Valence Street is not only the title of a 1999 Neville Brothers album, it’s the main drag of my Uptown New Orleans neighborhood. I occasionally call my 13th Ward hood Neville-land because so many members of their extended family live, or used to live, nearby. Valence Street is also my corner for Magazine Street parades during Carnival, which is the primary reason I haven’t been writing here as much for the last few weeks. I’m also slowly recovering from a Krewe du Vieux related leg injury that makes it hard to sit at the computer for long spells. All the walking and standing I do during Mardi Gras doesn’t help either, but that’s neither here nor there.

Art Neville still lives on Valence Street and he’s hanging in there at the age of 77. I was talking to one of his nephews on the parade route last week and he could tell I was about to inquire about Art so he told me, “He’s feeling better all the time and ready to play some shows.” Here’s a link to a fine Keith Spera profile of Art on the occasion of his 75th birthday.

The other reason I’m posting the cover of Valence Street is the fine black and white photography by Michael Wilson:

Here’s the album in the playlist format. The cover of Richard Thompson’s Dimming Of The Day is to die for: