The Ponderosa Stomp Concert, a New Orleans musical tradition, highlights the world’s most authentic musicians of rockabilly, R&B, jazz, blues, garage, soul, funk, and swamp pop. The annual show has become a must-see event, functioning as a showcase for living musical history. The Ponderosa Stomp exists to acknowledge, pay tribute to, and teach the cultural significance of the unsung heroes and heroines of rock-n-roll, rhythm & blues and other forms of American roots music. The Stomp began when a group of like-minded friends began presenting shows at a small club; it has evolved into a multi-faceted musical, cultural and educational juggernaut. Events in New Orleans every spring include two jam-packed nights of music, a conference and symposium, film festival, record hop and now, a museum exhibit. Unsung Heroes: The Secret History of Louisiana Rock & Roll is currently on display at the Louisiana State Museum in historic Cabildo in the heart of the French Quarter, running through May 2010.
American Routes, the nationally syndicated roots music show, recorded interviews and live performances at the New Orleans Stomp in late April 2009. As part of the 4th of July show, American Routes will air this show the week of Independence Day, listeners can check their local listings for specific days and times in each market.
The organization behind the show and conference, The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation, is dedicated to celebrating the legacy, revitalizing the careers and preserving the history of the architects of American music. By providing them a voice and a stage, many Stomp performers enjoy increased visibility as well as new recording and performing opportunities.
For 47 years Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has been a national leader in programming for the arts. As presenter for 400 events annually, there are few institutions as dedicated to the preservation and performance of a myriad of musical genres, dance and other art forms. The collaboration between the Ponderosa Stomp and Lincoln Center is a perfect pairing of two organizations with a mission: to expose and celebrate incredible music and help preserve traditions with transcendent cultural value.
The first two nights of The Ponderosa Stomp at Lincoln Center, July 16th and 17th are part of Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Nights Swing, taking
place at Damrosch Park. Each night kicks off with a dance lesson at 6:30 and the music starts at 7:30. Thursday night features The Get Down, a night of soul music excellence featuring William Bell, Harvey Scales, The Bobbettes and the incomparable Bo-Keys. Friday night brings rockabilly to the forefront with the Best Dance in Town, in which New Orleans wild man Joe Clay, Sun Record’s Carl Mann and the legendary brother/sister duo The Collins Kids throw down, backed by Deke Dickerson and his Ecco-fonics.
Sunday, July 19th, an tribute performance takes place at Alice Tully Hall in the Starr Theatre, in which a high-octane array of Stomp artists will pay musical tribute to the Creole Beethoven, Wardell Quezergue. Quezergue, nicknamed by Allan Toussaint, has made musical history countless times as the man behind timeless hits like “Mr. Big Stuff”, “Iko Iko” and “Chapel of Love”. A genius musician, arranger and producer who is largely unknown outside of New
Orleans, Quezergue helped shape the soulful sounds of the south into international hit records. The show features R&B icons The Dixie Cups and Robert Parker; soul greats Jean Knight, Dorothy Moore, Tammy Lynn, and Tony Owens; legendary New Orleans drummer Zigaboo Modeliste; New Orleans musician, producer, and session man Mac Rebennack (Dr. John); garage-music pioneer Michael Hurtt; plus Wardell Quezergue’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, an all-star ten-piece band led by Quezergue himself in a rare New York appearance.
July 16th (Midsummer Night’s Swing): Ponderosa Stomp: The Get Down:
* William Bell – a principal architect of the Stax/Volt sound.
* The Bobbettes – girl group known as the Harlem Queens known for their hit, Mr Lee
* Bo-Keys – authentic, greasy Memphis soul stew w/ Stax Records stars
* Harvey Scales – a hard-hitting soul man, writer of ”Disco Lady” and “Love-i-tus”
July 17th (Midsummer Night’s Swing):Ponderosa Stomp: Best Dance In Town:
* Joe Clay – New Orleans proto-rockabilly genius, appeared with Elvis
* The Collins Kids – 50 TV faves, this brother/sister duo features double neck guitar pyrotechnics
* Deke Dickerson & The Eccofonics – the nitro-charged country and rockabilly specialists
* Carl Mann – Sun Records artist had his first hit with Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa”
July 19th (Lincoln Center Festival): A Tribute to “The Creole Beethoven,” Wardell Quezergue, celebrated New Orleans arranger and mastermind behind
countless rhythm and blues classics. On the bill:
* The Dixie Cups – hit makers who recorded classics, “Chapel of Love” and “Iko Iko.”
