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Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Bonnaroo 2011 to feature reunited Meters backing Dr. John
The original Meters are slated to reunite for the first time in almost five years at the 10th anniversary Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee in June. The Meters will back Dr. John on a complete performance of his 1974 album “Desitively Bonnaroo,” from which the festival takes its name. The Meters were the studio band behind Dr. John on that original recording.
.The Meters – keyboardist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste – have reunited only intermittently since they laid down the foundation for New Orleans funk in the late 1960s and ‘70s. The most recent reunion ended in 2006 with Neville, for one, expressing doubt that they would ever reform again.
“I didn’t think it would happen after the last escapade,” Nocentelli said of this latest reunion. “But something that’s worthwhile, we should be able to not throw it aside. If it’s still alive and you still feel it, learn from what you did. I’m looking forward to some longevity.”
The original Meters disbanded in 1979 amid business and personal turmoil; variations appeared sporadically. In 1989, Neville, Porter and Nocentelli hired drummer Russell Batiste Jr. and resurrected the Meters name. After Nocentelli's departure in 1994, they continued as the Funky Meters with former Neville Brothers guitarist Brian Stoltz.
The original Meters put aside their differences to reunite for a single show – and large paycheck -- in San Francisco in 2000. In 2005, they came together again to perform at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell. That show went well, and was followed by other concerts. A new generation of music fans already knew their riffs and rhythms via jam band tributes and scores of samples on rap records. The reunited band played for much larger audiences and fees than the Funky Meters.
But by 2007, the reunion had run out of steam. When one bandmember couldn’t make himself available for a proposed gig at that year’s Bonnaroo, the reunion appeared to have run its course.
However, the principals of Superfly, the New Orleans-founded firm that co-produces Bonnaroo, were determined to land the Meters this year. During their run in the mid-2000s, the reunited Meters performed at other Superfly-produced festivals. Thus, the musicians were well-acquainted with how the Superfly principals operate, and vice versa. Superfly approached the four Meters individually with a proposal for the 2011 Bonnaroo.
“I’m pleased with the way they’re handling it,” Nocentelli said of Superfly. “On a business level, we’re not a group any more. To be a group, you have to think alike. We’re four businessmen with different opinions. You put that in a group context, it doesn’t work. The group thing comes when we’re on stage playing music.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t be dealt with. You have to deal with us on an individual basis. That’s the only way you can have any success.”
The 10th annual Bonnaroo is June 9 - 12. Most of the tens of thousands attendees camp on the 700-acre site in Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles south of Nashville. The final Bonnaroo 2011 lineup will total over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Bonnaroo 2009 and a few NoLa Artists to Watch for...
Unless you live under a rock, you should be pretty well aware that this weekend (June 11th-14th) marks the gargantuan, musical spectacle Bonnaroo. The brainchild of ex-New Orleans production company, Superfly, over the past 8 years, the annual festival held each June in Manchester, Tennessee has blossomed from a grassroots, jamband gathering to an over-the-top, all-encompassing vacation destination for music lovers and their families. Though ups, downs and the doubling of ticket prices, Bonnaroo has persevered, proving itself to be one of the most successful showcases on the musical landscape. As for me, I’ve been there and done that – and might consider doing it again. If you, your family or your friends are heading out to the fields of Manchester, remember to take a gander at New Orleans acts Galactic (ft Corey Henry & Troy “Tombone” Shorty Andrews), Allen Toussaint, The Knux, MyNameIsJohnMichael and DJ Quickie Mart.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bonnaroo set to donate to New Orleans non-profit groups
Since I spent a good chunk of Bonnaroo 2008 in the Somethin' Else tent (see my many posts about it from June 2008), I thought it appropriate to post this update...
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is proud to announce that it will donate $240,000 to a variety of New Orleans non-profit groups. In their continuing effort to promote continued awareness of the rebuilding of New Orleans, festival organizers Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment created the “Somethin’ Else – New Orleans” tent at the 2008 event. It was modelled after some of the city’s most distinctive music venues and featured some of its greatest musical talent. Fans were asked to make a donation upon entering “Somethin’ Else – New Orleans” throughout the weekend. The money raised from these donations will be part of the gift that the festival is making.
“The city of New Orleans and it’s amazing culture continues to be a major inspiration for us in everything that we do, not just Bonnaroo (whose very name is Crescent City Creole slang for ‘good stuff’),” says Paul Peck of Superfly Productions who produce annual events in New Orleans including the “Superfly During Jazzfest Concert Series.” Additional money for the donation was raised from the benefit concert “From the Big Apple to the Big Easy” at Radio City Music Hall, which was produced by Radio City Entertainment, Superfly Productions and Red Light management. The concert featured Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio, Tom Waits, The Neville Brothers, John Mayer, Joss Stone and many others.
