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RAVE REVIEWS!
Be forewarned, this CD (Sizzlin’) is a mood elevator of the first order! If you are in a low mood or a ‘bad space’ as the shrinks say, keep this CD out of your player, at risk of finding yourself tapping your feet and snapping your fingers. Listening to this CD makes you want to see St. Martin live, as you can hear the great joy of a born entertainer in his big baritone voice. He loves to tell a story with his songs, and you can hear him smiling when you get it; he wants you, the listener, in on the deal, and it works on every song. It is good ol’ New Orleans rock and roll served up ‘sizzlin’ hot!”
Review by Bob Compton, Music Critic, Beatstreet Magazine
HOT OFF THE PRESS!
RAVE VIDEO REVIEW ABOUT
"MUST BE THE MARDI GRAS"
(single from 45 RPM and song on
CD, "Alligator Ball")
WHERE Y’AT Magazine (New Orleans)
VIDEO/DVD REVIEWS
March 2009 (Mardi Gras Issue)
Page 20
ARMAND ST. MARTIN
MUST BE THE MARDI GRAS
Patty Lee Records
Review by:
Dean M. Shapiro, Music Critic
"Gettin' Into the Spirit" could be an alternate title to this jumpin', thumpin', rockin', rollin' music video by local piano man and vocalist Armand St. Martin. Shot at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World amid colorful props and floats, backed by pre-recorded horns and drums, St. Martin gets the Carnival spirit pumped up with this lively, original tune that may, in time, become a Mardi Gras classic alongside a handful of others in the genre. Taken from St. Martin's 45 RPM record of several years ago, the video was recorded for the New Orleans City Council by NOA-TV in January '08, but it's as fresh now as it was then and will still be many years from now. "You can be your own parade on Mardi Gras," is the song's key line, repeated several times for emphasis. Truer words were never spoken (or sung!). Buy, listen, watch, enjoy and get into the Carnival party zone between now and Fat Tuesday. Look for it in local music stores or order online at www.PattyLeeRecords.com. - Dean M. Shapiro
RAVE CD REVIEW
"KATRINA ANTHEM" AND
ST. MARTIN'S PERFORMANCES
AT THE RITZ-CARLTON!
WHERE Y’AT Magazine (New Orleans)
CD REVIEWS
November 2008 (Voodoo Fest Issue)
Page 36
ARMAND ST. MARTIN &
HIS BAYOU BOHEMIAN ALL-STARS
KATRINA ANTHEM
Patty Lee Records
Review by:
Sheri McKee, Music Editor
ARMAND ST. MARTIN is the quintessential New Orleanian
that can trace his family history back over ten generations, which is
one reason why KATRINA ANTHEM speaks to the listener on so many levels.
The seven-song CD ranges in musical genres, but it all comes back to that
distinctive flavor of New Orleans rhythmic beats, gracious melodies, sharp
witty lyrics that flow like the Mississippi River, and an unbeatable spirit
and love heard clearly in each piece. “Down to the Bridge” sounds
like a storm brewing, while “Orleans Lullaby” showcases St.
Martin on the piano telling a story of the aftermath, when so many of
us stared at what was left of our lives in severe distress and silence.
“That’s the Way in Your Heart” has got to be one of my
favorites on this CD, with a mysterious voodoo vibe intro and a light
pop sound filled with notes from a beautiful sax and guitar strums similar
to Santana. “Saint Expedite” brings back sounds of the 60s while
a “Creole Good-Bye” highlights the Cajun culture down here with
the distinctive sound of an accordion. The CD is truly New Orleans and
simply a mere nibble of Armand St. Martin as a performer, since he’s
truly charming in every way. Try to catch this divine southern gent at
The Ritz-Carlton while sipping on a cool mint julep, as his witty lyrics
and musical mastery on the ivories will keep you smiling all evening long.
- Sheri McKee
RAVE CD REVIEW ABOUT
"KATRINA ANTHEM"
NOLA.COM Internet magazine (New Orleans)
CD REVIEWS
February 18, 2009
ARMAND ST. MARTIN &
HIS BAYOU BOHEMIAN ALL-STARS
KATRINA ANTHEM
Patty Lee Records
Review by:
Dean M. Shapiro, Music Critic
My first instinct on seeing the title of this CD was to brace myself for another mournful dirge to the disaster that struck us on Augut 29, 2005. Yet another compilation of slow, sad compositions attempting to caputre the somber mood of the tragic occasion. Thankfully and happily that was not the case here. On this outing, ARMAND ST. MARTIN'S most ambitious to date, the mood is 180 degrees to the opposite. Backed by more than a dozen other incredibly talented musicians and background vocalists, this CD is a jumpin', rockin' conglomeration of multiple genres, infused with elements of jazz, rock, country, classical, zydeco, swamp pop, blues, gospel and - - best of all an electrified version of Cajun, which we are so used to hearing only in its acoustic incarnation. Keyboard wizard St. Martin leads his pack with a spirited, inspiring performance on the 88s, enhanced by a rich baritone voice that accelerates effortlessly into the tenor range when the occasion calls for it. The complex orchestration backing him is almost too mind-boggling to absorb at one time, requiring multiple listenings to fully filter through and appreciate the mix. There are only seven tracks, all originals, and all between just three and four minutes. But, within those short spans of time are bursts of incredible musical power and symbolism; a Hallelujah celebration of everything that is Louisiana, including a fierce determination to survive and triumph over adversity. A stellar effort in every category on the reviewer's scorecard!
