Henri Smith Brings Jazz To New Hampshire

On Friday night, Manchester celebrates its 9th annual Jazz & Blues Festival at venues around the queen city. Our pick of the festival is New Orleans singer Henri Smith headlining "Roomful of Blues" at the Palace Theatre.

I worked with Henri at WWOZ in New Orleans, where he hosted an afternoon jazz program. He fled the city before Hurricane Katrina, and took refuge with a jazz fan living in Gloucester, Mass. and has been there ever since. As a musician, he draws from a deep knowledge of jazz, blues and R&B. To me, his singing belies the charm, the pained history, the street rhythms and the sadness and indomitable joyfulness of New Orleans - a city he hopes to return to one day.

Also, our music reviewer Bill Slammon shared his thoughts on indie musician Laura Gibson a few months ago. The Portland, Oregon artist brings her hushed, plaintive songs to the Starving Artist Collective in Keene on Saturday.