OffBeat Magazine Jazz Fest Bible 2018 by OffBeat Magazine

NEW ORLEANS MUSIC, FOOD & CULTURE

2018

JAZZ FEST BIBLE STAGES —

s t a F Forever

ARTISTS A-Z —

FOOD —

OUR PICKS —

CLUB LISTINGS

Free In Metro New Orleans US $5.99 CAN $6.99 £UK 3.50

The Once and Future King Fats Domino, the quintessential New Orleanian. Page 7 2

52 Cycles and Seasons David Murray makes rare appearances.

1 2 Letters 1 4 Mojo Mouth 1 6 Fresh Five Questions with Chef Kevin Belton; My Music with Mykia Jovan; Celebration 30 Years: May 1990 Jazz Fest Survival Guide and more.

Features

54 From Blues to Rock to Country Samantha Fish’s polished guitar work and engaging vocals are a force to be reckoned with.

page 19 JAZZ FEST STAGE SCHEDULES + MAP

2 0 Obituary Thomas “Big Chief Tom” Sparks Sr.

56 Hey Pocky Way A Mardi Gras Indian Jazz Fest guide.

2 2 A Cajun Icon Walter Mouton returns to Jazz Fest.

58 Drums in the Bloodline Weedie Braimah brings the African element to the music.

2 4 Returning to the City Keyboardist Marco Benevento feels welcome.

60 Southern Crossroads Connection Charles Lloyd with Lucinda Williams.

2 6 Interpreting the Blues John Mayall’s continued influence.

62 Jazz’s Outer Reaches Alvin Fielder: Keeping the motion in the music with Kidd Jordan.

2 8 The Beat Goes On Louie Fontaine brings his music and his machine to the former Handsome Willy’s.

66 Bay Area on the Bayou San Franciscobased musician and promoter Mitch Stein feels at home in New Orleans.

3 0 With Bells On Meschiya Lake remembers Sweet Emma Barrett. 3 2 Jazz Foundations Don Vappie brings to life the music of early New Orleans jazz pioneer Joe “King” Oliver. 3 4 Rollin’ The Original Men Pigeon Town Steppers and Ladies Pigeon Town Steppers show off their moves and their outfits, including this fan. −−−−

3 6 Eat a Bunch of Peaches Karl Denson’s tribute to the Allman Brothers. 3 8 High Spirits The Radiators’ 40th family reunion. 4 0 One of the Fortunate Few Delbert McClinton brings everybody together. 4 2 40 Years at Jazz Fest Back (and forth) with Geraldine Wyckoff. 4 8 A Circus and a Christmas Tree Pianist Brian Haas, Nolatet’s fearless fourth wheel. www.OFFBEAT.com

68 Like Father, Like Son Willie Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson is a gifted songwriter and singer. 7 0 Do You Know What it Means? Kermit Ruffins pays tribute to Louis Armstrong.

Reviews

109 Johnny Sansone, Terence Blanchard, Tuba Skinny, Tom McDermott, Luke Winslow-King, Nolatet, The Radiators, Marcia Ball, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, The Tin Men, Soul Projects, The Vettes, Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band and more.

Jazz Fest A to Z

104 Who, Me? An OffBeat guide to Jazz Fest for you-know-who...

Food

Marcia Ball 84 Shake ’Em Up Jazz Band 8 8 Banu Gibson 9 0 Kyle Huval 93 Terrence Simien 9 7 Jake Shimabukuro 9 9 Jon Roniger and the Good for Nothin’ Band 1 0 1

106 In the Spirit Crystal Pavlas mixes up The Swing King for Louis Prima at Bywater American Bistro. 1 07 OffBeat Eats Peter Thriffiley reviews Frey Smoked Meat Co. 1 08 Calas Tout Chaud! Loretta Harrison of Loretta’s Authentic Pralines brings back rice calas at Jazz Fest.

Listings 117 Backtalk with Steve Miller

128

Fest Focuses

Inserts

19 Jazz Fest Stage Schedules and Map 115 The Good Visitor’s Guide to New Orleans JAZZ FEST 2 018

Letters

“Jazz Fest is always worth it and you receive a return for whatever you bring to it.” —Andrew Gibbs, New Orleans, Louisiana

Louisiana Music, Food & Culture

Jazz Fest 2018 Volume 31, Number 5 Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jan V. Ramsey, janramsey@offbeat.com Managing Editor Joseph L. Irrera, josephirrera@offbeat.com

I just finished reading your [Jan Ramsey] editorial about contemporary “news” consumption [Mojo Mouth, March 2018]. I rewatched Being There a couple nights ago and after reading your piece all I could think of was Chauncey Gardiner’s replies to reporters: “I don’t read” and “I like to watch.” It seems that we’ve become a nation of Chauncey Gardiners. I guess that’s how we got where we are today. —Mark Fowler, New Orleans, Louisiana

Welcome to Jazz Fest

“[the] dominant sound [of Toonces] is a warped spin on bossa nova,” that does not accurately represent this record or band. Galbraith has missed an opportunity by not discussing the lyrics or stories of songs like “I’m Happy” or “Monarch.” It seems to me that the reviewer gave this record only a cursory listen. There is not a single bossa nova or samba groove on this album. And besides, Toonces already has their own genre: retroglaze. Galbraith has not written a negative review necessarily, but it does misrepresent the sound of the album and the band. —Robin Sherman, New Orleans, Louisiana

To my Jazz Fest brothers and sisters, the veterans and the virgins, the faithful and the cynics, I guide you to Hemingway as we (re) convene for our 7-day ritual. For we are happy it is Jazz Fest again, but we also know there is no ending to Jazz Fest and the memory of each person who has attended the festival differs from that of any other. We always return to it no matter who we are and how it has changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it can be reached. Jazz Fest is always worth it and you receive a return for whatever you bring to Becky Allen (right) with former Jazz Fest producer it. I’m glad the pilgrimage Nancy Ochsenschlager has delivered you back to where you belong. Welcome to New Orleans. —Andrew Gibbs, New Orleans, Louisiana Correction The April 2018 French Quarter Festival issue’s A to Z incorrectly refers to Becky Allen as a female Retroglaze impersonator. Apparently Microsoft Word deleted Let me start by saying that I’m a really the second “female” in the sentence that should big Toonces fan. I’ve been to many of their have read as follows: “Allen, a charismatic female shows and I’ve listened to this album [Milk female impersonator, brings the hot stuff in the For My Tears, album reviews December 2017] form of show tunes and standards with a great approximately 50-100 times. sense of humor and an over-the-top attitude.” By describing this album predominantly in terms We regret the error.—ED of genre, Alex Galbriath comes to a conclusion, 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.

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Consulting Editor John Swenson Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Listings Editor Katie Walenter, listings@offbeat.com Contributors Nick Benoit, Stacey Leigh Bridewell, Frank Etheridge, Ken Franckling, Elsa Hahne, Tom McDermott, Amanda Mester, Brett Milano, Jennifer Odell, John Swenson, Peter Thriffiley, Christopher Weddle, Dan Willging, John Wirt, Geraldine Wyckoff Cover Ralph Chabaud, a painting partly based on photography by Michelle Colligan Art Director/Food Editor Elsa Hahne, elsahahne@offbeat.com Web Editor Amanda Mester, amanda@offbeat.com Copy Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, theo@offbeat.com Advertising Sales/Promotions Coordinator Camille A. Ramsey, camille@offbeat.com Advertising Design PressWorks, 504-944-4300 Business Manager Joseph L. Irrera Interns Allyson Aleksey, Danika Andrade, Raphael Helfand, Devorah Levy-Pearlman 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

/offbeatmagazine Copyright © 2018, 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.

