When a music maker finds their calling, little can stop them from sharing their gift. It’s the passion for the song, the fire in the music, the drive to make other people smile that keeps musicians going even through the toughest times. It’s what motivated Billy Iuso for the past 30+ years of playing, what saved him during the pandemic, and what has encouraged him to stay singing. 

Like many other musicians during the challenging year that was 2020, Iuso turned to live streaming and eventually had a weekly show that earned him enough tips from his generous fans to compare with his regular income. He ended up playing over 350 different songs during this series, including a whole slew of new tunes that sparked a new record.  

Featuring songs like “My Getaway” and “More to the Island,” it’s easy to see how this album was lockdown-inspired. But he also had a chance to reach back in his catalog and revamp tunes from his teens, like “Shine On and Look Inside,” which indeed became apt for the time. 

The new album features the legendary Reggie Scanlan (The Radiators) on bass, long time drummer Eddie Christmas, Joe Ashlar and Andriu Yanovaski on keys, and additional vocals by Sari Jordan and Renée Gros. 

As a New York native, Iuso spent his first decade in music playing with his band Brides of Jesus. Growing from the jam-driven Wetlands scene, they were touring with the likes of Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic, and Dave Matthews Band. After an opportunity to open for the Funky Meters, Iuso’s new friend George Porter Jr. convinced him to move to the Big Easy .  

Iuso found his stride when he moved to New Orleans in 1996. Five years later, BOJ released their last record and disbanded. During a break from performing, Iuso was a Tour Manager for the Meters, Neville Brothers, and George Porter Jr., cementing those lifelong friendships & learning the business from the other side of the stage.  Missing playing his own music, he formed Billy Iuso & the Restless Natives in 2002. 

Iuso continued recording new music under his name and touring with Restless Natives as his band. He released a number of records including “Trippin,” which found itself on rotation at New Orleans WWOZ Radio. Over 10 years later, “Trippin’ Over Dragons” is still regularly requested and heard on local stations.  

Restless Natives played many festivals and events until 2021, when Iuso decided to drop the band name entirely and streamline both the sound and the band. Now billed simply as Billy Iuso, he plays with many of those band members as well as other friends and heavy hitters in the New Orleans music scene.

Slide guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Marc Stone has had a breakout 2024, releasing his first studio album since before the pandemic and bringing his rootsy, Blues and Funk infused originals to premier venues, festivals and national television. Equally at home bringing the fire with his electric band, leading intricate all star projects, and tearing it up for packed houses with just a guitar and a mic, Stone has been described by OffBeat Magazine as  “some sort of glorious Elton John/Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington mashup”.

Released in April by Sony imprint Bent River Records, Stone’s star-studded, all-original studio album Shining Like A Diamond features Leo Nocentelli and George Porter, Jr. of the Meters, Joy Clark, Mike Dillon, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Lilli Lewis, Weedie Braimah, Meschiya Lake, Papa Mali, Alvin “Youngblood” Hart, Marilyn Barbarin and many more. Drawing on his years playing with masters of Blues, Funk and Zydeco and collaborating with singer-songwriters, Jazz artists, African drum masters, rappers, poets and dreamers of all descriptions, Shining Like A Diamond takes the listener on a 34 minute journey across the American musical landscape as Stone tells concise and soulful stories of cheating, crime, digital dissonance and the never ending quest for the truth.

The album’s first single “The Truth (Is What I Wanna Know)” was featured in  AMC TV’s new crime drama “Parish” starring Giancarlo Esposito, and the album has been receiving rave reviews. Writer Brett Milano says of the album "his latest shows how many ways there are to make a hip, modern blues record without relying on the obvious guitar-slinging thing...these songs are worth the care they get” and Roots Music Report gave the album five stars calling it “a Best of the Year candidate.”

On the live front Stone has been everywhere at once on the New Orleans scene this year. He capped the spring season with a band set and his first ever solo set at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. In addition to club and festival shows with his band and duo concerts with slide guitar legend and Son  House flame-keeper John Mooney, Stone has been invited to add his ethereal and adventurous lap steel playing to up and coming rock and psychedelic bands including Atom Cat, Degenerate Piknic, Hollyrock and others.

On the roots side of things 2024 has seen Marc leading the first all star Blues show at the newly reopened Dew Drop Inn with the original Dap King Ernie Vincent and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, doing television and festival appearances with the legendary Batiste family, closing French Quarter Fest and opening Jazz Fest with Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters and appearing on shows with Kenny Neal, Wally Ingrahm, Ed Williams of the Revivalists, Roy Rogers, Wayne Baker Brooks, Alvin “Youngblood” Hart, Carolyn Wonderland and Brooks Hibbert. 

In the midst of all this music making, Stone finds time to share his love of music by hosting the Soul Serenade on New Orleans Jazz and Heritage station WWOZ 90.7-fm, as well as teaching music and organizing projects that bring together artists of different generations and musical backgrounds.