Jesse Boykins III: NPR Music Field Recordings
Jesse Boykins III: NPR Music Field Recordings with tags jesse boykins, jesse boykins iii, new orleans, mardi gras, mardi gras world (tourist attraction), essence (publication), essence music festival (music festival), rhythm and blues (musical genre), r&b, npr&b, npr, field recording, louisiana (us state), 4 u 2 b free, nola, live, performance
The day after playing a set at the Superdome during the Essence Music Festival this summer, eclectic R&B singer Jesse Boykins III wandered into Mardi Gras World — an expansive, airy warehouse packed wall to wall with floats used in New Orleans' infamous parades. The floats are built from the ground up in-house, so Boykins found himself surrounded by unfinished works and spare parts.
With the whir of a huge exhaust fan behind him, the singer forwent accompaniment and sang one of the most emotional tracks from his latest album a cappella. While singing "4 U 2 B Free," Boykins pulled back the layers of his own creation, matching his performance to the exposed, oddly vulnerable characters surrounding him. --KIANA FITZGERALD
CREDITS:
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Frannie Kelley; Event Producer: Saidah Blount; Videographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Colin Marshall, Olivia Merrion, Kiana Fitzgerald; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Editor: Colin Marshall; Special Thanks: Mardi Gras World, Mark and Rachel Dibner of the Argus Fund; Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann
