Watch: Soul Rebels & Jonathan Batiste cover Stevie Wonder

Review: New Orleans Piano Kings @ Lincoln Center

Link: http://j.mp/KRumgO
Ellis Marsalis, Henry Butler, Jonathan Batiste
New Orleans Piano Kings
Jazz at Lincoln Center: Allen Room
New York, NY
May 11, 2012

"A young lion, a seasoned veteran, and an elder statesman"—that's how drummer Herlin Riley introduced the three stellar pianists featured in Jazz at Lincoln Center's "New Orleans Piano Kings": Jonathan Batiste, Henry Butler, and Ellis Marsalis, respectively. Riley, who hails from New Orleans himself and could also be labeled a "seasoned veteran," served as MC, accompanist, and musical director for the concert. Bassist Reginald Veal, who has deep roots in the Crescent City as well, rounded out the musical personnel.

Jazz at Lincoln Center offered a festive, New Orleans atmosphere before the show, hosting a celebration in the lobby outside the doors of its Allen Room. The lively party was replete with a gumbo cook- off, cold beer, and live music by the Red Hook Ramblers, a Brooklyn-based band that plays traditional New Orleans-style jazz.

Jonathan Batiste, the "young lion," was the first pianist on stage. Following a playful, introductory musical treat "Riddle Rhythms," with Riley and Veal alone, Batiste sat at the piano and gave a tongue-in- cheek, detailed description of his plans for the blues he was about to play, "Bunk Man Shoes." He said he'd include an impressionist section that would bring Debussy to mind, a ballroom-like segment, and triplet rhythms á la Ray Charles. He paused, almost ready to play, and then, faintly but distinctly, we all heard the tinkling sound of the ringtone from a cell phone somewhere in the audience. He paused a moment more, and then began his performance by delicately repeating the ringtone on the piano, perfectly copying pitch and rhythm, incorporating it as the principal musical motif in the introduction to this blues and making it sound as if the riff itself was the height of musical artistry. Batiste's playing lived up to his description, and he added a good deal more as he displayed great technique and a wide range of nuanced colorings and textures, inventively evoking Jelly Roll Morton and other great New Orleans pianists both on "Bunk Man Shoes," and his following number, "Kindergarten," an original composition based in part on "Sweet Georgia Brown."

Ellis Marsalis was next on the program, and Riley introduced him appropriately as the "patriarch of New Orleans jazz." Batiste joined Marsalis on his first two selections, the pair of pianists facing each other on the matching Steinway concert grinds nested in closely together on stage against the Allen Room's breathtaking view of Manhattan. For Ellington's "In My Solitude," the two played together unaccompanied; the drums and bass came back for "Love for Sale," with Riley adding in an Ahmad-Jamal-like groove at one point. Marsalis then took the spotlight by himself, with beautiful ballad playing on "The Very Thought of You," steeped as much in the language of classic modern jazz as the musical traditions of New Orleans. He followed this with a strong bebop outing on "Magnolia Triangle," a composition in 5/4 by James Black, the legendary New Orleans drummer who collaborated with Marsalis in the 1960s, including work together on Nat and Cannonball Adele's In the Bag (Jazz land, 1962).

Henry Butler, the "seasoned veteran," was the last pianist up, adding a bit of flash to the evening with his dazzling blue zebra-striped jacket and bright azure-colored slacks. He joined Marsalis for a duet on "Old Folks," offering a meaty, gospel-tinged contrast to the elder pianist's playing, with quotes from "Willow Weep for Me" and "Honeysuckle Rose." Marsalis then left the stage, and Butler, blind by glaucoma since birth, joked that he had returned to music recently after working as a chauffeur and driving an 18-wheeler. He tore through two original compositions, "Orleans Inspiration," a signature tune for him, and "The Village," from his 1987 Impulse recording of the same name that featured Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, and Alvin Batiste. Both numbers showcased Butler's very percussive, blues-based style, with influences from classic R&B, New Orleans funk, and more than a little bit of Professor Longhair.

The show drew to a close with Marsalis and Butler on the two Steinways and Batiste playing melodica and electric keyboard, joined by Riley and Veal, first romping through John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" at a blistering tempo, the three headliners trading round after round of choruses. "Go to the Mardi Gras" was the rousing finish, with Butler singing the Professor Longhair anthem, Veal taking on the classic whistle chorus, and the entire ensemble laying down spirited performances that brought everyone in the audience to their feet for a standing ovation.