Photo COURTESY OF BECKY ALLEN/FACEBOOK

Chauncey Gardiner

MOJO MOUTH

God Bless George

ith the seemingly growing animosity between the generations (mainly Baby Boomers vs. Millennials—though I don’t know how the Gen X generation got left out of the mix), we need to radically rethink our music festival options. The Mills and the BBs don’t seem to mix well; so why don’t we further encapsulate the generations and create totally separate festivals for them both instead of trying to mix it up, with some bounce here, some blues there, some jazz in one spot, a little singer-songwriters, pop, emo? I say someone should create a Geezer Fest, which only admits people over 55. No hip-hop, no

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bounce. No metal or anything close. No love songs for the Tinder-, OkCupid-, Grindr-, etc.–addicted crowd. Maybe only jazz, blues, oldschool R&B? It would have readily rentable electric scooters, wheelchairs (for those who have an able-bodied partner), and electric ones if you wanna pay for them, massive handicapped access in front of all the stages, earplug stations everywhere. Arthritis creams and (if possible) a little CBC topical as well. Less beer, more fruit drinks. A lot more shade. Just kidding. While Jazz Fest and other music festivals get harder to enjoy the older you get (creature comforts tend to win out over sweating and the pain you have to get over postFest from arthritic knees), not going

By Jan Ramsey to them means missing something amazing—the music, of course. The overall vibe, the community created by the interaction of the musicians and the crowd. You just never get too old for music festivals. And by the way, bitches: Baby Boomers created music festivals, so you can thank us for that (ever heard of Woodstock and Monterey?) But the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is the granddaddy (grandmother) of them all: Bonnaroo, Coachella, ACL, Lollapalooza, etc., etc. Their producers came to the Jazz Fest, learned how to do it at the Jazz Fest, and created more festivals in the likeness of Jazz Fest, with a soupçon of new stuff mixed in. So give props where they’re due: The Jazz

Fest is the primary source of great American music festivals and events. Well, okay, except for maybe the Newport Jazz Festival, but the same guy who created Newport in 1954 also started Jazz Fest: George Wein. George Wein had a grand idea, and in my opinion deserves eternal paeans from anyone who loves music festivals (the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation named a building after George and his wife, Joyce). Wein is a genius, and someone who changed the enjoyment of music and music culture forever, all for the love of the art form, all for us music freaks. We continue to enjoy and love our festivals, and yes, pass that love and fun on to younger generations. So, God bless you, George. O

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FRESH

Photo: kim welsh

Super Sunday 2018: Mardi Gras Indians In All Their Glory

SOUNDCHECK

OffBeat.com Photo courtesy of wyes

Five Questions with Chef Kevin Belton

SWEET TWEETS

ou’re back on WYES-TV/Channel 12 with Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Kitchen, following on New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton two years ago. What do you get to do now that you didn’t get to do before? We’re able to have a little more fun with this one, for sure. Before, we had to establish credibility—you don’t get to do a national series otherwise. I’m always myself, I’m still myself, but now I get to show more of my personality, which is good since I kind of know a little bit what I’m talking about [laughs]. Do you have a sense of the impact your first series had? It’s always fun to hear how many kids are getting in the kitchen with their parents to cook the recipes on the show. That’s what happens in Louisiana—we do a lot of stuff around the table, and maybe we don’t always pay attention to it, but the kids do. Kids watch their parents. A New Orleans kitchen is like Grand Central Station. Everything happens there. If I had to solve world problems, I’d be sitting in the kitchen doing it. Which episodes in the new series are the most fun for you? I’m a coffee fan. I love coffee. I started drinking it as a kid, maybe four, five, six years old. Like a lot of people, I started with café au lait with some sugar in it, but then I stopped putting the sugar, and then I stopped putting the milk. Now I just drink it black. So we have an episode on coffee and we do this coffee-rubbed rib, and if you like coffee—you’ll really love this! What else? We do an episode on pecans, and pecan cheesecake, and let me tell you—the crew eats good on the show and this camerawoman, she can’t be more than 125 pounds and her 10 or 11-year-old daughter is literally larger than she is, but she’d take down anybody who came close to that cheesecake! Everything that’s made on the show is eaten by the crew. ‘That’s mine!’ Everybody calls dibs... There are so many chefs on TV these days. What do you bring to the table? I want you to be able to feel comfortable. Cooking can be complicated, with complex flavors, but I try to keep it simple and basic and make you say, ‘I think I can do that.’ That’s the best thing, taking the mystery out of it. Recipes have to be written for someone who hasn’t seen a stove before. Also, I let people know that they don’t have to get caught up in doing the recipe exactly as it is. If you don’t have fresh basil, use dried. Just cook. —Elsa Hahne

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@bigfreedia My new single is about those people who take up rent-free space in your head and in your heart... They have got to GO!! @miaborders Fairly confident that @MarcBroussard was behind me on the road just now. I’m also confident that I frighten him with my fandom, so I didn’t yell at him. @jurzak I know a guy who gave up whiskey for lent, but just got sweaty drunk on tequila the whole time instead. @AlisonF_NOLA It’s not an even anniversary number or whatever, but it is kind of amazing to learn that it’s been 33 years since @jazzfest put on its first hip-hop act (Run-DMC). Talk about jazz *and* heritage. @JohnPapaGros George Porter Jr. has no fear when it comes to making music, because he has the trust in his abilities, the faith in the people around him, and a wealth of knowledge to draw from. No wonder he’s always smiling. @dougmaccash Bywater bread

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CELEBRATING

FRESH

May 1990 1988-2018

ffBeat Magazine is celebrating 30 years and reached that milestone with our November 2017 issue. To mark the anniversary, over the next 12 months OffBeat will re-publish excerpts from features and interviews from the past 30 years. In our seventh installment, from our May 1990 Jazz Fest issue, OffBeat staff put together a Jazz Fest Survival Guide, including advice on how to dress:

“But watch the hats— baseball hats are fine, but wide-brimmed hats get carried away in the Jazz Fest’s violent cayennefed thermal convection currents.”

All right—feet first. Remember the festival grounds is a horse track, a pasture in effect. You will walk. A lot—so wear your walking shoes, comfortable ones, with arch support. Jogging shoes are good. Leave the spiked heels at the Fairmont. Ditch the sandals, everybody looks boho here after the first ten minutes, and sandals are vulnerable to picante sauce and biker boots. The object is to keep the feet dry and happy. Clothing requires similar consideration. This is the tropics, babes, so you want fabrics that breathe. Deeply. Cotton is ideal. Standard male attire is typically shorts and those short sleeved shirts with crazed floral prints. Actually, any sort of light safari gear is good. Think pockets—the more pockets the better at Jazz Fest. You want to keep the hands free for eating, clapping and whatever. For women, sundresses are good, ditto bikini tops, cotton shirts and shorts, bathing suits or whatever, although you’ll likely want some covering to protect exposed flesh from occasional elemental extremes. Remember the sage advice: think pockets, not purses, wherever possible. Sometimes visitors show up dressed for the cocktail hour in Monte Carlo. Utterly deranged madness! Instead, dress as you would for a barbecue in the wilds of Zimbabwe and you’ll be fine. But watch the hats—baseball hats are fine, but wide-brimmed hats get carried away in the Jazz Fest’s violent cayenne-fed thermal convection currents. And besides, nobody can see the stage through all those wide brims, and yours might accidentally get set on fire by the people behind you. www.OFFBEAT.com

MY MUSIC

Mykia Jovan

“I

’ve been playing on Frenchmen for about eight years now. I have a residency at the Blue Nile, which started off as a duo for jazz happy hour and has evolved to what it is today. I feel very grateful to have cut my teeth on that world-famous stage and figure out the type of music I want to do, be able to write, and try out things on my audience. I didn’t start performing music until I was about 24, 25 years old. I’m a bit of a late bloomer. I did go to NOCCA, but it was for theater, not music. So I don’t have any music training but having a theater background helps a lot. The audition process was really, really frightening for me. I had some very sad, embarrassing auditions. I didn’t want to separate myself from the stage—always felt really at home there—so I thought maybe I could turn some theater heads in the city by developing a name for myself as a vocalist. I wanted to develop my craft on stage where I had control over my representation. I ended up falling in love with the music! And I became interested in storytelling. I started off singing a cappella with monologues in between songs. This has evolved into the band we have today, weaving in stories that really resonate with the music. I have a really solid band that follows me wherever I go in the middle of performance. It’s very improv-oriented. We can expand it up to an eight-piece, but mostly we’re a fourpiece: vocals, bass, drums and keys. I’m learning to sing straight, more impactful. I’m a very emotional singer and my voice can be very temperamental. I’m aware of that. ’16 Shots’ was a two-part journal entry. It is me reconciling my light skin and being around folks who are lighter than me, have straighter hair, and seeing how we were treated differently. And, in New Orleans specifically, how we were treated based solely on our last name. And I was thinking of my aunt’s brother by marriage who was gunned down by the police in Hollygrove. I was thinking if his skin had been lighter, his hair had been straighter, his paints pulled up a bit more, then maybe they would not have gunned him down. I use his nickname ‘Magic’ to honor him in playing the lyrics on the idea of black men and magic. If I’m going to say something that’s heavy for me, then I’m going to try and be sneaky about it and get people in and bobbing their heads and grooving and then maybe digging deeper into the lyrics.” —Frank Etheridge Mykia Jovan performs at Jazz Fest on the Congo Square Stage at 11:25 a.m. on Friday, April 27. PHoto: gus bennett

