OffBeat Magazine Jazz Fest Bible 2016 by OffBeat Magazine

The

LOUISIANA MUSIC, FOOD & CULTURE—JAZZ FEST 2016 Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50

Bible

2016 YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO

JAZZ FEST

JAZZ FEST A-Z

SCHEDULE PULL-OUT page 59

Our complete guide to the festival starts on page 74

Toussaint Toujours Jazz Fest is dancing to Toussaint’s tune. Page 66

12 Letters 14 Mojo Mouth 16 Fresh Five Questions with Lily Keber, Producer-Director of Bayou Maharajah; My Music with Cole Williams; In between: Non-Stop Music; 10 songs you will likely hear at Jazz Fest; Iron Men: Johnny Sansone’s Big Blues Harmonica Show.

22 No Borders Curley Taylor has stopped getting dirty.

24 Cajun Punk Meets Irish The Lost Bayou Ramblers sit down and get up with Spider Stacy of the Pogues.

26 More Elvis than Fats North Louisiana’s Kevin Gordon and Kenny Bill Stinson.

30 Keeping Your Gravity

52 Building Bridges Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s new sound.

54 The Brukdown Sound Belizean bredda “DAVID” Obi & Tribal Vibes incorporate the past and look to the future.

56 Heartbeat of the Funk Jon Cleary’s music is universal, not regional.

58 First Family Ellis, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis have a chat.

64 Outlandish Vamps Midnite Disturbers’ raw, stripped-down sound.

70 Elvis Costello on Toussaint Sidebar to the cover story.

120 Ice, Ice... Maybe? It takes a lot to stay cool at Jazz Fest.

122 New Flavors in New Orleans

Royal Teeth’s upbeat worldview.

32 Love and Passion

Seven of the tastiest new restaurants in town.

Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s musical imagination.

36 Catching on Fire Snarky Puppy’s blending styles.

126 In the Spirit Darrin Ylisto at Sylvain mixes up Gin Instead of Whiskey for Ryan Scully.

38 Celebrating Alice

128 OffBeat Eats

Discovering Arlo Guthrie.

Johnny Sansone is In the Spot at 1000 Figs and Peter Thriffiley reviews Rum and the Lash inside Finn McCool’s Irish Pub.

40 The More the Hairier The evolution of Homo Jazzfestivus.

44 Living a Childhood Dream Music was always a part of Herlin Riley’s life.

50 Absolutely! LeBlanc Family Band gives 120 percent.

141 Listings Michael P. Smith “Follow the Music” is Plan A.

153 Backtalk Buffy Sainte-Marie

Fest Focuses 82 Big Chief Victor Harris 88 Marlon Jordan 94 Helen Gillet 96 Ed Volker 100 Jack DeJohnette 102 Rhiannon Giddens 104 King James & the Special Men 106 The Suffers 108 Sharon Jones 110 Cary Hudson 114 Geri Allen

Reviews Page 131 Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars, Darcy Malone & the Tangle, Honey Island Swamp Band, Cha Wa, Bas Clas, Ben E. Hunter, Jamie Bernstein, Smoking Time Jazz Club, Bicycle Jones and Stover, Tuba Skinny, Professor Longhair and more.

Rewind Page 134 Guitarist Leo Nocentelli presses rewind on the Meters’ Rejuvenation. Page 138 Drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste presses rewind on the Meters’ Fire on the Bayou.

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Letters

“New Orleans is the core [...] Bringing in out-of-town hired guns at this point in the sensitive in-migration situation is like dissing Ernie K-Doe on air: inconceivably stupid.” —Mark Folse, New Orleans, Louisiana

Louisiana Music, Food & Culture

Jazz Fest 2016 Volume 29, Number 5 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com Managing Editor Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com Consulting Editor John Swenson

WWOZ These letters are in response to both Sam D’Arcangelo’s web post “WWOZ: A Way Forward?” and Jan Ramsey’s blog post “WWOZ, Where Does It End?” reporting on the resignation of WWOZ Program Director Dwayne Breashears and the publication of WWOZ Membership Director Dimitri Apessos’ open letter: A Way Forward for WWOZ. This is a metamorphosis caused by the General Manager who has lost touch with the unique soul of WWOZ and its funky music. The problem has become systemic. The best hearts and minds of WWOZ have left over the last year—six of the finest paid staff have gone in addition to some special volunteers and deejays. I predict more of the excellent long time staffers will also be leaving. The General Manager’s new staff hires are normally out of area and fail to understand WWOZ’s special mission. WWOZ is being morphed into an unrecognizable entity that is beginning to sound like so many other radio stations. —David “Jelly Roll Justice” Averbuck, Monte Rio, California and New Orleans, Louisiana Although I have not been involved with the station in many years, except to give money and play on the air, it seems to me that you [Jan Ramsey] and Dimitri [Apessos] have it right. A few years ago I helped with development. Looking back, it seems to me that David [Freedman] had an agenda other than the mission of the station. In ’86, I was the Chairman of the Board. Walter [Brock] was ready to move on and the station was on a weak financial footing. The transfer of the license made a lot of sense, and still should make sense since the missions of the station and the Jazz and Heritage Foundation are identical. Another problem that the Board has is that people seem to stay on forever. Most good non-profits have new people coming on every year or two. Fresh blood heals. One minor point: When we transferred the license, Jerry [Brock] was mostly out of the picture. The real visionary (for the idea of the

transfer) was a guy named Ken Devine, who donated engineering time to keep the station on the air. —Robert Eustis, New Orleans, Louisiana I just cut my monthly, recurring donation back to the $6, most basic level because I’m not working. I didn’t cancel it, mind you, just “renewed” down forgoing a thank you gift because I believe ’OZ is important to New Orleans and an important part of my life. I’m going to seriously reconsider whether I should be a donor at all at this point. I understand the station may have a growing number of remote listeners. I was one once myself, going so far as to rig an old laptop with a modem and line switch and hijacking the fax machine line to get around a firewall at one point while I lived away. Such listeners are not, however, the core. New Orleans is the core and should remain the focus of programming and the source of staff. Bringing in out-of-town hired guns at this point in the sensitive in-migration situation is like dissing Ernie K-Doe on air: inconceivably stupid. —Mark Folse, New Orleans, Louisiana I have been listening to WWOZ since it first came into existence over 30 years ago and online since the 1980s. WWOZ has had an obvious problem with recruiting non-white deejays. The loss of Bob French and K Balewa opened the door for young African American deejays or musicians from the New Orleans jazz community to be blended in the time slots, and once again we get the same old homogenized young white deejays to replace these icons. I believe that someone involved in the traditional jazz community would have more to offer than the transplants and neophytes that saturate the time slots. At first I thought this was an incidental oversight, but the replacement of K Balewa and Bob French with weak naive announcers with scant playings of New Orleans musicians is unnerving. I shall reserve my donations until things improve at WWOZ. —Dr. Oliver W. Crawford, Jr., Ozark, Alabama

OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.

JAZZ FEST 2016

Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Listings Editor Katie Walenter, listings@offbeat.com Contributors Noe Cugny, Sam D’Arcangelo, Laura DeFazio, Michael Dominici, Frank Etheridge, Alison Fensterstock, Robert Fontenot, Elsa Hahne, Jeff Hannusch, Geoffrey Himes, Brett Milano, Jennifer Odell, John Radanovich, Theo Schell-Lambert, John Swenson, Clare Welsh, Dan Willging, John Wirt, Geraldine Wyckoff Cover Mark Andresen Art Director/Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Web Editor Sam D'Arcangelo, sam@offbeat.com Videographer/Web Specialist Noé Cugny, noecugny@offbeat.com Copy Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, theo@offbeat.com Advertising Sales Camille Ramsey, camille@offbeat.com Advertising Design PressWorks, 504-944-4300 Business Manager Joseph L. Irrera Interns Loren Cecil, Laura Kokernot, Jacqueline Kulla, Phil Rached, Clare Welsh Distribution Patti Carrigan, Doug Jackson OffBeat (ISSN# 1090-0810) is published monthly in New Orleans by OffBeat, Inc., 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 944-4300 • fax (504) 944-4306 e-mail: offbeat@offbeat.com, web site: www.offbeat.com facebook.com/offbeatmagazine twitter.com/offbeatmagazine Copyright © 2016, OffBeat, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. OffBeat is a registered trademark of OffBeat, Inc. First class subscriptions to OffBeat in the U.S. are available for $45 per year ($52 Canada, $105 foreign airmail). Back issues are available for $10, except for the May issue for $16 (for foreign delivery add $6, except for the May issue add $4). Submission of photos and articles on Louisiana artists are welcomed, but unfortunately material cannot be returned.

MOJO MOUTH

Mission Accomplished?

pring in New Orleans is the best time ever: lots of music, festivals, new beginnings. If you’re a visitor, we welcome you; and if you’re a local, we remind you… that you are now in the world’s most musical city. If you’re visiting during Jazz Fest, well, you probably know this, or you wouldn’t be here! If you live here, remember that our local music and unique culture are precious assets that need preservation and nurturing so that our traditions can be passed on to future generations. We hope that you will be inspired to support local live music, music education,

JAZZ FEST 2016

By Jan Ramsey

and the organizations that give so much to the world by their dedication to our culture, one of which is the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. The Foundation not only owns the festival, but the festival provides an ongoing means of support to the good work that the Foundation accomplishes in this community. It’s not just “Jazz Fest,” it’s ongoing support for musicians, artists, culture bearers, and the local community. If you are not familiar with the Foundation’s programs, stop by their tents located on the Fair Grounds, and get edjumicated (as Dr. John would say). The proceeds that flow in from the ticket sales and sponsorship

of the Jazz Fest pay for the festivals’ production and music (a very hefty sum), but they also support a music school, several free community festivals, grants to local artists and non-profit entities, an historical archive, research activities, music business education, concerts, community economic development, and WWOZ radio. Visit their tents during the Jazz Fest or go to jazzandheritage.org to get an idea of where the money you spend on Jazz Fest tickets actually ends up. The Foundation not only puts on the Jazz Fest, a great entertainment event; it also uses the money it makes from the event to give back to the

community from which the culture springs. It’s a sacred mission that cannot be taken lightly, and the Jazz Fest and the Foundation enjoy a synergistic relationship that’s important to New Orleans’ economic and cultural health and well-being. So enjoy Jazz Fest, but realize that you’re helping this great city persevere; you’re assisting in our cultural well-being and improving the lives of our citizens. It’s a great mission you’ve chosen to participate in by buying a Jazz Fest ticket. And you’ll have a great time doing it, too. It’s not too much work, is it? O

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FRESH

OffBeat.com

Five Questions with Lily Keber, Producer-Director of Bayou Maharajah

SWEET TWEETS

n April 26, three years after Bayou Maharajah began making the film festival rounds, Lily Keber’s documentary about New Orleans piano genius James Booker will make its DVD and online streaming debuts. Booker, a classically trained virtuoso who dazzled his fellow New Orleans musicians, led a colorful, troubled life ripe for legend status. In 1983, he died at 43 in the Charity Hospital waiting room. Keber’s 98-minute film includes extensive Booker performance footage and interviews with such admiring peers as Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Irma Thomas and Charles Neville. Booker’s piano student, Harry Connick, Jr., shares comic memories of Booker and demonstrates his teacher’s technique. Actor and New Orleans music fan Hugh Laurie also appears. Why did you want to make a film about James Booker? When I was bartending at Vaughan’s Lounge I heard the outrageous stories people told about Booker. He seemed larger than life. That was what first drew me in. And then I started listening to his music. It’s so soulful. Although Booker is a revered legend in New Orleans, was it difficult to obtain DVD and online distribution for the film? Some of the same struggles that Booker faced in his lifetime, the film still faced. Some objective businessperson thinks, ‘Who is this dude? Never heard of him. He’s dead.’ So it came down to finding fans of Booker’s music, who believe in him enough to put down the money to release the film. It took three years, but we did it. Did anything come up after you finished the film that you wish were in the final cut? It was kind of the opposite. We got so much material in the process of making the film that didn’t make the final cut. That broke my heart. And we cut an interview with Cosimo Matassa because we took out every reference to the 1950s. Really, the film should be a 10-part series. So now it’s really satisfying to finally reach the point where we have DVD extras. Were Booker's contemporaries willing to speak to you about him? Oh, totally. They love Booker. They liked him as a person. They liked him musically. They liked him as a friend. Bayou Maharajah brought him further into the public consciousness? It’s been exciting to see a resurgence of interest in Booker. Classified [Booker’s 1982 studio album] has been re-released. There is much more Booker available now than when I started. The film served its purpose. Keber will sign copies of Bayou Maharajah from 2–3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27 at the Louisiana Music Factory. —John Wirt

JAZZ FEST 2016

@alexmcmurrayyy Dear friends of Chazfest. Chazfest #10 2016 will take place on Wednesday, April 27. Sorry for all the confusion. @jonclearymusic Yesterday was hot and humid in Louisiana, today its snowy and cold in Colorado. Wandering minstrel, 2nd oldest profession in the world! @AlisonF_NOLA (Alison Fensterstock) @jazzfest gave Pearl Jam two and a half hours. It’s like they’re a... Pearl Jamband. @BeingNOLA Every dog is named Gumbo. Gumbo is to New Orleans dogs as Brittany is to girls born in 1990. @subwaysubs1 (Hugh Stiel) Guest what everybody. We have be granted permission to start demo work at 700 Frenchmen Street & Disco Club. @nolacampanella (Richard Campanella) Update: neighbor’s oyster-shell-filling of Maple St. pothole in early March succeeded in getting city to repair it. @Meschiya Look what we found! Sevilla, we are in love. #bestplaceever #sevillaswing #soldoutshow…

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Photo: ryan hodgson-rigsbee

Hogs for the Cause

SOUNDCHECK

FRESH

IN-BETWEEN FESTIVALS

Non-Stop Music

lot of out-of-towners have a hard time picking which weekend of Jazz Fest is right for them. After painstakingly combing through the daily lineups to figure out which half of the festival best suits their interests, many fans will be forced to make a tough decision about what days they can swing. And yet some are lucky enough to avoid that problem altogether: They have the luxury of attending both weekends. These NOLAphiles are not without decisions of their own, however. With seven full days of Jazz Fest locked up, they now have to look for things to do during the in-between weekdays when fest is not in session. Fortunately for them, there are a few options. Chaz Fest: Chaz Fest will return to the Truck Farm on St. Claude Ave. for its 10th incarnation on Wednesday, April 27. However, this year’s edition of Chaz Fest will be the last. Originally founded as a one-off gathering of New Orleans musicians who weren’t booked to play the first post-Katrina Jazz Fest in 2006, the event—named for perennial performer Washboard Chaz—has since evolved into a destination in its own right. Unfortunately, the recent sale of the festival grounds means the good times will have to stop rolling after 2016 (and it almost wasn’t going to happen this year, either). Attendees will be able to check out a variety of artists, including Ratty Scurvics, Helen Gillet & Other Instruments, Debauche, the Geraniums and, of course, Washboard Chaz. NOLA Crawfish Festival: The inaugural NOLA Crawfish Festival will take over the NOLA Brewing Company Tap Room from Monday, April 25 through Wednesday, April 27. The three-day event will feature music from the Crawfish All-Stars (George Porter, Jr., Terence Higgins, Dave Malone, Billy Iuso and special guest Anders Osborne), John “Papa” Gros Band, Neville Jacobs, Honey Island Swamp Band, MVP (Jon Cleary, Nigel Hall, Tony Hall, Raymond Weber, Derwin “Big D” Perkins) and more. There will be beer from NOLA Brewing and tons of crawfish courtesy of Chris “Shaggy” Davis. The final day of the minifestival will feature a 20-team crawfish cook-off judged by a panel of local celebrities. Fiya Fest: Fiya Fest will return to Mardi Gras World on Wednesday, April 27. This year’s edition will raise money for the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, a celebrated non-profit that provides healthcare to the city’s culture-bearers. Performers include the Funky Meters, Soulive with Maceo Parker and the Shady Horns, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, the Soul Rebels and many more, plus three one-off supergroups featuring members of Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Revivalists, the Meters and others. Oh yeah, there will also be crawfish. —Sam D’Arcangelo

JAZZ FEST 2016

JAZZ FEST’S GREATEST HITS

owever many bands hit Jazz Fest there are certain songs that inevitably get played, year after year, even if the original performers of those songs are long gone. Some traditions are worth celebrating, so this month’s playlist salutes the 10 songs you’re all but guaranteed to hear at least once on the Fair Grounds this year. And next year and the year after that. “St. James Infirmary”: Everybody loves a tearjerker, and our educated guess says that if you add up every performance at every Jazz Fest, this would be the song that’s gotten the most plays. The tune has stretched outside the jazz world; one of this year’s guests, Arlo Guthrie, has even done it lately. Personally, I miss the short-lived trend of brass bands yelling “…without no drawers on!” after every line. “Hey Pocky Way”: This one will likely be played by any band with any connection to the Meters—and as a wiseacre would point out, that covers about half the bands on the Fair Grounds. Even the Dixie Cups play it most years, but we’d say a Fest milestone was reached when Tom Jones sang in in 2011. “Ooh Poo Pah Doo”: After Jessie Hill’s passing, this entered the realm of obligatory R&B chestnuts. Since you’re pretty much guaranteed a crowd reaction as soon as you sing that opening “Yooooo…”, how can you resist? “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans”: Got to play this one for those unfortunates who have to go back home after Jazz Fest. We’ve lost track of the versions we’ve heard over the years but one of the prettiest came from, of all people, Jimmy Buffett, who did it as an acoustic encore in 2010 with Allen Toussaint on piano. “Yes We Can Can”: From now till forever, we’re going to hear Allen Toussaint songs performed on the fairgrounds—which might be a sad thought, but we still heard them all the time while Toussaint was with us. Hard to predict if a single song will get the most play, but this timeless song of spirit and optimism seems like a good bet. “Hallelujah”: By now Leonard Cohen’s song is the “Louie Louie” of sensitive singer-songwriter material; half the contestants on American Idol tried to show their depth by having a go at it. Ah, but then there’s John Boutté, who will inevitably cap a set with it and make you forget all those other versions. “Mardi Gras in New Orleans”: How often can you hear a Professor Longhair song on the Fair Grounds? The answer of course is not nearly enough, no matter how many times it gets done. “Mother-in-Law”: Ernie K-Doe always claimed that this and “The Star-Spangled Banner” would be the only two songs to last forever. We beg to differ, however: We’ve heard “Mother-in-Law” performed countless times—usually in those sets where local veterans salute the heydays of New Orleans R&B—but we haven’t heard “The StarSpangled Banner” on the Fair Grounds once. “La porte d’en arrière”: The unofficial anthem of the Fais DoDo stage. Whether you sing it in French or translate it as “The Back Door,” D.L. Menard gave us one of the most enduring Cajun songs, and one of the best in any language for dancing. “What a Wonderful World”: Yeah, we know: It’s far from Satchmo’s greatest song, and you’re sick of it. But when the sun goes down over the Fair Grounds and whoever’s onstage decides it would be the perfect gesture to sing, somehow it starts to make sense. —Brett Milano www.OFFBEAT.com

FRESH

MY MUSIC

Cole Williams

“O

ne of the reasons I moved to New Orleans was to become a better percussionist. I just love the way the percussion swings down here. And the more that I play the drums, the more that I realize it’s an extension of me. I thought being a musician was just me playing piano and singing. I didn’t realize how connected I was to the drum. I think it’s the closest instrument to the voice, you know? There are so many tones you can get out of a drum if you just spend a little time with it. It’s really human. I can’t really see having my band anymore without a really heavy percussion section. I started off in the music business as a songwriter... Now I’m a musician, I compose, I arrange, I produce. The more I started producing, the more I realized how connected I am with African rhythm. I really love the undertone, that’s like a 6/8 underneath a 4/4, you know? That’s my musician nerdiness coming out, but I really just do love how the space is filled up that way. I learned that singing with African artists, Somi and Kaïssa. My music is about making this incredible soul soundscape, you know? For me, a good soundscape feels like a really soft, plush cushion. And my vocals should weave in and out, and nothing feels like it’s missing. I like to think of Pink Floyd, the way they just create amazing soundscapes with their music—it’s not just about the words, but it’s about the actual composition and how each band member performs with each other. On the album [Sin City, due out April 15th]—because I’m programming everything myself—it’s really electronic. And that’s a sound that I really like, you know? I’ve always liked electronic music, but as a black woman, people don’t push you to do electronic music. That’s not what you’re supposed to be doing. You’re supposed to be soulful. I don’t bring that electronic element to the stage as much, only because I think that it can kind of stifle the natural sound of real instruments. With a performance, you don’t want to feel like, ‘You know, I could have stayed home,’ you want to feel like, ‘Wow, this is something that I didn’t even conceive of.’ Onstage, I always need drums, I always need my bongos, and I need guitar. You know? These are the three basic elements I think I always need… They play—they fill up the space nicely together, and it’s sort of like seeing the music at its fundamental state. I think a really good song is a really good song, even at its core elements.” —Laura DeFazio Cole Williams performs at the Jazz Fest on the Congo Square Stage on Friday, April 29 at 11:20 a.m.

JAZZ FEST 2016

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FRESH

HARMONICA JAM

Photo: greg miles

Iron Men

ohnny Sansone knows why he plays harmonica. “It just spoke to me,” Sansone explains while chatting with OffBeat by phone during a break between gigs last month. “In my early years, I started on saxophone but I was soon moved by the intensity of the electric harmonica on blues records. The first ones I heard were 78s and 45s of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters with Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson. That sound gave the blues its sound, that moaning and crying sound.” Born in New Jersey, with a saxophonist father who played with Dave Brubeck during the late jazz legend’s formative World War II–era bands, Sansone hit the road at age 17, “hoboing around, playing music, going to different cities to absorb their sound.” New Orleans clearly struck a chord: He’s called the city home “pretty much my whole adult life,” recorded and performed with a who’s who of local musicians and elevated the tune “Poor Man’s Paradise” into a postKatrina anthem. In America the harmonica was an instrument first from the Deep South—where it was often called a mouth harp—before it electrified Chicago’s post-war blues scene. The harmonica “was inexpensive so a lot of people could get their hands on it,” Sansone says, adding that its appeal lies in bending the reeds to bend the notes, and playing between notes—similar to playing slide guitar. “It’s important to me to continue this tradition,” Sansone says of the annual New Orleans Big Blues Harmonica Show, which will be held this year for the first time at BJ’s Lounge, the deliciously divey juke joint in the Bywater. The event started in 1993 at Rock ’n’ Bowl as a way to showcase local talent on the harmonica. It has its roots in informal jam sessions Uptown in the early ‘90s between harmonica players collectively called the “Brotherhood of the Iron.” This year’s 23rd edition will feature Sansone, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Benny Maygarden, Johnny Mastro and special guests. It closes with an informal jam session. “I’ve met guys so moved by the shows that they decided to learn how to play. They get to mingle in the street with harmonica players and lovers from all over the world. It makes for an interesting evening.” Johnny Sansone hosts the 23rd Annual New Orleans Big Blues Harmonica Show at BJ’s Lounge on Wednesday, April 27. —Frank Etheridge www.OFFBEAT.com

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CURLEY TAYLOR CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE: SUNDAY, APRIL 24—FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 11:15 A.M.

No Borders Curley Taylor has stopped getting dirty.

t’s only early March and already zydeco accordionist Curley Taylor has braved the cold and elements to go on the road to Deadwood, South Dakota; Denver, Colorado; the Pacific Northwest and the East Coast. Oddly enough, Taylor says he’s unsure of how many gigs/ year he plays these days; he estimates it to be well over 200. When he isn’t busting his knuckles playing his piano-note accordion across the country, he’s busting his knuckles turning wrenches on a classic ’66 Chevrolet Impala that he’s in the process of restoring. He recently dropped a 454 engine in it and plans to do the interior and headliner with the help of some friends who are more skilled in upholstery than he is. “I love tinkering with cars,” Taylor says. “I used to hassle with hot rods and street cars before I started doing music. But once the music thing came up I stopped getting dirty. Hey man, we got something else to do.” More importantly, Taylor is also in the process of starting his sixth record, for which he plans to also do the mixing and mastering once his computer is beefed up enough. “It’s just that I got to find the time to do it,” Taylor says. “My wife will come tell me, ‘Are you going to work on the car? You need to work on the record.’ She knows we got to keep the lights on. Those cars are cool but that’s for after you’ve done your work.” With the new record Taylor will drop sometime this year, he hopes to expand his audience beyond his already large zydeco following to a broader demographic of music listeners. “I love playing zydeco music but like I want to be the biggest star that I can,” Taylor states unabashedly. “I was talking with [country star] Hunter Hayes and he said ‘Man, the thing of it is when you say you play Cajun or zydeco music, right off the

JAZZ FEST 2016

bat people put you into a box and they call it regional music. So from that point on, people are setting up borders for you to what your music is going to do.’” It’s not that Taylor would ever abandon playing his accordion and drop zydeco entirely in his quest for bigger audiences; he knows he can’t change everything about his sonic craft. People constantly remind him, “‘No matter what you do Curley, no matter what kind of music you are doing, you are still going to be Louisiana. They can’t change that about you’”. Part of who he is stems from his valuable apprenticeship playing drums beginning at age 14 in his father’s band, Jude Taylor & His Burning Flames. “I tell everybody that when you are in your dad’s band, you are not actually there because you wanted to be there,” Taylor says. “It’s like you were appointed that job. I wanted to play drums but to work under your dad, sometimes he would be brutal, you know?” Still, the experience paid off handsomely when he would later form his band Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble. “Playing drums By Dan Willging

helped me out a lot because from the back I could see what worked and what didn’t and I had years of experience being back there just watching people before I actually stepped up to the microphone.” Eventually, his friends who were also playing in the Burning Flames convinced Taylor to learn the accordion and start his own band with them, citing that more young people were playing zydeco. In 2003, Taylor released his debut disc, Country Boy, but ironically, he didn’t rush out and immediately begin playing gigs. At the time Taylor was playing drums for Geno Delafose, a lucrative paying gig that he held for three-and-a-half years. Instead, Taylor slowly tested the waters before he took the plunge. “I wanted to make sure people heard and liked my music,” he says. “So when I would leave, I knew I would have gigs and people wanted to hear me instead of giving up a paying job to go start from scratch.” One of the ways he tested the waters was by selling his CDs at Delafose’s gigs, which the Creole Cowboy graciously allowed him to do. “That’s what got me my name

in all these places from New York to wherever because once they heard the CD, it was like wow, you want to play? Are you ready to start playing? And I’m like not yet, I wanted to make sure I had a little work for me.” A promoter in the Netherlands booked Taylor for a Cajun-zydeco festival eight months out, which convinced him he would be ready to launch his band by then. Upon his return home, Taylor staged an outrageously packed CD release party at Hamilton’s and played Festival International in 2004. “Everybody was going Curley Taylor crazy,” he says tongue-in-cheek. Taylor not only hopes to release his own record this year, but also one by his father Jude Sr., who hasn’t had a record out since Zydeco Bayou on Mardi Gras Records in 1997. A few months ago, Taylor released a single of Jude Sr.’s, “Everything is Going to Be All Right,” accompanied by an eight-piece ensemble with a crack horn section. “I’ve done five CDs already so it’s not to say I’ve haven’t had my fun but I wanted to go back and give him a record that he didn’t have and I think I can pull it off.” Taylor describes the single’s radio response as “burning up” but unfortunately he didn’t have time to follow up with another single. Taylor adds that it won’t be a zydeco record but more in the oldschool R&B vein like Stax soul singer Johnnie Taylor. “He’s pretty much like I am. He liked to sing like Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland and B.B. King songs because he is such a super singer.” Obviously Taylor has got a lot on his plate these days between the family, band, cars, gigs and trying to get two records out. Still, he’s quite optimistic. “I just feel fresh again. I am waking up early. It’s like my life has peeled some layers off me like an onion and I’m starting to understand the universe a little more.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

LOST BAYOU RAMBLERS LOST BAYOU RAMBLERS WITH SPIDER STACY: THURSDAY, APRIL 28—GENTILLY STAGE, 1:45 P.M.

Cajun Punk Meets Irish

y the time London’s epochal Irish folkpunk band the Pogues recorded “Dirty Old Town” in the mid-’80s, it was already a folk standard. But the tune’s bleak beauty and industrial imagery fit so well with the Pogues’ ethos that when they recast the song through their own lens, spiking it with Shane MacGowan’s fuck-all growls and Spider Stacy’s wistful tin whistle, it became something new. One night last summer, Stacy played the song with the Cajun rock outfit Lost Bayou Ramblers and “Dirty Old Town” transformed again. This time, the Ramblers’ Louis Michot sang a plaintive-voiced Cajun French version of a verse that hushed the otherwise rowdy, sing-along prone crowd. His brother, Andre, added a Cajun accordion to the mix, while Louis’ fiddle buoyed Stacy’s whistle melody on the instrumental breaks. Though they could have performed a straightforward cover of the song, the tweaks and additions yielded an adaptation with a distinct character of its own. “There’s almost like a third force emerging,” Stacy says of his ongoing collaboration with the Ramblers. “Something kind of born of both but independent.” Since that first show at One Eyed Jack’s, the Acadiana-based Ramblers and Stacy, who moved to New Orleans in 2010, have expanded their reimagined Pogues repertoire and hit the road as Poguetry in Motion (the name of a 1986 Pogues EP). They’ve also started delving into Cajun music, which Stacy’s been dutifully collecting on vinyl. Drawn to the genre’s “immense soulfulness,” he said in March that they were in the midst of hammering out a tin

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whistle–friendly version of the deep cut, “Si J’aurai des Ailes,” along with a few others. For their April 28 Jazz Fest set, the Ramblers (Louis and Andre Michot plus drummer Eric Heigle, guitarist Johnny Campos and bassist Bryan Webre) plan to feature a mix of Poguetry and original Ramblers music with Stacy as one of multiple special guests. Rickie Lee Jones, another rock icon who discovered the band’s unique sound after moving to New Orleans, will sit in as well. “You get such a different result when you mix different styles and different performers together,” says Michot. “To me, that’s the goal of every artist’s journey, to make something new.” Michot and his brother Andre formed the Ramblers in 1999, combining the aesthetic of traditional Cajun music they’d grown up playing in their father and uncle’s family band with concepts drawn from their taste for rock. That marriage of styles cast them into a lineage known as rogue or folk punk, which the Pogues originated in London. The Violent Femmes are said to have initiated a proliferation By Jennifer Odell

of similar music in the U.S. around that time; the Femmes’ guitarist, singer and violin player Gordon Gano, has also collaborated with the Ramblers in recent years. “When people started saying we sound like a Cajun version of the Pogues, I started checking [them],” says Michot. “People put that same title on us, Cajun punk and Irish punk, but really it’s from the source of loving really intense rhythm and putting a lot of energy onstage, which is not typical for a Cajun show or Irish show. To be playing with Spider now is like bringing it all together.” Stacy initially contacted the Ramblers after seeing them perform live in 2011. At the show, he recalls hearing what he describes as a “wild, euphoric exaltation” that was similar to the Pogues’ spirit. “It just kind of hits you right in the heart and the gut. It just lifts you up,” he says. With the Pogues on a potentially permanent hiatus, Stacy proposed to Michot that they try collaborating. Michot consented, leaving room in the band’s schedule to continue performing their own music, as

well. Once they began working together, a chemistry emerged on both musical and personal levels. “It’s become very familiar, very quick,” says Michot, adding that the collaboration has felt “organic” from the beginning. In some ways, the common denominator between the Ramblers’ and Pogues’ music extends beyond their shared energy. Historically, regional folk music has played a role in unifying Acadians who fled Canada for Louisiana in the 1700s as well as the people of Ireland. “Both cultures have been under threat from painful outside forces,” Stacy says, “and music has been an extraordinarily strong bulwark in defending that culture or maintaining that culture’s integrity.” That doesn’t mean learning one another’s music has been easy. With each new Pogues tune Stacy brings the band, he and the Michot brothers tend to break down the melody so they can understand it on a fiddle, accordion and whistle level before building it back up to a larger rock sound. Michot says he appreciates that approach because Cajun music also has a “core, intricate melody” that has to be mastered for the song to have the desired effect. Stacy, meanwhile, admits he’s “still trying to get my head around some of these fiendishly complex Cajun tunes.” A few of the melodies are complex to begin with, he says, while others are more challenging because the Ramblers are so prone to experimentation that “things kind of appear from nowhere when you’re not expecting them.” On the other hand, that’s the kind of open-mindedness that gave rise to Poguetry in Motion in the first place. O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHOTO: ryan hodgson-rigsbee

The Lost Bayou Ramblers sit down and get up with Spider Stacy of the Pogues.

GORDON / STINSON KEVIN GORDON: SUNDAY, APRIL 24—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 4:05 P.M. XY KENNY BILL STINSON & THE ARK-LA-MYSTICS: FRIDAY, APRIL 29—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 5:30 P.M.

More Elvis Than Fats North Louisiana's Kevin Gordon and Kenny Bill Stinson.

ost lovers of Louisiana music are familiar with the I-10 corridor, which travels from the cultural gumbo that is New Orleans west to Lafayette, the center of Cajun music, and then to Lake Charles, ground zero for zydeco. But what if you turn north on I-49 from Lafayette and keep going past the exits for the Acadiana outposts of Eunice, Opelousas and Ville Platte? There’s still a whole lot of Louisiana ahead of you, a territory with its own geography and culture, but one that is seldom mentioned in discussions of Louisiana music. Once you pass Alexandria, everything changes. The table-flat wetlands are replaced by rumpled hills covered in piney woods. South Louisiana’s omnipresent Catholic churches become scarcer, and suddenly Baptist churches are everywhere. The restaurants are more likely to serve beef and fried fish than crawfish etouffee and jambalaya. And the music is rooted more in Elvis Presley than Fats Domino. “The top half of Louisiana from Alexandria on up is redneck and coon ass,” Kenny Bill Stinson declares, “and the bottom half is Cajun. It’s really like two states in one, two totally different cultures and totally different musics. They play accordions down there and we play guitars here. I never saw an accordion as a kid except Lawrence Welk on TV.” David Egan, one of the giants of North Louisiana music, died in March, but two other major figures, Stinson and Kevin Gordon, will appear at Jazz Fest this year. Gordon, a brilliant lyricist whose songs have been sung by Levon Helm, Lucinda Williams and Irma Thomas, suggests what Bruce Springsteen might have sounded like if he had grown up in

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Monroe, Louisiana, listening to local rockabilly bands. Stinson, a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist who has toured with everyone from Charlie Rich to Rodney Crowell, suggests what North Louisiana’s Jerry Lee Lewis might have sounded like if had started playing music after the Beatles rather than before.

Other Side of the Tracks Lewis casts a long shadow across the region, his astonishing recordings not only setting a high standard but also showing a path forward for local musicians. When Stinson sets aside his guitar and sits down at the piano, he is capable of channeling Lewis with remarkable fidelity, reflecting not just the fast and furious notes of Lewis’ singles but also the wild man’s spirit of juke-joint boogieblues illicitly mixed with Baptist singing. And even Gordon’s By Geoffrey Himes

most literary concoctions are often framed by the twitch and twang of Lewis’ rockabilly. “North Louisiana seems to suffer from the Jerry Lee Lewis Syndrome,” Gordon says. “That Protestant thing of having a lot of fun, then feeling bad about it, then going out and doing it again. I think about those stories of Jerry Lee sneaking into that African-American club in Ferriday as a kid: that awkward wanting to live inside the blues as best you can as a white guy. And then going to the Pentecostal church on Sunday. It wasn’t the most progressive place in terms of race relations, but segregation made some people very interested in the other side of the tracks.” “I was 16 when I saw Jerry Lee at the Monroe Civic Center,” Stinson recalls, “and it changed my life. He was so good and so rebellious that I just loved it.

He took his shirt off and put his boots inside the piano. When they turned the lights up, he said, ‘I’m not through yet. Turn the lights down.’ They did and then he combed his hair. I loved that. That pumping, thumping rock ‘n’ roll and the attitude that went with it cut through a lot of bullshit and changed a lot of things.” “I experienced things in North Louisiana that everyone thought of as normal,” Gordon adds, “but that really seem unusual to me now. For example, the levee formed a line between the lawful and the lawless zones. In high school, we’d have these huge bonfires and these ice chests full of godawful alcoholic concoctions, and the cops never bothered us if we were on the other side of the levee. The wide latitude people are given there makes folks like Jerry Lee and Kenny Bill possible. That latitude’s not always good when www.OFFBEAT.com

GORDON / STINSON it comes to alcohol, but there’s a passion in that way of life, a joie de vivre, a not thinking about the long-term consequences.” One of the key songs on Gordon’s latest album, last fall’s Long Time Gone, is “Walking on the Levee.” It’s the story of the adult Gordon returning from his current home in Nashville to revisit his old stomping grounds of Monroe. The morning after playing a show there, he takes a morning walk on the earthen embankment, alone with the “wasp on the grass, a floating red thorn” and “the sound of dogs barking.” Such a command of language hints at Gordon’s background as a poet who attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, one of America’s top creative-writing programs. But the song’s emotional heart lies in the memory of a houseboat owned by his girlfriend’s father, tied up on the lawless side of the levee, the site of an education far more transforming than any graduate school. There’s a wistfulness to the song, as if the North Louisiana of the 1980s, like adolescence itself, is a state of mind that once lost can never be recovered, even if it accompanies one, as the song puts it, like a “pretty ghost at my side.” If that acoustic guitar song hints at the singer-songwriter side of his music—influenced as much by North Louisiana’s Leadbelly as by Bob Dylan—another song on the album, “GTO,” reveals the Lewis boogie in Gordon’s sound. This is the story of the singer’s father going “Middle Age Crazy,” as one Lewis song put it, and buying a muscle car, only to have it stolen and driven into a lake. The music is revved-up rockabilly, evoking the sensation of driving that car with the “pedal to the metal.” When the cops make a big deal about arresting some “black boys” for the crime, though, the young son narrating the song says, “I never knew why it mattered that they were black. The GTO was gone; it wasn’t ever coming back.” “It’s that thing of loving the people who raised you and www.OFFBEAT.com

grew up with you” Gordon explains over the phone, “but sometimes finding their attitudes unpalatable.”

Stinsonian Institution Gordon’s role model for such high-octane rockabilly was Kenny Bill Stinson, a decade older. Gordon was attending Northeast Louisiana University (now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe) in 1985

when Stinson got homesick, gave up his gig with Rodney Crowell and returned home to Monroe. Stinson figured he didn’t have to live in Nashville to make records; the technology had advanced enough that he could make them at home. And he didn’t need other musicians, because he could play all the parts as capably as those one-man bands, Prince and Stevie Wonder. And he could play whenever he wanted at

Monroe’s hippest venue, Enoch’s Café, out by campus. “I’d see Kevin in the crowd there,” Stinson says, “listening and drinking with his friends. They were punk-rock kids, but they seemed interested in what I was doing. One time Kevin came over to my house, and the first thing he did was point to my Eddie Cochran album and say, ‘That’s a great record.’ Then I knew we were on the same wavelength. We started

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making music together, and our guitars meshed really well. It’s very natural to have two guys from North Louisiana playing with one another.” “It was not just the wide variety of music he played,” Gordon recalls, “but also how well he could present it. He could play the guitar like Albert Collins or Lightnin’ Hopkins or the piano like Fats Domino or Ray Charles. Kenny Bill was just such a great player and such a character. He used to get me up and let me sit in. We’d do one song that I could play along with pretty well, then he’d hit me with something more complicated like the Beatles’ ‘Glass Onion,’ and I’d be left just standing there.” In 1997, when the Smithsonian Folklife Festival was showcasing the culture of Louisiana on the Washington Mall, the organizers invited Stinson to represent the northern half of the state. Stinson knew this was an important gig, so he called Gordon in Nashville and asked him to round up a rhythm section. Those shows were eyeopeners for all us Easterners who were lucky enough to see them. Stinson was not what most people imagine a backwoods folk artist to be; he was a crazed wild man in an orange tie-dye T-shirt, long brown ponytail and Dixie Beer baseball cap. But when he played a medley of Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” and Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me To Do,” he didn’t so much impersonate the originals as reincarnate them. And when he played originals such as “Buzzin’” and “Taters and Gravy and Chicken-Fried Steak,” the songs sounded no less compelling. And the self-effacing Gordon stood by his side, playing

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guitar like he was shoveling coal into the locomotive. Stinson started calling his home studio the Stinsonian Institution. He worked on his records at a leisurely pace, but the results on 2006’s F-Earl and 2009’s Kickin’ in My Stall were impressive. He promises a new album later this year. He became a regular for a while at a Shreveport nightclub owned by hometown legend James Burton, the guitarist famed for his work with Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and North Louisiana’s Lewis and Dale Hawkins. Burton liked Stinson’s music so much that the older man would often sit in with the younger. “I was playing some tracks from my album for him in my car,” Stinson remembers, “and James said, ‘You know, I’d like to put some guitar on those tracks.’ I didn’t think he’d do it, but he drove an hour to West Monroe to play in my studio. The Jazz Fest folks heard the record and they wanted us to perform together, and I called up Kevin and said, ‘Come on, you’ve got to come to Jazz Fest with me and play with James Burton.’” “As a sideman, I’ve never felt as comfortable as I did playing Jerry-Lee-type songs with Kenny Bill at those festivals,” Gordon adds. “That felt like a bedrock for me. When I write a song like ‘GTO,’ the words have the cadence of that music, for that was the music of the place I grew up. My dad buying that car when he got out of college may have been a questionable decision, but that kind of recklessness was of a piece with that place and that music.” One day David Egan called, asking if Stinson could sub on piano for him in Lil’ Band o’ Gold, Egan’s latest band. “What www.OFFBEAT.com

kind of music do you play?” Stinson asked. Egan replied by scatting a melody in 6/8 time and adding that swamp-pop legend Warren Storm was in the group. “Warren Storm?” Stinson marveled. “I’m there.” Stinson did that West Coast tour on piano and then played a Texas tour on bass. But Stinson is never happy for long when he’s touring. He always finds a reason to come back home to Monroe, where he can live cheaply, eat his favorite foods, make music at his own pace and answer to no one. “He likes being at home,” Gordon observes. “That’s why he’s never gotten the recognition that he deserves. But living in Monroe is a big part of his identity. And he loves it there. It’s unusual that such an amazing musician plays around town every week. Me, I was different. I needed to go somewhere else. I had to go to grad school in Iowa to find out if I could write, and I

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had to go to Nashville to find out if I could make in a music town.”

Colfax/Step in Time Though he has lived most of his adult life outside Louisiana, Gordon continues to write obsessively about his childhood home. His latest album includes not only “Walking on the Levee” and “GTO,” but also other North Louisiana songs such as “Letter to Shreveport,” “Cajun with a K,” “Crowville,” “Shotgun Behind the Door” and “Goodnight, Brownie Ford,” the latter about a memorable encounter with the mixed-race cowboy singer at Enoch’s Café in Monroe. The previous album, 2012’s Gloryland, included “Bus to Shreveport,” about a ZZ Top concert that turned into a combustible mix of race, alcohol and violence. That same record contained Gordon’s widely acknowledged masterpiece, “Colfax/Step in Time.” This 10-minute talking blues begins deceptively, with Gordon describing

his own experience playing trumpet in his middle-school band. It’s a comic tale of frustrated hormones and juvenile stupidity, as Mr. Minifield, the African-American band director, tries to teach the unruly seventh-graders how to play songs by Stevie Wonder and Kool & the Gang. That humorous prelude is the perfect set-up for the climax, a Saturday afternoon parade in Colfax, Louisiana, when these students and their leader are unexpectedly confronted by the Ku Klux Klan. Gordon refuses the Hollywood melodrama the occasion seems to call for, but allows the blues-drenched music to build majestically as it lifts the story to catharsis. “Minifield didn’t turn his head,” Gordon sings, “just kept marching, looking straight ahead, like there was somewhere better he was going, and this was the only goddamned way to get there.” “Colfax/Step in Time” ranks with Randy Newman’s “Louisiana

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1927” as one of the greatest story songs ever written about the state. Gordon’s creation wouldn’t have been possible without the blues schooling he got from Stinson, Brownie Ford and like-minded North Louisiana musicians. Nor would it be possible without the double-edged stubbornness that makes possible not only the problem of the region’s reactionary politics but also the independent spirit that might be the solution. If you’re from North Louisiana, you can’t ignore its contradictions; you have to march right through them, “looking straight ahead,” like there’s a better day ahead, and this is “the only goddamned way to get there.” O

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ROYAL TEETH ROYAL TEETH: SUNDAY, APRIL 24—GENTILLY STAGE, 2:10 P.M.

Keeping Your Gravity Royal Teeth’s upbeat worldview.

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PHOTO: zack smith

here’s a lot that didn’t happen to Royal Teeth since they last released an album: They didn’t record with a major label, didn’t get world-famous and didn’t make a million bucks—all of which seemed possible after 2013’s well-received Glow. After a couple near-misses they’re an indie band again, with business in their own hands and some strong new material up their sleeve. For the time being, they say that will do fine. Spurred on by its single and video “Wild,” Glow showed a modern pop band with all the right stuff—catchy hooks, glossy production, smart lyrics and a playfully sexy image. And it did succeed in making a whirlwind out of their life for a time. They toured behind it for a year and landed “Wild” on several TV ads, then American Idol came calling. At the invitation of Judge Harry Connick, Jr., Royal Teeth played the song live on the show on March 20, 2014. “It was the least comfortable I’ve ever been playing that song,” singer/ guitarist Gary Larsen says. “I can personally say that I was terrified, but it’s a wonderful thing for a band like us to get to that level. It felt as crazy as it can be—once you get out there and the lights are shining on you, it’s hard to keep your gravity. Everyone there was nice to us and in terms of buzz, it did us a lot of good. And it’s funny because in terms of the life cycle of ‘Wild’ it had already been around for a couple of years, so we thought the song had already run its course, done what it needed to do and it was time to move on. Then we get the email from American Idol and it’s ‘Here we go again.’” By now they’d signed a majorlabel deal with Elektra, but this ended before anything was released. Pushed for details, Larsen says that Elektra would have demanded a long-term release schedule that would have kept them sitting on

their hands for too long. As for making musical compromises, it never even got that far. “I can’t go too in detail, but the timeline was the gist of it. We’re not a band that makes a lot of money; we have to stay busy to support ourselves. They were going to put us in a position where we couldn’t be active for most of the year, and I couldn’t handle staying home for another six to twelve months.” Instead they’ve recorded new music with producer Eric Bass, who helmed the original version of “Wild.” The plan is to roll it out gradually, with the single of “Kids Conspire”/”Is It Just Me” coming first, then an EP in early summer and a full LP late in the year. In terms of immediate pop appeal, both songs give “Wild” a run for its money, and the arrangements are more adventurous: The former song is full of exotic sounds, from scratchy-record samples to tribal percussion, while the latter has a By Brett Milano

guitar-driven sound that’s fairly raw for this band. But what really makes both songs is Nora Patterson’s vocal charm. While she shared most of the vocals with Larsen before, she’s a full-fledged frontwoman this time. “That’s definitely happened, but we didn‘t want to make a big thing out of it,” Larsen says. “This is her first band, so recording Glow was a new experience for her—you could tell she wasn’t as much of a presence yet. But she’s really grown, from being home and writing so much, and her lyrics are amazing. You can still hear a little of my voice in there, but I wasn’t going to go ‘Hey, what about me?’ if that’s what works for the song.” The heavier guitar sound is also the product of personnel changes: Keyboardist Andrew Poe and guitarist Steve Billeaud both left after Glow; new guitarist Thomas Onebane is an old friend from Lafayette (the rest of the band now resides in New Orleans). “It probably won’t sound quite as

different to the average listener as it does to us, but we feel like the music is coming from a whole new place,” Larsen says. “A lot of the songs on Glow were written via email, and maybe we lost a little of that personality that people respond to. This time we want to capture more of the energy that happens when we play it live.” One thing that hasn’t changed is the band’s upbeat worldview. The chorus of “Kids Conspire”—“Take me all the way up!”—is partly the band’s pep talk to itself after the ups and downs of the past couple years. “The whole song started with that one chorus idea. It’s one of those songs where everyone can connect in their own way, but to me it’s about not giving up on what you care about—overcoming the fear of growing up and dealing with the heaviness that’s in front of you, but still trying to find that feeling of wonder in the world. So the message is basically to stay hopeful.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

ARTURO SANDOVAL ARTURO SANDOVAL: SATURDAY, APRIL 30—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 5:35 P.M.

Love and Passion Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s musical imagination.

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PHOTO: clayton call

here are precious few musicians in the world as fully realized as Cubanborn trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. His formidable improvisational skills easily cross musical history, from nineteenth century Europe through Cuban rhythms and traditions and modern jazz. See the HBO biopic For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story to get a sense of his amazing personal story of defecting from Cuba and playing with his idol Dizzy Gillespie. Then listen to recordings like Arturo Sandoval Y El Tren Latino, I Remember Clifford, and Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You) to truly experience this musical force of nature. Former members of the Cuban jazz band Irakere, Sandoval and ex-bandmates Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdés are perhaps the most talented musicians Cuba has created in the last 50 years. Since coming to the United States, both D’Rivera (1980) and Sandoval (1990) have continued their careers worldwide. Like Nicholas Payton has done more recently, some years back Sandoval took on the daunting and ambitious task of touring and recording as a pianist, as if his master work in classical and jazz on trumpet and flugelhorn weren’t enough. His beloved piano is an Imperial model Bösendorfer that was originally custom-made for the legendary Oscar Peterson. It is nine-and-a-half feet long and has 10 extra keys. Less known to his jazz fans is Sandoval’s love of cigars, and for smoking several (as in 4 to 5) every day. The trumpeter has long been associated with the famous cigar manufacturer family of Arturo Fuente; Sandoval’s friendship with the Fuentes has led to a cigar/CD package, and presumably a lifetime supply of Chateau Fuente Churchills.

Merely talking about his musical loves excites Sandoval— in an instant, he rushes to the piano at his Los Angeles home to play one of his compositions, a danzón, a more formal and difficult Cuban style. After talking about trumpet players, he zips open his case and plays a dead ringer for Harry James, one of his favorites. He follows it with playing in the softer style of Chet Baker, to illustrate another point. In many ways, all of Sandoval’s recordings and concerts are moments of teaching: showing how Cuban son can be married to the jazz idiom; how a classical concerto can be reimagined through a blues progression; and the correct way a blazing By John Radanovich

trumpet solo should be done over full mambo orchestration. Many other players are capable of “teaching” lessons about what they know and what they’ve found, but few are such powerful masters of illustrating, and fewer still have the depth of experience and musical prowess of a Sandoval. This interview focuses on how he was formed as a musician, and what catches his ear and imagination. You went through a lot as a young musician, probably more than most. I had to be a fighter, a guy who really perseveres, has discipline. I really believe that when you are in love with what

you do, no matter what happens you are going to keep trying. I always kept in my mind that this was what I wanted to do. Music is so beautiful. It made my soul, my spirit feel so good. While in Cuba, you were only able to hear jazz on shortwave radio. There is the famous story of you being put in an Army jail for listening to jazz. I had only one way to listen to jazz then: through “Willie’s Carnival Jazz Hour” with Willis Conover on the Voice of America. Unfortunately, in the barracks my sergeant heard someone speaking in English on the show [Sandoval spent nearly four months in the Army jail in 1971 because of this]. www.OFFBEAT.com

ARTURO SANDOVAL

“I always said that for me it was a gift from God to meet him [Dizzy Gillespie] and become a close friend with my hero and mentor.”

How much did blues influence you as a young musician? Not only as a young player, and even until now—blues is extremely important to any jazz musician. It’s mandatory as part of the ABCs of the style. Who are your favorite composers, throughout history? I love Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy, and of course Dizzy Gillespie. What compositions have absolutely the most power to attract your interest? The Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos, second and third. You’ve explored so much of the Afro-Cuban side of the aisle, and nearly as much in classical pieces, as well as the piano. What would you still like to do that you haven’t yet? I’m very happy doing what I’ve been doing, I only ask God to give me health and the desire to keep playing. What did it feel like to play with Dizzy Gillespie when you first toured with him? I always said that for me it was a gift from God to meet him and become a close friend with my hero and mentor. What a great guy. I miss him every day, man. He was happy, and he loved music. He enjoyed every minute of his life, people, talking about this and that. He never was in too much of a hurry to go to the piano, play some chords, explain. At more than 70 years of age, he was hungry to learn. That’s what really influenced me more than anything else: his love and passion for music. John Coltrane was fascinated by bagpipes. Is there another

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instrument or genre that is calling to you now? I discovered a musician from Romania who plays the cimbalom [Marius Preda], and he has been my guest on a number of concerts already. I’m fascinated by the instrument and also by his playing. You are famous for playing solos hard, in the upper register. To me a note is a note, no matter how high or low. How much passion and intensity you play the note. When you see a piano in front of you with 88 notes, which are more important—the ones on the left or the ones on the right? With the trumpet it’s the same thing. Sometimes people just pay attention to the high notes, but what about the low notes? The middle? I try to explore the whole instrument. As many notes as you can play, the less limitation you’ll have in your improvisation. That’s why I love piano. You got all kinds of notes. What counts in the end is how you put them together. You are also known for disliking the expressions “Latin jazz” and “salsa.” When Chano Pozo, Mario Bauzá and Dizzy Gillespie started to play their music, that mixture was called Afro-Cuban jazz. My question is: Who changed the name of that style, and with whose permission? Those people own that style, to mix bebop with Cuban rhythm. That’s it. And musicians from Mexico, South America, they don’t have anything to do with it. Keep calling a cha cha cha a cha cha cha. I don’t want to hear a mambo called a salsa; that pisses me off. Mambo is mambo. All those Cuban rhythms are authentic. They have creators, their own patterns. Those people

[the players] should have our respect. When a disc jockey plays samba, he doesn’t know the difference between that and cumbia. So when somebody asks what it is, he just says “salsa.” They put everything in one sack. How did you approach writing the score for your own life story, For Love or Country? It was two different parts, the first one was a number of tunes that we recorded before they started shooting and later the second part was to write the underscore based on the images and the drama. It was such an exhilarating experience and I hope to be able to compose many more underscores in the future, as it is something I thoroughly enjoy. What are your latest projects? Currently I have a wonderful album that came out last year entitled Live at Yoshi’s. It was recorded at the great Yoshi’s Jazz Club in Oakland, and with one of the best bands I’ve ever had. And thankfully I tour with this band year-round. I am also extremely excited about my upcoming Duets album. I have some of the most wonderful artists joining me, and I’m so thankful for their participation. We are in the studio now and will hopefully be releasing it sometime in the late summer of 2016. Some of the exceptional musicians joining me are Josh Groban, Placido Domingo, Pharrell Williams, Alejandro Sanz, Juan Luis Guerra, Al Jarreau, along with some more huge surprises. We are selecting some of their own hits and rearranging the tunes for a voice/ trumpet duet—the songs are turning out really amazing! O www.OFFBEAT.com

SNARKY PUPPY SNARKY PUPPY: THURSDAY, APRIL 28—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ STAGE, 5:25 P.M.

