequel, it doesn’t seem likely that Speed 3 (Sp33d?) will get made, but the two hope to work together again in the future. Bullock added, “Before I die, before I leave this planet, I do think that Keanu and I need to do something in front of the camera. Are we, you know, in wheelchairs or with walkers? Maybe. Are we on little scooters at Disneyland?”

Reeves is on board. “It does feel like there is a siren call to it, like there’s something that wasn’t done,” he said, before poetically adding, “I would love to work with you again before our eyes close.” The concept of Keanu Reeves dying is not one that should ever be brought up, but it’s nice that he is realistic about it.

For now, you can stream Speed on Hulu… or The Lake House for free on The Roku Channel.

(Via Variety)

There are varying levels of fame, and sometimes those of us who exist in the sports bubble can forget how many people out there have no idea who most athletes are. Game shows can provide a great glimpse into that world, as both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune can present reminders that there are limits to how famous many athletes are.

On Monday night, we got an example of that during an episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune puzzle that tried to get the three contestants to spell out Travis And Jason Kelce, only for the three celebrity contestants to have absolutely no clue who the football brothers were. The result was spinning until they literally got every letter (guessing a J, C, and K in order was, honestly, impressive) and then having to confusedly read off the name.

Maybe the funniest part is the pronunciation she went with is actually the correct pronunciation of Kelce, it’s just Travis and Jason’s dad never bothered to correct anyone on it for years. As for figuring out who they were, naturally, it clicked for one of them when they realized that was Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, but poor Jason was still not known to the panel beyond Pat Sajak.