“Jazz Fest Survival Guide”

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PHoto: Jeffrey David Ehrenreich

IN MEMORIAM

Thomas “Big Chief Tom” Sparks Sr. (1932 – 2018)

t the celebration of life for Thomas “Big Chief Tom” Sparks Sr., on March 24, 2018, the most important elements of his life were fully represented. Sparks was a family man and as the Chief of the Yellowjacket Black Indian gang, he made sure that in their lifetimes, all of his children masked Indian. His wife, the late Barbara Sparks, also reigned as his Big Queen. Thomas “Big Chief Tom” Sparks Sr. died on March 15, 2018 at the age of 86. At the beginning of the remembrance, members of the Mardi Gras Indians paid tribute to Sparks, who donned his first Indian suit in 1947 when he masked as a flagboy with the Bumble Bee Hunters. He had led the Yellowjacket tribe since 1955. After the Indian prayer song, “Indian Red,” solemnly echoed through the funeral home, most of the Indians proceeded out of the side door with tambourines ringing. Later, they would continue their chants as they followed the hearse in an Indian procession. Indoors, members of the Masons fraternal organization, of which Sparks was a long-time member, continued praising his involvement in their order and his many contributions to the community. They strikingly stood out in their black and white suits and fez hats. Big Chief Thomas Sparks was a Mardi Gras Indian for a lifetime and an influence on many in the Mardi Gras Indian nation. As late as 2015,

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he was still wielding a needle and thread in preparation for his next appearance on the streets. “He always did set an example,” said Clarence Delcour, Big Chief Delco of the Creole Osceola in a 2015 interview. “He still always tried to make a suit because it all comes from his heart.” Even as a little boy, Sparks would follow the Indians. His childhood curiosity in the culture was further ignited by the fact that his mother was a full-blooded Native American of the Cherokee nation. Another noted Indian who came up under Sparks’ tutelage is his nephew Big Chief Little Charles Taylor of the White Cloud Hunters. Renowned for his great voice, Little Charles credited Sparks for his singing ability and more. “He’s a guy who would explain stuff to you about being an Indian.” Sparks’ competitive nature was also realized in his other passion, pigeon racing. Just outside Sparks’ bedroom with its closet full of Indian suits, was an impressive 8x10 coop that at one time housed as many as 75 homing pigeons. A retired mason and carpenter as well as a master designer and sewer, Big Chief Tom performed at the first Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds and traveled to Europe demonstrating the art of making an Indian suit. The spirit of Thomas “Big Chief Tom” Sparks lives on in the Mardi Gras Indian nation and beyond. —Geraldine Wyckoff www.OFFBEAT.com

WALTER MOUTON WALTER MOUTON & THE SCOTT PLAYBOYS: SATURDAY, MAY 5—FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 11:15 A.M.

A Cajun Icon Walter Mouton returns to Jazz Fest.

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PHoto: david simpson

he 2016 Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (FAeC) proved fruitful for Walter Mouton. Festival organizers released his first ever full-length album, Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys: Live at Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (17 live tracks culled from FAeC performances 1992-2014). A New Orleans Jazz Fest representative just happened to inquire why he no longer played Jazz Fest. Mouton replied that he had for years but whoever had booked him had moved on. ‘You will have an invitation next year,’ Mouton remembers the rep saying. Mouton received his 2017 invitation all right, but inclement weather prevented him from performing the scheduled day. So Mouton collected his check and headed home in the worst storm he had ever driven through, including his years as a truck driver. Though last year’s Jazz Fest was not meant to be for Mouton, what was meant to be was his destiny to become one of the best Cajun accordionists and bandleaders, a career that began nearly 70 years ago. His father played an accordion and on Thursday nights, the family would go see the legendary Iry LeJeune. “I would sit on that twoby-four railing going around the bandstand and listen to everything that was going on,” Mouton says. That was enough to spark his interest and before too long, he began tinkering with accordions. “Eventually I figured out how that contraption worked,” Mouton says. “You have to learn those ten buttons on the melody side and those buttons on the bass side; they are not there for parade either. My daddy said ‘If you are ever going to be something, you are going to have to work it all or you just as soon give up.’ It was a big challenge but it kept me out of mischief.”

Walter Mouton (left) with fellow accordionist Wayne Toups back when Toups had short hair.

Mouton formed his first band the Scott Playboys, a four-piece, at age thirteen-and-a-half. Mouton played accordion, Rodney Miller played fiddle and Johnnie Allan and future brother-in-law Leeman Prejean were on guitars. From the outset, Mouton was blessed with a good sense of timing and an impeccable ear. “I learned how to tune a fiddle and a guitar and I couldn’t play either one of them. Rodney Miller played fiddle and he couldn’t tune his fiddle. Johnnie Allan was on guitar and couldn’t tune his guitar. So I would tune both instruments. After years of fooling around with By Dan Willging

them, I learned how to play the fiddle, guitar, bass and steel.” Mouton once sat in for his idol Lawrence Walker at the OST Club in Rayne. “He got on the microphone and started saying ‘People, see that boy?’” Mouton recalls Walker saying. “‘He is the one that’s going to replace me when I go.’ That surprised the shit out of me.” In 1964, Mouton began his 44-year association with the La Poussiere Club in Breaux Bridge. For a dozen years, Mouton estimates, his band played every other Saturday night before playing the next 32 years every Saturday night. Mouton’s

crackerjack band included fiddler Dick Richard for 26 years and steel guitarist Randall Foreman for 22 years. Mamou Playboys drummer Kevin Dugas, then a teenager, also passed through his ranks. Though Mouton is known for his encyclopedic repertoire, he’s most famous for his rousing composition “Scott Playboy Special.” Interestingly he doesn’t claim to have written the crowd-pleasing instrumental but adapted it from Doc Guidry and Happy Fats’ fiddle-guitar version of the “Crowley Two Step.” What made Mouton’s version different is that he played it on accordion. www.OFFBEAT.com

WALTER MOUTON

With Mouton packing in wall-towall crowds, La Poussiere became known as a musician’s hangout on Saturday nights for those who didn’t have a gig. “Every musician that wanted to be a musician, this was one of their stops,” says owner Lawrence Patin. “There were a lot of young musicians coming up at the same time like Steve Riley and they wanted to learn. So they would come listen and incorporate some of that into what they wanted to do.” One such up-and-comer was Wayne Toups, who can relate to how Mouton must have felt when Walker bestowed praise on him since he felt the same way from his idol’s encouragement. When Richard had to take time off, Mouton moved over to fiddle and gave the accordion reins to Toups for the entire night. “It showed me that he believed that I had what it took to be an accomplished accordion player at a very young age,” Toups says. “I’m talking about when I was 16–17 years old. That’s how I gained a lot of knowledge by playing in that band.” “It wasn’t just about his style but it was about his knowledge and the ways he interpreted those songs,” Toups continues. “His passages, embellishments and the way he approached those songs, he was, as far as I’m concerned, the total package.” Though Mouton still plays on special occasions, he retired from his longstanding La Poussiere gig on New Year’s Eve, 2008. “You see being that I started playing when I was thirteen-and-a-half, my following of people were 18–20,30, 40, up to 50 and 60,” Mouton says. “As I started getting older, the people older than me started dying. You can’t get them to come to the dance when they are six feet under.” “You know I never made a whole lot of money,” Mouton continues. “But I was never broke once I started playing music.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

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MARCO BENEVENTO FRIDAY, MAY 4—TIPITINA’S, 2 A.M. SUNDAY, MAY 6—BLUE NILE, 1 A.M.