Photo Credit
Frank Stewart/Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz @ Lincoln Center: New Orleans Celebration

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	New Orleans Celebration: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center 2011-12 Season Fri-Sat May 11-12 8pm Rose Theater Details / Buy Tickets Now!  Since pianist Marcus Roberts first made a name for himself in the 80s, he’s established his own voice by distilling the compositions, style, and technique of great jazz piano masters. His recent record New Orleans Meets Harlem is a great example of his gift for alchemy. With his trio – comprised of drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Rodney Jordan – Roberts fleshes out the intricacies of tunes by Jelly Roll Morton with a modern jazz twist. For this concert, the expansion to an octet will ignite Roberts’ imagination to create sounds and colors that Morton could only hear in his head. Featuring trumpeter Alphonso Horne, trombonist Ron Westray, saxophonists Stephen Riley and Ricardo Pascal, and clarinetist Joe Goldberg.
	New Orleans Celebration: New Orleans Piano Kings presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center 2011-12 Season Fri-Sat May 11-12 7:30pm & 9:30pm The Allen Room Details / Buy Tickets Now! Master drummer Herlin Riley invites us all to a dream show for any musician from New Orleans. Here he honors the great Crescent City pianists of the past by recruiting great New Orleans pianists of the present. His choices are the best of three generations of modern piano players, including the dean of Louisiana pianists Ellis Marsalis, veteran Henry Butler, and young star Jonathan Batiste They are joined by New Orleans native Reginald Veal on bass.

Free Pre-Concert Activities

Free pre-concert discussion with JALC’s Ken Druker and pianist Terry Waldo, nightly at 7pm.

Free pre-concert celebration including live music by the Red Hook Ramblers, a gumbo cook-off, album art displays, and more, nightly at 6:30pm. 

Zigaboo Modeliste's NY Foundation of Funk Revue @ Highline Ballroom

Zigaboo Modeliste's NY Foundation of Funk Revue featuring Andy Hess , Brian Mitchell , Jonathan Batiste & Jamie McLean

Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012  

Highline Ballroom

 

 

Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste is a master drummer, rhythm innovator, percussionist, and New Orleans legend. The most highly acclaimed drummer ever to hail from the Crescent City, Ziggy's creativity has been a wellspring of funk influence for three decades and has inspired numerous hip-hop tracks. His innovative work as a member of the internationally acclaimed R&B group The Meters, as well as his side work with artists like Keith Richards, Robert Palmer, and Dr. John, have garnered him an unparalleled level of respect among musicians and fans. 

The original The Meters LPs were all recorded with Ziggy at the drums, and his work has been sampled many times over by artists like Musiq, Queen Latifah, Run DMC, NWA, Ice Cube, Salt-N-Pepa, Cypress Hill, EPMD, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Naughty by Nature, and Tweet, just to name a few. Ziggy is also a BMI award winner for the Young Gunz track "Can't Stop Won't Stop," and his drum sound provided the main loops for Amerie's "1Thing," which was nominated for two Grammy Awards and was No. 1 on the R&B charts. In addition, he has released numerous solo albums, including Zigaboo.com (2000), I'm on the Right Track (2004), and Funk Me Hard Live (2009).

Ziggy has written over 200 songs individually and collectively with The Meters. Displaying both his musical genius and original funk style, his songs have been featured on albums and in movies nationally and internationally. He is also currently featured in producer Mark Ronson's Re:Generation Music Project, where he performs the original song "A La Modeliste" with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, and members of The Dap Kings. Zigaboo's latest release, New Life, dropped in 2011 and has garnered praise as an amazing slide of funk and proof that his fountain of rhythmic imagination shows no signs of running dry.

Tonight at Highline Ballroom, the king of the funky drums, percussion maestro, and godfather of groove Zigaboo Modeliste will take listeners to funk depths only he could possibly reach, together with a renowned crew of collaborators that includes Andy Hess (Gov't Mule, John Scofield), Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan, B.B. King,  Al Green, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint, The Wild Magnolias), Jonathan Batiste, and Jamie McLean (Dirty Dozen Brass Band).

 

 

In Pictures: Bonerama @ Sullivan Hall

By Dino Perrucci Photography

Bonerama - Sullivan Hall, NYC 11/19/10


Mark Mullins & Jon Batiste - Sullivan Hall, NYC 11/19/10


Bonerama w/Steve Kimock - Sullivan Hall, NYC 11/19/10


Bonerama w/Maurice Brown - Sullivan Hall, NYC 11/19/10

Video: Bonerama feat. Jonathan Batiste @ Sullivan Hall

Upcoming: Bonerama 2nd Annual Residency @ Sullivan Hall

After a whirlwind month-long Northeast residency last October, Bonerama is at it again this year. The venerable trombone-based powerhouse will return to some familiar markets, while expanding the parameters to visit a few new cities and venues as well. The good ship Bonerama is prepared for blast-off with several high profile guests aboard, stowed away for deployment.


