Papa Mali celebrates the release of his latest recording, Music Is Love this Friday at Chickie Wah Wah, with an all-star backing band featuring the musicians appearing on the album—Johnny Vidacovich (drums), Mike Dillon (vibraphone, tablas), Cassandra Faulconer (bass), Dave Easley (pedal steel), Josh Paxton (Hammond organ, piano, farfisa), and The Harmonaires (vocals).
Music Is Love was released on March 17, 2015 via 429 Records. The veteran guitarist and vocalist recorded at The Living Room in New Orleans with producer John Chelew (Blind Boys of Alabama, Vic Chesnutt, Richard Thompson, and John Hiatt). The album showcases his distinctive knack for blending elements of roots rock, R&B, blues, gospel, folk, and psychedelia.
With Music Is Love, Papa Mali continues to build on his standing as a distinctive artist within the Crescent City musical community. The album reflects his deep appreciation and respect for legendary artists such as Dr. John, The Meters, Lee Dorsey, Fats Domino, Johnny Adams and others.
The release is a musical bridge between the swampy Southern blues traditions and West Coast psychedelia with a mix of twelve original songs and carefully curated covers (from Al Green to Randy Newman). The title cut first appeared on David Crosby’s initial solo effort, If I could Only Remember My Name.
A touring musician since the 1970s, Papa Mali began playing professionally throughout the South at age seventeen. In addition to his solo work, he is a founding member and frontman of 7 Walkers, which he formed in 2008 with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Meters’ bassist George Porter, Jr., and keyboardist Matt Hubbard. He co-wrote all of their songs with celebrated Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and sang a duet with Willie Nelson on the track “King Cotton Blues.”
Papa Mali is currently collaborating with the New Orleans-based supergroup, The M&M’s, whose lineup includes John Medeski, Robert Mercurio, and Stanton Moore of Galactic. His song “Sugarland” was used prominently in several episodes of American Horror Story: Coven in 2013.
