Jazz Fest 2nd Weekend
Writers Picks and Interviews
By Staff Music WritersThursday, May 1
Acura Stage, 11:45 AM
Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes
I’ll never forget the first time I saw Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes. I was extremely exhausted because I had just gotten off work. A friend of mine was heading to the Maple Leaf for one of their concerts and wanted me to come along. To be honest, at the time I didn’t know much about Johnny Sketch and, quite frankly, felt that he should keep his “dirty notes” to himself! Despite my reluctance, because of my friend’s persuasion, I decided to go.
Even though I was at first the poutiest person in the audience, my mood changed almost immediately when the band took the stage and started playing. The musicians played their soulful and funky rhythms with so much passion that the entire room came alive. The band was having as much fun as the fans, and pretty soon it felt like one big party. From then on, I, along with their huge cult following, was a Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes fan.
Intrigued, I spent more time listening to their music and watching their shows. I discovered that JSDN are classically trained musicians influenced by the funky rhythms of The Meters and The Radiators. The result is a frenzied yet finessed sound. Dirty Johnny, who is one of the backing vocals and the drummer of the group, describes the band as a “radical, rebellious response to being classically trained.” The other five members of the group include Busta Gnutt on bass and backing vocals, Johnny Rico on the trumpet, Johnny Rockit on the sax, and of course, the lead vocalist Johnny Sketch, who also plays guitar and the electric cello.
One reason the band has found so much success in the New Orleans music scene is because of their loyalty to each other. Sketch believes that “each member is integral. Each member is a friend. What we do together is what we do best.”
This includes performing. At their shows, the group shocks the audience with their electric act. “I feed off live energy,” seconds Busta Gnutt with this statement. Whether it involves masquerading in costumes (and sometimes removing them) or jumping into the frenzied mob of fans, Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes put on an unforgettable show.
Their appearance at this year’s Jazz Fest promises to be another legendary performance, but on a grander scale. The group is excited about their upcoming act on the Gentilly Stage. “The overall experience is so enjoyable for a spectator or a performer that being on stage is just amazing. Playing outside is our favorite setting to perform and is home for us,” which makes the experience even more exhilarating. They also offer words of advice for the non–New Orleanian musicians playing at the Fest. “Bring your A game. This is a town of musicians and hardcore music lovers. Energy is a must. The fans have it; you should too.” –Suzanne Pfefferle
Gentilly Stage, 2:35 PM
Kermit Ruffins
What do jazz and BBQ have in common? That’s right – you know the hat, the trumpet, and the man.
Kermit Ruffins is a longtime favorite in the local New Orleans scene, inspired by both Louis Armstrong and the music of the Big Bands. He has been playing at Vaughan’s in the Bywater neighborhood every Thursday night for fifteen years, and to the delight of his many fans, he has been playing at Bullets in the 7th Ward for over a year and the Perfect Fit on St. Bernard every Sunday at six o’clock.
For fans that either can’t make the late night shows or prefer the outdoor venues, Ruffins is a festival favorite. This year, he will be playing at the Jazz and Heritage Festival as well having played during the French Quarter Festival. Both are events he says he enjoys being part of, and he makes them all special for his audiences. Last year, he shared a big event with crowds at the French Quarter Festival when he married his fiancé Karen ‘Juicy’ James on stage. This year, he plans to include audiences in a party at the Festival as he will be celebrating his one-year anniversary. Plan to wear white linen and be part of the festivities, and if you are like Kermit and think these festivals are some of the Kermit Ruffins BBQ Festival to debut sometime in the future.
With such a demanding schedule, many would ask, “how do you stay upbeat and ready for each show?” For Kermit there is an easy answer: “It’s the most exciting part of the day.” His usual routine is different then one might expect. Ruffins wakes up early and gets everything business-related done first, then takes time for a big lunch before relaxing by watching some movies and taking a nap – all of this before getting ready for the show which Ruffins considers to be “such a party” that it is the “best part of the day”.
The best part of the day seems to only be rivaled by his love for his daughter. “We are so blessed to be able to stay home all day, and watch her every day, all day until she goes to sleep.” At which time, Ruffins starts getting ready for his shows. It seems that no matter when you talk to him, Kermit Ruffins always has that same charismatic attitude that has made him a crowd favorite for so long.
Kermit Ruffins is a true New Orleans musician, one who loves the BBQ that he learned by his grandmother’s side and loves the music that he plays day in and day out. “Playing New Orleans music for a living is the most exciting thing, I just get so excited to get out and perform.” Take advantage of the festival atmosphere and the energy that Kermit Ruffins brings to each and every show at this spring’s Jazz Fest. –Becky Brych
Congo Square Stage, 2:50 PM
Fredy Omar con su Banda
For singer Fredy Omar, the name of the game is fusion: creating a unique new sound by mixing Latin musical genres such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, and mambo with American genres like jazz and hard rock. Since his arrival from Honduras in 1992, he has embraced the hybrid culture of New Orleans and combined it with his Latin American roots in novel ways. His career here took off in the late nineties when Yolanda Estrada (owner of the record store Musica Latina on Magazine) began to play recordings of his live performances at area clubs on her Saturday 11:30 AM-2:00 PM WWOZ 90.7 FM Latin music program, Tiene Sabor (It’s got Flavor). That was back when Fredy distributed his music himself on cassettes that came in boxes attached to a strand of Mardi Gras beads you could wear around your neck.
