Category Archives: TVD New Orleans

It takes a certain rhythmic sensibility as well as deftness of musical touch to play Brazilian music especially for non-Brazilians. Saxophonist and flutist Tom Moon achieves both with the latest release, Who Saw You Then, Who Sees You Now, from his Philadelphia-based Ensemble Novo.

Moon approaches this collection of mostly Brazilian standards from the pen of legends like Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque with a strong lyrical focus on his flute work. His interplay with the band, which includes guitarist Ryan McNeely, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, bassist Mark Przybylowski, and percussionist Jim Hamilton, allows plenty of space for the individual players to shine. McNeely is especially brilliant on the vibes, but each musician finds his place in music that by definition requires space.

On “Estate,” a ballad by Bruno Martino and Bruno Brighetti, Moon finds the elusive sweet saxophone sound defined so eloquently by Stan Getz on his classic work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, the Brazilian founder of bossa nova.

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In April of 1966, jazz guitar icon Wes Montgomery made appearances with the Wynton Kelly Trio in Seattle, Washington. Those cuts, which appear on Smokin’ In Seattle—Live at the Penthouse on Resonance Records, are finally in wide release after a deluxe limited edition was released last month.

It is only the third commercially released live album of Wes Montgomery with piano legend Wynton Kelly, and was recorded a mere seven months after their classic 1965 live album Smokin’ at the Half Note. Pat Metheny called that effort, “the absolute greatest jazz guitar album ever made.”

Kelly’s dynamic trio featured bassist Ron McClure and the legendary drummer and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Cobb, who is best well-known for his work on Miles Davis’s albums Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, and Someday My Prince Will Come.

Wynton Kelly first collaborated with Wes Montgomery in 1962 with their album Full House (Riverside), also with Jimmy Cobb on drums (McClure joined Wynton Kelly’s trio a few years later in 1965, replacing Paul Chambers), followed by the legendary Smokin’ at the Half Note. Smokin’ in Seattle is a new chapter in the storied collaboration of these two jazz giants.

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The fine folks who throw the annual party on Bayou St. John went through the proverbial ringer this year arguing over costs with the city of New Orleans. A compromise was reached and the event will go on as planned as it has every spring since the Hurricane Katrina levee breaks destroyed the Mid City neighborhood and the festival became a harbinger of rebirth. Here’s a look as some of the new bands that are playing. The full schedule is here.

The fest begins at 5 PM on Friday evening with local favorites Tank and the Bangas and legendary funk drummer Zigaboo Modeliste and his Funk Revue. But the band that intrigues me is John the Matyr. They are coming in for the fest from New York and play soul music inspired by James Brown and the other greats. If you’re wondering about their cred, they have opened for the Rebirth Brass Band up north.

On Saturday morning, the Jamaican Me Breakfast Club, a group that could only happen in New Orleans, will open the day. The group mashes up 1980s rock and new wave with reggae. You read that right, and based on recordings on their website and the vid below, they sound great. Though I didn’t realize it when I first heard the band’s name, besides being a pun, it’s a reference to the era-defining Molly Ringwald film.

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More than a few things flew under my radar during the all-encompassing Jazz Fest season. One of the most impressive recordings to cross my path recently is the eponymous debut album from Duende Libre.

The band is a jazz trio led by keyboardist Alex Chadsey and features bassist Farko Dosumov and drummer Jeff “Bongo” Busch. While the format is familiar, the music mines Latin folk traditions and explores the rhythms associated with regions outside of the American jazz canon including Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa.

The compositions range from a song derived from a rhythm the band picked up from a mid 20th-century Cuban record by blind pianist Frank Emilio Flynn to the music of the great Malian griot Salif Keita. Through it all, the entire band grooves.

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PHOTOS: EDDY GUTIERREZ | Visitors and locals alike at the second weekend of the 48th annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival got a taste of three seasons of New Orleans weather at what is arguably the most inclusive festival in the world. More musical genres than can be named by most casual music fans and every demographic was represented on the stages at the New Orleans Fairgrounds. Thursday felt like winter, Friday and Saturday were spring-like, and Sunday got downright hot.

The Meters closed out the Gentilly stage on Sunday in one of the iconic band’s increasingly more common performances following years of discord among the musicians. Guitarist Leo Nocentelli (pictured at top) along with bassist George Porter, Jr., drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, and keyboardist Art Neville were joined by a full horn section and keyboardist Ivan Neville.

