Preservation Hall Archives - Music Inside Out

Singer, songwriter and friend of Music Inside Out, Rickie Lee Jones, has a new book out. Last Chance Texaco: Tales of an American Troubadour hits the book world April 6th. To celebrate this event, we just rebroadcast our interview with Ms. Jones.

Here in New Orleans, the iconic Preservation Hall is hosting “An Evening with Rickie Lee Jones” in its courtyard. The event takes place at 6:00 pm on the book’s pub date — Tuesday, April 6th. Tickets include a signed copy of the book.

The evening will feature a ”lively and in-depth conversation with Jones and (local radio host) Jamie Dell’Apa. They will discuss Jones’s remarkable life and career and share excerpts from the memoir,” according to the press release.

Not in New Orleans? Not to worry — out-of-town virtual tickets are also available! These virtual ducats include tele-access to the discussion (including an opportunity to ask questions) as well as one signed copy of Last Chance Texaco. Out-of-town ticket-holders will get their copies via Media Mail shipping within the United States.

Find more information and ticketing options here.

But you don’t need to leave this page to hear a sample of Last Chance Texaco. Last week, we lugged our recording equipment to Rickie Lee Jones‘s living room, where she graciously agreed to read an excerpt from the book. It’s called “Chicken in the Pot” — which, it turns out, is more than just a refrain from her song “Danny’s All-Star Joint”:

It’s worth noting that Rickie Lee Jones also narrated the entire book at her home. Recording the unabridged audiobook took ”a few weeks,” she tells us. You can find it wherever fine audiobooks are sold … or streamed.

We don’t know if the audiobook version also includes music from West Side Story, but we’re eager to find out.

Mark your calendar: New Orleans composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard will be coming to your home in just a few days. No need to clean up the place, however. Blanchard is hosting the award-winning New Orleans documentary, “Up From the Streets.” This “virtual cinema release” will begin streaming on May 14.

Here’s how it works: Tickets to watch the film are $12 each. They’re available from over 75 participating movie theaters in the U.S. Your ticket will be good for seven days, and you’ll have 72 hours to finish the film once you’ve started watching. A list of participating theaters (and virtual tickets) is available online.

The idea, of course, is to support your local independent movie theater while sheltering safely in place. But a portion of the proceeds also goes to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Music Relief Fund. This initiative supports Louisiana musicians who’ve lost income during the pandemic. So it’s a win-win-win.

Up from the Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music (Trailer)

“Up From the Streets” is both a history and celebration of the music of New Orleans. It premiered last October at the New Orleans Film Festival. The festival jury nominated it for best feature-length Louisiana documentary. Awards at other festivals in Los Angeles, Washington, DC and Houston followed.

Terence Blanchard is on-camera host and narrator. “Up From the Streets” has interviews by Harry Connick Jr., Wynton and Bradford Marsalis, Aaron Neville, Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Sting, Allen Toussaint and Bonnie Raitt among others. Such legends as Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, and, of course, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band appear in archival and newly filmed performances.

Michael Murphy is the producer and director. His previous New Orleans documentary was 2005’s “Make it Funky.”