Ernest Kador, Jr.
"...musically hard-nosed and rooted in 1970s inner city funk." Formed in 2003, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk was initially put together by keyboardist Ivan Neville on a whim in order to perform a solo gig at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Ivan called in cousin Ian Neville (guitar), the double-bass bottom of both Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, and drummer Raymond Webber to round out the show. The project has since grown into what is now widely considered to be New Orleans’ most popular musical export. The band was recently voted 2007’s “New Orleans Best Funk Band” by both Offbeat Magazine and Gambit Weekly.
"Ivan's so good...I play with him." (Keith Richards)
Founders Ivan Neville and Ian Neville (sons of both Aaron Neville and Art Neville respectively), along with Nick Daniels, Tony Hall, and Raymond Webber, were brought up in an atmosphere of sounds that have arguably become the most defining in all of New Orleans music. But don’t let the pedigree of lineage from the Meters and Neville Brothers fool you either. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk now stands on its own as the legitimate torchbearer of all things funky both in New Orleans and beyond.
Jambase feature story: "Stankier Than The Rest" or recent NYC show recap HERE.
"Dumpstaphunk is ready to usher in a new age of funk to the masses." (Jambase)
"Dumpstaphunk play perhaps the purest brand of funk around" (Honest Tune)
New Orleans Musicians on New Orleans...All Things Considered presents Library of Congress: Saving New Orleans Music Listen to the audio documentary HERE, and a related article HERE.The Library of Congress has rescued New Orleans public radio station WWOZ's extensive live broadcast collection. The collection, which was almost lost in Hurricane Katrina, includes great recordings by many New Orleans musicians, including Deacon John, Beau Jocque, and the late James Booker. It's a rare historical testament to the city's roots music.
George Matters! LISTEN to George Porter on the WBAI 99.5FM "Morning Dew" program.
Dave Nolan says: "He spoke for over half an hour about New Orleans, its recovery, and public perceptions that the Neville Brothers had abandoned their home town. Some of the best radio I have heard in ages. We just tried to shut up and get out of George's way and let him talk about his take on the whole situation down there - from his home in the Carrolton/Uptown area that was under 4 feet of water, to the lower 9th ward where friends of his including some of the Nevilles were under 14 feet of water and more..."
The 60-Second Interview: Davell CrawfordThere is a debate here, at times, as to whether the New Orleans music scene, post-Katrina, is dead, or whether it is more vibrant than it ever was before. I have my own views on the matter, but I'd like to hear yours.
I don't think dead -- ever. That's impossible, considering all the music that has come from our great city throughout the years and throughout American history. I don't think it's any more popular than ever, but it is being well-received. Young people around the country and around the world are now interested in roots music, which not only includes New Orleans music, but Louisiana music as a whole, including zydeco and Cajun, and I think that's a wonderful thing.
Read NO Notes' BLOG POST about Joe's Cozy Corner, the infamous New Orleans landmark.
Watch OK Go & Bonerama on David Letterman:Preservation Hall's John Brunious dead at 67
Trumpeter John Brunious, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's leader and senior member, died Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 67.
Mr. Brunious joined Preservation Hall around 1987, after substituting for longtime trumpeter Percy Humphrey. With his shock of white hair and the traditional white shirt and black pants of old-school New Orleans jazz bands, Mr. Brunious tutored rapt tourists on jazz funerals, second-lines and dirges before launching into "Just a Closer Walk With Thee."
Watch Eric Lindell perform on Late Night with Conan O'Brien:
Check out Home of the Groove's "Random Reviews Of 2007 Releases + Cool Boogaloo", which highlights lots of recent New Orleans album releases.The Empress is Alright
A pall was cast over Mardi Gras morning in the Treme when Antoinette K-Doe, widow of the legendary R&B character Ernie-K-Doe, was taken to Tulane University hospital early in the day complaining of chest pain. After surgical procedures to address heart and renal problems, the Empress of the Universe spent the weekend resting, and returned home yesterday to convalesce. Friends of K-Doe emphasize that the Mother-in-Law Lounge is not open until further notice, and that she is not receiving visitors. Supporters, fans, and well-wishers are encouraged to send correspondence to her at 1500 N. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116.His Darling New Orleans
And the Grammy goes to ... TERRANCE SIMIEN
Simien and Zydeco Experience grabbed the first Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album Grammy on Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Live! Worldwide, the band's Grammy winner, features live recordings done across the globe over the past 25 years of Simien's career. The victory is the peak of a seven-year effort by Simien, along with his wife and manager Cynthia, to establish a Grammy category for zydeco and Cajun musicians.
Check out this Q&A with the world's funkiest bass player, George Porter, Jr."Porter Batiste Stoltz that band is fun [he stretches the word out and accentuates the u]. It’s not rehearsed. We don’t rehearse, we do things off the cuff and it don’t happen right we just laugh about it. I think that it’s fun in that way. You know, we take the music serious, weren’t not a comedic act, but sometimes shit be funny and you gotta laugh about it. Music is meant to be enjoyed."
On Sunday, Feb. 17, Connick and Marsalis will take to the court for the 57th NBA All-Star Game at the New Orleans Arena. The Louisiana-born musicians collaborated on the evening’s performance lineup creating a unique musical set that will not only give fans a taste of New Orleans jazz, funk and blues, but will also celebrate the rebirth of their beloved hometown in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The performances will air live on TNT, Score Canada, ESPN Radio, and in 215 countries and territories beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET.
Here's a postgame wrapup: New Orleans pianos rule during halftime show
"Big props to the NBA's All-Star Game, held this weekend at the New Orleans Arena and televised live on TNT, for giving SO MUCH national exposure to so many top-rank Crescent City musicians."
"I have felt for a long time that so many artists and bands in New Orleans are hidden to the wider world, some of them within the Preservation Hall band. And, in the post-Katrina environment, the opportunity to make a recording is even less present. So I'm trying to leverage the band name and to create those opportunities. And not all of these will be recordings of New Orleans jazz."Check out "Riverboat Jazz", an online exhibit from Tulane University's Hogan Jazz Archive
California-born, New Orleans-schooled singer/songwriter/vocalist Eric Lindell is a roots rocker with dozens of original songs that combine soul-shaking rhythm & blues, reggae grooves, swamp pop and blues. Lindell is a fan favorite in his northern California turf and his adopted home of New Orleans. He is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and bass. Upon his arrival in New Orleans Eric picked right up where he left off, gigging as much as he could around town. One day in a local Algiers coffee shop he struck up a conversation with a young bespectacled local he saw frequently in his small neighborhood. To his delight the stranger said he played the drums and the two made plans to get together and jam as soon as they could. Unbeknownst to Lindell, this blonde-haired stranger was renowned Galactic drummer Stanton Moore. Falling for Eric’s laid-back grooves and razor-sharp hooks, Moore became a frequent partner in crime. He was lucky enough to be schooled in the ways of New Orleans rhythm and blues. That thick, funky style comes through in the young guitarist's playing - where he jumps from Jimmy Reed-style blues purity to the hook-laden sounds of prime Stevie Wonder in a heartbeat. According to Lindell, “It’s a great feeling to be recognized for your music in New Orleans".
Photo from the show courtesy of Dino Perrucci.
