I am a New Orleans-based author, musician, producer, and folklorist.  Much of my work focuses on a broad spectrum of American vernacular music traditions, with special emphasis on Louisiana, on which I have written two books: Zydeco!, a collaboration with photographer Rick Olivier, published by the University of Press of Mississippi, and the critically acclaimed Ernie K-Doe, The R&B Emperor of New Orleans, published by The Historic New Orleans Collection.  I have contributed to numerous national publications including The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, and Rolling Stone, and several of my articles have appeared in academic and music-journalism anthologies.  I received the Keeping the Blues Alive in Literature Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis in 2015, a Lifetime Achievement award from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in 2018, and a Spirit of Folk Award from Folk Alliance International in 2020.    

While living in Chicago from 1976 until 1982 I played drums with blues artists including Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Johnson, Junior Wells, and Blind John Davis.  In Louisiana I played for 18 years with the historic Cajun/country band The Hackberry Ramblers and also with the blues guitarist Boogie Bill Webb and the blue/jazz/swamp pop pianist Carol Fran, among others.  I have produced and played drums on four albums, including Drinkin’ & Stinkin’ by Boogie Bill Webb, and The Hackberry Ramblers’ Grammy-nominated Deep Water.  I released Deep Water on my record label Hot Biscuits, and I also own a publishing company, Opera Music BMI; licensing inquiries are welcome.  In addition I co-produced a documentary about The Hackberry Ramblers for the PBS series Independent Lens.  

I am the programming consultant on Cajun music and zydeco, blues, and country music for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and I produce the festival’s oral history and interview venue, the Music Heritage Stage. I have conducted folkloric research around Louisiana, documenting and writing about various forms of indigenous music, Jewish folklore, oil rigs, and the folk culture of the Mississippi River, the latter based on my hands-on job experience as a deckhand.

At this writing, in July 2025, I am editing my manuscript for a book about The Hackberry Ramblers’ seven-decade career.  I am also starting work on a memoir.