* Jean Knight – New Orleans-based singer of “Mr. Big Stuff.”
* Tammy Lynn – soul singer and legendary background singer for the Rolling Stones, Dr. John, and countless others.
* Zigaboo Modeliste – New Orleans master drummer and member of funk originators the Meters.
* Dorothy Moore – Malaco Records’ soul/blues balladeer.
* Tony Owens – Lost soul king of New Orleans.
* Robert Parker – recorded his hit record, “Barefootin with Querzegue”
* Mac Rebennack – New Orleans musician/producer/arranger songwriter better known as Dr. John.
Papa Mali -w- Kevin O'Day & Casandra Faulconer @ Chickie Wah Wah (4.26.08)
Tami Lynn sits in for some impromptu vocals.
Henry Butler bangs out some piano on a this cherry red wreck.
Tami is really feeling it now.
Anders Osborne stops by for a few tunes.
Top Ten New Orleans Funk Jams
"The artists of New Orleans’ thriving funk scene during the 60s and early 70s took the sounds that filtered through the port town from the West Indies, Africa, Haiti and France and weaved them into an entrancing gumbo that’s excellent for dancing. Lee Dorsey, Allen Toussaint, The Meters, Dr John, Betty Harris… none of this lot are going to beat the fuck out of their lover. Their lover might dog them, but they’ll carry on regardless, singing songs of heartbreak whilst they do the washing up. And when their lover comes back to them… it’s time to dance. The ten songs here all make us want to either cry, hit the dance floor, or, on more than one occasion, both."
Cyril Neville Talks Back
"I love New Orleans. Everything about me as far as an entertainer and as far as an individual is concerned, was forged right there in New Orleans. I came of age during the ’60s. I was 12 years old in 1960 when the second battle of New Orleans started for the desegregation of the schools. That was the pressure cooker that I came up in the ’60s and ’70s. Even though I caught holy hell, I still love New Orleans. That’s my home. Always has been and always will be. You can take me out of New Orleans, but you can never take New Orleans out of me. I still wake up at 3:30 in the morning almost three years down the line from Katrina wishing I could get up like I used to get up and drive to Orleans and Claiborne to get me some wings, or drive to the gas station around the corner and get me two Hubig's Pies."
Honoring a Legend: A Tribute to Mr. John Brunious
"John Brunious was one of the most respected and inspiring trumpet players that has ever come out of New Orleans. He was dedicated to his instrument and to sharing his love of traditional New Orleans Jazz. He wanted to preserve this music not only for today, but for generations to come. John loved his family, his music, and his many friends and fans. On a personal note, he was a generous, good man and a dear friend, and we loved him. We will miss his humor, great stories, and his presence in our lives."
Lifetime Achievement in Music: Wardell Quezergue
“We had an office on Orleans Avenue and he came in and he said ‘Quiz’—he used to call me Quiz—he said, ‘I have something I want you to hear. I want you to record this on me.’ ‘Okay, let me hear it.’ He started to diddle with his hands on my desk—dump de-dump dump dump diddle ump de-dump dump dump. I said, ‘That’s a good beat.’ Where’s the melody?’ He said, ‘That’s where you come in!’ So while he was doing that, I had to come up with the melody to go with the beat. He was the drummer on ‘Big Chief.’ He hit that drum so hard, he had blood coming out between his thumb and forefinger.”
Home of the Groove's "Tami Lynn's Unlikely Hit Had A Funky Flip"Produced by prolific songwriter and hit-maker Bert Berns in New York City, and originally issued in the US on ATCO (#6342) in 1965, this single was not a success for Tami Lynn at the time. But in 1971, a British producer, John Abbey, re-discovered it and was responsible for releasing the record in Great Britain on the Mojo label, part of the Polydor group. Due to enthusiastic response on the Northern Soul scene, the A-side, "I'm Gonna Run Away From You", became a hit, staying on the charts for over a year, and making the experienced but unknown jazz singer a sudden pop star in that country.
Top CDs from 2007 At the beginning of the New Year many show hosts on WWOZ take a look back at some of their favorites CDs from the previous year.
| Meet WWOZ host George Ingmire |
A Confederacy of New Orleans Characters
"Dr. John, the New Orleans piano professor, told me in an interview a few years ago, "N'awlins has always had a lotta characters," pronouncing the word in his own funky brogue as "CHAR-AC-ters."
"Lemme put it to ya this way, if I had two Bourbon Street strippers and a roofer right now, I'd keep the roofer."
Jazzy Joint:$15M Music Hall of Fame to retune Rampart