The groups that will be supported by the donation are below:
New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village / Ellis Marsalis Center for Music
http://www.nolamusiciansvillage.com/about/
After hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced many musicians to flee New Orleans, the sounds of jazz, blues, and other genres that are the soundtrack of this incredible city, were exiled in faraway places. New Orleans Area Habitat, together with Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis were determined to change this and plans were announced in December 2005 for the construction of a Musicians' Village. The Musicians' Village, conceived by Connick and Marsalis, consists of 82 units for displaced New Orleans musicians and other qualifying families. Its centerpiece is the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, dedicated to the education and development of homeowners and others who will live nearby. It will have a 150-seat performance space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, and will produce the accomplishments of its students. The center will focus on the diverse music heritage of NOLA.
New Orleans Musicians Clinic
http://www.neworleansmusiciansclinic.org/
Provides access to health and social welfare services for the New Orleans music community. The clinic helps sustain the health of NOLA musicians and their families by providing medical services and developing access to primary care, preventative health services, as well as social and occupational outreach. They often refer patients to specialists within the LSU Healthcare Network and provide access to discounted prescriptions, patient assistance programs, lab work and vaccinations. Through their New Orleans Musicians Fdn. (NOMAF) they sustain musicians in need by keeping their music alive in New Orleans through funding gigs and musician mentorship programs in schools, at community centers, and neighborhoods.
NOCCA - New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts
http://www.nocca.com
NOCCA is a tuition-free, professional arts training center located in the heart of historic New Orleans. NOCCA offers instruction in creative writing, dance, media arts, music, theatre arts, and visual arts to high school students across Louisiana through school day, after-school, weekend and summer sessions.
The NOCCA Institute provides support and advocacy for NOCCA, overseeing multiple financial aid programs, an Artist-in-Residence program, the Center Stage concert series, and other programs that enhance the educational environment for students and provide arts experiences for the general public."
Tipitina's Foundation
http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org/about/mission.asp
The mission of the Tipitina’s Foundation is to support Louisiana’s irreplaceable music community and preserve the state’s unique musical cultures. The history of the Tipitina’s Foundation originates from the Tipitina’s music venue, a revered New Orleans cultural icon that continues to be instrumental in the development and promotion of Louisiana music around the world. The Foundation works to support childhood music education, the professional development of adult musicians, and the increased profile and viability of Louisiana music as a cultural, educational, and economic resource.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
NolaFunk Lagniappe
The Morning 40 Federation's 40 Ounces, Nine Lives...the hoarse musician can barely hear my response above the din at BJ's, the downtown New Orleans bar where he's drinking at 4 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. He and his bandmates in the Morning 40 Federation emerged from the storied Ninth Ward almost a decade ago, and have since made a cottage industry out of daytime boozing: Their moniker refers to the habit of downing a 40-ounce beer at dawn, and all their slovenly horn-rock songs are about getting effed up, New Orleans–style. As in: thoroughly. As in: The last time they hit town, Scully puked on his monitor mid-set at Mercury Lounge.Morning 40 Federation plays Mercury Lounge July 4 & Bar Nine July 5
New Orleans Musicians to Kick off Democratic Convention
The Democratic National Convention will step out to a decidedly Big Easy beat.
The 6,000 delegates expected to attend the Aug. 24 welcoming party at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver will groove to the Voice of the Wetlands All-stars featuring guitarist Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Irma Thomas and Marva Wright, plus three of the four original Meters, the Soul Rebels Brass Band and the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians.
Later that night, the same musicians are to perform during a private after-party at Denver's Fillmore Auditorium hosted by Friends of New Orleans, a non-profit, non-partisan Washington D.C. organization that advocates on behalf of New Orleans, and coastal restoration.
The Voice of the Wetlands All-stars are also performing Sept. 1 at a Friends of New Orleans, party during the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Former Congressman Billy Tauzin and actor and FONO board member John Larroquette will host both the Denver and Minneapolis events, which New Orleans, community radio station WWOZ (90.7 FM) plans to broadcast live.
The VOW All-stars include Benoit, Cajun bandleader Waylon Thibodeaux, drummer Johnny Vidacovich, guitarist Anders Osborne, harmonica player Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, bassist George Porter Jr. and percussionist Cyril Neville.
In Denver, the All-stars will be augmented by Thomas, Wright, Austin pianist Marcia Ball, saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, trombonist "Big" Sam Williams, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph, trumpeter James Andrews and singers Lauren Barrett and Mary McBride.
Additionally, Porter, guitarist Leo Nocentelli and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste of the Meters are expected to perform with Walter "Wolfman" Washington and other special guests.
Bonnaroo: Respite in the New Orleans TentWe were told not to miss Henry Butler, he of the psychotic, off-the-hook right hand. He was playing in the New Orleans tent, which was dark, dust-free and nearly people-free, which provided a respite to what was going on just outside. Mr. Butler is one of the most celebrated pianists in a town – New Orleans — that has its share. He can do anything and often does, opening with a riff on Debussy or at least what sounded like one, and then vamping his way into “Let It Roll.” His hands did very different things and then came together and did precisely the same thing, with sparks nearly coming out when his paws collided. I watched a kid next to me spaz out during one of his more remarkable riffs, clicked my tongue in judgment and then found myself doing something similar five minutes later. The guy can go.