His 2000 CD, Latin Party! in New Orleans, on the Mardi Gras label, combines new arrangements of traditional songs (like the upbeat “El Carabine” with its strong saxophone and piano lines set to a merengue beat), tunes by other songwriters (such as the cumbia “La Piragua” and the salsa “Chan Chan,” with flute and piano accompanying Fredy’s sustained tenor) and Fredy’s own compositions (the merengue “La Vampirita,” which tells the tale of Fredy’s encounter in the French Quarter with a mysterious woman dressed in Goth attire).
At Jazz Fest, look for a large band with keyboards and a flute, saxophone and trombone powered by the Afro-Cuban rhythms of three drummers, including Humberto “Pupi” Menes on tumbadoras (congas). –Dan Nelson
Steve Riley and The Mamou Playboys
Celebrate 20 Years at Jazz Fest
Sheraton New Orleans, FAIS DO-DO Stage
4:00 PM
Interview by Samantha Morgan
Having lived in Louisiana my entire life, with a little Cajun in my blood, I feel as though I have a grasp on the culture defining this state as somewhere unlike anywhere else in the nation. After a brief conversation with Steve Riley of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, I realized I have much more to learn. Speaking with Riley about his music is the equivalent of a crash-course in Cajun culture and Louisiana history.
“I grew up listening to some of the most legendary musicians in Cajun music today,” Riley said. “I think you have to be raised Cajun and been raised around it to really understand the rhythm. It’s such a part of life around here, and it’s a rhythm we hear from the time we are babies.”
Born and raised in Mamou, LA, Riley formed his band twenty years ago with David Greely, the fiddle player for the band, and later added members Sam Broussard (guitar), Brazos Huval (bass), and Kevin Dugas (drums).
Since forming, the band has produced ten albums and has performed at Jazz Fest every year.
“The earliest Jazz Fests had all these great Louisiana bands, and I think it was the only festival highlighting such diverse acts in Louisiana back then and still today,” Riley recalled. “I think it represents a great cross-section of what’s going on with music in South Louisiana. That’s why people go down there.”
The band will be back in the studio soon to record yet another addition to its discography. On April 22, the band will release a two-disc anniversary album. You can learn more about the band by visiting www.mamouplayboys.com.
Congo Square Stage, 4:10 PM
Gene “Duke of Earl” Chandler
Maybe our late, legendary, flamboyant “Emperor of the Universe” Ernie K-Doe, borrowed a page from Chicago’s Gene Chandler, but even if so, it doesn’t matter. Both singers had monster hits in the early 1960s that became Doo Wopp classics, and both singers played out their roles colorfully attired to the hilt. Dressed in a monocle, cape, top hat and cane, Chandler is, was, and always will be “The Duke of Earl.” One of only a few early rock and roll songs to sell over a million copies in a month, “Duke of Earl” held the number one position for three weeks in early 1962. With its catchy bass vocal opening and refrains throughout the song (“… Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl”), it is one of the most recognizable songs of roots R&B and, strangely enough, Chandler didn’t sing that part. The honor actually went to an “Earl” – Edwards, that is, the bass man for Chandler’s backup group, the Du-Kays. Following a few minor hits in the 60s, including his self-imitative follow-up, “Walk On With the Duke,” Chandler exploded again in the summer of 1970 with “Groovy Situation,” and went on to a series of disco hits later in the decade. At the age of 70, “nothing can stop the Duke” from still going strong. –Dean M. Shapiro
Acura Stage, 4:30 PM
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is coming back to New Orleans for the first time since before Hurricane Katrina. This will also mark the first arrival of new guitarist Jimmy Herring in New Orleans with Panic. Local and national Panic fans are raving about the Jazz Fest show to come, and can’t wait to see what the band has planned for their upcoming performance. Panic traditionally played the UNO Lakefront Arena for their Halloween performance, and did a Jazz Fest performance every other year, along with a night show to accompany it. Katrina put an abrupt halt to those traditional performances, leaving Panic with no place to play, since both UNO and the Municipal Auditorium were flooded. Panic just recently released their new album, Free Somehow, which includes a song about New Orleans called “Walk On The Flood.” Their last album, The Earth Will Swallow You, also included a tune about Katrina entitled “From The Cradle.”
It is obvious to us New Orleanians that though Panic has not been here since the storm, we are still in their thoughts. Come celebrate Panic’s return with me and everyone else in New Orleans at the Jazz and Heritage Festival on Thursday, May 1st. –Floyd Falcon
AIG Gospel Tent, 4:30 PM
The Lee Boys
Performing for the first time at this year’s Jazz Fest will be Sacred Steel pioneers, The Lee Boys. They will be playing May 1st at the Gospel Tent and May 2nd on the blues stage. What started as a church tradition soon became a family tradition; is now fast becoming an international sensation.
“It’s like praise music, feel-good music, uplifting music, music that makes you dance – but The Lee Boys infuse it with a lot of funk, a lot of soul, blues, and country. I think that’s one of the things that made our style catch on with the jam bands, blues, and jazz people. They like the diverse sound of it,” said Alvin Lee, leader of The Lee Boys. Certainly, their double booking is a testament to their talent and ability to cross genres, as well as the range of their past and future shows.
Sacred Steel was virtually unknown to the world outside of the Pentecostal House of God Churches in Florida until the early 90s. It was then that folklorist Robert Stone was encouraged to attend a church service. This led to a series of recordings featuring artists such as the Campbell Brothers and the late Glenn Lee on Arhoolie Records. Sacred Steel’s popularity has been on the rise since.
“It’s a new form of music that’s just coming out that a lot of people can identify with. It crosses boundaries. A lot of people are looking for something positive and that’s what this music is all about.” With songs titled “Joyful Sounds,” “Say Yes,” and “Let’s Celebrate,” it’s hard to deny the music’s uplifting quality.
