Part electric jazz ensemble, part rock band, and part raucous street party, Sam Dickey and Read the Sands is a project that draws inspiration from Bambara music of West Africa as well as Black American musical traditions. The result is a sound that is powerful, spiritual, and infectious. Started in 2019, the band has developed a reputation around New Orleans for their engaging live shows. The band members include an array of top-notch New Orleans musicians, with Sam Dickey on guitar, Shea Pierre on keys, Max Moran on bass, and Alfred Jordan on drums. As individuals, their credits include performances and recordings with Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Amadou & Mariam, Fatoumata Diawara, and Tank and the Bangas. This breadth of musical experience informs the band’s unique sound and gravity-defying ensemble interplay. With this potent combination of top-notch musicianship, far-reaching sonic exploration, and deep folkloric knowledge, Read the Sands makes music that is truly unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.