Returning to the City Photo: punkle

Keyboardist Marco Benevento feels welcome.

arco Benevento was a high school senior when he discovered the Meters’ classic funk album, Look-Ka Py Py. New Orleans’ Meters and Benevento’s jazz studies at the Berklee School of Music formed his musical cornerstones. Benevento usually performs a marathon of gigs during Jazz Fest. This year, because of the demands of career and family, the keyboardist and singer based in Woodstock, New York, is down to four shows—a pair of late-night performances at Tipitina’s and Blue Nile and two nights with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at Mardi Gras World. Benevento made his first trip to New Orleans 15 years ago, when he was half of a duo with Russo, the drummer he met during junior high school in New Jersey. In 2006, Benevento and Russo toured with Phish front man Trey Anastasio. Benevento later went solo. In 2014, he made his singing debut on his pop-oriented album Swift. Why do you visit New Orleans every year during Jazz Fest? The first year I went I played with New Orleans names like Stanton Moore and Johnny Vidacovich. It’s so welcoming and so awesome to play music down there. I feel like there’s no such thing as a wrong note in New Orleans. How many gigs do you usually play in New Orleans during Jazz Fest? I normally go for 10 days and play two or three gigs a day. I soak myself in the whole scene. But this year is just three nights of gigs. I’m married now and I have two kids, but, yeah, I had a good run. How important were the Meters to your musical development? When I was a senior in high school, I drove around listening to LookKa Py Py every day for a year. I’d heard funk stuff before but never anything like that. It was mind blowing. Best band ever. From your keyboard-playing perspective, who’s your favorite keyboard player from New Orleans? If someone says ‘New Orleans piano,’ I say ‘James Booker.’ He sounds like two people at the piano and he does it do it so effortlessly. And it’s joyful, creative, emotional and deep. Booker was a charming vocalist, too. Why did you recently begin singing? I hired Kalmia Traver, a singer in Rubblebucket, to sing two songs on my TigerFace album. When I heard my music with vocals and lyrics I really liked it. For my next album, Swift, I tried singing myself. Now our shows are one-half instrumental and the other half I sing a little bit. Music is a continual learning process. You can study it, play it your whole life. You’re never finished with it. —John Wirt

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JOHN MAYALL JOHN MAYALL: SUNDAY, APRIL 29—BLUES TENT, 5:45 P.M.

Interpreting the Blues

hat John Mayall did from 1964–66 probably couldn’t be attempted today: He launched a band of mostly-younger players, each of whom became a major force in English music over the next four decades. That batch of Bluesbreakers—with Eric Clapton, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Jack Bruce, Peter Green and Mick Taylor at various times—may be his most celebrated era, but it was only one of many dozen, wildly diverse blues bands he’s fronted over the years. The latest incarnation, now a trio without drums and with the new addition of Texas guitar firebrand Carolyn Wonderland, hits the Fest this year. It seems remarkable now that a bunch of English kids would revere and play the blues as well as they did. “We didn’t think of them as kids—they were grown men, even though they were 17 and 18 years old,” Mayall says now. “Trad jazz had been ruling the roost for ten years before that, thanks to people like Chris Barber. And then we had bluesmen like Big Bill Broonzy coming over to England. So it was definitely more than a fad.” Mayall wound up largely abandoning the guitar-band format just as bands like Cream and Fleetwood Mac were starting to catch on—and to a great extent, that’s where his catalogue gets interesting. The 1969 album The Turning Point, still one of his best sellers, bucked convention by using an acoustic band—guitar, flute, bass and harmonica, no drums. That album also introduced “Room to Move,” his signature tune for decades to come. “I had gotten tired of electric guitar dominating the band, so I came up with the idea of a drummerless band with the saxophone. But it wasn’t a case of shifting interests—just

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different interpretations of the blues. Whether jazz or folk influences come in, it’s all a continuing path. There’s many reasons a band will change— the players might become more established and want to move on.” In one telling moment just a few albums later—on 1972’s Jazz Blues Fusion—he leaves in a live section where he berates the audience for yelling for “Room to Move,” asking if they just came to hear an old record. “That wasn’t what we were there for at that time, it wouldn’t have fit with that instrumentation. I wanted to let people know that they weren’t hearing an acoustic band, they were hearing some of the best jazz players around.” (“Room to Move” does figure in his live sets nowadays.) His lyrics through those years By Brett Milano

tend to read like a personal diary; he’ll be lovelorn and thoughtful on one album, political on the next, boozy and loose on the one after that (Mayall got sober in the ’80s). Prime example of the latter is 1973’s Ten Years Are Gone—the last of the Polydor albums—where he cracks up laughing all the way through one song, “Good Looking Stranger.” Featuring a brass-heavy band, it’s his horniest track in more ways than one. “That song was just what the lyrics said—walking down the street and seeing a woman with some beautiful frontage. Eventually I did sing it and get all the lyrics right, but that one just worked.” Mayall has intersected with New Orleans and Louisiana a few times. The great Louisiana

guitarist Gerry McGee—also a longtime Venture and the son of fiddler Dennis McGee—was briefly his lead guitarist in the early ’70s. More recently he made the 1987 album A Sense of Place with Sonny Landreth, whose song “Congo Square” remains a favorite live number. That era generally found Mayall getting more receptive to outside material. “I’ve always had an eye out for songs that excite me, whoever they were by. So if I do a cover of somebody else’s song, you can bet that it won’t sound like the person I took it from.” He also made an album with Allen Toussaint in 1976, and while Notice to Appear is a pretty good album for Toussaint fans—give or take its funk version of “A Hard Day’s Night”—it’s not one that he feels especially enthused about. “It was doomed from the start, that one was all my manager’s idea. We really saw very little of Allen Toussaint, mostly we waited for him to show up. I can hear it now and it’s a very nice album, but it’s his album rather than mine—I just did a bit of singing here and there. To my mind music is always fine whenever you get to play it, but my manager had this idea that it would be a hit record, so I went along with it. From my point of view, I’m thinking ‘This song would be an excellent single’ every time I make a record, but it doesn’t work out that way.” Mayall is now 84, having outlasted many of his protégés as a live performer, and in recent years his onstage energy has been something to behold. “I swim most every day, and I’ve always kept myself healthy. That’s important whether you’re a rock or a blues performer, and I intend to be around for a very long time.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: clayton call

John Mayall’s continued influence.

FONTAINE PALACE

The Beat Goes On

or years Saints fans have known the former Handsome Willy’s as a great place for drinks and eats close to the Dome with happy hour specials and DJ nights. However, as of last September, the venue has taken on new ownership and is now called Fontaine Palace. While much of the same laid-back neighborhood atmosphere remains, it has two new additions that are sure to generate a lot of excitement: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine. Louie is a musician, nightclub owner, hotelier, one-time politician, and inventor from Copenhagen with an entrepreneurial green thumb. His fabulous Beat Machine, the largest mechanical drum machine in the world, is perhaps his crowning achievement and is settling into its new home at Fontaine Palace. It is a 15-foot wide, 10-foot high mechanical behemoth made of air tubes, drum parts, old chemical drums and 600 pounds of iron. It has a 2.5-horsepower motor that uses air pressure to manipulate 24 arms which can be programmed to play any song on the spot. Give it a Google and see for yourself. It’s sure to become a New Orleans must-see. Louie built the Beat Machine in his father’s workshop in 1999, the product of his frustration with not being able to find the perfect drummer for his band. When he introduced it to the public it became an instant hit. Louie and the Beat Machine toured Europe for three years through 15 countries. The Beat Machine made its recording debut on the album Soul Satisfaction on Clean Sheets. Eventually Louie decided it was time to take the act to The United States, particularly to New Orleans. Both Louie and the Beat Machine have a history with New