The music is characterized by the electric lap steel guitar, more typically associated with Hawaiian and country music than praise music. Brothers Troman and Willie Eason introduced it to the church in the early 30s. Willie Eason is credited with creating Sacred Steel’s signature sound, later expanded upon by Henry Nelson. It quickly became a signature of the church. Eventually the pedal steel guitar was added to the mix, and become the central instrument. The guitar’s sound is similar to that of a human voice.
Glenn and Alvin learned the music from their father at a young age. “We’ve been playing it all our lives.” The brothers began adding other musical influences such as Michael Jackson and Elvis, as well as their training from playing in school band. It wasn’t until his father and his brother, Glenn, passed in 2000 that Alvin decided to start playing outside of the church. “I got with my nephews and told them I couldn’t play in the four walls. I wanted to take it outside, and at that time Robert Randolph and the Campbell Brothers had kind of taken off.”
The Lee Boys are truly a family affair. The sextet consists of three brothers, guitarist Alvin and singers Keith and Derrick Lee, and their nephews Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel guitar, Earl Walker on drums, and bassist Alvin Cordy, Jr. Since 2002, the Lee Boys have been playing their unique brand of Sacred Steel professionally, first in Canada, and then on music festival circuits in the US.
This year is their busiest yet. They will be opening for Susan Tedeschi, playing at Bonnaroo, Memphis in May, Austin City Limits, High Sierra, and much more, including a return to New Orleans on May 14th to the Lafayette Square music series. They’ve also played with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Victor Wooten, Ani DiFranco, and The Allman Brothers Band, just to name a few. The Lee Boys are currently in the studio recording what will become their third album. “Our mission is to touch people through our music, and if we can do that for just one person, we’ve done our job.” –Brent Badeaux
Gentilly Stage, 5:45 PM
Deacon John
“Deacon John” Moore is a musician who definitely knows his worth. A veteran guitarist who has been plying his trade for half a century, he is rarely seen performing at low-paying club gigs around New Orleans, preferring to opt for the higher-paying private parties and other high-ticket functions. If anyone can command the higher prices a veteran musical genius deserves, it’s him.
The man behind the smiling, round face under the trademark porkpie hat with the nickname derived from an old Roy Brown song has performed with legendary artists in legendary songs. To name a few: Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother in Law,” Lee Dorsey’s “Workin’ in a Coal Mine” and ”Ride Your Pony,” Irma Thomas’ “Ruler of My Heart,” Chris Kenner’s “I Like it Like That” and “Land of 1,000 Dances,” and Robert Parker’s “Barefootin’.” He has also worked with Little Richard, Fats Domino, Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Allen Toussaint, Johnny Adams, and Dave Bartholomew, as well as legendary studio backup artists like Herbert Hardesty, Lee Allen, and scores of others, in addition to renowned composer and arranger Wardell Quezergue. “In fact, the only thing separating me from the list of all-time R&B greats is the missing ingredient of a hit record of my own,” Deacon John told an interviewer during the 2004 Ponderosa Stomp.
Long content to remain in the background, Deacon John only had – until recently – three individual 45 RPM releases to show for fifty years of performing. That changed in June 2003 with the release of the live DVD/PBS special and CD release of Deacon John’s Jump Blues, both on the VCC label (producer Cyril Vetter’s www.VetterCommunications.com). Finally, after decades in the shadows, he emerged as a star in his own well-deserved right. He appeared at prestigious outside-of-New Orleans festivals and in the national media, including a one-hour installment on the ABC network’s PrimeTime, which aired coast to coast on a Monday night in October 2003.
Born in 1941 and raised in New Orleans’ Eighth Ward, Deacon John was still a teenager when he began taking part in sessions at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M recording studio on North Rampart Street. He had been discovered by Toussaint while performing at the old (still standing but vacant) Dew Drop Inn on LaSalle Street, and recommended to Matassa. In the late 1950s, national artists like Little Richard and Fats Domino were recording their hit songs in Matassa’s studio, and the masters were being released on widely distributed labels like Specialty and Imperial. The young Deacon John had a front row seat to rock and roll history in the making.
In the early 60s, when Kenner, K-Doe, Dorsey, Parker and others were putting New Orleans on the map with hit record after hit record, Deacon John was there too. He has been a mainstay on the local music scene ever since, and was elected, about two years ago, president of New Orleans Local 174-496 of the American Federation of Musicians, where he has been an outspoken advocate for higher pay for musicians. Although primarily associated with the blues, he is equally comfortable and adroit in other genres. He is a Jazz Fest veteran, a phenomenal guitarist, and a local treasure we’re more than happy to share with the rest of the world. –Dean M. Shapiro
Friday, May 2
Acura Stage, 1:55 PM
Papa Grows Funk Graduates to Main Stage
Interview by Samantha Morgan
What’s in a name? For John Gros, lead vocalist and organ player for the New Orleans-based funk band Papa Grows Funk, the answer is absolutely nothing.
“We came up with the name after our first jam session in 2000, a week or two before the first show. It was the night before the listing had to go into the paper, and we were sitting around having a conversation, trying to come up with a name for the band,” Gros recalled. “My friend came up with the name Papa Grows Funk, and I hated it. We drank for another hour or so; ‘til about 3 in the morning. I was getting tired and was ready to go home, and we couldn’t come up with anything better, so we just went with that. I still don’t like the name.”
For Gros, the name brings with it a common misconception. It is not, as he explained, meant to be a clever title for a solo project, considering his nickname is “Papa.” Rather, the band consists of five equal members: Gros, June Yamagishi (guitar), Jason “Big Wind” Mingledorff (saxophone), Marc “The Ugly Bass Player” Pero (bass), and Jeffery “Jellybean” Alexander (drums).
