You can tell the festival season is heating up by the superlative lineups that are showing up at the ever-so-loose shows on Thursday nights at the Leaf. Tomorrow night is no exception as drummer Johnny Vidacovich is joined by multi-instrumentalist Mike Dillon and bassist James Singleton.
Vidacovich and Singleton know each other telepathically due to their long tenure as the rhythm section of the premier modern jazz band in New Orleans—Astral Project.
The musicians have literally grown up together. They backed up New Orleans piano legend Professor Longhair early in their careers (and late in his), and spent a brief period working with blues guitarist John Mooney. In between they have played with everybody in New Orleans.
Mike Dillon (pictured at top) is well-known in the jam band world, but his work is certainly not limited to that now-fading genre classification. He plays nearly every percussion instrument, but what makes him standout in my mind is his work on the vibraphone.
That instrument, which is barely 100 years old (compared to millennia for most other percussion instruments), has been resurging lately in a new generation of musicians. Jason Marsalis just released an acclaimed new album that features him on the vibes. Another New Orleans musician, James Westfall, plays it as well.
Across the jazz spectrum there are a growing number of musicians playing the instrument that was made popular by the great Lionel Hampton. Check the vid for Hampton doing “Flying Home.” It’s the song that put the vibraharp, as the announcer calls it, on the map of the national consciousness.
Among the younger generation playing outside of New Orleans, Warren Wolf plays the vibes in Christian McBride’s incredible band, Inside Straight.
This should be a great show, and a welcome beginning to April and the festival season.
See you there!
