Nolafunk Lagniappe

New Orleans' 2008 music scene, in retrospect

Don Vappie

Gratefully, folks continue to ask how things are going here in New Orleans. The answer, of course, depends on one's circumstances. When it comes to the quality and abundance of music, however, the response must, or at least should be, that New Orleans is doing just fine. From an audience's perspective, it's doing so well that the choices can be overwhelming. Sorry, but no, you can't be in two places at once. So here are some, with an emphasis on some, of the best performances that I was fortunate enough to catch in 2008. Maybe you were there too or they'll bring to mind your own personal list. Enjoy the memories... Starting out with the new kid on the music club block, Kermit Ruffins Saloon, formerly and still often called Sidney's Saloon, held many fun-filled days and nights. High up there was certainly election night with the trumpeter and his Barbecue Swingers set up on the sidewalk Ruffins' declared it the fattest Fat Tuesday. The lyrics to Johnny Nash's tune, "I Can See Clearly Now," never rang clearer - "It's going to be a bright, bright, bright sun-shiny day."

Bo Dollis: Lifetime Achievement in Music

Theodore Emile “Bo” Dollis was born on January 14, 1944 with an extraordinary gift that eventually made him a sacred figure in New Orleans and a fabulous symbol of the city’s unique culture everywhere else. Dollis had a voice that set him apart. He had a native ability to sing that was apparent from early childhood. He had no formal musical training, and he didn’t come from one of New Orleans’ legendary musical families, but when he sang in church people noticed. At home, Dollis proudly exercised his vocal talents to the delight of friends and visitors and over time developed a soul singer’s voice, full of passion and intensity with a rasp that gave him a wild edge.

RIP: Longtime Roadmasters drummer Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold, 1955-2008

Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold, who spent more than two decades as the drummer in Walter "Wolfman" Washington's Roadmasters, died Dec. 26 after a long illness. He was 53.

Arnold laid down the mix of funk, blues and soul grooves on most Roadmasters recordings. In 1997, he was felled by a bout of colitis while on tour and was forced to fly home from Istanbul, Turkey. However, he continued to perform with the Roadmasters until 2006. He was also involved with the New Orleans Rhythm Conspiracy.

His former bandmates visited the WWOZ-FM studio on Dec. 30 to reminisce on-air about his exploits.

"The Dog was a tough son of a gun and a very lovable guy," Roadmasters bassist Jack Cruz said. "His sense of polyrhythm and syncopation was right on. He was totally dedicated to the drums and music, and full of life. He could keep a monologue going for 12 hours straight. You know how if a shark stops swimming, it dies? If Wilbert stopped talking, he would fall asleep."

The top 10 local CDs for 2008. See if you agree

Launch NOLA Radio: Hear selected tracks from this year's top local releases

The Iguanas
If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times
Yep Roc Records

Essentially the sequel to the Iguanas' "Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart, " the best local release of 2003. Like its predecessor, the new disc is laden with dreamy visions of south Louisiana: the open road romp of the title track.

The shimmering guitar echo, shuffling rhythm and lap-steel guitar moan of "Her Red Fishnets." The south-of-the-border noir of "Malas Vibras." The undulating groove and come-ons of "Sour Grapes." The Mark Knopfler-like "Okemah." The sweet-tempered accordion ditty "Warm Sun."

Taken together, it reconfirms the Iguanas as the New Orleans/Tex-Mex equivalent of Wilco, a roots music ensemble that skillfully and subtly draws on a broad palette of sound.

George Porter Jr.'s Birthday Bash, Howlin' Wolf, 12/26/08

For many, Christmas is the biggest holiday of they year, but for New Orleans music aficionados and funk fans ‘round the globe December 26th – not the 25th – is the holiday that they look forward to the most. No, I’m not referring to Boxing Day! I’m referring the birth of the funkiest bass player in the history of music… none other than New Orleans’ own George Porter Jr.

Possibly 4th Street: Bonerama Christmas Special (SFW)

Rob Trucks's "Possibly 4th Street" expositions, in which he invites musicians to perform live and impromptu somewhere in New York City, run intermittently here at Sound of the City.