“It’s not supposed to be about me, it’s supposed to be about 5 guys playing in a band,” he said. “It’s about the five guys in the band playing this music. So pretty much any name would work.”
Although Papa Grows Funk formed as a band in 2000, it took nearly three years of performing before the once “side project” became the primary band for each of the member.
“We were just playing together and trying to pay our bills,” Gros said about the mentality held by each of the members. “That’s the only reason we kept playing, because we were having fun and paying our bills. As long as people keep coming out to our shows, we’ll continue.”
Since forming, Papa Grows Funk has received international attention, which is a long way from the band’s humble beginnings as a Monday night cover band. Regarding Jazz Fest, Papa Grows Funk has held a slot every year since 2002, but this year things will be a little different.
“We’re going to be on the Acura Stage this year, and we’re really excited about that since we’ll be playing before Stevie Wonder,” Gros said. “Since this is the first year we’ll be playing on a different stage, it kind of feels like we’ve graduated in some way.”
To learn more about Papa Grows Funk, visit www.papagrowsfunk.com.
Allison Miner Music Heritage/
Lagniappe Stage, 3:30 PM
Ingrid Lucia
One of New Orleans’ most visible and vocally recognizable singers, Ingrid Lucia was born into a family of street musicians. She began as a dancer in her family band, the Flying Neutrinos, then started singing with them at the age of eight. The band traveled widely between three coasts, from New York to San Francisco, and Mexico, frequently wintering in New Orleans where they were a familiar sight in Jackson Square in the 1980s. The traveling family band lived gypsy-style and, for the first 18 years of her life, buses, boats, and tents were Lucia’s homes. Her parents, David Pearlman (“Poppa Neutrino”) and “Captain Betsy” Terrell, were free spirits who went from being the Flying Neutrinos to the Floating Neutrinos when they rafted across the northern Atlantic Ocean and down the full length of the Mississippi River.
When she was eighteen and her parents were bitten by the rafting bug, Lucia and her cousin, trombonist Todd Londagin, took over the Neutrinos. They brought the group from the streets of New Orleans to the clubs and concert halls of New York City, where they played with celebrities that included Tony Bennett. They soon had their first CD, I’d Rather Be in New Orleans, featuring the late great trumpeter Doc Cheatham. The Washington Post described the CD as “enticing enough to make even a staunch New Yorker feel homesick for the Big Easy. A sultry, behind-the-beat voice, a combination of sometimes languid, sometimes syncopated rhythms, and lots of evocative brass all conspire to make this a picture postcard of an album.”
Nearly half a dozen more highly acclaimed CDs have followed since Lucia fulfilled her “rather be” and returned to New Orleans for good. Her repertoire consists mostly of standards from the Great American Songbook and her vocal style invites comparisons to Billie Holiday. But despite her stylistic similarities to Lady Day, Lucia’s delivery is upbeat, fun, sultry and just a bit naughty, in the true New Orleans tradition. By the time her fourth CD, Fortune, was released in 2002, Lucia’s talents were in full flower, and she was writing most of her own original songs.
Lucia has become a local favorite in recent years and a frequent performer in the clubs on Frenchmen Street and elsewhere throughout the city . . . when she’s not on tour, that is. She is featured on a promotional DVD with trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, Is There Jazz in Heaven?, which was commissioned by the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation in an effort to spur the tourism business. After a childhood spent sojourning back and forth across the continent and living a nomadic existence, Lucia is content to be settled down with her photographer husband, Dwight Marshall, and their seven-year old daughter in the city she loves and the city that loves her. –Dean M. Shapiro
Gentilly Stage, 5:40 PM
John Prine
If you aren’t familiar with John Prine’s music, you owe it to yourself to see him perform at Jazz Fest this year. His songs are still as fresh today as they were in his ’71 debut. Some would describe his offbeat looks, guitar style, and humorous lyrics as country, but he still seems best described as a folk singer/songwriter, capable of making an audience eat out of his hand and bringing them to laughter or tears with his ability to capture the human condition with humor, wit and sympathy.
As a teenage boy, John Prine began writing songs to impress girls, but he never had professional ambition, so by his early twenties, he was working as a postman in Chicago. He would have ended up a postal service retiree had it not been for one chance performance onstage during an amateur evening at a Chicago bar. Within the span of one year, he befriended the folk singer/songwiter Steve Goodman (most famous for the great train song “City of New Orleans”) and Kris Kristofferson, and released his self-titled debut album to critical acclaim.
The only noticeable difference between that album and the John Prine of today is a more gravelly sound, due to Prine’s battle with throat cancer. Doctors carefully created a path around Prine’s vocal chords to remove the cancerous tumor, enabling him to continue his performing career.
Thankfully for us, John Prine’s performing career will continue this year by honoring us with his first-ever visit to Jazz Fest. –Jordan Shay
Saturday, May 3
Economy Hall Tent, 12:25 PM
Treme Brass Band
A true New Orleans tradition will be back at The Jazz & Heritage Festival this year. They will be bringing with them the spirit of the streets of New Orleans and the neighborhood they represent in their namesake. The Treme Brass Band, led by snare drummer Benny Jones, is an opportunity for Fest-goers to enjoy the brass band music of both the second line and funeral traditions that make New Orleans unique. The Treme Brass band also features Lionel Batiste on the bass drums, along with a strong support crew that includes a variety of brass instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, and saxophone, and any number of musicians such as: James Andrews, Kermit Ruffins, Stackman Callier, Corey Henry, Kirk Joseph, Fred Kemp, Roger Lewis, Jeffrey Hills, Wayne Pope, Elliot Callier, Kewin James, Eddie Boh Paris and Henry Youngblood.