RAVE MEDIA REVIEW "EXCERPTS"
OF VARIOUS LIVE PERFORMANCES!
"A friendly atmosphere, high spirits and plenty of dancing rhythms are what St. Martin’s gigs are really all about. Best of all was the undefinable way in which St. Martin connected with his audience. Non-Stop Entertainment!” – The Los Angeles Times, Performance Review, Pop Music
“Uptempo boogie ragtime piano, Armand’s party music has a bit of blues thrown into the gumbo. Armand calls his music, The Pan Louisiana Sound. It’s clear that Armand wants the world to celebrate Mardi Gras. He made me want to catch the next plane to New Orleans!” - The Music Connection Magazine, Music Review
“Armand St. Martin’s Mardi Gras talent is spicy and diverse! The ultimate fantasy experience. This singer has the Mardi Gras spirit throughout the whole year!” – The UCLA Daily Bruin, Most Recommended
"From the old school of New Orleans comes a keyboard shuffler in the spirit of Professor Longhair. Two guys from the French Quarter, St. Martin and his drummer crank out enough boogie-woogie to insure that Mardi Gras should soon be a national legal holiday. Come on down and score some plastic beads!" - Los Angeles Reader, Cindy Lamb, Band Previews
“A really cool two-piece band, Armand St. Martin's Creole Liberation Front practice New Orleans-styled roots rock and roll for rabid boogie animals.” – The L.A. Weekly, Most Recommended
Backed by his nine-piece hard-hitting band of pros with big reputations, (Armand St. Martin's) ultra-cool, spicy, upbeat, foot-stomping, all-original piano-pumping party of ‘New Orleans Rock ‘n’ Roll’ oozes that rumba-tinged New Orleans rhythm vibration with vigorous good cheer and skill.” – The L.A. Weekly, Critics Choice
“Hot as jambalaya, Armand St. Martin and his incomparable band cook up a spicy New Orleans-styled rock and rhythm. Watch out for this pianist – the man could kill crocodiles with this bare hands!” – KLA-Radio, On-Air
". . . the Big Easy's prime promoter of Mardi Gras. . . Armand St. Martin is lobbying to make Mardi Gras a national holiday. "It's the kind of music that makes people feel good about Mardi Gras because none of my songs (St. Martin says) are negative. I think Mardi Gras can be anytime. It's the ultimate fantasy experience." - The Times Picayune, Lagniappe, Betty Guillaud
“In an age where pop groups have grown increasingly bland and faceless, Armand St. Martin is the leading edge of boogie-woogie bedlam. He’s a red-hot, two-handed piano pounder in the hallowed New Orleans tradition of Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, and Dr. John. He puts on a Musico-Cultural extravaganza that sets many big bands to shame!” – The L.A. Easy Reader, Feature Story
"The joy of a nationwide Mardi Gras celebration would indeed be something spectacular. I appreciate your sharing your thoughts, and your music, with me. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors." - former Mayor of Los Angeles, Mayor Tom Bradley
“Armand St. Martin, a former Tulane student and a one-man Mardi Gras is renowned for his musical originality and vivacious everyday-is-Carnival!” – Tulane Arcade
"From the old school of New Orleans comes Armand St. Martin, a keyboardist in the spirit of Professor Longhair, cranking out enough boogie-woogie to insure Mardi Gras should become a national holiday!” – The L.A. Weekly
“I enjoyed your music and am looking forward to hearing your cuts on local radio stations. It’s nice to know you’re taking New Orleans to the West Coast.” – former Mayor of New Orleans, Mayor Sidney Barthelemy
“Armand St. Martin’s unique blend of traditional New Orleans boogie and modern rock and roll is the star of the show. . . a new and exciting sound! The spirit of New Orleans!” – The L.A. Easy Reader
"A down-home New Orleans keyboard player with good-timing lyrics has been getting a lot of notice. Armand St. Martin's New Orleans-style rock music has earned him a large local following." - The Hollywood Independent
“Amid a humid grid of bayous, moonlit carnivals and Ol’ South politics lies New Orleans – a city that torched a romance with the wild life and seldom finds its natives with both feet on the ground. N’awlins hometown boy Armand St. Martin stocked his piano with tales of the Mardi Gras and headed for Los Angeles. St. Martin’s show has melted the wrought iron right off Bourbon Street balconies! This Southern gentleman, if cut, would bleed Tabasco!” – L.A. Weekly, Cindy Lamb, Critics Choice
"By pounding out his own brand of New Orleans music, Armand St. Martin is following in the footsteps of Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Fats Domino, by boiling down the essense of New Orleans with fiery piano playing." - The West Bank Guide, Feature Story
“Native New Orleanian singer/songwriter/’keyboard wizard’ Armand St. Martin has been packing ‘em in for over a decade of Fat Tuesdays with his rock-solid, sizzling showmanship! - The L.A. Weekly, Critics Choice
“A singer/songwriter performer, Armand St. Martin’s roots go back to sounds of New Orleans, with a musical style he has dubbed ‘New Orleans Rock ‘n’ Roll’, and rightly so! – The Tulane Arcade
