Happy Birthday, June Yamagishi!

New Orleans-based Guitarist June Yamagishi was born on June 6, 1953, in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. He is the guitarist for bands Papa Grows Funk and the Wild Magnolias. He has been a major force in the Japanese blues and jazz scene since the early 1970s. In 1995, Yamagishi left his well-established career behind in Japan to live in New Orleans where he still lives today. Since he found his home in the Crescent City, he has played with musicians including Earl King, Henry Butler, Davell Crawford, Marva Wright, George Porter, Jr., among many others in addition to the two groups he is a member of. Today we wish June a very happy birthday!

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

UP FROM THE STREETS New Orleans: The City of Music

For New Orleanians, music is a way of life and the foundation of their cultural resilience. Eagle Rock Entertainment and Michael Murphy Productions, Inc. present Up From The Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music, a feature length documentary that showcases the culture of New Orleans through the lens of music. Hosted by Oscar nominee and six-time Grammy Winner Terence Blanchard, the film tells stories of music as a vehicle to help battle racial injustices, unite people in good times and bad, and how music continues to be a vital form of expression today. 

Once you purchase an “e-ticket” for $12, you will be sent a link & password to view the film at home. Your purchase supports one of 50 local movie theaters nationwide (available here), as well as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund, a statewide relief initiative that supports New Orleans and Louisiana musicians who have lost income due to the pandemic. The ticket order is good for 7 days, and viewers will have 72 hours to watch the film once they’ve started watching it.

Enjoy this engaging, award-winning documentary about the most unique U.S. city, New Orleans!

Get Down and GiveNOLA Virtual Concert on May 27th!

This YLC Wednesday at the Square: Get Down and Give NOLA digital concert will harness the power of music to unite our community behind a common cause – multiplying our impact by giving together. While we couldn't get together in-person this spring, we're excited to share that we'll be gathering virtually to celebrate what would have been an incredible season.

The musicians from this year's line-up, as well as several beloved alumni, are donating songs for you to enjoy at our Get Down and Give NOLA virtual concert. They're eager to share their messages with you on what it means to be proud to call New Orleans home. Watch live at 5pm NOLA time, 3pm L.A. time, on May 27 on the YLC Wednesday at the Square Facebook page or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSUa-GMXJUx693u1COdNXbg).

Enjoy performances by: Alexis & the Samurai, Amanda Shaw, Anders Osborne, Andrew Duhon, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Daria + The Hip Drops, Dave Jordan + Rurik Nunan, Erica Falls, Flow Tribe, Galactic, Kermit Ruffins, Little Freddie King, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Marc Broussard, Margie Perez, Marcia Ball, N.O.B.A.B.E, New Orleans Johnnys, The Quickening, The Revivalists, Robin Barnes, and Shamarr Allen.

Young Leadership Council, in partnership with AOS Interior Environments and the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is hosting this event. 2020 was the fifteenth-anniversary season for YLC Wednesday at the Square. Please consider donating $15 to help support our 2021 season and YLC’s nine community-service projects. GiveNOLA Day is Tuesday, June 2, and you can pre-schedule your gift online today at https://www.givenola.org/young-leadership-council

Boogaloo In Place! Enjoy Classic Bayou Boogaloo Performances this weekend!

Bayou Boogaloo is an annual springtime favorite celebrating community, art, music and culture along the banks of Mid-City’s beloved Bayou St. John. This year it’s been postponed, and while we’re bummed we can't be out on the bayou this weekend, that doesn't mean we can't Boogaloo In Place! Join the festivities on Facebook this Friday-Sunday for LIVE stream videos of some classic Boogaloo performances for 2016! 

Friday, May 15th - 6:15 to 9:15pm Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers * The Wailers

Saturday, May 16th - 12:15 to 9:15pm Creole String Beans * Lost Bayou Ramblers * Irma Thomas * Lowrider Band

Sunday, May 17th - 2:20 to 8:30pm Billy Iuso & Restless Natives * George Porter, Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners * TBD

*All times listed are for New Orleans, CDT!

UP FROM THE STREETS New Orleans: The City of Music - Virtual Release May 15th

For New Orleanians, music is a way of life and the foundation of their cultural resilience. Eagle Rock Entertainment and Michael Murphy Productions, Inc. present Up From The Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music, a feature length documentary that showcases the culture of New Orleans thru the lens of music. Hosted by Oscar nominee and six-time Grammy Winner Terence Blanchard, the film tells stories of music as a vehicle to help battle racial injustices, unite people in good times and bad, and how music continues to be a vital form of expression today. 

Beginning May 15, you will be able to buy a ticket to a virtual cinema release of Up From The Streets ®: New Orleans: The City of Music, the celebrated New Orleans documentary. Viewers will buy a $12 ticket from a local cinema and watch the film at home, allowing them to support one of 50 local movie theaters nationwide (available here), as well as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund, a statewide relief initiative that supports New Orleans and Louisiana musicians who have lost income due to the pandemic.The ticket order is good for 7 days, and viewers will have 72 hours to watch the film once they’ve started watching it.

Enjoy this engaging, award-winning documentary about the most unique U.S. city, New Orleans!

Celebrating the Birthday of Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet was a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer who was born in New Orleans on May 14, 1897. Bechet is considered one of New Orleans’ greatest jazz musicians, along with King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. By the age of 13, Bechet was a professional jazz musician, and by 16 he was touring the South with pianist and singer Clarence Williams. In 1919, Bechet began touring with trumpeter King Oliver, eventually going on to Chicago, New York and Europe. He was a master of improvisation, becoming one of the first important soloists in jazz, playing lead parts that were usually reserved for trumpet. Known for his heavy vibrato, his unequaled energy made him king of the soprano saxophone, and also one of the most original and innovative clarinetists in jazz. From 1925 to 1931 Bechet lived and played in Europe, playing in England, France, Germany and Russia, and it was there where he achieved his greatest success. Bechet has had a deep and lasting influence on the way jazz clarinet and soprano saxophone are played, inspiring countless musicians along the way. Sidney Bechet passed away in Paris, France, on May 14, 1959, on his 62nd birthday. On the date of his birth, we celebrate his life.