The tradition of the brass band goes back in time and is a strong part of the community, especially the Treme neighborhood, which was home to many musicians and their “jam sessions” throughout the years. The birth of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and their following success led to the inception and re-birth of the brass band tradition. In 1995, the Treme Brass Band released the first of their two albums, Gimme My Money Back, and in 1996, they followed with I Got a Big Fat Woman. The Treme Brass Band is an experience that even the New Orleans tried and true will enjoy, time after time. –Becky Brych.
Kids Tent, 12:30 pm
Johnette Downing
Multiple award-winning New Orleans author and children’s musician, Johnette Downing, brings her engaging brand of “Louisiana Spice” to the Kids Tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Downing plans to celebrate the release of her new CD, Dixieland Jazz for Children, and will be performing the last portion of her show with special guests Jimmy LaRocca’s Original Dixieland Jazz Band.
Johnette Downing and Jimmy LaRocca updated Dixieland jazz by fusing it with new lyrics and melodies that would appeal to kids and introduce them to the culture and music of New Orleans. Downing has said that as a child growing up in New Orleans, her parents would bring the family to the French Quarter and they would stand in the doorways of jazz clubs listening to the joyful sounds of Dixieland jazz bands. Downing brings that same musical spirit of New Orleans to life on a level that any child, or even a child at heart, can relate to and enjoy. –Sheri McKee
Gentilly Stage, 3:45 PM
Marcia Ball
A true Gulf Coast favorite, Marcia Ball is back and playing the piano as strong as ever. This singer, songwriter, and piano player is an annual tradition at Jazz Fest for many. Her live performances, which include almost every major festival in the country, are legendary and keep her fans coming back to enjoy her soulful R&B. Since 1978, Ball has released over a dozen albums ranging from solo performances to joining with her long- time inspiration, Irma Thomas.
Marcia Ball first began playing the piano at the age of five, and it did not take her long to fall in love with the music of New Orleans and legends like Professor Longhair and Fats Domino. After attending Louisiana State University, she headed west. On her way to San Francisco, her car broke down and she found herself in Austin, Texas. Before the car was fixed, Ball had fallen in love with the city. Her solo career began and grew in Austin, and so did her unique style. Her music resembles a true southern gumbo: a lot of down-home R&B, a touch of zydeco, some swamp blues, a bit of country twang, all mixed up with Marcia’s very own songwriting. Throw all of this together and put Marcia Ball on stage and you are sure to find a Jazz Fest performance that will make you lose track of time. –Rebecca Brych
Economy Hall Tent, 4:20 PM
Dr. Michael White and the
Original Liberty Jazz Band
One of the great tragedies of Hurricane Katrina, aside from the loss of lives and homes, was the loss of valuable artifacts preserving New Orleans’s rich musical and cultural heritage. No one felt this loss more intensely than Dr. Michael White. Longtime clarinetist for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and internationally renowned jazz scholar, teacher, musicologist, and collector, White lost vintage instruments, original scores composed by legendary jazz giants, and other priceless memorabilia (including over 5,000 LPs) when his Gentilly home flooded.
Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, some of White’s artifacts were salvaged but most were lost. Nonetheless, White has bravely soldiered on, continuing a stellar career that began in his teens while a member of Doc Paulin’s Brass Band. He went on to found the Original Liberty Jazz Band in 1981. When he is not fulfilling his role as a music professor at Xavier University, he performs locally, nationally, and internationally with his OLJB and the Michael White Quartet. He has appeared on recordings by Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, aside from his own.
Over the years, White was perceptive enough to observe that New Orleans’ great brass band tradition and other musical cultural traditions were beginning to die out with the passing of the older musicians who harkened back to that era. Sensing his mission and his calling, he has worked tirelessly to keep that from happening and, fortunately for New Orleans and the world, his efforts have been successful. Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band will be performing with guest vocalists Thais Clark and Lillian Boutte. –Dean M. Shapiro
Acura Stage, 5:30 PM
Jimmy Buffet
“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” and soon the man that made that phrase a household term will be returning to the Jazz & Heritage Festival.
That’s right – Jimmy Buffett will be back in New Orleans, and where Buffett is, there are sure to be hundreds of loyal “Parrotheads” ready to toss their “fins to the left, fins to the right.”
Jimmy Buffett started his career in the 1960s as a country singer and recorded his first album in 1970. During this time, he often could be found playing on the streets of New Orleans for the tourists. He began to combine country with folk and pop, as well as influences from the Caribbean. Through a friend, Buffett found himself in Key West where his career would eventually take off.
By the 1980s, Jimmy Buffett was making the majority of his money performing live concerts throughout the country rather than his albums. His Caribbean, “island-escapism” lyrics and attitude brought people out in multitudes, and the legend that is Jimmy Buffett was born.
In 1985, Buffett opened the first Margaritaville Restaurant in Key West. Eventually, he also opened a second Margaritaville in New Orleans, and on special occasions, fans might have the rare opportunity to see him make a guest appearance.