Catching on Fire

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ou can try it here but you’re crazy and it’s not gonna work.” That’s the reaction bassist Michael League, leader of the fusion-minded instrumental collective Snarky Puppy, remembers getting when he first proposed recording an album and concert DVD before a live studio audience at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, in 2009. League was told there was “no way the studio could handle” the number of inputs they’d need to record audio and video for nearly 20 musicians while simultaneously plugging 30 audience members into the mix so they could listen, too. The band went through with it anyway, picking up friends in Lafayette and driving them in the school bus that served as their tour bus to Maurice, where a Cajun chef pal was preparing dinner for the whole group. The cozy DIY vibe frayed a bit when it came time to record. “Equipment was smoking in between songs, shit was getting ready to catch on fire,” League recalled with a laugh during a recent phone interview. ”Everything was falling apart. It’s a miracle that it worked.” Miracle or not, that kind of tenacity and openness to creative risks has informed Snarky Puppy’s approach since League formed the band with fellow music students at the University of North Texas in 2004. Their sound veers between jazz and funk, stripped-down rock, electronics-steeped neo-soul and R&B and West African grooves. It’s all delivered with a technical precision and playful showmanship that belies the difficulty of blending so many styles. League, a prolific producer who also runs his own label, GroundUP, writes and arranges

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most of the music—which in this group can mean charts for two dozen instruments. Then there are the guests: The more challenging and seemingly incongruous, the better—and in some cases, the more celebrated. Their collaboration with soul singer Lalah Hathaway on 2013’s Family Dinner—Volume 1 earned them a Grammy for Best R&B Performance. Their work with the Dutch symphony orchestra Metropole Orkest, on 2015’s Sylva, won them a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. When they recorded Family Dinner—Volume 2 at New Orleans’ Esplanade Studios during Mardi Gras last year, their roster included titans like David Crosby and the Afro-pop singer Salif Keita, plus an expanded band featuring Terence Blanchard, Brian Coogan, Mike Dillon and the Soul Rebels’ Ed Lee, among other New Orleans– based artists. For those special charityfocused projects, League arranged original compositions by each guest that, in his words, “flipped [the song] on its head.” By Jennifer Odell

“The idea is to re-imagine these songs in a way that brings out the essence of the artist but also reflects the sound of Snarky Puppy,” he explained. To that end, Crosby’s “Somebody Home,” a raw and beautiful “apology from all men to all women,” builds to a slow burn as spare keyboards and hushed percussive motifs play off Crosby’s voice and guitar, adding a quiet strength to match the song’s message. The guest-packed projects have also helped usher in numerous number one chart placements, sold-out shows and a stream of love-them-orhate-them critiques in the press (detractors have argued they lack a cohesive voice or don’t live up to the fusion standard set by the Weather Report). League admits the sudden uptick in exposure feels strange after he and his colleagues spent years quietly doing their thing without making much industry noise. That wariness may have contributed to his decision to do an about-face on their forthcoming album, a funk and Afrobeat–laced exploration

of layered grooves with fewer virtuosic solos and more understated warmth than some of their other recent material. “We hadn’t made a studio record since 2009, so going into a studio with no cameras, no audience, no live pressure or logistical stress, to just go and make a record and make sure everything’s right … we don’t get the luxury of doing that when we record live,” League said, adding that the disc reflects “a return … to who we really are.” “It was a bonding thing for the guys too, to be together and be creative,” he continued, his voice elevating over a crackled din of flight announcements at a Florida airport. Like other elements of their pre-hit days, Snarky Puppy’s school bus / tour van has been retired. Fresh off a trip to Los Angeles to accept their latest Grammy, League had just finished mixing a new album for David Crosby, one of 16 releases his label expects to drop this year. He noted that his bandmates are prolific creators of new music, too. Scanning the laps of the musicians who flanked him as we spoke, he said one was working on a solo album and another was learning new music for another gig. “This generation of musicians was brought up basically being told that it’s harder now than ever to survive as a creative musician, which I think is true. So we were all kind of indoctrinated with this fatalistic mentality,” League explained. “But the guys that are in my band were like, ‘Fuck it,’” he said with an audible note of pride. “I mean, if we’re gonna starve to death anyway, we might as well do it doing something we love.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHOTO: stella k.

Snarky Puppy’s blending styles.

ARLO GUTHRIE ARLO GUTHRIE: SUNDAY, MAY 1—BLUES TENT, 5:25 P.M.

Celebrating Alice Discovering Arlo Guthrie.

seems to be another resurgence of that going on, with the popularity of what’s called Americana. What do you think of that kind of cycle? When I was a kid, there was only about 50 years of recorded music available to learn from. These days, there’s 100 years of things to listen and learn from, and although that’s amazing, there’s nothing quite like learning or being inspired by other living musicians. The tradition evolves and returns again and again to the roots. I love that.

nce folk music’s goofy, witty young gun, somewhere along the line the inveterate hippie Arlo Guthrie became an elder statesman. “Alice’s Restaurant,” his narrative comedy masterpiece with a dark, serious antiwar subtext, recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, which he’ll mark again on the closing day of Jazz Fest 2016 with a headlining slot in the Blues Tent, as well as a 2 p.m. interview the same day, with interlocutor Tom Piazza, on the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage. In advance of his visit to New Orleans, Mr. Guthrie answered a few questions via e-mail: You just celebrated the 50th anniversary of “Alice’s Restaurant” with a tour and a PBS special. Any surprises or thoughts in general? Has your relationship with the song changed over time? (Did you get sick of it, find new things about it to love, etc.?) When we were preparing for the Alice 50 tour, we really looked at it as a complete show, and not just the song. So all the lighting, video and archival photos became part of the tour. It was a lot more than anything I had ever staged. What surprised me was how well our audience reacted to those kinds of additions, and how much the band and I enjoyed it all. And doing “Alice’s Restaurant” again after so many years was wonderful. I’d forgotten what the response felt like from the stage. I think it had to do with so many younger people who’d discovered me recently, who came and lent their energy to the shows. It felt really good. Are you following the presidential campaigns closely? You were pro–Ron Paul in 2012—any thoughts

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on this race, or advice for the various candidates? I think it’s obvious to almost everyone, that the way our government has functioned, and the way we as a nation have done business has been disappointing to many people. It has been particularly hard on the average guy and gal. That said I’m actually very excited to see so many younger voices taking part, and reclaiming their right to participate. In the long view I’m not as worried as most others. I have a deep trust in the average working family, even if I differ with some of the choices people make as to how we get out of this mess. I am and have always been suspicious of authority whether it’s left or right, and remain that way—too far in any one direction leads to trouble. I don’t give advice, especially when I’m not asked to do so, but I’m By Alison Fensterstock

hopeful that my friend Bernie will do very well. Speaking of politics, it seems like there’s been a resurgence in widespread activism in the past few years, with movements like Occupy and Black Lives Matter. Music was a big part of your generation’s activism. Do you think there are enough topical songs coming out of these movements? Songs are (and always were) the original social media. They get heard by those who want or need to hear them. If someone isn’t hearing them, it’s because it’s not important to them. When you got started, it was in the midst of a folk-music revival that looked back at older songs and styles of playing. There

Any thoughts on the Bob Dylan archive that’s being housed near the Woody Guthrie Center in Oklahoma? Do you think that’ll bring more attention to Woody and his legacy? I think it’s great that Bob Dylan’s archives will find a home near the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa. Dylan has had a tremendous impact on modern music. He’s quite a scholar as well as an artist. Like my dad and others, like for example, Pete Seeger, Dylan is a strong link in a long chain. And, of course, you’re coming to New Orleans for Jazz Fest, and “City of New Orleans” is one of the most beloved songs in your set. Will you share some thoughts about the song or the city? Any favorite New Orleans memories or music? American music was born and bred in New Orleans and my first love, as far as music goes, was ragtime. For that reason I have a special place in my heart for that great city and the merging of musical streams that took place there. I’m just glad I have added some small part to that history. And I’ve tried over the years to repay a debt in my heart to the musicians who made that history come alive, and those who keep it going. O www.OFFBEAT.com

HOMO JAZZFESTIVUS

The More I the Hairier The evolution of Homo Jazzfestivus. By Rory Callais

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n the scientific class of major American outdoor music festivals, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Homo jazzfestivus) remains a unique family. While other families in the order throughout the country have become increasingly homogenized, Homo jazzfestivus, or “Jazz Fest,” continues to have a healthy symbiotic relationship with its natural habitat, the southeast region of Louisiana—particularly the New Orleans area. Like any family in the class, Homo jazzfestivus requires a very specific environment to not only survive, but also retain its classification. If the ecosystem is too homogenized, then it becomes just any other American music festival. Conversely, if the ecosystem is too eclectic and chaotic, then the festival’s survival could be cast into doubt. Luckily, Jazz Fest has maintained the right “formula” for most of its 50-year lifespan, with only recent developments causing the need for amendments.

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US STIV E F Z JAZ MO HO

At its inception, the then–New Orleans Jazz Festival and Louisiana Heritage Fair drew from the area’s local genus—a group of species colloquially known as jazz, funk, soul, blues, Cajun and folk—of its regional habitat. The “Heritage Fair” featured native organisms of many species playing what is now Armstrong Park. This day fair then gave way to a series of night concerts at the Municipal Auditorium (now Mahalia Jackson Theater) and aboard the S.S. President. The night concerts featured local species, but also brought nationally renowned organisms into the environment, most notably Duke Ellington in the festival’s inaugural year. As Homo jazzfestivus migrated to the Fair Grounds and grew over the years, the festival largely retained this balance, featuring a staggering array of the most notable organisms of the jazz species: Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and a classic moment of Ella Fitzgerald being joined onstage by Stevie Wonder in 1977. Local

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and regional species were also predominantly featured, with organisms like Professor Longhair, R.L. Burnside, the Meters and Clifton Chenier playing multiple sets over the course of the festival. Evolution over time is natural for any order, as Jazz Fest has shown. Through the years, the jazz, blues and gospel species became downplayed while new ones arose featuring jam bands, hip-hop artists and local and/or roots-oriented rock ‘n’ roll. But Jazz Fest at its core remained recognizable over the years, adhering to the formula that kept it a reliably quirky order in the music festival class. However, as with any long-term observation of wildlife, human interference is inevitable. It is natural for anyone to want to intervene when animal life is endangered, but the act of saving a family or even a species can often yield unforeseen consequences. Jazz Fest is no different. After a financially disastrous 2004 festival, the major entertainment production company AEG stepped in as a co-producer,

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Parts of the festival habitat were fenced off so that they could be occupied by a new breed of patron called Affluentus rex, or “Grand Marshal.” Ticket prices began to steadily climb. And unfamiliar musical species were slowly brought into the habitat.

imposing corporate rules on an ecosystem that historically rejects them. While this was a life-saving move for the festival, it introduced new and strange elements into the environment. Parts of the festival habitat were fenced off so that they could be occupied by a new breed of patron called Affluentus rex, or “Grand Marshal.” Ticket prices began to steadily climb. And unfamiliar musical species were slowly brought into the habitat. More than a decade after these changes were implemented, we now have a sufficient sample size to categorize some new elements of the Jazz Fest family. It is the intention of all of us at OffBeat—the area’s leader in Homo jazzfestivus research—to keep all burgeoning Jazz Fest explorers as informed as possible. As such, the following are new species that have been introduced into the Jazz Fest family over the past decade, along with descriptions, examples, and what to look out for when encountering such organisms. Remember to keep your own personal safety at the forefront of your thoughts and actions.

Headlineus maximus Tent pole headliner to draw big crowds. Connections to the New Orleans habitat appear to be incidental. After a few years of solid-butout-of-place organisms, the festival found a familiar, fitting organism in Stevie Wonder. Recent examples: Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. While organisms like Elton John and Fleetwood Mac have blues roots to the extent that virtually every classic rock act has blues roots, many recent members of this species were met with mild confusion by Jazz Fest observers. Effects on environment: massive crowds bordering on dangerous, middle-aged white man in Hawaiian shirt standing in front of you in beer line bragging about how the headlining organism was much better when he saw it in the early 1980s.

Generatium exodus Past-their-prime 1990s band. Recent addition once festival realized it had ignored the popular music of people in their 30s and 40s. Recent examples: Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers. While the straight-up rock ‘n’ roll bands (Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters) are traditionally out of place, acts like the ska-tinged No Doubt and funk-oriented Red Hot Chili Peppers feel like natural additions to the Jazz Fest order. Effects on environment: large baby strollers on the track, audible groans from audience when band performs songs from new album.

Hipphoppotum Three variations. 1. 1980s/1990s Classic act (see above). 2. Current emerging artist. 3. Local bounce. Recent examples: Snoop Dogg, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Public Enemy, Flo Rida, Mystikal, Trey Songz. With hip-hop’s strong funk roots and New Orleans’ own vibrant rap history, this new species has enjoyed a relatively seamless transition into the Homo jazzfestivus order.

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Effects on environment: awkward dancing from white college students, bass frequencies strong enough to make new residents around the Fair Grounds file a noise complaint with City Hall.

Hipsterdomus Current/2000s indie band that happened to be touring the Southeast during the spring. Recent examples: The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Phoenix, My Morning Jacket, Feist, Wilco, Beck. Acts like MMJ, Wilco and Beck have dipped their toes in the roots/alt-country waters enough to not seem out of place at the festival, whereas it is unclear if the Strokes or Arcade Fire are aware that the word “funk” has meaning outside of a euphemism for dirt. Effects on environment: watching the performance through the iPhone screen of the person standing in front of you, loud complaints about gentrification immediately after discussions about staying in the great Bywater homes found on Airbnb.

Sorrous thumbus Inexplicable/nonsensical pop act. Music for those who don’t really like music. Presumably a big hit among the Grand Marshal ticket buyers. Recent examples: Christina Aguilera, Pitbull, Nick Jonas. These seem to make less and less sense every year. Potential effects on environment: magnet for fairweather music fans that allow less congestion for smaller stages and concession/bathroom lines, think pieces in local music magazines questioning the direction of Homo jazzfestivus. After identifying these new species, one question remains: How does this affect the fundamental makeup of Homo jazzfestivus? The answer is somewhat murky. For the most part, the new species can carve out a niche for themselves. However, there have been organisms that have raised no small number of eyebrows among observers. It ultimately comes down to the individual organisms within those species. For a festival that owes its existence to the genus of jazz, funk, soul, blues and gospel, seeing recent variations of Headlineus maximus such as Elton John or Fleetwood Mac—while majestic creatures in their own right—in the Jazz Fest habitat did not feel right. But in 2016, it seems the species are filled with the right organisms. Stevie Wonder is obviously a legend of funk, soul and jazz, and has had ties to the festival since the 1970s. Red Hot Chili Peppers would not exist were it not for funk and have openly acknowledged (and covered) legendary New Orleans funk acts like the Meters. Homo jazzfestivus observers should maintain an open mind—and an open eye toward the potential effects on environment—when encountering these new species. While any observer wants to see the purest possible incarnation of a particular family, one must remember that different does not always mean adverse; organisms of every stripe have something to contribute to their environment. And as the 2016 incarnation of Homo jazzfestivus shows us, nature always corrects itself. Even after an AEG-sized disruption in the environment, Jazz Fest is pushing forward while also looking a lot like its old self. O www.OFFBEAT.com

HERLIN RILEY HERLIN RILEY QUINTET: SUNDAY, APRIL 24—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 2:45 P.M.

Living a Childhood Dream Music was always a part of Herlin Riley’s life.

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PHOTO: CLAYTON CALL

hen Herlin Riley enters a stage, he often wields a tambourine and always sports a big smile as he heads to his drum set. Like so many musical aspects of his life, that instinct derives from his childhood experiences. As a youngster, he would watch the “sisters” in church play the instrument and imitate what he saw. Riley took it a giant step further by introducing the tambourine to the jazz world. Significantly, the drummer is heard beating and ringing the tambourine on trumpeter Wynton Marsalis’ Pulitzer Prize–winning work Blood on the Fields. “Jazz music and the concept of jazz were never foreign to me because I grew up hearing it,” says the master drummer, who was raised by his grandparents Frank and Alice Lastie in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. “As a toddler, my uncles [saxophonist] David Lastie, [trumpeter] Melvin Lastie and [drummer] Walter Lastie had a band, the Lastie Brothers Combo. They would rehearse at my grandparents’ house and with me being there, I got to hear the music. I heard ‘Moanin’’ and ‘Sister Sadie.’ So music was always a part of me.” Riley’s uncles and grandfather, who played drums in the church, were his first influences in his upward-spiraling career of over 40 years. At 59, Riley is considered one of the finest and most unique jazz drummers in the world and stands strongly in New Orleans’ impressive drum lineage, one that includes Ed Blackwell, James Black, Earl Palmer, Smokey Johnson, Idris Muhammad and more. Those legends too were influential in his development. “I take information when I can and from wherever I can,” says Riley, citing drummer Ernie Ellie’s

brush technique. He was also impressed by the way Wilbert “Junkyard Dog” Arnold would muffle the sustaining ring of two cymbals while maintaining the integrity of the rhythm. Three times a week, a youthful Riley would head to the Guiding Star Spiritual Church and always sit next to his grandfather at the drums. His mother, Betty Ann Lastie, who was always part of his life though he didn’t live with her, would be on the organ. “When he got up from the drums to talk or whatever, I couldn’t wait to get on the drum set to play,” Riley recalls. By the time he was 11 years old or so, he naturally was getting into popular music and artists like James Brown and Ray Charles. “So one By Geraldine Wyckoff

day at church I went into a ‘Cold Sweat’ beat and my grandfather gave me this dirty look and said, ‘You don’t do that in here—play it straight, play it straight.’” His grandfather, who was born in 1902 and in 1913 was in the Colored Waifs Home at the same time as Louis Armstrong, never played outside of the church. He did, however, know the ins and outs of New Orleans street beats and showed his grandson how to play the second line rhythms that have remained with the drummer to this day. Knowing his nephew was interested in playing trumpet, Riley’s uncle, trumpeter Melvin Lastie, who was in New York performing with percussionist

Willie Bobo and saxophonist King Curtis and was good friends with saxophone giant Ornette Coleman, sent him a cornet. That’s when the then 12-year-old Riley switched his focus from drums to the horn. “He was my mentor—someone I tried to emulate,” says Riley, who played trumpet throughout his elementary, junior high and high school years. He got a scholarship to Mississippi Valley State for the trumpet. “I still played drums, but I didn’t study them,” explains Riley, who attended George Washington Carver High School, where the noted music educator Yvonne Busch directed the band. “Being a trumpet player in the band I learned to read and I was dealing with harmony and form.” www.OFFBEAT.com

HERLIN RILEY While at Carver he met guitarist/banjoist/vocalist Danny Barker, who encouraged him to join his newly formed Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band. The group used to rehearse at trumpeter Leroy Jones’ house and Barker would teach the youngsters the New Orleans jazz repertoire. “[Trumpeter] Mr. Charlie Barbarin, who is [trombonist] Lucien Barbarin’s father, was always with Mr. Barker in those days,” Riley recalls. “He was Mr. Barker’s sidekick.” Tunes weren’t all that Barker, a born entertainer and a witty individual, taught the young band members. Riley credits him, along with his uncles, for his understanding of the importance of bringing a sense of fun to a bandstand. The drummer is now renowned for being very animated and for his ability to connect with an audience not only with his great skill and technique on the instrument but with his lively personality. For instance, if he makes a particularly hot move or accomplishes a stunning solo, he’ll often look out into the crowd and flash a grin as if to say, “Hey, did you catch that?” “My association with Danny Barker brought that on,” Riley acknowledges. “He would say, ‘Act like you want to be here. Smile at the people. Don’t come looking like you’ve been sucking on lemons.’”

Return to the drums “All my uncles had fun when they played their instruments,” Riley continues. “They would also talk to me and they told me, ‘Man, it’s not what you play, it’s what you say. Play music that touches people; play in a way that you can communicate and relate to them.’” As a young trumpeter, watching footage of Louis Armstrong and seeing the joy he played with and shared always made Riley smile. “I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like that.’” Soon after Riley graduated from high school and “for a minute” attended Mississippi Valley State —“it was in the woods, it was too www.OFFBEAT.com

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slow for me”—he landed a job at Bourbon Street’s 500 Club. He was informed about a spot opening up by his uncle, saxophonist David Lastie, who was playing with vocalist Clarence “Frogman” Henry at the nearby La Strada club. This marked the first step of Riley’s return to the drums. He began subbing one night a week for the regular drummer at the burlesque club and then for the trombone player another night a week. “As fate has it,” Riley explains, “the drummer and the trombone player left the band at the same time. So they hired me as the permanent drummer because I knew the routines of the dancers. I happened to go down to Sears one day and I saw [trumpeter] Wendell Brunious and he was selling fishing poles and tackle,” he continues. “I asked him, ‘Are you still playing your horn?’ ‘Yeah, man, I still play.’ So I told him to come down to the 500 Club and audition because I had the gig and they needed a horn player. That [employment at Sears] is the last day job Wendell ever had.” During this time, Riley spent his days attending Southern University in Baton Rouge and began playing a lot more drums. “I got less and less calls for the trumpet,” he recalls. After the 500 Club gig, he began playing with the Johnny Bachemin Trio at the Monteleone and Le Pavillon hotels and then traveled to South Carolina with the group. Next up was laying down the rhythm with trumpeter Al Hirt at his club on Bourbon Street. In 1981, Riley headed to London as a member of the cast of producer Vernel Bagneris’ musical One Mo’ Time. Some years later, Riley would return to the theatrical realm, performing in the musical Satchmo, which debuted in New Orleans.

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PHOTO: golden g. richard, III

“I happened to go down to Sears one day and I saw [trumpeter] Wendell Brunious and he was selling fishing poles and tackle [...] That is the last day job Wendell ever had.”

Rhythmically and tonally, Riley’s drums recall Africa, a trait he attributes to growing up in New Orleans, a rich musical link of the African diaspora. “I think that has always been a part of me,” he agrees. “There are a lot of things that, to me, are subliminal, that are just a part of the culture and being in this place. New Orleans had Congo Square. I’m a descendent of the people who played in Congo Square—my grandfather’s father grew up in New Orleans. As I got older I started recognizing and embracing that fact. In doing so, I just started playing it.” “I became more serious about playing drums and exploring other music,” he continues, mentioning a local Latin jazz group he performed with that included several Cuban

percussionists. “Those guys taught me about clave and how they got the ‘ooh’ sound out of the congas.” Riley uses the technique to get his own “ooh” tone by wetting his fingers and sliding them across the drum head. Creating those compelling lower vibrations on his drums never fails to excite and intrigue audiences. Riley is very specific about the tuning of his drums to D. This consistency, he says, helps him to get to his sound immediately wherever he may be. “I know where my pitches are,” he explains. He attributes the tuning to his first days performing with piano great Ahmad Jamal and observing that the last notes of the legend’s signature composition, “Poinciana,” were A and D. “That kind of spun me to tune my drums

like that with intervals associated with the trumpet.” Many perceive that the way Riley tunes his drums further evoke Africa and the diaspora that, coming from New Orleans and the Lower Ninth Ward, are his genuine roots. “Over the years of playing, I’ve learned how to manipulate the drums and get different sounds out of them. I’m consciously thinking about that and being true to who I am and true to the things that are in my spirit. I’m thinking about the freedom of African rhythms when I’m playing.” In 1982, just following his performances in One Mo’ Time, Riley became the next in an impressive list of New Orleans drummers to perform with Ahmad Jamal. Riley did two www.OFFBEAT.com

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stints with the pianist—the first from 1982 to 1987, when he left to join trumpeter Wynton Marsalis’ quintet, and again starting in 2009 following his departure from Marsalis’ bands. He remained with Jamal until the pianist’s retirement in 2014. Playing under such great leaders as Jamal and Marsalis absolutely impacted Riley’s music and life. “I’m still being influenced by Ahmad Jamal,” Riley declares. “I’m still soaking up the knowledge from him. One of the main things that I took from that experience was the level of intensity, the level of seriousness that came over him when he sat down at the piano. It would be at the same level whether we were rehearsing or playing for one or two people or for 10,000 people. It’s something I’ve tried to adopt in my own playing over the years.”

Wynton Marsalis The first time Riley and Marsalis met was when both trumpeters played with Danny Barker’s Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band. For years, neither acknowledged—or really believed—that they stood side-by-side in the youthful ensemble. It wasn’t until much later that a picture turned up and the issue was resolved. “I’m maybe two feet taller than Wynton,” says Riley, who figures at the time he was probably 14 years old and Marsalis was about 10. Their next meeting was when both Riley and Wynton were in London—the drummer with One Mo’ Time and the trumpeter, along with his brother, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, playing with drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. They introduced themselves to each other when Riley went to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club to catch Blakey. In turn, the www.OFFBEAT.com

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Riley says he is now always writing, urged on, in part, by the late great Allen Toussaint, the man in New Orleans who wrote “the” songs.

Marsalis brothers got a taste of Riley’s drumming on music from the 1920s when they went to his show. “When Wynton came to Fat Tuesdays in New York where I was working with Ahmad, he saw me playing a whole other genre,” Riley recalls. “With Ahmad, I was playing straight-up and all over the place.” Time went on and eventually the two New Orleans musicians would meet again. Their next encounter was at the 1986 Jazz Fest when Riley, along with bassist Reginald Veal, performed with pianist Ellis Marsalis. Wynton had his own set that year and came over to sit in with his father’s trio. He obviously dug the Riley/Veal combination and called his father for permission to hire them. Riley remembers that Ellis said, “These are professional musicians— of course you can call them.” In 1988, Riley jumped at the chance to join Wynton’s quintet that featured Veal, pianist Marcus Roberts and saxophonist Todd Williams. The group grew to a sextet with the addition of saxophonist Wess Anderson and a septet when trombonist Wycliffe Gordon entered the fray. They all, including Riley, became members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Riley, who spent 17 years in Marsalis’ ensembles, was affected by the experience in a wide variety of ways. “One of the most important things is that Wynton gave me the confidence to teach,” Riley relates. “He’d say, ‘Man, we have to make more of an impact on this music than just playing gigs. We have to start teaching people. In the next city we’re going to have workshops.’” “I was like, ‘Wynton, I don’t know how to teach, man,’” Riley remembers. “Nobody taught me how to play drums. I was pretty much self-taught. What am I going

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to teach them? Wynton said, ‘You play drums, right?’ Yeah. ‘Well, just tell ‘em what you do.’” “I started having to formulate into words what I knew how to do naturally on the drums,” Riley says. “Having to put those things into words made me become more aware of what I was doing. It taught me how to convey my ideas to people.” Since that first time offering his expertise, Riley has gone on to head master classes, clinics and workshops at the University of New Orleans, Northwestern University and Juilliard. A very young New Orleans drummer, Joe Dyson, who is now highly regarded in his craft, was one of Riley’s students. Riley’s natural style of delivering the essentials of drumming—particularly New Orleans style—shines on 1993’s outstanding video compilation, New Orleans Drummers, which included individual statements and instructions by Earl Palmer, Herman Ernest and Johnny Vidacovich. Riley appreciates and treasures his 17-year association with Wynton Marsalis while saying that everything runs its course. “He is a visionary and he has a work ethic to make it happen.” He had numerous plans, says Riley, but was really adamant about building a structure acoustically specific for jazz music. “I wanted to stick around and be a part of the band until after the building was built,” says Riley, who left the ensemble in 2005, a year after the facility, Jazz at Lincoln Center, was complete. “I remember when all this stuff was just a vision in his head so I wanted to be a part of the whole development.” “Wynton and I talked about my leaving and he said, ‘Man, your light is too bright to be stuck in the back of a big band. You need to be out doing your own thing.’ He encouraged me.”

New Direction “After playing with Wytnon’s bands for so long, I didn’t want to commit to anybody’s band on a longterm basis,” says Riley, who rejoined Jamal, freelanced and pursued a leadership role in developing his music. In 1999 and 2005, Riley released two fine albums on the Criss Cross label that boasted primarily material from his pen. Riley’s exciting new CD, New Direction, on the Mack Avenue label, finds the drummer in somewhat of a mentorship position himself, as he’s working with a cast of young musicians. The configuration was purposefully patterned after the ensembles of the great Art Blakey. “Art was the older guy and the young guys made up the Messengers,” Riley explains. “I feel an obligation to pass on the history.” The drummer had been more or less filing away the names and numbers of musicians—like pianist Emmet Cohen and bassist Russell Hall—who impressed him when he heard them on the New York scene. Riley was familiar with Godwin Louis from the time when the saxophonist was in New Orleans as a student at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. “When I was thinking about putting personnel together for the session, all these guys came to mind,” says Riley, while also mentioning trumpeter Bruce Harris, percussionist Pedrito Martinez and special guest and longtime friend guitarist Mark Whitfield. “What I love about them is that they give me the same kind of feeling as I had playing with Wynton’s septet. We were like family. They really enjoy being with each other. If you have harmony off of the bandstand, of course you should have harmony on the bandstand.” All the musicians on the album except for Martinez will be

performing with Riley at the Jazz Fest. They’ll be offering up such great Riley-composed tunes as “Connection to Congo Square,” which takes the music around the African diaspora from the Lower Ninth Ward to New York and beyond. Riley says he is now always writing, urged on, in part, by the late great Allen Toussaint, the man in New Orleans who wrote “the” songs. About three years ago, Toussaint came to one of Riley’s gigs in New York. After the show, Riley remembers Toussaint coming up to him and saying ‘Man, I was so impressed with your writing—it is so beautiful. You need to do more records.’ I was kind of reluctant and then he said, ‘Man, you’re robbing the public from hearing all of this music. You need to get your stuff out.’” On New Direction Herlin Riley is definitely getting his stuff out—as a drummer, composer and bandleader. Just as he has been influenced by all of those who came before him, he’s passing on his heritage and knowledge to another generation of musicians. Being associated with Riley, they can’t help but inherit the joy of playing he understood via his family, the intensity he saw and adopted from Jamal and the importance of camaraderie and teaching he gained from his association from Wynton. “The art form is the queen bee and we are the workers,” says Riley of how he envisions the relationship between jazz and the musicians who perform it. “I’m happy when I’m playing,” says the ever-smiling Herlin Riley. “I am living a childhood dream playing drums. To be able to have a career and support a family playing drums, I don’t take that lightly at all.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

LEBLANC FAMILY BAND LEBLANC FAMILY BAND: FRIDAY, APRIL 29—KIDS TENT, 3 P.M.

Absolutely! LeBlanc Family Band gives 120 percent.

reaux Bridge teenagers Leiton LeBlanc, 14, and her twin siblings Paige and Buddy, 13, never planned to be a Cajun family band in the tradition of Les Breaux Frères, the Balfa Brothers, the Savoy Family Cajun Band or even Les Frères Michot that spawned the Lost Bayou Ramblers. For them, it was just an opportunity to practice the music lessons taught by their instructor, Brazos Huval, who runs the Brazos Huval School of Music. (Huval also thumps the bass with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.) Their musical odyssey started over seven years ago when parents Brett LeBlanc and Rhonda deJesus wanted Buddy, then four, to have an activity since his sisters were in dancing. They bought him a guitar and enrolled him with Huval, who was in the process of launching his music school. Shortly thereafter, his sisters wanted to join in on the merriment, so the parents bought them each a fiddle and enrolled them with Huval. DeJesus describes their initial practicing as “horrible.” “The three of them didn’t know what they were doing,” deJesus says. “Three different instruments coming in from three different parts of my house. And it wasn’t music, you know, and then all of a sudden it all just came together.” It came together when they were invited to a birthday party at the Huvals’, where a musical instrument in hand is practically required for entry. Someone asked the kids what song they wanted to play and they responded with the only tune they knew: “J’ai Passé” (“J’ai Passé Devant Ta Porte”). Afterwards, one of the adults asked, “So, what are you going to play next?” Again, the answer was “J’ai Passé.” “Well, they played J’ai Passé all afternoon and it became a joke.

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Well, what is the next song? J’ai Passé. From that point on, they realized they could play together.” Playing for a teacher’s classroom not only solidified their desire, it started snowballing to where they were being asked to play for different events and venues, restaurants like Pont Breaux’s Cajun Restaurant, and Buck & Johnny’s, and festivals like Festival International, Festivals By Dan Willging

Acadiens et Créoles, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, the Cracklin’ Cook Off and the KBON Cruise. Usually when someone asks deJesus if her children can play somewhere, her answer is “absolutely,” even if it means travelling at their expense to places like Mississippi or Florida. But don’t expect to see every award and accomplishment splattered all over their Facebook

page. For one, there are too many. It’s also not something deJesus wants to be constantly doing. “I am just not a stage mom—shame on me.” In the seven years the LeBlancs have been playing together, they’ve learned valuable life skills, such as staying cool under pressure and being comfortable in front of large audiences. Musician Yvette Landry is no stranger to the family, having known them a long time and also taught them in her Folk Roots summer music camps. “Oh, they are unbelievable. They are incredibly talented and fearless,” Landry says. “Regardless of what they do, athletics, school or whatever, they give 120 percent and don’t accept anything less than that.” Landry adds that they are also leaders in her workshops, helping others whenever someone is struggling with a concept or a technique. Lately, Buddy has been teaching beginning guitar to the younger kids at Huval’s School of Music. Additionally, Leiton was nominated by the Lafayette Chapter of the Cajun French Music Association for the 2016 New Dawn Award, an award given to an outstanding young adult in either music, dancing, language, food or involvement in a local CFMA chapter. Though they have had friends sit in on gigs in the past, eventually the trio realized that they preferred playing solely with each other. A lot of that has to do with the hours they spent rehearsing together and making new discoveries. “When I find the perfect harmony with my sister,” Leiton says, “we’ll both look at each other and we have this special moment.” “When we find the right harmony,” Buddy says, “it’s like an a-ha moment.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

CHRISTIAN SCOTT CHRISTIAN SCOTT ATUNDE ADJUAH: FRIDAY, APRIL 22—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 5:45 P.M.

Building Bridges Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s new sound.

tretch Music is both the title of the latest album from Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah and a description of the New Orleans trumpeter’s sound. But it’s not a phrase that Adjuah invented himself. “Initially ‘stretch music’ was something that younger musicians were saying that we were doing,” Adjuah says. “Every time we went to Europe or Asia, this is what they were calling it. When they kept saying it, we decided we should use it. The more we thought about it on a conceptual level, the more we liked it. We’re trying to create sounds that’s really culture-blind. We’re trying to incorporate sounds from every culture into a collective improvisation situation.” It’s not that Adjuah’s turning his back on jazz; it’s that he wants that musical tradition to become more elastic, so it can accommodate more influences. Just as a rubber band can expand to enclose more and different paint brushes in a bundle and still be a rubber band when the painting is finished, so can jazz stretch to include musics from every nation and generation and still be jazz when the record is over. That’s what you hear on the Stretch Music album. You encounter hip-hop beats, Chinese harmonies, West African rhythms, Mardi Gras Indian drumming, European classical motifs, funk grooves, Latin clave and more. But it all comes together within the framework of the traditional jazz combo: trumpet, sax, piano, bass, guitar and drums, all improvising on a theme. The rubber band stretches, but it never breaks. “I don’t think we’re inventing the wheel,” Adjuah says. “It’s just our time to step up to the plate. Maintaining a level of spontaneity

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is very important in this music. Musically I’m very easily bored. So I like to find musicians who have very pointed characters in the way they improvise. If you have that, you’ll find yourself in places you didn’t expect to end up.” Ever since jazz got its start in New Orleans about a hundred years ago, the genre has always taken the popular dance music of the day and has improvised on both the tunes and the rhythms to elevate the material into another realm. So it makes sense that Adjuah’s generation would want to do the same with today’s dance music, whether hip-hop, funk or EDM. And ever since Dizzy Gillespie began championing Cuban music in the late 1940s, jazz has By Geoffrey Himes

gobbled up musics from other nations for the same kind of transformation. So it makes just as much sense that younger, more traveled musicians would reach beyond the Western Hemisphere for inspiration. “I went to the Berklee School of Music,” Adjuah notes, “and what I loved about it was you could be in a class with someone from Japan and someone from Ghana and you were trying to create music together through collective improvisation. From growing up in New Orleans and seeing all the social ills people have had to deal with here, I saw how cultural boundaries resulted in a lot of people being poorly educated so they would be available as a labor class. I was interested in tearing down those boundaries.

“We have a myriad of ways we do this. Like on ‘Sunrise in Beijing,’ I wanted to use that palindromic rhythm that traditional Chinese music uses and mix it with Elvin Jones’ drumming with Coltrane when Trane was blending jazz and Asian music. But when I’m in Beijing or Hong Kong, most of the musicians there are real beatheads; they’re listening to more hip-hop than jazz. So we chopped off one part of an Elvin rhythm and stuck it on the end of another phrase like a hip-hop mix.” None of these ambitious ideas would matter much if the resulting music weren’t so rewarding. But Adjuah has evolved into a major composer who generates muscular melodies that he develops in unexpected ways. And he executes them with a forceful attack that never turns the flush tone shrill nor the pitch imprecise. The burly musician is pictured on the album cover holding his newly invented additions to the trumpet family: the reverse flugelhorn (a wide-bore flugelhorn with a stronger upper range), the siren (a flugelhorn bell with trumpet piping), the sirenette (a compact version of the siren) and the tilted-horn trumpet (like Dizzy Gillespie’s iconic instrument but with a lower tilt and shortened piping). With his drummer Joe Dyson, Adjuah also invented the “PanAfrican Drums,” a combination of modern American and ancient African percussion that have been connected to each other so they can be played like a kit. Both Dyson and the band’s second drummer, Corey Fonville, also play the SPD-SX, electronic drum pads that allow a percussionist to sample any sound and then www.OFFBEAT.com

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redefined the way the guitar sounds in this music. He never got credit for it and that made me feel bad. So when he told me he was ready to move on, I couldn’t have been happier. Matthew and I will play together ’till one of us is no longer here. He’s still one of my best friends.” In early April, this band reassembled in the state-ofthe-art Parlor Recording Studio in New Orleans to record the follow-up to Stretch Music. The new album will emphasize the street and hip-hop elements in Adjuah’s sound even more, but future projects will focus on the rock or Caribbean elements. His longstanding partnership with the Canadian Stevens is symptomatic of Adjuah’s desire to create multi-racial bands playing multi-cultural music. “I’m looking for a way to challenge and eliminate this poisonous idea of race,” he declares. “We can agree that race may exist as a social construct but not as a genetic fact. We’re all homo sapiens. There is no homo africanus. When you say you can’t mix salsa with impressionist classical music, you’re saying a Cuban can’t mix with a French person. I want to eliminate that idea. “To me what’s important is building the bridge. Whether the audience is going to walk across that bridge or not is their choice. But it’s the sameness of all these cultures and all these peoples that I’m most interested in highlighting. We’re already well aware of our differences so I’m not worried about highlighting that. At one point we were all one people, and we’ve seen how the history of emphasizing differences has worked out.” O

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trigger it in real time with conventional drumsticks. Also in the band are alto saxophonist Braxton Cook, trombonist Corey King, guitarist Cliff Hines, keyboardist Lawrence Fields and bassist Kris Funn. Moreover, the album Stretch Music comes with a subtitle: “Introducing Elena Pinderhughes.” This flutist is only 20 years old, but she had such a signature voice as an improviser that Adjuah wanted to help launch her career, as so many others had helped launch his. After all, his uncle is Donald Harrison Jr., a Mardi Gras Indian chief and a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Adjuah’s teachers at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts included flutist Kent Jordan and trumpeter Clyde Kerr Jr. They had promoted Adjuah when he was starting out, so now he wants to promote Pinderhughes in the same way. “She was the first person I heard who could get around the flute like Kent did,” Adjuah marvels. “But it’s also the note choices she makes: She’s outrageously fearless. She takes my musicians into territory they would never go otherwise. When I hear her, she pulls emotions out of me I don’t usually feel when I’m playing. When she’s soloing I find myself listening to her instead of leading the band like I’m supposed to.” Making a guest appearance on the album is Adjuah’s chief collaborator over his career: guitarist Matthew Stevens. “Matthew was in my band for 10 years, and a lot of people pegged him as the side guy,” Adjuah says, “and he was one of the architects of this sound. People talk about me and Robert Glasper, but Matthew

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TIAN RIS

THURSDAY APRIL 21

TUESDAY APRIL 26

with STANTON MOORE, ROBERT WALTER, SCOTT METZGER featuring members of Galactic, GreyBoy Allstars with DJ Kevvy Kev (BBRP Resident DJ of Wu Tang Clan)

ERIC LINDELL, STANTON MOORE, ROBERT MERCURIO featuring members of Galactic, Neville Brothers, and Dumpstaphunk

STANTON MOORE TRIO

DRAGON SMOKE & DJ LOGIC with IVAN NEVILLE,

MAISON | $20 ADV 9:30PM – 3:45AM+ (Doors 9PM)

ONE EYED JACKS | $35 ADV 9PM – 1:30AM (Doors 8PM)

SUNDAY APRIL 24

TUESDAY APRIL 26*

WORSHIP MY ORGAN

THE WHIP! with ROBERT WALTER, COREY HENRY, ERIC MCFADDEN, MIKE DILLON, ERIC BOLIVAR, NATE EDGAR, BRIAN J, featuring members of Pimps of Joytime, Galactic, Greyboy Allstars, Katdelic, P-Funk Allstars, New Mastersounds, KDTU with DJ Kevvy Kev (BBRP Resident DJ of Wu Tang Clan)

ONE EYED JACKS | $30 ADV 9PM – 1:30AM (Doors 8PM)

ONE EYED JACKS | $20 ADV *LATE NIGHT* 2AM – 6AM (Doors 1:45AM)

with MARCO BENEVENTO, SKERIK, ROBERT WALTER, SIMON LOTT & DJ LOGIC featuring members of Benevento Russo, Les Claypool, GreyBoy Allstars, RW 20th Congress, and Project Logic with DJ Kevvy Kev (BBRP Resident DJ of Wu Tang Clan)

SUNDAY APRIL 24*

KARL DENSON, ERIC KRASNO, STANTON MOORE & WIL BLADES featuring members

of Soulive, Lettuce, Galactic, W-Beez and Greyboy Allstars with DJ Kevvy Kev (BBRP Resident DJ of Wu Tang Clan) ONE EYED JACKS | $25 ADV *LATE NIGHT* 2AM – 5:30AM+ (Doors 1:45AM)

MONDAY APRIL 25

FREQUINOX & ORGONE

with ROBERT WALTER, DONALD HARRISON, STANTON MOORE, SCOTT METZGER, ROBERT MERCURIO featuring members of GreyBoy Allstars, Headhunters, Galactic, Jazz Mafia, Orgone with DJ Kevvy Kev (BBRP Resident DJ of Wu Tang Clan) ONE EYED JACKS | $25 ADV 9PM – 4:30AM+ (Doors 8PM)

615 TOULOUSE ST.

THURSDAY APRIL 28* COSMIC DANCE JUBILEE

with SASHA MASAKOWSKI, BRIAN J, SIMON LOTT, KEVVY KEV featuring members of Pimps of Joytime and RW 20th Congress with DJ Kevvy Kev (BBRP Resident DJ of Wu Tang Clan) DRAGON’S DEN | $15 ADV (upstairs) 435 Esplanade St, NOLA *LATE NIGHT* 12AM – 4:30AM+ (Doors 11PM)

FRIDAY APRIL 29*

WORSHIP MY ORGAN II with JOHN MEDESKI with

JOHN MEDESKI, SKERIK, ROBERT WALTER, ADAM DEITCH & DJ LOGIC featuring members of Medeski/Martin/ Wood, M&Ms, Les Claypool, GreyBoy Allstars, Lettuce and Break Science THE MAISON | $35 ADV *LATE NIGHT* 1:30AM – 5:30AM+ (Doors 1:00AM)

508 FRENCHMEN ST.

WWW. BOOM BOOM TICKETS. COM JAZZ FEST 2 016

BREDDA "DAVID" SATURDAY, APRIL 30—BELIZE PAVILLION, 1 P.M.; SUNDAY, MAY 1—JAZZ & HERITAGE STAGE, 4:25 P.M.

The Brukdown Sound Belizean bredda “DAVID” Obi & Tribal Vibes incorporate the past and look to the future.

he first time bredda (brother) “DAVID” Obi performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, he arrived as a sideman. In the mid-1990s, the Belizean guitarist and vocalist played in a group led by Belize’s “King of Brukdown,” the legendary accordionist/vocalist Mr. Peters. “I had my music, the Kungo Muzik, that I’d been working on but in order for me to get the true Belizean flavor in the music, I knew I had to play with Mr. Peters,” says bredda “DAVID.” “He welcomed me into the group and taught me lots of the cultural chord changes and rhythms. He took me there [to New Orleans] as a young man. Now I’m paying back by taking new musicians to this environment.” “Mr. Peters was the root of the brukdown sound,” says bredda “DAVID,” who explains that his given first name is written in all capital letters for emphasis and that the Obi represents the African connection. “People can hear the brukdown inside the Kungo Muzik.” The brukdown style is popular dance music throughout Belize. In its modern evolution it usually includes electric guitar, bass and keyboards, drums, percussion and vocals sung in Belizean Creole. It began, bredda “DAVID” says, in the mahogany lumber camps. “The black people used to go to cut mahogany and they would be back there for months. Africans created music so they had to find a way to make music and they didn’t have any electric instruments. So they used to use guitar, [usually a mule or donkey] jawbone, cowbell, banjo, accordion, scrub board and maracas and make their own music. When they came to town, after they got paid, they would have big sessions in Belize City. That’s how the music came to the city. On my travels, I have heard this very same music from Africa.”

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Many New Orleanians have made similar observations connecting the second line and Mardi Gras Indian rhythms and traditions to their origins in the African continent. “That’s because it’s the same culture,” “DAVID” agrees. “That’s why I say they [those at Jazz Fest] are going to love the music.” Other traditional Belizean musics have also entered bredda “DAVID” & Tribal Vibes’ realm. “Because I grew up in Dangriga, I also learned the music of the Garifuna people,” he says, referring to the large community of what he calls African-Belizeans in the south of the country. The Garifuna, said to be descendants of West and Central Africans, Island Caribs and Arawaks, rely heavily on percussion, singing— in the Garifuna language—and dancing. The style for which they are most renowned is punta, which is popular all over Belize and beyond. By Geraldine Wyckoff

The nine-piece all-Belizean Tribal Vibes band, which includes bredda’s son, drummer Nkrumah, boasts a blend of both Garifuna and Creole members and musical traditions. Like New Orleans, Belizeans of mixed race, particularly black and white, are called Creoles. Red beans and rice is also a mainstay of the diet, and yes, they like to eat, drink and party. “There are certain parts of the show where we do the punta, where we do junkanoo or we do the sambei,” says bredda “DAVID,” explaining that sambei is a rhythm that originated in Gales Point, now called Manatee, located on an extremely narrow peninsula in the Southern Lagoon in central Belize. “Runaway slaves went there and had their homes in Manatee,” says bredda “DAVID.” He points out that another group performing at the Fest, Talla Walla Vibrations, will be playing a lot of sambei music.

He produced and recorded the Vibrations in his studio in Dangriga. Naturally, the music of bredda “DAVID,” 68, has enjoyed many musical influences, particularly from Belize’s neighbor, Jamaica, located just across the Caribbean. His journey took him from Dangriga to the more urban Belize City in the north to attend high school and then to the United States. He landed in New York and soon headed to Los Angeles, where he led a reggae group. In 1984, bredda “DAVID” headed home to Belize, where he continues to reside while also touring and recording. An unexpected musical phenomenon in Belize is how many people, especially the older folks, love country and western music. On Christmas day, the tradition was— and in some villages still is—to go house-to-house with a group of musicians and revelers to eat, drink, dance and sing. While there were occasional carols in the mix, the day wouldn’t go by without a hit from vocalist Jim Reeves like “Four Walls” or “He’ll Have To Go.” “Sometimes people say they hear that in my guitar playing,” says bredda “DAVID,” who remembers listening to Reeves and Johnny Cash as a child. “It pops up every now and again. My biggest influences were Jimi Hendrix, Mr. Peters, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.” In high school he was also checking out Otis Redding, Steve Cropper and Wilson Pickett, among others. Early on he found inspiration from the guitarist in Belize’s legendary group Santino’s Messengers. Once, Mr. Peters told bredda “DAVID” Obi that he would bring his group to New Orleans. That prophecy comes true this year with the arrival of bredda “DAVID” & Tribal Vibes, a group that incorporates the past and looks to the future. O www.OFFBEAT.com

JON CLEARY JON CLEARY AND THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 30—BLUES TENT, 4 P.M.

Heartbeat of the Funk

hat’s changed since Jon Cleary won a Grammy? Not a whole lot. Not that he doesn’t have gratitude for the coveted award, but his main memory of the ceremony in March revolves around a wad of chewing gum. “My first thought was to feel sorry for the other acts that were nominated; because I’m sure they fully deserved it. And really, I was just sitting there daydreaming when they called my name. And somebody had given me a stick of gum, which is something I never normally do. So I got up there and gave a garbled speech with this big piece of gum in my mouth. I couldn’t very well stick it under the podium.” Otherwise, he says, it’s been back to work as usual. “For me it’s still the regular round of going to the airport and going off to gigs and coming back home, and doing the New Orleans thing that I’ve done for the last hundred years. I don’t really know yet what being called a Grammy winner confers on you—for a lot of other people that title holds a lot of gravity. Who knows, maybe it means they’ll see those words next to my name and decide to stay home.” Whether he thinks so or not, Cleary is having a banner year. Last fall’s GoGo Juice isn’t just his most acclaimed album in decades; it’s also his first all-original studio album in ten years. The album swept January’s OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards, with “Boneyard” named best local song and Cleary winning as best songwriter, best keyboardist and artist of the year. Then came the Grammy in February, where GoGo Juice topped the newly-created “regional roots music” category, beating two Hawaiian bands and progressive Cajun group the Revelers.

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There’s the rub, however: You still can’t be a millionaire playing anything called “regional roots music,” even if you’ve won a Grammy for it. And the kind of funky, soulful music that Cleary makes should by all rights be considered universal, not regional. It’s telling that the Grammy-winning album took so long to come out; if Cleary had waited for a mainstream label to release it instead of forming his own, it would never have come out at all. “We got turned down by everybody. The whole parade of labels in New York and Los Angeles, they all said no. So the delay was largely due to the fact that I can’t get a record deal; generally speaking, they don’t give them to people like me. Studio time is really expensive, and if you want to pay the musicians well—and to use some top-notch musicians, like I did—it takes more money than any company is going to give you. If record companies have no clue as to what market you’re in, that makes it more of a struggle. That’s having By Brett Milano

a direct effect on the people that produce this kind of music.” That kind of music, namely New Orleans R&B, has been in Cleary’s blood since growing up in Kent, England. Born in 1962, he narrowly missed being aware of the British Invasion era, but while his friends were playing the Beatles he already had a collection of U.S. import vinyl. “I grew up on a diet ranging from Jack Teagarden to the Meters—not a lot of pop music, really. There were a lot of musicians in the family. My grandmother was an important part of that. She was a singer and hers was the music hall generation. So all the songs we played at home were music hall, which are very similar to New Orleans jazz tunes, and that music was in my DNA.” Seeing Earl King at the Maple Leaf soon after he arrived in New Orleans clinched the deal. “You couldn’t get that music in England, but I had gotten a book called Walking to New Orleans, by an English guy named John Broven. And that became my Bible; I read that book until the names were

imprinted in my mind. So I knew about ‘Those Lonely Lonely Nights,’ and to see Earl King onstage singing it was a bit of an epiphany.” Cleary’s English roots still come out in his songwriting, often in ways you might miss. Consider one of his trademark songs, “So Damn Good,” with its chorus of “I feel so damn good, I’ll be glad when I get the blues.” That comes directly from a phrase his Cockney great-grandfather was fond of. “He used to say, ‘I feel so happy that I’ll be glad when I’m fed up’—I just changed that a little to make it a lyric. I think good novelists have that quality, of being able to take something you hear in life. Earl King used to tell me to write everything down. He had a notebook he used to carry around; he’d jot something down and keep it in his pocket.” The current album’s standout, “Boneyard” also has a surprising background. On the surface it’s right in the tradition of New Orleans party songs: The chorus of “Before I make it to the boneyard, I’m gonna have some fun” should strike some chords at festival time. But it was first written as a children’s song, when both he and Dr. John were commissioned to provide songs for a hip kids’ show that was never produced. “A character called Bones was supposed to sing that, but then the song turned into something different. Funny thing about that song is that it all came out of that guitar riff at the beginning, and that’s something I used to hear my grandfather play on guitar. It’s kind of a cross between Professor Longhair on guitar, and a Gaelic reel.” The most serious GoGo Juice track, “Bringing Back the Home,” is Cleary’s Katrina song, but it’s also a summing-up of his longstanding feelings about his adopted home. “At the time I wrote that everyone was making Katrina songs and they were all depressing, a bit www.OFFBEAT.com

PHOTO: GOLDEN G. RICHARD, III

Jon Cleary’s music is universal, not regional.

