Upcoming: Export NOLA @ Sullivan Hall (1/9 & 11)

Export NOLA showcase - Friday, January 9, 2009

8:00 PM: Paul Sanchez, John Boutte & Leroy Jones:
To look at Paul Sanchez you wouldn't necessarily know he was from New Orleans but when he takes to his guitar and mic on stage there is no doubt the man is New Orleans in his heart. It’s evident. It’s clear. It’s remarkably and unmistakably original New Orleans music he plays, paradoxically familiar and new. With his latest release of new material “Exit to Mystery Street”, Sanchez balances New Orleans street music, singer/songwriter introspection and rock ’n’ roll eclecticism with the grace of a cocktail waitress with a trayful of martinis at happy hour. www.paulsanchez.com

Whatever the song, its soulfulness will stop you in your tracks, for Boutte lives and breathes the heart and soul of New Orleans. Born into a large Creole family that goes back seven generations in Louisiana, he was exposed to music early in life, soaking up New Orleans jazz, soul, blues and gospel, then adding his own Creole traditions along the way. Today, Boutte works with a wonderful amalgam of styles -- from torchy jazz to aching soul and African-American gospel -- all convincingly delivered.www.johnboutte.com

Leroy began studying the trumpet at age 10 and by the time he was 13 years old, he was already leading Danny Barker's young Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band performing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institute Festival of Culture & Folklore. The Fairview band later evolved into the Hurricane Brass Band, which became the seed of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Jones has been a member of the Harry Connick, Jr. Orchestra, performed on numerous recordings with various artists, leads one of the Preservation Hall Jazz Bands and has two critically acclaimed solo releases, "Mo' Cream From The Crop" and "Props for Pops" on the Sony/Columbia label. http://www.satchmo.com/leroyjones/

9:20 PM: The Jonathan Batiste Band:
Jonathan Batiste was first introduced to music through his family's band, the Batiste Brothers Band, in which he played the percussions at the age of 8, switching to the piano at age 11. Jon is a multi-instrumentalist, versatile in performing on piano, melodica, saxophone, and bass guitar. His skills range from gifted performer and recording artist to composer and arranger as well. He has been invited to play with various wonderful musicians such as Abbey Lincoln, Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Buffet, Cassandra Wilson, Curtis Fuller, David "Fathead" Newman (saxophonist for Ray Charles), Maraca, Louis Hayes, Goapele, as well as some of South Africa's musicians such as Ernie Smith, Prince Kupi, Musa Manzani. www.jonathanbatiste.com

10:40 PM: Christian Scott Quintet: There is a warm wind blowing in the jazz world from a young, powerful voice known as Christian Scott. When Scott plays his trumpet he blows down jazz barriers but also cultural, economic and emotional obstacles. Scott is one of the most progressive jazz musicians of our time, playing with a unique tone and candor. He is an artist for all the right reasons, who loves his chosen craft as well as embracing indie rock, neo-soul and hip-hop. He's collaborated with Brother J of X-Clan, Prince and Mos Def. His last two albums earned him his first Grammy nomination and the praise of many industry heavyweights. Jazz has seen its share of great trumpeters but Scott is not simply following in their footsteps. He is making some massive tracks of his own as one of the Crescent City's new breed of horn blowers. www.christianscott.net

12:00: Big Sam’s Funky Nation: Big Sam’s Funky Nation is trombone powerhouse Big Sam Williams joined by a talented crew of musical assassins and together they deliver an explosive blend of hard-driving funk and the festive sound of New Orleans’ street parades. After touring with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam struck out on his own and assembled a group of New Orleans jazz trained musicians to start the Funky Nation. In addition to touring with Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello across Europe and North America, Big Sam has played with national headliners such as Ozomatli, Widespread Panic, U2, Dave Matthews and Robert Randolph bringing his unique brand of New Orleans funk to his every performance. Big Sam’s Funky Nation has appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Voodoo Music Festival, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Essence Music Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews and clubs across the nation. www.bigsamsfunkynation.com

Export NOLA showcase - Sunday, January 11, 2009

7:00 & 9:00 PM: DJ Soul Sister: With a flair for the rare, DJ Soul Sister has been rocking parties and radios since 1994, when she took her love of "crate digging" and collecting vintage funk vinyl to another level. "Soul Sister" (as she is known to her listeners) holds down Saturday nights from 8-10pm on WWOZ 90.7 fm, featuring the best in rare groove and deep funk from the late 1960s through early 1980s. Her "Soul Power" show is the longest-running rare groove radio show in the US. Also a well-known club and event "DJ artist" she remains true to the format and music that she collects and loves - deep funk, rare groove, underground disco, D.C. go-go, boogaloo, Afro funk, groove jazz and old school hip hop. Soul Sister is a rarity in DJ circles as one of the few women internationally to strictly specialize in vintage funky styles on 100% vinyl. Fans flock to her "right on party situations”. She has also opened and been invited to open for a number of legendary acts, including George Clinton & P-Funk, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, The Roots, Jurassic 5, Isaac Hayes and many more. www.djsoulsister.com

8:00 PM: Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove feat. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux: Kirk Joseph has earned his seat at the table of New Orleans’ greatest musicians and will surely claim his place in music history as perhaps the greatest innovator of his instrument, the sousaphone. For most, a mention of the sousaphone conjures images of marching bands and drum cadences. But in the hands of Joseph, the instrument comes to life in ways that its namesake, John Phillip Sousa, could have hardly imagined. During his long tenure with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Joseph developed his innovative approach to the sousaphone, replacing the instruments limits, as perceived by his predecessors, with a rich musical vocabulary. Never before had such a creative and stylistic range been demonstrated. But the new standards set by Kirk Joseph have prompted many since to follow his lead. www.kirkjoseph.com

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux has donned his masked Indian persona, keeping alive the impact of the Mardi Gras Indians on New Orleans music. Boudreaux’s style draws heavily on the tribal chants characteristic of Mardi Gras Indians but also combines funk and traces of R&B. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux has done work with The Golden Eagles, and collaborated with Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias. In 2002, Boudreaux released a collaborative album with Anders Osborne and finally made his solo debut in 2005 with his hypnotic album, Mr. Stranger Man. www.myspace.com/thethunderbirdmanagementgroup

9:50 PM: Christian Scott Quintet: There is a warm wind blowing in the jazz world from a young, powerful voice known as Christian Scott. When Scott plays his trumpet he blows down jazz barriers but also cultural, economic and emotional obstacles. Scott is one of the most progressive jazz musicians of our time, playing with a unique tone and candor. He is an artist for all the right reasons, who loves his chosen craft as well as embracing indie rock, neo-soul and hip-hop. He's collaborated with Brother J of X-Clan, Prince and Mos Def. His last two albums earned him his first Grammy nomination and the praise of many industry heavyweights. Jazz has seen its share of great trumpeters but Scott is not simply following in their footsteps. He is making some massive tracks of his own as one of the Crescent City's new breed of horn blowers. www.christianscott.net

11:15 PM: Big Sam’s Funky Nation: Big Sam’s Funky Nation is trombone powerhouse Big Sam Williams joined by a talented crew of musical assassins and together they deliver an explosive blend of hard-driving funk and the festive sound of New Orleans’ street parades. After touring with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam struck out on his own and assembled a group of New Orleans jazz trained musicians to start the Funky Nation. In addition to touring with Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello across Europe and North America, Big Sam has played with national headliners such as Ozomatli, Widespread Panic, U2, Dave Matthews and Robert Randolph bringing his unique brand of New Orleans funk to his every performance. Big Sam’s Funky Nation has appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Voodoo Music Festival, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Essence Music Festival, Telluride Blues & Brews and clubs across the nation. www.bigsamsfunkynation.com