To hear Jimmy Buffett live has become harder over the years as most of his concerts sell out in minutes, so the opportunity to hear him play at Jazz Fest should be one not to be overlooked. You will know you are in the right place by the number of Hawaiian Shirts, people wearing parrots on their heads, or flying in the sky. The crowds are intense but the music is laid-back and will take you far away from reality, to a place where it is already five o’clock and the margaritas are plentiful. –Rebecca Brych
Gentilly Stage, 5:35 PM
Diana Krall
Jazz vocalist and pianist Diana Krall is undoubtedly a Canadian force to be reckoned with. When singing, the cool-voiced chanteuse evokes a sexiness that is not deliberate. Unlike many artists that try unbelievably hard to resonate seductiveness, Krall refuses to buckle to the pressure to sound overtly sensual. The 43-year old’s subtle teasing is sprinkled throughout her compositions. As a result, she has attracted many music enthusiasts, which extends beyond the world of jazz lovers. Individuals, especially of late, tend to flock towards artists that retain an authenticity within their craft. This is a partial explanation of why Krall has so many fans; the other part being her enchanting vocal skills.
Her genuineness is apparent, as she says, “Every tune has to have some sort of personal connection.” During the recording of her album, Love Scenes, Krall says that she wanted to take note of the great impact love has on family and friends. Incidentally, all of the featured songs on that record are exclusively about amore. In 2006, her From This Moment On release reflected her joy of marriage to English-born alt-rocker Elvis Costello and the birth of their twins. Krall will surely gain more inspiration for new material as her children grow older and she grows wiser. The couple will both be performing at this year’s Jazz Fest, as Diana Krall takes the stage on Saturday, May 3rd and her husband will perform the preceding Sunday. –Danyiell Oviedo
WWOZ Jazz Tent, 5:35 PM
Irvin Mayfield and the
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
When Irvin Mayfield unveiled his concept for a New Orleans-based jazz orchestra in the fall of 2002, the universal sentiment voiced by those present for the announcement was, “It’s about time.”
At the time, Mayfield was an artist-in-residence at Dillard University and grant monies raised by Dillard helped him recruit the musicians for NOJO and stage its first concerts. Since that time, NOJO has traveled the world, spreading the gospel of New Orleans’ pioneering and colorful musical heritage and traditions. NOJO’s mission statement, according to its website, is: “To inspire freedom and culture in the individual and the global community by creating authentic, engaging Jazz experiences while celebrating the origins and transforming the future of Jazz.”
It is also a vehicle for older musicians to mentor younger, emerging ones. Mayfield, the Grammy nominated and Billboard Award-winning trumpeter and composer, and the officially appointed Cultural Ambassador for the City of New Orleans, has continued to spearhead the nonprofit NOJO from his office at Tulane University, performing and presenting educational programs that draw upon the rich musical and cultural traditions of New Orleans. Generally consisting of about sixteen of the city’s first-tier musicians, the band sometimes breaks up into jazz trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, and other types of jazz education programming.
NOJO’s first recording, Mayfield’s original composition for a big band titled Strange Fruit, was critically acclaimed when it was released in 2003. Performance of a newly commissioned work, All the Saints, in November 2005, marked the first major jazz performance in post-Katrina New Orleans. NOJO’s big band international tour, “New Orleans: Do You Know What it Means?” has expanded audience awareness of the New Orleans cultural experience and its influence upon great American music.
–Dean M. Shapiro
Sunday, May 4
WWOZ Jazz Tent, 11:30 AM
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance is a prestigious college-level program with ambitious goals. Under the Artistic Direction of Terence Blanchard, an ensemble is chosen every two years to help promote the principles of the study of jazz and to link generations of musicians in that pursuit.
For the seven musicians chosen for the current program, that means extensive rehearsal as an ensemble in an effort to establish a group sound, original composition by the various members, a regular routine of mentoring by world class jazz masters, offering instruction to young protégés in area schools, and private instruction with gifted young musicians.
“It’s definitely been very busy, but it’s been great. I’ve made a ton of progress as a player, as a composer,” said New Orleans native and member of the current class, guitarist Davy Mooney. “People in the group write really challenging stuff. You really have to work on it, but that’s good for me. It forces me out of my comfort zone.”
“It’s a great education all around,” Mooney added. “I’ve been through a lot of jazz studies and various camps and things, and this is the best. No other program is designed this way.”
Somewhere between those lofty pursuits, the group squeezes in a steady diet of live performances, and this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is fortunate to have the group on the schedule, a move facilitated by the Institute’s relocation to Loyola University of New Orleans in 2007. –Craig M. Cortello
Acura Stage , 1:35 PM
Ivan Neville and the Dumpstaphunk
Interview by Samantha Morgan
The Nevilles are truly the first family of New Orleans music, with Ivan Neville representing the best of funk with his band, Dumpstaphunk. Formed in 2001, Neville stressed that the band is not a solo project with a collection of hired guns. Rather, Dumpstaphunk is a true collaborative effort that formed in five years ago.
“I want to set the record straight about the one thing I love about this band, and that’s that this is a band,” Neville said. “My name is in front of it, but it’s a band. It’s five guys that share everything equally.
“I love the fact we can have a band with guys as talented as our guys and they’re singers and songwriters in their own right,” he added. “We all sacrifice to be in a band together, and everyone is just as important as anyone else.”
Those crucial members, including Neville, are Ian Neville (guitar), Nick Daniels (double-bass), Tony Hall (double-bass), and Raymond Webber (drums).
“I was at one of many crossroad stages in my life,” Neville said when discussing his reasons for forming Dumpstaphunk. “I had just released a record two years prior, which is my third solo album, and I had been playing with my brothers in The Neville Brothers.
“I wanted to do something different,” he added. “I wanted to just put together the funkiest band around in the land, and it consists of some of the funkiest people I know with the best musicians in the world.”
Dumpstaphunk introduced itself to the world last year with the release of its debut EP, Listen Hear.
“It talks about different stuff and the state of the world, with a little bit about Katrina,” Neville said about the album. “It’s like a social commentary, but with a sense of humor.”