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maudlin. What I wanted to say came from something Bonnie Raitt told me one night, about New Orleans music being a gift to the world. So what the song says—and it says this in a long, Proustian run-on sentence—is that the music is the heart and soul of the people of New Orleans, and that’s the greatest gift America gave the world. Which is to say, it’s all about the normal people of New Orleans, and that’s the resource that was lost when people didn’t come back after Katrina. It’s about the heartbeat of the funk, which is what you see just by walking down St. Bernard Avenue.” He made a few musical changes during the lost stretch between albums—most notably, leaving his longtime gig in Bonnie Raitt’s band. “That was a very hard decision, I’d been part of the family for ten years. I love her, she’s always been kind. She hired me because she liked my style, and never made me change what I do. But I was increasingly having to turn down offers to do my own shows, and so I realized that I had to do that exclusively. It was back to the real world, getting out of the RollsRoyce and back into the jalopy.” He also did one tour in Dr. John’s band just after Locked Down was released—a particularly great band lineup, just before the Lower 911 was disbanded. “I especially liked being able to play guitar with Mac, something I used to do as a teenager—and being able to look over my shoulder and see what he was doing. I actually think he’s quite an underrated piano player, because it gets overshadowed by that Night Tripper character.” Cleary also started working outside of his usual band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, who are all on GoGo Juice but not as the core band (they will however www.OFFBEAT.com

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be back with him at Jazz Fest). In recent years Cleary has been more visible as a solo pianist, playing weekly gigs at d.b.a. and Chickie Wah Wah. “It’s important to flex that muscle regularly, and it’s a good way to pay the bills when I’m at home. And it’s important that someone be continuing this tradition of New Orleans piano players. There’s a big book of tunes that have been done by pianists, and people come from all over the world to hear that music—just like I did when I came to town and James Booker and Tuts Washington were still playing.” The past year has of course brought deep changes in New Orleans music—one of Cleary’s heroes, Allen Toussaint, is now gone, and Cleary is moving into an older generation of local musicians—but he’s got guarded optimism about the future. “What was always great about New Orleans music is that the funk and the jazz, the ethnic music of New Orleans, are the heart of it. The extent to which that’s true nowadays is something that can be debated. Music is changing, and it’s important that it doesn’t become moribund. The brass band thing, and the respect for the Indian tradition—those things bode well. But the way music is being produced now is different. In the ’50s you could plug in a raggedy guitar and approximate what you heard on a Guitar Slim record. You can’t do that now with bounce music, it takes more production and you can’t just emulate it on the street. “So it’s going to change, but New Orleans people are music people. If there’s going to be music here, you can safely say that it’s going to be pretty good. And funky.” O JAZZ FEST 2 016

MARSALIS JASON MARSALIS: FRIDAY, APRIL 22—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 1:30 P.M. ELLIS MARSALIS: SUNDAY, MAY 1—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ STAGE, 1:35 P.M. XY

First Family Ellis, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis have a chat.

he image of each of the musical members of the Marsalis family playing in a columned mansion on St. Charles Avenue, as depicted on this year’s Jazz Fest poster, is, of course, an illusion. Perhaps the grandeur of the residence—where we see pianist/ patriarch Ellis and youngest son, drummer Jason, through the arched windows on the ground floor and trombonist Delfeayo, trumpeter Wynton and saxophonist Branford above—was used to convey the stature of this uniquely talented and renowned family. Then again, it could represent a visual metaphor for the elegance and magnificence of the jazz music to which their lives have been dedicated. There’s a rather humorous angle to this image as well, because a building called the Marsalis Mansion once existed. But it was a long way from the clanging of a streetcar

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heading up the Avenue. It was actually a motel owned by Ellis’ father, located in Shrewsbury, Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish. The senior Marsalis bought the property in 1944. “It started out as a barn,” Ellis explains of the building, which eventually offered 35 rooms. It also boasts its own historic importance. “Blacks couldn’t stay downtown so it became a place to stay—Martin Luther King and Ray Charles’ band stayed there.” Ellis and his wife, Dolores, and their fifth son, Mboya, who is autistic, presently live in a modest Uptown home they bought in 1975 in New Orleans’ Pigeon Town neighborhood. It’s not too far from the Carrollton Avenue streetcar line. There’s a welcoming porch swing out front and trees shade the quiet street. No, there isn’t a grand piano as one enters the living room of the house or jazz playing on the radio in the By Geraldine Wyckoff

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background. It’s as unpretentious as Ellis himself, who pays little attention to the family’s notoriety. Ellis says he really didn’t envision what many would consider the jazz dynasty that began unfolding within his family. “One thing that I realized I could do for them was to make sure they had good quality teachers on their particular instrument,” he explains. They all, including photographer/poet Ellis Marsalis III, attended the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), where for 12 years Ellis headed the jazz department. Considering the assemblage of these illustrious NOCCA alumni, the Jazz Fest poster could easily stand as an advertisement for the creative arts school. He wasn’t surprised at his sons’ success as jazz musicians, as he regarded their education at NOCCA as preparing them for their careers. He admits, however, that Wynton’s accomplishments, beyond his multiple Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize for his work Blood on the Fields, could not have been predicted. “When it comes to what Wynton is doing in New York with Jazz at Lincoln Center, there was no way I could see that and there were a lot of other people who couldn’t see that either,” Ellis says with a laugh. “I was pleasantly surprised to see that Branford has been able to pursue the classical saxophone in the manner that he’s doing,” he adds, “and he still has his jazz group.” Trombonist Delfeayo, 50, and drummer/vibraphonist Jason, 38, are the only two musical Marsalis siblings who opted to pursue their careers and raise their families in their hometown. As revealed in this conversation with them, it wasn’t all jazz, all the time in the Marsalis household.

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I know the Jazz Fest poster is purely symbolic, but were you all ever in your house playing together? People probably think of you that way. Jason: Unlike the poster, the answer is no, but there were times that myself, my father and one of them—Delfeayo, Wynton or Branford—would play together. With all of us, that really didn’t happen. By the time I came along, they [Wynton and Branford] were pretty much out of the house. Delfeayo: We were born in pairs—initially Branford was with Wynton and they were always together. Especially since [at the time] they were integrating the schools, my mother made the decision early on that if they were going to go to these white schools she thought it was important for somebody to have their back. My brother Ellis was born and then we were always together. That was kind of the design. Then Mboya was born five years after me and he has autism. Then they took a break and then Jason came along a good distance afterward. To the viewing public, it seemed like a great story. I think really we developed more individually. You both chose to stay in New Orleans. Why? Jason: My reason was that when I graduated from high school I didn’t feel I was ready to go to New York. In 1988, a lot of things started to happen here that were more appealing to me than New York. Delfeayo: I was in Boston and was going to move to New York but I couldn’t find a living situation that I liked. There was no master plan. I figured I’d come down here for a little while. It was cool down here. I got a couple of gigs and just started making things happen. www.OFFBEAT.com

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On the talk shows, they asked, ‘Who is Esperanza Spalding? Where did this come from? How did this happen? We don’t know who she is. Children are upset because Justin Bieber didn’t win.’ I’ve always loved the music that comes out of here. My existence here in the South, it’s tiring as a black man. As you get older, it gets tiring to constantly have to prove yourself—not as a musician—again and again. But at the same time, there are some great things and I get to work with the kids—I have that association. What were you listening to when you were teenagers? Jason: As a kid I was really into jazz music. I would hear popular music but I wasn’t a fan of it. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was a huge event and Genesis with Phil Collins. I remember when Delfeayo just came back [home]. He puts on this record. It was The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein by Parliament. I said, ‘What is this?’ I remember thinking, this is really happening. Another memory I have is Delfeayo got this box set, James Brown’s Star Time. A few years later I started practicing things like ‘Cold Sweat’ and ‘Sex Machine.’ I think I approached popular music almost in a similar way as checking out jazz records. You’d listen to the records from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s—just older things. What I later realized was that that music wasn’t popular with my generation. Of course, they didn’t mind listening to rappers sample those same albums. One other thing that I remember too is that I was in a car and the radio is on and this music comes on that’s happening. And I remember Branford says, ‘Yep, the Ohio Players.’ Wait a minute, there was a vinyl in the house, the Ohio Players’ Gold, that I never put on. And the song was ‘Fire.’ And how about you Delfeayo? Delfeayo: There’s a much greater disconnect today between not only

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the popular music and jazz and classical music than there has ever been but there’s also a greater divide from the public. So that makes it especially challenging. It wasn’t ever a problem for us. It’s part of the narrative that if you like pure jazz and you want it to be undiluted, then you must not like these other forms of music. To me, we can make the clear delineation. So I can listen to ParliamentFunkadelic, the Ohio Players, the Beatles or Earth, Wind & Fire and I can appreciate, from a musical standpoint, the logic and the work that was required to create their music. It would be ridiculous to think that only jazz musicians can play or that only classical artists have this certain level of artistry. There are different requirements. Did you ever play in any bands other than jazz bands? Delfeayo: No, by the time I was coming up [in the early 1980s], there were all deejays. There weren’t really bands to play in. I don’t make it a secret that I’m kind of at odds at how the students at NOCCA are taught today. When we were growing up, we were taught that all music was related and you could listen to it and analyze it and access it on its own merits. You listened to Pontius Pilate’s Decision [Delfeayo’s 1992 album] and a lot of the way that we were playing was in direct response to what was going on at the time. There was a funk groove but it was in a jazz context. Unless it’s directly derivative most people can’t hear that. Jason: Wynton’s music was like that too like on Black Codes (from the Underground). At some point it dawned on me, that his tune ‘Jig’s Jig’ actually has the same rhythm as Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing.’

You were so impressive at being able to immediately identify the tunes and artists during the Blindfold Test with Leonard Feather for DownBeat magazine. How did you accumulate all that knowledge? Delfeayo: Jason’s just freaky— he’s encyclopedic! Jason: I actually I was listening more than I was practicing—I should have practiced more. I still check things out and I still try to see what’s going on. There have been some jazz biographies that I’ve been checking out. One is the Charlie Parker book by Stanley Crouch that finally came out. There’s also one on Thelonious Monk that’s really good. It’s good to get insight into the people who created the music—what they were about and what influenced them. There’s a deeper part of the story besides just the notes that they played. Delfeayo: Books like Duke Ellington’s Music Is My Mistress, Dizzy Gillespie’s To Be, or Not… to Bop, Milt Hinton’s Bass Line. The music is really an expression of not only individuals and their personalities but their views on life. Now, the way music is being taught it’s too European-ized and it’s destined to not succeed. For years it succeeded with the design that we had. Now, all of a sudden they say we have to take this away—take away a lot of the personality and individuality. There’s an emphasis on virtuosity. Like what Branford was saying about the bass—that the only virtuosity that a bass player needs to do is swing or groove. A bass player doesn’t need to know how to play 16th-note solos because nobody wants to hear it anyway. It would be like a center on a football team being able to run a 4/40 [40-yard dash]. What good is that going to do?

It seems that it’s important for you, Delfeayo, to perform with veteran musicians including your father and drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith on your latest album, The Last Southern Gentlemen. Why? Delfeayo: It offers a different perspective. That’s what the country is really afraid of. That’s why I’m almost convinced Donald Trump is going to be our next president. People are really fearful of different perspectives. Jason: I’ll show you an example of that. A few years ago at the Grammys, the best new artist went to bassist Esperanza Spalding and she was nominated with Justin Bieber. What’s funny is that the people in the jazz world were all happy. What they didn’t know was that mainstream America panicked. On the talk shows, they asked, ‘Who is Esperanza Spalding? Where did this come from? How did this happen? We don’t know who she is. Children are upset because Justin Bieber didn’t win.’ Rather than the storyline being, we have this young artist who was kind of a surprise upset. The jazz “house” that the Marsalises built is as different from that depicted on the Jazz Fest poster as each of these brilliant musicians are from one another. Yet in conversations with oftenopinionated Ellis, Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis common themes, common goals continually arise. Most of all it’s about the love of jazz music and the concern about its future in a world where electronics override instruments and commercialism trumps artistry. “So much of jazz is running away from the joy, the celebration and Africanism,” Delfeayo finally declares. O www.OFFBEAT.com

MIDNITE DISTURBERS MIDNITE DISTURBERS: SATURDAY, APRIL 30—JAZZ & HERITAGE STAGE, 1:45 P.M.

Outlandish Vamps Midnite Disturbers’ raw, stripped-down sound.

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PHOTO: GOLDEN G. RICHARD, III

or a city that care allegedly forgot, New Orleans sure has a way of achieving the impossible when it comes to music. Case in point: the Midnite Disturbers, a super-group comprised of brass players and bandleaders whose combined musical responsibilities during Jazz Fest should make it logistically unfeasible for them to share a stage. Yet for the past nine years, drummers Stanton Moore and Kevin O’Day and Galactic saxophonist Ben Ellman have corralled a swarm of the city’s top horn players onto the Jazz & Heritage Stage for 75 minutes of funk-soaked parade melodies, outlandish vamps and second line rhythms from drummers who seem to innately understand one another’s sense of groove. The band started as a “what if” scenario, dreamed up while O’Day was staying with Moore after the storm. They envisioned an expanded brass band dream team of sorts. And in spite of their ambitious desire to pull talent from most of the busiest acts in town—including the Dirty Dozen, Rebirth, Galactic, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Bonerama—they managed to enlist a serious New Orleans horn juggernaut. Regular performers in the band include Roger Lewis and Skerik on saxophones, Big Sam Williams, Mark Mullins and Corey Henry on trombones, James Andrews and Shamarr Allen on trumpets and Kirk Joseph, Phil Frazier and Matt Perrine on tubas, plus Ellman, with O’Day, Moore and Mike Dillon handling drums and percussion. The Disturbers tend to perform New Orleans standards from the brass repertoire (it’s easy to play a Rebirth or Lil’ Rascals song when original members of those bands are onstage, Ellman points out), plus a handful of tunes by Moore and his other cohorts.

“It’s just nice to get what you want,” says O’Day, a veteran of the local funk and jazz scenes whose collaborations with Iris May Tango, Royal Fingerbowl and the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars helped lay the groundwork for his own ensembles, such as the funk-meetsavant-garde jazz blend, Live Animals. “We wanted to have a band that was really special that would happen just once a year.” Despite the lineup’s marquee names, the Midnite Disturbers have managed to maintain the kind of raw, stripped-down sound and feel that gives parading brass bands so much of their power in the streets. Unlike other all-star lineups that pop up around Jazz Fest time, the Disturbers usually hit the stage without elements like pomp-fueled intros that might detract from the music. Their big, brash sound consistently inspires listeners to throng the mucky patch of ground before the stage, keeping them rapt and dancing—even in the driving rain that threatened to end the Disturbers’ set a few years back. O’Day and Moore initially By Jennifer Odell

approached the drum format as a typical New Orleans brass band would, with O’Day handling the bass drum and Moore on snare. “It’s been more fun lately to have a drum setup and then a whole percussion setup so we can switch back and forth,” O’Day says. As they trade on and off between kit and percussion, the drummers feed off of one another’s fire, matching licks and sparking elaborate improvisations within the rhythm. To Ellman’s ear, O’Day’s hip-hop feel shines through, contrasting with Moore’s streetready marching band sensibility. Dillon, meanwhile, adds to the often borderline–frenetic energy, reined in by the trio’s impeccable control. It also helps that the players feel trust is built into the collaboration. “I always feel like I’m just along for the ride and I’m just enjoying it, like, ‘Wow, I cannot believe this trombone section of Big Sam, Mark Mullins, Corey Henry, are all up here trading,” says Ellman. “And once we pick the songs, it always just kind of takes off and works. With those kinds of musicians onstage you just don’t have to worry about it.”

While some aspects of the Disturbers’ sound revolve around an organic parade-band feel, there’s also a certain energy that comes from putting that many virtuosos onstage together. “It’s always hard to be the next soloist because it’s a whole band of amazing soloists,” says Ellman, joking (maybe) that he takes the first solo on most tunes because “there’s nobody I want to follow.” On the other hand, Ellman, who cut his teeth playing second lines with Corey Henry’s Lil’ Rascals brass band starting in 1989, doesn’t mind making room for the occasional skilled, if less experienced player in the horn section. He remembers subbing in a pair of visiting relatives who happened to be horn players one year when Skerik couldn’t make the gig. One of them ended up moving to New Orleans, enrolling in Loyola and helping to start the band Naughty Professor. But he was green at the time. “For my cousins it was like throwing them in the fire,” Ellman says, laughing. “Welcome to New Orleans! Now stand next to Roger Lewis and take a solo.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

photo: jongunnar gylfason

TRIBUTE TO ALLEN TOUSSAINT: SUNDAY, MAY 1—GENTILLY STAGE, 2:20 P.M.

Toussaint Toujours Jazz Fest is dancing to Toussaint’s tune. By John Swenson

ne of the signature moments of this year’s Jazz Fest will be the Allen Toussaint tribute on May 1. But in a larger sense, the entire festival will be a tribute to Toussaint, whose presence in New Orleans music runs as deep as the African rhythms that are the city’s lifeblood. There won’t be a day that goes by in the festival without multiple performances of songs Toussaint wrote and/or produced, and some of those performances will be in seemingly unlikely contexts, because Toussaint’s music covered the waterfront. Some of this year’s headliners—Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs—were either produced by or worked with Toussaint, but scores of other performers have spent their careers steeped in the ethos of his music. Grammywinning keyboardist Jon Cleary, for example, recently recorded a great album of interpretations of Toussaint material, Occapella. Other renewals of Jazz Fest might have been overwhelmed by manifestations of Professor Longhair, or the Neville Brothers, or even “My Toot Toot.” That’s what folk music is all about, whatever’s shaking on the corner that year. This time around, Jazz Fest is dancing to Toussaint’s tune. Toussaint’s archeological influence on New Orleans music becomes more impressive against the backdrop of the modest and goodnatured figure he cut. He was by instinct a behind-the-scenes personality, not a charismatic frontman, but he was the auteur of 1960s New Orleans R&B through his work with the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, and the legendary careers of Ernie K-Doe, Lee Dorsey, Betty Harris, Jessie Hill, the Meters and so many others. Toussaint also had a genius for composing novelty instrumentals that turned into hits for Al Hirt (“Java”) and Herb Alpert (“Whipped Cream”). All that was more than 50 years ago, but Toussaint was making new and relevant music right up to his death last November at age 77. It’s an amazing body of work that is really hard to get a total grasp of. At OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Awards in January, Dumpstaphunk bassist Tony Hall put together a terrific Toussaint tribute complete with former Toussaint associates Gary Brown on saxophone and Mahogany Blue on vocals, but he admits it was impossible to include all the material he would have liked to. “That was a hard one,” says Hall. “I had to keep eliminating, eliminating. You wanna do this, you wanna do this, but you gotta cut for time, and it’s hard to cut one of those songs. He had a catalog of what, 700 songs? I just tried to pick the best stuff that would be recognized and be entertaining to the people, something that you can dance to, too. That’s how I went with it.” www.OFFBEAT.com

“I grew up on the Lee Dorsey stuff,” adds Hall. “That’s how I learned second line and syncopation, listening to ‘Holy Cow’ and ‘Working In the Coal Mine,’ ‘Get Out of My Life, Woman.’ That’s where it came from. He was the road map to New Orleans music.” Hall’s tribute was one of the best-received sets in the history of the Best of the Beat Awards party, but for now that was a one-off. He’ll be doing a James Brown tribute at Jazz Fest. “I was going to do some more Toussaint shows,” he says, “but his band is doing some and I don’t want to step on their toes.”

Toussaint’s Influence The Toussaint legacy show at Jazz Fest will be built around the core of Toussaint’s working band—guitarist Renard Poché, bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Herman LeBeaux Jr. It’s the same band that would have been backing Toussaint himself if he were playing the Fest this year. That’s some empty chair to occupy, and Toussaint’s son Reggie, who is organizing the event, offered it to a friend and music partner of his dad’s: Joe Krown. Krown may not be an obvious choice, but he’s an appropriate one. He became friends with Toussaint when they toured together. Krown plays a regular piano gig at Ralph’s on the Park, where Toussaint came in to hang out on numerous occasions. “We did a tour in 2009,” says Krown. “Myself and Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington and Russell Batiste as the house band with special guests Nicholas Payton and Allen Toussaint. We were out for about three weeks. Reggie was with us. We would play our set, then Nicholas would sit in, then we’d have intermission and when we came back it was with 50 minutes of Allen. It was great, I got a chance to actually know him and hang with him. I’ve been in these kinds of situations and invariably everybody says goodbye at the end of the tour, you give each other a big hug, and that’s it. Not with Allen. He wanted to know where I was going to be playing next. I do a solo piano residence at Ralph’s on the Park and Allen would stop by there whenever he could. At first it was a little bit intimidating, but I kind of got used to it. There’s a video of him and I playing the piano together at Ralph’s. Sometimes he would come in and eat; sometimes he would be just driving by, park his car, come in and talk to me for ten minutes and then leave.” For Krown, these sessions turned into tutorials with the master musician. “I was already influenced by him pretty heavily,” Krown admits. “He used to come into the restaurant and stand right next to the piano and watch me play. It was an interesting relationship. We talked music all of the time and I would ask him about certain things and he would JAZZ FEST 2 016

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“I don’t usually play those licks, but without them in there it would sound like the song was missing something.” —Joe Krown

show me some of the changes in certain songs, how he played them, like the intro to ‘Southern Nights.’ That was Allen. There are only a few piano players that I spent my time trying to emulate. Allen was in the top three or four of those. He was very encouraging.” Krown didn’t have to adjust his style significantly to play Allen’s parts, but there were certain techniques and parts he had to get exactly right. “In rehearsal we were talking about how I should approach all this stuff, whether I should just copy whatever Allen did or where I should assert myself. It’s kind of a fine line, because a lot of myself is what Allen was. There are certain things that I wanted to tap that are very Allen, trademark things that he did, like for example one of the things that he does is when he plays that glissando thing, like water falling. You have to do that. I don’t use that in my playing but that’s an Allen trademark. So I want to do that. And there are certain catch licks of his that you want to do, like on ‘Southern Nights,’ that are essentially Allen. I don’t usually play those licks, but without them in there it would sound like the song was missing something. “Then we worked on ‘Brickyard Blues’ and I was just playing. The guys in the rhythm section were like ‘Yeah! That’s the feel, that’s the groove.’ And none of it was Allen licks per se, it was just me playing. It fit like I was wearing an old shoe. There are things that I will be copying because they’re kind of signatures, but when it comes to solos, that’s me, and it’s not far off from how Allen played, because it has the same feeling. So there’s stuff that just feels natural, and stuff that I’m trying to capture what he did. One of the things he does is play what sounds like a Chinese figure—da-da-da-da, da da, Da da Da. I don’t ever do that, but if I leave that out of the song it sounds like it’s missing something. We talked about that kind of stuff when I rehearsed with the rhythm section. We did them in the way that the band played them with Allen. “I wasn’t given any charts. All my notes are written off what we were playing. We had the rehearsal and worked from that and made the arrangement the way we needed it to be. Like when we were working on ‘Working in the Coal Mine.’ In the verse, there are two chord changes—the way that Allen had the band playing it, it was eight measures long but he had the band doing something a little different in the fifth and sixth measures. That’s not how the recording goes, but that’s the way they played it live. We’re trying to capture the music the way Allen did it. We’re not trying to do it the Lee Dorsey way, but the way Allen played the song. “It’s Allen’s band. Renard has taken charge of directing it. Musically I’m playing the part of Allen, but I’m not the musical director. I play all of the intros the way Allen played them. I play all the little signatures and fills he did, all of that stuff. I have a feel for it because I play Allen’s stuff every night on my solo gigs.”

That Toussaint Thing Toussaint’s biggest hits were recorded in their most popular versions by other artists. “He was a great piano player,” says Krown, “but his music was even more influential. I was listening to ‘Brickyard Blues’ and I

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Though Toussaint wrote songs that he performed himself in a variety of styles, some of his solo work has an ethereal, even melancholy beauty...

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discovered that Three Dog Night had a hit with that song. The list of people that recorded Allen’s music is endless. People came to New Orleans for that Toussaint thing—Robert Palmer, Frankie Miller, Labelle. He even did a Paul McCartney record (Venus and Mars).” Though Toussaint wrote songs that he performed himself in a variety of styles, some of his solo work has an ethereal, even melancholy beauty, like the humid, luminescent landscape evoked in his original version of “Southern Nights.” Toussaint also wrote songs about the dark side of the music business, including the ominous classic “On Your Way Down,” played by everyone from Little Feat to Trombone Shorty. His longtime business partner Marshall Sehorn was the kind of music business figure pictured in the dystopian view of the industry presented in the HBO series Vinyl. Toussaint was obviously not always comfortable with the arrangement, and we might see the strains of dealing with Sehorn’s business practices in a song Toussaint wrote for the Dr. John album Desitively Bonnaroo, “Go Tell the People”: But your way is dealing with the latter, While my way, is getting down. Your day is filled with money matters, My day is filled with sound. Though Toussaint performed infrequently during the ’80s and ’90s, he never stopped playing, rehearsing, and working in a variety of musical contexts. His work with jazz conceptualist Kip Hanrahan is only one example of how wide-ranging Toussaint’s musical interests were. His innovative NYNO label put out important albums by Raymond Myles, New Birth Brass Band and James Andrews along with his own work.

Renaissance Toussaint was ruined by the flood that followed Katrina, losing his home and his studio—a blow that would have shattered most people but only challenged him to start over with fresh purpose. He went to New York during the period when New Orleans was depopulated and established a residency at Joe’s Pub, where Elvis Costello saw him and proposed that they record together. By the beginning of December Toussaint was back home, recording The River In Reverse at Piety Street Studios with Costello and producer Joe Henry. Producer Mark Bingham, co-owner of Piety Street, was trying to revive his business, and this session was a key element in getting Piety Street back in action. “Before that session we were trying to do some things but we kept having power outages,” says Bingham. “That was the first week when we could do something like this. I’d been away and I got back in the first week of November and that record happened the first week in December. That first month back was kind of a blur. It was weird. I had no place to live. Elvis was trying to cheer me up. It was crazy coming in here but on a musical level it was fine and it was fun to see everybody. Everybody had a nice time telling stories. “Allen was more in touch with music than a lot of people thought. He had a lot of success as a writer and producer but I www.OFFBEAT.com

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“It was a little awkward, we were nervous, he was very polite and gentlemanly to us, and he went through each song and he had exact detailed notes and ideas after only one listen.” —Jason Mingledorff

always looked at him as a musician. He was somebody who practiced on a day-to-day level and tried to get better at what he was doing and basically did. “Every time I’ve been with Allen when he was on a session, he played the piano. He’ll tell the producer, ‘This is what I’m gonna do. How do you like this?’ Just because you’re producing doesn’t mean you’re telling people what to do. A lot of times producing is about what you don’t do. Joe Henry wasn’t saying ‘Do this, do that.’ He was just trying to make it all work. There was lots of interaction but nobody was jumping into other people’s shit.” The success of The River In Reverse revitalized Toussaint’s career. He did a tour with Costello in support of the album and continued to play live with his own band. In 2009 he released The Bright Mississippi, a superb tribute to traditional New Orleans jazz. He also continued to produce records, including tracks for the final Papa Grows Funk record, Needle in the Groove. “We needed another album and we needed something to kick us in the butt,” says PGF saxophonist Jason Mingledorff, who will be playing with a variety of groups at Jazz Fest, including St. Paul and the Broken Bones, King James and the Special Men and the Nightcrawlers. “Allen produced many of our favorite recordings so it was like a dream come true to work with him. We were all concerned about whether he even knew us and would want to do it. He agreed to do it on a per song basis. We didn’t have the songs until he got there. We were underprepared, it was very stressful. We were experimenting, and we came in with almost five full songs.

He basically asked us to play through them all. He sat down in the control room and we were all in the studio and we played the songs for him. “After we went through the songs we sat down in the control room. This was the first time we were talking with him. It was a little awkward, we were nervous, he was very polite and gentlemanly to us, and he went through each song and he had exact detailed notes and ideas after only one listen. You could tell he had analyzed the songs right away just as he was listening to them. He would say, ‘On this bridge here, maybe you could go to the fourth chord, and on this section you could add this chord before this transition’—very specific things. We didn’t know he would do so much, we didn’t know if he was just going to show up and let us do what we wanted, but he was quite impressive. His philosophy was he didn’t want us to do anything that we couldn’t do live. No overdubbing the horns, no overdubbing the vocals, he wanted it to be done in a way so we could play it live.” Mingledorff offers a fascinating description of Toussaint’s method as producer. “I learned so much just in that first day about how to let ideas happen. If they don’t happen it will be obvious. I learned a huge lesson that day to never say ‘I don’t think that’s going to work.’ I’m just going to take that out of my vocabulary, especially in the studio, because if it doesn’t work it’s probably gonna be pretty obvious, especially with someone like Allen, because he’s not gonna let it not sound good. He had numerous ideas, and is some cases my first instinct was to say ‘This is not going to work for me,’ and they worked! So after that I kept my mouth shut and just said ‘Let’s just try it.’ And sometimes it didn’t work. But he never pushed it. He would

Costello on Toussaint

llen Toussaint and Elvis Costello had worked with one another before the fall of 2005, if not intimately. More than twenty years earlier, Toussaint had produced Costello’s cover version of Yoko Ono’s “Walking on Thin Ice.” A few years later, in 1989, Toussaint contributed piano to the track “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror,” on Costello’s Spike album. The circumstances that conspired to bring the two musicians together were not auspicious ones. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina had landed Toussaint—his home flooded—in New York City. But the work that resulted from Toussaint’s reunion with Costello—who in his late-2015 book Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink called the New Orleans composer, pianist and

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producer “one of America’s greatest philosophers and musicians”— led to a beautifully crafted album, a revitalization of Toussaint’s public career as a performer, and a meaningful friendship between two artists of towering ability. Costello wrote an e-mail to OffBeat after Toussaint’s death, in November 2015 at age 77, listing elegantly the things that he would keep close about his friend: his “grace and generosity, his kindness to my family, the lessons I learned from him as to how to temper anger and dismay at all that occurred ten years ago and the joy of writing, recording and, most of all, sharing the stage with him.”

Even if Allen Toussaint hadn’t passed away so recently, The River In Reverse, the pair’s 2006 collaboration, would invite revisiting about now, a decade after its release and, of course, 10 years after Katrina. It was on its face a songbook album, taking on deep cuts from Toussaint’s solo catalog, but it was also more. The mournful “Ascension Day” is a haunted, inside-out arrangement of “Tipitina.” Four other new co-written songs show a masterful, eloquent give and take between two talents, especially as they channeled, individually and together, the anger, sadness and passion awoken by the storm. It’s a singular thing, a work that captures a discrete moment in time and holds up on its own, and years later, as something much more, too. —Alison Fensterstock www.OFFBEAT.com

photo: golden g. richard, III

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Allen Toussaint performs at what turned out to be his last Jazz Fest, in 2015 on the Gentilly Stage.

say ‘Do you think it was better the last time?’ He would always make you feel like you were making the decision. He wouldn’t always let you make the decision but he would push you to ask questions about it. He would never push something just because it was his idea, which I thought was really impressive. “We would do a couple of different takes, [guitarist] June [Yamagishi] would play something, then he would play a variation on it, and I would say ‘I don’t think it really matters, they’re both good.’ And Allen would say ‘You don’t care?’ He would ask me to be really specific about things. If there were two takes he would say ‘Which take do you like better?’ I would say ‘They’re both okay with me’ and he would say ‘One’s better than the other. We can’t have both of them. You need to make a decision.’ So he would really force me to make decisions. I think that is an old-school way of doing things, because they had to make a decision since they were only working with a couple of tracks.”

Rock of Ages Toussaint’s brilliance as a songwriter and producer may overshadow his overriding genius as an arranger, a renaissance architect of musical structure. His influence, again, runs the gamut. Trombonist Mark Mullins is a contemporary New Orleans musician who works under Toussaint’s influence. Like Toussaint, he’s sought after for his arrangement expertise in films (he scored the upcoming Disney release The Jungle Book) and special projects outside of his regular work with Bonerama. Recently Mullins has written charts for the Neville’s Forever tribute and Katrina 10—NOLA Honors show, both at the Saenger. Mullins led the horn section and wrote the arrangements for Don Was’ house bands at tribute shows such as The Musical Mojo of Dr. John at the Saenger, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s One More

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for the Fans in Atlanta, and Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples in Chicago. Mullins will be leading the horn section at the 40th anniversary celebration of The Last Waltz, which takes place April 29th and 30th at the Saenger. The film is best known for being directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring the music of The Band, who were playing their last concert with an all-star cast of guests. But it’s also very much a celebration of Allen Toussaint, who wrote spectacular arrangements for the event. Toussaint had worked with The Band as far back as Cahoots, but the arrangements he originally wrote for the 1971 New Year’s Eve performance at New York’s Academy of Music took that group’s eminent body of work and added a new dimension to it. “Because of his talents as a producer and songwriter so many people have no idea how talented Allen was as an arranger,” notes Mullins. “After all being a great producer is often congruous with being a great arranger. An arranger has the power and responsibility to make a good song great but is also capable of making a good song maybe not so good. The arranger addresses questions such as: ‘When should the horns appear in the song and what should they be doing to contribute to the song in the best way? What notes should the trumpet, sax and trombone be playing and what’s the best voicing for that chord to complement the song at that one moment depending on what else is happening in the band?’ Often it is knowing when to simply stay out of the way, which many horn players are terrible at. “When people think of the great arrangers that impacted New Orleans music in the 1960s and ’70s—that is today our classic rock jukebox of New Orleans gems—names like Wardell Quezergue, Harold Battiste and Charlie Brent often come up. Sometimes Allen is left out because he is so strong in his other talents that are easier to talk www.OFFBEAT.com

“There he goes, quietly reinventing ‘cool’ once again. Who doesn’t want to be like that guy?” —Mark Mullins

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about, but to me Allen had the most profound, complex and colorful contribution as a horn arranger. Allen’s work is easy to detect as his horns are almost always through-composed, meaning the second verse will not have the same horn language as the third verse. The choruses might all have different variations. It’s like a song within a song that happens in the background with these ever-developing horn parts dancing along beautifully and freely in the background but tight and very well organized. Three horns without a plan on a modern-day song is chaos. Allen corralled the horns to sound free and loose with very complex and direct arrangements that to the ear sound so smooth, cool and easy to listen to. “Just listen to Earl King’s ‘Street Parade.’ Now listen to it once focusing on just the horns the whole way through. It’s unpredictable, beautiful, makes sense and complements the song in an incredible way. That is an example of through-composed Allen-style horn arranging. There he goes, quietly reinventing ‘cool’ once again. Who doesn’t want to be like that guy? That is unquestionably my all-time favorite horn arrangement ever to come out of New Orleans.”

Encore We’ve only touched on some of Toussaint’s accomplishments here. His credits as a writer, musician, producer and arranger are seemingly endless. But another part of Toussaint’s legacy is the personal impression he made on so many people, from fans to colleagues. One of the themes local musicians who knew Toussaint keep coming back to is how much he encouraged them to make the music that comes from their heart. Erica Falls, the talented singer who has recently been featured with Galactic, was a Toussaint protégé who will be part of the Jazz Fest tribute. “I worked with Allen the past three years at Jazz Fest,” she says. “He originally hired me as a session singer. I had done some studio work with Allen. He encouraged me to work on my own project and was interested in working with me. We didn’t get the chance to do it but I had been hoping all along. He reached out to me last year to do a show at Xavier University, just me and him, but I was on the road with Galactic and I couldn’t do it. “The last time I saw him we were on a show with Galactic in Portland, Oregon and his band was opening for us. I walked over to him and said ‘Hey Allen’ and he said ‘What are you doing here?’ I told him I was singing with Galactic and he asked me how I liked working with them. I told him I enjoyed it. He was about to ask me something else but they took him away for an interview.” Tony Hall was also signed to Allen’s label years ago. The partnership never worked out, something Hall wonders about to this day. “It was back in the ’80s,” Hall muses. “We had a six-month deal and I was young and nothing was happening so I went in another direction. I’ve always wondered what might have happened if I stayed with him. But he was cool about it. Every time I’d see him he’d say ‘Don’t forget your dreams. It’s never too late.’ I’ve got to move forward with that.” That goes for the rest of us, too. O www.OFFBEAT.com

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A to Z

on the local rock scene, singer/songwriter Alexis Marceaux and multi-instrumentalist Sam Craft, this act’s Monday night shows developed an almost cult-like following in recent years. Alexis Spight, 4/22, GOS, 12:05p: Award nominated gospel singer-songwriter Spight got her start on BET’s Sunday Best. An alum of Matthew Knowles’ client roster, she recently released her sophomore album, Dear Diary. Algiers Warriors, 4/29, PAR, 12p: This tribe of Indians hails from New Orleans’ West Bank. Alpha Blondy & the Solar System, 4/23, AM, 12:15p; CON, 2:10p: Dubbed “the Bob Marley of Africa,” Blondy’s reggae career began in the ’80s on the Ivory Coast and the region’s politics and culture still figure prominently in his music, which is known for its use of instruments uncommon to the reggae genre. His guest-packed latest, Positive Energy, came out last year. He sits down for an interview with Gabou Mendy before his set. Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory, 4/22, BLU, 12:15p; AM, 3:30p: This Grammy-winning singer, guitarist and mandolin player was inspired in his youth by the sound of Mississippi country blues, which he makes his own by adding elements of roots rock and a deep knowledge of folk and Americana. He’s currently working on his third recording with Luther Dickinson and Jimbo Mathis. John Wirt interviews him after his set. Amanda Shaw, 4/24, GEN, 12:45p: This Cajun fiddle prodigy has been in the spotlight since age 10. Her sets can jump from teenfriendly pop to straight-up Cajun, with a classic rock cover or two thrown in. Anders Osborne, 4/23, ACU, 1:30p; AM, 3:15p: New Orleans’ Swedishrooted guitar hero and songwriting titan recently followed up Freedom & Dreams, an exercise in folk-inspired, up-tempo Southern blues, with Spacedust and Ocean Views, a collection of introspective musings on places dear to his heart. He sits down with Dave Margulies for an interview after his set. Andrew Baham and 4am, 4/30, JAZ, 11:15a: Trumpeter and prolific producer Baham takes a break from his work with Big Sam to debut his own soulful, R&Binfluenced jazz group, whose name is a nod to a Herbie Hancock song. Andrew Duhon, 4/30, LAG, 4:20p: With his achingly tender voice and penchant for lyrical depth, folk-pop singersongwriter Duhon taps into personal experience to tug at listeners’ heart strings while strumming his way through original music that echoes the blues.

ow do you choose from the variety of cultures, rhythms and sounds available at Jazz Fest? Our guide should help and ensure for a great experience. Happy Jazz Fest! Remember that performance information may change. STAGE CODES ACU = Acura Stage GEN = Gentilly Stage CON = Congo Square Stage JAZ = Zatarain’s/WWOZ Jazz Tent BEL = Belize Pavillion BLU = Blues Tent ECO = Peoples Health Economy Hall Tent FDD = Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage J&H = Jazz & Heritage Stage GOS = Gospel Tent LAG = Lagniappe Stage KID = Kids Tent AM = Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage PAR = Parades NAT = Native American Pow Wow

101 Runners, 4/29, J&H, 5:55p: Carrying on the proud tradition of fusing Mardi Gras Indian chants with funk, this group includes Chris Jones with War Chief Juan Pardo of the Wild Comanches and a star cast of players. 21st Century Brass Band, 4/29, PAR, 4:30p: This young, Treme-based group finds room in its repertoire for New Orleans jazz standards as well as modern R&B hits. 7th Ward Creole Hunters, 4/28, PAR, 3:30p: Big Chief Jermaine Bossier leads this 7th Ward-based Mardi Gras Indian gang. aron Neville, 5/1, GEN, 12:40p: The golden-voiced Neville brother, whose classic “Tell It Like It Is” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame collection for 2015, brings a mix of doo-wop standards from My True Story alongside of greatest hits from his solo catalogue. Adella Adella the Storyteller, 4/29, KID, 1:50p: This kids’ performer aims to bring animals to life, make history real, turn ancestors into wise friends and open the imaginations and hearts of her listeners. Alexey Marti & Urban Mind, 4/23, J&H, 2:45p: Five years after relocating to New Orleans, Cuban-born conga player and percussionist Marti has become a key fixture on the local Latin scene, performing a mix of jazz, funk, salsa, son, rumba and more. Alexis and the Samurai, 4/30, AM, 4:30p: Led by two of the brighter talents

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By Jennifer Odell and OffBeat staff

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illustration: L. Steve williams

All you need to know is in our Jazz Fest Guide.

JAZZ FEST A-Z Andrew Hall’s Society Brass Band, 4/22, ECO, 5:40p: Hall is a skilled traditional jazz and rhythm and blues pianist who has performed with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dr. John, and the Olympia Brass Band. The Anointed Jackson Sisters, 4/22, GOS, 3:55p: This family band of sisters and one cousin formed as kids in the ‘80s, learning gospel from their singing mother, Betha Jackson. Anthony Brown & group therapy, 4/23, GOS, 2:55p: This Maryland-based gospel artist is known for his intricate vocal arrangements and creative approach to songwriting. Apache Hunters, 5/1, PAR, 2:45p: Big Chief Preston Whitfield leads this Uptownbased Mardi Gras Indian tribe, headquartered at 3rd and LaSalle Streets. Archdiocese of New Orleans Gospel Choir, 4/23, GOS, 1:50p: The Archdiocese represents the largest religious demographic in New Orleans; its choir conflates a tradition of Crescent City Catholicism dating back to 1793. Arlo Guthrie - Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary, 5/1, AM, 2p; BLU, 5:25p: When Guthrie first recorded his massively influential protest piece about the irony of a littering citation preventing him from joining the Army he was celebrated as much for his songwriting genius as he was for his humor and satirical wit. Guthrie, whose father is the folk hero Woody Guthrie, revived the classic for its 40th anniversary, calling into question the goals and methods of the Bush administration and Iraq war. Given Trump’s White House bid, he has plenty of presentday political material to worth with on the 50th anniversary tour. He sits down for an interview with Tom Piazza before his set. Arthur and Friends Community Choir, 4/23, GOS, 12:05p: This New Roads, Louisiana-based gospel choir, founded by Arthur Gremillion, focuses on fostering a spirit of togetherness through music. Arturo Sandoval, 4/30, JAZ, 5:35p: A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and 16 Grammy and Emmy Awards, this Cuba-born trumpeter and composer is among the most influential living Latin jazz artists. Ashé Cultural Arts Center Kuumba Institute, 4/23, KID, 4:10p: This Central City community group brings storytelling, poetry, music, dance, photography and visual art to schools and neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. AsheSon, 4/29, ACU, 11:20a: Local guitarist Javier Olondo leads this ensemble primarily through the songs of his native Cuba while drawing on the traditions of other Latin American countries including Guatemala and Puerto Rico. Astral Project, 4/29, JAZ, 12:25p: The members of this modern jazz quartet— saxophonist Tony Dagradi, guitarist Steve Masakowski, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich—have active musical lives outside of the group, but as Astral Project they evince a rare chemistry that results from playing together for three decades. Audrey Ferguson and The Voices of Distinction, 5/1, GOS, 11:15a: The “traditional foot-stomping, hands-

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clapping gospel” of this Baton Rougebased quartet has been a Jazz Fest regular since before the storm. Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses, 4/29, AM, 2p; ECO, 5:40p: Inspired by Sidney Bechet and Django Reinhardt, singer/saxophonist Nealand is a bright young player whose non-Roses work spans performance art-inspired improvisation and the rockabilly of Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers. Aurora checks in with Michael Tisserand about her latest projects before her set. Aya Takazawa of Japan, 4/22, JAZ, 12:20p: This rising star young trumpeter helmed an all-women’s brass band in Tokyo prior to forming her own quintet; you can also spot her with Ashlin Parker’s Trumpet Mafia. aby Bee, 4/22, LAG, 5:20p: Brothers Joe and David Stark mix New Orleans and Louisiana influences into their bluesy brand of rock; their song “Love Bug” recently appeared on The Walking Dead. Baby Boyz Brass Band, 5/1, PAR, 1:35p: One of the younger brass groups on the second line and festival circuit, Baby Boyz is led by trumpeter Glenn Hall III, kin to the musical Andrews family. Bamboula 2000, 4/30, J&H, 12:30p: Bamboula was originally a form of drum and dance ceremony held on Congo Square. Bamboula 2000 leader Luther Gray brings that spirit into the present with a troupe of players and dancers. The Band Courtbouillon featuring Wayne Toups, Steve Riley, and Wilson Savoy, 5/1, FDD, 1:20p: Three of the scene’s biggest contemporary stars team up on this Grammy-winning Cajun music supergroup. Banu Gibson, 4/28, ECO, 3:05p: Singer/ dancer Gibson, a longtime staple of the New Orleans music scene, specializes in swing, hot jazz and the Great American Songbook. BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, 4/24, FDD, 2:45p: Fiddler Doucet’s venerable Cajun band was the first of its genre to win a Grammy in 1998; their sound draws on eclectic influences ranging far beyond Acadiana, from bluegrass to West African music and more. Beck, 4/30, GEN, 5:30p: After Mellow Gold and Odelay made him a household name in the mid-’90s, this eclectic singer/ songwriter and multi-instrumentalist explored avenues ranging from psychedelic rock to fuzzed out blues to funk and dance music without ever losing his identifiable sense of wit and introspection. Last year, Beck posted a photo of himself in the studio that suggested a follow-up to 2014’s Song Reader could be in the works. Belton Richard & the Musical Aces, 4/24, FDD, 12:20p, AM, 4p: This celebrated Cajun accordionist and silky-voiced baritone singer has recorded a slew of Cajun hits since he founded the Musical Aces in 1959. Richard chats with Barry Ancelet on the Miner Stage after his set. Bernard Allison Group, 4/28, BLU, 5:45p: The son of Chicago blues legend Luther Allison, Bernard Allison follows in his dad’s musical footsteps in many ways, from his choice of six-string axe to his propensity for musical risk-taking.

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JAZZ FEST A-Z The Bester Gospel Singers, 4/29, GOS, 1:50p: A cappella gospel harmonies are the specialty of this Slidell-based group. Better Than Ezra, 4/24, ACU, 1:45p: New Orleans’ long-lived alternative rockers hit in the ’90s with “Desperately Wanting” and remain a strong presence, whether doing philanthropic work in the Bethune Elementary School or celebrating Mardi Gras with their Krewe of Rockus. Betty Winn & One A-Chord, 4/22, GOS, 1:55p: Formed in 1995 by Betty Winn and her husband Thomas, this sprawling choir traces the history of gospel from slave spirituals to new compositions. They perform with as many as 40 singers. Big Chief Bird and the Young Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, J&H, 12:25p: Coming out from the Carrollton section each year since 1995, this tribe is led by Big Chief “Bird.” Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & the Wild Magnolias, 4/30, J&H, 2:55p: Big Chief Bo Dollis, Jr. carries on the legacy of his father, leading the Wild Magnolias’ impassioned, funk-inspired Mardi Gras Indian music. Big Chief Juan & Jockimo’s Groove, 5/1, J&H, 6p: Skillful Golden Comanche Chief Juan Pardo, who grew up with the sounds of elder statesmen Indians like Monk Boudreaux and Bo Dollis, updates classic and original Mardi Gras Indian songs with a mix of funk and R&B. Big Chief Keke & the Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/23, J&H, 11:20a: Big Chief Keith Keke Gibson leads this Ninth Ward gang, performing traditionals like “Indian Red” and Monk Boudreaux’s “Lighting and Thunder.” Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, 4/24, J&H, 5:50p: Boudreaux, who performed for many years alongside Big Chief Bo Dollis in the Wild Magnolias, is one of the most prominent Indian performers and a soulful vocalist; the Golden Eagles’ reggae-heavy performances often get into heady, nearpsychedelic territory. IRMA THOMAS’ favorites Local restaurants: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Two Sisters ‘N Da East, Crescent City Steak House. Jazz Fest: Crawfish Monica by Big River Foods (Food Area II). Big Chief Trouble and the Trouble Nation, 4/30, PAR, 1:30p: This tribe’s Big Chief Markeith Tero also rolls with the Revolution SA&PC. Big Chief Walter Cook & the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians, 4/24, J&H, 12:40p: Widely cited as the oldest masking tribe, this legendary Uptown Indian crew has been documented since the mid-19th Century. Big Freedia, 4/30, CON, 2:20p: The self-professed Queen Diva, who recently released a memoir, put the bounce genre on the map nationally with her quick-fire rhymes, sweat-inducing rhythms and booty-shaking dance moves. Big Nine SA&PC, 4/22, PAR 4:15p: Listen for cries of “way downtown” on the parade from this social aid and pleasure club.