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Orleans. Louie is best known in town for his work with local legend Rockie Charles, the “President of Soul.” They worked on two albums, Evil Love and Don’t Bring the Kids, in 2003 and 2006. Over the years Louie has built a strong relationship with the local music scene, often booking New Orleans acts in his original Fontaine Palace in Latvia. The Beat Machine had a much different experience coming to New Orleans. Apparently, when Fontaine tried to bring the Beat Machine to the U.S. for the first time, the FBI were so suspicious of its size and mechanics that they confiscated it. “This machine has a very hard history on U.S. soil,” says Fontaine. “When it first came here it was basically arrested by the FBI. That was right after 9/11 when everyone was so paranoid.” Things escalated further when the FBI then suspected that Louie was a terrorist. “They surrounded my house with about By Stacey Leigh Bridewell

15 combat soldiers thinking the Beat Machine was a bomb to blow up the Superdome. Everyone was questioned. All my emails were opened a year later. So I said goodbye United States, I’m not living here. That was the end of the Beat Machine here in the U.S. I think we played it one time for a private event. I took it back with me.” After many years and a whole other life in Latvia, Louie and the Beat Machine have returned to New Orleans. This time around there was only a minor amount of trouble from the authorities. “The container was held back and had to be X-rayed. It stayed in customs for like three weeks. I had to pay thousands of dollars extra to get it out,” says Fontaine. Fontaine Palace is the perfect place for Louie and the Beat Machine to set down roots in New Orleans. With its well-established reputation and a tucked-away, yet convenient location near Tulane

Medical Center, visiting music fans and curiosity seekers will surely start wandering over to see the Beat Machine for themselves. “I just believe that it’s a piece of my life and I figured it deserves to be seen, because it hasn’t gotten the attention it should have,” says Fontaine. He’s built the venue around the Beat Machine, giving it star billing several nights a week with his band and booking an eclectic mix of local and international touring acts to augment the schedule. With his longtime experience as a musician and a booker, you know he’s going to be bringing in some really great musicians. He’s even expanded the physical structure of the venue, refurbishing the front bar and indoor stage area and adding an outdoor deck area with plush seating shaded by a sprawling mulberry tree. Though it still offers the same kind of ambiance, drink specials, and pub food Handsome Willy’s became known for, it is clear that the venue will blossom under the influence of its new residents. There are plenty of opportunities for Jazz Fest goers to hear the Beat Machine at Fontaine Palace over the two weeks of the festival, as well as many other acts, including a special performance from Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters with Les Getrex. O Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine are performing at Fontaine Palace at 218 S. Robertson on April 27 and 28 at 10 p.m. and Midnight; April 30 – May 4 at 6, 9 and 11:30 p.m.; and May 5 at 1:30 a.m. Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters with Les Getrex are performing on Saturday, May 5 from 9–10 p.m. www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Louie Fontaine brings his music and his machine to the former Handsome Willy’s.

MESCHIYA LAKE MESCHIYA LAKE REMEMBERS SWEET EMMA BARRETT: SUNDAY, APRIL 29—ECONOMY HALL TENT, 4:25 P.M.

With Bells On

here is a scene in the 1965 film The Cincinnati Kid in which a rain-drenched Steve McQueen walks down the nighttime streets of the French Quarter looking wretched. He passes a doorway and hears music coming from inside so he peeks in. The band is playing a mournful blues tune and at the piano is a little figure in a red cap pounding the keys. She turns, singing in a warbling voice, and looks at Steve McQueen’s character with woeful eyes that seem to see right through him. This is Sweet Emma Barrett and she is playing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. This depiction would become one of the lasting images of revival-era New Orleans jazz. Born in New Orleans in 1897, Sweet Emma was a self-taught singer and pianist who had had a full career in music before she reached the height of her fame in the 1960s. She played with several legendary bands in the early days of jazz including a 13-year stretch with the Original Tuxedo Orchestra. She also worked with Armand Piron, John Robichaux and Sidney Desvigne. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until her recording debut with Riverside Records in 1961 that she reached worldwide success. For a brief period she was in films, on television, and on the covers of magazines. She became known as “The Bell Gal” because she always wore a red cap and bells on garters below her knees that would jingle as she played. In 1967 she suffered a stroke that paralyzed her left arm, but she still continued to play as often as she could until the very end. It seems that over time Sweet Emma has slipped back into obscurity once again, known mostly by niche enthusiasts and those who knew her in real life. Meschiya Lake is one

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people to come to the festival but a lot of people who listen to pop music might not know that pop music essentially came from New Orleans, as well as all modern music. All modern music came from what started here in New Orleans in the early 1900s. I think it’s fascinating and a lot of people might feel the same way. Are there any songs in particular that you feel you have to include? I’m certainly going to rely on the track listing from the 1964 recording. We’d like to do the whole album, but I’m not sure there’ll be enough time. That’s kinda what’s in my mind. Certainly we’ll do ‘I’m Alone Because I Love You’ and we’ll throw some ‘Ice Cream’ in there too.

such enthusiast who has made international fame as a traditional jazz singer with her band the Little Big Horns. She cites Sweet Emma as a major influence and will be paying tribute to her at this year’s Jazz Fest. Can you recall the first time you heard a Sweet Emma recording? The first time that I heard her, the first record that got me into traditional jazz at all, which is what I do for a living, was the record she recorded with Preservation Hall in 1964. The first traditional jazz tune I ever learned was ‘I’m Alone Because I Love You,’ which is still pretty heavily in my repertoire to this day. It’s By Stacey Leigh Bridewell

still not really too common to see a woman play music and to see a woman as part of the band and not just a vocalist who’s up there to look pretty. She was in the core, in the center of the band. What made you decide to do a tribute? I was asked to do it by Quint Davis, the producer of the festival. He came to the Blue Lu Barker tribute I did last year. He wanted to feature musicians like Sweet Emma and Blue Lu who started our rich musical tradition and put them in the limelight so that people coming to the fest to see the bigger acts might come and get a sense of where all this music came from. The big name acts get

Who do you plan on using in your lineup? I contacted Ben Jaffe at Preservation Hall to ask for his blessing because I didn’t want to be just this girl who’s like, ‘I’m gonna pay tribute to Sweet Emma!’ without giving the nod or paying homage to where all this actually came from. When possible I’ve tried to get people in the band who had actually played with her. So I’ve got Orange Kellin on clarinet, he played with her. Don Vappie’s in there, I’ve got Shannon Powell on drums, and Jason Jurzak is on bass. Shaye Cohn is gonna be doubling as a trumpeter and a pianist because I certainly can’t play piano like Sweet Emma. Nobody wants to hear me try! So I’m gonna see if she’ll wear the cap and the jingle bells. Somebody’s got to. If Shaye doesn’t want to wear the bells I’d be more than happy to. Maybe we both will! I’m excited, it’s gonna be super fun. O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: elsa hahne

Meschiya Lake remembers Sweet Emma Barrett.

DON VAPPIE CREOLE JAZZ SERENADERS WITH DON VAPPIE: SUNDAY, APRIL 29—ECONOMY HALL TENT, 12:30 P.M. DON VAPPIE: FRIDAY, MAY 4—ALLISON MINER MUSIC HERITAGE STAGE, 12 P.M. DON VAPPIE’S TRIBUTE TO KING OLIVER: FRIDAY, MAY 4—CULTURAL EXCHANGE PAVILION, 4:20 P.M.

Jazz Foundations Don Vappie brings to life the music of early New Orleans jazz pioneer Joe “King” Oliver.