Friday nights, Bonerama will hold court once again at Sullivan Hall in the Village in New York City.

Bonerama is pleased to welcome Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff (Lettuce, Robert Randolph) to the stage on the first weekend residency stops. Members of Morphine and Jeremy Lyons aka (Ever Expanding) Elastic Waste Band will open the New York City show on November 5th, as an added attraction.

Kyle Hollingsworth Steve Kimock and Mark MullinsThe band also deploys some secret weapons in the form of two jam band superstars. Keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth (String Cheese Incident) and guitarist Steve Kimock (Crazy Engine, Zero, PRAANG, Steve Kimock Band and KVHW) lend their talents to Bonerama's wall of sound. Steve and Kyle are good friends after touring together in 2008 with the Mickey Hart Band, and Everyone Orchestra and Holy Kimoto in 2010. Anticipate fireworks when they unite again to take everyone in Bonerama-land into the stratosphere.

To open the final four dates of the tour, Bonerama welcomes their Boston-based friends and co-conspirators Nate Wilson Group. This up and coming super-group features members of Assembly of Dust and Percy Hill.


Fans are encouraged to "Bone Up" and pick up their tickets in advance for this special run of shows. For those that don't know, the Boner Donor program is designed to provide the ultimate Bonerama fan experience.


November 5
Friday
Sullivan Hall
w/ Adam Smirnoff & Members of Morphine and Jeremy Lyons
New York, NY


November 12
Friday
Sullivan Hall
w/ Jonathan Batiste
New York, NY


Sullivan Hall
w/ Nate Wilson Group, Kyle Hollingsworth & Steve Kimock
New York, NY

In Pictures: Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jon Batiste Band @ BB King's

By Dino Perrucci Photography

Dirty Dozen Brass Band - BB King's, NYC 6/8/10


Dirty Dozen Brass Band - BB King's, NYC 6/8/10


Weize & Roger (Dirty Old Man) Lewis - BB King's, NYC 6/8/10



Jon Batiste - BB King's, NYC 6/8/10

Tonight: Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jon Batiste Band @ BB King's

New Orleans Brass-Band Legends

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND Featuring: Sp. Guest Opener Jon Batiste Band 2010-06-08 8:00PM Doors @ 7PM DDBB Website DDBB Myspace Jon Batiste Myspace In 1977, the Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social and pleasure clubs dated back over a century to a time when black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late '70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue's name: the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Thirty years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine, whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances. They have revitalized the brass band in New Orleans and around the world, progressing from local parties, clubs, baseball games and festivals in their early years to touring nearly constantly in the U.S. and in over 30 other countries on five continents. The Dirty Dozen have been featured guests on albums by artists including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Dr. John and the Black Crowes. The city of New Orleans even has an official Dirty Dozen Brass Band Day.

NPR: Jonathan Batiste Band On JazzSet

ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO JON BATISTE TOMORROW!

The Blue Note is offering FREE TICKET PAIRS to Jon Batiste TOMORROW NIGHT March 16 at 8:00pm & 10:30pm. To win tickets, follow the instructions below:

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net

2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - JON BATISTE"

3. Indicate which set you would like tickets for.

Remember - this giveaway is for tomorrow, so tell your friends and act fast!

In Pictures: Jonathan Batiste Band @ BB King's

By Dino Perrucci Photography



Jon Batiste Band - BB King's, NYC 2/13/10



Jon Batiste Band - BB King's, NYC 2/13/10

NolaFunky Video Lagniappe

In Pictures: Export NoLa @ Sullivan Hall

Dino Perrucci Photography


Christian Scott & Big Sam Williams - Sullivan Hall, NYC 1/8/10






Jon Batiste - Sullivan Hall, NYC 1/8/10




Matt Perrine - Sullivan Hall, NYC 1/8/10

Upcoming: Export NOLA "Experience New Orleans Music!" @ Sullivan Hall & Bitter End - This Friday