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Big Sam’s Funky Nation, 4/23, GEN, 1p: The charisma of former Dirty Dozen trombonist Sam Williams makes him an able focal point for a musical party that blends brass, Meters-style funk, hip-hop and rock. The band has toured hard and earned a following in the jam-band world. Big Stepper SA&PC, 4/24, PAR, 2:45p: Steppers hold one of the season’s most popular Sunday parades. Bill Summers & Jazalsa, 4/28, J&H, 2:25p: Known for his membership in Los Hombres Calientes and Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, legendary percussionist Summers explores Latin and world music with his Jazalsa band. Black Feathers Mardi Gras Indians, 4/24, PAR, 1:25p: This 7th Ward-based tribe has been masking Indian for more than 20 years. Black Mohawk Mardi Gras Indians, 4/22, PAR, 2:50p: Big Chief Byron Thomas leads this Mardi Gras Indian parade. Black Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians, 4/22, PAR, 1:35p: This popular tribe was led by the Cyril “Big Chief Ironhorse” Green until his unexpected passing in 2013. Blackfoot Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/22, PAR, 2:50p: Big Chief Donald leads this Mardi Gras Indian parade. The Black Lillies, 4/22, FDD, 4:25p: Buzz around Knoxville, Tenn.’s rootsy Americana rock act the Black Lillies has been building steadiuly over the past year, thanks in large part to their new album, Hard to Please. Blodie’s Jazz Jam, 4/23, JAZ, 12:25p: Blodie is better known as Dirty Dozen trumpeter Gregory Davis, whose jamming partners include other members of Dirty Dozen, Trombone Shorty’s Orleans Avenue and other horn men on the Fair Grounds that day. Bobby Cure Band & the New Orleans R&B Revue featuring Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Robert Parker, Sammy Ridgely, and Jo “Cool” Davis, 4/23, GEN, 11:20a: Cure, a longtime local club owner and bandleader, draws most of his influence from New Orleans R&B of the ’50s, as this heavy lineup of stars of that ilk suggests. Bobby Lounge, 5/1, LAG, 5:35p: A one-of-a-kind mix of barrelhouse piano, Tom Waitsian poetics, Southern-gothic storytelling and just plain out-there-ness. Bonerama, 4/29, GEN, 12:35p: What began as a novelty—a multi-trombone band playing jazz, funk and classic rock—has turned into a local and national favorite. Their renditions of rock classics like Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean” and the Grateful Dead-associated “Turn On Your Love Light” are full-tilt affairs. Bonnie Raitt, 5/1, GEN, 4p: Touring in support of her 19th album, Dig In Deep, Raitt’s evocative slide guitar playing, soulful, country-laced vocals and songwriting prowess continue to make her live shows as moving as they are fun, a fact to which her longtime pal and frequent collaborator Jon Cleary can attest. Boz Scaggs, 4/23, BLU, 5:40p: After leaving the Steve Miller Band, Scaggs came into his own as a singer, songwriter and guitarist with the hit ballads and mellow rockers on albums like 1976’s Silk Degrees. JAZZ FEST 2 016

JAZZ FEST A-Z His latest, A Fool To Care, sees the blue-eyedsoulster hitting a high note with New Orleans R&B, Philly soul and a little old-school country. Brandi Carlile, 4/28, GEN, 3:40p: Seattle-based singer/songwriter Carlile returned to music following a three-year break with the The Firewatcher’s Daughter, the most rock-oriented—and possibly the most challenging—album of her career. A mix of stripped-down acoustics and personal writing from Carlile and her collaborators, Phil and Tim Hanseroth cast her powerful sound in a different light. Brass-A-Holics, 5/1, CON, 11:15a: Formed by ex-Soul Rebels trombonist Winston Turner, this band created its own genre of “go-go brass funk,” combining New Orleans music elements with the strong grooves of Washington DC’s go-go scene. bredda “DAVID” & Tribal Vibes of Belize, 4/30, BEL, 1:10p, 5:30p; 5/1, BEL, 1:50p, 4:25p: This revolutionary Belizan artist and bandleader mixes African drum rhythms with his country’s form of Creole music to create a mix he calls “Kunga Muzik.” The band features a combination of acoustic percussion and electric guitars and keys. The Breton Sound, 4/28, LAG, 5:30p: Two guitars and an affection for ’90s acts like Weezer and Foo Fighters fuel this local poprock outfit, who released the EP Don’t Be Afriad of Rock ‘n Roll, Vol. 1, last year. Bria Skonberg, 4/22, AM, 2:30p; ECO, 4:15p: Rising star trumpeter and singer Skonberg’s warm tone and penchant for experimentation within the traditional jazz idiom has helped her amass a growing following of musical heavyweights like Wynton Marsalis in her adopted hometown of New York, where the Canadian-born Armstrong devotee co-produces the Hot Jazz Festival. She sits down with Jennifer Odell for an interview before her set. Brian Quezergue, 4/23, JAZ, 11:15a: An alumnus of his father, Wardell Quezergue’s band, as well as the esteemed music programs at UNO, Southern and NOCCA, this electric bass player has the chops and creativity to expand perceptions of modern jazz beyond genre boundaries. Brother Tyrone & the Mindbenders, 5/1, BLU, 11:20a: Tyrone Pollard, a.k.a. Brother Tyrone, is a deep-soul vocalist whose original songs could pass for long-lost vinyl tracks. BIG FREEDIA’s favorites Local restaurants: Neyow’s Creole Café, Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant, New Orleans Food & Spirits. Jazz Fest: Jambalaya by Wally Taillon (Food Area II) Brothers Osborne, 4/23, FDD, 4:35p: There’s a warm, indie rock vibe and a liberal perspective in the music by singer TJ Osborne guitarist Dave Osborne that makes this sibling-fueled duo’s take on contemporary country refreshing. Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, 4/28, FDD, 2:55p: A New Orleans-reared Cajun, this self-taught accordion player has hosted the Sunday Cajun session at Tipitina’s for decades and the Maple Leaf before that. Buckwheat Zydeco, 4/22, ACU, 2:05p: Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural has lately been

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returning to the pounding Hammond organ of his early R&B days, along with accordion-driven zydeco. His YouTube series, Buckwheat’s World, sheds light on his work and life in Southeastern Louisiana. Buddy Guy, 4/30, BLU, 5:40p: Equal parts fire and soul fuel of this Louisiana-born guitar icon, whose sound influenced key generations of both rock and the blues. His latest album, the Chicago-meets Southern blues styled Born To Play Guitar added another Grammy to his extensive collection. Buffalo Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/1, PAR, 12:15p: The Buffalo Hunters tribe is led by Big Chief Spoon. Buffy Sainte-Marie, 4/28, AM, 2:30p; FDD, 4:25p: Folk legend Buffy Ste. Marie continues to carry her long-lit anti-war torch on her Polaris Prize winning 2015 album, Power in the Blood, which also takes on issues ranging from GMOs and corporate greed to love. The Sesame Street alum’s early use of electronic technology in music shines through her latest work, too. She sits down with OffBeat’s Backtalk interviewer Alison Fensterstock for an interview before her set. .J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, 4/29, FDD, 6:10p: Zydeco king Clifton Chenier’s son has long emerged as a bandleader in his own right. His latest album, Can’t Sit Down has a killer version of Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands.” The Caesar Brothers Funkbox, 4/22, J&H, 5:45p: Solid, Uptown funk from keyboardist and drummer Norman and Rickey Caesar, whose musical family members include an assortment of Nevilles. Cameron Dupuy & the Cajun Troubadours, 4/23, LAG, 4:15p: Born in New Orleans, this young accordionist evacuated during Hurricane Katrina to Lafayette, where he fell further in love with the Cajun music his dad, Michael Dupuy, exposed him to as a child. Once he picked up the accordion, he won a slew of local performance contests and fans before playing Jazz Fest for the first time at age 14. Carlos Vives, 4/24, CON, 3:50p: Colombian pop music pioneer and former soap star Carlos Vives sings with a clear, smooth tone, while his band punches things up with elements of traditional Colombian music. Cary Hudson & the Piney Woods Players, 4/29, LAG, 3p: This Mississippi-born New Orleans based guitarist and singer/ songwriter co-founded the influential alt-country band Blue Mountain before launching a successful solo career that landed his music in movies like Up In the Air. His new backing crew, the Piney Woods Players, adds fiddle bass and vocals to the mix. Cash Box Kings, 4/29, BLU, 2:55p: The postwar sounds of Chicago and Memphis blues plus a dose of ’20s and ’30s Delta blues anchor the output of this Windy City-based five-piece. CeCe Winans, 4/24, GOS, 3:50p: Since Winans launched her solo career in the mid’90s, she’s become the best-selling female gospel singer of all time, an author, talk show host, actress and speaker. Her Fest set brings her back to her roots. Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, 4/30, FDD, 12:25p: A popular young fiddler,

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JAZZ FEST A-Z accordionist and singer, this four-time Grammy nominee boasts equal parts star power and skill; his influences range from Creole and Cajun to West African music and beyond. Cha Wa featuring Papa Mali, 4/23, J&H, 4:15p: Mardi Gras Indian singer Eric “Yettii” Boudreaux (Monk Boudreaux’s brother) formed this band to fuse Indian chants with blues. They’re joined by singer, guitarist and producer Papa Mali, and alum of the 7 Walkers with Bill Kreutzmann, George Porter, Jr. and Robert Hunter. Charmaine Neville Band, 5/1, ACU, 11:10a: An exuberant jazz singer whose influences run the gamut of New Orleans music styles, Neville has long been a staple of the city’s scene, particularly at Snug Harbor. Cheyenne Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, PAR, 3:30p: This Mardi Gras Indian tribe takes its name after one of the most famous tribes of the Great Plains. Chosen Vessels Dance and Performing Arts, 4/22, KID, 4:10p: Kristy Lewis leads this local school and company specializing in theater arts and a mix of lyrical, modern, jazz, ballet and hip-hop dance styles. Chris Botti, 5/1, JAZ, 5:40p: Straddling the worlds of pop and jazz, Botti built a strong rep in both genres courtesy of his clarion trumpet tone and knack for choosing strong sidemen and women , with whom he shares a good deal of the spotlight during live shows. Chris Clifton & His Allstars, 4/22, ECO, 11:20a: Trumpeter Clifton met and had an association with Louis Armstrong, playing with the great trumpeter’s second wife Lil Hardin. He still honors the traditional sounds of Satchmo. Chris Severin, 4/28, JAZ, 12:30p: Local bassist Severin is adept in genres ranging from blues to jazz to funk. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Presents Stretch Music, 4/22, JAZ, 5:45p: After establishing his career in New York, this talented trumpet and flugelhorn player returned to his hometown of New Orleans, where he’s continued to wow audiences with inventive compositions, dizzying chops and an eye for great sidemen and women. Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, 4/22, FDD, 1:35p: This thirdgeneration bandleader won the last Best Zydeco or Cajun Album Grammy for Zydeco Junkie in 2010. He teamed up with Chris Ardoin for his latest album, Back To My Roots. The City of Love Music & Worship Arts Choir, 5/1, GOS, 2p: Singers from New Orleans’ City of Love ministry perform as part of the group’s arts focus. Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders with Butch Thompson, 4/22. ECO, 1:45p: Known for their lively interpretations of old New Orleans classics by Armstrong, Kid Ory, and others, the members of the Serenaders have played together in various musical contexts since the ’60s. Cole Williams Band, 4/29, CON, 11:20a: This soul and rock-loving Pimps of Joytime alum sings, writes, plays piano and percussion, teaches music and, since relocating from Brooklyn to New Orleans in 2015, volunteers as a DJ on WWOZ. Colin Lake, 4/28, ACU, 11:20a: With a soulful voice and innovative use of the lap-

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JAZZ FEST A-Z slide guitar, Colin Lake puts on a captivating blues/roots show. Confetti Park Players, 4/23, KID, 12:40p: Katy Hobgood Ray leads this Algiers-based children’s choir, which studies original songwriting in addition to music basics. Connie & Dwight Fitch with St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great Choir, 4/22, GOS, 1p: Seventh Ward couple Connie and Dwight Fitch have done romantic R&B as well as gospel; she has sung in the past with Ray Charles and Dr. John. Connie Jones & the Crescent City Jazz Band, 4/23, ECO, 12:25p: As a teenager, Connie Jones played trumpet in the Basin Street 6 with a young Pete Fountain. He later toured with Jack Teagarden’s last band before rejoining Fountain’s group in the late ’60s. Corey Harris Band, 4/28, BLU, 4:15p: Long before he won a MacArthur Fellowship for his original and eclectic approach to the blues, this singer and guitarist began his music career in the streets of New Orleans. He’s known for borrowing from reggae, West African music and jazz in his compositions. Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band, 4/24, 1:30p: Ledet was already two years into his music career when he switched from drums to accordion at age 12. His 2013 release Destiny saw him exploring new musical terrain both in his singing and song choice. Herman Fuselier interviews Ledet after his set.

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Cowboy Mouth, 4/22, GEN, 1:35p: Singer/drummer Fred LeBlanc and guitarist John Thomas Griffith have led this anthemic rock band through a few lineups and any number of full-tilt live shows. Craig Adams & Higher Dimensions of Praise, 5/1, GOS, 6p: Hammond player and Houston/New Orleans native Adams leads this dynamic, 16-piece gospel group. Creole Osceola Mardi Gras Indians, 4/23, PAR, 2:40p: Big Chief Clarence Dalcour, who counts Bo Dollis as an early Indian mentor, leads this downtown tribe. Creole String Beans with special guest T.K. Hulin, 4/29, FDD, 1:10p: Fronted by photographer Rick Olivier and featuring former Iguanas and Cowboy Mouth members, the Creole String Beans began as a “Y’at cover band” doing vintage local gems, and moved on to write similarlystyled originals. The addition of singer Hulin likely means the Beans will favor swamp pop for this performance. Crescent City Lights Youth Theater, 5/1, KID, 4:10p: With performers aged 9 to 16, this group performs each summer at Gallier Hall in downtown New Orleans. In 2012, they won Most Outstanding Achievement in Acting at the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta. Culu Children’s Traditional African Dance Company with Stilt Walkers, 5/1, KID, 5:15p: Founded in 1988, this New Orleans-based company has toured the US and performed for Winnie Mandela. Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, 4/24, FDD, 11:15a: After getting his start as a

drummer with Cajun country music stars like Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, Taylor siwtched to accordion and launched a successful career as a bandleader. His blues-infused sound is a staple on the Lafayette and Opelousas zydeco scenes. Curtis Pierre & the Samba Kids, 4/30, KID, 5:15p: The self-professed “samba king of New Orleans” leads the Afro-Brazilian troupe he founded in 1987 on a series of parades and performances. Cynthia Girtley “New Orleans Gospel Diva,” 4/30, KID, 5:15p: This jazz-inspired singer/keyboardist is influenced by Mahalia Jackson, for whom she’s performed tributes. Cyril Neville & SwampFunk, 4/28, CON, 2:45p: In addition to stints playing with the Meters and the Neville Brothers, reggae-loving percussionist and singer Cyril has helmed funk outfit the Uptown Allstars and conducted a successful solo career. Cyril Neville’s Royal Southern Brotherhood, 4/30, BLU, 1:10p: Funk and blues both figure as prominently as rock in Neville’s popular five-piece; for their forthcoming, Fame Studio-recorded album, Don’t Look Back: The Muscle Shoals Sessions, the band added guitarists Bart Walker and Tyrone Vaughan. a Knockas Brass Band, 4/28, PAR, 4:40p: Formed in 2014, this eight-piece act plays contemporary brass band music, traditional New Orleans jazz and go-go funk. Da Truth Brass Band, 4/30, PAR, 2:40p: Da Truth’s high-energy, tight renditions of New Orleans second line

classics and originals have made them one of the best new brass bands in the streets on Sundays. Darcy Malone & the Tangle, 4/23, LAG, 12:35p: Led by the daughter of the Radiators’ Dave Malone, husband-and-wife team Darcy Malone and Christopher Boye blend their tastes for soul and indie rock on their new release, Still Life, which landed in March. Dave Jordan & the NIA, 4/28, LAG, 1:50p: Alum of the funk band Juice, this guitarist and songwriter has been finetuning the mellow rock sound and malleable lineup of his Neighborhood Improvement Association band for the past year or so. Davell Crawford, 5/1, GEN, 11:25a: Grandson of the late New Orleans R&B great James “Sugarboy” Crawford, Davell is an energetic keyboardist and soulful singer whose repertoire draws on R&B, jazz and gospel. David & Roselyn, 4/29, KID, 4:10p: In addition to being a longtime fixture on the French Quarter music scene, local duo David Leonard and Roselyn Lionheart have performed their traditional jazz and blues mix on the Smithsonian Institute’s PBS “River of Song” documentary. Deacon John’s Jump Blues, 4/30, ACU, 11:20a: The singer/guitarist’s long history in New Orleans music includes leading the band at debutante balls, performing at the Dew Drop Inn and playing on some of the city’s classic records including Aaron Neville’s “Tell It Like It Is” and Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother-In-Law.”

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photo: bob adamek

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Big Chief Victor Harris FI YI YI & THE MANDINGO WARRIORS THURSDAY, APRIL 28—JAZZ & HERITAGE STAGE, 5 P.M.

ame as every year for the past half-century, Big Chief Victor Harris’ Mardi Gras Indian suit for 2016 is entirely homemade, with each bead stitched on individually by hand. “Even if they come from the store on a string, I break it and sew them on one by one.” The intricate designs, set against a backdrop of brilliant pink, are spellbinding, but as Harris explained, “I have no idea of anything until I start. I just sew, I sew, I keep sewing—wherever the spirit moves me. I don’t sew the same pieces, I sew different pieces. And then I start playing puzzle with them.” Masking for a half-century is a rare distinction, one that puts Harris up there with his own former chief, Big Chief Tootie Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas, who had masked for 52 years at the time of his death in 2005. “Not many do fifty years of masking Mardi Gras Indian, and I’m honored to sit at the table with my Big Chief,” Harris said. “He’s a great man, a great artist, a great leader. He was my trailblazer, he’s my hero, and he’s my legend.” In the years since Harris’ time with Yellow Pocahontas, he’s become a great spiritual leader in his own right. As he notes, though, sometimes things of great beauty can only come out of great suffering. “That’s a story, how that Spirit of Fi Yi Yi finally

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came to be…” he began, relating the tale of a misunderstanding back in the sixties that led to his exile from the Yellow Pocahontas tribe. The profound sense of social isolation he felt in the aftermath was one of the greatest hardships he’s faced. “I had to pray, I had to pray to the Lord, because in that situation, I was truly lost.” The wounds in his community healed with time, but Harris says the suffering and self-reckoning he went through gave him a newfound purpose as a healer and community leader. As one of the only Indians to mask and come out for the Mardi Gras immediately following Katrina, he was an immense symbol of hope for the countless people trying to get back home. His celebrated tribe of “Mandingo Warriors” is very rooted in African tradition and centers around the notion of “a fiery spirit, a healing spirit for the people” that imbues Harris’ music, his beadwork, and his role as a community pillar. “If all that hadn’t have happened, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m satisfied. This is what I do,” Harris said, gesturing at his 51st suit. “This is what I present to the community. This is medicine for the people.” It’s an invaluable medicine, and the community awaits suit 52. —Laura DeFazio www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z Deak Harp, 4/24, BLU, 11:15a: A protégé of James Cotton, this harmonica player performs a mix of Mississippi and Chicago blues; he also makes custom harmonicas at his store in Clarksdale, Miss. Dédé Saint-Prix Band of Martinique, 4/24, CON, 2:10p: This skilled saxophonist, flautist, percussionist, singer and composer brings his deep knowledge of the history of Chouval Bwa music into play when he performs. The New York Times has said he inspires the kind of “euphoria … only the best dance music [can invoke].” DeJohnette - Coltrane - Garrison, 4/23, AM, 2:15p, JAZ, 4:05p: After touring together on and off for years, drumming legend/ NEA Jazz Master DeJohnette, along with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and bassist Matt Garrison recorded an eponymous debut album for ECM, out this spring. The collaboration reflects some of DeJohnette’s previous work with his colleagues’ famous fathers, John Coltrane and Jimmy Garrison. Michael Gourrier interviews DeJohnette before the set. Delgado Community College Jazz Ensemble, 4/28, LAG, 11:25a: This modern jazz and big band-focused student ensemble hails from the emerging music program at the city’s largest community college. Derek Douget, 4/29, JAZ, 11:20a: Tenor saxophinist Douget performs with a widfe variety of top-notch New Orleans and New York-based artists and handles musical director responsibilities for the NOJO Jam performances. Here, he leads his own ensemble. JOHN BOUTTE’s favorites Local restaurants: Bayona, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, Café Degas. Jazz Fest: Sausage Po-Boy by Vaucresson’s Sausage Co. (Food Area I) The Deslondes, 4/22, FDD, 12:25p; AM, 4:30p: Formerly the Tumbleweeds, this earthy songwriters ensemble describes itself as “country-soul swamp boogie;” the band’s leader is Sam Doores, a former traveler and companion of Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Lee Segarra. Three players share composing duties; fiddle and pedal steel player John James is also a standout. John Swenson interviews Doores and Riley Downing on the Miner Stage before their set. Dillard University’s VisionQuest Gospel Chorale, 4/28, GOS, 5:55p: This choir’s homebase is the religious life department at Dillard, a local historically black liberal arts college that dates back to 1869. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, 4/29, ACU, 1:45p: This band was formed in 1977 by Benny Jones and introduced bebop and funk into the brass band sound; they’ve continued to evolve since then. Divine Ladies SA&PC, 4/23, PAR, 4p: This Uptown social aid and pleasure club’s annual parades generally kick off in serious style on St. Charles and Jackson Avenues. DJ Captain Charles, 5/1, CON, 2:45 and 4:50p: The self-proclaimed “most renowned DJ in New Orleans,” Captain Charles has been fortifying his music collection for more than 20 years. DJ RQ Away, 4/23, CON, 4:55p: With musical tastes spanning an array of genres

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ranging from old school hip-hop to new R&B to pop, this DJ and producer has a knack for combining unexpected sounds on his mixtapes. He recently served as the house DJ for Exhibit Be and Solange Knowles’ Prospect 3 “Amen Amen” party. The Doghill Stompers, 4/28, FDD, 11:15a: Comprised of the legendary Boozoo Chavis’ grandsons, this zydeco outfit performs a mix of originals and Boozoo classics. The Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music Band, 5/1, LAG, 11:30a: Students from this Kidd Jordan-directed, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation sponsored free music program. Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders, 4/24, ECO, 5:35p: An eclectic banjo player and singe, Vappie has made a career of exploring his Creole heritage through music, whether it’s traditional jazz, island music, or with Otis Taylor, Keb’ Mo’, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Corey Harris as part of the Black Banjo Project. Donald Harrison, Jr., 4/22, CON, 3:35p: Saxophonist Harrison is a New Orleans Renaissance man who has explored reggae, funk and Mardi Gras Indian music through the filter of jazz; his last CD, This is Jazz, is a trio set with Billy Cobham and Ron Carter. Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, 4/22, ECO, 12:30p: Clarinetist Doreen Ketchens and her band perform traditional New Orleans jazz all over the world, and have played for Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton. Dr. Brice Miller & Mahogany Brass Band, 4/22, ECO, 12:30p: Trumpeter and ethnomusicologist Miller leads this long-running traditional New Orleans jazz ensemble, his go-to band when he’s not delving into other pursuits like avant-garde jazz and electronic music. Dr. John & the Nite Trippers, 4/22, ECO, 12:30p: New Orleans piano icon Dr. John infuses his funky, mystical style into the music of Louis Armstrong; his recent Satchmo tribute album featured a host of big-name guests. Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band featuring Thais Clark, 4/24, ECO, 2:55p: Clarinetist and jazz scholar White frequently fuses traditional and modern styles in his Liberty Jazz band. He recently produced an album’s worth of new recordings tracing the history of modern New Orleans brass band music for Smithsonian Folkways. Clark, his regular Jazz Fest guest, adds a vocal component to the set. Driskill Mountain Boys, 4/22, LAG, 2:20p: Hailing from Denham Springs, La., this five-man act performs old-school bluegrass and country music; they’re known for peppering their sets with jokes and charm. Dumaine Street Gang, 4/23, PAR, 4p: The Treme-based Dumaine Street Gang Social Aid and Pleasure Club hits the Sixth Ward’s hottest spots during its annual parade. Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, 4/22, FDD, 6p: This secondgeneration accordion slinger carries on the blues-infused style of his dad Dopsie Sr., often with a whole lot of added speed and volume. The Dynamic Smooth Family Gospel Singers of Slidell, 4/29, GOS, 1:50p: Evangelist Rosa Lee Smooth founded

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JAZZ FEST A-Z this gospel group three decades ago, he daughter Cynthia Smooth Plummer now leads the group. They perform this set with Slidell’s Bester Singers. ’Dana and Divinely Destin, 4/30, GOS, 2:50p: Gospel singer and stage actress E’Dana has been touring and recording since she was 15. She hits the Fairgrounds with her Louisianabased group, Divinely Destin. Ed Volker’s Quintet Narcosis, 4/24, LAG, 2:35p: The former Radiators keyboardist remains a fine and prolific songwriter. These days he usually performs acoustically with sax and percussion, still doing many of the trademark Rads tunes. Eleanor McMain “Singing Mustangs,” 4/28, GOS, 11:20a: The McMain Secondary School Gospel Choir, a.k.a. the McMain Singing Mustangs, return for their seventh Jazz Fest performance under the guidance of Clyde Lawrence. The Electrifying Crown Seekers, 4/24, GOS, 12p: Keep an ear peeled for this Marrero, LA-based group’s rendition of “Walk Around Heaven,” featuring a soloist whose falsetto voice won’t preclude him from topping out on the tune’s highestregister notes. Elle King, 4/24, GEN, 3:45p: Last year, this singer, guitarist and banjo player with a penchant for rocking out released her debut, Love Stuff, which quickly rose to number one on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart and earned her two Grammy nods. Ellis Marsalis, 5/1, JAZ, 1:35p: The legendary modern jazz pianist and patriarch

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of the Marsalis family still holds court Friday nights at Snug Harbor; he recently recorded The Last Southern Gentlemen, his first full-length album with his son, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. Elvin Bishop, 4/29, BLU, 5:35p: Multiple genre influences and a strong sense of humor fuel this veteran guitarist’s original tunes. On his latest album, Can’t Even Do Wrong Right Bishop backs up his lighthearted approach to storytelling with plenty of hard-hitting slide guitar work. Elvis Costello & the Imposters 4/28, GEN, 5:30p: The prolific singer, songwriter, orchestrator and producer returns to New Orleans with his post-Attractions outfit for the first time since helping to memorialize his late friend and collaborator, Allen Toussaint, at the Orpheum. Recent performances have featured tunes from all four decades of his massively influential career, which he detailed in the new memoir, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink. Eric Lindell, 4/22, BLU, 1:25p: Once a California skate-punk, Lindell had more success as a blue-eyed soul and bluesman after moving to New Orleans. His tight backing band explores the slightly countryinfluenced edges of Louisiana roots rock on albums such as his new one, Matters of the Heart. Erik McAllister and the NOCCA Mime Troupe, 5/1, KID, 12:40p: Students mimes from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts get trapped in an invisible box. Kidding … these talented kids prove there’s a lot more to miming than you think.

amily Ties Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 4/23, PAR, 4p: This popular Social Aid and Pleasure Club is based downtown, generally strutting down Basin Street on its annual Sunday parade. Feufollet, 4/29, FDD, 11:10a: This Grammy-nominated crew of young Cajun musicians helmed by Chris Stafford recently expanded their sound by adding violinist, singer and songwriter, Kelli Jones-Savoy, who co-wrote much of their latest release, Two Universes, and keyboardist Andrew Toups. Fi Yi Yi & the Mandingo Warriors, 4/28, J&H, 5p: The Fi Yi Yi tribe of Mardi Gras Indians uses African instead of the traditional American Indian themes. Big Chief Victor Harris marched for 25 years with legendary Indian Tootie Montana. First Baptist Church of Vacherie Mass Choir, 4/30, GOS, 11:15a: Minister of Music Joseph B. Warrick leads this Vacherie, La., based gospel choir whose homebase is the town’s First Baptist Church, which dates back to 1866. First Division SA&PC, 4/24, PAR, 4p: An esteemed branch of the historic Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association. First Emanuel Baptist Church Mass Choir, 4/30, GOS, 6:05p: This choir is based in the Central City church on Carondelet Street and is one of New Orleans’ most celebrated church singing groups. Flaming Arrow Mardi Gras Indians, 4/23, PAR, 2:40p: Singer and Big Chief Kevin Goodman, who’s called Austin home since evacuating during Hurricane Katrina, leads this tribe and stage band.

Flo Rida, 4/28, CON, 5:50p: Rapper Flo Rida earned his club cred with the 2008 hit single, “Low,” though he’d been touring as a hype man for a member of 2 Live Crew and making his own mixtapes for years prior to that. He released the EP My House last April; his latest single “Hello Friday,” featuring Jason Derulo dropped in February. Florencio Mess, Maya Harp Master, 4/28, BEL, 2:20p: This Maya K’ekchi’ harp music master is said to be one of the few artists in the world still performing the music form his ancestors created. He also handcrafts wooden harps, violins and guitars in his native Belize. Ivan Duran interviews him on the Miner Heritage Stage April 30. Flow Tribe, 4/22, GEN, 12:20p: “Backbone cracking music” is the chosen genre of this party-friendly funk/rock band, which adds Red Hot Chili Peppers and hip-hop to the Meters on its list of funk influences. Free Agents Brass Band, 4/28, J&H, 5:55p: Bass drummer Ellis Joseph formed this band in September 2005 with other musicians who’d returned to New Orleans after Katrina before their regular bands did; don’t miss their moving hit, “Made It Through the Water,” a modern riff on the spiritual “Wade In the Water.” The Furious Five SA&PC, 4/24, PAR, 2:45p: This acclaimed division of the Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association is largely credited with changing the dance style of the SA&PC community’s annual parades, although its members look to Rebirth for providing the music that inspired them to innovate.

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.G. Shin the King of Swamp Pop: 5/1, FDD, 12p, AM, 3p: Swamp pop elder statesman and trumpeter Shin started singing for the Boogie Kings with Jerry LaCroix in the mid-’60s. Their acclaimed tandem sound became a key force in the development of the genre’s sound before and after Shin left the band to form his own group. He sits down with David Kunian for an interview after the Revue. Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, 4/23, FDD, 12:20p: Big-voiced Maryland native Vanessa Niemann fronts one of the city’s leading Western swing bands, which plays originals, honky-tonk favorites, and less obvious choices like Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” Galactic, 4/23, FDD, 12:20p: Brass band elements, old-school soul and hard rock figure as prominently as the funk these longrunning jamband scene stalwarts are known for; their high-energy Fest sets often feature a little percussion lagniappe in the form of Mike Dillon. The Garifuna Collective, 4/23, BEL, 2:55p, 4/24, 2:50p, 5p: Almost since its inception, the world music community has celebrated this Belizean ensemble, which was fronted by punta guitarist and UNESCO Artist for Peace Andy Palacio prior to his unexpected death in 2008. Garifuna Generation of New Orleans, 4/24, J&H, 2:50p: Playing the drum and percussion-centric Garifuna music of their native Honduran community. Bandleader Santos Bermudez focuses on the punta

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JAZZ FEST A-Z style, which is, appropriately, the form of Garifuna music and dance associated with celebrations and festivals. Gary Clark Jr., 4/28, ACU, 3p: This fiery young blues guitar rocker has been heralded as the next great voice in his genre. His latest is The Story of Sonny Boy Slim. Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, 4/28, BLU, 1:30p: Originally the drummer in his late father John Delafose’s band, Geno took to accordion and became a popular bandleader specializing in country-styled zydeco, when not raising horses and cattle at his Double D Ranch outside Eunice, LA. DAVE JORDAN’s favorites Local restaurants: Liuzza’s by the Track, El Gato Negro, Seither’s Seafood. Jazz Fest: Sausage Po-Boy by Vaucresson’s Sausage Co. (Food Area I) George French & the New Orleans Storyville Jazz Band, 5/1, ECO, 3p: As a bassist, French played on some landmark ’60s sessions with Earl King, Red Tyler and Robert Parker. As a vocalist, he brings a silky touch to jazz and blues standards. George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, 4/28, ACU, 12:20p: As a founding Meter and a jamming partner to just about everybody, bassist Porter is one of the cornerstones of New Orleans funk. The band’s latest disc Can’t Beat the Funk applies fresh spins lesser-known nuggets from the Meters catalogue.

Gerald French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, 4/28, ECO, 4:20p: The late drummer and colorful WWOZ personality Bob French led this band for 34 years, schooling young talents like Shamarr Allen and Kid Chocolate. When he retired from the band French passed the torch to his nephew Gerald, also a drummer. Geri Allen: The Errol Garner Jazz Project, 4/22, JAZ, 4:10p: Boasting compositions and piano work that have earned her a Guggenheim Fellowship, Allen studied under Marcus Belgrave in Detroit before finding her path to international renown in the ‘80s. Here, she revisits Erroll Garner’s Concert By the Sea. Germaine Bazzle, 4/30, JAZ, 1:35p: This locally prized jazz singer can caress a ballad or scat-sing an up-tempo number with the best. Her history includes a stint playing bass on Bourbon Street with Alvin “Red” Tyler; both OffBeat and the Jazz Journalism Association recently praised her 50-plus-year work in music education with awards. Geronimo Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 3:05p: The Geronimo Hunters count Jeremy Lacen, Tuba Fats’ nephew, and Big Queen Keshia Holmes among its members. Glen David Andrews and the Treme Choir, 4/23, GOS, 4:10p: This singer/ trombonist, cousin of Troy and James Andrews, is a brass traditionalist and a testifying R&B vocalist who honed his entertaining chops in Jackson Square. His

album Redemption was named by OffBeat Magazine the number one album of 2014. Here, he explores his gospel roots with a full choir. Glen David Andrews Band, 4/23, BLU, 2:30p: Andrews (see above), performs material from his go-to repertoire. Go Getters Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 4/22, PAR, 4:15p: A parading branch of the Krewe of Zulu. Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 3:05p: One of the most in-demand young Indian vocalists, Big Chief Juan Pardo, leads this uptown Indian tribe. Golden Sioux Mardi Gras Indians, 4/22, PAR, 1:35p: Mardi Gras Indian parade. Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys, 4/22, FDD, 11:15a, AM, 1:30p: This accordion and fiddle-centric band, formed in 1946, plays a form of music called Creole La La, an early American roots style that became one of the components of zydeco. He sits down with Darrell Bourque for an interview after his set. The Gospel Inspirations of Boutte, 4/29, GOS, 11:15a: These Gospel Tent regulars, formed in 1979 by David Diggs Jr. and Kevin Drake, perform music of the spirit. Not related to the local Boutte singing family, the ensemble’s name derives from their hometown of Boutte, LA. The Gospel Soul of Irma Thomas, 5/1, GOS, 4:05p: If you heard 1993’s Walk Around Heaven, you know how stirring Thomas can be as a gospel singer. She

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photo: golden g. richard, III

FEST FEST FOCUS JAZZ A-Z

Marlon Jordan MARLON JORDAN PLAYS THE MUSIC OF MILES, TRANE AND BIRD THURSDAY, APRIL 28—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ STAGE, 1:40 P.M.

ew Orleans trumpeter Marlon Jordan is quite familiar with the Jazz Fest audience; he has performed in front of it consistently over the past 30 years. Yet his presence on the music scene since his last record released in 2005 has been somewhat scarce. Jordan’s relative absence from the spotlight in the years following Katrina shouldn’t be mistaken for a time of leisure and recreation. The trumpeter has been perfecting his technique and writing music with a purposeful devotion that he is not shy to boast about. “This is going to be a new beginning for me. Everything is right technically and spiritually. I’m there. I’ve never felt like this before,” Jordan says. “I always loved music, but now I have a passion for it. I can’t put the horn down, and I don’t know why. I am a trumpet player, but it’s not feeling like work anymore. I have to have it.” Jordan, a member of one of the most prominent families of musicians in New Orleans— he’s the son of avant-garde saxophonist Kidd Jordan and classical pianist Edvidge Jordan— has his eyes set on developing a new sense of identity in his music. “You have to spend time with your instrument to develop your voice,” he says. “That takes life experiences and time, and going through ups and downs, in order to appreciate it. And it all gets into the music.”

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With the perspective of resurfacing with a new record that showcases the work he’s put into mastering his instruments over his years away from the scene, Jordan references the resilience of his idols and their approach to practicing. He is fascinated with the stories of Coltrane practicing scales inbetween sets at gigs, and of Charlie Parker working on his instrument for some 14 hours a day. The inspiration he finds in those musicians’ stories, lives and music will be on display in his upcoming Jazz Fest set on April 28 under the Jazz Tent, where he will be surrounded by experienced local musicians Jesse McBride on piano, drummer Adonis Rose and bassist Chris Severin. The group is expected to play the music of Coltrane, Bird and Miles Davis. Davis had a significant impact on Jordan’s play, career and outlook on music when he invited the young New Orleans trumpeter on tour in the late 1980s, a time when young New Orleans trumpet players like his predecessors Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard were in high demand. But today, Jordan feels far from his 18-year-old self who signed a major record deal in 1988. “I didn’t know what was going on, I was in the moment. I was just doing what I had to do,” he says. “Now I’ll play something totally different, I don’t know what it is, but it just has to come out.” —Noe Cugny www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z has a personal rule against singing gospel during a secular set, but her sacred side feeds into everything the Soul Queen of New Orleans sings. Gov’t Mule, 4/22, GEN, 5:25p: Allman Brothers alums Warren Haynes and Allen Woody anchored this psych-tinged Southern rock juggernaut in the ’90s, engineering the band’s reputation for hard rocking live shows and a deep blues feel. The GRÏD featuring Nesby Phips, 4/28, CON, 11:10a: Drummer AJ Hall leads this ‘90s hip-hop-inspired act featuring Mahalia Jackson’s great nephew Phips. Grace Potter, 4/22, GEN, 3:20p: With the release of her 2015 solo project, Midnight, guitarist, keyboardist and singer Potter’s alternately fire-stoked and tender voice breaks free of the Nocturnals’ roots rock, exploring more elements of pop without giving up the soulful energy her original band seemed to give her. Gray Hawk presents Native American Lore, 4/28, KID, 12:40p: This Houma, LA resident shares stories from his Choctaw heritage. Gregg Stafford & His Young Tuxedo Brass Band, 4/23, ECO, 1:35p: Trumpeter Stafford made his Bourbon Street performing debut in 1970; he has led the Young Tuxedo Brass Band for nearly three decades. Gregg Stafford’s Jazz Hounds, 5/1, ECO, 1:45p: Stafford’s other traditional New Orleans jazz ensemble, the Jazz Hounds, have been under his direction since the death of Danny Barker in 1984. Gregory Porter, 4/30, JAZ, 4:05p: Dubbed the best new voice in jazz by multiple music news outlets, Porter’s soulfully delivered originals take cues from the blues, gospel and R&B as well as jazz. After four Grammy nominations in three albums, Porter won his first golden statue for Liquid Spirit. His latest album, Take Me To the Alley, arrives May 6. Guitar Masters featuring John Rankin, Jimmy Robinson, and Cranston Clements, 4/22, LAG, 3:45p: This summit of innovative guitarists explores a wide range of genres, from jazz to Celtic to rock, putting their own spin on tunes by the Beatles, Jobim and more. ardhead Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/1, J&H, 1:50p: This Mardi Gras Indian tribe hails from the 7th Ward. Harold Holloway & Co., 4/22, GOS, 2:50p: Harold Holloway, Willie Henderson, Tim Parker and Richard Phillips comprise this soulful contemporary gospel harmony quartet. The Hawkins Family, 4/28, GOS, 5p: TJ Hawkins founded this Bastrop, La.-based gospel quartet. Their latest album is Eternal Life. Heads of State featuring Gary Bartz, Larry Willis, Al Foster, and George Mraz, 5/1, JAZ, 4:05p: Multi-reedist Bartz has been playing a mix of hard bop, soul and avante garde jazz for nearly six decades. His resume includes work with McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messemngers. Here, he performs with a crew of similarly seasoned bop veterans including Willis on piano, Mraz on bass and Foster on drums.

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Helen Gillet, 4/28, LAG, 3:05p: Buoyed by creative cello music rooted in loops, this Belgian-born singer/cellist’s music falls somewhere between French chansons, ethereal pop, free jazz and the Velvet Underground. Her new album, The Wind Shakes the Trees, was recorded live at New Orleans’ Antieau Gallery. Henry Butler & Jambalaya, 4/24, CON, 12:40p: Butler brings a mix of James Booker’s Chopin-esque classical virtuosity, Jelly Roll Morton’s theatricality and Professor Longhair’s sense of humor to bear on his deeply funky and jazz-influenced sense of blues piano. Though he’s moved away in recent years, he remains an exemplar of everything that makes New Orleans piano players so essential to the development of American music. Henry Gray, 4/30, BLU, 11:10a: Hailing from just outside Baton Rouge, Gray is a key architect of the Chicago blues piano sound. In addition to playing with Howlin’ Wold for a dozen years, he recorded with the Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Robert Lockwood, Jr. and many others. Henry Martinez - Belize Creole Songs, 4/28, BEL, 3p: This guitarist and harmonica player performs a mix of traditional and original songs in the Creole brukdown style, a form of Afro-Belizean folk music with roots in rural, late-night parties known as “brams.” Herbert McCarver & the Pin Stripe Brass Band, 4/29, JAZ, 4:40p: One of the best young bands playing traditional brass band music in town, the YPS represents a new generation of the Original Pin Stripes, founded by McCarver’s father. Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter Duo, 4/24, JAZ, 4:10p: Game-changing alums of Miles Davis’ second ensemble, these longtime friends and colleagues have remained brave innovators in jazz and creative music throughout the course of their decades-spanning careers. Seeing them in a duo format is a rare treat. The Heritage School of Music Band, 5/1, LAG, 11:50a: “Big Chief” and “Hey Pocky Way” are part of the curriculum for this band of high schoolaged students, sponsored by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s community music education program. Herlin Riley Quintet, 4/24, JAZ, 2:45p: Drum chair heavyweight Riley has handled rhythm duties for the likes of Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Dr. John, Marcus Roberts and harry Connick, Jr. He recently released the Afro-Cuban and blues-inspired New Direction, putting him in an all-too-rare leadership role. High Steppers Brass Band, 4/29, PAR, 1:10p: This young local brass band mixes traditional New Orleans brass sounds with plenty of hip-hop influences. Higher Heights Reggae, 4/28, CON, 12:15p: Performing an array of Studio One classics and other hits, this New Orleansbased reggae act is a staple of Frenchmen Street’s small but growing reggae scene. Hobgoblin Hill Puppets, 5/1, KID, 3p: Humor and satire are priorities in performances by this Louisiana-based puppetry group, which features hand-carved and sculpted puppets.

Honey Island Swamp Band, 4/29, FDD, 2:45p: Formed in San Francisco by Katrina exiles who’ve since returned to town, the HISB is a hard-driving rock band with roots in R&B, country and funk. Hot 8 Brass Band, 4/22, CON, 11:25a: The storied Hot 8 is a study in survival, having lost three members in shooting deaths. But the band has endured, and they carry on traditional brass-band sounds and add elements of hip-hop and jazz. In 2015, they celebrated their 20th anniversary with a series of new releases including their Vicennial double LP. Hot Club of New Orleans, 5/1, LAG, 1:50p: Sexy, swinging and full of energy, these long-running practitioners of Stephane Grapelli era swing have been luring Frenchmen Street fans onto their feet for years. MESCHIYA LAKE’s favorites Local restaurants: Kukhnya in Siberia, Junction Bar & Grill, Mariza. Jazz Fest: Catfish Almondine by Stuf Hapn Event Catering (Food Area I) Hurray for the Riff Raff, 4/30, GEN, 3:30p: The haunting voice and poignant, politically-minded lyrics of bandleader Alynda Lee Segarra drive this alt-roots band, which rose to national acclaim shortly after settling in New Orleans for a period a few years ago. guanas, the, 4/24, FDD, 5:55p: With Tex-Mex rock ’n’ roll as their base, the Iguanas can swing freely into jazz, country, garage and Caribbean music. Their rock-heavy 2014 release was Juarez. Imagination Movers, 4/24, GEN, 11:25a: These Emmy-winning local TV alums and musicians advocate positive messages for kids through music that parents dig, too. Their motto, “Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun,” is solid advice for kids and grown-ups alike. Ingrid Lucia, 4/30, LAG, 12:40p: A performer since childhood and a local favorite since her days with the Flying Neutrinos, the singer’s latest CD, Living the Life, with the theme, “the exuberance and strength of the human spirit in this crazy journey called life” is one of her best. Irma Thomas, 4/23, AM, 1:15p, 4/29, ACU, 3:20p: With a career that spans more than 50 years, Thomas earned her royal nickname through innumerable contributions to the development of soul and R&B. While she still plays early hits like “It’s Raining” and “Time is on My Side,” she continues to introduce new material. She sits down for an interview with Scott Billington on April 23. Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, 4/29, CON, 2:45p: Mayfield is a performer and a crusader for jazz, having brought his Jazz Playhouse to the Royal Sonesta and to the New Orleans Jazz Market. The NOJO is his artistic base and provides an outlet for his compositional talents. Isaac Edwars Mardi Gras Indians, 5/1, AM, 4p: Maurice Martinez interviews members of this Mardi Gras Indian Tribe. ISL Circus Art Kids, 4/28, KID, 5:15p: Students from the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans make up this

young group of acrobats, stilt walkers and clowns. The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald and Ernie Isley, 5/1, CON, 3:25p: The chart-topping Isley Brothers, who have undergone a number of personnel changes over the years, perform material from their soulful mix of gospel and doo-wop-rooted Motown catalog and more. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk with Art Neville, 5/1, ACU, 1:25p: The welltravelled keyboardist makes some of the deepest funk of his career with this band, which features double bass guitars, giving it a serious fat bottom. He’s joined by his keyboard-playing uncle, Art. . Cole, 4/24, CON, 5:45p: German born, North Carolina bred J. Cole was Jay Z’s first Roc Nation sining. Bold and prone to humor onstage, the singer and rapper also tackles serious issues like Michael Brown’s shooting in Ferguson. He’s collaborated with Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean, among others. J. Monque’D Blues Band with Lil’ Creole Wild West, 4/29m BLU, 11:15a: The song and album title “Chitlin Eatin’ Music” best describes the output of this longtime harmonica wailer and Uptown character. Jambalaya Cajun Band with D.L. Menard, 4/23, FDD, 11:15a: This group was founded in 1977 by fiddler Terry Huval. They’re joined by Menard, who’s often called the “Cajun Hank Williams.” James Andrews & the Crescent City Allstars, 4/23, BLU, 1:20p: Nicknamed “Satchmo of the Ghetto,” trumpeter Andrews (the grandson of Jessie Hill and brother of Trombone Shorty) has gone in a funky, expansive direction with his Allstars, although Louis Armstrong remains a key influence. James Rivers Movement, 4/30, JAZ, 12:25p: Perhaps the city’s only jazz/funk saxophonist who doubles on bagpipes, Rivers was also known for playing a longtime (now discontinued) Sunday brunch at the Hilton, and for scoring Clint Eastwood’s The Bridges of Madison County. Jamil Sharif, 4/30, ECO, 2:55p: This local trumpeter studied with Ellis Marsalis at NOCCA and went on to do a number of soundtracks, including the Ray Charles biopic Ray, for which he was music coordinator. Janelle Monáe, 4/22, CON, 5:25p: This smart, soulful and feminist-minded singer and guitarist has been pushing the boundaries of R&B and rock since her debut five years ago. Jarekus Singleton, 4/23, BLU, 2:35p: Mississippi blues guitarist Singleton combines elements of modern and traditional blues with hip-hop influenced vocals. He sits down with interviewer Scott Jordan the day after his set. Jason Marsalis, 4/22, JAZ, 1:30p: This young Marsalis brother began as a vibraphonist but spends more time these days behind the drums; in both situations, he expertly matches agile displays of technique with a deep sense of groove. Javier Gutierrez & Vivaz!, 4/28, GEN, 11:20a: Afro-Caribbean rhythms meet Latin jazz and Flamenco in this spirited, New Orleans-based quintet.

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Jazmine Sullivan, 4/29, CON, 4:05p: Most singles from this Grammynominated, Philly-born neo-soul and R&B singer—including “Dumb” and “Mascara,” off the (appropriately titled) album, Reality Show, plus “Bust Your Windows,” beg the question: Is Sullivan kidding? A peek at her credentials, which include performing with Stevie Wonder at 13, graduating from the City of Brotherly Love’s high school for the creative and performing arts and snagging Missy Elliott as a producer, suggest Sullivan’s music is a vehicle for the characters she draws, funny or not. Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, 4/29, FDD, 12p: Once a member of the funky Zydeco Force, singer/ accordionist Broussard turns to old-school Creole and zydeco with this group. Jeremy Davenport, 4/30, JAZ, 2:45p: Schooled as the featured trumpeter in Harry Connick, Jr.’s band, the St. Louis native has carved out a solo career with a tender tone to both his playing and singing on romantic standards and originals. Jermaine Bossier & Romeo Bougere & 79rs Gang Mardi Gras Indians, 4/30, J&H, 11:20a: Big Chief Jermaine Bossier debuted his Seventh Ward Creole Hunters in 2009. In 2014, the group teamed up with the 9th Ward Hunters to release a joint album, Fire on the Bayou, under the name 79ers Gang. Jermaine Landrum & the Abundant Praise Revival Choir, 4/30, GOS, 5:10p: Landrum, the director of this New Orleansbased choir, has been leading gospel groups since the age of 9. Jesse McBride Big Band, 4/29, JAZ, 6p: New Orleans-trained pianist McBride spends much of his time focused on the second 50 years of New Orleans jazz and the legacies of artists including Harold Battiste, Ellis Marsalis, James Black and Ed Blackwell in the successor to his mentor, Harold Battiste’s Next Generation. Here, he leads his own big band. Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, 4/24, MIN, 3p: Scott Billington talks to Holmes, a Mississippi blues artist who was once recorded by Alex Lomax, about the legacy of Skip James, a blues guitar master who influenced generations of players. Joe Krown Trio featuring Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell Batiste, Jr., 4/23, BLU, 12:15p: Three instrumental powerhouses join forces in this organ/guitar/drums trio that has become a full-time band, cutting three CDs, and writing some fine originals including their anthem, “You Can Stay But That Noise Gotta Go.” Joe Lovano Us Five featuring James Weideman, Peter Slavov, Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela, 4/29, JAZ, 4:20p: Two drummers (Mela and Brown), Lovano’s dexterity on multiple horns and a diverse range of styles make this flexible, bop-driven ensemble one of the critically acclaimed saxophonist’s more experimental recent projects. John Boutté, 4/29, AM, 12p; JAZ, 3p: A local favorite with a high and haunting voice, Boutte is an inspired, passionate interpreter of songs; his acclaim spread widely after his tune “Treme Song” became the theme of the hit HBO series Treme.”

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He checks in with Jason Berry on the Miner Heritage Stage before his set, John Hammond, 4/23, BLU, 4p: A star within his genre since the mid-’60s, this guitarist and harmonica master has been compared to a white Robert Johnson. He is credited with reinvigorating an important repertoire of classic blues songs. John Mooney & Bluesiana, 4/29, BLU, 4:15p: Once a protégé of the late blues great Son House, this blazing blues guitarist has been a local fixture since the mid-‘70s, when he arrived from the Mississippi Delta and began sitting in with Professor Longhair and Earl King. Johnette Downing and Scott Billington, 5/1, KID, 1:50p: This local duo, comprised of children’s author and guitarist Downing and Grammy-winning producer Billington present a medley of Louisiana roots music dubbed “Swamp Romp.” Johnny Sansone, 4/23, 11:10a: A multi-instrumentalist who draws from swamp-rock, blues and zydeco, Sansone has two aces in the hole: his songwriting and his gut-shaking harmonica solos. Sansone’s latest, Once It Gets Started, features drummer Stanton Moore and singer Maggie Koerner. Johnny Sketch and The Dirty Notes, 4/22, GEN, 11:20a: Fronted by a cellist turned guitarist, they’re a funky rock band with a few gonzoid touches. The Johnson Extension, 4/23, GOS, 5:05p: New Orleans spiritual leader and matriarch Rev. Lois Dejean leads four generations of family members in sacred song. Jon Batiste & Stay Human, 4/30, ACU, 1:40p: This charismatic, New Orleans-born pianist was already at work redefining the boundaries of jazz and performance art with his band’s “love riots” and “social music” when Stephen Colbert tapped him for “The Late Show.” His Stay Human Band performs interactive shows fueled by audience participation and positivity. Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, 4/30, 1:30p, AM; BLU, 4p: Since moving over from the UK in the ’80s, Cleary’s earned a place in the frontline of New Orleans blues singers and keyboardists. Jon Cleary a Grammy Award winner and multiple award recipient at last January’s OffBeat Best of the Beat will be interviewed by Gwen Tompkins on the Miner Stage ahead of his set. BARBARA HAWKIN’s favorites Local restaurants: Acme Oyster House in Metairie, Café du Monde, Gene’s Po-Boys. Jazz Fest: Sweet Potato Pie by Marie’s Sugar Dumplings (Congo Square) Jonathan McReynolds, 4/28, GOS, 3:45p: An award-winning young gospel singer and college professor, McReynolds has collaborated with artists including India.Arie and PJ Morton. Life Music: Stage 2, the follow-up to his acclaimed debut, was released in September. Jonathon “Boogie” Long, 4/29, BLU, 12:15p: This soulful Baton Rougebased blues guitar slinger has opened for

B.B. King and performed with Dr. John, Kenny Neal and many others. The Jones Sisters, 4/28, GOS, 12:10p: Grade school-aged sisters Kayla, Kiera, Dalia and Dejon Jones comprise this gospel quartet, which first performed when the youngest sister was only two. Jonny Lang, 4/24, BLU, 5:40p: Lang’s first taste of musical success came when he released a hit record at 15. Since then, the guitarist has widened his scope beyond blues and expanded his songwriting skills, tapping into personal experience and social injustice on his new album, Fight For My Soul. Jonté Landrum, 4/24, GOS, 1:50p: This powerful young voice comes from a long line of gospel singers; Landrum’s grandmother Rev. Lois DeJean sang lead for the popular Johnson Extension. Josh Kagler & Praise Delegation Chorale, 4/29, GOS, 2:45p: This New Orleans-based gospel choir is led by Joshua Kagler, who has appeared on the Oxygen Network’s “Fix My Choir” reality show. Their new live album, Kaglerized, is due out May 30. Julio y Cesar Band, 5/1, LAG, 12:40p: These local brothers do Latin-American music on twin classical guitars, and have lately expanded from duo to band. ai Knight’s Sillhouette Dance Ensemble, 4/30, KID, 12:40p: Knight’s New Orleans-based troupe aims to fostern positive self-image and selfexpression through dance for young African American women. Kat Walker Band: Scat with Miss Kat, 4/28, KID, 1:50p: Kids learn the art of scat singing before a live band, live-action jazz karaoke style. Keep N It Real SA&PC, 4/22, PAR, 12:30p: This young Bayou St. Johnbased parade club features solid dancers and parades with some of the best brass bands in town. Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, 4/23, FDD, 3:05p: Frank leads his hard-driving zydeco band, which formed in 1990. Kenny Bill Stinson & the Ark-LAMystics, 4/29, LAG, 5:30p: Guitarist and singer Stinson performs a range of Western Louisiana-rooted rock, country and rockabilly. Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers, 4/22, CON, 2p: One of New Orleans’ most beloved trumpeters and personalities, Ruffins digs swingin’, smokin’ and partyin’ … traditional style. Kermit Ruffins’ Tribute to Louis Armstrong, 4/30, ECO, 4:10p: Ruffins shows off his more serious side in this set devoted to his hero, Satchmo. Kerry Grombacher, 4/30, LAG, 11:30a: This New Orleans-based guitarist, singer and mandolin player focuses on the art of storytelling in his contemporary Western music. Kevin Gordon, 4/24, LAG, 4:05p: Raised in Louisiana, Gordon’s thoughtful, often political songwriting has earned him international acclaim. On 2015’s Long Gone Time, he shines a light on life in the South in the wake of the Civil Rights Act. The Kid Carsons, 4/24, LAG, 12:30p: Brother and sister team Chad and Morgan

Carson form the heart of this New Orleansbased indie Americana act. Kid Simmons’ Local International Allstars, 4/24, ECO, 11:20a: An early devotee of George “Kid Shiek” Cola, trumpeter Simmons has been active in traditional jazz since his arrival in New Orleans in 1966 and cut his teeth in Harold Dejean’s Olympia Brass Band and the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. KIDsmART Student Showcase, 4/22, KID, 12:40p: This organization brings arts initiatives to a range of public schools in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, and its student groups have been a fixture at the Kids’ Tent. Kim Carson Band, 4/30, LAG, 3:05p: A longtime New Orleans local, Carson is a classic-model honky-tonk angel, able to charm with bawdy humor and then break hearts with a ballad. Kim Che’re, 4/23, GOS, 12:55p: This local gospel singer (via New York) has worked as Minister of Music for groups including New Home Full Gospel Ministries, Beacon Light of Hammond and Greater Mount Calvary Church; she’s contributed to the Gospel Music Workshop of America since 1978. Kinfolk Brass Band, 4/30, PAR, 4p: Formed in 2006, the Kinfolk are true to the traditional brass-band sound, performing classics like “Bourbon Street Parade” and “I’ll Fly Away” along with their originals. King James & the Special Men, 4/30, LAG, 5:35p: These purveyors of classic New Orleans R&B are known for digging up and reinvigorating rare gems from the ‘40s and ‘50s in their high-powered, soul-soaked live shows. Kristin Diable, 4/30, FDD, 1:30p: This deep-voiced Baton Rouge native made a name for herself in New York City’s singer/ songwriter community before returning to New Orleans; NPR likened her singing on 2015’s Create Your Own Mythology to that of a lighter hearted Amy Winehouse. Kumbuka African Dance & Drum Collective, 5/1, J&H, 11:20a: Founded in 1983 and based in New Orleans, this troupe, made up of dancers aged 9 - 55, brings African music and dance to grade schools throughout Louisiana. ’Union Créole: Zydeco & Caribbean Blues with Sunpie, Pascal Danae and Leroy Etienne Interviewer: Maryse Déjean, 4/30, AM, 12:30p: Maryse Dejean interviews Creole, French-speaking Caribbean and zydeco artists including veteran accordionist Sunpie Barnes, guitarist Pascall Danae and percussionist and singer Leroy Etienne about their joint project. La Tran-K Band, 4/22, J&H, 1:40p: This lively local Latin band skillfully weaves together elements of salsa, cumbia, merengue and bachata in the course of one set. Ladies & Men Rollers SA&PC, 4/29, PAR, 1:10p: This Uptown-based social aid and pleasure club danced to the sounds of the Hot 8 at their 2014 annual Sunday parade. Ladies of Unity SA&PC, 4/22, PAR, 4:15p: These lady steppers hail from Uptown and call the famous Sportman’s Lounge on 2nd and Dryades their HQ.

