I don’t know if the great soul singer remembers, but she played during Carnival at least once before. It was at the Muses Ball back in 2009 and she threw down. She returns to New Orleans for a show at the House of Blues on Saturday night.
Jones has faced some medical problems recently, but she bounced back with a strong new album, Give the People What They Want, which is getting rave reviews. I checked it out and loved it.
However, despite the ace production and great songs, her strengths are in performance. The band grooves and supports her regardless of the tune, and she brings the songs alive with passion and power.
One of the things I remember about the set at the Muses Ball was her willingness to engage the audience. One member of the over-the-top Carnival crowd actually climbed up on stage. Rather than call security or shoo him off, she started dancing along with his mad, manic white boy strut. It was something to see.
Valerie June, the up and coming southern blues artist who calls her sound “organic moonshine roots music.” opens the show. Her 2013 album, Pushin’ Against A Stone, was on many top 10 lists last year.
