Fellowship=HipFellows: percussionist Brian Blade is profiled at CDNOW.

Get Close to Harry: Harry Connick, Jr. will host a pre-concert party on May 4th to benefit the New Orleans chapter of Habitat For Humanity; Connick donated 1,000 tickets that are selling at $130 and $150, and buyers will get to attend the 2 hour party plus get prime seats for his concert that evening; visit the NOLA Habitat For Humanity for more info.

Britney Update: Abba cover group The A*Teens will open for the Britney Spears tour which kicks off on July 19th; Britney will also be featured in an upcoming concert special on Fox TV; read more.

B There or B Square: the Downtown Development District sponsored concert series "Thursday At The Square" kicked off on April 13 at Lafayette Square in the CBD; the free 12 week series runs from 5 - 7:30 pm each Thursday; the first night featured Coolbone (with sax man Roderick Paulin sitting in) and Marva Wright; future shows will feature Fredy Omar (04/20); Kipori Woods (04/27); and a return visit by Coolbone (on May 4).

Concert Line: alt rockers No Doubt (with Lit and Black Eyed Peas) stopping in New Orleans in June.

Country Notes: nominees Tim McGraw and Hank Williams, Jr. are among scheduled performers at the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 3rd ... New Orleans born singer and songwriter Lisa Angelle talks about her new single and album with CountryCool.com.

Los Hombres Kick It Up A Notch: local favorites Los Hombres Calientes will head to Orlando on April 21st to tape a segment of Emeril Live! (hosted by local chef Emeril Lagasse); the show is scheduled to air on the Food Network on August 2nd ... in related news, their latest CD, "Los Hombres Calientes, Vol II", has cracked the Billboard Jazz Chart (at No. 27).

Nooze In Brief: country star Trace Adkins injured at Tennessee home ... rap producer Terrence McKenzie found murdered in Baton Rouge; 27 year old New Orleans native aka DJ Lil' Daddy worked with U.G.K. (Underground Kingz) and other southern rap groups ... rock group Live tour dates include Lafayette, LA (05/19) and Biloxi, MS (05/20).

Condolences to the friends and family of musician James Hutchison, who passed away on April 2nd at the age of 56; Hutchison, a saxophone player, led The Orioles who backed up Irma Thomas, Frankie Ford, and others in the 1950's; he later formed the groups Hutch, and The Sparks, who were inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 1997.

Heavy Metal For LA Singers: RIAA certifications announced on March 28, 2000 include Tim McGraw's 1997 album "Everywhere" (4 x Platinum) and the Britney Spears's single "From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" (Platinum).

Inside Satchmo.com: more violence on Cash Money Records Tour ... new Britney Spears video to premiere on MTV on April 10.

McGraw & Hill Head To Paris: country star Tim McGraw is heading to Paris later this week to shoot a video with his wife Faith Hill; the couple will be making a video for "Let's Make Love", a duet from Hill's "Breathe" album.

New Old Music: Sundazed Records are rereleasing albums by Lee Dorsey ("The New Lee Dorsey" and "Ride Your Pony") and The Meters ("Cabbage Alley", "Rejuvenation", and "Fire on the Bayou") on April 25th; all CD's feature bonus tracks not included on the original albums.

Pause For A Cause: country music star Sammy Kershaw (third cousin of Rusty and Doug Kershaw) will host a series of events and fund raisers in his hometown of Kaplan, LA for the Sammy Kershaw Foundation of Acadiana; the foundation is dedicated to assisting abused, neglected, ill and disadvantaged children in the area; scheduled events include the Sam Slam Baseball Game (April 29); the Sammy Kershaw Golf Classic (May 1); and An Evening with Sammy Kershaw on May 3, which will include dinner and a live auction; the highlight of the week, Sam Jam II, will feature Kershaw along with Terri Clark, Cajun favorites Kip Sonnier and Hurricane, Jo-El Sonnier and Blake Luquette; tickets may be purchased through Tickets Plus at 1-800-585-3737; check out SammyKershaw.com for more info.

Mr. Personality: New Orleans R&B legend Lloyd Price will make a rare concert appearance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 13th; the performance will be part of a special ceremony that will designate Cleveland's WEWS-TV studios, the home of the renowned Upbeat TV show, as a historic landmark.

Our Sympathy to the friends and family of French quarter songstress "Miss" Lily Hood who passed away on March 21st; the pianist and singer entertained Tennesee Williams, Dutch Morial, and thousands of others during her 16 years of performances at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street.

Pantera Debuts at No. 4: metal rockers Pantera's first studio album since 1996, "Reinventing The Steel", will debut at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart (for the week of April 8th); you can catch Pantera, fronted by New Orleanian Phil Anselmo, on this summer's OzzFest Tour.