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photo: bob adamek

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Helen Gillet THURSDAY, APRIL 28—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 3:05 P.M.

qually at home playing traditional, plaintive French chansons and musettes as she is manipulating tape loops and embarking on wild improvisations, the cellist Helen Gillet is one of the most versatile, curious and innovative musicians at work on the stages of New Orleans. And during the 2016 Jazz Fest, she’ll be hard at work on a multitude of stages showcasing all the sides of her eclectic talent and hosting some intriguing visitors, as well. The two centerpiece events of Gillet’s festival program are inspired by the work of twentieth-century avant-garde visual artist Ray Johnson, famous for his “moticos”—collages of cutouts and found objects he would send to friends and colleagues in the mail, encouraging them, the cellist said, to embellish on the work themselves and then pass it along. “I was inspired by that idea,” she said, “to take an idea, change it and pass it along and create a mood, a flow.” Her performances April 30 at the AllWays Lounge and May 1 at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Art Center are both titled “What is a Motico?” and feature ensembles of local and visiting guests. Both nights include Chicago percussionist Michael Zerang and sax player Mars Williams, probably best known from the Psychedelic Furs; the AllWays motico includes Mike Dillon, pianist Brian Haas of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, and Mark Southerland, who crafts hybrid, playable (and wearable) sculptures out of horns. Doug Garrison joins the ensemble at

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the Zeitgeist concert, which begins with a 7:30 p.m. performance featuring Mr. Quintron’s Weather Warlock, a synthesizer that interprets changes in light (thus, most of its shows are at sunset), wind and barometric pressure. Gillet opens her Jazz Fest series with another long-desired collaboration: two shows, on April 21 and 23, with current Nth Power and former Beyoncé drummer Nikki Glaspie, providing the beat for Gillet, Skerik and Brian Haas. “We’re going to play some standards of the avant-garde world— Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman,” she said, “and see where that takes us. I’m excited to interact with Nikki in this environment where she really gets to stretch out. She’s such a heavy-hitting drummer. It’ll be more beat-oriented improv.” Rounding out the wild week is Gillet’s regular Monday Bacchanal show April 25; collaboration with Southerland and Walt McClements’ Lonesome Leash at Siberia April 26; a solo concert at the Circle Bar on April 27; and the final Chaz Fest, on the afternoon of April 27. Gillet’s live album The Wind Shakes the Trees is out for the Jazz Fest season. It features live recordings, including atmospheric bird sounds, taken during a residence at the Antieau Gallery. A limited-edition version of the vinyl release comes with a handmade, embroidered fabric applique cover by artist Chris Roberts, which is reproduced as the regular cover image. —Alison Fensterstock www.OFFBEAT.com

photo: KIM WELSH

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Ed Volker ED VOLKER'S QUINTET NARCOSIS SUNDAY, APRIL 24—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 2:35 P.M.

d Volker introduced his postRadiators project Trio Mollusc at Jazz Fest a few years back. The band’s wild concatenations ranged from “Tipitina,” “You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond” and a version of Gram Parsons’ “You Don’t Miss Your Water” played as Jelly Roll Morton might have, to a clave “Hit the Road Jack” and a shout-along rendition of “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey.” Using scraps from history and his own songs in fantastic constructs, Volker was working on a building, setting out the blueprints with Michael Skinkus crafting the rhythm patterns on percussion and Joe Cabral handling the artistic iterations of masonry on his baritone sax, which he can manipulate to sound like a half-dozen different instruments. In an intimate setting that recalled Jazz Fest past, when you could walk right up to the stage, Volker broke the lyrics down to short two and three-word phrases that he delivered as rhythmic fragments that reframed the songs. Eddie Bo’s “Tell It Like It Is” morphed into “Subterranean Homesick Blues” then on down to the “Smoking Hole” before crawling over to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” which magically built to the final climax on “Big Chief”/”Red Dress”/”House of the Rising Sun.” This year Volker has taken the trio to a whole ‘nother dimension,

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fittingly dubbed Quintet Narcosis. “This will be the fifth year I’ve had the privilege of playing Lagniappe,” says Volker. “Every other year I’ve featured the three-piece, Trio Mollusc. On Thanksgiving 2015, I featured a five-piece group comprised of the Trio members, aided and abetted by Rene Coman on bass and Camile Baudoin on guitar. On that occasion I dubbed the group Wiggle Room. I was both happy with the quintet’s performance and intrigued by the possibilities of further explorations with these guys. When I was approached in December 2015 about an engagement at the 2016 Jazz Fest, I immediately thought of the quintet. I’d felt the Trio had reached a certain turning point with our 2015 Lagniappe appearance and I was ready to set things in motion for a change, some sort of devolutionary dodge. On the Thanksgiving gig, I ranged through many years of my various compositions and derangements. Though I haven’t settled on an exact set list yet for the upcoming Fest set, some of the things we played on Thanksgiving will be featured. As far as the name of the group goes, Wiggle Room was okay, but I wanted to give it a more formal, scientific name, knowing the group would likely venture into places science would dare not go. Thus, we now have Quintet Narcosis.” If you’re looking for the “Gone World,” this should be the place. —John Swenson www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z Lady Jetsetters Social & Marching Club, 4/23, PAR, 1:25p: Uptown’s Lady Jetsetters Social Aid and Plesure Club has been rolling for more than 25 years. Lady Tambourine, 4/29, Various: Rosalee Ashton Washington has been shaking her tambourine for decades, graduating from her regular appearances at the Gospel Tent to performances with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Wyclef Jean, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Lake Forest Charter Jazz Band, 4/29, KID, 5:15p: Students in this young jazz band hail from the 2013 National Blue Ribbon Lake Forest Charter Elementary School in New Orleans. Landry Walker Charter High School Choir, 4/28, GOS, 1p: A 40-plus member gospel choir from the West Bank school whose brass band recently won $10,000 in the Class Got Brass competition. Larry Sieberth presents Estrella Banda, 4/24, JAZ, 1:35p: New Orleans-based pianist and composer Sieberth has a knack for blending classical and world music with modern jazz. When he’s not leading his own projects, he performs regularly with Germaine Bazzle, Lena Prima and Gerald French. Lars Edegran & the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra, 4/28, ECO, 12:30p: Formed in 1967 by Swedish-born pianist Lars Edegran, this band plays rags, cakewalks and other classic pieces from the original ragtime era. Leah Chase, 4/23, JAZ, 2:45p: A classically trained opera singer who turned to jazz, Chase is also the daughter of two of New Orleans’ most famous restaurateurs. LeBlanc Family Cajun Band, 4/29, KID, 3p: Made up of three young siblings from Breaux Bridge, La., the LeBlancs perform traditional Cajun music by the likes of the Balfa Brothers and Canray Fontenot. Lena Prima & the Lena Prima Band, 5/1, AM, 1p; ECO, 4:20p: The youngest daughter of Louis Prima performs her dad’s classics along with her own jazz-pop material, which she performs regularly at the Hotel Monteleone. Sally Young interviews her ahead of her set. Leo Jackson & the Melody Clouds, 4/29, GOS, 12:55p: This family group was formed in 1965 and is now led by founder Leo Jackson’s son. It’s known for its rousing vocals and synchronized steps. Leo Nocentelli, 4/23, ACU, 12:20p: An original member of the Meters, this funk guitar titan recently moved back home to New Orleans after heading west in the late ’80s; he’s said his goal in returning is to contribute whatever he can to the cultural fabric of his hometown. Leroy Jones & New Orleans’ Finest, 4/24, ECO, 1:40p: Jones draws on his experience with the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band to play traditional New Orleans brass band music in a variety of popular bands around town, most of which perform regularly at Preservation Hall. Leyla McCalla, 4/24, LAG, 12:55p: This talented multi-instrumentalist and singer draws on the traditions of Haitian, Creole, Cajun and French music on her latest album, A Day For the Hunter, A Day for the Prey, a socially aware and politically minded followup to her widely praised 2013 debut.

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The Life and Music of Allen Toussaint with Irma Thomas, Cyril Neville, Renard Poche, Herman LeBeaux, and C. Reginald Toussaint Interviewer: Ben Sandmel, 4/29, AM, 1p: Colleagues, loved ones and family of the late Allen Toussaint discuss his influential life and career. Lil’ Buck Sinegal Blues Band, 4/30, BLU, 12p: Sinegal once led an R&B band that included a young Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural on organ. The blues guitarist seems to slip effortlessly into soulful grooves. Lil’ Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers, 4/28, FDD, 1:35p: This young accordion player from Lafayette scored a regional hit with “That L’Argent,” a hip-hop flavored zydeco tune about the power of money. His dad is Nathan Williams of the Zydeco Cha Chas. Lillian Boutté and Gumbo Z’herbes, 4/29, ECO, 1:45p: Celebrated jazz singer Boutte has performed with giants from James Booker to Patti Labelle. The City of New Orleans honored her as an Ambassador of Music, the only musician since Louis Armstrong to receive the title. Little Freddie King Blues Band, 4/24, BLU, 12:15p: The Mississippi Delta-born King is a rocking juke-joint bluesman, a cousin of Lightnin’ Hopkins, one of the snappiest dressers you’ll see onstage, and a true Fest perennial. The Lone Bellow, 4/30, FDD, 4:25p: Zach Williams, Kanene Pipkin and Brian Elmquist comprise this Brooklyn-based altcountry trio. Los Lobos perform La Pistola Y El Corazón, 4/29, FDD, 4:25p: Seminal Mexican-American rockers Los Lobos return to the Fairgrounds with material from their 1988 foray into Tejano and Mariachi folk music. Los Po-Boy-Citos, 4/24, ACU, 11:20a: This party-friendly Latin band specializes in boogaloo versions of New Orleans favorites and funkified versions of Latin tunes. Lost Bayou Ramblers with special guests Rickie Lee Jones and Spider Stacy, 4/28, GEN, 1:45p: As their acclaimed Mammoth Waltz demonstrated, this young Cajun band celebrates its genre’s tradition while staying open to new technology and rock influences. They perform with their Poguetry in Motion collaborator, Stacy, of the Pogues, and singer/songwriter Jones, also a regular Ramblers guest since she moved to New Orleans. Louis Ford & His New Orleans Flairs, 4/23, ECO, 11:15a: Clarinetist and saxophonist Ford, whose father was Clarence Ford, who played with Fats Domino, leads his old-time New Orleans jazz band through a set of traditional music Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, 4/30, ECO, 11:15a: Fred Star leads this local traditional jazz septet with a focus tight arrangements of tunes by Sam Morgan and other music from the turn of the century. Loyola University Jazz Ensemble, 4/29, LAG, 11:30a: Students from Loyola’s jazz program—the oldest in the city—make up this group. Luke Winslow King, 4/30, LAG, 1:50p: A Mississippi native who studied music at UNO, Winslow-King is both a performer and musicologist, combining the sound of early

20th century New Orleans with the street smarts of a modern songwriter. Luther Kent & Trickbag, 4/29, BLU, 1:30p: This Southern-fried soul man, who fronted Blood, Sweat & Tears for a short stint in the ’70s, is best known for leading the funky Trickbag which returned in 2013 after a few years’ hiatus. The Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans Music Project, 4/28, KID, 4:10p: Students from New Orleans’ French language school perform a set of Francophone music. Lyle Henderson & Emmanu-EL, 5/1, GOS, 5:05p: A former radio DJ at R&B station FM98 and gospel station WYLD, Henderson also coordinates the gospel brunches at the House of Blues. GEORGE PORTER, JR.’s favorites Local restaurants: Bayona, The Galley Seafood Restaurant, Ye Olde College Inn. Jazz Fest: Fried Soft-Shell Crab Po-Boy by Galley Seafood Restaurant (Food Area II) Lynn Drury, 4/28, LAG, 4:20p: A singer/ songwriter steeped in both her Mississippi heritage and her adopted home of New Orleans, this frequent OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards nominee teamed up with veteran British producer John Porter for her latest CD Come to My House. anzaNota / Rock en Espanol, 4/24, CON, 11:20a: Noticing the lack of rock music sung in Spanish in Louisiana this group comprising of Puerto Rican and New Orleans natives combine tropical tunes with romantic songwriting to create a unique experience. Marcia Ball, 5/1, BLU, 1:55p: A Jazz Fest perennial, the singer/pianist from Texas was recently nominated for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year award at the 2014 Blues Music Awards. Gwen Thompkins interviews Ball and Dennis McNally after the set. Mariachi Jalisco US, 4/29, J&H, 1:15p: Baton Rouge-based alumni of Cuba’s Mariachi Real Jalisco reunite to perform music from their hometown of Havana. Mark Braud’s New Orleans Jazz Giants, 4/28, ECO, 1:45p: The musical director of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, this trumpeter and vocalist leads a different cast of traditional jazz players for a change of pace. Marlon Jordan plays the music of Miles, Trane, and Bird, 4/28, JAZ, 1:40p: The resident trumpet player of the famed Jordan musical dynasty, Marlon excels at ballads that let his crystalline tone shine through; an erudite student of the music, he’s flexible in a variety of settings. The Mashup featuring Ike Stubblefield, Terence Higgins, and Grant Green Jr., 5/1, JAZ, 2:45p: These jazz/funk allstars—featuring Stubblefield on Hammond B3, Higgins on drums and Green on guitar have been headlining jam-soaked, dance-friendly sets on Frenchmen Street for the past few years. Matt Lemmler presents “The Music of Stevie Wonder” featuring Brian Blade, 4/22, JAZ, 2:50p: New Orleans pianist, composer and arranger Lemmler, an alum of bands helmed by Pete Fountain and Bob

French, teams up with straight-ahead jazz drummer Blade to explore Stevie Wonder’s extensive catalogue. Mavis Staples, 5/1, BLU, 3:35p: This gospel and ‘60s protest music icon has used her powerful contralto pipes and strong sense of soul to affect social change for more than half a century. The Staple Singers music veteran released Livin’ On a High Note this year shortly after the debut of an HBO documentary about her life. Maxwell, 4/23, CON, 5:35p: One of the founders of neo-soul in the late ‘90s, Maxwell’s falsetto voice, romantic and original lyrics and strong piano and guitar chops (he taught himself to play both instruments) made Urban Hang Suite one of the most exciting and influential albums to come out of that era. The Brooklyn-born singer returned to cultural consciousness with the recent 20-year anniversary of the album. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, 5/1, CON, 5:30p: Regular last-set headliner at Congo Square, this classic Philadelphia soul group’s connection with New Orleans goes back to at least 1981, when their live album was made at the Saenger Theater. McDonogh 35 High School Gospel Choir, 4/28, GOS, 2:45p: Thursdays at Jazz Fest traditionally feature high-school choirs in the Gospel Tent; this Treme school has been a regular. Directed by Veronica DownsDorsey the choir has been the recipient of OffBeat’s Best of the Beat award for Best Gospel for the last two years. Men Buckjumpers SA&PC, 4/28, PAR, 2:10p: The Original New Orleans Lady Buckjumpers and Men Buckjumpers have been rolling for more than 30 years. Men of Class SA&PC, 4/28, PAR, 4:40p: This Uptown-based social aid and pleasure club has been parading for 11 years and counting. Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns, 4/28, AM, 1:30p; BLU, 2:55p: Once a Royal Street performer, now a marquee name in the local traditional jazz scene, Lake and friends are getting more attention worldwide thanks to her vintage sass, great storytelling and gorgeously raw New Orleans feel; their latest, Bad Kids Club, came out last year. Mia Borders, 4/28, GEN, 12:30p: A singer, songwriter, and guitarist from New Orleans, her newest release, Quarter-Life Crisis was produced by Anders Osborne and described by OffBeat Magazine as “a record of great music and great intensity.” Micaela y Fiesta Flamenca, 4/28, KID, 11:30a: This award-wining Flamenco dance troupe has been performing for the New Orleans community for more than 15 years. Michael McDonald, 4/22, ACU, 3:35a: Singer songwriter and keyboardist with five Grammy Awards worked with Steely Dan and was a member of the Doobie Brothers. Midnite Disturbers, 4/30, J&H, 1:45p: It took drummers Kevin O’Day and Stanton Moore to corral a dozen of New Orleans’ busiest players into one wild brass band. Ben Ellman, Kirk Joseph, Trombone Shorty, Big Sam, Matt Perrine, Skerik and Mark Mullins should all be familiar names to Fest-goers. Mississippi Mass Choir, 4/29, GOS, 3:50p: Frank Williams founded this large,

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Jack DeJohnette DEJOHNETTE·COLTRANE·GARRISON SATURDAY, APRIL 23—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 4:05 P.M.

n the early ’60s, young jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette walked in a jazz club in his home town of Chicago to hear the legendary John Coltrane Quartet. When the last set came around, DeJohnette faced the opportunity to sit in with the band for a few tunes, which he described as a turning point in his career. DeJohnette eventually moved to New York and went on to become one of the most influential drummers of the genre, touring and appearing on a number of remarkable recordings with Miles Davis’ electric band, Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, and most notably in Keith Jarrett’s piano trio. Keeping close personal and professional ties with Coltrane’s entourage, notably bassist Jimmy Garrison and wife/multiinstrumentalist Alice Coltrane, DeJohnette played an important role in the upbringing of a new generation of jazz musicians, including Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison, who will share the stage with him under the Jazz Tent on April 23. “I’ve known Ravi and Matt since they were kids,” DeJohnette says. He refers to Garrison as his godson, and Coltrane calls him a father figure. “I played with both of their parents, there’s a connection between their families and our family. So there’s a tradition of musical history there.” This tradition involves musicians who shaped the direction jazz was taking, establishing the music as a tool for a connection deeply rooted

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in spirituality, between free individuals conversing and exchanging through their instruments. The heirs of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme (1964), one of the most acclaimed jazz pieces ever recorded, are advancing with their times: Garrison brings in a modern electronic element to the trio and Coltrane uses the unconventional sopranino saxophone. But the intention seems to remain similar: pushing the boundaries of music and language to pass on a sacred message of hope and unity. “We do a lot of spontaneous composition on the spot. So it’s a lot of trust, a lot of love and belief that the music can make some difference,” DeJohnette says. “It’s a healing intention that we bring to the music—that will permeate into the earth, up to the atmosphere and beyond.” After years of touring, the trio recorded an album in October entitled In Movement, which will be released on the ECM label in April. With this group, DeJohnette bridges two generations of musicians, carrying on a familydriven tradition of innovation and creation through music. “It’s what you’re supposed to do. Pass it on, you know. That’s the tradition of the human condition. You work with the young musicians and pass our wisdom to them, they take our wisdom and they pass on the youthful expansion of ideas onto us. So it’s a fair trade, you know. It’s a great feeling.” —Noe Cugny www.OFFBEAT.com

FEST FEST FOCUS JAZZ A-Z

Rhiannon Giddens SUNDAY, APRIL 24—BLUES TENT, 3:50 P.M.

hiannon Giddens may have pivoted to a solo career in recent years, but solo doesn’t always mean what it’s supposed to in the live music world. “Oh my God, I cannot imagine anything worse than being alone on stage,” exclaims the violinist, banjo player and singer. “I have a fivepiece band complete with drums, bass, banjos, fiddles. Maybe even an electric guitar if one of my guests can make it. Yeah, it’s a big full sound.” Best known as one of the driving forces behind string music revivalists the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens has put that project on hold for the time being to focus on an undertaking that is essentially hers. Of course, solo doesn’t exactly mean she’s doing everything by herself, or even with a new band. “I kind of cheated a little bit in that I had the current lineup of the Carolina Chocolate Drops in my solo band all last year,” she explains. “A couple of them are still in the band this year too, so it’s been a great way to transition.” Still, there’s no denying that the new arrangement puts Giddens front and center, a place that suits her just fine. With effortless playing and a voice that’s as gritty as it is graceful, Giddens transports her audience to a bygone era that can’t really be pinned down. As her debut solo album, 2015’s Tomorrow Is My Turn, shows, the

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past is more than just a musical palette for Giddens. Produced by the indomitable T-Bone Burnett, the record primarily finds her putting a new spin on songs that pre-date her birth, from the Hank Cochran– penned Patsy Cline classic “She’s Got You” to the Celtic folk tune “Black Is the Color.” “[T-Bone] is such a wonderful producer, “ she explains. “He sets quite a stage for you. You’ve got to bring your stuff to it, but he gives you no excuse to not do a great job. He’s got an incredible knowledge of American music. I really enjoyed working with him.” Giddens will bring her talents to the Blues Tent on the first Sunday of Jazz Fest, where she will play the final regular show of her longrunning solo tour. It’s a place she’s more than happy to swing through. “The first time we were there, we just wandered around in a daze from all the amazing food,” recalls Giddens. “We’re used to doing festivals where it’s French fries and whatever, just junk, but the food vendors there are out of this world. So is all the music on the other stages. It’s a great festival to go to as an artist.” “I’m looking forward to getting back down to New Orleans,” she adds. “I’m looking forward to blowing out the tent as much as we can.” —Sam D’Arcangelo www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z award-winning choir in Mississippi in 1988. Mississippi Rail Company, 4/29, GEN, 11:25a: Roots rock and R&B drive the spirited sound of this New Orleans four-piece, which released a new single every month in 2014. Mister G, 4/24, KID, 12:40p: Heralded as one of today’s most compelling family music artists, the Grammy-winning Mister G performs a mix of rock, reggae, folk and music from his latin heritage. Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/30, PAR, 1:30p: When he’s not sewing or masking, this tribe’s Big Chief, Tyrone Casby, serves as the Principal of the Youth Study Center at Orleans Parish Prison. Monogram Hunters, 4/24, PAR, 12p: Big Chief Tyrone “Pie” Stevenson recently returned to the Indian nation after a 15-year break. Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church Mass Choir, 4/23, GOS, 6p: The members of this large local church choir range in age from teenagers to septuagenarians. Motel Radio, 4/23, LAG, 3p: This young local quintet performs Americana with an indie rock streak; their debut album is due out later this year. Mount Hermon Baptist Church Praise Delegation Choir, 4/29, GOS, 6p: Singers from this North Broad Street-based congregation have become Jazz Fest regulars in recent years. Ms. Lauryn Hill, 4/29, CON, 5:45p: This singer’s seminal album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, inspired a generation or more of artists in every genre and helped open doors for female performers in R&B, hip-hop and soul who were previously expected to use sex appeal rather than conscious songwriting to get ahead. Her rich voice and ability to shift seamlessly between genres remain intact, as does her willingness to speak her mind (check out her version of “My Favorite Things”). Ms. Ruby Wilson’s Tribute to Bessie Smith featuring Brian “Breeze” Cayolle, 4/24, ECO, 4:15p: Born in Texas, based in Memphis and known as the blues queen of Beale Street, Wilson has become a crusader for health since recovering from a recent stroke. My Morning Jacket, 4/29, GEN, 5:30p: A refurbished version of the lush textures and anthemic vibes of songs like “Golden” made It Still Moves, the album that launched this Louisville, Kentucky-bred band to national acclaim in 2003, returns in May with 11 previously unreleased tracks. Lead singer Jim James has worked extensively with Ben Jaffe and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in recent years. Mystikal, 4/23, CON, 3:5p: After Mind of Mystikal and “Shake Ya Ass” rocketed this thick funk-loving New Orleans-born rapper to the top of his game between 1995 and 2000, he fell out of the spotlight for a long while, plagued by legal and other problems. He returned last year with the strong Mark Ronson collaboration, “Feel Good” and has appeared with increasing regularity at Jazz Fest, BUKU and other major music events around town. athan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, 4/30, FDD, 6p: Nathan Williams sprung from his brother’s club, El Sid O’s in Lafayette, to become one of zydeco’s biggest names—and to write its two greatest

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King James KING JAMES & THE SPECIAL MEN SATURDAY, APRIL 30—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 5:35 P.M.

immy Horn was playing upright bass in a “kinda stern” experimental jazz group 15 or so years ago when he realized what he really wanted to do was start a Fats Domino band where they could all just drink High Life at practice. It was a simple starting premise for King James and the Special Men, but in the years since, their Monday night hole-in-the-wall gig has become a packed, sweaty institution. With their blazing horns, rollicking rhythm section and Horn’s party MC swagger, it’s easy to see why. The Special Men take old-school New Orleans R&B and get down and dirty with it. Really down and dirty. “I’m a good-time fun man,” Horn says. Performers as diverse as Danzig, Blowfly, Guitar Slim and Johnny Ramone have informed his work as a vocalist and guitar player, but he actually takes many of his cues as a frontman from the rap world, naming influences like Plies. It’s a party band made up of wildly talented musicians, but it’s their unfakeable level of grit, dedication and blatant love for what they’re doing that really sets them apart. “Antoinette K-Doe, rest in peace, she taught me a lot about how to carry myself in this town. She just set me straight in so many ways. And so

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lovingly,” Horn remembered. The first ramshackle incarnation of the Special Men took shape at the Mother-inLaw Lounge under her watchful eye, and Horn says that getting whipped into shape by Antoinette K-Doe prepared him for “finishing school” with Jessie Mae Hemphill, the old country blues matriarch with whom he lived on and off for four years. “It was just me and her up in the trailer in northern Mississippi,” he remembered. “She’s an amazing artist, but also a really good person. And where Antoinette would try to include everybody, Jessie Mae didn’t give a shit. She was great. It was with her that ‘King James’ kind of took shape. Like, fuck it. Just say it. You’ll grow into it. Just start now, and throw it out there, and hold your head up. Don’t come at it halfway.” They certainly haven’t. They play their first Jazz Fest this year, they have a full-length album due out soon, and their weekly gig is more and more on the map for visitors, but none of the extra notoriety comes at the expense of their spiritual origins (Fats, High Life). “We’re just doing our thing, in New Orleans,” Horn said. “As much as the town changes, or people feel, you know, their lifestyles are at risk… the more I dig in and keep doing what I’m doing. You know, keep cookin’, keep rockin’ the party.” —Laura DeFazio www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z hog songs, “Zydeco Hog” and “Everything on the Hog is Good.” Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, 4/23, GEN, 3:50p: Indie folkster turned neo soul hero Rateliffe pours a ’60s gospel-esque testifying and hand-clapping and a Motown-worthy feel for channeling heartbreak into great music into his sweatsoaked sets. His tight, seven-piece band, raw lyrics and honest delivery don’t hurt. Native Nations Intertribal, 4/22, NAT, 12:05p, 2:35p, 4p; 4/23, NAT, 12p, 1:10p, 4:05p; 4/24, 12p, 1:10p, 3:45p: The late Barry Langley of Louisiana’s Coushatta Tribe founded this Native American dance troupe and educational collective, which performs Northern and Southern Plains-style dances. The hoop dance is particularly fun to watch. Naturally 7, 4/23, JAZ, 5:45p: This seven-piece male a cappella group focuses on harmony and recreating the sounds of instruments ranging from horns to drums to turntables. The Nayo Jones Experience, 5/1, JAZ, 11:15a: Kermit Ruffins’ go-to guest vocalist hails from Chicago, attended Spelman and brings plenty of fire to her mix of jazz standards and R&B hits. Neil Young + Promise of the Real, 5/1, ACU, 3:15p: The latest incarnation of folk hero, rocker and high tenor wailer Young’s dizzyingly prolific career features Lukas Wilson’s The Promise of the Real, fronted by the son of Young’s pal Willie Nelson. When he’s not writing new music (and sometimes when he is), Young’s turned his attention to issues like fracking and the election in recent months. New Birth Brass Band, 4/28, CON, 1:25p: Formed in the mid-’80s and led by bass drummer Cayetano “Tanio” Hingle, this band has made CDs with both Allen Toussaint and George Porter, Jr. Horn men Glen David Andrews and Trombone Shorty are alumni. New Breed Brass Band, 4/24, JAZ, 4:20p: These high school marching band alums fold hip-hop, funk, and soul into the brass tradition in clubs and second lines around the city. New Generation SA & PC with Andrew Hall’s Society Brass Band, 4/22, PAR, 5:40p: The New Generation Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s annual Sunday parades roll through Uptown; here, they roll alongside skilled traditional jazz and rhythm and blues pianist Andrew Hall’s brass outfit. New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra, 5/1, ECO, 11:15a: A multigenerational, always entertaining large ensemble that plays only ’90s music—as in the 1890s, when the shipboard dance music and early jazz they favor was first created. New Look SA & PC, 4/24, PAR, 4p: Kids aged 3-16 make up this branch of the Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association. New Orleans Classic R&B Divas featuring The Dixie Cups, Wanda Rouzan, and Jean Knight, 4/22, ACU, 12:35p: An all-star, all female revue featuring “Chapel of Love” hitmakers The Dixie Cups with Knight, of “Mr. Big Stuff” fame and Rouzan, a 50year veteran of the local music scene known as “The Sweetheart of New Orleans.” New Orleans Dance Collective, 4/24, KID, 1:50p: This non-profit dance troupe focuses on building positive outlooks and

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The Suffers THURSDAY, APRIL 28—CONGO SQUARE STAGE, 4:10 P.M.

he Suffers, a formidable ten-piece soul gang from Houston, Texas, are having a hell of a year. Their selftitled February full-length debut album yielded showers of critical praise, invitations to perform on the prestige late-night talkshow circuit and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, and inclusion on a long list of lists from the music press: most anticipated releases, new bands to watch, must-sees at festivals, and so on. The buzz is well deserved, and also a long time coming for the group; call them “emerging” on the national scale, but lead vocalist Kam Franklin and her comrades have been putting in work here on the Gulf Coast for years. “I feel like we’re still at the very bottom of the success-level chain,” Franklin said during a recent phone call from the road. “It’s been a pretty quick ride the past year, since we left our day jobs in January 2015. We’ve been on the road nonstop and we’ve done just a little bit over 170 shows. Every time we’ve been able to do something cool, like late-night TV or NPR, that’s like a cherry on top. But at the same time, we realize that we constantly have to keep working.” Franklin, like a lot of soul singers, got her start in front of an audience by singing in the church. Over the years, she and her

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Suffers bandmates—separately and sometimes together—honed their chops on a variety of styles: punk, ska, country, hip-hop, dubstep, soul and more, becoming local and regional favorites. “A lot of people outside of Houston don’t really think of music outside of hip-hop and Beyoncé, when they think of us, but there’s a lot going on right now and it’s really nice to be a part of that,” she said. The ten tracks on The Suffers display that simmering soul stew of influences, from taut, snappy Texas rhythm and blues to New Orleans grease and grit. The sly and saucy “Make Some Room” (“You want a michelada? I’ll mix one for you”) has a definite whiff of Meters or Gaturs on it, with its low-down bass and funky, syncopated percussion. Other songs, like the smooth “Midtown,” are glossed with a sophisticated wash of horns or bloom, like “Good Day,” with a sunny, springy reggae bounce. A sax solo on “Dutch” belies the team’s jazz chops; the wild percussive clatter and nasty guitar on the scorching “Gwan” promise that the Suffers can fire up a room. And they can: Working ensemble, the full team delivers an onstage show as dynamic as what their high-energy, sultry sound inspires on the dance floor. Check ’em out. —Alison Fensterstock www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z strong self-esteem through the celebration of community and diversity. New Orleans Experience ft. S - 8ighty, Partners-N-Crime, DJ Jubilee, Denisia, Kevin Stylez, Dobama and Govenor Reiss, 4/23, CON, 12:35: The New Orleans Hip-Hop Experience brings together a super group of homegrown New Orleans talent. Each brings their individualities to create a rarely heard hip-hop experience. New Orleans Gospel Soul Children, 4/22, GOS, 5p: Led by Craig Adams, this long-standing local gospel group delivers energetic and choreographed renditions of gospel standards. New Orleans Jazz Vipers, 4/23, LAG, 1:45p: This swinging drum-less quintet brings a mix of still-timely standards like “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and lesser known swing tunes to their long-running weekly gigs at the Spotted Cat. New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, 4/30, J&H, 4:15p: Innovators of a funked-up localized take on Jewish traditional music, this band’s past and present members include scions of the city’s jazz and funk scenes. TOM MCDERMOTT’s favorites Local restaurants: Elizabeth’s, Bayona, Café Degas. Jazz Fest: Freshly Shucked Oysters on the Half Shell by J & M Seafood (Grandstand) New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Rhythm Section, 4/29, PAR, 12p: Eric “Yeti” Boudreaux, Monk Boudreaux’s younger brother, founded this high caliber Mardi Gras Indian drummers ensemble. New Orleans Nightcrawlers Brass Band, 4/28, J&H, 3:40p: This funky brass band represents the genre’s adventurous edge and includes familiar faces from Bonerama and Galactic. Their last album, Slither Slice, combined funk, hip-hop, Indian chants and a general spirit of rejuvenation. New Orleans Spiritualettes, 5/1, GOS, 1:05p: Founded a half-century ago by stillcurrent leader Ruby Ray, the Spiritualettes are the longest-active female gospel group in New Orleans. The New Orleans Suspects, 4/24, ACU, 12:20p: Radiators bassist Reggie Scanlan and Neville Brothers drummer “Mean” Willie Green are the backbone of a funky all-star band that also includes Dirty Dozen guitarist Jake Eckert, keyboardist CR Gruver and saxophonist Jeff Watkins, who was James Brown’s late-career bandleader. New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, 5/23, ECO, 5:40p: The Swamp Donkeys’ creative mix of traditional jazz, blues, vaudeville and modern jazz styles gained a worldwide legion of fans when a video of their rendition of the Game of Thrones theme went viral online. New Wave Brass Band, 4/22, J&H, 11:20a: Snare drummer Oscar Washington is at the helm of this updated traditional New Orleans brass band. Nicholas Payton & Afro-Caribbean Mixtape, 4/29, JAZ, 1:45p: In recent years, the #BAM proponent has shifted from trumpet to the keyboard chair, from which he often plays both instruments together. A savvy producer, he’s been delving into electronic music with an R&B sensitivity lately. The mixtape project follows on the heels of

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the visual art-inspired improvisation-heavy Textures, which he recorded entirely with Logic software. Nick Jonas, 4/24, GEN, 5:25p: After graduating from his siblings’ Jonas Brothers band to pursue a solo career in 2014, this pop singer (and newly minted actor) is releasing his latest effort, Last Year Was Complicated, in June 2016. Nigel Hall, 4/23, ACU, 11:20a: Soulful funk keyboardist and singer Hall moved to New Orleans from Maine in 2013 and was quickly welcomed as an ideal match for the sounds of the city. He’s worked with a slew of contemporary jam and funk acts including Soulive, Lettuce and the Warren Haynes Band. Nine Times Ladies Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 4/30, PAR, 4p: The women’s section of the Upper Ninth Ward parade club, the Nine Times. Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club, 4/23, PAR, 1:35p: Formed in the 1980s, this downtown-based parade club is comprised of the 9 Times Men, 9 Times Ladies and Original 9 Times Ladies divisions. Ninth Ward Hunter Mardi Gras Indians, 4/24, PAR, 12p: Big Chief Robbe, who has led four Indian tribes, created this Lower Ninth Ward-based group in the 1940s. NOCCA Jazz Ensemble, 4/24, JAZ, 11:10a: Student group from the secondary school whose graduates include Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Payton, Trombone Shorty and the Marsalis brothers. North Penn High School Navy Jazz Band, 4/28, JAZ, 11:15a: Student jazz musicians from this Pennsylvania high school (Hall & Oates’ John Oates is an alumnus) are part of the institution’s long lineage of awardwinning and competitive young players. le & Nu Style Fellas Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 5/1, PAR, 4:15p: The Ole & Nu Style Fellas roll through the Sixth Ward each April, coming out at the Ooh Poo Pa Doo Bar. Opera Creole, 4/30, KID, 1:50p: Devoted to the history of contributions people of color have made to opera and classical music in New Orleans through history, these singers perform a mix of French language works, many of which were authored by Creole composers. Orange Kellin’s New Orleans DeLuxe Orchestra, 4/22, ECO, 3p: The clarinetist moved from Sweden to New Orleans in 1966; four years later he played at Louis Armstrong’s 70th birthday show. His group plays classic early jazz by King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and others. Original Big 7 Social Aid & Pleasure Club, 4/29, PAR, 4:30p: The Original Big 7s formed in 1995 in the St. Bernard housing development; today, the Big 7 Cultural Heritage Division provides a creative and social center for the community’s youth. Original CTC Steppers SA&PC, 5/1, PAR, 4:15p: Named for their tradition of parading over the Industrial Canal, the CTC (Cross The Canal) Steppers hold one of the season’s most popular Sunday parades. Original Dixieland Jazz Band, 4/28, ECO, 11:20a: Bandleader and trumpeter Nick LaRocca leads this traditional New Orleans jazz band, founded nearly a century ago by his father.

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Sharon Jones SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS

FRIDAY, APRIL 22—BLUES TENT, 5:45 P.M.

“T

hey got a lot of singers coming out today that say they do R&B, soul and funk,” Sharon Jones explains. “But now, when they say R&B they mean pop. They’re bringing all these young singers over from Britain and Europe and saying they’re soul singers, but they’re not. Don’t make it something it’s not. Don’t take the soul out of soul.” No one could ever accuse Jones of taking the soul out of soul, and no one ever will. At the age of 59, the illustrious singer hasn’t strayed far from the music that captivated her in her youth. In fact, she’s helped give it a second wind. Jones’ interest in R&B, soul and funk may have started at an early age, but her success did not come as quickly. The singer spent decades paying her dues, from developing her talent in church gospel choirs to contributing uncredited background vocals on ’70s disco tracks and even working as a prison guard at New York City’s notorious Riker’s Island. “One thing that kept me going was the fact that I knew God had given me a gift,” says Jones. “I’m not a pop singer, and that held me back. At a certain time, in the ’80s, the music changed. You had to have a certain look if you wanted to get noticed, but I knew that one day I would be accepted for my voice, so I continued on. I’m just glad I never gave up.”

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Thank God she didn’t. Since releasing her debut album with backing band the Dap-Kings (a musical powerhouse in their own right) in 2002, Jones has toured all over the world. She and her band have spent that time at the forefront of a soul revival has taken root with younger audiences, while also introducing their parents’ generation to a new take on the music they grew up loving. However, recent years have not been without hardship for Jones, who called off her tour and postponed her album release after being diagnosed with bile-duct cancer in 2013. She initially beat the disease with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, but her cancer unfortunately returned last year. “It’s a battle with the type of cancer I have,” Jones notes. “I haven’t had chemo in the last couple of months, but I just had another procedure taken care of and now I’m doing great. As long as the doctors tell me everything’s under control and I feel healthy, that’s the way it is.” “I’m gonna try to fulfill every show. That’s my goal and that’s what I’m looking forward to,” she adds. “Tell everyone to stay positive, and come see us when we come out. Don’t have me singing to an empty audience.” —Sam D’Arcangelo www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z Original Four SA&PC, 4/29, PAR, 4:30p: Founded in 1986, this social aid and pleasure club takes a unique and long route on its annual parade, marching from downtown all the way uptown through Central City. Original New Orleans Lady Buckjumpers SA&PC, 5/1, PAR, 1:35p: The Original New Orleans Lady Buckjumpers and Men Buckjumpers have been rolling for more than 30 years. Original Pigeon Town Steppers SA&PC, 4/30, PAR, 2:40p: Based way (way) Uptown in the Leonidas neighborhood, this club’s annual Sunday parade follows a unique route. Original Pinettes Brass Band, 4/30, J&H, 5:50p: Billed as “The World’s Only All Female Brass Band,” the Pinettes were formed by a group of students at St. Mary’s Academy in 1991. They won the Red Bull Street Kings brass competition in 2013. Owl Glass Puppets Southwest, 4/28, KID, 3p: The Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Southwest, based in San Antonio, Texas, focuses on educating young people through puppeteering. alm Court Jazz Band, the, featuring Sammy Rimington, 4/30, ECO, 12:25p: The house band from the Palm Court, long the HQ of trumpeter Lionel Ferbos, brings their brand of traditional New Orleans jazz to the Fest along with English reedman Rimington, a longtime proponent of the genre’s revival. Panorama Jazz Band, 4/22, J&H, 4:20p: Influenced by styles from around the globe, this hip band comprised of top local instrumentalists blends New Orleans jazz traditions with klezmer, Latin and Balkan sounds.

LEROY JONES’ favorites Local restaurants: Meauxbar, Irene’s Cuisine, Nine Roses. Jazz Fest: Louisiana Crawfish Po-Boy by Sharon & Guilherme Wegner (Food Area I) Pastor Jai Reed, 4/29, GOS, 5:05p: New Orleans Baptist minister Reed is a soulful singer in the Stevie Wonder tradition, approaching gospel with a contemporary R&B influence. Pastor Tyrone Jefferson, 4/29, GOS, 12:05p: This New Orleans native is the Senior Pastor of the Abundant Life Tabernacle Full Gospel Baptist Church and the CEO of Abundant Life Ministries. His extensive work serving social community needs has included efforts to improve voting rates, to feed the hungry and to get more young people enrolled in college. Patrice Fisher & Arpa with guest Javier Cabrera of Mexico, 4/22, LAG, 12:45p: This Latin jazz harpist has been a Jazz Fest mainstay for three decades, earning fans around the country like Rolling Stone critic David Fricke. Paul Sanchez & the Rolling Road Show, 4/30, GEN, 11:20a: Sanchez has blossomed as a songwriter since parting company with Cowboy Mouth, co-writing the post-Katrina musical Nine Lives and launching a number of projects as a leader, including the Rolling Road Show, Minimum Rage and the Write Brothers.

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Paul Simon, 4/29. ACU, 5:15p: Simon was in New Orleans last December at the Le Petit Theater paying tribute to Allen Toussaint. The concert, a fundraiser, for Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness which was co-founded in 1985 by Toussaint, was supposed to also feature Toussaint. Simon’s catalogue is well known, but he tends to freshen up the material with a full-band. Paulin Brothers Brass Band, 4/29, ECO, 11:20a: Ernest “Doc” Paulin founded this band in the 1920s, and his sons now perform strictly traditional brass-band music, complete with the longstanding black-andwhite uniforms and spiffy white caps. Pearl Jam, 4/23, ACU, 4:30p: This Seattle grunge has found its place as a model for independence and integrity. They last performed at Jazz Fest in 2010 and more recently at Voodoo Fest in 2013. Pearl Jam front man, Eddie Vedder, has often performed with a ukulele and guitar. Noting the length of the Jazz Fest show writer Alison Fensterstock noted on Twitter “@jazzfest gave Pearl Jam two and a half hours. It’s like they’re a... Pearl Jamband.” Pelican212, 4/24, KID, 3p: A family band made up of brothers and sisters who play horns, keys and drums, this young ensemble calls its sound “Louisiana Soul.” The Perfect Gentlemen SA&PC, 4/22, PAR, 12:30p: This Uptown social aid and pleasure club celebrated its 25th year in 2016. The Pfister Sisters, 4/29, ECO, 12:35p: Inspired by the close harmonies and lively personalities of New Orleans’ Boswell Sisters, these Spotted Cat regulars are all about the ‘30s in both sound and look. Pine Leaf Boys, 4/28, FDD, 6p: This young band has spearheaded the latest revival of Cajun music, bridging new and traditional music and snagging four Grammy nominations. Leader Wilson Savoy is the son of Cajun music’s first couple Marc and Ann Savoy. Pocket Aces Brass Band, 4/23, J&H, 5:50p: This Bridge City brass-hop band began as a few friends who got together for an annual Mardi Gras jam before expanding to a full-time touring outfit. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 4/30, GEN, 1:55p: With its 50th anniversary in the rearview mirror, the New Orleans music institution’s profile is higher than ever thanks to heavy touring, Foo Fighters collaboration and a career-spanning boxed set. Their guest-heavy Jazz Fest sets are always festival highlights. The PresHall Brass, 4/29, ECO, 3p: Featuring bass drummer Tanio Hingle, snare drummer Kerry “Fat Man” Hunter and trumpeter Will Smith, plus a rotating roster of players, Pres Hall Brass aims to serve as the Hall collective’s go-to brass band arm, like the Olympia Brass Band once did. Preston Shannon, 4/24, BLU, 1:20p: Memphis-based soul and electric blues guitar slinger Shannon appeared on Season Two of “The Voice.” Prince of Wales Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 5/1, PAR, 1:35p: Uptown’s Prince of Wales is among the oldest parade clubs in the city; their annual Sunday second line struts through the Irish Channel. JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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Cary Hudson CARY HUDSON & THE PINEY WOOD PLAYERS FRIDAY, APRIL 29—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 3 P.M.

“I

t’s about sex,” Cary Hudson confesses about the meaning behind his tune “Local Honey.” “Like everything else in life, it’s a metaphor for sex.” Hudson laughs as he admits to this—as well as to having a “good buzz going”—while talking by phone from Bianchi’s Pizzeria in downtown Hattiesburg, 100 miles northeast of New Orleans. Exuding the aura of a rugged-yet-regal Renaissance man, one ensconced in a vibe of Mississippi mysticism, Hudson grew up in nearby Sumrall in Lamar County. He now divides his time between an apartment in Bayou St. John and a farm located 15 miles from Bianchi’s. At the farm, Hudson harvests honey from bee colonies he cultivated there—clearly, the man knows and loves honey—and is currently busy, with girlfriend Jennifer Forbes, remodeling a 31-foot 1972 Airstream dubbed the “Nola Nest.” “I’m in the process of transitioning to New Orleans full-time,” Hudson, 52, explains, noting that he started performing in the city on a regular basis nearly five years ago upon moving to New Orleans for his daughter, now 13. “I really feel I’ve made a home for myself there.” His connection here was further cemented with the 2014 release of Town & Country, a superb set brimming over with bluesy swing and back-porch sing-along charm, produced by multi-Grammy winner Trina Shoemaker and set to the beat of Cajun drummer Doug Belote (Jon Cleary, Jerry Douglas). “Local Honey”

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is among the gems unearthed on Town & Country, Hudson’s sixth solo album and his first recorded in the Crescent City. Hudson arrived in New Orleans already a legend in certain circles as a troubadour par excellence from his early days playing in Oxford, Mississippi. There, he formed the Hilltops in the mid’80s with Mandeville-bred siblings Laurie (Hudson’s ex-wife) and John (Wilco’s long-serving bassist) Stirratt. Hudson’s subsequent band Blue Mountain (with Laurie) hit it big soon after its 1992 start, crafting an instant-classic catalogue and touring nationally with the Jayhawks and Willie Nelson during alt-country’s salad days, before disbanding in 2002. Blue Mountain reformed when Hudson moved to New Orleans but called it quits in 2013. Hudson’s played Jazz Fest once before, playing guitar behind Shannon McNally in 2011. This year he formed the Piney Woods Players with Scott Chism (bass), Lynn Terry (vocals), Katrina Miller (fiddle) and his runnin’ partners from South Jones, Jackson Purvis (guitar) and John Paul Carmody (drums). Asked which song among many stellar selections is most requested at shows, Hudson can’t name just one. “‘Soul Sister’ or ‘Skinny Dippin’’ or maybe ‘Jellyroll,’” he answers. “I try to address life, the whole range of experiences, in my songs. I’ve never had a big hit but I do have quite a few songs people always ask for.” —Frank Etheridge www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z Punch Brothers, 5/1, FD, 4:10p: Mandolin star Chris Thile (of Nickel Creek) formed this talented roots band whose latest album, The Phosphorescent Blues, was produced by T-Bone Burnett. uiana Lynell and the Lush Life Band, 4/29, LAG, 1:50p: A graduate of LSU’s music program, Lynell is adept at singing both jazz and classical as well as blues. She’s been tapped to perform with artists ranging from Herlin Riley and Don Vappie to the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. aw Oyster Cult and some Fishy Friends, 4/29, GEN, 2p: The closest thing at FQF to a Radiators reunion, featuring 3/5 of the Rads (Dave Malone, Camile Baudoin, and Frank Bua) plus Papa Grows Funk’s John Gros and Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes’ bassist Dave Pomerlau. The Rayo Brothers, 5/1, FDD, 11:10a: This (mostly) acoustic Lafayette-based indie folk quartet takes its name from brothers Daniel and Jesse Reaux, whose family includes members of the Lost Bayou Ramblers and traditional Cajun bands. Real Untouchable Brass Band, 4/22, J&H, 3p; 4/29, PAR, 4:15p: This local brass crew adds congas to its otherwise streetcentric sound. Rebirth Brass Band, 4/30, CON, 3:45p: Now entering its fourth decade, Grammy in hand, the Rebirth was one of the first bands to modernize and funkify the New Orleans brass band sound; most of the younger brass bands you hear in town style themselves after the Rebirth, although there are no duplicates for founding bass drum and tuba players Keith and Phil Frazier or snare drummer Derrik Tabb. Red Boys Production Native American Dance Troupe, 4/28, NAT, 11:55a, 2:35p, 3:55p; 4/29, NAT, 11:45a, 12:45p; 4/30, NAT, 1:10p, 2:30p, 4p; 5/1, NAT, 11:40a, 12:55p, 2:15p: Made up of tribes including the Cree, Dakota, Lakota, Mohawk, Choctaw and others, this dance troupe and drum group’s members hail from across America and Canada. Red Hot Chili Peppers, 4/24, ACU, 5p: In-your-face ’80s and ’90s guitar rock got significantly punched up by the Chili Peppers’ welcome addition of funk way back when. At press time, Anthony Keidis, Flea and their new(er) cohorts Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer were rumored to be gearing up to release a new album of material Flea described as a mix of danceable, funky shit and some real introspective stuff. The Revealers, 4/24, J&H, 11:20a: DeRoc Debose and Don Williams lead this long-running New Orleans reggae band, which continues to write new music with drummer Kerry Brown. The Revelers, 5/1, LAG, 4:15p: A new Acadian supergroup made up of founding members of Jazz Fest perennials the Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys. The Revivalists, 4/29, GEN, 3:40p: New Orleans band has solid songs for the rock ’n’ rollers and free-flowing grooves for the jam-band crowd. Following the release of their Ben Ellman-produced second album, City of Sound, lead singer David Shaw hit the road with Galactic.

