NolaFunk Lagniappe

WWOZ Highlights from Jazzfest






In Pursuit Of Bo-Consciousness - Part 3

WORKING WELL WITH OTHERS ON RIC & RON

As an arranger, songwriter and backing musician, Eddie Bo assisted a number of artists who were beginning or continuing their recording careers at Ric & Ron in the early 1960s, several of whom would go on to become big names in New Orleans R&B. Around this time last year, I featured one of Bo's early productions in a multi-song post. It was Robert Parker's first Ron single,"All Nite Long", a rockin', quirky two-parter from 1959. For additonal documentation, this time I’m featuring tracks byIrma Thomas,Johnny Adams, andTommy Ridgley, three of the greatest R&B/soul vocalists the city has engendered, plus notable sides by two lesser known artists, Warren Lee and Martha Carter. There may be nothing musically groundbreaking about any of these tunes; but, Bo’s work for Joe Ruffino’s labels was an opportunity for him to learn the ropes of studio arranging and production on his own projects as well as on those of other fine young talents. While there were hits and misses in that process, even the lesser tunes are enjoyable, and, I hope, provide some context in terms of his career. Oddly, one of his earliest collaborations as an arranger for another artist proved to be the most commercially successful.

IRMA THOMAS



"Don't Mess With My Man" (D. Labostrie)

Brass Band Blowout: Soul Rebels, Hot 8 and Rebirth at the Howlin' Wolf

As many of you know, the festival portion of Jazzfest is only part of the splendor of this yearly phenomenon. The other piece of the puzzle is the late night scene. Every bit as exciting as the Fest itself – just not quite as hot depending on how you see it – these nightly showcases are nothing short of epic. All around the city, the concerts begin around 10:00pm and proceed until sunup; it isn’t uncommon for the final act on a bill to kickoff after 2:00am. So without any further explanation, I’m going to begin unfolding my Late Night Jazzfest 2009 experience. For me, there’s no better way to ring in Jazzfest than with a brass band. So, on Thursday, April 23rd, I headed to the Howlin’ Wolf for the Brass Band Blowout which featured Crescent City favorites the Soul Rebels Brass Band, the Hot 8 Brass Band and the Rebirth Brass Band.

Mac Daddy

Since Hurricane Katrina, Dr. John has experienced a renaissance of sorts. He got artists including Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Ani DiFranco and Terence Blanchard to contribute to City That Care Forgot (429 Records) and it won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues in 2008, his fifth Grammy. He also used the record to rail against the federal government's response to Katrina and to raise awareness of issues such as the continuing depletion of the Louisiana wetlands. USA Today said songs like "Land Grab" and "Time For a Change" made the album a "rambunctious and furious post-Katrina polemic that addresses government indifference, the diaspora and [Dr. John's] unwavering love for the Crescent City."

Galactic and The Wild Magnolias Reunion at Tipitina's

After an excellent first day of Jazzfest, I headed to Tipitina’s around 9:30pm (April 24, 2009) to partake in the second night of Fess Jazztival. My initials plans were to catch bluesman Eric Lindell and the reunion of the Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians featuring Big Chief Bo Dollis and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, but due to some scheduling confusion, by the time that had I arrived Eric Lindell had already played. Disappointed but not daunted, I used this opportunity to hang around and slip into Galactic’s [2:00am to] sunrise set.

Allen Toussaint shines on elegant new CD "The Bright Mississippi"

Allen Toussaint's post-Katrina renaissance rolls on.

Ever since his 1958 debut "The Wild Sound of New Orleans" -- released under the name Tousan -- he has recorded only sporadically. He earned his place in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame by writing and producing hits for other artists.

But his national profile as a performer in his own right has never been higher, thanks in large part to "The River in Reverse." The acclaimed 2006 collaboration with Elvis Costello revived Toussaint's touring career and reintroduced him as a contemporary recording artist. His new, genteel "The Bright Mississippi" (Nonesuch Records), while much different, should only enhance that reputation

Anders Osborne and Friends at Le Bon Temps

After a monster few days at Jazzfest, I was pretty worn out. The crowd, the scope, the bustle, it had all started to wear on me a bit. I needed to find a laidback gig to set me right. So, on Saturday, April 25th, I decided to take in a late night show in my neighborhood. I set out for Le Bon Temps Roulé where guitar slinger Anders Osborne held court. To my surprise, joining Anders this night were wildman Simon Lott on drums, maniac Marco Benevento on keys and a saxophone player whom I didn’t recognize, couldn’t understand when announced but brought some serious heat – what above all, Le Bon Temps is all about. It is without a doubt the hottest place in New Orleans. There’s no stage here; rather, the musicians set up shop in the far corner of an unventilated back room. It’s certainly an [suffocating] experience to be had. Fans come and go, immersing themselves in the music until they can no longer take the temperature. Then, after a quick breather, they jump right back into the fire. The musicians, on the other hand, wail away, wholly enmeshed in the scene unfolding before them.

Scenes From The Original Big 7 Parade






Hopeful Dispatches From the 40th Jazz & Heritage Festival

• 

New Orleans inspires even inveterate Twitterers and Facebook correspondents to release their thumbs and touch real life. Except the guy at the bar of a club called DBA one recent Monday, who just leaned harder into his BlackBerry, typing feverishly as Glen David Andrews—trombone in one hand, mic in the other—upped the tempo of "It's All Over Now." Some people just don't get it.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which celebrated its 40th year through two long weekends from April 24 to May 3, is the grandest showcase, the tourism calling card, for a culture that defies the virtual. At the festival's Gospel Tent five days later, Andrews stirred fervor with hymns from his new CD, Walking Through Heaven's Gate. Monday, secular. Friday, sacred. Same effect. These are the two sides of New Orleans' musical coin, and nowhere is that truer than Andrews's old neighborhood, Tremé: He recorded his album at Zion Hill Baptist Church there, where he was baptized 30 years ago.