AltWeeklies Wire
Toots and the Maytalsnew

Toots and the Maytals, we call them, but to the island of Jamaica, they were and always will be simply the Maytals: the rah-Jah Temptations of ska, reggay champions before there was reggae music, the most soulful and sensational vocal group to come out of the Caribbean in the 1960s. Led by the restive rasp of Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the original trio (Hibbert, Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" Matthias) fell short of the stateside chart heights and pop-cultural impact of Bob Marley and the Wailers, though a handful of its Jamaican-record 31 No. 1 hits — chiefly "Sweet and Dandy," "54-46 (That's My Number)" and "Pressure Drop," all products of a fertile, rapid-fire recording period from 1968-70 — became ubiquitous cover selections and worldwide rocksteady standards...
John Legend & the Rootsnew

John Legend and The Roots will play at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Sunday, May 1, at the Congo Square Stage.
Tags: The Roots, John Legend
Extravagant Tribute Concert Doubles As a Fundraising Boon for Private Foundationnew
Rock 'n' roll legends headline this week's Domino Effect, a lavish, all-star concert paying tribute to Fats Domino — and paying dividends to NFL quarterback Drew Brees' Dream Foundation, which is working to rebuild New Orleans' schools, parks and playgrounds.