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Keith Spera sits down with member of the Revivalists, David Shaw and Zack Feinberg. Revolution SA&PC, 4/28, PAR, 2:10p: One of the biggest parade clubs, the Revolution SA&PC is known for mindblowing dance moves and multiple costume changes along their annual Sunday parade route. Rhiannon Giddens, 4/24, BLU, 3:50p; 4/24, AM, 12p: Giddens unleashed a successful solo project after years singing with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a longtime Fest favorite. A multi-instrumentalist well-versed in multiple American roots music forms (including New Orleans jazz—check out her big-band “St. James Infirmary” collaboration with Tom Jones) her 2015 debut was recorded by T-Bone Burnett. NPR’s Nick Spitzer interviews her before her set. PAUL SANCHEZ’s favorites Local restaurants: Café Degas, Café Navarre, Tableau. Jazz Fest: Trout Baquet by Baquet’s Li’l Dizzy’s Café (Heritage Square) Ricky Dillard & New G, 4/30, GOS, 3:55p: Chicago native Dillard leads his Grammy-nominated contemporary gospel choir, the New Generation Ensemble, thorugh his catalog of Billboard-charting hits. Rising Dragon Lion Dance Team, 4/23, KID, 1:35p, 3:50p: Marrero-based traditional Vietnamese lion dancers display a colorful and acrobatic part of Vietnam’s cultural heritage; often performed at festivals and holiday events, some say the dance wards off evil spirits. Robert Jardell & Pure Cajun, 4/24, LAG, 11:30a: Hailing from Breaux Bridge, Morse, Indian Bayou and Gueydan, this traditional Cajun band is led by accordionist Jardell, who sings a mix of classics and originals. The Robert Pate Project, 4/28, GOS, 1:50p: New Orleans born singer Pate and his choir make their Jazz Fest debut. Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, 5/1, FDD, 6:05p: One of the few rubboard players to lead a zydeco band, Dopsie Jr. plays it wilder than his accordionist dad, and his sets are guaranteed partystarters. The Rocks of Harmony, 4/24, GOS, 11:10a: New Orleans gospel in its purest form, this all-male group has been singing praises and spirituals for half a century. Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars, 5/1, FDD, 2:40p: This eclectic Cajun, zydeco, swamp pop and rock ‘n’ roll band is built around accordionist/guitarist Romero and pianist Eric Adcock. Their double album The La Louisianne Sessions was nominated for a Grammy. The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, 4/28, PAR, 12:30p: Rebirth snare drum player Derrick Tabb’s program aims to support, teach, and protect at-risk youth through music education while preserving and promoting New Orleans’ musical heritage. Songwriter Ani DiFranco is on the board of directors. The RRAMS, 4/23, KID, 11:30a: The River Road African-American Museum Society in Donaldsonville presents an educational program for kids.

Rosa Ashby Metoyer, 4/22, KID, 3p: Alexandria-based Ashby has been sharing her Butterbean Tales and other folklore stories at festivals, churches and libraries for more than two decades. Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys, 4/23, FDD, 6:10p: Known as the Zydeco Sweetheart, singer/accordionist Ledet has long been zydeco’s premier female bandleader. She’s also a master of the lyrical double entendre, as evinced by her local hit “I’m Gonna Take Care of Your Dog.” Roy Rogers and The Delta Rhythm Kings, 4/30, BLU, 2:35p: Slide guitar master Roger’s funky riffs on the blues make for energy-packed live performances, earning the attention of folks like Conan O’Brien, who has said Rogers “deserves a genius grant.” The Royal Boys Choir, 4/24, KID, 11:30a: Reginald Varnado, Jr. directs this singing choir, which has called Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist Church its home base since the closing of McCoy Miller Academy, where the group was formed. Royal Teeth, 4/24, GEN, 2:10p: This young indie rock outfit’s melodic yet danceable pop, highlighted by the pure vocals of Nora Patterson, has been racking up national buzz for the couple of years. Rumba Buena, 4/23, CON, 11:20a: This popular New Orleans Latin band is a 12-piece group with four singers, four percussionists, horns and rhythm to spare. arah Quintana & the Miss River Band, 4/22, LAG, 11:30a: Water and the Louisiana region’s natural world fueled the inspiration for this ambitious, dreamy and innovative project from one of the city’s top vocalists. Savoy Family Cajun Band, 4/28, FDD, 12:15p: Marc and Ann Savoy have done as much as anyone to celebrate and preserve Cajun music and culture. This group teams the couple with their sons Wilson (of Pine Leaf Boys) and Joel. Scene Boosters SA&PC, 4/29, PAR, 1:10p: The Scene Boosters traditionally roll with the Original Pinstripe Brass Band during their annual Sunday parades. Sean Bruce, 4/29, LAG, 12:35p: One of many talented indie artists from Lafayette’s burgeoning music scene, guitarist, harmonica player and singer/songwriter Bruce weaves elements of folk and rock together on his recent release, Maps, an exploration of how sense of place affects our lives.

CHARLIE GABRIEL’s favorites Local restaurants: Mr. B’s Bistro, Muriel’s Jackson Square, Acme Oyster House in Metairie. Jazz Fest: Sweet Potato Pie by Mr. Williams’ Pastries (Various Locations) Second Line Jammers SA & PC with Paulin Brothers Brass Band, 4/29, PAR, 11:20a: This social aid and pleasure club teamed up with the Undefeated Divas SA&PC for their 2015 Sunday parade. Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians, 4/23, PAR, 2:40p: Big Chief Keith “Keitoe” Jones leads this Ninth Ward-based tribe. Semolian Warriors Mardi Gras Indians, 4/22, J&H, 12:35p: Big Chief Yam aka James Harris, created this Uptown gang after stints with the Creole Wild West and the Wild Magnolias.

Shades of Praise, 4/22, GOS, 5:55p: This gospel choir is integrated across race, gender and denomination, and had its first scheduled performance on September 12, 2001; they’ve since been dedicated to spreading a message of hope. Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs, 4/29, CON, 1:25p: Jazz-funk-hip-hop trumpeter Allen resists categorization, having performed with Willie Nelson and written the local anthem “Meet Me on Frenchmen Street.” Shannon Powell presents a Tribute to Smokey Johnson, 4/22, BLU, 11:15a: Billed as the “King of Treme,” Shannon Powell is a master drummer and Preservation Hall staple who began his career with Danny Barker and has since played with Wynton Marsalis, Dr. John and Harry Connick Jr. Here, he honors the innovative drummer Smokey Johnson, whose classic, “It Ain’t My Fault,” remains an essential component of the New Orleans songbook. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, 4/22, BLU, 5:45p: Retro-flavored Brooklyn soul queen Jones would have given James Brown a run for his money in the energy and funk departments. As she found herself battling cancer again in the fall of 2015, Jones announced she would not cancel plans to return to the studio and the road in the months that followed (and given the amount of power she and her band expend in a given set, it’s tempting to suggest the music is doing as much for health as any doctor could). Shining Star Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/24, PAR, 12p: The Shining Star Hunters are led by Big Chief Jimmie Ricks, a veteran Spyboy and Second Chief for Larry Bannock’s Golden Star Hunters. The Showers, 4/30, GOS, 12:05p: This family gospel group is made up of seven siblings from Hammond, la. They recently released the single, “Better.” Single Ladies Social Aid and Pleasure Club, 4/23, PAR, 1:35p: The Single Ladies SA&PC have been parading through Uptown for two decades. Single Men SA&PC, 4/23, PAR, 1:35p: Uptown parade club the Single Men was established in 1995. Smitty Dee’s Brass Band, 4/23, PAR, 4p: This band was formed in 1991 by former Olympia Brass Band sousaphonist Dimitri Smith. They play regularly at Preservation Hall and on the Creole Queen riverboat. Snarky Puppy, 4/28, AM, 3:30p; JAZ, 5:25p: This innovative and sprawling instrumental outfit led by bassist Michael League performs music from the worlds of jazz, R&B and beyond. They recorded a new, guest-filled Family Dinner album at Esplanade Studios last Mardi Gras and recently released the darker, more bandfocused Culcha Vultcha in April. Ashley Kahn interviews members of the band on the Miner Stage before their Jazz Tent set. Snoop Dogg, 4/30, CON, 5:35p: Snoop (aka the D-O-double-G, Snoop Lion, Snoopzilla or DJ Snoopadelic, depending on his mood) delved into reggae and dancehall in 2013, but still brings it back to the West Coast hip-hop style he helped engineer in the ’90s for most of his live shows: equal parts swagger, funk and comedy gold. Last

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photo: dean c. jones

FEST FEST FOCUS JAZZ A-Z

Geri Allen GERI ALLEN: THE ERROLL GARNER JAZZ PROJECT FRIDAY, APRIL 22—ZATARAIN’S WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 4:10 P.M.

n the world of jazz, much is made of the company one keeps. By that measure, pianist/ composer Geri Allen has collaborated with all-time greats, beginning in Detroit with her early mentor Marcus Belgrave, then branching out with Steve Coleman, Kenny Barron, Paul Motian, Charlie Haden, Arthur Blythe, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Cyrille, Charles Lloyd and many others. She also achieved a master’s degree in ethnomusicology at the University of Pittsburgh. “I met brilliant artists, actors and poets there, such as Greg Tate, Calvin Reid and Kabuya Bowens-Saffo, who greatly inspired my work and expanded the way I thought about music. Dr. Amoaku, a master drummer from Ghana, was teaching an ethnomusicology class then and he introduced me to Dr. Nathan Davis who invited me to study ethnomusicology at the University of Pittsburgh. He became my mentor and I would eventually return to Pitt to teach after 30 years on the New York City jazz scene.” Geri Allen’s solo career launched in earnest with the highly acclaimed effort The Gathering in 1998. Although deeply rooted in jazz, her music is a richly layered tapestry that can at times be dense and at other points offers an ethereal, spiritual light. Allen elaborates in her own words: “Music is a gift from God and I feel blessed and so very privileged to be a musician. I am moved by the

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spiritual power of John and Alice Coltrane’s music for instance. So clear and direct in intention. [Pianist and composer] Mary Lou Williams highlighted scripture infusing her music with great healing power. Music can change the dynamics of the moment in a variety of ways and we are attracted to it for the many aspects of our humanity it reflects. The social times of singing the blues together, like when we hear the Queen of Soul or the Motown songs that became the soundtrack of my youth. These all have their connections to the joys and challenges of living life day to day. I appreciate the variety that is the breadth of choices. Choices are important.” Geri Allen’s performance at Jazz Fest will feature a tribute to Erroll Garner. She explains how this project came about. “Mary Lou Williams raved about Erroll Garner and was a staunch supporter, acknowledging him as one of her favorite piano greats. When I first heard his playing I was in high school and my father had Concert by the Sea in his record collection. It was a revelation hearing the piano played that way. His had a very individual expression—virtuosic and jubilant. We want to celebrate his genius and the importance of his contribution to the people of New Orleans. This will be my first time coming to your iconic city and I am very happy to come celebrating Erroll Garner.” —Michael Dominici www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z year, he introduced his very own line of weed, Leafs By Snoop. Sonny Landreth, 4/28, ACU, 1:30p: A thoughtful songwriter and scorching slide guitarist, Landreth can claim the likes of Clapton, Buffett, Hiatt and John Mayall as collaborators and fans. Sons of Jazz Brass Band, 4/28, PAR, 2:10p: This local brass band often provides the soundtrack for parades by the Ladies of Unity and Revolution Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs. The Soul Rebels, 4/30, ACU, 12:30p: After the international success of their Rounder debut Unlock Your Mind, this funkinspired brass band released Power = Power, an OkayPlayer mixtape of reimagined hiphop hits. New arrangements of D’Angelo and Marvin Gaye have popped up in recent live shows. Southern University Jazzy Jags, 4/28, BLU, 11:15a: Student group from the Southern University of Baton Rouge. The school’s modern jazz program was designed by the late Alvin Batiste. The Speakerbox Experiment, 4/30, CON, 11:15a: This local eight-piece ensemble performs a mix of soul, funked up rock and pop. Spencer Bohren & the Whippersnappers, 4/28, BLU, 12:20p: A singer, guitarist and musicologist with a flair for traditional blues and gospel, Bohren spotlights his pedal-steel prowess on his new disc Tempered Steel. Spirit of the Orisha, 4/28, J&H, 11:20a: Female trio sending a positive message with reggae rhythms, gospel influence and soaring harmonies. Known as Zion Trinity, Spirit of the Orisha is the name of their most recent CD. Square dance with Lost in the Holler, 4/23, KID, 3p: The Swamp Lilies String Band gets kids and grown-ups moving to the sounds of old-time fiddle tunes and a variety of uptempo blues while caller Dan Wally Baker shouts out invitations to swing yer partner. BEN JAFFE’s favorites Local restaurants: Satsuma Café, Nine Roses, Whole Foods on Broad. Jazz Fest: Jamaican Chicken by Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine (Congo Square) St. Joseph the Worker Music Ministry, 4/24, GOS, 12:45p: The choir of this New York-based church plays a key role in the church community’s daily activities. Steely Dan, 4/22, ACU, 5:30p: Trippy coke-rock! Kidding … sort of. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s winning combination of layered instrumentation and out-there lyrics have won over generations of musicians and fans. There’s a reason “Josie” gets used on so many soundchecks all these years later. Stephanie Jordan Big Band, 4/28, JAZ, 4p: This popular New Orleans jazz singer hails from the esteemed Jordan family (her father is the award-winning saxophonist Kidd Jordan). Stephen Foster’s Family Music Program, 4/30, KID, 11:30a: No relation to the early American composer, this family foundation is dedicated to music education in New Orleans.

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Steve Pistorius and the Southern Syncopators, 4/24, ECO, 12:30p: Steve Pistorius, who plays with a dexterous, ragtime piano style, is complemented by a crew of seasoned traditional jazz musicians in a band named after a song by Henry “Red” Allen. Their repertoire includes tunes by Sidney Bechet, Natty Dominique, Bill Whitmore, Tony Jackson and others. Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, 4/22, FDD, 3p: The venerable band is equally capable of playing straight-up Cajun music or going progressive; some recent gigs have even included a ten-minute jam on Neil Young’s “Down By the River” in French Stevie Wonder, 4/30, ACU, 5p: You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t know anything about Stevie Wonder. Think 53 years’ worth of genius contributions to Motown, R&B, pop, jazz and beyond. Stooges Brass Band, 5/1, CON, 12:15p: One of the busiest brass bands on the second line circuit, and one of the best. They’ve also performed in Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan as musical ambassadors on US Embassy tours, as well as throughout Europe. Storyville Stompers Brass Band, 5/1, J&H, 3p: This traditional New Orleans brass band formed in 1981, and it performs a number of rarely-played vintage jazz tunes. Its membership includes some of the top players in town, and it’s always in demand for parades. the subdudes, 4/22, AM, 12:30, BLU, 2:50p: Known for using a tambourine player (Steve Amadee) instead of a drummer, this Tommy Malone-fronted roots rock outfit draws on a mix of New Orleans music styles along with plenty of groove. David Fricke interviews Tommy Malone and John Magnie before their set. The Sudan SA&PC, 4/28, PAR, 2:10p: The Treme-based Sudan social aid and pleasure club rolls with elaborate, ribbonbedazzled baskets at their annual parades. The Suffers, 4/28, CON, 4:10: Kam Franklin fronts this Gulf Coast soul act from Houston, whose reggae roots are referenced in their name, a nod to the classic film “Rockers.” Sundays in Congo Square, 4/24, KID, 4:10p: Author Freddie Williams Evans, in collaboration with the Congo Square Preservation Society and the Christian Unity Baptist Church, teaches kids about the historical and cultural significance of Sundays in the N. Rampart Street landmark. Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots with guest Pascal Danae, 4/30, FDD, 2:50p: Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes is dedicated to the Creole music traditions. With the Louisiana Sunspots, he plays a slightly urban version of zydeco with an emphasis on the R&B elements. Swamp Pop Revue featuring Gregg Martinez & The Delta Kings with special guests G.G. Shinn and Parker James, 5/1, FDD, 12p: A trio of celebrated swamp pop stars—Boogie Kings alum Shin and pals— revisit material from their stories pasts. Sweet Crude, 4/30, GEN, 12:35p; AM, 4:30p: New Orleans indie pop septet Sweet Crude plays an energetic brand of percussion-driven, sparkly rock, often sung

in French. Alex Rawls interviews them tk their set. Sweet Pain featuring Chico Ramos and Supa G of Belize, 4/29, J&H, 2:20p; BEL, 4:15; 4/30, CON, 12:05p, BEL, 2:35p: This tri-lingual collective performs punta rock under the direction of Ramos, who’s known as the “godfather” of the genre. CLINT MAEDGEN’s favorites Local restaurants: The Joint, Junction Bar & Grill, Kukhnya in Siberia. Jazz Fest: Jamaican Chicken by Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine (Congo Square) The Swing Setters, 4/29, KID, 12:40p: Singer Jayna Morgan’s spirited new band covers standards, folk tunes and Disney songs with a jazz lilt. ’Monde, 4/28, LAG, 12:35p, AM, 4:30p: A trio of rising star Cajun music players—Kelli Jones-Savoy on fiddle, Drew Simon on accordion and Megan Brown on guitar—founded this South Louisiana-based band, which mines regional traditions and each members’ own creativity for its sound. Jim Hobbs interviews the band before the set. Tab Benoit, 4/23, GEN, 2:20p: The Bayou guitar slinger is equally adept at swamp grooves and sizzling blues. As a Voice of the Wetlands founder he has also been one of the most outspoken advocates for wetlands preservation. The Taj Mahal Trio, 4/24, FDD, 4:15p: The legendary, world music-influenced blues guitarist and singer perform with his touring trio. Talla Walla Vibrations of Belize, 4/22, BEL, 11:30a, 1:05p, 3:25p; 4/23, BEL, 11:30a, J&H, 1:40p; 4/24, 11:30a, 1:05p, 3:45p: Guitarist and singer Henry Martinez, along with multiple drummers and dancers, perform traditional songs from Belize, where the group is part of a Creole drumming revival movement. TBC Brass Band, 5/1, J&H, 12:30p: If a brass band on Bourbon Street ever stopped you in your tracks, it was probably TBC Brass Band, who also dominate the streets of Sunday second line parades. Teatro Los Claveles Puppets of Spain, 4/30, KID, 3p: Popular at festivals around the world, these Spanish puppeteers serve up fun, kid-focused performances. Tedeschi Trucks Band with special; guests Jimmie Vaughan and Billy Gibbons, 4/28, ACU, 5p: Soulful, earthy and steeped in the blues, this award-winning 11-piece ensemble is led by husband and wife, Derek Trucks (slide guitar) and Susan Tedeschi (vocals). Their set gets an extra dose of guitar power courtesy of ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Fabulous Thunderbirds alum, Jimmie Vaughan. Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective, 4/24, JAZ, 5:50p: This Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and film score composer—who’s acclaimed new album Breathless was largely inspired by Eric Garner’s death and the events that followed it—creates ambitious conceptual pieces including the Katrina-inspired A Tale of God’s Will and Champion: An Opera in Jazz. Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, 5/1, BLU, 12:30p: One of

zydeco’s ambassadors and one of its most energetic performers, Simien plays his 30th consecutive Jazz Fest this year. Tim Laughlin, 4/23, ECO, 2:50p: Clarinetist Laughlin’s compositions fit within the classic idiom, but his skill in bringing traditional New Orleans jazz into the 21st Century gives them a more modern feel Tin Men, 5/1, LAG, 3p: Strippeddown melodies, a wry sense of humor, deep funk sousaphone grooves and blues-soaked washboard scratches, strums and dings fuel Alex McMurray, Matt Perrine and Washboard Chaz’s long-running trio. Tom McDermott & Friends, 4/29, LAG, 4:15p: McDermott is a virtuoso pianist whose skill and deep knowledge of music history allow him to play everything from New Orleans jazz and blues to Caribbean and classical music. Tom Saunders and the TOMCATS, 5/1, ECO, 5:40p: Biog band and hot jazz from the ’20s and ’30s form the repertoire of this New Orleans ensemble. Tommy McLain, the “Sweet Dreams” Swamp Pop Crooner, 4/23, AM, 4:15p: Steve Armbruster interviews McLain, an alum of the Boogie Kings and Vel-Tones and the singer behind the mid-‘60s hit “Sweet Dreams.” Tommy Sancton’s New Orleans Legacy Band, 5/1, ECO, 12:30p: This clarinetist took music lessons from Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s George Lewis as a child, an experience he documents in the book Song for My Fathers. Tonia Scott & The Anointed Voices, 4/30, GOS, 1:55p: Made up of mostly women, this local gospel choir has become a Jazz Fest regular. Tony Hall’s New Orleans Soul Stars Tribute to James Brown, 4/29, CON, 12:15p: This local soul ensemble has been performing JB birthday tributes at Jazz Fest for nearly a decade. Tonya Boyd-Cannon, 4/30, CON, 1:10p: This New Orleans-based singer boasts powerful pipes, lots of soul and a near-winning run on The Voice. The Topcats, 4/22, ACU, 11:25a: This long-running local party band covers danceready hits like “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Play That Funky Music White Boy.” Topsy Chapman & Solid Harmony, 4/30, ECO, 5:40p: Once a singing waitress on Bourbon Street, Topsy Chapman appeared in the musical One Mo’ Time and now appears at home between European tours. Solid Harmony is a five-woman group with a gospel-inspired vocal blend. Tornado Brass Band, 4/24, PAR, 4p: Darryl Adams leads this local New Orleans brass band through a mix of tunes from the traditional and modern brass band repertoires. TR Shine of Belize, 4/22, BEL, 4:30p, 4/23, 1:45p, 4:45p: Ivan Burgess aka TR Shine plays dance-ready, contemporary soca music. T-Ray The Violinist featuring Dreams2Reality, 4/29, J&H, 3:35p: T-Ray’s innovative explorations of experimental sound tend to fuse contemporary music like hip-hop and neo-soul with jazz and classical-based concepts.

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Treme Brass Band, 4/30, PAR, 1:35p: Led by Benny Jones, the Treme Brass Band is one of the longest-running traditional brass bands in town. The Treme Brass Band contributed to the Carnival repertoire with “Gimme My Money Back.” Tribute to Allen Toussaint hosted by The Allen Toussaint Band with special guests Cyril Neville, Jimmy Buffett, Davell Crawford, Aaron Neville, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. John, and Jon Batiste, 4/29, AM, 1p,5/1, GEN, 2:20p: The late Allen Toussain left an indelible mark on American music. Here, he’s memorialized in song by former associates, friends and protégés. The very successful OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards tribute to Allen Toussaint is mostly recreated here. At the Best of the Beat Cyril Neville’s version of “Fortune Teller” brought the house down. We’re sure he will reprise it here. Tribute to B.B. King hosted by B.B. King’s Blues Band with special guests Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Elvin Bishop, Dr. John, Gregory Porter, Irma Thomas, Tab Benoit, and Luther Kent, 5/1, GEN, 5:45p: A slew of marquee-name artists pay homage to the late blues legend B.B. King, who died on May 15, 2015. Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton featuring Henry Butler, Butch Thompson, and Dr. Michael White, 4/23, ECO, 4:10p: As part of Butler, Bernstein and the Hot 9, blues keyboardist Butler has spent two years serving up fiery, funky interpretations of the music of Morton and his contemporaries. Butler teams up with pianist Thompson and clarinetist White for a set that’s likely to be fun, educational and hopefully a little bawdy. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, 5/1, ACU, 5:45p: Trombonist, trumpeter and singer Troy Andrews has become a member of New Orleans music royalty; his “supafunkrock” sets now close out Jazz Fest every year. Trumpet Mafia, 5/1, JAZ, 12:20p: Skilled local trumpeter Ashlin Parker, of Irvin Mayfield’s NOJO, brings a hip-hop sensibility to the modern jazz-rooted approach of his forward-thinking, multi-trumpet ensemble. Tuba Skinny, 4/28, ECO, 5:40p: This band of New Orleans street musicians specializes in traditional jazz, Depression-era blues and spirituals. They recently released their seventh album, Blue Chime Stomp. Tyronne Foster & the Arc Singers, 4/24, GOS, 5:05p: These Jazz Fest regulars formed in 1987 when Foster started working with St. Joan of Arc Youth and Young Adult Choir. In 1992, they opened their ranks to singers from all denominations. ndefeated Divas and Gents, 4/30, PAR, 2:40p: Parading through the Broadmoor neighborhood each year, the Undefeated Divas honored Pearl Green as their queen this year. UNO Jazz Allstars, 4/22, JAZ, 11:20a: Students from the University of New Orleans’ acclaimed music program make up this local ensemble. Untouchables SA&PC, 4/24, PAR, 2:45p: The Untouchables represent a division of the historic Young Men Olympians. Uptown Swingers SA & PC with Treme Brass Band, 4/30, PAR, 1:35p: Hailing from way Uptown, this parade club recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

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al & Love Alive Mass Choir, 5/1, GOS, 2:55p: Few things sound more spirited than 100 school-age kids singing praises. Valentine BemissWilliams directs this large choir. Valley of Silent Men SA&PC, 4/30, PAR, 4p: This Uptown parade club has been hitting the streets for three decades. Van Morrison, 4/23, GEN, 4p; 4/23, GEN, 5:40p: The prolific singer/songwriter has been writing influential and poetic tunes like “Moondance” for half a century. His latest release features duet versions of previously released material. Versailles Lions Dance Team, 4/30, KID, 1:35, 3:50p: “Strength, endurance, motivation and respect” are the calling cards of this local performance group, specializing in traditional Vietnamese lion dance. Victor Goines, 4/23, JAZ, 1:40p: Versatile, agile and endlessly lyrical on both sax and clarinet, New Orleans native Goines came into his own with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in the ’90s. Vishten of Canada, 4/22, KID, 1:50p: Featuring guitars, fiddle, mandolin and whistles, this trio from Canada’s Francophone Magdalen Islands reflects the pre-Louisiana roots of the Acadian people. Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, 4/24, ACU, 3:05p: Guitarist and activist Tab Benoit leads a troupe of environmentally conscious musical heavyweights, with Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Cajun fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux and more. Voices of Peter Claver, 4/30, GOS, 1p: This adult choir is based at St. Peter Claver Church on St. Philip Street. ageirale Drummers, 4/28, BEL, 4:25p; 4/29, 11:30, 1:30, 3:05, 4/30, KID, 11:30a, 4:10p, 5/1, 12:40p, 4:30p: This ten-person drum collective, founded by Emery Gill, supports grassroots musicians in Dangriga. Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, 5/1, CON, 1:40p: A local institution, the Wolfman puts plenty of hot guitar and soulful horns into his funky brand of blues. Walter Trout, 4/22, BLU, 4:15p: This blues guitar slinger has worked with Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker and Joe Tex. His latest album is Blues Came Callin’. Warren Storm, Willie Tee & Cypress with Special Guest Tommy McLain, 4/23, FDD, 1:35p: Drummer Warren Storm and long-time musical partner Willie Tee and singer Tommy McLain perform their brand of classic swamp pop. Washitaw Nation Mardi Gras Indians, 4/23, PAR, 12p: This Indian tribe takes its name from a group of multi-cultural yet traditionally black Americans who claim Native American sovereignty over their nation. Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries Choir, 4/24, GOS, 6p: Based in Algiers and the Garden District, these singer are led by Pastor Tom Watson. Wayne Toups, 4/29, ACU, 12:20p: This Crowley singer/accordionist was one of the first Cajun/zydeco artists to sign with a major label in the ‘80s. While his band draws strongly from rock onstage, Toups has also embraced his roots, most recently on a trio album with Wilson Savoy and Steve Riley.

We Are One SA&PC, 4/22, PAR, 12:30p: We Are One Social Aid and Pleasure Club is based Uptown. Wendell Brunious & the New Orleans Gentlemen of Jazz, 4/29, ECO, 4:20p: Trumpeter Brunious took over as the leader of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 1987 and remained a Hall regular for many years (his nephew Mark Braud is the current leader). Brunious has played regularly with Lionel Hampton, Linda Hopkins and Sammy Rimington. Westbank Steppers SA&PC, 4/30, PAR, 4p: This social aid and pleasure club hails from New Orleans’ West Bank just across the river. White Cloud Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, J&H, 11:15a: The White Cloud Hunters’ smooth-voiced Big Chief Little Charles Taylor counts his uncle, Thomas Sparks Sr., Big Chief of the Yellow Jacket Mardi Gras Indian gang, as a key mentor. Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians Big Chief Ray Blazio leads the Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians tribe. RICKIE MONIE’s favorites Local restaurants: Rib Room, Ruth’s Chris Steak House; Outback Steakhouse. Jazz Fest: Jamaican Chicken by Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine (Congo Square) The Whitfield Family Band, 4/28, JAZ, 2:50p: This critically acclaimed, jazzinfluenced family ensemble featuring drums, piano and guitar is comprised of multiple Berklee School of Music grads. Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians, 4/22, PAR, 1:35p: Big Chief Ray Blazio leads the Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians tribe. Wild Mohicans Mardi Gras Indians, 4/23, PAR, 12p: A family tribe founded in 1996 by Big Chief Kentrell and Big Queen Zen, the Mohicans added Wild Man Ivory to their crew after his near-death experience in combat in North Korea left him determined to mask Indian upon his return home. Wild Red Flame Mardi Gras Indians, 4/30, PAR, 12:15p: This tribe made its Jazz Fest debut last year with Big Chief Thunder and the Cherokee Hunters. Wild Squatoulas, 5/1, PAR, 12:15p: This Mardi Gras Indian tribe has gotten multiple musical shout-outs from Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians, 5/1, PAR, 12:15p: Allen Toussaint recorded the original eponymous album by the tribe led by Big Chief Jolly. Today, their call and response remains influenced by that early funk-steeped disc, which featured appearances by members of the Meters and the Neville brothers. Willie Sugarcapps, 4/23, LAG, 5:30p: Grayson Capps, Will Kimbrough, Corky Hughes and Sugarcane Jane’s Savana Lee and Anthony Crawford formed this countrystyled blues rock outfit at Alabama’s Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm. The Wimberly Family Gospel Singers, 4/23, GOS, 11:15a: This Marrero family group has been singing traditional gospel for nearly four decades. The Woodshed: Trombones featuring Stephen Walker and Michael Watson, 4/24, JAZ, 12:20p: Jazz Fest’s annual

woodshed series focuses on a pair of local trombonists, Walker and Watson. avier University Jazz Ensemble, 4/23, LAG, 11:30a: Student group from one of New Orleans’ great jazz training grounds. oung Audiences Brass Band Throwdown, 4/22, KID, 11:30a: Members of varying local school brass bands show off their skills at this Kids Tent favorite. Young Audiences Performing Arts Showcase, 4/29, KID, 11:30a: This top arts education and integration program offers a review of its latest work. Young Band Nation, 4/24, KID, 5:15p: Bluesman Doug Gay makes it his mission to turn young musicians on to New Orleans’ R&B heritage, and this group performs vintage nuggets along with some recent hits. Young Brave Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/30, PAR, 12:15p: Big Chief James Battiste leads this Indian tribe. Young Cherokee Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 3:05p: Young Cherokees recently made a splash with their suits at Uptown Super Sunday. Young Fellaz Brass Band, 5/1, PAR, 5:15p: One of the city’s newer brass bands, adding plenty of swagger to traditional instrumentation. Young Guardians of the Flame, 5/1, KID, 11:30a: Big Queen Cherice Harrison Nelson, co-founder of the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame, tailors this educational look at Indian culture to a kids’ audience. Young Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians, 5/1, KID, 2:45p: Eric Yetti Boudreaux’s flexible rhythm section frequently backs Gerard “Lil Bo” Dollis and his Young Magnolias during Indian practices Uptown. Young Men Olympia Aide SA&PC, 4/24, PAR, 4p: The Aide or first division of the Young Men Olympian Jr. Benevolent Association handles the governing responsibilities for the organization. Young Pinstripe Brass Band, 4/24, J&H, 1:30p: Formed in 2009 and led by fourth-generation musician Herbert McCarver IV, the group puts a funk and hiphop spin on the brass band sound. Young Seminole Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/24, PAR, 1:25p: These Ninth Ward based newcomers to the Indian scene profess to connect today’s Indian generation with historic tribes. Yvette Landry, 4/30, FDD, 11:15a: Singer/guitarist Landry is part of the Cajun supergroup Bonsoir Catin, and her own sets are solid, swinging honky tonk with Richard Comeaux on pedal steel guitar. igaboo Modeliste’s Funk Revue, 5/1, ACU, 12:10p: This fluctuating lineup represents a daytime version of the Howlin’ Wolf’s traditional post-Fest late night funk jam led by the original Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste. The Zion Harmonizers, 4/24, GOS, 2:45p: This venerable group has been a Jazz Fest favorite since the beginning. The group’s history goes back to 1939 with the first lineup in the Zion City neighborhood. Zulu Gospel Male Ensemble, 4/22, GOS, 11:15a: Local New Orleans singing group performs gospel music through an R&B and soul filter.

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www.OFFBEAT.com

EATS

Ice, Ice... Maybe?

he sand is wafting into your eyes. The sun is so bright you can barely see where you're going. You spot a palm tree in the distance. Is there shade over there? And will you even make it in this heat? When was it last this hot? Yesterday, right... If only you had something to drink, something to cool you off for another trek across the dunes... New Orleans is a swamp most of the year. But seven days at Jazz Fest can give anyone a genuine taste of life in the desert. Staying hydrated and unburned sometimes takes precedence over making it to see a particular headliner—at least if you're planning on doing this all over again tomorrow. How cool is Jazz Fest, anyway? OffBeat finds out, adding up the numbers. O

BY THE NUMBERS: COOL ON THE FAIRGROUNDS

1,500,000 POUNDS OF ICE BROUGHT IN ON TRUCKS, STORED AND USED ON THE FAIRGROUNDS DURING ALL SEVEN DAYS OF JAZZ FEST

IF CAR ENGINES COULD RUN ON MS. LINDA'S CATERING'S FROZEN HUCKABUCK JUICE (CHERRY, GRAPE, ORANGE, BLUE RASPBERRY), LOCATED BY THE KIDS TENT, SHE COULD FILL THE TANKS OF

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR

HOCKEY RINKS OR ENOUGH TO MAKE ALL THE COVERED TENTS (JAZZ, BLUES, GOSPEL, KIDS, ECONOMY HALL) FIT FOR ICE SKATING—

FOUR TIMES OVER!

hybrid Toyota Prius cars

FOUR MILLION

NUMBER OF 50-INCH TALL ICE SWANS YOU COULD SCULPT USING PLUM STREET SNOBALLS' ICE AT JAZZ FEST —IT'S THEIR 35TH YEAR!

700 POUNDS OF CHICORY USED IN SAID DRINKS

21,000 NUMBER OF LEMONS USED TO MAKE ALL THE STRAWBERRY LEMONADE AT JAZZ FEST

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By Elsa Hahne and Clare Welsh

COFFEE 70,000,000,000 BEANS GO INTO NEW ORLEANS COFFEE COMPANY'S CAFE AU LAIT (HOT, ICED, FROZEN) AND BLACK COFFEE (HOT, ICED)

NUMBER OF FLOWERS HONEY BEES WOULD NEED TO VISIT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE HONEY USED BY SUNSHINE CONCESSIONS FOR THEIR ROSEMINT HERBAL ICED TEA, MANDARIN ORANGE ICED TEA AND REGULAR ICED TEA. SUNSHINE CONCESSIONS USES 1/10 OF ALL THE ICE AT JAZZ FEST. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IT TAKES

37,000,000

HONEY BEES WORKING THEIR ENTIRE LIVES TO MAKE THAT HONEY!

www.OFFBEAT.com

INFOGRAPHIC: ELSA HAHNE

It takes a lot to stay cool at Jazz Fest.

EATS

New Flavors in New Orleans

ew Orleans is opening new restaurants at a pace that can challenge even a studious recommender. Are there trends among these? A number of the newest aim for classically Southern flavors (that is, of a non-Creole/Cajun stripe). Several are serving fancy farmto-table Italian. A little Cuban coffee bar is a perfect addition to the Quarter. Here are seven spots worth a stop, almost none of which existed as of Jazz Fest 2015.

Phillip Mariano, former Chef de Cuisine for Domenica, now Executive Chef at Josephine Estelle

tics well (it’s beautiful, really) but doesn’t rely on them. The food would be fantastic in a white box. The menu is au courant, long on crudos and amaro cocktails, ambitious pizzas and farm eggs. You know it will be good from the arrival of an unassuming Little Gem salad. A textural marvel of tangy goat cheese vinaigrette, gleaming beets and crunchy breadcrumbs, it announces a kitchen watching every detail (in the open layout, you can watch their work, too). Other recent standouts were a pizza with roasted Brussels sprouts, toasted almonds and Calabrian chili, and a crispy pan-seared snapper anchored by earthy maitake mushrooms and brightened with fried lemons and a crisp apple slaw. The menu abounds with fresh pastas, smartly treated vegetables, and meats braised, moussed, grilled, rolled. You won’t go wrong. Marigny: 511 Marigny St., 5096782.

Kenton’s Brown Butter This Mid-City joint, a short jaunt down Carrollton from the Fair Grounds, serves what chefs Dayne Womax and Simon Beck describe as “’Bible Belt’ cuisine.” Parse that as heavy on pork, pimento and pickled things, plus plenty of bourbon. The aesthetic is a sort of upscale diner, probably by necessity as much as design: It’s housed in an unassuming strip mall. Thankfully, no one tried to put lipstick on a pig restaurant. Walls are warm wood and deep grey, old Dylan tunes waft around, booths are spotlit by overhead lamps. Settle in with a whiskey cocktail—you can skip the gin—such as the Southern Gent Julep (a Dark ‘n’ Stormy cross). Then tuck into melty beef short

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ribs; a shrimp and chickpea dish freshened with spiced yogurt; a crabby mac and cheese. Or just watch for what looks good coming out of the kitchen and ask your neighboring diners about it. Brown Butter is that kind of place. It has the coziness of a room rather than a restaurant, a style that plays well in any version of the South. Mid-City: 231 N Carrollton Ave., 609-3871.

Paladar 511 With the closing of Maurepas Foods, there is an opening for a new Marigny–Bywater mecca, and it seems destined to be Italian. Mariza, a bit farther down Chartres, is making a lofty case, By Theo Schell-Lambert

and The Franklin, near Mimi’s, a moodier, darkly stylized one (its Franklin Avenue isn’t the one in Los Angeles but might as well be). But Paladar 511 may soon lap the pack. Housed in a onetime sock factory, featuring concrete floors, shared bathroom sinks and “those lightbulbs,” it wears its hipster

Of the several spots here that travel from New Orleans to the South [sic?], Kenton’s takes the most circuitous route. Billed as an “American whiskey bar and restaurant,” it’s a vision of Kentucky as seemingly seen from across the Hudson (the owners and chef Kyle Knall are also behind Maysville in Manhattan). That’s an odd find on Magazine Street; green leather banquettes suggest a tasting room in Frankfort, while pseudo Bevolos don’t so much evoke New Orleans—when you’re sitting in it—as intone it. This is a highly polished, slightly bemusing and very lovely dining room. The menu is heavy on Gulf seafood and rustic meats; both mostly smoky, the better to drink whiskey with (there are dozens). A standout www.OFFBEAT.com

PHOTOS: THEO SCHELL-LAMBERT (LEFT), RENEE BIENVENU (CENTER AND RIGHT)

Seven of the tastiest new restaurants in town.

EATS

PHOTOS: THEO SCHELL-LAMBERT (TOP), RENEE BIENVENU (BOTTOM)

is the smoked drum mousse, dolloped with “Cajun caviar” aside perfectly grilled bread. On a recent visit, grilled pompano with rich oyster broth bested a nicely cooked but underseasoned slowsmoked trout. Dessert is designed to go well with whiskey dregs—or a nightcap 1 oz. pour—and sure does: A bourbon-soaked pecan cake with lemon–poppy seed ice cream was figgy and fantastic. Uptown: 5757 Magazine St., 891-1177.

Willa Jean A glassy block in the CBD at first seems like a funny spot for a homey Southern joint—but like many of its Besh Group brethren, this grand new bakery and restaurant from chef Kelly Fields creates its own world, one so tastefully decorated and helpfully staffed that it doesn’t really matter what’s www.OFFBEAT.com

outside. Affable servers dash around in gingham beneath distressed brick walls and nifty chandeliers, as intricate setups of flaky, buttery things whiz by. You can taste the vision of Fields—a South Carolina native who named the restaurant for her grandmother—in nearly any course, any time of day. But late morning, as breakfast cedes to lunch, is a sweet spot. Crab and corn fritters come ready to be dipped in a delectable boil-spice aioli. A rich crawfish roll recalls the shellfish rolls of New England, with butter swapped for mayo and sweet crawfish playing lobster’s mellower cousin (pickled onions add a great vinegar pop). Dishes arrive not just as dishes, but as experiences. Cornbread neighbors a pond of Poirier’s cane syrup, lapping at butter shores. Chocolate chip cookies appear with an enamel mug of vanilla-perfumed milk and a beater with cookie batter. Too much? Well they’re the tastiest in town. Fields is having fun here (speaking of fun: a “Frosé”—yes, that’s a frozen rosé daiquiri). For a pillowy biscuit and coffee, for a fancy brunch, for a snazzy after-work dinner, the smart move is to join the party. CBD: 611 O’Keefe Ave., 5097334.

El Libre The Quarter is well suited to quick, cheap pick-meups—places that deliver a clang of espresso or spirits before sending you back on your stroll. Opened near the French Market around the end of 2015 hurricane season, the breezy El Libre vends just JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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A smoked salmon po-boy with a remoulade schmear and hard-boiled egg? What city gets to claim that? It hardly matters.

that, Cuban-style: sweet coffees, pressed sandwiches, and a halfdozen classic cocktails, from a Hemingway daiquiri to an El Presidente. A tangy guayaba y queso sandwich, just $3.75, goes perfectly with a bracing cortadito, after which you’ll be about ready for some lime and rum to go. Looking at the finely tuned menu, the little wooden bar and clever loft seating above, you see everything you want and nothing you don’t. It’s hard to imagine a Quarter walk, morning or evening, that wouldn’t be improved by a pit stop here. French Quarter: 508 Dumaine St., 309-2699.

“Big” Killer Poboys Po-boy arguments tend to be about accuracy: The best po-boy is the one that is made most

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correctly, and accepted variations are the notable exception (the hot and garlicky firecracker shrimp at Parasol’s, for example). Killer Poboys in the Quarter has made heresy its calling card. Launched as a popup tucked inside the Erin Rose bar, it earned its name with genrebending variations on New Orleans’ orthodox sandwich; it recently launched an airy standalone shop on Dauphine, and it seems to be enjoying the space to stretch its wings. (The popup remains.) For a good chunk of its menu, “Big” Killer amounts to a fourth Southern restaurant on this list, though many sandwiches nod to New Orleans in more ways than their doughy housing. There’s the ham and pimento cheese poboy (with creole mustard), the glazed pork belly (with ginger cane syrup and rum), plus sundry slaws and pickled peppers. Killer’s vegetarian

option may be the most classically Southern, which is rule-breaking in its own right: a creamy sweet potato filling is topped with braised greens and a rich pecan spread. The point here is not only to break po-boy rules, but to blur borders between cuisines. A smoked salmon po-boy with a remoulade schmear and hard-boiled egg? What city gets to claim that? It hardly matters. A fresh po-boy bun turns out to be a great location for such experiments, a neutral ground where ingredients are free to be weird. French Quarter: 219 Dauphine St., 462-2731.

Josephine Estelle The arrival of an Ace Hotel has become a kind of line in the sand for a city’s claims to cool; in other words, this could have gone badly. Would the Portland chain try to transplant its woolly West Coast

modernism on Carondelet Street? Or worse, would it make a play at some hackneyed notion of “New Orleans”? Great news: nope, and not one bit. A lush, fern-drenched entrance catches the subtropics with breezy charm, and the dining room is grand and invigorating: With mossy leather seats, Art Deco fixtures, and soaring ceilings, it doesn’t try to feel like NYC, it succeeds at feeling like some more cinematic Gotham. Cue the spectacular food. Like Paladar, Josephine Estelle—which is named after the daughters of chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman—isn’t dumb to the current Italian trend. Yes, there will be crudo. (A snapper edition, with hazelnuts, brown butter and sunchokes, and a stunner.) But each dish seems to contain some brilliant note of surprise. In a creamy Parmesan soufflé, it’s a spring kick of radishes and greens. In the scallop entree, it’s a fennel puree, which amplifies woodsy morels and chanterelles. And in a gulf fish, a salty dash of olives brines the fresh snapper. Aces always have good bars, and this is already one of the best. Wander across the lobby after dinner, plunk in a velvet chair, order a digestif. Sitting with a cognac-and-ginger Pimm’s Coupe, watching the St. Charles streetcar loom through plate-glass windows, you’ll feel like you’ve taken a trip to the old and new New Orleans. CBD: Ace Hotel, 600 Carondelet St., 930-3070. www.OFFBEAT.com

PHOTOS: THEO SCHELL-LAMBERT (TWO ON LEFT), RENEE BIENVENU (CENTER AND RIGHT)

Lisa White, former pastry chef for Domenica and Domenica Pizza, now co-collaborator of Willa Jean with Kelly Fields

EATS

photos: Elsa Hahne

Darrin Ylisto/Sylvain

“I

picked Ryan [Scully] for this cocktail because when I moved to New Orleans in 2003, I lived Uptown and he was friends with people that I became friends with, so I’d see him at crawfish boils and began going to his shows. As other people move here, I always get a kick out of introducing them to the Morning 40 Federation because these are lives that people live too, you know; working in a bar, drinking all the time, singing about drinking and generally raging around. And now I’ll get a kick out of making this drink for Ryan, and not telling him about it. The drink I came up with is called Gin Instead of Whiskey, after the Morning 40 song, and it’s a Manhattan, but with gin instead of whiskey, which is a drink that has a

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name already [the East-Ender], but we don’t care about that. Morning 40 Federation tends to play when I’m working, so getting to see them is hard since I work at night. I don’t know the other guys in the band, I just know Ryan. And they don’t play around town all the time. They play just every now and then, and often in smaller venues. Once I started thinking about what songs there were, the drink just wrote itself. I use regular London dry-style gin, which is what we use for most things, and then our house sweet vermouth, Cocchi Torino, a dash of Angostura bitters, served up with a twist. Simple and easy. When I first got here I was in school up at Tulane, and I started bartending then, tended bar through school. At this point, I’ve been

By Elsa Hahne

bartending full time for 10, as my only source of income. At Tulane, I studied law. Got the degree and didn’t want to be a lawyer. Katrina happened, ruining everything for everybody. I didn’t lose a house, nobody died that I know; so I felt like I got off real easy compared to other people. It still had an effect. ‘What am I going to do? Be a lawyer? Hate my life... forever?’ I see all these people losing everything and that made me ask, ‘What the hell am I doing?’ It was a real talk moment. Kept bartending, and now I’m a drunkard bartender. I’ve named cocktails after songs before, like ‘No Fun’ by the Stooges, ‘Police and Thieves,’ the original reggae version by Junior Murvin. If you see the name of the drink on a list and don’t know the song, it’s just some random name.

In fact, those names had very little to do with the actual cocktails. I have a list in my phone of names, maybe a hundred, just random names to stamp on a drink. When I’m out and around, every now and then I’ll hear something and think, ‘That would be a good name for a cocktail.’ When I write them down they seem like good ideas. [smiles] A great list, in fact! They’re there in case I need one.”

Gin Instead of Whiskey 2 ounces Broker’s London Dry Gin 3/4 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino 1 dash Angostura bitters Stir with ice, strain into a glass. Serve up with a lemon twist. www.OFFBEAT.com

899-8221 Kingfish: 337 Chartres St., 598-5005 Mr. B’s Bistro: 201 Royal St. 523-2078 Restaurant R’evolution: 777 Bienville St., 553-2277

Howlin’ Wolf’s Wolf Den: 907 S. Peters St., 529-5844 Le Bon Temps Roule: 4801 Magazine St., 895-8117 Little Gem Saloon: 445 S. Rampart St., 267-4863 Maison: 508 Frenchmen St., 289-5648 Mid City Lanes Rock ‘N’ Bowl: 4133 S. Carrollton Ave., 482-3133 Palm Court: 1204 Decatur St., 525-0200 Rivershack Tavern: 3449 River Rd., 834-4938 Southport Hall: 200 Monticello Ave., 835-2903 Snug Harbor: 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 Three Muses: 536 Frenchmen St., 298-8746

FRENCH

NEIGHBORHOOD JOINTS

GERMAN Jaeger Haus: 833 Conti, 525-9200

ICE CREAM/CAKE/CANDY Aunt Sally’s Praline Shop’s: 2831 Chartres St., 944-6090 Bittersweet Confections: 725 Magazine St., 523-2626 La Divina Gelateria: 3005 Magazine St., 3422634; 621 St. Peter St., 302-2692 Tee-Eva’s Praline Shop: 4430 Magazine St., 899-8350

INDIAN Nirvana: 4308 Magazine St., 894-9797

AFRICAN Bennachin: 1212 Royal St., 522-1230.

AMERICAN Barcadia: 601 Tchoupitoulas St., 335-1740 Brown Butter Southern Kitchen: 231 N Carrollton Ave., 609-3871 Poppy’s Time Out Sports Bar & Grill: 1 Poydras St., 247-9265 Port of Call: 838 Esplanade Ave., 523-0120 Primitivo: 1800 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 881-1775

IRISH The Irish House: 1432 Saint Charles Ave., 595-6755

ITALIAN

JAPANESE/KOREAN/SUSHI/THAI

The Joint: 701 Mazant St., 949-3232 Whoodoo BBQ: 2660 St Philip St., 230-2070

COFFEE HOUSE

LOUISIANA / SOUTHERN

Café du Monde: 800 Decatur St., 525-4544 Morning Call Coffee Stand: 56 Dreyfous Dr., (504) 300-1157, 3325 Severn Ave., Metairie, 885-4068

Fulton Alley: 600 Fulton St., 208-5593 Mondo: 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633 Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934

CREOLE/CAJUN

MEDITERRANEAN

Cochon: 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 588-2123 Cornet: 700 Bourbon St., 523-1485 Galatoire’s: 209 Bourbon St., 525-2021 Gumbo Shop: 630 St. Peter St., 525-1486 K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen: 416 Chartres St., 524-7394 Mulate’s: 201 Julia St., 522-1492 New Orleans Creole Cookery: 508 Toulouse St., 524-9632 Restaurant Rebirth: 857 Fulton St., 522-6863

DELI Stein’s Market and Deli: 2207 Magazine St., 527-0771

FINE DINING Bombay Club: 830 Conti St., 586-0972 Broussard’s: 819 Conti St., 581-3866 Commander’s Palace: 1403 Washington Ave.,

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Byblos: 3218 Magazine St., 894-1233 Mona’s Café: 504 Frenchmen St., 949-4115

MEXICAN/CARIBBEAN/SPANISH Barú Bistro & Tapas: 3700 Magazine St., 895-2225 Juan’s Flying Burrito: 2018 Magazine St., 569-0000 El Gato Negro: 81 French Market Place, 525-9846

MUSIC ON THE MENU Banks Street Bar & Grill: 4401 Banks St., 486-0258 Buffa’s: 1001 Esplanade Ave., 949-0038 Chickie Wah Wah: 2828 Canal St., 304-4714 Dmac’s Bar & Grill: 542 S Jefferson Davis Pkwy, 304-5757 Gattuso’s: 435 Huey P Long Ave., Gretna, 368-1114 Hard Rock Café: 125 Bourbon St., 529-5617 House of Blues: 225 Decatur St., 412-8068

Midway Pizza: 4725 Freret St., 322-2815 Pizza Delicious: 617 Piety St., 676-8482 Slice Pizzeria: 1513 St. Charles Ave., 525-7437 Theo’s Pizza: 4218 Magazine St., 894-8554; 4024 Canal St., 302-1133; 1212 S Clearview, 733-3803

SEAFOOD Basin Seafood and Spirits: 3222 Magazine St., 302-7391 Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill: 1 Poydras St. 569-3380 LeBayou Restaurant: 208 Bourbon St., 525-4755 Pier 424 Seafood Market: 424 Bourbon St., 309-1574 Royal House Oyster Bar: 441 Royal St., 528-2601

SOUL Praline Connection: 542 Frenchmen St., 943-3934

STEAKHOUSE La Boca: 870 Tchoupitoulas St., 525-8205

VIETNAMESE Namese: 4077 Tulane Ave., 483-8899

WEE HOURS Buffa’s Restaurant & Lounge: 1001 Esplanade Ave., 949-0038 Clover Grill: 900 Bourbon St., 523-0904 Mimi’s in the Marigny: 2601 Royal St., 872-9868

Johnny Sansone hits the

Adolfo’s: 611 Frenchmen St., 948-3800 Little Vic’s: 719 Toulouse St., 304-1238 Chiba: 8312 Oak St., 826-9119 Mikimoto: 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., 488-1881 Seoul Shack: 435 Esplanade Ave., 417-6206 Sukho Thai: 4519 Magazine St., 373-6471; 1913 Royal St., 948-9309 Wasabi: 900 Frenchmen St., 943-9433

BARBECUE

Biscuits and Buns on Banks: 4337 Banks St., 273-4600 Cake Café: 2440 Chartres St., 943-0010 City Diner: 3116 S I-10 Service Rd E, 8311030; 5708 Citrus Blvd., 309-7614 Cowbell: 8801 Oak St., 298-8689 Dat Dog: 601 Frenchmen St., 309-3362; 5030 Freret St., 899-6883; 3336 Magazine St., 324-2226 Live Oak Cafe: 8140 Oak St., 265-0050 Parkway Bakery and Tavern: 538 Hagan Ave., 482-3047 Phil’s Grill: 3020 Severn Ave., Metairie, 324-9080; 1640 Hickory Ave., Harahan, 305-1705 Sammy’s Food Services: 3000 Elysian Fields Ave., 948-7361 Tracey’s: 2604 Magazine St., 897-5413 Ye Olde College Inn: 3000 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-3683

PIZZA

Spot

I think I'll have what you're having... I always get the falafel plate. I don't eat meat, so that's what I do. Maybe get a falafel sandwich. I usually come here on Tuesdays; got in the habit when they had the food truck pulling up here, and since Cafe Degas is closed on Tuesdays, I used to grab a bottle of wine from Swirl and go over and sit on their patio.

