Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
NPR: Dave Bartholomew Steals Bob French's Show (With Permission)
(ed. note: I was in attendance for this set. Perfect end to the first day.)
by Patrick Jarenwattananon
Dave Bartholomew, New Orleans royalty. (Patrick Jarenwattananon/NPR)
An 89-year-old man was the highlight of a 100-year-old band's performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Technically, trumpeter Dave Bartholomew isn't part of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, continuously operating in some fashion since 1910 and currently led by drummer Bob French. But Bartholomew is maternal kin to French -- and he's a living legend.
You know, here's the guy who helped write hits for Fats Domino ("Ain't That A Shame," "Blueberry Hill," etc.). The Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, the wild card who's done everything in the record business (and is plenty wealthy for it), the man present at the transition of jump blues to R&B. In episode one of Treme, Davis steals a Dave Bartholomew box set -- the point being that this man has been anthologized in a box set. Oh yeah, and he knows his early jazz plenty well too.
French invited Bartholomew along to play on a few tunes. On "Fever," he stepped in for a concise plunger mute solo. On "At Last," he interjected seamless obbligato behind vocalist Yolanda Windsay. And French pointed to him to take the lead on "Tenderly," accompanied only by banjo and piano. His tone is beautifully clear, his phrasing immaculate, his articulation, high notes and effects gutsy. The man sounded great.
Yolanda Windsay sings, Dave Bartholomew plays, Bob French appears to approve. (Patrick Jarenwattananon/NPR)
Bob French is no joke either -- he's certainly nobility in town. He took over the band from his father, played with Fats Domino himself (at Bartholomew's nomination) and hosts shows on WWOZ, New Orleans' celebrated community radio station. He carries his share of the torch proudly. But all the cameras raced to the front when Bartholomew held aloft his horn, and with good reason.
Before the close, French riled up the crowd with a few "Who Dat?" calls. Months after the Super Bowl victory, Saints pride is everywhere, even for a fellow like French who precedes the team's existence by decades. That segued, of course, into "When The Saints Go Marching In" -- and its corollary dancing parade through the aisles, ceremonial umbrellas held aloft. That scene, below:
People who wanted to be in that number.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Festival Spotlight: Jazzfest Edition, Pt. 1
Here's a link to all of Keith Spera's Fest-related POSTS.WWOZ's Blog HERE.
Lots of good posts on the NY Times' Jazzfest Blog HERE.
Check out the Times Picayune's Jazzfest Blog HERE.
Gambit Weekly has some good posts HERE.
Check out Dino Perrucci's Jazzfest Pix HERE.
Chris Rose: The Man With the Jazzfest Plan
Check out Chris' "60 Second Interviews":
1. Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes
2. Ivan Neville
3. Don Vappie
4. David & Roselyn
5. Leroy Jones
6. Susan Cowsill
7. Paul Sanchez
Eating Out's "What to Eat at New Orleans Jazzfest"
New Orleans Native Sons in Musical Return
See also: Neville Bros. return to New Orleans Jazzfest"At every New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival from 1990 to 2005, the closing set belonged to the Neville Brothers, the band that is led by Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril Neville and that often includes a member of the family’s next generation. Hurrica Katrina broke that streak, but on Sunday the Nevilles plan to play their first hometown concert after the storm."
An Oldies Marathon Runs a Few Extra Miles
Men whooped and hollered, rasped and preached. Women sassed, strutted, hurled accusations and wailed away tears. Guitars twanged and cackled, horns laughed, and drums pounded backbeats and chattered with funk. Tuesday was the first of two nights of the seventh annual Ponderosa Stomp, a party on its way to becoming an institution. The Ponderosa Stomp is an oldies marathon as dreamed up by record collectors: the kind of music fans who prize soul veterans’ rare B-sides and limited-edition garage-rock singles, the wilder the better.
Humid City's Jazzfest posts HERE.
Techno Gumbo's Jazzfest recap HERE.
Odd Bits of Life In New Orleans has Jazzfest posts HERE.
Minor Wisdom's posts are HERE.
Patrons fill grounds to kick off Jazz Fest
The festival’s famous diversity again was on colorful display. Fabulously costumed Mardi Gras Indians chanted and danced on stage and through the racetrack grounds. Ten costumed members of the Creole Wild West tribe, including adults and children, performed during the mid-afternoon at one of the event’s smaller venues, the Jazz and Heritage Stage. Noncostumed performers joined them, singing and banging that traditional Indians instrument, the tambourine. “Let’s go get ’em, let’s go get ’em,” the group’s singer exclaimed. “You can’t put it out, till you make ’em shout!”
see also: New Orleans Jazzfest lets the good times roll
see also: Day One at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,
Can't get to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival? Create your own. USA TODAY selects two dozen current discs by a diverse cross section of regional favorites playing this year's fest, which wraps up Sunday.
Ball like roots-music idols she admired
This weekend will be the 30th anniversary of Marcia Ball’s debut at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. With only two exceptions, the Austin-dwelling former Louisianan appeared at the festival every year since 1978.
The Americas - Out of Sorts' Blog HERE.