Yahoo Autos The Beat of New Orleans
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Street and local musicians, some as talented as any big name in the industry, dot the French Quarter in New Orleans, filling the air with music. We wondered how these performers were surviving with music venues closed. We spoke to three musicians to get a firsthand account.
Matthew Dethrow is an upright/electric bassist from New Orleans. He has been a member of the Slick Skillet Serenaders and Bayou Blues Burlesque.
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Meschiya Lake is a Jazz vocalist who fronts her own band called the Little Big Horns.
Nathan Rivera is a vocalist and musician who plays piano and guitar. He is currently performing with his group Nathan & Jessie.
Credit: Kimberly Reid
Credit: Kimberly Reid
Credit: Kimberly Reid
How was your career going pre-pandemic?
MD: I felt like I was hitting my stride. After years of busking on the streets, I had worked my way up to sitting in with some amazing bands in clubs on Frenchman Street. Overall, I was performing over 200-booked shows a year.
ML: I won Best Female vocalist 3 years running for the Big Easy Awards and twice for the Offbeat Awards here in New Orleans. I won Best Jazz Vocal Album at the Danish Music Awards for my record with Soren Siegumfeldt in 2019. I had been touring extensively through Europe. My last international gig was a televised, sold-out concert at The P8 Jazz Alive 2020 in Copenhagen. The morning of the performance the Danish President announced that there would be no crowds gathered because of Covid and we had to perform for cameras in an empty theatre.
NR: Beginning of 2020, I was having an amazing time playing gigs with Eight Dice Cloth. I also attended The Folk Alliance Music Conference. It was an amazing way to start the year.
Credit: Bobby Bonsey
Credit: Kimberly Reid