Sad News From The World of Jazz: legendary trombonist Al Grey passed away on Friday, March 24th; Grey was 74, and had suffered from several ailments, including diabetes; here's more on "the last of the big time plungers" from NPR.

Harry Working On Musical: Noted director and choreographer Susan Stroman ("Contact", "Crazy for You, Steel Pier") is developing a new musical with jazz crooner Harry Connick, Jr.; the musical, based on the Emile Zola novel "Therese Raquin", will be Connick's first venture into theatre; he will compose the music and lyrics.

Brian Stoltz on MP3.com: Funky Meter guitarist Brian Stoltz has released 7 tracks from what he hopes will become his first solo album; check em' out at MP3.com.

Liner Notes: Continental Drifters Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson appear on the latest release by singer & songwriter Jules Shear; the album, titled "Allow Me", is due in stores on April 25th; Shear's credits include penning "If She Knew She What She Wants" for Vicki's former band, The Bangles.

Our Condolences to the family and friends of musician and photographer John Richard Wright, Jr., who passed away at home in Jackson, MS on Wednesday, March 22nd at age 52; Wright, a native of New Orleans, was a former drummer for sax man James Rivers; services will be held on Wednesday, 03/29, at First United Baptist Church.

Lisa Angelle Video: catch a video clip of New Orleans native Lisa Angelle's performance at the "DreamWorks Nashville Live" special at the Country.com web site.

Big Easy In The Big Apple: New Orleanians Allen Toussaint and Terence Blanchard are among the performers announced for the JVC Jazz Festival, to be held in New York from June 12-24.

Condolences to family and friends of trombonist "Kid" Layton Martens, who passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 18th; Layton was a member of the Spirit of New Orleans Brass Band; services will be held on Saturday, March 25th at Bultman Funeral Home at 12 noon; musicians are invited to bring their instruments for a post-service music celebration.

Grammy Hall of Fame: Faron Young's 1961 hit "Hello Walls" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame on Monday, March 20th.

TNN Music Awards: congrats to TNN Music Awards nominees Tim McGraw (5 nominations), Trace Adkins, and Brooks & Dunn; awards will be handed out on June 15th with live TV coverage on TNN.

News Briefs: Branford Marsalis teams up with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra ... Lucinda Williams Discusses Upcoming Projects.

Band Leader Passes: condolences to friends and family members of band leader Leon Kelner who passed away in Gulfport, Miss. on March 8th at age 77; Kelner, a native of New York, performed at the Roosevelt Hotel (now The Fairmont) from 1945 to 1971, working in the Fountain Lounge and later in the Blue Room as pianist and conductor; Kelner and his orchestra performed at the Fairmont's New Year's Eve millennium bash in December.

Earl Palmer Enters Hall of Fame: legendary New Orleans born drummer Earl Palmer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, March 6th; Palmer, along with 5 others, was inducted in a new category started this year for sidemen; Palmer thanked the Hall of Fame for recognizing that no singer was complete without a band; he accepted the award "for the other guys who are worthy but didn't live long enough to be here."

NOLA Rapper Honored: Cash Money Records rap artist Juvenile picked up the trophy for "Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist" at the Soul Train Music Awards on Saturday, March 4th.

McGraw Tops ACM Nominees: Delhi, LA native Tim McGraw, his wife Faith Hill, and The Dixie Chicks lead the field in nominations (with 5 each) for this year's Academy of Country Music Awards; other nominees with local ties are Hank Williams, Jr. and Brooks & Dunn; awards will be handed out on May 3rd.

Geno at Kennedy Center: Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie will be the featured artist on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on Thursday March 2nd; the event will be available live and online, in audio and video; beginning at 5:00 pm Central; click here to tune in!

In Brief: Cash Money Records rappers the Hot Boys will celebrate Mardi Gras at MTV Studios in New York ... Britney Spears bubble gum coming soon!

Cajun Star Honored: Cajun/country star and Grand Ole Opry member Jimmy C. Newman will be honored when he is inducted into the North America Country Music Association's International Hall of Fame on March 12th; the ceremony will take place in Sevierville, Tenn.

Grammy Recap Louisiana's only winner at the 1999 Grammys (held Feb. 23rd) was Wynton Marsalis, who shared an award in the Spoken Word Album for Children category (for "Listen to the Storyteller", with Graham Greene and Kate Winslet); teen pop queen Britney Spears, who lost in 2 categories, performed at the event.

The Pope Goes Country: country music super-couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will have an audience with Pope John Paul II in Rome on March 6th; they will read selections from a book of prayers written by the Pope.

More Tour Dates For Britney: teen pop queen Britney Spears has announced a 48-date tour to coincide with the release of her sophmore album; the tour kicks off June 15th in Charlotte; Britney's "(You Drive Me) Crazy" gets underway on March 8th.