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illustration: sam conant

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hen I got into and started really playing New Orleans jazz more often, it was me working my way back,” says Don Vappie, on break between classes at Loyola University, where he teaches jazz guitar. “It wasn’t just me going back and saying, ‘Oh this is great music.’ This was me coming from where I grew up playing in funk and Top 40 bands and working my way back and seeing how the stuff that happened before me fit into what I’m doing now. How did that fit into this? And I kept going back and that’s when, for me, I realized that early New Orleans music was the basis for everything. It was the original music of America that influenced everything that was happening here. I mean Jelly Roll Morton is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!” Vappie is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader and music educator who comes from a multigenerational New Orleans musical family. His grandmother played guitar and banjo and was part of a musical sibling group that included Papa John Joseph, the bass player and barber whose shop Buddy Bolden used to frequent. Vappie’s cousin, Plas Johnson, was one of the famed “Wrecking Crew” session players, and is best known as the sax on Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme.” It’s no surprise that Vappie has followed in the family tradition. He’s played in funk cover bands, traditional jazz bands, and with full orchestras in venues as diverse as Bourbon Street and Carnegie Hall. He was featured in the PBS documentary American Creole: New Orleans Reunion. His sprawling resumé spans genres and generations, and reflects his lifelong mission to share his cultural

heritage with the world. His latest endeavor will be a tribute to Joe “King” Oliver, cornetist and famed pioneer of early New Orleans music, at this year’s Jazz Fest. How does Joe “King” Oliver fit into the landscape of New Orleans music? Well, I think King Oliver is sort of the blueprint for how an early New Orleans jazz band should sound. Even in the revival period—his instrumentation, the elements that By Stacey Leigh Bridewell

he used, and breaks for individual soloists. Originally I think New Orleans jazz had more polyphonic improvisation, meaning that multiple players improvised together. Not in chaos, it’s a conversational type of improvisation. Everybody’s playing off each other, but at the same time there’s a role for each instrument, there’s a certain place where each instrument fits inside of things. It’s sort of like in society. Trumpet plays what we consider to be the main message, the melody.

But everyone can comment on the melody. They can agree with it or not agree with it. It’s very democratic, but not completely chaotic. Absolute freedom is chaos. It’s freedom within the confines of a set of rules. I feel like Oliver set that up. I really do. What makes Oliver’s style distinctive? One of his real strengths was that he was considered to be a genius with a mute—how to make a horn talk. He was Louis www.OFFBEAT.com

“... when I started doing the Creole Jazz Serenaders I thought, ‘I’m gonna use younger people or even people who are considered outside of the traditional jazz thing.’” Armstrong’s mentor. When he got the chance he got Louis to come up to Chicago and record with his band in 1923. That’s got to be the ultimate recording of New Orleans music. There was the Astoria Hot Eight, the Sam Morgan band, the New Orleans Owls, there were a lot of different bands at the time. But Oliver’s band was sorta like the Jazz at Lincoln Center of its day in terms of openness, of different styles they played. Of course we can’t just cover 1923. We have to cover Oliver from 1923 to 1930. He understood the evolution. He understood that you have to grow. So he got his cousin Dave Nelson to come up from Donaldsonville and start writing arrangements for him. That’s where we get the classics

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like ‘Too Late,’ ‘Struggle Buggy’ and ‘Nelson Stomp,’ which sound so modern, so big band, but they still have that Southeast Louisiana feel to them. There’s some highhat cymbal stuff that happens in ‘Nelson Stomp’ that reminds me of Chick Webb, so maybe Chick Webb was influenced by that, you know? Will you be playing with the Creole Jazz Serenaders for this tribute? Who’s in your line-up? Some of them. But let me say this: Bluegrass is thriving. I think it’s thriving because Bill Monroe always had young people playing. The revival period, in the ’40s and ’50s, made this impression that it had to be old people playing this music. Now that could be part of a

Preservation Hall marketing thing when it came about in the 1960s. So when I started doing the Creole Jazz Serenaders I thought, ‘I’m gonna use younger people or even people who are considered outside of the traditional jazz thing.’ All the guys who play with me play all kinds of music. For this show I decided to get Ashlin Parker because he’s a trumpet player and he’s benefited from Oliver and Armstrong and I think he will understand the significance when he plays this old stuff. I’ve also got Leon ‘Kid Chocolate’ Brown. I’ve got Mike Esneault from Baton Rouge, he’s a pianist and arranger. I’ve got Peter Harris on bass and Karl Budo on drums. Derek Douget and Alonzo Bowens are both on sax. I’ve also

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got Tom Fischer. It’s gonna be a varied group of musicians, but I think that’s gonna make it even better. Why should Jazz Fest attendees make your show a priority? Everywhere I’ve been in the world, I can find a New Orleans jazz band. In Russia, all the Scandinavian countries, Estonia, France, England, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Nicaragua, India, everywhere! There’s somebody trying to play New Orleans jazz everywhere. That should say something right there. What an honor to have so many people trying to copy what you do. What an honor for the style! It traveled without the internet, without TV, without radio. That makes me so proud to be from here. O

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Rollin’ Rollin’ Joe, President of the Original Pigeon Town Steppers Social Aid and Pleasure Club, established in 1994, along with Troval Jefferson, President of the Ladies Pigeon Town Steppers, show off their moves. Catch them at Jazz Fest where they’ll parade on Saturday, May 5 at 3:30 p.m.

By Elsa Hahne

Troval Jefferson: “In the band, they have maybe five or six instruments. When you’re on the street, each one of them will give you a different tone. With the tuba, you want to jump higher. With the trumpet, you want to get on your tippy toes. With the trombone you want to hop and skip— and with the saxophone; it’d give you the jitters. Once you get the sound of the music, with all the combined instruments, you want to move—and you have to move.” The Pigeon Town Steppers, along with many of the city’s parading social aid and pleasure clubs, will be featured in Lily Keber’s upcoming film Buckjumping.

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Rollin’ Joe: “It doesn’t matter how you can move as long as you can buck it. Everything we do is considered footwork. There are no names for the moves we do, unless somebody say, ‘One day, I spun around and kicked my leg up and I call that the helicopter.’ I like to pop a wheelie and spin around, things like that, but there’s no name for it. I just do it.”

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KARL DENSON SATURDAY, APRIL 28—HOUSE OF BLUES SATURDAY, MAY 5—THE JOY THEATER

Eat a Bunch of Peaches Photo courtesy of the artist

Karl Denson’s tribute to the Allman Brothers.

axophonist Karl Denson visits New Orleans every year during Jazz Fest. The tradition began two decades ago with his acid-jazzfunk band, the Greyboy Allstars. This year the Greyboy Allstars and Denson’s hard-hitting jam-funk-rock band, Tiny Universe, are both playing evening shows after the Jazz Fest gates close. Denson’s other claims to fame include playing sax with the Rolling Stones, a gig his four years in the studio and on tour with Lenny Kravitz opened the door to. His post-Kravitz career also includes solo jazz albums, Tiny Universe performances of the Stones’ Sticky Fingers album on tour and playing sax for San Diego rock-reggae band Slightly Stoopid. How did your annual Jazz Fest–timed visits to New Orleans begin? My manager connected us with the whole New Orleans thing. We were getting in line with the jam band scene and all the other things that allow you to go out and play music. New Orleans was a natural fit. Our manager put us in that late-night slot, where we didn’t have to get any sponsorship. We agreed to play in the middle of the night and it worked out. Do you have a favorite New Orleans musician at the moment? I’m really into James Booker lately. I watched that documentary (Bayou Maharajah) about him on Netflix. Now I pretty much go to bed with James Booker every night. You and Tiny Universe began performing your Allman Brothers Band tribute, Eat a Bunch of Peaches, last year. Did you work with the Allman Brothers Band? In the early 2000s, we did a summer tour with them. It was amazing. They’re one of those bands that I go in and out of listening to, but every time I come back to them, I’m like, ‘Wow, why don’t I listen to them more?’ Eat a Bunch of Peaches is a chance to do their great songs. You toured Europe with the Rolling Stones last fall. You’ll be out with them again this spring and summer. Obviously, they see you as a worthy replacement for the late Bobby Keys, who performed with them for decades and played the famous sax solo for “Brown Sugar.” It’s a good fit. I was a big Bobby Keys fan. It wasn’t a strain to step in and play that stuff with authenticity. The Lenny Kravitz connection was key there. Lenny and Mick are good friends. That’s how I got the inside track. How do like working with the Rolling Stones? I can’t complain. And I get to hang out with Keith and Mick. I’m blessed. —John Wirt

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RADIATORS THE RADIATORS @ 40: SUNDAY, MAY 6—GENTILLY STAGE, 3:15 P.M.