This is how it's supposed to be done.

Just over a year ago, we accompanied the seven-piece, trombone-heavy, New Orleans-based brass band Bonerama to Midtown. They parked their van just south of Radio City, unloaded the trailer, and set out an empty snare case. Hundreds of sidewalk-blocking tourists, twenty minutes, and three songs later (including a memorable rendition of Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean"), the band is 70 bucks (a Possibly 4th Street record) and immeasurable goodwill richer.

Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, "Git It, Beau Jocque!" (1995)

Best to fasten your seltbelts, and put your trays in the upright position.

"Git It" is a frenetic, fun-filled journey, this breathless moment of in-concert glory that comes and goes so fast that it remains sadly emblematic of the meteoric rise of Beau Jocque himself.

During the last decade, Beau became the high-octane face of a new style of zydeco, originally this Louisiana-born old-school blending of Cajun folk tunes with post-war rhythm and blues and Afro-Caribbean beats by the state's Creole community. The 1990s update included contemporary urban sounds. With Beau, it meant both a ferocious groove as well as a dangerous, almost primal vocal presence in keeping with blues legend Howlin' Wolf and, at other times, soul stirrer James Brown.

Christmas with Aaron Neville

Along with about 998 of Aaron Neville's biggest fans, Big Man and I squeezed ourselves into the House of Blues Sunday night for a rare live concert. "Standing room only" does not do justice to the size of the enthusiastic crowd -- it was like Mardi Gras, or one of the big stages at Jazz Fest, folks were packed together so close that when you raised your arm to take a sip of your drink, you perforce brushed against another person, or possibly several. Until the concert began, you could clearly hear every word of conversations said in a normal tone of voice by the people immediately around you. Enforced intimacy.



A TRIO OF New Orleans JAZZ PIONEERS

In the early 1960s as a young man in his 20s, cornetist Jim Cullum made a pilgrimage to New Orleans, exploring the roots of jazz, meeting jazz greats and sitting in on jam sessions. In conversation with co-host David Holt, Jim Cullum recalls the Parisian Room on Royal Street in the French Quarter with trumpeter Papa Celestin on the bandstand, a jam session with cornetist Johnny Wiggs, and Mardi Gras parades with drummer Paul Barbarin.

Dumpstaphunk :: 12.09.08 :: Freebird Live:: Jacksonville Beach, FL

Dumpstaphunk from myspace.com/dumpstaphunk

On an unseasonably warm Tuesday evening in Jacksonville Beach, as the locals focused on the Tim Tebow/Florida Gator-mania, First Coast funkateers braced themselves for the new-age sonic hurricane that is New Orleans' Dumpstaphunk. The band was still somewhat fresh off a positively killin' weekend converting the non-believers with their patented deep-fried, bouncing, elastic jams at the Bear Creek Festival 'funktion' (read our review of Bear Creek here). Now the funk train made a return stop in North Florida at Freebird Live for an evening that doubled as bassist Tony Hall's birthday jam. Chuuch!

Marcia Ball/Beau Soleil avec Michael Doucet, Tipitina's, 12/20/08

One of the best characteristics of New Orleans is that both culturally and musically, it is a melting pot. There’s always something brewing down in the delta. From its traditional byways to its signature stride, New Orleans is a city driven by experiences and shaped by interactions.

Come Together: MVVP and Russell Batiste and Friends, Howlin' Wolf, 12/12/08

Perhaps the most unique characteristic about the New Orleans music scene is the manner in which the genuine sense of camaraderie that its musicians share amongst each other transfers itself to the fans. While the events surrounding Mardi Gras and the festival season often overshadow the winter months, this “quite” season should not be overlooked. All of the musicians have returned from their tours, and there is a renewed sense of energy bounding throughout the streets. It’s during this time that some of the city’s most spirited jams take place. Without the usual tourist driven hubbub, nightly, musicians reconnect with their roots, their musical compatriots, and their core fanbase.