This Friday! January 8th Export NOLA: Experience New Orleans Music! 2 Venues 1 Ticket! $20adv - $25dos At The Bitter End & Sullivan Hall Funky Butt Revisited featuring Big Sam Williams, Christian Scott, Jon Batiste, Will Bernard, Doug Wimbish, & more Jason Marsalis' Vibes Quartet/ John Ellis & Double-Wide/ Christian Scott/ The John Batiste Band/ Paul Sanchez Duo feat. Matt Perine The Bitter End Lineup: The Iguanas/ Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco / Playboys/ Paul Sanchez/ Jamie McLean Band/ Mia Borders

Free Download: Groovesect feat. Galactic's Houseman & Wild Magnolias @ Sullivan Hall

Recorded by: "Scott Bernstein

"I present to you a REALLY REALLY fun New Orleans music night at Sullivan
Hall in NYC with Groovesect in their own set and then playing host to both
Galactic's Houseman and then later on The Wild Magnolias and a few horn
players (Marlon Jordan, Jonathan Batiste).


This is a really nice matrix mix that I did there with my mics
(omni setting) onstage and the SBD feed."

16 bit:
http://www.archive.org/details/groovesect2009-08-28

24 bit:
http://www.archive.org/details/groovesect2009-08-28.flac24

Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/scotthbernstein/GroovesectWithHousemanAndWildMagnoliasSullivanHall20090828

In Pictures: Jonathan Batiste Band @ Highline Ballroom

By Dino Perrucci Photography

Jon Batiste & McCoy Tyner - Highline Ballroom, NYC 8/23/09

More from last night:



Jon Batiste Band - Highline Ballroom, NYC 8/23/09


Jon Batiste Band - Highline Ballroom, NYC 8/23/09


Jon Batiste Band - Highline Ballroom, NYC 8/23/09

In Pictures: Jonathan Batiste @ Central Park Summerstage - 6/28/09

By greg aiello

Jonathan Batiste Phil Kuehn & Matt Marantz Jonathan Batiste Jonathan Batiste Band Jonathan Batiste Band Jonathan Batiste Band Jonathan Batiste Summerstage Crowd

NolaFunk Lagniappe

New Orleans Jazz Festival: 'Trombone Shorty'

Of all the amazing New Orleans, Louisiana, musicians, my favorite could be Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews.

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews performs on the Gentilly stage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

He cut his teeth at age 4 playing with legends like Bo Diddley. At 19, he toured with Lenny Kravitz.

And now, at age 23, Trombone Shorty is getting ready to play with Aerosmith and release his latest CD. He's played every venue in New Orleans you can think of.

I had the chance to catch up with him at the 40th annual New Orleans Jazz Festival this week. The following is an edited version of that interview.

CNN: You can't ask for better weather, better crowd, and to be the face of Congo Square. How does it feel?

Trombone Shorty: Well, it feels great. I'm happy to be in my city and get a warm reception like that from the audience.

Jazz Fest's Quint Davis stands at the crossroads of art and commerce

Forty-six years ago, a blond teenager in glasses, a plaid shirt and blue jeans cropped below the knee stood out as he strutted in a second-line parade.

Four months ago, still blond but now 61, he took part in a celebration in the small west African nation of Benin. As the drumming and dancing reached a crescendo, he dropped to all fours to "pop the gator," a particularly unhinged form of late-night New Orleans self-expression.

Quint Davis, the son of a prominent local architect, would seem an unlikely candidate to undertake a five-decade immersion in African-derived music and culture.

Midnite Disturbers: A Jazz Fest supergroup

he band was started by New Orleans drummers and longtime friends Stanton Moore and Kevin O'Day. In the weeks following Katrina, O'Day had moved into Moore's house, where the two hit on an idea.

"We realized we had never had our own band together, and we decided to invite all of the best horn players we know to play with us," O'Day said.

Each artist has a name, printed in red, on his shirt, following the command "Listen to": Smokey Johnson ... Brian O'Neill ... Henry "Red" Allen. They're the band's predecessors and mentors. Although probably little known outside the Crescent City, they're the musicians who shaped New Orleans music: masters of their craft.

From Shaky Start to Enduring Tradition

Gospel singers were harmonizing and brass-band horns were pumping out a parade oompah. Between them, Glen David Andrews was dressed like an R&B star in shades and a heavily sequined T-shirt, shouting to the rafters, singing about the Lord. It was Friday afternoon in the gospel tent at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. In typical New Orleans style, traditions were getting all mixed together.

This was the 40th annual Jazzfest, which ended on Sunday. Quint Davis, who produced them all, often describes it as the “world’s biggest backyard barbecue”: a giant New Orleans house party with food, drinks and live music, plenty of it. This year, on 12 stages during two long weekends, Jazzfest presented more than 400 acts, the great majority of them from Louisiana.

