Kristin Diable

Hola Nola, and Hola Baton Rouge Native, New Orleans resident, singing songwriting Kristin Diable. After leaving the South to test the music waters of New York City, Ms. Diable has returned to New Orleans and is making moves, from regular Frenchmen gigs to multi-festival digs.

With Sundance, French Quarter Fest, Voodoo, and this weekend’s Bayou Boogaloo, Diable gets around (musically), playing with a band of local performers hailing from Happy Talk Band, Bingo! Show, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, and more.

She recently wrapped a regular Monday night ‘Speakeasy’ at Three Muses, Diable, which amounted to a songwriter’s revue. By all accounts, it was a big success. Look out for the continuation of that series, and catch her this Sunday night on Bayou St. John at the Boogaloo, before she heads off for a jaunt through Alabama and Tennessee. Until then, enjoy these hand-selected tunes that made remain in heavy Diable rotation: 

1. Big Bill Broonzy -- "Black, Brown and White"

Delta blues is so simpatico to me. It's the music of the earth. Where we all started and where we're all going. Big Bill is my favorite of the many great delta bluesmen. A fantastic guitar player, great story teller, and his voice.... as strong and commanding as it is, it also has a real vulnerability and sweetness to it. This particular tune is a powerful statement of the times. I believe this one was released in 1951, and in those times of such racial unrest, for an artist to write this kind of song was really brave. A true protest by simply telling the story. The gross inequality becomes so clearly wrong, just by telling the story and channeling the feeling of being in that place. You can hear his heart in this tune; it seems to me that no matter what your race, socio-economic background, religion or any other differentiation, you can't help but recognize your own heart, soul, and struggles, in his. The way he shines the light on the fact that all our hearts are essentially the same is as relevant now as it was sixty years ago.

2. Big Mama Thornton -- "Hound Dog"

The woman behind the man. Big Mama toured the blues and chitlin circuit from the 50's on. She wrote and cut the original "Hound Dog", and for some reason it never made it to a record....until Elvis' A&R men came along and made it a hit. Her original recording of this song is just out of this world. She pulls every atom of blood, sweat and tears into motion on this one. The video is a live version of the song, with Buddy Guy hanging in on guitar.

3. Charlotte Dada -- "Don't Let Me Down"

Heard this version of the Beatles classic on WWOZ I think- it just felt so damn good.  The percussion, the bells, the chants, the harmonies…as great a band and bunch of songwriters as The Beatles were, there's a certain degree of soul and grit I feel I'm always looking for in their music. Dada's version gives such emotion and spirit to this great song.

4. Velvet Underground -- "Some Kinda Love"

I had no idea about Velvet Underground or Lou Reed until moving to New York. My first introduction was going to a St. Anne's Warehouse Theatre performance where he recited the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, remixed with his own poetry and sentiments (mostly having to do with getting old, his penis shriveling, etc). I was maybe nineteen and this shit was very unpalatable at the time. I think my turnaround moment was hearing a Chris Whitley version of Lou's "Perfect Day" and playing with a bunch of indie rock guys in the city (to whom Lou is a demigod of course). I got hipped to Lou's vision and jumped into the Velvet catalogue fully. His take on a love song with this one is just so spot on. No kinds of love are better than others.

5. Irma Thomas -- "Ruler of My Heart"

New Orleans’ very own Queen of Soul. The first time I really GOT music was seeing Irma Thomas play at The Morgan City Crawfish Festival when I was in middle school. It was like a one of those starry eyed made for TV movie moments; the universe aligned and I knew this music thing was on to something eternal, primal, irreplaceable. I was in love. I'll always be grateful to her for this. I had the chance to meet her a few months ago at an awards show and was swooning like a pre-teen at a Justin Beiber concert.  She's just so gracious and wonderful. ‘Ruler of My Heart’ is such a vibey tune. A classic.

6. Neil Young -- "Heart of Gold"

Neil is the best kind of rock star there is- one with no pretense, and who's pretty disinterested in anything but the songs and the music. I read an article once about his approach to writing and he was so pragmatic about it. He doesn't filter anything. He just lets the songs do their work and does his best to stay out of the way. ‘Heart of Gold’ is one of his best.

7. Elvis -- "Love Me Tender"

It's hard to not fall in love with Elvis hearing this tune. I was anti-Elvis for years, because I thought he just ripped off all the "race music" of his day and then made a damn fortune playing it. I see him differently now. He curated some of the best songs around and put his own stamp on them. His music actually, in the long run, opened doors for so much of the amazing music that in those days couldn't get airplay. He stuck it to the man and shook like he wanted to. For seeming so tame and all-American now, he was a real rebel back in the day. An original.

8. Nina Simone -- "How it Feels to Be Free"

Nina is just from another universe. Her music has so much beauty in it, and her ability to channel longing is unlike any other. She breaks my heart. She's such an exceptionally gifted pianist and singer; it's amazing to consider that she initially didn't sing at all. She only started signing because she could get more gigs that way. Her ability to channel such intense emotion is just incredible. I know she was a real troubled soul and it seems to me that because she was such a true, brilliant, untainted spirit that's what gave her trouble bridging the gap between that infinite place where she came from, where she created from and regular old everyday living.  She made such a tremendous contribution to our world while she was in it.

9. Leonard Cohen -- "Hallelujah"

I hate throwing superlatives at anything, but god damn, I'm pretty sure this is the most poignant love song ever written. Cohen bridges the gap between mind and heart for me time and time again. This song is mastery of the heart-break and heart-make that love brings us. I've never heard it better than this. His writing and sentiments on the highs and lows of life really resonate with me. When "Book of Longing" came out, I read the whole thing in one sitting. And then again, he is an old friend I'm glad to have.

10. Rolling Stones -- "Beast of Burden"

Keith Richards is THE MAN. Mick always cracks me up because he struts around like such a ridiculous little dandy prick.... but he BRINGS it. He's like a muppet... and the fact that anyone can come off like that and still bring so much cool is pretty amazing. The whole Some Girls record has been stuck in our CD player in the car, and it just blows my mind from start to finish. The groove, the feel, the songs, KEITH's guitar licks, the production. These guys are real visionaries in having such traditional roots influences and making them their own; they're hip to just about every delta blues man there was, all the way to Solomon Burke, Dr. John...the list goes on.

11. Sister Rosetta Tharpe -- "Trouble in Mind"

One of my all time favorite songs. It's a standard and nearly everyone else on this mix-tape played it in their repertoire at some point. I know Elvis gets the title as King of Rock N Roll, but I say Sister Rosetta is the King, woman and all. She was the first of her kind, and such a gifted singer, player, and entertainer. Listen to her pick that guitar...you don't hear that much these days, and back in her era, this was even more rare. She started off as a child prodigy playing the church circuit, making a living for herself and her mom by doing so.  She made the transition to secular music as she came of age, and then gave her music back to God in the long run (as a lot of artists who come from the church seem to do). Secular or religious, everything she did is gospel to me. Sing it!