Funk, soul, a funeral march, a second line parade, an important benefit and lots of free music are on tap for the weekend ahead. Read on for my picks on how to spend your precious time.
New Orleans seems to have an exceedingly large number of so-called super groups. I am even tempted to stop using the term. However, whenever Dragon Smoke convenes, which is usually at late night shows during Jazz Fest, I realize that the term may not be overused.
The group features the rhythm section of Galactic, the drummer Stanton Moore and the bassist Robert Mercurio, along with Ivan Neville on keys and vocals and Eric Lindell on guitar and vocals. They tear up the funk tonight at Tipitina’s. Ben Ellman, Galactic’s saxophonist and producer, opens the show with his DJ mash up called Gypsyphonic Disko.
WWOZ hosts its second annual birthday second line parade tomorrow at noon. The parade lines up on Elysian Fields Ave. and marches around the French Quarter. Here’s the route.
New Orleans lost one of its most fascinating characters when hoodoo bluesman and artist Curtis “Coco Robicheaux” Arceneaux (pictured above) passed away this past Friday evening in his favorite bar room, the Apple Barrel on Frenchmen Street. His formal funeral will be tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 PM at the Rhodes funeral home on Washington Avenue. There will be a memorial and jazz funeral procession after the funeral beginning at 5 PM. at Marie’s Bar, which is located at 2483 Burgundy St, and ending naturally at the Apple Barrel.
The Brazilian guitarist and singer Ricardo Crespo sent me an e-mail about a benefit for the percussionist Miguelito Banagas, which takes place tomorrow afternoon at the Balcony Music Club. Here’s the lineup:
12:15 PM-1:15 PM – Julio and Cesar
1:45-2:45 PM – Riccardo Crespo & Sol Brasil with Tim Paco on bass and Neti Vaan on violin
3:30-4:30 PM – Fredy Omar Con Su Banda
5:00-6:00 PM – Kike Bonilla and Rumba Buena
The show is free, but donations to defray his medical expenses are welcome.
Saturday night, four musicians team up at the Maple Leaf Bar to bring you some serious soul music. The keyboardist Ike Stubblefield has been spending a lot of time in New Orleans and may actually move here. He is well known for his work with big names like Ike and Tina Turner, George Benson and Jerry Garcia. He teams up with Johnny Vidacovich, June Yamagishi and Cyril Neville. This should be a massive throwdown. See you there!