High Spirits

ART BY TIM NEIL

The Radiators’ 40th family reunion.

he Radiators are back at Jazz Fest this year, celebrating their 40th anniversary at the scene of many memorable shows, the Gentilly stage on the final day of the fest. The Rads are scheduled to play just before the day’s closing set by Steve Miller. “I’m very proud of the fact that we closed the Gentilly stage for 30-plus years so getting to play the last Sunday on our stage is very special,” says guitarist/vocalist Dave Malone. “It’s a tradition that got broken for a while and here we are doing it again.” Malone and his bandmates have good reason to be in high spirits. The band is on a roll coming off a trio of great lives shows at Tipitina’s in January and what group members are calling the best album they’ve ever made, Welcome to the Monkey House. Back in 2010, founder Ed Volker decided that he wanted to opt out of the band’s grueling life on the road. The “breakup” turned into a freshening in which all the members got to play in other configurations. Malone, guitarist Camile Baudoin and drummer Frank Bua played together in Raw Oyster Cult; bassist Reggie Scanlan played in the New Orleans Suspects and a bunch of

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side projects; and Volker made an impressive series of solo recordings and fronted several bands. The outside work made reunion shows more and more like the wild nights from the band’s heyday. “The last two years of reunion shows at Tipitina’s have been outstanding,” says Camile Baudoin. “It’s all about the band members getting back together, the circle of friends at our shows getting back together. It’s better than ever, a monumental thing, having a 40th anniversary. Things are just falling into place. The band is solid. It’s been a thrill and a pleasure to play with them after all these years. There’s nothing to prove or worry about. We’re just having fun.” The Rads will be playing a show at Tipitina’s Wednesday May 2, between the two Jazz Fest weekends. Baudoin will also be joining Malone and Reggie Scanlan in a lineup they call the Gatorators at Cafe Istanbul on Thursday May 3. Baudoin is on his own at Buffa’s April 28th. Malone will also be playing at Jazz Fest with his kids Johnny and Darcy in the Chilluns, and with an all-star lineup in The Magnificent 7. The 7 was scheduled to play last year but was rained out. Malone By John Swenson

was so disappointed he posted the set list they were unable to play. A year later we’ll get to finally hear it. Scanlan will be playing with the New Soul Finders and will appear on a panel celebrating Professor Longhair’s 100th birthday. Scanlan played with Fess before joining the Radiators. “Just the idea of being involved in something that lasts 40 years is pretty overwhelming,” says Scanlan. “Getting some recognition for it is kinda cool. It’s almost like a full circle thing at the Jazz Festival. I played there with Professor Longhair in ‘77 and this is kind of like coming full circle. With Fess it was sort of like a celebration of his music; I was onstage with all these heavyweights and I just kinda lucked out. And now with the the Rads at 40, it’s kind of my own thing that’s being recognized. It gives you a sense of contintinuity in terms of where you belong in the scheme of New Orleans music and it’s traditions. It’s also cool that it’s a band that still is the five original guys; it’s not like you’ve got two original guys and they own the name but there are three other guys that you don’t know where they are. It feels like a very intact project that has lasted this long and made a mark in the whole tradition of New Orleans music. It’s a sense of accomplishment

to think that I contributed something to a tradition that I love and respect so much, to know that you did something positive for it.” Volker will also play with The Iguanas in Los Reyes de Lagardo at Jazz Fest. He formed the Rads in 1978 after a rehearsal in his garage at Waldo Drive. “I shake my head in wonder that we’re still doing it,” he says. Volker is not worried about trying to fit 40 years of history into a 75 minute set. “Why would you even try? You’ve gotta play to the situation.” Volker has actually been playing Jazz Fest for 45 years, dating back to his days with the Rhapsodisers, a band that also included Baudoin and Bua. “Everything was on such a smaller scale back then, in terms of Jazz Fest, in terms of the world we live in,” he says. “After the gig Saturday night Frank would park his car behind the stage and sleep in his car until it was time to play.” But Volker’s favorite Jazz Fest memory dates back even further, to 1972, “When I could stand next to Fess while he played ‘Tipitina.’ I could leave Waldo Drive with $15, go to Jazz Fest and come home with $5 in my pocket.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

DELBERT MCCLINTON DELBERT MCCLINTON & SELF-MADE MEN: SATURDAY, MAY 5—BLUES TENT, 5:45 P.M.

One of the Fortunate Few Delbert McClinton brings everybody together.

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PHoto: todd v wolfson

music maverick from Texas, Delbert McClinton defines Americana. He spans blues, country, rhythm and blues, and rock ’n’ roll. In 2017, McClinton realized a longtime ambition with the release of his jazz standards–inspired album, Prick of the Litter. Last year, too, the harmonica-playing singersongwriter saw the publication his biography, Delbert McClinton: One of the Fortunate Few. Despite a career in which highs were often muted by lows, McClinton stayed his course. He released hits. He won Grammys. Major artists, including Emmylou Harris, Martina McBride, Vince Gill, the Blues Brothers and Wynonna Judd, cut the songs he wrote. “Most of my songs are just little short stories defining a moment in time,” McClinton said in advance of his May 5 return to Jazz Fest. During his childhood in Lubbock and Forth Worth, McClinton played “Red River Valley” and other folk songs on cheap harmonicas. In 1957, everything changed when he heard Jimmy Reed’s harmonica-drenched “Honest I Do” on a car radio. “I lost all control,” McClinton remembered. “I had to do that.” In the late 1950s and early ’60s, McClinton soaked up all he could from the blues and rhythm and blues stars his band backed up in Fort Worth roadhouses. The acts included Reed, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Parker, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. “I asked questions and made notes,” he said. “I learned the stylish things that I turned into my own.” In Texas at the time, racial segregation was still the law of land. During a Bobby “Blue” Bland show at the Skyliner Ballroom, McClinton’s band was

the only white group in the place. “I was in the middle of all that,” he said. “I watched segregation change from the backstage side of the music scene. Music always defines the country. I can’t think of a time when music wasn’t the thing that brought everybody together.” During the early ’60s, Fort Worth record producer Major Bill Smith made McClinton his go-to guy for gathering session musicians. Smith always assumed the so-called talent he brought to the studio had star potential. “Some of the people he bought in there, it was ludicrous,” By John Wirt

McClinton said. “He was always loud and red-faced. He’d say, ‘It’s gonna be a smash!’” Smith did produce some hits: Paul & Paula’s “Hey Paula,” J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers’ “Last Kiss” and Bruce Channel’s “Hey! Baby.” The harmonica melodies McClinton played for “Hey! Baby” helped make it a number two hit in the United States and United Kingdom. In 1962, the song landed Channel a British tour. The singer insisted that McClinton come along and play harmonica. Their opening acts included the not-yet-famous Beatles.

“The Beatles opened a couple of shows,” McClinton said. “And John [Lennon] came out to other shows that we played. He took me out one night when we were off in London. We had a quasifriendship going because he wanted to learn harmonica. But you can’t show anybody anything on a harmonica. You can kind of tell them what you’re doing. I’ve always said, ‘You fool around with it, you’ll figure it out.’” After the British tour, McClinton worked with the Rondells in Texas and the duo Delbert & Glen in Los Angeles. He worked solo, too. In 1978, Emmylou Harris’ recording www.OFFBEAT.com

DELBERT MCCLINTON

of McClinton’s song, “Two More Bottles of Wine,” hit number one on the country charts. Also that year, the Blues Brothers recorded his “‘B’ Movie Boxcar Blues” for their Briefcase Full of Blues album. In 1980, McClinton finally released a hit of his own. A crossover success, “Givin’ It Up for Your Love” went pop and country. But bad luck with record companies continuously stalled McClinton’s momentum. Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, for instance, which released “Givin’ It Up for Your Love,” ceased operations after it issued his second MSS album. “Three record companies folded while I had a song in the Billboard Hot 100,” McClinton said. “That happened from the ’70s to the late ’90s.” Not giving up, McClinton moved to Nashville. His 1989 album, Live from Austin, received a Grammy nomination. His 1991 duet with old friend Bonnie Raitt, “Good Man, Good Woman,” won a Grammy. A hit country duet with Tanya Tucker, “Tell Me About It,” followed in 1993. Thing were looking better than ever when his guest star–filled 1997 album, One of the Fortunate Few, sold 250,000 copies. But misfortune struck again when Rising Tide, the label that released Fortunate Few, went out of business. “I went to Rising Tide Records,” McClinton said. “People were crying. That was a pretty traumatic thing. And that’s when I said, ‘Screw ’em. I’m gonna make a record on my own and get a better deal.’ And I did that and I won a Grammy with it [Nothing Personal]. I’m a survivor. I know how to do it. And I never in my life ever thought about quitting doing what I’m doing.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

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40 YEARS AT JAZZ FEST

40 Years at Jazz Fest like Champion Jack Dupree (see photo of us chatting at the Fair Grounds). We talked a bit about the Mardi Gras Indians—he was born in New Orleans to a mother who was of mixed heritage, African American and Cherokee. The colorful decorations on his shoes were reminiscent of designs used by the Mardi Gras Indians. I had the privilege of doing two phoners with saxophone legend Wayne Shorter. Man, but to hang out with him in his trailer behind the Jazz Tent was too much. James Singleton and I, along with others, stayed and stayed until Fest organizers kicked us out. Shorter, by the way, is hilarious.

