New Orleans musicians and culture bearers Chief Bo Dollis Jr. and The Wild Magnolias release their newest single “Hard to Handle,” featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph of Galactic and the GRAMMY-winning band Tank and the Bangas. This reimagined version of the Otis Redding soul classic finds Joseph in control, compellingly owning the narrative and interpreting the song from a female point of view. Dollis says, “When a woman as powerful and dynamic as Jelly sings ‘Hard to Handle,’ it flips the script—she’s not waiting to be chosen, she’s claiming her power, her magic, and saying, ‘I know what I bring, and you better be ready for it.’” Listen to “Hard to Handle” HERE and via DSPs HERE.
“Hard to Handle” is featured on Dollis’ new album with The Wild Magnolias, Chip Off the Old Block, out June 13th on Strong Place Music. Chip Off the Old Block expertly blends the vibrant West African rhythms, funk, and jazz of Mardi Gras Indian music with the rich, soulful blues of Memphis. The album showcases a star-studded lineup, featuring Archie “Hubbie” Turner, Rev. Charles Hodges, and Leroy Hodges of the iconic Hi Rhythm Section, the legendary soul "house band"—with the newest addition, Lina Beach, on guitar. Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. and The Wild Magnolias will celebrate the album release with a show at The Broadside on June 13 as well. Ticket info is HERE.
Big Chief Bo Dollis, Jr. is an award-winning cultural performer, musician, and educator whose work preserves and promotes the rich cultural heritage of Mardi Gras Indians, a distinctly New Orleans tradition. Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) are culture bearers that are integral parts of indigenous and native Black New Orleans history and steeped in distinct musical roots, carnival revelry, intricate hand-sewn beaded and feathered suits, and generations of oral history. Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. took the reins as the Wild Magnolias new Big Chief when his father, Big Chief Bo Dollis Sr. passed away in 2015.
Produced by Take Me to the River: New Orleans GRAMMY winners Boo Mitchell, Martin Shore and Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Chip Off the Old Blockwas recorded in New Orleans (Number C Studio) and Memphis (Royal Studios). Shore notes, "In working with Bo Dollis Jr. on Take Me to the River New Orleans, I imagined him collaborating with the best soul rhythm section in the world, the Hi Rhythm Section. It was the perfect intersection of Louisiana funk and Memphis soul.”
Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. and The Wild Magnolias have performed on global stages stretching from Australia and Japan to England and Jamaica. In the U.S., they have appeared at the Summer Olympics and the White House. In 2023, they received the Jazz Award at the prestigious Ascona Jazz Festival. They have collaborated and shared stages with GRAMMY-winning icons like Dr. John, Cyril Neville and Leo Nocentelli, as well as Trombone Shorty, Galactic, Master P, Widespread Panic and many others.