TSI's BONNAROO BLOG"On my to-do list for the first night was a visit to the new Somethin‚ Else stage, a venue dedicated to showcasing traditional New Orleans music, with the inaugural performance by the Soul Rebels brass band. The entry fee was a mandatory $5 donation, with proceeds going to charities that help out New Orleans musicians; for that small fee, less than a bottle of beer at the festival, you can enjoy music in an air-conditioned environment (and as far as I'm concerned, the only difference between Heaven and Bonnaroo is that Heaven has better air conditioning)."
WWOZ's The View From Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo folks did an amazing job on the Somethin' Else tent, with the appearance of a real New Orleans club. Let's say that if Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf had a baby, this is what it would look like. Of course, it didn't hurt that it was also air conditioned! I spent most of the weekend in there and truly felt like I never left New Orleans!
see also: WWOZ Gets Bonnaroo'd
see also: Goin' Bananas at Bonnaroo
Resurgence of music in Big Easy helps residents healQ: What role do you see music playing in the recovery of New Orleans? A: There's no doubt that music has played a major role in the process of recovery in our beloved, beleaguered city. Music is a quintessential part of the fabric in the life and culture of New Orleans, and vice versa. Musicians were among the first to return to the bewildering mess that was New Orleans following the storm, and though there were very few places for them to play, and very few people to hear them, they provided an early signal that the precious spirit of New Orleans was not dead. The music has continued to play a strong part in buoying the spirits of the citizenry, and most of the venues have reopened. New ones have sprung up to replace those that were lost.
Album of the Day Vol. 028: Dr. John - 1968 - Gris-Gris
When Dr. John's Gris-Gris hit the rock underground in 1968, it wasn't certain whether its master of ceremonies had landed from outer space, or just been dredged out of hibernation from the Louisiana swamps. The blend of druggy deep blues, incantational background vocals, exotic mandolin and banjo trills, ritualistic percussion, interjections of free jazz, and Dr. John's own seductive-yet-menacing growl was like a psychedelic voodoo ceremony invading your living room. You could be forgiven for suspecting it of having been surreptitiously recorded in some afterhours den of black magic, the perpetuators of this misdeed risking life-threatening curses for having exposed these secret soundtracks to the public at large.
Flag Boy Slim of the Creole Wild West - Westbank 2008Music Of My Mind: Les Poissons Rouges
Finally, a band we can all agree on. They make fairly straightforward, country-informed rock music featuring plainspoken vocals, guitar-based instrumentation and regular time signatures, which, theoretically, should place the band squarely in the crosshairs of Quint Davis and Co.
Theresa Andersson Burns up the YouTubesVoodoo Fest Announces Full Festival Lineup
Fish Head Music
Ingrid Lucia & the Flying Neutrinos
Ever been staggering drunk through the streets of New Orleans and you couldn't find your friends because...
Ingrid Lucia & The Flying Neutrinos sounds in their 2007 album Don't Stop are the perfect, truly authentic accompaniment to a raucous evening in The Big Easy.
The Dirty Hands: Sean Penn's Trip to NOLA
Sean Penn told us that he had bio-diesel busses waiting at the festival to drive anyone who wanted to come with him to New Orleans and that we'd be volunteering and meeting various groups and listening to speakers on the way. He promised to feed us and pay for our camping and told us that we would work hard but have fun."Volunteerism is the ultimate party and on that note I'm going to say something I have not said in 28 years, 'Hey buds, let's party!'"
I turned to Aim and shrugged my shoulders, "Why not?" She replied, "Let's go!" Just like that our decision was made. We had accepted the ultimate dare, and we were going to New Orleans with Sean Penn!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
In Pictures: Bonnaroo Pt. 6 - Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dirty Dozen packing in the crowd in the Somethin' Else (aka Nola) Tent
NolaFunk and the sousafunky Julius McKee post-showIn Pictures: Bonnaroo pt. 5 - NolaFunkyHorns sit-in with the Lee Boys
Big Sam & Efrem Towns (from the Dirty Dozen) jazz up the Lee Boys set on the Sonic Stage
In Pictures: Bonnaroo Pt. 4 - Misc. NolaFunk
In Pictures: Bonnaroo Pt. 3 - Big Sam's Funky Nation feat. Tambourine Lady
Big Sam's Funky Nation perform in the Somethin' Else (aka Nola) Tent
Tambourine Lady shakes her stuff in a guest spot
Nolafunk & Tambourine lady post-showCheck out the official Bonnaroo pics HERE.
In Pictures: Bonnaroo Pt. 2 - Morning 40 Federation
Morning 40 Federation perform a stirring set in the Somethin' Else (aka Nola) Tent
with a megaphone in the microphone
the inevitable aftermath of NolaDrunkRockCheck out the official Bonnaroo pics HERE.
In Pictures: Bonnaroo, Pt. 1 - NoLa Superjam feat. George Porter, Jr., Henry Butler, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Anders Osborne, Johnny Vidacovich
Walter "Wolfman" Wasington
Henry Butler
George Porter Jr. & Wolfman
Vidacovich & Wolfman backstage
Nolafunk & Vidacovich
Nolafunk & the Wolfmans