"A foot-stomping show!" - The Santa Monica Outlook, Most Recommended
"Armand St. Martin's business card makes an appealingly simple representation: 'New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll". What the pianist-singer had to offer at his annual Mardi Gras party, however, was a bit more expansive, with a parade, Mardi Gras beads and non-stop entertainment!" - The Los Angeles Times, Pop Music Reviews
“Armand’s congeniality was a large part of the evening’s success. Warming measurably to the crowd, he started telling anecdotes about his original songs. When Armand left the stage, the audience demanded an encore. He came back with his lively original, ‘Rollin’ In The Dough’, inducing more than two-thirds of the club patrons to form a human dancing chain which hopped about the concert venue for a good ten minutes!” – The Music Connection Magazine, Performance Review
"No mere slew of Prof. Longhair or Wild Tchoupitoulas covers here, rather, St. Martin specializes in an all-original show; stomping, upbeat tunes that encompass rock, Cajun, jazz and R & B, all put across with a piano that walks, talks, rants and raves!" - L.A. Weekly, Jonny Whiteside, Scoring the Clubs
"St. Martin turns loose high spirits! - romping easily across a range of styles from Professor Longhair boogie and Cajun rhythms to urban R & B and rock and roll. His voice has a strong roots quality. Non-Stop Entertainment!" - The Los Angeles Times, Don Heckman, Performance Review, Pop Music
AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER'S 5-STAR
RAVE CD REVIEWS ABOUT "SIZZLIN'"!
***** Tabasco For Your Ears!
by M.A. Harper, (New Orleans, LA)
I'm a New Orleanian and I know HEAT - - our weather, hot sauce, and music. A distinctive style of rocking piano has long caused our nightlife to simmer, catching fire from the fires of native sons like Tuts Washington, Professor Longhair and James Booker. So it is with great pleasure that I find Armand St. Martin now carrying the torch and burning up the ivories. St. Martin not only commits hairraising piano arson, he has a terrific voice as well. As if that weren't enough, he also writes his own material. There is nothing this man cannot do, apparently, except fail to astonish. For anybody who loves this city, "Sizzlin'" is a must-buy. And for those of you who have never visited us, just pull up a summer chair in front of your electric fan, open a bottle of Dixie or Abita beer, and put St. Martin's "Sizzlin'" on your CD player. Wecome to New Orleans Parish! Prepare to sweat!
***** Pass Me a Dixie and a Mudbug Please!
by J. Parker (Jen&Glen), (Pasadena, CA)
Oh, man. When you need something to take your mind elsewhere, like down to the ol' South, this is the ticket. Park yourself near an open window, grab a cold Dixie from the icebox and get ready to sizzle 'cause Armand St. Martin will make you sweat!! He writes all of his material, plays a seriously mean piano and sings like he won't live to see another sunrise. This is music for the party in all of us. He wants Mardi Gras declared a national holiday so you know where he's coming from when the first track starts. I defy anyone with a pulse to sit still while this CD is playing. Besides St.Martin, there are a great group of musicians putting forth 110 percent behind him. Get this CD - - get it before the next Mardi Gras. You'll be screaming "throw me somethin' mister" before you know what's happening.
***** Mood Elevator!
by Bob Compton (New Orleans)
Be forewarned, this CD is a mood-elevator of the first order! If you are in a low mood or a "bad place" as the shrinks say, keep this CD out of your player, or risk finding yourself tapping your feet and snapping your fingers.
Even the blusier cuts on this beautiful piece of work by Armand St. Martin are infused with a rollicking beat and the irresistable rhythm of his boogie-woogie piano playing that, while reminiscent of the maniac from Ferriday, is inexorably linked to St. Martin's New Orleans roots. It may be swingier than it is funky, but the influences of Toussaint, Domino, Rebenack and even Booker are there.
Listening to this CD makes you want to see St. Martin live, as you can hear the great joy of a born entertainer in his big baritone voice. He loves to tell a story with his songs, and you can hear him smiling when you get it; he wants you, the listener, in on the deal, and it works on every song.
A crew of capable players from the west coast (where this disc was recorded) aid and abet the high-spirited piano pumping party that Armand St. Martin throws; it is good ol' New Orleans rock and roll served up "sizzlin'" hot.
Look for additional RAVE reviews and feature stories:
The L.A. Times
Where Y'At Magazine
The Times Picayune
The L.A. Weekly
The West Bank Guide
Music Connection Magazine
The Beachwood Voice
Beatstreet Magazine
NOLA.COM
F.Y.I. Magazine
The Tulane Arcade
Entertainment Today
The Hollywood Independent
The Easy Reader
The Santa Monica Outlook
Associated Press
Others
KATRINA ANTHEM
c 2005, 2010 Patty Lee Records