Full Slideshow HERE.

Longtime Tchoupitoulas Street snowball stand is as good as new

Eliot Kamenitz / The Times-Picayune

For 70 years, the whirring machine at Hansen's Sno-Bliz has turned ice into snow.

Before Ernest Hansen built it, snowballs were shaved by hand with a plane, but he wanted his son to have a snowball untouched by sweaty, dirty fingers.

His wife Mary, along with her collection of homemade syrups, turned the machine into a business. That business became a New Orleans institution.

Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi

When asked about Allen Toussaint, Van Dyke Parks once said, "he's the greatest piano player alive, only no one knows it... including him." High praise from one legend to another. With The Bright Mississippi, Toussaint has finally released a jazz-oriented album. Though jazz-influences can be found on many of his rock/funk sides as well as in many of the songs that he has written (including "Whipped Cream," which was morphed into the theme from The Dating Game), arranged and produced, this album, a salute to the timeless music of his hometown of New Orleans is his first foray into jazz. Though he'd never recorded any of them, as a native New Orleanian, Toussaint was well-acquainted with the songs and music that has made The Big Easy synonymous with the phrase "The Birthplace of Jazz."

A music city

There is a very interesting online interview floating around with Scott Aiges who is the Director of Programs, Marketing and Communications for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. Mr. Aiges is in charge of opening Jazz Fest’s doors to music industry players and potential festival sponsors. He’s an important guy and has some really great thoughts on New Orleans music in general.

The subject of the interview is “Why Does the New Orleans Music Industry Lack Momentum?”.

Interview with Rob Mercurio from Galactic

OD: Here we are with Rob Mercurio, the bassist for the amazing band, Galactic. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me today Rob. How is your Jazz Fest coming along?

RM: Hmmmm...I felt like Stanton this weekend. (Laughs) I had three gigs this Saturday, after playing a late night at Tips the night before. I had multiple rehearsals, a gig Thursday, a gig Friday, a gig last night. I will be inducted into the walk of fame at Tips tonight. (It was Monday in between Jazz Fest Weekends when we did this interview, and Galactic was given that honor by Tips as part of the Instruments a Comin' benefit).

Jazzfest Features Ever-Growing Family Bands

The musical heartbeat of New Orleans families shone through in this year's Jazz and Heritage Festival, deeply evident when Big Chief Bo Dollis sang "I Love You" and "Goodbye" for two stanzas while his son shook his head and looked to the skies. Bo's voice was in fine form despite his physical battles, and performing with the Wild Magnolias gave him the strength to stand up and reach out his fans, thanking his fans for giving him a career in music. Marva Wright joined the Big Chief in a set that was as joyful as it was heartbreaking. Little Bo Dollis is the new standard bearer in The Wild Magnolias, a band that blasted Mardi Gras Indian

Neville adds own flavors to New Orleans music gumbo

Growing up on Valence Street in New Orleans’ 13th Ward, youngest Neville brother Cyril spent a lot of time in his mother’s kitchen. It was there that he learned about two of his hometown’s most important ingredients: music and food.

“That’s not only where I learned how to cook, but that’s also where the radio was,” Neville explained a few weeks ago. “I watched my aunts and my mother break out into a dance when certain people came on the radio. Jimmy Reed, Wynonie Harris and stuff like that. “And when I was a youngster listening to all of this stuff, I was told that New Orleans was the home of the blues and Irma Thomas was the soul queen and the blues queen of New Orleans.”

Jazzfest on Twitter



From discipline comes freedom

Pianist Jonathan Batiste melds styles to make 'social music'

At 22, the New Orleans native is one of jazz's most dauntingly talented young pianists, a recent Juilliard graduate who started his career as an 8-year-old playing percussion in the popular New Orleans funk and R&B band run by his cousins, the Batiste Brothers. He's spent the past two years backing vocalist Cassandra Wilson, providing luscious accompaniment on her 2008 standards session, "Loverly," and recently joined trumpeter Roy Hargrove's hard bop quintet.

Warren Lee – Star Revue

By funky16corners on soul

The Mighty King Lee

“Listen – Warren Lee – Star Revue- MP3″

The tune I bring you today is one of my all time fave New Orleans soul records. Warren Leedoesn’t have one of the biggest discographies on the NOLA scene of the 60s, but in its ranks are a couple of the finest records to fall out of the Crescent City during that era, including a couple of gritty funk sides (‘Underdog Backstreet’, ‘Funky Belly’ and ‘Mama Said We Can’t Get Married’).