Funk was just one of the many styles on stage at the Jazz Fest. Rhiannon Giddens (pictured above and below) made her second appearance as a solo artist. Her latest recording puts slave narratives from centuries past into a mix of string-based musical styles. Her siren voice and chilling lyrics had some in the tent weeping.

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Saturday is the day that a few of the acts that got rained out last year at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival get another shot at it. At the end of the day, Snoop Dogg and Stevie Wonder will be playing at the same time. Will a record be set for the most crowded day ever? Check back next week for the recap. Here are our picks for the weekend. The full Saturday schedule is here.

Big Chief Victor Harris (pictured at top) of the Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors has been making his unique African-inspired black Indian suits for 50 years. At the downtown Indian parade some weeks back, he told me his intricate work starts with a single stone and he builds out from the center with no written designs or pattern in mind. Check him out and have your mind blown first thing Saturday morning.

On the busiest days at the Fairgrounds, I recommend keeping it intimate. So stick around after the Indians for the Panorama Jazz Band. Led by clarinetist Ben Schenk, these guys play indigenous folk music from all around the world and work the crowd into a dancing frenzy.

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The long weekend begins to pick up speed for festers who attend every day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Remember to pace and don’t forget to check out the intimate Cultural Exchange Pavilion where the Jazz Fest salutes Cuba. Here are our picks for Friday, May 5. The full schedule is here.

The colleges of New Orleans have been churning out musicians for decades. Loyola University is becoming known for birthing bands that walk the line between jazz and funk. Naughty Professor is the latest group to gain steam on the scene. Their latest recording, Identity, drops at the end of June.

One can’t-go-wrong Jazz Fest suggestion is to catch some Mardi Gras Indians every day. There are few better than Big Chief “Little” Charles Taylor of the White Cloud Hunters at both singing and sewing. Taylor is a downtown Indian and has been creating incredible three-dimensional suits for many years. His latest may very well be his greatest.

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The second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks off at 11 AM Thursday morning. It’s often the least crowded day. It’s easy to navigate around the Fairgrounds, checking out art, food, and other offerings on the infield of the mile long horse-racing track. Here are our picks for Thursday, May 4. The full schedule is here.

COOT has been on the scene for over twenty years playing sporadically around town. This will be their debut at the Jazz Fest. The band is a funky outfit playing original music. Guitarist and songwriter Brian Rueb has a technique reminiscent of the late great Snooks Eaglin.

New Orleans is known for its intergenerational bands. More so than anywhere else in the country, musicians of various ages play together as peers. We are also known for our family bands—members of the same family who make music together as naturally as they break bread. The Chilluns are singular among these ensembles and feature Dave, Darcy, and Johnny Malone, Spencer and Andre Bohren, and Cranston and Annie Clements.

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PHOTOS: EDDY GUTIERREZ | Bad weather marred the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the second year in a row. Friday and Saturday were windy and cloudy, but massive storms heading from the west forced Sunday’s opening to be pushed back for four hours. The gates opened to a surprisingly robust crowd at 3 PM. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

On Friday, the Soul Brass Band lit up the Lagniappe stage with a crowd-pleasing set that began with a perennial brass band favorite from back in the heyday of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band—“It’s All Over Now.” Trombonist Michael Watson played the whole show with his infant child strapped to his back. The kid seemed to be digging it like the enthusiastic crowd.

Kristin Diable (pictured at top) and Alex McMurray (above) both rocked out on the Gentilly stage. McMurray had Joe Cabral blowing baritone sax, Carlo Nuccio on drums, and Matt Perrine on bass.

Grupo Cuary, one of the numerous Cuban acts in town as the festival celebrates the musical island nation, brought roots chanting and percussion to the newly enlarged international pavilion. With ten musicians and singers, they played shakers, congas, and the box-like cajon while the vocalists encouraged the crowd in call and response.

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I hope everyone survived the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The clubs are hopping all week, there are special shows all over town, and even a couple of festivals to tide you over until the second weekend kicks off on Thursday. Here’s what’s on my radar.

The NOLA Crawfish Festival returns for its third year. It’s going down Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights beginning in the early evening at Central City BBQ at 1201 S. Rampart Street. Headliners include performances by George Porter Jr., John Medeski, Eric Krasno, Luther Dickinson, Jon Cleary, and Ivan Neville.

Some of the bands scheduled to play are Khris Royal and Dark Matter, Corey Henry and the Tremé Funktet, Raw Oyster Cult with special guest Darcy Malone, and Good Enough for Good Times. Much of the rest of the schedule looks to include some major jams with the best funk and soul musicians around. Here’s the full schedule.