Neville said that the EP evolved in a very natural, unforced way, which truly represents the spirit of a Dumpstaphunk performance.
“I got to tell you, we rehearsed all of five times before we played our first show,” Neville said with a laugh. “When we go into the studio, we don’t really have a lot planned. A lot of the music is written on the fly. There’s a lot of spontaneity. It can go in different places on any different night.”
You can learn more about Dumpstaphunk by visiting www.dumpstaphunk.com.
Economy Hall Tent, 2:50 PM
George French
Bassist/vocalist George French hails from a distinguished musical New Orleans family. His father, Albert “Papa” French, was a distinguished banjo player and bandleader, and brother Bob is an accomplished drummer, as is George French’s son Gerald.
George French has an extensive background in New Orleans jazz and rhythm and blues, and he can be heard on many of the New Orleans-made hit records of the 1960s. He had no professional instruction, but his musical style evolved, thanks to some of the best trainers possible: namely, Papa French, George Davis, and Sam Jones. Over the span of his illustrious career, French has had the pleasure of working with many of New Orleans’ finest musicians, either on a stage or in the recording studio. On stage, he has performed with Willie Tee and the Souls, Bob French and the Continentals, Alvin “Red” Tyler, and the Gentlemen of Jazz. His impressive recording career has earned him studio time with Earl King, Robert Parker, brother Bob and the Storyville Jazz Band, the Dukes of Dixieland, the James Rivers Quartet, and Wendell Brunious. His most ambitious recording project to date is titled Celebration of the Voice, recorded live for Rounder Records.
Celebration of the Voice was a concert series held at the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center, and a local all-star big band was assembled for the event. The high points of the show were the vocal performances of French, Germaine Bazzle, and the late Johnny Adams. Each artist performed several tunes and all came together to perform “Mood Indigo” and “Exactly Like You.” His first solo CD, It’s a Beginning, debuted to rave reviews when it was released in late 2000. –Dean M. Shapiro
AIG Gospel Tent, 4:45 PM
John P. Kee
Despite being born the fifteenth out of sixteen children, Pastor John P. Kee managed to stand out as a young musical prodigy. While growing up in a Christian home in Durham, North Carolina, Kee attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and honed his vocal and instrumental skills. Later, he continued his studies at Yuba College Conservatory School of Music in Marysville, California. While there, the young talent began performing with his doppelganger, Larry Blackmon and the rest of the R&B group Cameo. Ironically, Kee found living in the “Golden State” difficult and moved back to North Carolina, making Charlotte his new home.
After leading a brief life of violence and crime, the budding pastor made a life change and rejoined the church, encompassing all activities that went along with it. In the mid-80s, Kee formed the New Life Community Choir and produced Wash Me and We Walk by Faith, two albums that catapulted the choir’s popularity within the gospel arena.
With the NLCC and his latest choir, Victory in Praise Music and Arts Seminar Mass Choir, or VIP, Kee has garnered further success with Show Up, Stand and Strength. As a result, the groups have amassed multiple accolades, which include Stellar and Billboard Awards, along with a Soul Train Award.
In 1999, Kee established the New Life Fellowship Church in Charlotte and became the presiding pastor. Pastor Kee’s ministry is not limited to creating uplifting music, but also extends into the community as a helping hand sponsoring after-school tutoring programs, feeding the hungry, donating gift certificate for gun drives and constructing a state of the art computer lab for inner city youths. His signature husky voice and supporting spirit has inspired others. John P. Kee and the New Life Community Choir will bring their joyful noise to the Jazz Fest on Sunday, May 4th. –Danyiell Oviedo
Congo Square Stage, 5:30 PM
Maze feat. Frankie Beverly
Frankie Beverly loves New Orleans and New Orleans loves Frankie Beverly. Not only have he and his band, Maze, been the traditional closing act of the Essence Music Festival since its inception in 1995, they have also headlined at the Saenger Theater and performed for Zulu balls and various other fundraising functions here. They even released a Live in New Orleans two-record set, recorded during their 1981 Saenger concert.
Best known for their late 1970s R&B standards (“Golden Time of Day,” “Happy Feelin’s,” “Joy and Pain,” “Working Together,” and others), Maze has become one of the most successful R&B/funk/jazz/urban contemporary fusion groups of all time. Their records have consistently gone gold, often soon after their releases.
Hailing from Philadelphia during its rock and roll heyday, Beverly and the other members of Maze were influenced by early roots R&R and, like many early African-American R&R/R&B stars, Beverly sang gospel in church as a youngster. Born Howard Beverly, he changed his name to Frankie in admiration for early rock star Frankie Lymon, and claims to have toured with The Silhouettes (“Get a Job”) at the age of 12.
Beverly and Maze were guided during their early years by Marvin Gaye, and they went on to record a string of nearly thirty hit singles from 1977 to 1993 -- nine of which were Top 10 R&B hits -- and eight of their ten albums went gold … quite an impressive résumé for a group that amazingly enough, still hasn’t won a Grammy. If New Orleans were awarding the Grammys, they would have a roomful. –Dean M. Shapiro
Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage
5:45 PM
Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys
Are Jazz Fest Regulars
Interview by Samantha Morgan
A charming personality is something not lacking for seventeen-year old violin virtuoso Amanda Shaw. Her sunny disposition is certainly reflected in her new fun and upbeat album, Pretty Runs Out, which was released on January 8 of this year through Rounder Records.