Local Rapper Charged With Murder: No Limit Records rapper Mac, aka "The Camouflage Assassin" (real name McKinly Phipps), has been charged with murdering 19 year old Barron Victor, Jr. during an altercation at a Slidell area nightclub on Sunday evening, Feb. 20th; witnesses at the scene said that Victor was trying to break up a fight between the rapper's entourage and another man when Phipps, who performed at the club earlier, pulled a gun and shot him; Phipps, who hails from New Orleans' Third Ward, has released two solo albums on Master P's No Limit label.

The Dr. Is In: Dr. John, currently on tour in the U.K., will answer questions in an online webcast scheduled for Feb. 23rd; the event takes place at the recently revamped DrJohn.com web site at 1 p.m. local time; fans can submit their questions for Dr. John at parlophonecomps@yahoo.com.

Pazz and Jop: the Village Voice recently published their annual Pazz and Jop Critics Poll; the Continental Drifters were the only local band to rank in the Top 100 albums; their acclaimed CD "Vermillion" was listed at No. 88; props also to Cash Money Records producer Mannie Fresh, who had two singles ranked in the Top 25 (Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up" at No. 19 and B.G.'s "Bling Bling" at No. 25); Britney Spears' single "Baby One More Time" tied Juvenile for No. 19.

Master P Does Moesha: local rap magnate Master P (Percy Miller) will make a guest appearance on the hit TV sitcom "Moesha" (which stars pop singer Brandy) in May; he will appear in a three-episode storyline, playing a charming con artist who befriends Dorian (played by Ray J, Brandy's real-life brother). .

God Vibrations: congrats go out to local Christian R&B trio Trin-i-tee 5:7, who's self-titled debut album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on Feb. 8.

Doc Talks Duke: Dr. John talks about his latest album and more in an interview with Music365.

Blues Nooze: the forthcoming release by late Texas blues slinger Stevie Ray Vaughan includes a previously unavailable duet with Haynesville, LA blues man Johnny Copeland (who passed away in 1997); the jam "Tin Pan Alley" was recorded at the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival; the Vaughan CD, "Blues At Sunrise", will be released on April 4th.

More Music Award Notes: congratulations to Basin Street Records recording artists Los Hombres Calientes, who are nominated for Contemporary Latin Jazz Album Of The Year (for their self-titled debut album) at this year's Billboard Latin Music Awards; ceremonies take place on April 27th in Miami (will be covered on TV on the Telemundo network) ... props also to Cash Money Records' rapper Juvenile who is up for a Soul Train Music Award (Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist), being held March 4 in Los Angeles.

Fiddlers Championship: Fiddlers statewide are invited to compete in the 29th Annual Louisiana State Fiddlers Championship scheduled for Saturday, April 1 at Rebel State Historic Site in Marthaville, LA; the contest, hosted by the Office of State Parks, is open to all Louisiana residents and features competition in 4 divisions including: junior competitors, ages 12 and under; young adults, ages 13 - 20; adult contestants, ages 21 - 54; and senior contestants, 55 and older; for full detials, see the Press Releases section on our Music Boards.

Blockbuster Awards: nominees for the 6th Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards include Juvenile, Britney Spears (2), Tim McGraw, and Brooks & Dunn; the event will be televised on FOX in June, 2000; here's the full list of music nominees.

News Bytes: Country star Sammy Kershaw to run for Louisiana governor? ... Britney Spears to perform at Grammy Awards.

Condolences: to the family and friends of producer and Ace Records founder Johnny Vincent (John Vincent Imbragulio) who passed away in Jackson, MS on Friday (Feb. 4) at age 74.

More Passings In The Music World: noted rapper Big Punisher (Christopher Rios) died from an apparent heart attack on Monday (Feb. 7) at age 28; guitarist and vocalist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett (of Savoy Brown and Foghat fame) died from complications from cancer on Monday at age 57.

Remembering Satchmo: Jazz at Lincoln Center is getting ready to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Louis Armstrong's birth; beginning on the Fourth of July of this year (Louis thought his birthday to be July 4, 1900; a birth certificate later showed his birthday to be Aug. 1, 1901), Jazz at Lincoln Center will honor three aspects of Satchmo's career for the following 13 months: his virtuoso trumpet playing, his understanding of how to play the blues, and his role as an international ambassador and humanitarian; read more.

Best of the Beat: congrats to all winners (and nominees) of OffBeat's annual "Best of the Beat" awards; the awards were handed out on February 1st.

Our Wishes for a speedy recovery go out to rocker Jerry Lee Lewis, who was hospitalized in Memphis on Tuesday after an allergic reaction to a drug he was given after cutting his finger; read more.

Blues Notes I: congrats to New Orleans-based blues musician Chris Vincent who's music will be featured in the upcoming seasons of MTV's "The Real World" and "Road Rules; check the IUMA web site for more on Chris.