I understand you don't eat meat. Why? I was on the road a lot. We play at BBQ places and juke joints [on the meat-riddled blues trail]. I don't eat fried either; fried chicken. So just to feel better on the road I said, 'I don't eat this.' That way, they figure out a way to provide something else. When you're on the road, you have to eat whatever you can get your hands on. You don't have time. You can't stop. You're from one place to the next. I started making my own power bars with pistachios, prunes... People tell me I should call them Jumpin' Johnny's Blues Bars and sell them to musicians. 1000 Figs —Elsa Hahne 3141 Ponce De Leon St. Johnny Sansone plays Jazz Fest on Saturday, (504) 301-0848 April 23 in the Blues Tent at 11:10 a.m. www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: ELSA HAHNE

Café Degas: 3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635 La Crepe Nanou: 1410 Robert St., 899-2670

Warehouse Grille: 869 Magazine St., 322-2188

DINING OUT

Rum and the Lash For a city where the concept of “last call” is as foreign as a Jazz Fest without rain, New Orleans has surprisingly few dining options to satisfy a case of the midnight munchies. As creatures of the night often in need of nocturnal sustenance, chefs often bemoan their plight in finding a worthwhile post-service meal. Recently, a handful of those chefs have decided to solve their own problem by taking over the kitchens of their favorite watering holes. When the kitchen space inside Finn McCool’s became available, Chef Michael Gulotta seized the opportunity to open Rum and the Lash, an extension of his casual Southeast Asian restaurant MoPho. A few of MoPho’s greatest hits have migrated over to Rum and the Lash. Crispy Brussels sprouts are doused with citrus and served with the signature Sriracha-infused spicy mayo. MoPho-style chicken wings, coated in a sweet, garlicky lemongrass sauce, are available for those willing to get their hands

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dirty, as are wings tossed in Captain Porkenheimer BBQ sauce, a perennial winner at Hogs for the Cause. In a nod to Finn’s Irish roots, corned beef supplements a Celtic twist on poutine, which features beer-battered fries, spicy cabbage and mustard gravy. Corned beef and cabbage reappears on the menu of Toas-Tites, pocket sandwiches built on white bread and toasted to perfection. Soft-ripened cheese melts together with bacon and fig jam for an elevated take on a grilled cheese, as does a combination of cheddar, andouille and stout-braised onion. All are served with chips and a side of tart pickled onion, squash and other veggies. An excellent burger is comprised of two beef patties seared on the flat top griddle. A wide selection of toppings is available, including pimento cheese, sweet bacon marmalade and caramelized onion (a recommended trio). Classic fish and chips are coated in a malt crust and served with an herbaceous tarragon aioli, and

Photo: renee bienvenu

EATS

a Token Salad and black bean soy burger are on offer for those vegans among us. To gratify any sweet cravings, two desserts: warm chocolate chip cookies and a Toas-Tite filled with Nutella and marshmallow fluff. Both pair perfectly with a pint of Guinness, whose restorative qualities are necessary for those who are either closing out the night or in need of sustenance to keep the party going until dawn. —Peter Thriffiley 3701 Banks Street (inside Finn McCool’s Irish Pub); Sun–Thur: 11a–11p, Fri–Sat: 11a–1a; rumandthelash.com

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Reviews When submitting CDs for consideration, please send two copies to OffBeat Reviews, 421 Frenchmen Street, Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116

REVIEWS CDs reviewed are available now at 421 Frenchmen Street in the Marigny 504-586-1094 or online at LouisianaMusicFactory.com

Completely Infectious

Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars Gulfstream (Octavia Records) “Sounds like you guys were having fun up there”—as we all know, that’s the most backhanded compliment you can ever pay a band. Not the case with Roddie Romero’s latest, however: It really does sound like everyone in the studio was having the time of their lives and the good spirits

are completely infectious, adding punch to an already strong batch of material. The surprise is that a big-name English producer, John Porter, oversaw this one—not too strange a match since Porter’s done a bunch of blues giants, and even when he was producing the Smiths he knew enough to get a live-band sound. His accomplishment here is making everything sound like a spontaneous first take—which means he doesn’t tone down the rhythm section, and he doesn’t miss the inherent joy in Romero’s singing. Check his leaps into the high register on the Cajun rocker “Ma Jolie,” punctuated by slide guitar and some fittingly gung-ho snare fills from drummer Jermaine Prejean. The band’s obvious influences go back a few decades, and there’s no shame in that: They open the

A Valuable Guide Todd Mouton Way Down in Louisiana: Clifton Chenier, Cajun, Zydeco, and Swamp Pop Music (University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press)

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Bicycle Jones and Stover Song Shed, Vol. 1 (Independent) Multi-instrumentalist Dave Stover’s had more Crescent City musical projects and sit-in sessions than you’ve had hot meals, but for this pure-country EP he wisely traveled to the Northshore and picked up Brian “Bicycle” Jones, lead singer of the Training Wheels, to handle the vocals. Smart move: Jones’ voice, like his musical ethos, cuts new country with classic countrypolitan—Kenny Chesney shot through with George Jones—and it gives Stover’s usual hungover apologies a fresh and somewhat more serious context. Those are almost certainly Dave’s lyrics on “Lucille” (“What really broke my heart was

Band (featuring his brother Cleveland on rubboard) played dances from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., only pausing between songs for a gulp of beer and a drag on a cigarette—with only one 15 minute intermission. Thankfully, Chenier was a prolific recording artist, which Mouton details throughout. Interestingly, two of Chenier’s protégés are profiled: fellow accordionist Buckwheat, who eventually commercialized the genre, and former band member/guitarist Lil Buck Senegal, arguably the best guitarist in South Louisiana. Fellow guitarist Sonny Landreth is also profiled as an adept player who has worn several hats over the years. (Landreth played with the Red Hot Louisiana Band briefly.) Thankfully both are still active. Cajun-wise, Mouton makes only passing reference to the early masters like Leo Soileau, Joe Falcon, Dewey Balfa and Nathan Abshire, choosing to focus on a later generation, with lengthy profiles on Zachary Richard and Michael Doucet. He goes one step further by documenting even younger musicians like Filé, Steve Riley, Coteau and Bonsoir, Catin. Of the first generation swamp pop artists only Warren Storm warranted a detailed biography (as part of a chapter on Lil’ Band o’ Gold), but Shane Bernard’s book on swamp pop covered that ground 25 years ago as did John Broven’s South To Louisiana even earlier. Not a complete overview of South Louisiana music (that would be too daunting), but subjects here are covered well. A valuable guide and apt compliment to this area’s proud music tradition. Recommended. —Jeff Hannusch

bookmark

Here’s the latest addition to the Louisiana music book collection. Mouton, a Lafayette native, has assembled a dozen biographies of South Louisiana individual musicians or bands. The 300-page book in a way contains a mini-book, as over a third of it is dedicated to the King of Zydeco—Clifton Chenier. Though he’s now been gone three decades, old-school zydeco enthusiasts are familiar with Chenier’s music. Born in 1927, Chenier took zydeco from sugar cane fields and oil patches to Carnegie Hall and the concert halls of Europe. But Chenier’s forte was playing the area zydeco clubs like Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki, Jay’s or especially Richard’s in Lawtell. In his prime, an evening with Chenier was not for the faint of heart. Wielding an accordion and sporting a mock crown, he and his Red Hot Louisiana

disc with “My Baby Is the Real Thing”—a lesser-known, early-’70s Toussaint gem—and rock it up like Little Feat might have. The Band gets a nod on “By Your Side,” with its “Cripple Creek” keyboard licks. But their originals (mainly written by Romero and keyboardist Eric Adcock) don’t stay in one groove: There’s a widescreen ballad (the title track), a swamp-rock homage (“I Hope”), and a modern-sounding rocker with some nice local references (“The Creole Nightingale Sings,” set in the revolving bar at the Monteleone). Best of all is “Rock ‘n’ Roll & Soul Radio,” which transcends its lyrical gripe—that you can’t hear pianopounding, regionally slanted rock on the airwaves—to remind you why you love the stuff in the first place. —Brett Milano JAZZ FEST: SUNDAY, MAY 1— FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 2:40 P.M.

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REVIEWS when you took my guitar”) and his ideas on “Drunken Promises” and “Mary Jane” (take a guess). That’s also the best dobro in town, longtime Stover collaborator Dave Easley, on these half-dozen tracks, and Will Darvill’s positively oldtimey fiddle sighing throughout “Mary Jane” (“I’m always lookin’ for something I lost,” repeated 3 times for effect). The juxtaposition, especially on “Promises,” treats Stover’s usual regret as a failing instead of a drunken badge of honor. It’s the sound of someone, perhaps no one in particular, realizing that those hangovers gang up on you eventually. Or

as Bicycle intones, “The same ol’ dance, just a different song.” —Robert Fontenot

Cha Wa Funk ’n’ Feathers (UPT) In 1970, Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias rocked the Mardi Gras Indian tradition when they released the 45-rpm “Handa Wanda.” What made it unique was that rather than having just percussion instruments behind the chief and other vocalists, there was a band led by the great Willie Tee and including guitarist Snooks Eaglin.

A New Glimpse of Longhair Professor Longhair Live In Chicago (Orleans Records) “And now, ladies and gentlemen, the one and only… Professor Longhair!” Fess hits with a syncopated vamp and it’s off to the races for a half-hour of insanely intense second line stepping out, blues and a little something extra. “Doin’ It” gives Longhair a chance to run through some of his classic moves before he shouts “Billy!” and the amazing Billy Gregory rips out a glorious guitar solo. The jam is on and things just get more more frenzied as chorus after chorus pits the relentlessly original rhythmic ideas of Professor Longhair against the enthusiasm of his rough and ready backing band. Did he ever play “Big Chief” exactly the same way twice? Perhaps by way of statistical accident. His vocals are as unpredictable as his piano playing, exploding syllables into whoops and slurs at will. It’s remarkable to hear him step back and pay a little tribute to Memphis Slim on “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Omelette” Ertegun (ahem) on a fabulous “Mess Around” and Muddy Waters on “Got My Mojo Working.” After all, the set was part of the 1976 University of Chicago Folk Festival. But we also get a great, hypercharged version of “Mardi Gras in New Orleans” and the off-the-rails finale of “Fess’s Boogie.” It’s really great to have this new glimpse of Longhair’s versatility and improvisational fearlessness. It’s also a long look at one of the underappreciated geniuses of New Orleans music, Billy Gregory. Gregory is a New Orleans guitarist who went on to almost famous-ness with It’s a Beautiful Day before returning home to play with just about everybody in town. Recently Gregory may be best known for pulling his pistol on a would-be robber and shooting him on Frenchmen Street after a gig, but he can really bend the strings and his half-dozen solos on this record show him in prime form. Gregory also mixed and remastered what is clearly a tape with some serious sound issues, which is probably why we haven’t heard it until now. Better late than never! —John Swenson

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REVIEWS

Bas Clas In Wonderland (Serfdom)

This revolution transformed the Black Indians’ ability to extend the culture from the streets to stages around the world. The key to the success of what could be described as Indian stage bands is for those involved to have a deep understanding of both the Indian and musical elements. The strong roots of Cha Wa, which celebrates its debut recording with Funk ’n’ Feathers, are assured first by the presence of its fine lead vocalists—Honey Banister, a longtime spy boy with the Creole Wild West, and J’Wan Boudreaux, the grandson of the legendary Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. The musicians—like guitarist John Fohl and keyboardist Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji—are all pros of New Orleans’ funky style, and importantly, holding down the bass beat is the renowned Norwood “Geechie” Johnson. The disc is made up of familiar tunes such as the opener, “Injuns, Here They Come.” Newly arranged, they are on the whole presented with great spirit and sometimes touched with a few interesting quirks. Devon Taylor’s sousaphone opens “Li’l Liza Jane,” which gets a makeover with Colin Lake’s lap steel. It’s unusual, but it works. Other guests include Davell Crawford singing, of course, his grandfather James “Sugar Boy” Crawford’s hit “Jock-A-Mo.” Next time out, it would be great to hear some originals in the mix. But, as the group proclaims on the last cut, “Cha Wa Got Fiya.” —Geraldine Wyckoff JAZZ FEST: SATURDAY, APRIL 23—JAZZ & HERITAGE STAGE, 4:15 P.M. www.OFFBEAT.com

Listen to the start of Bas Class’ new album, and you might be fooled into thinking that Elvis Costello’s started rocking again. It’s not just that singer Donnie Picou sounds Elvis-ish on “Sweeten the Pot”—which he does, and uncannily so—but that the whole arrangement is right out of This Year’s Model, with the pounding drum sound (you’d swear Nick Lowe was at the board) and what sounds like a Vox Continental organ. More to the point, the song’s catchier and livelier than anything the real Costello’s written in a good while. That’s the only outright homage on this album, but Bas Clas’ ace in the hole remains the pub-rock influences they blend with a more regional swamprock sound. It’s the same mix that was heard on last year’s Love, Food, Sex, Peace EP, but over a full album (albeit a short album at 33 minutes) they take a more aggressive approach. This time around they drop the folkish influences and the stretched-out story songs, and cut right to the rock ’n’ roll. “Johnny & June” is about who you’d think, but it’s not a country song. Instead it celebrates the couple’s enduring love to a power-pop setting complete with chiming 12-string. With most tracks coming in under four minutes, the album’s really about the power of a good, concise hook—whether it’s done with a wall of harmonies on “Ramona,” or over a plodding Crazy Horse groove on “Pretty Pretty.” “Think I Am” opens with a familiar “Woolly Bully” lick, but then comes a killer pop chorus that’s bolstered by the addition of twin fiddles—used in a way that sounds more psychedelic than Cajun. You can call that being eclectic, I just call it first-class writing and arranging. —Brett Milano JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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Guitarist Leo Nocentelli presses rewind on the Meters’ fifth studio album, from 1974.

The Tanglers Bluegrass Band

The Meters

Backwards Burner (Independent)

Rejuvenation (Reprise)

“O

ne song on the album is called ‘Loving You Is On My Mind.’ I did a recording with Ramsey Lewis for the Routes album, which Allen produced, and he did one of my songs, called ‘Come Back Jack.’ So I thought I would write something for an upcoming record that Ramsey might do. ‘Loving You Is On My Mind,’ if you noticed, is a piano-orientated song that’s kind of reminiscent of Ramsey Lewis. But I wasn’t going to hold the song, so I introduced it to everybody and Art did a wonderful job on the keyboard part. There was another song called ‘It Ain’t No Use’ that I was doing. It was a bad time in my life, and that song, the lyrics kind of speak for it. It let the secret out. The song was reminiscent of how I felt. Zig was always a clever lyricist. I’m okay, but I serve my purpose with the Meters much better musically. There was one particular time when we were rehearsing for the album at the Musicians Union, Local 174. There was a riff I started playing with my wah-wah pedal, and Zig was listening to it and he said, ‘Hey man, what is that?’ I told it him it was something that just feels right, just came to me. So he started writing lyrics to it and that was the beginning of ‘Just Kissed My Baby.’ That’s how that happened.

There were several other songs that Zig and myself kind of worked out. ‘People Say’ was another one that ran the same course, me coming up with the musical aspect of it and Zig coming up with the words. Another one was called ‘Jungle Man.’ This is a thing that people don’t know: ‘Jungle Man’ was originally called ‘Zebra Man.’ If you listen to the breakdown of the lyrics, it’s ‘black and white/ full of stripes/ black and white/ full of stripes.’ It was about a zebra. But at the time there was a serial killer called the zebra serial killer, so we decided to change that name to ‘Jungle Man.’ Here’s my take on all of this, regarding who wrote what. I think I was the most musically educated person in the band. I went to school for music. I’d been writing long before the Meters. There were songs that I recorded with Allen long before the Meters started. But those songs wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for all four guys. It couldn’t have happened without George. It couldn’t have happened without Zig. Those songs couldn’t have happened without Art. Even though I mentioned the songs that I wrote personally, there’s no way you could’ve gotten another group of guys to make those songs sound like they sounded and like they still sound.” —Sam D’Arcangelo

“This is a thing that people don’t know: ‘Jungle Man’ was originally called ‘Zebra Man.’ If you listen to the breakdown of the lyrics, it’s ‘black and white/ full of stripes/ black and white/ full of stripes.’ It was about a zebra. But at the time there was a serial killer called the zebra serial killer, so we decided to change that name to ‘Jungle Man.’“

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How can you tell that a bluegrass band is from New Orleans? For starters, it’s a dead giveaway if they cover a Meters song. Or in this case, two Meters songs: the Tanglers’ “Grassy Pi” is actually a medley of “Cissy Strut” and “Look-a-Py-Py,” which becomes a springboard for daredevil solos (on slide guitar, not an instrument you often hear in bluegrass or in the Meters). Once you get over the novelty value it translates perfectly, making it the most unlikely bluegrass cover since the Hotfoot Quartet’s immortal single of Devo’s “Mongoloid.” For the most part, however, the Tanglers sound a few hundred country miles away from this city or any other. Their debut album largely downplays the hot-licks aspect of bluegrass in favor of a more lyrical approach. Even their instrumentals, “T.S. Lee Breakdown” and “Salt Creek” are more about melody than pure speed; and their multiple-string frontline (banjo, dobro, acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle) makes for a varied batch of solos. The vocals (three members sing) have the necessary high-lonesome quality; bassist Matt Rosa’s song “Mountain Life” could pass for a traditional tune. Their other New Orleans classic, “St. James Infirmary” may be faster than most of the versions you’ve heard, but it isn’t any less mournful. —Brett Milano

Ben E. Hunter Break Out Bold (Awareness Productions) Ben E. Hunter, a New Orleans native, is perhaps most associated www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS

Smoking Time Jazz Club Make a Tadpole Holler Whale (Independent)

with reggae music and its socially conscious messages. On Break Out Bold, the guitarist, vocalist and composer sits down for an all-acoustic solo album that shines the light on him for his poetic nature and spirituality. Hunter’s original compositions, like “I Shoot Fire When I Talk,” stand out for their personal delivery, his soft singing backed simply by his guitar. For the most part, they are unpretentious and reference the city in subtle ways, as on “Gris Gris Suit.” A few, such as “Coins in the Box,” drift a bit too far into obvious references like Bourbon Street. Hunter often redeems himself with the honesty of his love songs, like “Adela” and the unlikely named—except for some background revelry—“Super Sunday.” Hunter gets to the roots of blues on “Ugga Boogie Stew,” a front porch tune that talks about a black cat woman. It changes the flavor a bit from the similar tone and rhythm of much of the material. We hear the voices of New Orleans political activists Doratha “Dodie” Smith and Jerome “Big Duck” Smith speaking at the Community Book Center on Hunter’s “Freedom Rider.” Significantly, the repeated Mardi Gras Indian phrase in this song, “no humbow” (won’t bow down) is a theme in Smith’s oration. Hunter, a spiritual poet of the community, explains the rather revealing photo of himself on the album’s cover as his way of “exposing my innermost feeling to the world.” His words, however, are enough to make his heart an open book. —Geraldine Wyckoff www.OFFBEAT.com

Not that this is hard to do or anything, but if you’re gonna fully appreciate the music of this revolving, transplanted octet of expats, it helps to remember that jazz was the original American party soundtrack—a sound meant for dancing and boozing and whoring, a celebration of life at its wildest and most unfettered. It isn’t that Smoking Time Jazz Club, now on its tenth collection of trad-jazz workouts, tries to be sexy—lead singer and eternal MVP Sarah Peterson can handle the entire Okeh back catalogue of proto-blues mama wailing and moaning—it’s that they don’t seem to be trying at all. Now more than ever, STJC proves that jazz is natural music, the cause of hangovers, not museum funding. Their repertoire, which is as always perfectly balanced between the obvious and the obscure, isn’t just authentic. Authenticity can be studied and learned; this stuff breathes. Sometimes right on the back of your neck. Their “Maple Leaf Rag,” as far as the obvious department goes, is still instantly recognizable, it’s just passed through the oeuvre of the band’s one overarching mentor, Jelly Roll Morton, to work the stiffness of time out of it. The Club’s arrangements of “Rhumba Negra” and “Kansas City Breakdown” are arresting and immediate, the way you can only get by spending half your time busking and the other half cutting heads. And when Sarah shows up, Ma Rainey’s “Goodbye Daddy Blues” becomes more than just your mom’s favorite Boardwalk Empire episode; Alberta Jones’ “I Lost My Man” is so present in the moment it sounds like it’s busy creating its own regret; and “Your Mother’s Son-In-Law” isn’t just the earliest, winkingest Billie Holiday—it swings the weight of a real plea. Frankly, it all just swings, period, but Smoking Time has spent so much time smoking that if you ain’t hep, you haven’t been JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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in town that long. Remember: If you’re not dancing, it’s not real culture. —Robert Fontenot

Murray, Allen & Carrington Perfection (Montema) The outstanding artists involved with this album—saxophonist and bass clarinetist David Murray, pianist Geri Allen and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington—praise the name of saxophone giant Ornette Coleman on a recording produced just one week after the legend’s passing. The title, Perfection, represents a Coleman original that until now had never been recorded. It breathes with life as the trio is augmented with previous Coleman associates: bassist Charnett Moffett, trombonist Craig Harris and trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr. The bulk of the inspirational material comes from each of the prolific pens of these allstar leaders. It is a trio whose individual credentials soar to the very top ranks of modern jazz today. These musicians, renowned for their superb creative instincts and technical skills, greatly contribute to the expressiveness of the project. Murray, who performs on both the tenor saxophone and the often-poppin’ bass clarinet, takes the opener, “Mirror of Youth.” He always distinguishes himself with his ability to move from inside to out. So it goes with this bass-less trio as well. There’s a gentle intricacy that overwhelms Carrington’s “Samsara (for Wayne),” a lighthearted offering to saxophonist

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Wayne Shorter with Murray’s round tenor tone reminding one of jazz’s past. In his natural progression, the saxophonist doesn’t stay there long—and neither do his like-minded, forward-thinking companions Allen and Carrington. Gentle strength could best describe this trio. Allen’s “The Nurturer” seems to tell it all. It’s there in the roots, the passion, the melody and the vision of jazz eternal. Perfection is, like Ornette Coleman, in the moment, here, now and always. —Geraldine Wyckoff

Huey “Piano” Smith Don’t You Just Know It: The Very Best of 1956-1962—Singles As & Bs (Jasmine Records) In a city blessed with beloved songwriter-pianists, Huey “Piano” Smith more than earned his place. During the late 1950s, Smith wrote and recorded a trio of rock ’n’ roll classics: “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu,” “Sea Cruise” and “Don’t You Just Know It.” Like his more famous peers Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, Smith is one of a kind. His distinctive touch at the piano and his contagious grooves and comedic lyrics make his music irresistible fun. A comprehensive collection of Smith’s 1950s and 1960s recordings for Johnny Vincent’s Ace Records hasn’t been available since a 2009 compilation from Fuel 2000 Records went out print. The latter collection featured 20 hits and highlights. British label Jasmine paints a broader picture with a new 28-song collection that spans Smith’s entire stay at Ace. After the original recording of “Rockin’ Pneumonia” became a major R&B hit in 1957, hundreds of artists re-recorded it. No one had more success with the song than the Baton Rouge–raised Johnny Rivers. In 1972, the Rivers version reached Number Four on the Billboard pop charts. Fate made another Smith classic, 1959’s “Sea Cruise,” a www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS hit for Frankie Ford. Ace Records, rather than release the original “Sea Cruise” featuring vocals by Smith and Gerri Hall, issued the Ford recording. Unfortunately, “Sea Cruise” doesn’t appear in either version on the Jasmine collection. There’s still much to enjoy, including Smith’s 1958 pop hit, the comic, call-andresponse “Don’t You Just Know It.” B-side “High Blood Pressure” is just as contagious. Another exuberant pair of A and B sides, “Everybody’s Whalin’ ” and “Little Liza Jane,” opens the collection. Both songs feature an all-star session band including saxophonist Lee Allen, drummer

Earl Palmer, guitarist Earl King and, of course, Smith at the piano. Relatively obscure but worthy songs such as “Little Chickee Wah Wah” (a rare example of Smith singing lead) and the satirical “Beatnik Blues” offer more musical fun. The Jasmine liner notes and credits contain errors that have been endlessly repeated over decades. Transfers of the 50-plusyear-old recordings, however, are excellent. That sonic quality combined with a large selection of songs make this collection a worthwhile buy for Smith fans and New Orleans music fans in general. —John Wirt

Hometown Groove Darcy Malone & the Tangle Still Life (Independent) At first I thought the source of the band’s name had to be obvious: Must refer to “Love Is a Tangle,” the song Darcy Malone’s father Dave sang with the Radiators, right? Well, maybe. But spinning the disc reveals a band so eclectic, in all the right ways, that “tangle” is the most fitting description of their sound. Everything on the Tangle’s official CD debut (they actually did a low-key local release a couple years back) sounds unmistakably like New Orleans rock ’n’ roll, but none of it harks back to any one band or even one era. The opening “Baby Cakes” has a bit of New Wave flavor—the wailing sax brings memories of the Psychedelic Furs, and the main guitar lick has a touch of “Pretty in Pink”—but Malone’s playful, flirtatious vocal gives it a much different feel. Less obvious at first is the slyness in their songwriting: While the song sounds like a romantic come-on, it’s actually an invitation to go on a crime spree and blow all the money down in Mexico. Malone’s powerful voice won’t be a surprise to those who’ve seen her doing cover shows with her dad, nor will the grounding in ’60s pop. While she’s the star of the show, she doesn’t overwhelm. Guitarist Chris Boye gets a few leads, and the group vocals prove another asset: “Motel Room” pairs some sweet Mamas & Papas harmonies with a decidedly less-sweet lyric about impulsive hookups on tour. Malone has her best moments on a pair of polar-opposite songs that come back to back: “Crossing Line” is a ballad with Wall of Sound production that lets her soar and emote; one song later she gets nasty on “Be a Man,” whose lyrics dispose of a guy who won’t do what the title says. They get more progressive on “Belly of the Sea”—a Caribbean groove whose story is partly told instrumentally—and visit more familiar territory on “On Baronne,” a hometown groove for the fun of it. Always good to hear an ambitious band with the songwriting chops to pull it all off. —Brett Milano JAZZ FEST: SATURDAY, APRIL 23—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 12:35 P.M. www.OFFBEAT.com

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Drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste presses rewind on the Meters’ sixth studio album, from 1975.

Mavis Staples

The Meters

Livin’ on a High Note (Anti-)

Fire on the Bayou (Reprise Records)

“S

ome of the best songs that the Meters have ever done came out of this album. I don’t really remember that much about it other than that we had a good time trying to record it, and it was coming from all over the place. It says on the album itself, ‘original recording, produced by Allen Toussaint and the Meters.’ We had a lot of stuff going on then. I penned a couple of songs. It was real fun. We had Cyril Neville in the band at that time. He lit a fire under all of us and gave us a bit of a new twist on our identity when we were doing this album. Art Neville could probably give you a better description of why that album came to be called Fire on the Bayou. But fire, for us, really meant that the band was burning, that it was taking care of business. Whenever the band was playing, it was creating a fire. So if this one is titled Fire on the Bayou, that meant we went down in the bayou, and we was putting some fire down wherever we was playing. That’s my take on it, which may not be a good analogy. I’m sure Art would have a closer idea of what ‘Fire on the Bayou’ meant. When we first started out, we was trying everything. We had a little comedic side,

and we just came up with the idea to have something funny on the album. ‘They All Ask’d For You’ was kind of a Dixieland song, and Dixieland was not something that we was accustomed to doing on records. But it seemed like it was close enough to home for us to try to do that. It turns out that it worked out a lot better than we anticipated, which is always a good thing. When we were shooting the cover, we got on this boat, took off from the boat launch and went out in the bayou. So we found a little island and it wasn’t really that much land, but we found a little bit of a clearing where we could get out of the boat. But since we were out in the swamps there was a big snake out there. I can’t tell you what kind of snake it was, but when we discovered the snake out there, it was time for us to get off the island. We took a few pictures out there, and I said, ‘Hey man, it is time to go.’ They was trying to push the snake into the water but that snake said, ‘I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying right here on this little island. I was here before you were.’ Now that’s just one of the stories, you just had to be there to see it. It was just so funny.” —Sam D’Arcangelo

“But since we were out in the swamps there was a big snake out there. I can’t tell you what kind of snake it was, but when we discovered the snake out there, it was time for us to get off the island [...] They was trying to push the snake into the water but that snake said, ‘I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying right here on this little island. I was here before you were.’“

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Mavis Staples, an iconic figure in gospel, soul and rhythm and blues whose career has spanned over 60 years, boasts a distinctive, highly recognizable voice. There’s that little modulation in it that has been apparent from the time she stepped out with her family’s gospel group, the Staple Singers, to her latest solo release, Livin’ on a High Note. One can also count on Staples to bring a message with her music, whether she’s singing gospel or secular material. That remains true this time out, though with a little twist. She recruited a wealth of modern-day talent to write her songs specifically for the album, with the only “assignment” that they be “joyful.” Some of the composers include Ben Harper, M. Ward (who also acted as producer), Neko Case and New Orleans’ own Jon Batiste, who co-wrote one of the disc’s highlights, “Tomorrow.” It’s very catchy, sing-a-long ready and complete with horns. On most of the tunes here, like the soul-flavored “Take Us Back,” written by Benjamin Booker, Staples uses less instrumentation, with simply her longtime band—guitar, bass and drums—and backup vocalists. Perhaps because she came up under her guitar-playing father, the great Roebuck “Pops” Staples, she relies on the guitar rather than piano as her primary accompaniment. Staples is at her best on Livin’ on a High Note when she allows a gospel or soul groove to take her to higher ground. —Geraldine Wyckoff JAZZ FEST: SUNDAY, MAY 1— BLUES TENT, 3:35 P.M. www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS

Tuba Skinny Blue Chime Stomp (Independent) Seven recordings in and Tuba Skinny have established themselves as more than revivalists. Still mining the early jazz, blues and ragtime that have made them local favorites, this New Orleans combo is not only reaching further into the archives but also polishing originals that fit nearly seamlessly into the catalogue. In fact, Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” the lead cut on this 16-track release, is both its best known and least impressive number. More fun is the band’s take on Merline Johnson’s 1938 “Running Down My Man,” in which Shaye Cohn puts down her cornet to take up a chiming, honky tonk–style piano to showcase Erika Lewis’s throaty—and era-appropriate—vocals. (Lewis’s voice is somewhat brighter than the original “Yas Yas” girl’s, but the two versions compare nicely.) Lewis is the obvious focal point of Tuba Skinny, a charismatic frontwoman with an impressive instrument, and her departure from New Orleans is worrisome. (The band’s website promises that she remains active in the band and will return for tours and festival gigs.) Her original contribution to the disc, “Broken Hearted Blues” (not the same tune as the cut of that name on the 2011 release Garbage Man) leans more toward Kansas City with a protoswing riffing from the unison horns and offers a promising path for the group’s expansion. But the strength of these young trad jazz players remains their ensemble work. In tune after tune, the core instrumental sextet nails the classic New Orleans contrapuntal collective improvisation, instantly evoking another era while at the same time delightfully of the www.OFFBEAT.com

moment. That interplay comes to the fore in a fantastic take on Fletcher Henderson’s 1927 “Variety Stomp,” arranged by Cohn, and on the title track, a Cohn original, where Craig Flory’s ornate clarinet filigrees take the lead. Throughout, the band manages a nice mix of up-tempo jazz and lower-key blues, like that Lewis number or the simply proffered take on Blind Boy Fuller’s “Corrine,” with Lewis accompanied primarily by Max Bien Kahn’s guitar and Todd Burdick’s tuba. Sure, you could dig out the re-issues, but this four-track recording offers a fresh, clear take on a timeless sound. —Clea Simon

Jamie Bernstein You Don’t Know Me (Independent) Well, maybe not. After lo these many years on the New Orleans scene, sometimes it feels as if we’re just getting to know Jamie Bernstein, formerly J. the Savage. As an Americana songwriter he revealed more than ever before on 2014’s WhoonDang, but the flat, two-dimensional quality of his lyrics made it hard to connect to him on anything but a surface level. Although undeniably talented, he never seems to find the exact right outlet, although his latest album is another significant step forward. Perhaps realizing that his storytelling needs a little work, Jamie’s decided to crank up the atmospheric aspect of his particular vision, enlisting a perfect band full of NOLA scene vets—jazz, mostly. Jazz cats have never been anything but good for country, and this disc sports Johnny Vidacovich on drums, Pat Casey on acoustic bass and the city’s finest pedal steel man in Dave Easley (not to mention two Zion Harmonizers guest spots). With these ten songs he’s sort of created his own hesitant look at the dark, shadowy side of Americana, less an attempt at Music from Big Pink and more like a Cowboy Junkies filter on Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection. None of these cultural touchstones are bad (not even the title track, which sounds like JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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REVIEWS it wants to break into Nazareth’s “Dream On”) but Jamie’s voice is not always suited to the low country croak he’s written the songs in. The atmosphere is perfect, however: His raggedness sounds right, more often than not. And although lyrically it sags like before, the new setting—which makes his own second pass at “Talkin’ Bout Love” seem deeper by default—seems to be challenging him. As the album comes to a close he lets his vulnerability take over and there’s suddenly some emotional focus: a train ride remembered in “You’re Gone” or the quivering

observation in “Take Me Inside” that “her blue eyes swore I was the one.” Bernstein’s muse remains one of excellent taste, but oh, it moves so slowly. —Robert Fontenot

Diversity Honey Island Swamp Band Demolition Day (Ruf Records) As anyone who’s seen Honey Island Swamp Band lately can attest, they like to stretch things out. Last year at Jazz Fest they set a possible record by playing a mere 5 songs in a 50-minute set. But while jamming onstage is fine, when you hit the studio you’ve gotta have the songs. No problem on HISB’s fourth album, one that really underlines the diversity of their material. The musical foundation hasn’t changed: They’ll still remind you of the Stones at times, the Band or the Radiators at others—and I also thought of the Drive-By Truckers, another proudly Southern band with two main songwriters, one (Patterson Hood in the Truckers, Chris Mule in HISB) who writes the more epic numbers and the other (Mike Cooley in DBT, Aaron Wilkinson in HISB) who’s got the sweeter touch and the drier wit. The comparisons end there though, because HISB sound here like a band able to take on whatever shape the material demands. When they draw from classic New Orleans R&B (on the opening “How Do You Feel”) they’re a hopped-up roadhouse band; on “No Easy Way” they take on an easy-rolling Caribbean feel. And “She Goes Crazy” introduces some drunk-sounding Dixieland horns that perfectly suit the lyric’s tale of an obsessive girlfriend and a guy who doesn’t mind a bit. Indeed, the lyrics here evince an eccentricity that seldom gets noticed, whether they’re sticking the line “She loves me like a rubber hose” into a romantic tune, or recalling (on “Ain’t No Fun”) a love affair that went bad as soon as the girlfriend’s brother kicked the singer in the head. Producer Luther Dickinson gives this album a slightly different feel than the HISB’s previous three: There are fewer outright rockers, and a layered sound (with horns, keyboards and mandolin) with less emphasis on guitar. While the songs are shorter than they’d be live, he does allow some jamming space, with a slide/mandolin tradeoff on “Through Another Day” and a long, swampy intro that sets up “Devil’s Den.” If they want to stretch these tunes to 10 minutes onstage they’ll get no complaints from us. —Brett Milano JAZZ FEST: FRIDAY, APRIL 29—FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 2:45 P.M.

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Find complete listings at offbeat.com—when you’re out, use offbeat.com/mobile for full listings on any cell phone.

Listings

EXPRESS

These listings are abbreviated. For complete daily listings, go to offbeat.com. These listings were verified at the time of publication, but are of course subject to change. To get your event listed, go to offbeat.com/add-new-listings or send an email to listings@offbeat.com.

AF African AM Americana BL Blues BU Bluegrass BO Bounce BB Brass Band BQ Burlesque KJ Cajun CL Classical CR Classic Rock CO Comedy CW Country CB Cover Band DN Dance DX Dixieland DB Dubstep EL Electro FO Folk FK Funk GS Gospel GY Gypsy HH Hip-Hop HS House IN Indian Classical ID Indie Rock IL Industrial IR Irish JB Jam Band

MJ Jazz Contemporary TJ Jazz Traditional JV Jazz Variety KR Karaoke KZ Klezmer LT Latin MG Mardi Gras Indian ME Metal RB Modern R&B PO Pop PK Punk RE Reggae RC Rockabilly RK Rock RR Roots Rock SS Singer/ Songwriter SK Ska PI Solo Piano SO Soul SW Spoken Word SP Swamp Pop SI Swing VR Variety ZY Zydeco

TUESDAY APRIL 19

30/90: Bayou Saints (RR) 5p, Mem Shannon (BL) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p, Marc Stone’s New Orleans Kingpins feat. Benny Turner, Joe Krown and Jellybean Alexander (BL) 8:30p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky Trio (JV) 7:30p Banks Street Bar: Simple Sound Retreat (RE) 9p Blue Nile: Open Ears Music Series feat. Trapper Keeper feat. Mike Dillon and Rex Gregory (MJ) 10:30p Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Paul Slayvens (VR) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Stephen Malinowski (PI) 6p, Jon Cleary (VR) 8p, Herringbone Orchestra feat. Meschiya Lake (JV) 11p Circle Bar: Kia Cavallaro and friends (FO) 6p, Real Live Tigers, Guts Club, Mr. Universe, Fishplate (ID) 10p Columns Hotel: New Orleans Guitar Masters feat. Jimmy Robinson, Cranston Clements and John Rankin (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: DinosAurchestra (JV) 7p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 9p Dmac’s: the Last Honkey Tonk Music Series hosted by Bridgette London (CW) 8p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (JV) 9p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Marshland (FO) 10p House of Blues (Big Mama’s Lounge): Penny and Sparrow (FO) 8p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Singer-Songwriter Night hosted by Michael Hayes (SS) 7p House of Blues: Curren$y (HH) 10p

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Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Adonis Rose (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Jon Roniger Gypsyland (JV) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Mag’s 940: All-Star Covered Dish Country Jamboree (CW) 10p Maison Bourbon: Mark Wayne Rhythm and Blues Band (JV) 3p Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Gregory Agid, TK Groove (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p RF’s: Lauren Sturm (PI) 4p, Lucas Davenport (PI) 7p Siberia: M.D.C., Deathwish, Swingin’ Dicks, Torture Garden (PK) 9p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 4p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p St. Roch Tavern: Jerry Giddens and Blaine Cody (VR) 7p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajungrass Duo (KJ) 4p, Cajun Drifters (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 9p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 20

30/90: Justin Donovan (BL) 5p, Mutiny Squad (RB) 9p Ace Hotel: Tulsa Music Showcase feat. Paul Benjamin, Dustin Pittsley and Jesse Aycock (RR) 8p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Bamboulas Hot Trio feat. Giselle Anguizola, Carl LeBlanc, Mem Shannon Band (VR) 2p Banks Street Bar: Major Bacon (BL) 10p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Carousel Bar: Amanda Ducorbier Jazz Band (JV) 8:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Bluerunners (VR) 6p, Bandicoot 4 (VR) 8p Circle Bar: the Iguanas (VR) 6p, Circle of the Tyrants, Penetrol (ME) 10p Columns Hotel: Andy Rogers (FO) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (BL) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Reggae Night (RE) 10p Eiffel Society: Society Salsa (LT) 7p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Shamarr Allen, DJ Chicken (FK) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Dr. Jee Yeoun Ko and guests (VR) 7p House of Blues (The Parish): Loyola Music Industry Showcase (VR) 8p, Jet Lounge (HH) 11p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Dana Abbott (JV) 5p, Irvin Mayfield and the NOJO Jam (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Spodie and the Big Shots (JV) 6:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Honey Island Swamp Band, Alexis and the Samurai (VR) 5p

Little Gem Saloon: Cutting Edge Listening Room with Margie Perez and GrayHawk Perkins (VR) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison Bourbon: Mark Wayne Rhythm and Blues Band (JV) 3p Maison: Eight Dice Cloth, Jazz Vipers, Willfunk (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Hook Line and Dine with Frogs Gone Fishin’ and Crawfish Boil (VR) 8p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Old Arabi Bar: Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone Blues Party (BL) 8:30p Old U.S. Mint: Craig Brenner (PI) 2p, Blind Boy Paxton (VR) 7p, Johnny Azari (VR) 9p One Eyed Jacks: the Joy Formidable, the Helio Sequence (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Club: Gregg Staffford and Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Jesse McBride and the Next Generation (JV) 8p Rivershack Tavern: Dave Ferrato (RK) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Mitch Woods and the Delta 88s (SI) 8p Sandbar at UNO: Henry Butler (JV) 7p Siberia: Audacity, the Mad Doctors, Trampoline Team, Bottom Feeders, Heaven’s Gate DJs (PK) 9p Snug Harbor: Terrance Taplin and Uptown Jazz Orchestra (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 4p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Schatzy (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: La Maniere des Cadiens (KJ) 4p, Brandon Moreau and Cajungrass (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: Victory Belles present SongsTthat Won the War (VR) 11:45a

THURSDAY APRIL 21

30/90: Andy J. Forest (BL) 5p, Smoke N Bones (FK) 9p, Pirates Choice (AF) 1a Ace Hotel: Soundbytes Jam Session hosted by PJ Morton (RB) 8p Armstrong Park: Jazz in the Park feat. Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers, King James and the Special Men (VR) 4p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, the Courtyard Kings (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Cats-N-Heat Jazz Band, Christopher Johnson, Johnny Mastro (VR) 2p Banks Street Bar: Dave Jordan and the NIA (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Tank and the Bangas, Stooges Brass Band (VR) 10p BMC: Dancingman 504 presents Brass Brand Series feat. DJ Blackpearl504, Lagniappe Brass Band (BB) 9:30p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Duo with Hal Smith (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Alexandra Scott and Josh Paxton (VR) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 9p, Greg Schatz (VR) 11p Bullet’s Sports Bar: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 6:30p

Carousel Bar: Antoine Diel Jazz Quartet (JV) 5p, Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8:30p Carrollton Station: John Mooney and Bluesiana (BL) 10p Chiba: Charlie Dennard (PI) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Phil DeGruy and Emily Robertson (VR) 6p, Smoke-Free Nola Anniversary Show (VR) 8p Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country Persuasion (CW) 6p, Carl LeBlanc, Kipori “Baby Wolf” Woods (BL) 10p City Park Botanical Garden: Threadhead Thursday feat. George Porter Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners, Soul Brass Band, Lynn Drury (VR) 6p Civic Theater: Lucero, Morning 40 Federation (RK) 8p Columns Hotel: Naydja Cojoe (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (VR) 7p, Little Freddie King, Baby Bee (BL) 10p Dmac’s: Outlaw Country Jam with Jason Bishop (CW) 7p Dos Jefes: Loren Pickford Quartet (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: Dave Easley (VR) 6p, the Ill Vibe with DJ Matt Scott (VR) 10p Funky Pirate: Marc Stone Duo (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Helen Gillet Quartet with Skerik, Nikki Glaspie and Brian Haas (MJ) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Stripped Into Submission (BQ) 8p Hilton Riverside Hotel: Jazz and Heritage Gala feat. the O’Jays, All-Star Tribute to Allen Toussaint feat. John Boutte and Davell Crawford (VR) 7p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Colin Lake (VR) 6p House of Blues (The Parish): Eleanor Friedberger (ID) 8p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Jake Landry (VR) 6p House of Blues: the Darkness, RavenEye (RK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf: the Nigel Hall Experience feat. Derwin Perkins, Donnie Sundal, Eric Vogel, Jamison Ross, Weedie Braimah and others (RB) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 5p, the James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Foot and friends (FO) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Gem Saloon: Orleans Records’ presents Professor Longhair’s record-release party feat. Billy Gregory, Earl Gordon, Carlo Ditta (VR) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Mike Berger (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 12p, Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys (KJ) 1p, Brent Rose (VR) 2p, Brint Anderson (RR) 3p, the Batture Boys (VR) 4p, Kevin Sekhani (VR) 5p, Eric Lindell (BL) 6p Maison: Jon Roniger, Dinosaurchestra (VR) 4p, Boom Boom Room Presents: Stanton Moore Trio, DJ Kevvy Kev (FK) 9:30p Maple Leaf: Johnny Vidacovich and Charlie Hunter Duo (VR) 8p, Eric Krasno, Oteil Burbridge and Johnny Vidacovich (VR) 11p New Orleans Jazz Market: Glen David Andrews (JV) 7p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: After Hours feat. Cha Wa Mardi Gras Indians (MG) 6p Old Arabi Bar: the Fortifiers (VR) 8:30p Old U.S. Mint: Jazz Masters Series feat. Leroy Jones (JV) 2p One Eyed Jacks: Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Seratones (VR) 7p, Fast Times ‘80s and ‘90s Night (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Club: Butch Thompson and Clive Wilson with New Orleans Serenaders (JV) 8p

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Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 6p, Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Donald Harrison Quintet (JV) 8p Republic: Crizzly (HH) 10p RF’s: Dirtyface (BL) 4p, James Martin Band (JV) 7p Rivershack Tavern: Bill Davis (VR) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Chris Ardoin, Beau Jocque’s High Rollers, Geno Delafose, Chubby Carrier (ZY) 8p Saint Hotel: the Yat Pack (VR) 7p Siberia: Big Deal Burlesque (BQ) 7p, Snog, the Labrynth, My Parasites, DJs Angelle and Sneauxball (IL) 9p Snug Harbor: Dr. Lonnie Smith and Donald Harrison Trio (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks presents Fats $inatra (JV) 4p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Luke Winslow King (JV) 7:30p Tipitina’s: Anders Osborne, Neville Jacobs (RR) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 4p, Brandon Moreau and Cajungrass (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Miss Maggie Trio (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: Bobby Love and Friends (BL) 5p Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p

Chapman and Solid Harmony, Joel Savoy, the Lostines and others (VR) 8p Frenchy’s Gallery: Steve Malinowski (PI) 8p Funky Pirate: Marc Stone Duo (BL) 12p, Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gattuso’s: Remember When (VR) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: Wait, What? Comedy (CO) 8p House of Blues (Big Mama’s Lounge): the Bellfuries (VR) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jake Landry (VR) 6p House of Blues (The Parish): Bonerama (FK) 10p House of Blues: Dave Rawlings Machine (FO) 9p Howlin’ Wolf: Dumpstaphunk, Chali 2na, Rebirth Brass Band, the London Souls, the Nth Power (FK) 10p Irish House: Crossing Canal feat. Ruby Ross and Patrick Cooper (FO) 7p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Piano Professor Series: Tribute to Professor Longhair feat. Tom Worrell (JV) 5p, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 8p, Burlesque Ballroom feat. Trixie Minx with Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11:59p Joy Theater: Greyboy All-Stars, Vulfpeck, Pimps of Joytime (FK) 10p

PLAN A: Michael P. Smith “Follow the Music” Michael P. Smith, one of the first photographers to capture Mardi Gras Indians, second lines, jazz funerals and every Jazz Fest from 1970 until 2003, will be featured in an exhibit at Scott Edwards Gallery. Smith began documenting New Orleans culture in 1969 at the funeral of local musician Paul Barbarin and worked until 2003 when the effects of Parkinson’s disease made it impossible to continue. His philosophy for those 34 years was “follow the music.” In March 2007, the Historic New Orleans Collection bought Smith’s archives, which contained more than 2,000 rolls of black-and-white film, tens of thousands of color slides and about

FRIDAY APRIL 22

30/90: Dapper Dandies (JV) 1p, Jon Roniger Gypsy Land (GY) 4p, Mem Shannon (BL) 7p, Space and Harmony, Rumpelsteelskin (VR) 10p, Beast Mode feat. James Casey, John Staten and Dave Bailas (VR) 1:30a Ace Hotel: Daniel Lanois and Brian Blade (VR) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, Marc Stone Band (BL) 4p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 8p, Eric Gales feat. the B.B. King All-Star Band (BL) 11:59p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Raphael Bas (JV) 5p, Willie Green (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Chance Bushman’s Rhythm Stompers, Swamp Donkeys, Smoky Greenwell (VR) 1p Banks Street Bar: Hazy Ray (VR) 10p Blue Nile: Soul Rebels (FK) 10p, Gravity A (VR) 1a; Balcony Room: Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Golden Eagles (MG) 11p, Pirates Choice, BateBunda (VR) 1a BMC: Strange Vibe (JV) 3p, Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (FO) 6p, Caesar Brothers (FK) 9p, Waterseed (FK) 11:59p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski Trio with Jon-Erik Kellso (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (VR) 5p, Banu Gibson (JV) 8p, Rebecca Leigh and Crocodile Tears (VR) 11p Bullet’s Sports Bar: the Original Pinettes (BB) 8:30p Café Istanbul: Gatorators (RK) 10p Carousel Bar: Robin Barnes Jazz Band (JV) 5p, Lena Prima Band (JV) 9p Carrollton Station: Grayson Capps’ Rock N Roll Band (RR) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Chris Smither with Seth Walker (VR) 8p, Happy Talk Band, Morning 40 Federation (VR) 11p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p Creole Queen: Fiya Water V feat. Eric Krasno, Doug Wimbish, Nigel Hall and others (FK) 10p d.b.a.: Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 10p, Colin Lake (VR) 2a Dos Jefes: Mitch Woods and Club 88 (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Loose Marbles, Loose Willis, DJ Doug Funnie (VR) 6p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans: Langhorne Slim, the Deslondes, Aurora Nealand, Topsy

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Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Eric Lindell, Tab Benoit (BL) 9:30p Saenger Theatre: Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair (RK) 9p Saint Hotel: Creole Sweet Tease Burlesque Show (BQ) 9p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: 45 RPM Happy Hour with DJ Karo (VR) 6p, Big Freedia, Katey Red, Miss Tee, Westbank Shakie, Shake Team Reedy, DJ Lil Man (BO) 9p Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley CD-release party (MJ) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Where Y’acht (RK) 9:30p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 4p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 6p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: Matt Johnson Trio (JV) 6p, Davis Rogan (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Galactic, Turkuaz (FK) 9p, the Floozies (VR) 2a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Brandon Miller and Louisiana Inferno (KJ) 4p, T’Canaille (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Way Too Early (RK) 1p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons feat. Maggie Havens (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: JoJo and Mo Blues (BL) 11a, Bobby Love and Friends (BL) 3p Vaughan’s Lounge: Debauche (GY) 10p WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (VR) 6p

SATURDAY APRIL 23

Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Paul Ferguson (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Marc Stone’s Louisiana Blues Throwdown (BL) 10p, Nikki Glaspie’s NthFectious (JV) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Mike Berger (RK) 9p Mag’s 940: Sarah Quintana (SS) 9p Maison: Kala’s Swing Band, Hokum High Rollers, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Organized Crime, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 10p Maple Leaf: Skerik, Marco Benevento, Johnny Vidacovich and Oteil Burbridge (VR) 11p, Johnny Vidacovich, Oteil Burbridge and Eric “Benny” Bloom (VR) 3a Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p New Orleans Jazz Market: NOJO Market Fest feat. Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (JV) 8p New Orleans Museum of Art: Arpa Quartet (CL) 5:30p Old Arabi Bar: Mike Darby and the House of Cards feat. Dave Easley (VR) 9:30p Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Jamie Lynn Vessels (RK) 9:30p Old U.S. Mint: Armand St. Martin (JV) 2p, Ron Hacker with John Fohl (BL) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Leftover Salmon with Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers (VR) 8p, Leftover Salmon with Walter “Wolfman” Washington (VR) 11:30p Ooh Poo Pah Doo: Just Judy (RB) 8p Orpheum Theater: the Meters (FK) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Brass Band feat. Daniel Farrow (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Prime Example: Maurice Brown Quintet (JV) 8p Republic: Michael Franti and Spearhead (SO) 9p RF’s: John Marcey and No Good Deed feat. Steve Mignano (RK) 6p, Vernon Severin Jazz Band (JV) 9p Rivershack Gretna: Jeb Rault Band (BL) 9p Rivershack Tavern: Refugeze (VR) 10p

200 audiotapes. Over 500,000 negatives remained unprocessed because Smith couldn’t afford to have them developed. Reprints of these images can be purchased from the Historic New Orleans Collection. The Scott Edwards Gallery, however, is offering signed single prints for sale. Scott Edwards said of the exhibit “we are offering over 100 prints available for purchase. Many of these pieces are large, created by photographer David Richmond for the New Orleans Photo Exchange and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Exhibition. Many smaller pieces are also available that were printed personally by Michael P. Smith.” Author Jason Berry said of Smith, “He did something that no other photographer had done: He captured the cultural landscape of the streets and did so with a vision of passion and beauty.” “The camera is an extension of my knowledge of the inner working of the community that I have come to understand over a 25-year period. It’s my art, my subjective view of the world I’m experiencing,” said Michael P. Smith. Smith’s photographs are also in the permanent collections of the Bibliotheque National in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Louisiana State Museum. Smith passed away in 2008. Scott Edwards Gallery: 2109 Decatur St. 504-610-0581. April 14-June 12, 2016; Opening reception Saturday April 16, 7 p.m.