Born and raised in Covington, LA, Shaw fell in love with the violin at just four-years old. “I was watching TV and they showed an orchestra playing,” Shaw recalled. “They showed someone playing the violin, and it was like love at first sight. I turned to my mom and said, ‘That’s what I want to do,’ and that’s what I’ve been going [on] ever since.”
Although classically trained, Shaw’s attention was turned to Cajun music at just eight-years old. That same year, she made her way on to the Jazz Fest stage and has been invited back to perform with her band every year. This year she will be performing on Sunday, May 4.
“I have confidence in what I do, and I just like to have fun, so there’s no reason to have anxiety about something that’s fun,” Shaw said when asked if she was nervous to perform at the festival at such a young age. “It’s just like not getting nervous to go shopping.”
That youthful confidence and zest for life is marked in the music Shaw performs with her band, Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys, which includes members Brint Anderson (guitar, backing vocals), Ronnie Falgout (bass, backing vocals), and Mike Barras (drums). Stylistically, Shaw said her sound is best classified as roots music because, while the base is Cajun, she also incorporates elements of pop, rock, and blues.
“Cajun music is just such great music because it’s all about dancing, having a good time, and spending time with your friends and family. Even if you listen to the words, that’s what it’s all about,” Shaw explained. “I guess the music I play is not about selling out to pop music; it’s about trying to use pop music to bring attention to Cajun music and bring it to a wider audience.”
Along with calling attention to Cajun music, Shaw has become an advocate for Louisiana Wetland preservation, which she became involved with while working on the IMAX movie, Hurricane on the Bayou.
“I got to work with so many amazing musicians, and it was so much fun,” Shaw said. “I learned a lot about what we can do to save Louisiana wetlands, and why they are so important to our state. It’s still something I continue to go out there and promote because it’s so important.”
Hurricane on the Bayou was released on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and was produced by MacGillivray Freeman and features narration by Meryl Streep. Including Shaw, music contributions to the film were provided by Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Tab Benoit, Chubby Carrier. and Marva Wright.
To learn more about Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys, visit her website at www.amandashaw.com.
Economy Hall Tent, 5:50 PM
Bob French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz
Band
In 1977, when drummer Bob French took over the leadership of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band from his recently deceased father, Albert “Papa” French, he inherited a great legacy. The OTJB is the longest continuously active band in the long history of New Orleans music. The late Oscar “Papa” Celestin organized the band in 1910 during the infamous “Storyville” era, when jazz was still called “Jass” and was in its infancy as a distinct musical genre. Over the coming decades, the OTJB helped launch the careers of such outstanding musicians as Lorenzo Tio, Jr., Alphonse Picou, Lee Collins, Baby Dodds, Zutty Singleton, and the immortal Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Celestin led the band for 44 years, followed by trombonist Eddie Pierson from 1954 to 1958, then “Papa” French from 1958 to 1977. Under the various leaderships, the band toured the U.S. and Europe to great critical acclaim.
As current drummer and leader, Bob French has helped maintain the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band’s tradition of playing the best old-style New Orleans music with the best old-style musicians available. Two years away from celebrating their 100th anniversary, the OTJB continues to enthrall jazz fans worldwide. The band has performed at the inauguration of President Eisenhower, as well as at the White House and numerous high-profile festivals. They travel abroad several times a year and have delighted heads of state as ambassadors of New Orleans’ most precious gift to the world . . . Jazz! –Dean M. Shapiro
Allison Miner Music Heritage/Laginappe
Stage, 6:00 PM
Benny Grunch & The Bunch
There is no magazine more suited than Where Y’at Magazine to feature one of New Orleans’ favorite music groups – Benny Grunch & The Bunch.
Whether dey catchin’ crawfish in Arabi or eatin’ by ya mama’s (I’m going to stop writing like this before my favorite English professors read this and roll over in their graves), Benny Grunch & The Bunch can be found in every corner of the Crescent city.
Over the years, they have become a trademark of New Orleans culture, which is why they’ll be the closing act of this year’s Jazz Fest. Benny’s band will take the stage at 6 PM on May 4 to play the music that has become known as the soundtrack of the city. No one knows New Orleans quite the way they do, and they are back to play at one of the biggest festivals in the city.
Benny met me for lunch at Café Navarre, which is nestled in his beloved Lakeview neighborhood, to discuss his upcoming act. As we munched on our po-boys, we talked about everything under the sun, including Katrina, his cats, and his love for restoring classic cars. Not wanting to get too sidetracked, he mostly expressed his excitement about this year’s Fest.
The singer, who admits he is never nervous in front of a crowd, will perform on the Lagniappe stage. Benny loves the Lagniappe stage because a large canopy, which provides much-appreciated shade for fans and Fest-goers, covers it. Anyone who has braved the infamous Jazz Fest heat knows that this is quite a luxury! Benny is one of them. In fact, he heeds the warning to “Dress cool and bring a towel.” And because of personal experience, I’d like to toss in my own advice as well: wear sunscreen!
The Bunch will perform some of their well-known classics, such as “Norris The Nocturnal Nutria,” “Over By Your Mama’n Nem,” and “Ain’t Dere No More” (My spell-check is going crazy!). Although snow is obviously out of the forecast, they will even play their Holiday classic “The 12 Y’ats of Christmas,” the song that may have taught some New Orleanians how to count. His songs are upbeat and fun, although a few have a hint of nostalgia for landmarks like K&B and our lives pre-Katrina. Some of the lyrics put a light-hearted spin on the events that have shaped New Orleans into the loveable city it is today.
Whether you are a local or a newcomer to the city, Benny Grunch & The Bunch is an entertaining act for anyone to see. It is also a great way end another Jazz Fest. Y’all are gonna love it! –Suzanne Pfefferle