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PHOTO: ELSA HAHNE | There are plenty of acts for any taste on the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for rockers; Lorde for the younger set; Pitbull for pan Latin party hip hop; George Benson for jazz guitar heads, and more New Orleans music of every stripe than any festival in the world. Here are my weekend picks. The Saturday schedule is here.

I recommend catching at least one Mardi Gras Indian tribe per day. With Saturday shaping up to be one of the most crowded days at the Fairgrounds, start at the most intimate stage with the Commanche Hunters. Led by Big Chief Ki-Ki, this tribe represents with the uptown style of beadwork and creates some of the most amazing suits you’ll ever see.

The leader of Corey Henry and the Tremé Funktet (pictured at top) has a long musical history given he’s still in his forties. The trombonist was Kermit Ruffins’ musical foil for over a decade and recently spent several years as a special guest with the nouveau funk band Galactic. Now he’s focused on his own project and based on two recent performances, they are on fire.

In keeping with my theme of trying to avoid the most crowded areas, head back to the Jazz and Heritage stage in the middle of the day for the New Breed Brass Band. Like Corey Henry, these young cats have their roots in the Tremé neighborhood and they bring the serious soul.

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Well, the time we’ve all been waiting for, the first day of the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, is upon us. The festival celebrates the island nation of Cuba this year. I recommend everyone check out the Cuba pavilion for dance and folkloric demonstrations as well as intimate musical performances. As usual, I won’t be highlighting too many of the major acts, but trying to hip you to bands and musicians you may not know about. The full schedule for Friday, April 28 is here.

Start your day at the Acura stage for a set by the Batiste Fathers and Sons. The Batistes are one of the many musical families in New Orleans and this new band features three generations. Headed by Louisiana Hall of Fame inductee and New Orleans funk pioneer David Batiste (David Batiste and The Gladiators), the band includes his sons Damon, Russell, Ryan, and Jamal Batiste and his grandson Christopher Prosper Batiste.

The Soul Brass Band is one of the newest brass bands in the city. But the group has many familiar faces including drummers Aron Lambert and Derrick Freeman and saxophonist James Martin. They play every style of brass as well as some unusual cover songs.

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Threadhead Thursday is one of the best ways to kick off the Jazz Fest. It happens between 6 and 10 PM on the Haspel stage of the New Orleans Botanical Gardens in City Park on Thursday. Plus it supports local culture. Full disclosure—I have received grants from the Threadheads to support my books.

This free event ($10 suggested donation to City Park) is sponsored by Zatarain’s and also assisted by a New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation grant.

Come enjoy a great night of musical talent among the beautiful oaks of City Park. Paul Sanchez and his Rolling Road Show kick things off followed by the Brass-A-Holics. The night finishes with her Long-Tallness Marcia Ball! There will be plenty of food and beverages available for purchase including Blue Oak BBQ inside and also the Fete au Fete & Taceaux Loceaux food trucks outside.

For more information about Threadheads and where the money goes and how to become a member please go here.

PHOTOS: MOLLY MALDOVAN | New Orleans soul, funk, R&B, and blues icon Walter “Wolfman” Washington and his long-running band will be throwing down Friday night with numerous special guests and former band members at Tipitina’s. Soul Project, featuring Washington’s protégé Christian Duque, opens.

This epic night will feature a five-piece horn section along with special guests as well as many past Roadmasters.

Walter “Wolfman” Washington stands tall in this town of ace musicians as one of the last remaining players who haunted the city’s back ‘o’ town music circuit in the early days of his career. He spent decades as a sideman before finally beginning his solo career after taking the suggestion of the great vocalist Johnny Adams, his longtime employer.

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It’s unusual for me to have two albums to recommend with the same release date, so I’ve decided to group them together in one feature. Linda May Han Oh’s Walk Against Wind and Sexmob’s Cultural Capital are on store shelves today.

Linda May Han Oh is a stellar bassist and on her fourth album she has surrounded herself with a superb band—saxophonist Ben Wendel, guitarist Matthew Stevens, and drummer Justin Brown. Stevens’ work will be familiar to New Orleans readers due to his musical association with Christian Scott.

In addition, keyboardist Fabian Almazan and Korean traditional musician Minji Park appear as special guests with the quartet. Almazan is also a familiar face in these parts due to his work with Terence Blanchard.

Though Oh is best known as an upright bass player, she takes up the electric bass on one of my favorite tunes on the album. “Perpuzzle” has a winding, instantly compelling melody line. It also features Oh wordlessly vocalizing in a style reminiscent of Lionel Loueke.

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