30/90: Chris Klein and the Boulevards (VR) 1p, Organ Donors (JV) 4p, Kid Merv (JV) 7p, Billy Iuso and Restless Natives (RR) 10p, Angelo Moore and guests (VR) 1:30a Ace Hotel: Roots of Music Benefit feat. Nick Waterhouse (SO) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, Marc Stone Band (BL) 4p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 8p, Eric Gales feat. the B.B. King All-Star Band (BL) 11:59p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Jasen Weaver Band (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Jenavieve and the Royal Street Winding Boys, the Budz, Johnny Mastro (VR) 1p Banks Street Bar: Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (FK) 10p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p, Marco Benevento (VR) 10:30p, Naughty Professor, Chali 2na (FK) 1:30a; Balcony Room: New Breed Brass Band (BB) 11p, Corey Henry and Treme Funktet (FK) 1a BMC: St. Roch Syncopators (JV) 3p, Peter Novelli (BL) 6p, Live Animals (VR) 9p, Bayou Saints (VR) 11:59p Bombay Club: Jason Marsalis (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11am, Michael Pellera and Miles Berry (JV) 5p, Paul Sanchez and Alex McMurray (RR) 8p, Davis Rogan (VR) 11p Café Istanbul: Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Carousel Bar: High Standards Orchestra feat. Graham Hawthorne, Quiana Lynell and David Harris (JV) 9p Carrollton Station: Dash Rip Rock, Chopped Up Tulips (RK) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Helen Gillet Quartet with Skerik, Nikki Glaspie and Brian Haas (MJ) 8p, Charlie Hunter with Scott Amendola (VR) 11p Circle Bar: Heidijo (JV) 6p, Mason Ruffner (BL) 10p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p Creole Cookery: Mark Weliky Trio (JV) 11a d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p, Royal Fingerbowl (VR) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Joe Krown Trio (BL) 10p Dragon’s Den: Eight Dice Cloth, Elysian Feel (VR) 7p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 8p, Sadder Days (VR) 10p

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PHOTO: MICHAEL P. SMITH

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC

LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Funky Pirate: Marc Stone Duo (BL) 12p, Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gattuso’s: Andy Hymel and the Profiles (VR) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: the Rip Off Show (CO) 7p, Hustle feat. DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p House of Blues (The Parish): Danny Wood (PO) 5:30p, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (FK) 10p, Pimps of Joytime (FK) 1:30a House of Blues: Foundation of Funk feat. George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, Ivan Neville, Tony Hall (FK) 11:59p House of Blues: Brothers Osborne (CW) 9p Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne, Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, Jackie Greene, Brady Blade, Carl Dufrene, Papa Mali (RR) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson Quartet feat. Kengo Nakamura (JV) 8p Jazz and Heritage Center: Christian Scott with P.J. Morton (JV) 9:30p Joy Theater: Ghostland Observatory, Michal Menert and the Pretty Fantastics (VR) 10p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Mark Parsons (FO) 5p, Roux the Day (FO) 9p Krewe Lounge: Karaoke (KR) 8p Little Gem Saloon: David L. Harris Trio (JV) 7:30p, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8 & 10p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Live Oak Café: Cassidy and the Nola Kids (TJ) 10a Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillainaires, Swinging Gypsies (JV) 1p, Greyboy All-Stars feat. Karl Denson and Robert Walter, Big Easy Brawlers (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: New Orleans Suspects’ 3rd annual Leafopotumus with Al Shiner, Chief Juan Pardo, Oteil Burbridge, Papa Mali, Eric McFadden, Natalie Grossman, Charlie Wooten (VR) 11p, Maggot Brain performed by Terence Higgins, Eric McFadden, Doug Wimbish, Big Sam and Marco Benevento (VR) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Jazz Market: Dee Dee Bridgewater Stage Dedication (JV) 8p New Waloos: Rev. Spooky LeStrange and her Billion Dollar Baby Dolls performing to Tool songs (BQ) 10p Old Arabi Bar: Strange Roux (VR) 9:30p Old U.S. Mint: Little Freddie King (BL) 7p One Eyed Jacks: the Heat feat. Ivan Nevile, Oteil Burbridge, Stanton Moore and Eric Krasno (VR) 10p Orpheum Theater: the Revivalists, Vulfpeck, Soul Rebels (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Club: Brian O’Connell and Palm Court Jazz Band with Ernie Elly (JV) 8p Pontchartrain Vineyards: Jazz’n the Vines feat. Pine Leaf Boys (KJ) 6:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Prime Example: Margie Perez and Muevelo (SO) 8p Republic: New Orleans Rock N Soul Revue feat. the London Souls (VR) 8p RF’s: Lucas Davenport (PI) 6p, Rachael Hallack (CW) 9p Rivershack Gretna: Austin Sicard and the Medics (RK) 9p Rivershack Tavern: Big Daddy O (VR) 10p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Honey Island Swamp Band, the Magnificent 7 (RR) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: Treme Threauxdown feat. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (FK) 8p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Dave Rebeck Trio (CL) 6p, the Deslondes, Twain, Bill Haite (CW) 9p Snug Harbor: Bria Skonberg Quintet (BL) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Jazz Band Ballers (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Theatre at St. Claude: Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band (FO) 8p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Time Out: Andre Bohren (RR) 11a Tipitina’s: Cypress Hill, Jelly Roll (HH) 9p, Garage A Trois (FK) 2a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: La Maniere des Cadiens (KJ) 1p, Brandon Miller and Louisiana Inferno (KJ) 4p, T’Canaille (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Way Too Early (RK) 1p, Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: JoJo and Mo Blues (BL) 11a Vaughan’s Lounge: Morning 40 Federation (RK) 10p WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (VR) 6p

SUNDAY APRIL 24

30/90: Revival (RR) 1p, Hefko and the Thousandaires (BL) 4p, T’Canaille (KJ) 7p, Gov’t Majik (FK) 10p, Full Orangutan (FK) 1:30a Ace Hotel: Stumptown Q&A Brunch with George Clinton and DJ Soul Sister (VR) 11a, Daniel Lanois and Brian Blade, Theresa Andersson, Quintet feat. Steve Masakowski, Nicholas Payton, Roland Guerin, Dave Easley and Brian Blade. (MJ) 9p AllWays Lounge: Jazz Vipers (TJ) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: D. Saunders and friends (BL) 11a, Marc Stone Band (BL) 7p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradsters (JV) 4p, Roamin’ Jasmine (JV) 7:30p Banks Street Bar: Tribute to Merle Haggard by Ron Hotstream and Mid-City Drifters (CW) 7p Blue Nile: Dr. Lonnie Smith (VR) 10:30p, Brass-AHolics (BB) 11:59p; Balcony Room: Mia Borders, Waterseed (VR) 10:30p BMC: Snake and the Charmers (JV) 6p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9p Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Jazz Youth Showcase with Crescent City Combo (JV) 4p, Bayou Saints with Arsene DeLay (VR) 7p, Gettin’ It! feat. Sam Cammarata (BL) 11p Chickie Wah Wah: Sunpie Barnes, Leyla McCalla, Cedric Watson and Pascal Danae (VR) 8p, Chic Gamine (VR) 10p Circle Bar: Micah McKee and Little Maker, Blind Texas Marlin (FO) 6p, John Mooney (BL) 9:30p Columns Hotel: Chip Wilson (JV) 11a Crazy Lobster: the Gator Baits (VR) 11a, Poppy’s All-Stars (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (FK) 7p, Funk and Chant with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and John “Papa” Gros (MG) 10p, George Porter Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners (FK) 2a Dragon’s Den: Jazz Jam with Anuraag Penyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Fritzel’s: Richard “Piano” Scott (TJ) 3p Funky Pirate: the Pentones (BL) 6p Hi-Ho Lounge: NOLA Comedy Hour Open Mic (CO) 7p, the Grid (VR) 10p House of Blues: Gospel Brunch (GS) 10a, the Subdudes, Colin Lake (RR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne, Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, Jackie Greene, Brady Blade, Carl Dufrene (RR) 10p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Joy Theater: the Word feat. Robert Randolph and John Medeski, North Mississippi All-Stars, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (VR) 9p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 8p Little Gem Saloon: Cecile Savage Duo (JV) 10a, Hidden Gems Showcase (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Frank Fairbanks (RK) 5p, Mark Parson (RK) 9p Live Oak Café: Charlie Wooton (JV) 10a Maison: Chance Bushman and the NOLA Jitterbugs, Swinging Gypsies, Dinosaurchestra (JV) 10a, Brad Walker, Pinettes Brass Band, Soul Project (VR) 7p

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Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell Batiste (VR) 10p, Maple Leaf All-Stars feat. Jon Cleary, Tony Hall, Ivan Neville, Raymond Weber, Derwin “Big D” Perkins (VR) 11:59p, Marco Benevento (VR) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p Old Arabi Bar: New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, Hookum High (VR) 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: Boom Boom Room Presents: Worship My Organ feat. Marco Benevento, Robert Walter, Simon Lott, DJ Logic (VR) 9p, Boom Boom Room Presents: Karl Denson, Stanton Moore, Eric Krasno and Wil Blades, DJ Kevvy Kev (VR) 2a Palm Court Jazz Club: Lucien Barbarin and Sunday Night Swingsters with Gerald French (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Kevin Louis (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Prime Example: the Bridge Trio (JV) 8p Republic: George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic (FK) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Sonny Landreth, Tab Benoit, Little Freddie King (BL) 8p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: the Asylum Chorus (FO) 6p, Cauche Mar, Meschiya Lake, Fever Dreams (VR) 9p Smoothie King Center: Duran Duran, Chic feat. Nile Rodgers (RK) 7p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (MJ) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Stones Fest feat. Marc Broussard, Jonny Lang, Kevin Griffin, Travis Thibodeaux (BL) 8p Spotted Cat: Sweetwater and Company (JV) 2p, Kristina Morales and Bayou Shufflers (JV) 6p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Superior Grill: Superior Jazz Trio feat. Harry Hardin, Tim Paco and John Rankin (JV) 11:30a Three Muses: Raphael and Pascal (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Lettuce, Vulfpeck (FK) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Brandon Moreau and Cajungrass (KJ) 4p, Brandon Miller and Louisiana Inferno (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: BC and Company (RK) 1p, Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Vaso: JoJo and Mo Blues (BL) 11a WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (VR) 11a

MONDAY APRIL 25

30/90: Perdido Jazz Band (JV) 5p, New Orleans Super Jam (VR) 9p Ace Hotel: Les Artistes: Denizens of Drag and Burlesque (BQ) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Helen Gillet (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Mark Rubin and Chip Wilson, Swinging Gypsies, Smoky’s Blues Monday Jam (VR) 2p Banks Street Bar: Lauren Sturm’s Piano Showcase (JV) 7p, South Jones (RK) 10p Blue Nile: Marco Benevento’s That Booker Thing feat. Johnny Vidacovich and James Singleton, Sasha Masakowski (VR) 10p; Balcony Room: Seth Walker (MJ) 10:30p BMC: Lil Red and Big Bad (BL) 6p, WillFunk (FK) 10p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Café Istanbul: Charlie Hunter, Wil Blades, Scott Amendola and Skerik (VR) 7p, Charles Neville and his New England Nevilles (VR) 11:30p Carrollton Station: Andrew Duhon Trio (RR) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Luther Dickinson, Terence Higgins, Roosevelt Collier and Eric Vogel (VR) 8p, Les McCann Tribute feat. Nigel Hall, Eric Bloom, Cochemea Gastelum (VR) 10:30p Civic Theater: Painting a New Now: A Tribute to the Art and Music of David Bowie (VR) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC d.b.a.: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 2p, Luke Winslow King (JV) 5p, Johnny Vidacovich Trio with Oteil Burbridge and Karl Denson (VR) 8p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 11p, Free Weed feat. Derrick Freeman and Weedie Braimah (FK) 2a Dos Jefes: John Fohl (BL) 9p Dragon’s Den: Le Hot Club de Cosmos (GY) 7p Franklin Avenue Baptist Church: Johnny Jackson Jr. Gospel Is Alive Celebration feat. CeCe Winans (GS) 9:30a Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 9p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Monday Blues with Sean Riley (BL) 6p House of Blues: WWOZ’s Piano Night (PI) 7p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road with David Torkanowsky (JV) 7p, Mad Skillet feat. John Medeski, Will Bernard, Terence Higgins, Kirk Joseph (VR) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Frank Fairbanks (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Big Chief Victor Harris of FiYiYi CD signing (JV) 12p, Hot Club of New Orleans, Michael Murphy book signing (JV) 1:30p, Kevin Gordon, Roger Hahn book signing (VR) 3p, Players Ella and Louie Tribute Band, Todd Mouton book signing (JV) 4:30p, Anders Osborne (RR) 6p Maison Bourbon: Mark Wayne Rhythm and Blues Band (JV) 3p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Fat Ballerina, TK Groove (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: the London Souls (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Old Arabi Bar: ACE feat. Dave Anderson, Tom Chute and Dave Easley (VR) 8p One Eyed Jacks: Boom Boom Room Presents: Frequinox, Orgone, DJ Kevvy Kev (VR) 9p Ooh Poo Pah Doo: James Andrews and the Crescent City All-Stars, Bobby Love (VR) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys (KJ) 8p the Saint: Motown Mondays with DJ Shane Love (SO) 10p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (MJ) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Soulfly, Battlecross, Lady Kong, Abnormality, Cain Resurrection (ME) 5p Spotted Cat: Up Up We Go (JV) 4p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Washboard Rodeo (JV) 7p Tipitina’s: Instruments A Comin’ feat. Donald Harrison Jr., Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Galactic, Anders Osborne, New Orleans Suspects and others (VR) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajungrass Duo (KJ) 4p, Cajun Drifters (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Way Too Early (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robertson (RK) 5p, Whiskey Bar (RK) 9p

TUESDAY APRIL 26

30/90: Bayou Saints (RR) 4p, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale (BL) 7p, Frenchwoman Street Starlets (VR) 10p Ace Hotel: Preservation Hall Hot 4 with CMradio (MJ) 10p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p, Marc Stone’s New Orleans Kingpins feat. Benny Turner, Joe Krown and Jellybean Alexander (BL) 8:30p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky Trio (JV) 7:30p Banks Street Bar: Nicole Ockman Band (VR) 9p

146

JAZZ FEST 2016

Blue Nile: the Creator Ensemble (VR) 8p, Adam Deitch Birthday Bash feat. Adam Deitch Quartet (VR) 11p; Balcony Room: Open Ears Music Series feat. Diesel Combustion Orchestra Jazz Fest Party (MJ) 9p BMC: Organ Donors (JV) 6p, Junko Beat record-release party (VR) 9p Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Steve DeTroy (JV) 5p, Catie Rodgers (JV) 8p Café Istanbul: Charles Neville Quartet (JV) 10p, Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell Batiste (VR) 11:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Anders Osborne, John Fohl and Johnny Sansone (VR) 8 & 10p Circle Bar: Kia Cavallaro and friends (FO) 6p, the Iguanas, the Continuums (RK) 10p Columns Hotel: Guitarmony feat. Phil deGruy, Todd Duke and John Rankin (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 2p, Palmetto Bugs Stompers (JV) 5p, Treme Brass Band (BB) 8p, Luther Dickinson, Lightnin’ Malcolm and Brady Blade (BL) 11p Dmac’s: the Last Honkey Tonk Music Series hosted by Bridgette London (CW) 8p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (JV) 9p Euclid Records: Kelcy Mae (FO) 2p, Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band (FO) 5p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Hi-Ho Lounge: Marshland (FO) 10p House of Blues (The Parish): Peter Murphy: Stripped (RK) 9p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Singer-Songwriter Night hosted by Michael Hayes (SS) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf: Amy Winehouse Tribute (VR) 10:30p, Turkuaz, Jazz is Phish (VR) 11:59p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Adonis Rose (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Krewe Lounge: Open Mic Night (SS) 8p Little Gem Saloon: NOLA Duke Band (JV) 7p, Polyrhythmics, Colin Lake (VR) 10p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Bamboula 2000 (VR) 12p, Jon Cleary (VR) 1p, Nolatet (JV) 2p, Zachary Richard (VR) 3p, Kenny Neal (VR) 4p, Little Freddie King (BL) 5p, Stooges Brass Band (BB) 6p Maison Bourbon: Mark Wayne Rhythm and Blues Band (JV) 3p Maison: Swinging Gypsies, Gregory Agid, Street Legends (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Old Arabi Bar: Captain Spalding and the Real (VR) 8p Old Ironworks: Threadhead Patry feat. Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, Royal Fingerbowl, Roddie Romero and the Hub City Allstars, Johnny Sansone, Cha Wa, Iron Funk All-Stars (VR) 11a Old U.S. Mint: Richard Scott (PI) 12p, Down on their Luck Orchestra (JV) 2p One Eyed Jacks: Boom Boom Room Presents: Dragon Smoke, DJ Logic (VR) 9p, Boom Boom Room Presents: the Whip feat. Robert Walter, Corey Henry, Eric McFadden and others, DJ Kevvy Kev (VR) 2a Orpheum Theater: Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. (JV) 7:30p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall-Stars feat. Shannon Powell (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Sidemen Plus One Jazz Quintet (JV) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Creole Stringbeans (KJ) 8p Siberia: Linnzi Zaorski and Miss Sophie Lee CDrelease show (TJ) 6p, Helen Gillet Duo feat. Mark Southerland, Lonesome Leash and guests (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Henry Butler Quartet (MJ) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Marc Broussard, Nigel Hall (VR) 8p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 4p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: JoyBell (VR) 5p, Sam Doores (SS) 7p Tipitina’s: Bunny Wailer, DJ T-Roy (VR) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajungrass Duo (KJ) 4p, Cajun Drifters (KJ) 8:30p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 27

30/90: Justin Donovan Trio (BL) 4p, Adam Crochet (BL) 7p, Khris Royal and Dark Matter (FK) 10p, Eric McFadden, Doug Wimbish, Joey Peebles and guest (VR) 1a Ace Hotel: WWOZ Presents (VR) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Bamboulas Hot Trio feat. Giselle Anguizola, Carl LeBlanc, Mem Shannon Band (VR) 2p; Frenchmen Theatre presents Jazz Fest Harmonica Extravaganza feat. Jason Ricci, Andy J. Forest, Smoky Greenwell and others (VR) 7p Banks Street Bar: Major Bacon (BL) 10p Blue Nile: Ivan Neville Piano Sessions Vol. 6 (PI) 9p, Rope-A-Dope presents We Want the Funk (FK) 10p BMC: Kettle Black (PI) 6p, Sam Price and the True Believers (RR) 10p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Café Istanbul: Ed Volker’s Trio Mollusc (VR) 9:30p, Doobie Decimal System (VR) 11:30p Carousel Bar: Amanda Ducorbier Jazz Band (JV) 8:30p Chiba: Brint Anderson (BL) 7p Chickie Wah Wah: Vermillionaires feat. Andre Michot, Louie Michot, Luther Dickinson and Alvin Youngblood Hart (KJ) 8p, Lost Bayou Ramblers with Luther Dickerson and Spider Stacy (KJ) 11p Circle Bar: Shane Sayer (VR) 6p, Helen Gillet, New Orleans Guitar Masters (MJ) 10p Columns Hotel: Andy Rogers (FO) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 4p, the Iguanas (VR) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p, Bayou Gypsies feat. Luther Dickinson, Roosevelt Collier, Tony Hall (VR) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Dmac’s: Nawlins Johnnys (VR) 8p Dos Jefes: George French Trio (RB) 9p Dragon’s Den: Reggae Night (RE) 10p Eiffel Society: Society Salsa (LT) 7p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Boogarins (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Shamarr Allen, DJ Chicken (FK) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Dr. Jee Yeoun Ko and guests (VR) 7p House of Blues (The Parish): Jet Lounge (HH) 11p Howlin’ Wolf: Megalomaniacs Ball feat. Dean Ween Group, Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium, Stanton Moore Trio, the Illuminaughty Trio (VR) 9p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Dana Abbott (JV) 5p, Irvin Mayfield and the NOJO Jam (JV) 8p Jefferson Orleans North: Jerry Embree and the Heartbeats (SI) 7p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Spodie and the Big Shots (JV) 6:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Kermit Ruffins, Trumpet Mafia (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Marc Stone Band (BL) 8p, Ramp Jam feat. Doombayala, Elysian Feel (FK) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Evan Christopher and Tom McDermott (JV) 12p, Mitch Woods (VR) 1p, Michael Cerveris, Lily Keber DVD signing (SS) 2p, Billy Gregory and Carlo Ditta (VR) 3p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (VR) 4p, Cha Wa (MG) 5p, Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 6p Maison: Loose Marbles, Jazz Vipers (VR) 4p, Derek Freeman’s Pirates Choice, Big Soul Brass Band (VR) 10p Maple Leaf: Johnny Vidacovich, George Porter Jr., June Yamagishi and Ivan Neville (VR) 11p Mardi Gras World: Fiya Fest feat. Soulive, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Funky Meters and others (VR) 1p

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Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Norwegian Seaman’s Church: Paul Longstreth & Trisha Boutte (TJ) 7p Old Arabi Bar: Monster Jam Band feat. Irene Sage Band, Eric Lindell Band, Mike Darby and the House of Cards, Dave Easley (VR) 8:30p Old U.S. Mint: L’Union Creole feat. Leyla McCalla, Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, Pascal Danae, Cedric Watson and Dede St. Prix (VR) 2p One Eyed Jacks: the Suwannee Family Affair, London Souls, DJ Soul Sister (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Club: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Jesse McBride and the Next Generation (JV) 8p Republic: James Brown Dance Party (FK) 9p Rivershack Tavern: Dave Ferrato (RK) 7p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, Chubby Carrier (ZY) 8p Sandbar at UNO: Maurice Brown (JV) 7p Snug Harbor: Piano Summit feat. Marcia Ball, Tom McDermott and Joe Krown (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 4p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Salvatore Geloso (JV) 7p Tipitina’s: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, King James and the Special Men (VR) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: La Maniere des Cadiens (KJ) 4p, Brandon Moreau and Cajungrass (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Willow: Charles Neville (JV) 9p WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: Victory Belles present SongsTthat Won the War (VR) 11:45a

THURSDAY APRIL 28

30/90: Andy J. Forest (BL) 4p, Kettle Black (VR) 7p, Naughty Professor (FK) 10p, Smoke N Bones (VR) 1:30a Ace Hotel: Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson, Vetiver (BL) 10p AllWays Lounge: Helen Gillet/Michael Zerang Duo, Rob Cambre Trio (MJ) 8p Armstrong Park: Jazz in the Park feat. Irvin Mayfield and the NOJO, N’awlins Johnnys (VR) 4p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 7p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, the Courtyard Kings (JV) 7:30p Banks Street Bar: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 7p, Dave Jordan and the NIA (RR) 10p Blue Nile: Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (FK) 1a BMC: Dancingman 504 presents Brass Brand Series feat. DJ Blackpearl504, Deja Voodoo (BB) 6p Bombay Club: Rex Gregory and Oscar Rossignoli (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Alexandra Scott and Josh Paxton (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p, Dayna Kurtz with Robert Mache (VR) 11p Bullet’s Sports Bar: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 6:30p Café Istanbul: SF/NOLA Summit (VR) 10:30p, Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives (RR) 1a Carousel Bar: Antoine Diel Jazz Quartet (JV) 5p, Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8:30p Carrollton Station: Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone (BL) 10p Chiba: Tom Worrell (PI) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Austin de Lone and Bill Kirchen (VR) 6p, Alejandro Escovedo (VR) 8p Circle Bar: Rik Slave’s Country Persuasion (CW) 6p, Dash Rip Rock, the O-Pines (RK) 10p City Park Botanical Garden: Cyril Neville’s Royal Southern Brotherhood, Honey Island Swamp Band (VR) 7p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Columns Hotel: Marc Stone (BL) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (VR) 7p, New Breed Brass Band (BB) 10p, Cedric Burnside Project (VR) 2a Dragon’s Den: the Ill Vibe with DJ Matt Scott (VR) 10p, Boom Boom Room Presents: Cosmic Dance Jubilee with Sasha Masakowski, Brian J., Simon Lott, DJ Kevvy Kev (VR) 11:59p Funky Pirate: Marc Stone Duo (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Delicate Steve (VR) 10p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Bill Va (VR) 6p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Jake Landry (VR) 6p House of Blues: Trombone Shorty Foundation’s Shorty Fest (JV) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p, the Heavy Pets (VR) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, the Motet (MJ) 10p Irish House: Patrick Cooper (FO) 6p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 5p, the James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Joy Theater: Rage Fest feat. Lettuce, Oteil Burbridge, Cyril Neville, Break Science, Nigel Hall Band (VR) 10p Kerry Irish Pub: Paintbox with Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 9p

148

JAZZ FEST 2016

Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Gem Saloon: Glen David Andrews (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Mike Berger (RK) 9p Maison: Jon Roniger, Roamin’ Jasmine, Dysfunktional Bone (VR) 4p, Fiya Powa feat. Maceo Parker, George Parker Jr., Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore and others (VR) 2a Maple Leaf: Johnny Vidacovich, George Porter Jr. and Sonny Landreth (VR) 10p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (VR) 2am Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p New Orleans Jazz Market: Bill Summers and Jazsalsa (LT) 8p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: After Hours feat. Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers (RC) 6p Old Arabi Bar: Hoodoo Taxi (VR) 8:30p Old U.S. Mint: L’Union Creole feat. Leyla McCalla, Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, Pascal Danae, Cedric Watson and Dede St. Prix (VR) 2p One Eyed Jacks: M&Ms feat. John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Papa Mali and Robert Mercurio (VR) 8p, Fast Times ‘80s and ‘90s Night (VR) 10p, Earth, Wind and Power: the Music of Earth, Wind and Fire (VR) 1a Ooh Poo Pah Doo: Alexandra Scott and Josh Paxton (JV) 8p

Palm Court Jazz Club: Tim Laughlin and Connie Jones with Crescent City Joymakers (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Lucien Barbarin (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Prime Example: Davell Crawford (PI) 8p RF’s: Dirtyface (BL) 4p, James Martin Band (JV) 7p Rivershack Tavern: Ched Reeves (VR) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: C.J. Chenier, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, L’il Nathan and the Big Tymers (ZY) 8p Saint Hotel: the Yat Pack (VR) 7p Saturn Bar: Alex McMurray and Glenn Hartman (FO) 10p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Lost Bayou Ramblers, Morning 40 Federation (RK) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (MJ) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Marc Stone performs Layla feat. Brint Anderson, Camile Baudoin, Joe Krown, Roosevelt Collier, Benny Turner, Alexandra Scott (BL) 8:30p Spotted Cat: Monty Banks presents Fats $inatra (JV) 4p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p

Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Luke Winslow King (JV) 7:30p Tipitina’s: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Chad Fisher (VR) 9p, Black Joe Lewis (VR) 2a Tropical Isle Bourbon: Miss Maggie Trio (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: Bobby Love and Friends (BL) 5p Vaughan’s Lounge: Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10p Willow: Charmaine Neville and the New England Neville Brothers, Claude Bryant (JV) 8p

FRIDAY APRIL 29

30/90: Pink Magnolias (BL) 1p, Jamie Lynn Vessels (BL) 4p, the Business (FK) 7p, Roosevelt Collier’s Frenchmen Street Get Down (FK) 10:30p, Freeman and Weedie present I Can Play Drum (VR) 1:30a Ace Hotel: Third Man Records Presents (RK) 10p AllWays Lounge: Helen Gillet’s Acoustic Improvisation feat. Michael Zerang, Mike Dillon, Mars Williams, Mark Southerland and Brian Haas (MJ) 9p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, Marc Stone Band (BL) 4p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 8p, Roddy Romero (BL) 11:59p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Raphael Bas (JV) 5p, Willie Green (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Chance Bushman’s Rhythm Stompers, Swamp Donkeys, Smoky Greenwell (VR) 1p Banks Street Bar: Egg Yolk Jubilee (VR) 10p Blue Nile: Kermit Ruffins (JV) 10:30p, Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 1:30a; Balcony Room: Stooges Brass Band (BB) 10:30p, Fest Mob and Mike Dillon Band (MJ) 1:30a BMC: Strange Vibe (JV) 3p, Peter Novelli (BL) 6p, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale (BL) 9p, BJ Duo feat. Burkhart/ Joseph (EL) 11:59p Bombay Club: Leroy Jones Quartet (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Sherman Bernard and the Ole Man River Band (VR) 5p, the Asylum Chorus (VR) 8p, Marc Stone (BL) 11p Bullet’s Sports Bar: the Original Pinettes (BB) 8:30p Café Istanbul: Axial Tilt: A Grateful Dead Celebration (VR) 10p Carousel Bar: Robin Barnes Jazz Band (JV) 5p, Lena Prima Band (JV) 9p Carrollton Station: John Mooney and Bluesiana (BL) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Evan Christopher and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (VR) 11p Circle Bar: Richard Bates (RK) 6p, Quaalords, DiNola, Vanzza Rokken (RK) 10p City Park Botanical Garden: Glen David Andrews, Tank and the Bangas (VR) 7p Columns Hotel: Ted Long (MJ) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p Creole Queen: FiyaWrapper River Jam feat. the Headhunters with Maceo Parker, Eddie Roberts and others, DJ Otto (FK) 10p d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 6p, Soul Rebels (BB) 10p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 2a Dmac’s: Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (VR) 9p, DJ Fireworks (VR) 1a Dragon’s Den: Loose Marbles, Warheads, Brass Lightning (VR) 6p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 7p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Encore Music Club: Randy Jackson (VR) 10p Frenchy’s Gallery: Josh Paxton Tribute to James Booker (PI) 8p Funky Pirate: Marc Stone Duo (BL) 12p, Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gattuso’s: Carlo Ditta Band (VR) 7p Handsome Willy’s: the Tipping Point feat. DJ RQ Away (RB) 10p House of Blues (Big Mama’s Lounge): Sean Riley Blues Band (VR) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jake Landry (VR) 6p House of Blues (The Parish): Pimps of Joytime (FK) 10p House of Blues: Lucinda Williams, Buick 6 (RR) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Good Enough for Good Times, Magic Gravy, Moon Hooch, Sophistafunk, Disco DJ E and DJ Rippin’ Riff, Sunrise Breakfast Jam feat. 4 Piece Puzzle (VR) 9p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Howlin’ Wolf: Bayou Rendezvous feat. Dr. Klaw, Bayou Rendezvous All-Stars, Tribute to Allen Toussaint, Polyrhythmics feat. Dead Beat (VR) 9p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Piano Professor Series: Tribute to James Booker feat. Joe Krown (JV) 5p, Irvin Mayfield (JV) 8p, Burlesque Ballroom feat. Trixie Minx with Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11:59p Joy Theater: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (VR) 10p, the New Mastersounds (FK) 2a Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 5p, Lynn Drury (FO) 9p Le Petit Theatre: Marcia Ball (PI) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 8p, Stanton Moore Trio (FK) 11p; Royal Southern Brotherhood, Honey Island Swamp Band (VR) 11:59p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Mike Berger (RK) 9p Mag’s 940: Cole Williams Band (VR) 10p Maison: Broadmoor Jazz Band, Shotgun Jazz Band, Brass-A-Holics (JV) 4p, Boom Boom Room Presents: Worship My Organ II feat. John Medeski, Skerik, Robert Walter, Adam Deitch and DJ Logic (VR) 1:30a Maple Leaf: 10th Annual James Brown Birthday Tribute feat. members of the James Brown Band, Dumpstaphunk and others (VR) 11p, Jennifer Hartswick Band feat. Nikki Glaspie, Nick Cassarino, Nate Edgar, Rob Marscher (VR) 3a Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a New Orleans Jazz Market: Bill Summers Unplugged (JV) 7:30p, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown (JV) 8p New Orleans Museum of Art: DJ Kazoo (VR) 5:30p Old Arabi Bar: Little Freddie King (BL) 9:30p Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Isla Nola (LT) 9:30p Old U.S. Mint: Armand St. Martin (JV) 2p, Ron Hacker with Steve Ehrmann and Kevin Hayes (BL) 7p One Eyed Jacks: Kamasi Washington (JV) 8p & 1a Orpheum Theater: Soul Slaughter: In Memory of Clarence Slaughter feat. the Roots and guests (SO) 11p Palm Court Jazz Club: Lucien Barbarin and Palm Court Jazz Band with Tim Paco (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Brass Band feat. Daniel Farrow (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Prime Example: Clarence Johnson III (JV) 8p Republic: Los Lobos, Tab Benoit (VR) 8p RF’s: Dirtyface (BL) 6p, Lynn Drury Band (RK) 9p Rivershack Gretna: Refried Confuzion (FK) 9p Rivershack Tavern: Pig Pen and the Pork Chops (VR) 10p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Sonny Landreth, Bonerama, Terrance Simien and Zydeco Experience (VR) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: the Last Waltz feat. Warren Haynes, Don Was, John Medeski, Jamey Johnson, George Porter Jr. and others (FK) 9p Saint Hotel: Creole Sweet Tease Burlesque Show (BQ) 9p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Hondo Beyondo: DJs Robin Rubbermaid and Matty (VR) 6p, the Coathangers, Gland, Mea Culpa , Yikes (PK) 9p Snug Harbor: Davell Crawford (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 4p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Theatre at St. Claude: Michael Cerveris CD-release show (SS) 8p Three Muses: Ingrid Lucia (JV) 9p Tipitina’s: Funky Meters (FK) 9p, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (FK) 2a Treo: Maggie Belle Band (RB) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Brandon Miller and Louisiana Inferno (KJ) 4p, T’Canaille (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Way Too Early (RK) 1p, Jay B. Elston Band (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons feat. Maggie Havens (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: JoJo and Mo Blues (BL) 11a, Bobby Love and Friends (BL) 3p

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WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (VR) 6p

SATURDAY APRIL 30

30/90: Swinging Gypsies (JV) 1p, the Asylum Chorus (VR) 4p, Margie Perez (VR) 7p, Russell Batiste and friends (FK) 10p, Tony Hall, Brandon”Taz” Niederauer, Eric McFadden and Pete Levin (VR) 1a Ace Hotel: Musicians Clinic Benefit feat. Hurray for the Riff Raff (FO) 10p B.B. King’s Blues Club: B.B. King All-Stars feat. Stevie J. Blues (BL) 12p, Marc Stone Band (BL) 4p, B.B. King All-Stars feat. Larry Jonhson and Jonte Mayon (BL) 8p, Cyril Neville’s Royal Southern Brotherhood (BL) 11:59p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Jasen Weaver Band (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Jenavieve and the Royal Street Winding Boys, Johnny Mastro, Keith Stone (VR) 1p; Frenchmen Theatre presents Big Pearl’s Jazz Fest Blowout feat. Lani Ramos, Sharon Martin, Fredy Omar, Gaynielle Neville, Anais St. John and Diable Horns (VR) 8:30p Banks Street Bar: N’awlins Johnnys (VR) 10p Blue Nile: Break Science (FK) 10:30p, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress (FK) 1:30a; Balcony Room: Jamie McLean Band, Flow Tribe (VR) 10:30p BMC: St. Roch Syncopators (JV) 3p, Ruth Marie and her Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Gene’s Music Machine (SO) 9p, Street Legends (BB) 11:59p Bombay Club: Tim Laughlin Quartet with Jon-Erik Kellso (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11am, Jenna Guidry (VR) 5p, Davis Rogan (VR) 8p, the Royal Rounders (VR) 11p Bullet’s Sports Bar: the Original Pinettes (BB) 8p Café Istanbul: Axial Tilt: A Grateful Dead Celebration (VR) 10p Carousel Bar: High Standards Orchestra feat. Graham Hawthorne, Quiana Lynell and David Harris (JV) 9p Carrollton Station: Debauche, the Underhill Family Orchestra (GY) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Paul “Springsteen” Sanchez (RK) 7p, Susan Cowsill presents Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness at the Edge of Town (RK) 8p, Erica Falls and the Heard (VR) 11p Circle Bar: K. and the Soft Shoes (TJ) 6p, Mod Dance Party (VR) 10p Civic Theater: Jon Batiste and Stay Human (JV) 10p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p Creole Cookery: Mark Weliky Trio (JV) 11a d.b.a.: Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 10p, S&M Squared feat. John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Skerik and James Singleton (FK) 2a Dos Jefes: the Iguanas (RR) 10p Dragon’s Den: Swinging Gypsies (JV) 7p, Kompression (VR) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 8p Encore Music Club: Justin Adams Band (VR) 10p Frenchy’s Gallery: Tom Worrell Tribute to Allen Toussaint (PI) 9p Fritzel’s: Richard “Piano” Scott (TJ) 3p Funky Pirate: Marc Stone Duo (BL) 12p, Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters feat. Big Al (BL) 8:30p Gattuso’s: Mia Kiley (VR) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: Hustle feat. DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p House of Blues (Big Mama’s Lounge): Mighty Brothers (VR) 9p House of Blues (The Parish): the California Honeydrops (SO) 10p House of Blues: the Arcs, Mariachi Flor de Toloache (RK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Mike Dillon (MJ) 9:30p Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne, New Orleans Suspects, Soulive (VR) 9:30p Irish House: Crossing Canal feat. Ruby Ross and Patrick Cooper (FO) 7p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Irvin Mayfield (JV) 8p Jazz and Heritage Center: Jamison Ross (JV) 9:30p Joy Theater: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (VR) 10p, the New Mastersounds (FK) 2a Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Speed the Mule (FO) 5p, Invisible Cowboy Band (FO) 9p Krewe Lounge: Karaoke (KR) 8p

JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8 & 10p; Upstairs: Lynn Drury (BL) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Jay B. Elston (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Live Oak Café: Aaron Walker Trio (FK) 10a Mag’s 940: Marc Stone (BL) 10p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillainaires, Leah Rucker (JV) 1p, Smoking Time Jazz Club, Rebirth Brass Band (VR) 7p Maple Leaf: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (VR) 11p, Big Lil Baby Jesus Peasant Party (VR) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Mulate’s: Bayou Deville (KJ) 7p New Orleans Jazz Market: Glen David Andrews (JV) 8p Old Arabi Bar: Irene Sage Band (BL) 9:30p Old Point Bar: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9:30p Old U.S. Mint: L’Union Creole with Dede St. Prix (VR) 2p One Eyed Jacks: Kamasi Washington (JV) 8p & 1a Orpheum Theater: Galactic, JJ Grey and Mofro, Moon Hooch (FK) 8:30p Palm Court Jazz Club: Brian O’Connell and Palm Court Jazz Band with Lester Caliste (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Prime Example: Nicholas Payton and Afro-Caribbean Mixtape (AF) 8p Republic: Big Freedia, Soul Rebels, Tank and the Bangas (VR) 8p, Voodoo Dead II (VR) 2a RF’s: Lucas Davenport (PI) 6p, Rachael Hallack (CW) 9p Rivershack Gretna: Jukebox Heroes (RK) 9p Rivershack Tavern: Refried Confuzion (VR) 10p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Tab Benoit, the Iguanas (VR) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: the Last Waltz feat. Warren Haynes, Don Was, John Medeski, Jamey Johnson, George Porter Jr. and others (FK) 9p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band, Darrin Bradbury, Esther Rose (SS) 6p, Feufollet, King James and the Special Men, the Revelers (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Chris Thomas King and his Blues Orchestra (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Jazz Band Ballers (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Debbie Davis (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p Time Out: Andre Bohren (RR) 11a Tipitina’s: the Motet, Pimps of Joytime (VR) 9p, Earphunk presents Daft Phunk (FK) 2a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: La Maniere des Cadiens (KJ) 1p, Brandon Miller and Louisiana Inferno (KJ) 4p, T’Canaille (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Way Too Early (RK) 1p, Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Down River (RK) 1p, the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: JoJo and Mo Blues (BL) 11a Vaughan’s Lounge: the Rough 7 (RK) 8:30p WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen: My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (VR) 6p

SUNDAY MAY 1

30/90: Revival (RR) 1p, Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires (BL) 4p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 10:30p , Stone (BL) 7p, Keng (VR) 1:30a Ace Hotel: Stumptown Q&A Brunch (VR) 11a, South Louisiana Swamp Stompede feat. Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, CC Adcock and the Lafayette Marquis, Guitar Lightnin’ Lee and his Thunder Band (SP) 9p AllWays Lounge: Albanie Falletta and her Southern Gentlemen (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradsters (JV) 4p, Roamin’ Jasmine (JV) 7:30p Blue Nile: Funky But Better, Tarace Boulba (FK) 10p; Balcony Room: Mia Borders, Colin Lake (VR) 10:30p BMC: Snake and the Charmers (JV) 6p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9p Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Ben Fox Trio (JV) 4p, Alexandra Scott and Her Magical Band (FO) 7p,

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Dayna Kurtz with Robert Mache (VR) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Jon Cleary (PI) 8p, Charlie Wooten Project (VR) 11p Circle Bar: Micah McKee and Little Maker, Blind Texas Marlin (FO) 6p, the Rayo Brothers, DJ Pasta (FO) 9p Crazy Lobster: the Gator Baits (VR) 11a, Poppy’s AllStars (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Ike Stubblefield Trio feat. Grant Green Jr. and Terence Higgins (VR) 7p, Stanton Moore Trio (VR) 10p, FrequiNOT feat. Stanton Moore, Robert Walter, Robert Mercurio, Scott Metzger and Skerik (FK) 1a Dos Jefes: Burke Ingraffia (SS) 9p Funky Pirate: the Pentones (BL) 6p Hi-Ho Lounge: Azz Fest feat. BateBunda and others (VR) 9p House of Blues (Big Mama’s Lounge): Good Graff (VR) 8p House of Blues: Gospel Brunch (GS) 10a, Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra present Living For the City: the Music of Stevie Wonder (RB) 8p House of Blues (The Parish): Rising Appalachia, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Arouna Diarra (VR) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder Tribute, Zigaboo Modeliste’s Funk Revue (VR) 10p, Sophistafunk (FK) 11:59p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Jazz Café: the Key Sound (JV) 7:30p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 5:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Crossing Canal with Ruby Ross and Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Frank Fairbanks (RK) 5p, Mark Parson (RK) 9p Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Russell Batiste and Walter “Wolfman” Washington (FK) 10p, BrasiNola 2.0 (LT) 11:59p, Kofi Burbridge, Ron Johnson and Johnny Vidacovich (VR) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Norwegian Seaman’s Church: Luke Winslow King (SS) 11a Old Arabi Bar: Brint Anderson and friends (VR) 8:30p One Eyed Jacks: the Brian Jonestown Massacre (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Club: Lucien Barbarin and Sunday Night Swingsters (JV) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p, Midnight Preserves (TJ) 11:59p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Sonny Landreth, Tab Benoit (BL) 8p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: La Luz, Nots, Massenger, Black Abba (PK) 9p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quartet (MJ) 8 & 10p Southport Hall: Prong, Endall, System Red (ME) 8p Spotted Cat: Pfister Sisters (JV) 2p, Kristina Morales and Bayou Shufflers (JV) 6p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p, DUKES of Dixieland (DX) 7p Three Muses: Raphael and Pascal (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Dumpstaphunk, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, DJ Soul Sister (FK) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Brandon Moreau and Cajungrass (KJ) 4p, Brandon Miller and Louisiana Inferno (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: BC and Company (RK) 1p, Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5p, Late As Usual (RK) 9p Vaso: JoJo and Mo Blues (BL) 11a Zeitgeist: Helen Gillet presents What is a Motico?, Weather Warlock feat. Quintron, Michael Zerang, Mars Williams, Doug Garrison (VR) 7:30p

MONDAY MAY 2

30/90: Perdido Jazz Band (JV) 5p, New Orleans Super Jam (VR) 9p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Helen Gillet (JV) 7:30p Banks Street Bar: Lauren Sturm’s Piano Showcase (JV) 7p, South Jones (RK) 10p Blue Nile: the Nth Power (FK) 10:30p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p

Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Chickie Wah Wah: Albanie Falletta (VR) 6p, Ed Volker’s Quintet Narcosis (VR) 8:30p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Luke Winslow King (JV) 7p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Rhythm Regulators (GY) 7p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, the Murlocs (VR) 9p House of Blues (Big Mama’s Lounge): Monday’s a Drag (VR) 7p Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Frank Fairbanks (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 1:30p, Creole Stringbeans (VR) 12p, Magnetic Ear (MJ) 3p, Tuba Skinny (VR) 4:30p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 6p Maison Bourbon: Mark Wayne Rhythm and Blues Band (JV) 3p Maple Leaf: Papa Gros Monk feat. John “Papa” Gros and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Preservation Hall: Preservation Hall Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 8p the Saint: Motown Mondays with DJ Shane Love (SO) 10p Siberia: Comic Strip: Comedy and Burlesque (CO) 9p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (MJ) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Up Up We Go (JV) 4p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Steamboat Natchez: Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers (TJ) 11:30a & 2:30p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 7p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajungrass Duo (KJ) 4p, Cajun Drifters (KJ) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Way Too Early (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robertson (RK) 5p, Whiskey Bar (RK) 9p

FESTIVALS APRIL 20-24 Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette features musical acts on multiple stages, regional cuisine and arts and crafts. FestivalInternational.com

APRIL 22-24, 28-MAY 1 The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is seven days of exciting music, food, art and culture at the Fairgrounds. Look for OffBeat’s Jazz Fest Bible at the gates. NOJazzFest.com

APRIL 25-27 The inaugural NOLA Crawfish Festival takes place at the NOLA Brewery and Tap Room celebrating crawfish, music and beer. NolaCrawfishFest.com

SPECIAL EVENTS APRIL 21 & 28 Covington Trailhead hosts Rockin’ the Rails concerts every Thursday in April at 5 p.m. Covla.com

APRIL 25 Tipitina’s hosts its 15th annual Instruments A Comin’ celebration. This year’s honorees are Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Donald Harrison Jr. Tipitinas.com

APRIL 26 The annual Threadhead Patry takes place in Bywater at the Old Iron Works, with performances by Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, Royal Fingerbowl, Roddie Romero and others. THCFNola.org

APRIL 29 The annual Zoo-to-Do for Kids at Audubon Zoo features live music, inflatables, kids’ entertainment and food. AudubonInstitute.org

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BACKTALK THURSDAY, APRIL 28—SHERATON NEW ORLEANS FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 4:25 P.M.

Buffy Sainte-Marie

talks back

photo: matt barnes

he inimitable Buffy Sainte-Marie released her debut album in 1964; the title, It’s My Way! was an early clue that the outspoken, innovative Cree singer-songwriter would carve a singular path. Over the next fifty years and change, Sainte-Marie became a folk icon, penning scathing topical songs about war, drugs and the unconscionable treatment of Native Americans by the government. “Universal Soldier,” an uncompromising protest song from the first album, is one of her bestknown compositions; boldly, it places the responsibility for the violence of nations on the individuals who fight. She also was an early adopter of technology, cutting the wonderfully witchy, spacey, synthy Illuminations in 1969—the first quadrophonic vocal record ever made. The list goes on: Even after her activism got her effectively blacklisted from American radio play, she endowed scholarships for Native American students, won an Oscar for the 1982 song “Up Where We Belong” (from “An Officer and a Gentleman”) and in the ’70s, was a regular cast member on Sesame Street. After a seven-year absence from recording, in spring 2015 Sainte-Marie released Power in the Blood, her fifteenth studio album. Like its immediate predecessor Running for the Drum, it was critically lauded and nominated for a Juno award, one of her native Canada’s most prestigious honors in music. (Power in the Blood won 2015’s Polaris Music Prize, an award given to the best full-length album released in a given year by a Canadian artist in any genre; among others, she beat out Drake.) Buffy Sainte-Marie plays the 2016 Jazz Fest at 4:25 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, on the Lagniappe Stage. She’ll be interviewed earlier that day, at 2:30 p.m., on the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage. On a recent afternoon, she called from her Hawaiian farm to discuss the new album, electronics, education, activism and more. Your new album Power in the Blood is your first one in about seven years. What made you decide it was time to start recording new songs again?

Nothing, really. I put songs down just about every day. I’m in my studio a lot. I’m always writing songs. I’m always making home demos. But there’s no sense in putting out an album unless you have the support of, you know, the big business giants of the recording industry. There’s just no sense. It’ll just get lost. So actually True North Records went to my manager and said did I feel like recording? And he called me up and I said, I’ve got all these songs that I’m doing night after night that audiences are just loving, so I was ready. It’s funny, because some of the songs I do night after night, that people love, are actually songs that I had recorded. Like, ‘It’s My Way’ I had recorded on my first album. But it’s still so contemporary, and people could never find it. So instead of having audiences go scurrying around through fifty years of my recordings, a few of them I just re-did. Some songs were too early for their time when I first put them out. For instance, ‘Carry It On,’ I wrote it in the ’70s, and it’s about the environment.

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By Alison Fensterstock

It’s about things that people really have on the front burner today. But at the time they didn’t, so it got no attention. So, the rerecording of some great songs... I think it’s a good thing for artists to do because great songs don’t stop being great just because you write another great one the next year. Speaking of “Carry It On”—that’s one of a couple of older songs, like “It’s My Way,” too, that you recorded again on Power in the Blood. Do you find that as time goes by, you find new perspectives on songs you wrote a long time ago? Do they change for you in some way? No. I think audiences, because of just the giant world forces of what’s going on in the media, and politics, and war and peace, et cetera, people are ripe to things at a certain time. And it used to be that I would put songs out when I would have the inspiration and the drive to give this to the audiences, but sometimes they weren’t ready. My JA ZZ FEST 20 16

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“It used to be that some guy in the record company, not necessarily even an artist or a musician would be in charge of my music, someone else would be turning the dials, and making it sound a certain way.”

first venture into electronics was in 1965. Not 1995, 1965. I put out an album called Illuminations [released in 1969]. And folk music purists didn’t know what to do with it. But a few years ago, Wired magazine named it one of the hundred albums that have set the world on fire. So again, I was very, very early with electronics. And the only place I could go with electronic music was into film scoring, which I did for several years for a lot of movies. What do you think of the ways digital tools have evolved, for musicians? They’re finally catching up! To see other people, especially young people, having the opportunity to have their own studio in their own home—it used to be prohibitively expensive, and logistically huge. And now for people, for young artists, for artists who have all different ways of thinking, and all different ages to be able to self-publish on the Internet, and to be able to reach a wide audience without having to go through a record company, to be able to record and put down your thoughts and your paintings and your music at home… I just think it’s a fantastic thing for people to be able to do now. It used to be that some guy in the record company, not necessarily even an artist or a musician would be in charge of my music, someone else would be turning the dials, and making it sound a certain way. But now everybody can do that. And it always should have been in the hands of artists, but it took a while for that to happen. I wonder also about the way technology helps artists reach a wide audience on their own, as you said. If you’d been online in the ’60s, sharing music on Facebook or SoundCloud or whatever, the effect of being blacklisted on radio would have been different. It used to be that in order to speak your mind—there was a handful of guys who owned everything. They owned the record business, they owned the newspapers, they owned television, they owned all kinds of media and, you know, it wasn’t very good for self-expression—if you couldn’t have your songs turn out the way that you intended, and

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it certainly wasn’t good for reaching people, if somebody else was the gatekeeper. I mean, there was no way that you could get in the front door and have things turn out right. Besides the movie work and obviously music, you’ve also done a ton of education and outreach work over the years as well. Yes, for many years I did. In the ’60s, when I was 24, I was a young thing with too much money so I started a scholarship program for Native American people called the Nihewan Foundation. I’ve got a bunch of college degrees and one of them is in teaching. My first degree was in oriental philosophy, but then I got a teaching degree and later a Ph.D. in fine arts. I used my teacher’s degree to help my son’s Grade 5 teacher with her problem. She was required by law to teach an Indian unit, and when we looked at the stuff it was all baloney, and she knew it was baloney, so I started writing a new Native American curriculum. Not only about history and bad times, but about culture and about the role of Native American people in the sciences. You know, people have no idea that Native American people were involved in optics, and acoustics, and mathematics, and astronomy long before anybody else. I mean, just fantastic things. It seems like in Canada, Native Americans have more visibility in general than in the U.S. Oh, absolutely. The farther south you go the worse it gets. In Canada we’re way, way ahead. If you pick up any newspaper in Canada there’ll be five to ten stories about Aboriginal people. You know, about everything! Aboriginal people in banking, Aboriginal people in poverty, Aboriginal people in the arts and the sciences just doing everyday things. But in the U.S., you don’t usually hear anything about Native American people unless somebody picks up a gun, you know. I think your visibility in the entertainment world was also really important in terms of awareness then, as well, just to be out there as a star who is female and Native American.

I think a lot of my peers either went down the alcohol road, you know. A lot of show business girls and boys got caught on alcohol, or later they got caught on drugs or you know, they made their fortune and went home and sat on the couch and just turned into a dumpling, but things were different for me. The blacklist part of it meant that all of a sudden, I had privacy in the United States. I mean, it was a crappy way to get there, through censorship, but it did give me time in the United States to do other things. In the sixties I had already done something with regards to Hollywood and stereotyping, because I had been invited to do a movie in Hollywood, destined for television as The Virginian, and they wanted me to have a lead part. And I said, ‘Well, what about the other Indian parts? Are they being played by Indians too?’ And they said, ‘Oh, no. We can’t do that because there aren’t enough.’ So I said, ‘Okay, no Buffy then. No Indians in all the Indian roles, no Buffy.’ And I did pull it off by introducing them to Jay Silverheels, who used to play Tonto, and he was running an Indian actors’ workshop in L.A. You know, I’ve seen a lot of things, and while I’ve been seeing those things I’ve still been both a woman and a person and very active in the Native American scene, especially in Canada. So it’s given me a little bit different perspective. Also, it helps a lot that I made my fortune in my early twenties. So I knew that chances were I wasn’t ever going to have to have a nine-to-five job. I had the time and money to invest in myself as an artist, which I did, and I live on a farm, which I bought then. So I have a very, very different life from most of my peers, maybe especially my women peers. But it was hard. I think one of the things that I had going for me was that I did not believe that I could possibly be a success in anything, so I tried anyway, you know. I know I won’t be able to get them to use all Native American people in these movies, but I’m going to give it a shot—so, I guided them right to the spot, and we were successful. There have been a lot of women pioneers that, you know, some of their names are very well known, and others are not. But I was lucky. O www.OFFBEAT.com