Keyboardist Charlie Dennard is going back to the circus and he has invited a number of his musical friends to wish him bon voyage and jam out one last time on the Brazilian and soul jazz music that is his passion. The show is Friday night at Chickie Wah Wah.
Regular readers will remember when Dennard returned to New Orleans after over ten years on the road with Cirque Du Soleil. The homecoming was reported elsewhere as well and during his second tenure in the city he recorded two well-received albums and played a bunch of gigs.
But the circus has called him back, literally.
He will become musical director of the show Mystere in Las Vegas following the abrupt departure of the previous bandleader. For the show at Chickie Wah Wah, expect to see an all-star ensemble and some special guests as well. Dennard promises two keyboards will be set up to encourage the jam.
Todd Duke and Scott Myers will be on guitars, Wayne Maureau and Nick Solnick will be on drums, Ray Moore and Brad Walker will be on saxophones, and Cassandra Faulconer will be on bass. All of these players have deep musical connections with Dennard and each other.
Faulconer recently took a gig with Cirque Du Soleil and is back home on tour break. Duke, who leads John Boutte’s band, has been playing with Dennard since their college days. Myers and Solnick play in various Brazilian-inspired bands around town and Wayne Maureau, the drummer for Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters, is also well versed in Brazilian styles. Moore is a veteran player with his feet deep into Brazilian music and Walker is a monster player who tours with country star Sturgill Simpson.
This is going to be some epic music as we send off Dennard. Show time is 8:30 PM.