Blues Notes II: the recently launched BluesBLITZ web community features audio clips & downloads from Tab Benoit, Buddy Guy, Lazy Lester, Buckwheat Zydeco, Boozoo Chavis, and many others; check them out at BluesBlitz.com.

Rap Notes: the next musical project from sidelined hoopster Master P is Da 504 Boyz, a group made up of Master P (Percy Miller), his brother Silkk The Shocker, and No Limit label mate Mystikal; the album, titled "Goodfellas", is due to drop on March 21st; the first single, "Where Ya At", should hit the air waves around the end of February.

CNN To Feature Louisiana Music: CNN will airs a special episode of their music series "World Beat" in February, featuring the music of New Orleans and South-West Louisiana; read more.

Webcast Archive: catch home town favorite Wessell Anderson in a taped concert webcast from The Blue Note in New York, plus links to more past 'net events in our webcast archive page.

Tina's Last Tour? legendary R&B songstress Tina Turner has announced plans for her "Twenty Four Seven" tour, which will include a stop in New Orleans (exact date and venue TBA); Tina has also confirmed that although she will continue to record and make special public appearances, this will be her final major tour; if you've never seen Tina live, you'd better catch her this time around!

Benefit For The Sinclairs: a benefit for Penny and John Sinclair will be held at the House of Blues on Feb. 6th at 8:00 pm; John and Penny lost many personal belongings in a fire at their home on the night of January 23rd; scheduled performers at the fund raiser include Eddie Bo, Wild Magnolias, Jon Cleary, Snooks Eaglin, Kermit Ruffins, the Treme Brass Band, James Andrews & Trombone Shorty, John Boutté, Michelle Shocked, and Coco Robicheaux; stay tuned for further details.

Profyle on Motown Tour: Shreveport, LA vocal group Profyle will be featured on the Motown College Tour which kicks off Feb. 2 at Southern University in Baton Rouge; the tour will also stop at Xavier in New Orleans on Feb. 4th; headlining the tour is former Tony! Toni! Tone! vocalist Dwayne Wiggins, also onboard are soul artist Grenique and hip hop artist Cap One.

NPR's JazzSet: upcoming segment's of National Public Radio's "JazzSet with Branford Marsalis" include Wynton Marsalis Octet at Marciac (airs locally on WWNO on 01/27), Jazz in Film with Terrence Blanchard (03/18), and a special New Orleans Jazz Fest two week special featuring Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, ReBirth Brass Band, Los Hombres Calientes, and Nicholas Payton (airs on 04/22 and 04/29); check the JazzSet web site for the full schedule; here's where to catch NPR in your area; also see the WWNO web site.

Jam With Kenny Wayne: Shreveport blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd kicks off his latest tour at the New Orleans House of Blues on February 17th; in conjunction with the tour, Giant Records, Fender, Guitar Center and Launch Magazine have announced the "Jam With Kenny Wayne Shepherd" contest, where two Grand Prize winners, one 17 years of age or younger and one 18 and older, will win the chance to play guitar with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band live on stage in Los Angeles at the House of Blues; for full details, see the "Press Releases" area of our Message Boards.

Ali Hosts Music Show: former Miss Louisiana and Miss USA Ali Landry will be a co-host of the new music series "Farmclub.com", which makes it's debut on January 31st on the USA Network; the new show is part of Jimmy and Doug's Farmclub.com, a revolutionary record label which uses the Internet and cable television to find and record major talent; Ali's co-host on the show will be MTV's Matt Pinfield.

Payton Profile: trumpeter Nicholas Payton discusses his new album and more in a profile by UPI.

Concert News: Bruce Springsteen has announced plans for the second leg of his North American tour; Bruce, backed by The E Street Band, will play the New Orleans Arena on March 19th.

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. Produces Lil' Brian: Lil' Brian & The Zydeco Travelers's new album, "Funky Nation", will be released on Dural's Tomorrow Recordings on Feb. 22; upcoming Lil' Brian gigs include New Orleans Jazz Fest; read more.

Louisiana Music Cornerstone of State's Tourism Message: The Louisiana Office of Tourism will feature the state's music, from hot jazz and steamy blues to sublime classics in TV, magazine and newspaper ads throughout the United States and abroad; they will also team up with Putumayo World Music to promote the Y2K tourism advertising campaign; this partnership includes the upcoming Putumayo CD Release Party (Tipitina's; Jan. 27th), which will be carried live by WWOZ-FM, and featured on CNN's World Beat and Louisiana Jukebox.

Best of MP3.com: congrats to New Orleans guitarist Victor Sirker, who's song "Black Coffee" was voted the #4 Blues Song Of The Year at MP3.com; in addition, his song "Desert Night" was voted the #15 Jazz Song Of The Year; check out Victor's web site for more info.