Geraldine Wyckoff has immersed herself in the music and culture of New Orleans ever since she moved to the city. A music journalist who is well-respected by both musicians and publications alike, Wyckoff’s column in Gambit, “Percussions,” ran from 1985 through 2001; she also contributed to the publication as the anonymous “Count Basin”; and helped to create the Big Easy Awards with then-editor Errol Laborde. She contributed to New Orleans Magazine for 20 years and was the author of the annual series “New Orleans Jazz All-Stars” (one dozen per year, six traditional and six modern players). Wyckoff was also a regular contributor to JazzTimes Magazine for 20 years. She has written a weekly column for The Louisiana Weekly since 2007. We are proud to say that Ms. Wyckoff has written for OffBeat for over 26 years, longer than for any other magazine. We are grateful and honored that she has contributed her in-depth knowledge of our music and culture as well as her love for the city to OffBeat. —Ed.

launched and for a time helped run Jazz Fest] who was driving a golf cart on the track and asked her to take me to a cab stand. The next day, when from my sick bed, I heard the bells of St. Louis Cathedral announce each hour, I cried because I knew just is a pronoun that rarely makes who I was missing. it into my writings. So it was How did you end up coming to befuddling for me to know Jazz Fest for the first time? how to approach an article about I came to New Orleans during celebrating my 40th anniversary of attending Jazz Fest that OffBeat Mardi Gras to visit a friend who had been a neighbor in Lagunitas, asked me to do. I’m totally used to interviewing others so I thought California. She had moved to New Orleans and I had headed to Wolf about what I would ask myself if Creek, Oregon. Pretty much on my the tables were turned. Thus the arrival everyone realized how far following Q&A was, well yeah, into the music I was—I was hip to kind of unusually, conducted and Fess, Lee Dorsey, Snooks, Johnny replied to by me. Adams, Earl King, K-Doe, the Wild Tchoupitoulas, modern jazz cats, I understand you missed one Clifton Chenier—because of an day of the Fest in 40 years. extensive record collection housed in What happened? my little log cabin. ‘You have to stay I started getting chills at the for Jazz Fest,’ everyone exclaimed. festival and flagged down Allison Miner [Miner along with Quint Davis In between Carnival and Jazz Fest,

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By Geraldine Wyckoff

I made my first of many trips to Belize, another place I dearly love. What are some of your most vivid memories and perceptions of the Fest? A story I like to tell because it typifies the Fest is that one year a good friend, music lover and percussionist came down from New York. Our musical tastes were pretty much in sync so we spent a whole day moving around together from tent to tent, stage to stage. Being a vet, I admit I probably did a bit of the steering though it didn’t take much persuasion for her to follow my lead. We parted company when she headed to see Stevie Ray Vaughan and I went to the Jazz Tent to hear the David Murray Octet. After the shows, we met at our usual spot on the grassy area next to the Gospel Tent both in a state of absolute euphoria. That’s Jazz Fest for ya. I dug meeting musicians I might not have otherwise caught up with

Your long time motto has always been “When in doubt, go to the Gospel Tent.” Why is that? Oh, man if you have to ask that question, you’ve never experienced the harmonies of the Electrifying Crown Seekers. There are few better moments than when falsetto master Gregory Sanders goes up for the high notes on ‘Walk Around Heaven.’ Every time, year after year, it never fails to give me goose pimples. Even at Jazz Fest, sometimes the musicians seem to be going through the motions or just aiming to please the crowd. There’s none of that in the Gospel Tent that swings hard with sincerity. Praise to Sherman Washington for putting all of it together. Okay, what are your Jazz Fest highlights? Though I’d love to elaborate, I’m forced to mostly list them. After all, I’m a journalist so I know about space limitations and word count— oh, the quotes and stories I’ve had to edit out and the performances I haven’t included. Sorry y’all. In no particular order here are some of the chosen few. www.OFFBEAT.com

PHOTO: brenda ladd

Back (and forth) with Geraldine Wyckoff.

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“I was astonished to see Lee Dorsey singing his hits like ‘Working in the Coal Mine’ from a wheelchair with both (apparently broken) legs in casts.’’ A major highlight was the Sun Ra Arkestra on the Riverboat President with many of the vital players—saxophonists John Gilmore and Marshall Allen and vocalist June Tyson. The audience exited the boat passionately singing, ‘Space is the place.’ To see the pianist in a trio setting, a rarity for me, at the Fair Grounds was illuminating. I was also able to interview Sun Ra at a workshop at Marie Couvent Elementary School one day when the Fest was called off because of storm damage to tents and stages. My brother watched a security guard on the Riverboat President watch me as Fats Domino bumped his baby grand piano across the stage. I guess the

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guard was concerned about the wild-eyed look on my face. I was astonished to see Lee Dorsey singing his hits like ‘Working in the Coal Mine’ from a wheelchair with both (apparently broken) legs in casts. The show must go on… It was pouring down rain when Earl King put on a (another) great show on the Gentilly Stage. Who cares? Dance, dance, dance when it’s Earl. You could physically feel the tension in the Jazz Tent prior to what unknowingly was to be saxophonist Ornette Coleman’s last performance there. Those anticipating the show realized they were about to experience genius. Then there was the night show with a double-bill of trumpeters

Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. As Miles has a wont to do, he opened and played a very, very long set. By the time Wynton came on people were either half asleep or were leaving. Did Miles do that on purpose? Who’s to say? The trumpeters’ relationship was, well, always a little antagonistic. I can and will go on to mention reggae icons like Jimmy Cliff and Toots & the Maytals—the roots— plus go-go pioneer guitarist/vocalist Chuck Brown. I felt kind of stupid having not dug further into his shit more before his passing. There was only one place to be at the end of the day during Jazz Fest’s early years. That was

right next to the stage where you could watch Professor Longhair’s hands and observe his demeanor create magic at the rightfully declared Fess Stage. I was invited on stage three times in the last 40 years though that’s not a complaint, just a fact. I was privileged to introduce the World Saxophone Quartet as, seemingly, nobody else knew who the members were. I did. I pulled it off okay, I guess. The Fais Do-Do Stage was always welcoming and I never missed the King of Zydeco, accordionist/ vocalist Clifton Chenier mixing it up with his brother, rubboard man, Cleveland Chenier. The musicians and stage guys knew I dug zydeco so for the tribute to the siblings that

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featured numerous accordionists and others from the zydeco world, Terrance Simien and C.J. Chenier encouraged me to come on up and join them. I just danced and smiled from stage left. Again, the friendly Fais Do-Do crew saw me standing in the pouring rain enjoying the oneof-a kind keyboardist/vocalist Eddie Bo. They must have figured I’d have even more fun with a canopy over my head and less mud on my shoes. I did.

Also to isolate jazz, an art form of intelligent passion, in its birthplace was sorrowful. On a lighter note, there was a time that you could not only bring beer and cold drinks to the festival grounds but also onto the Riverboat President. You know that couldn’t last forever. To put many of the brass bands and Mardi Indians on the relatively new Jazz & Heritage Stage where they could really be heard and seen, instead of

PHOTO COURTESY OF GERALDINE WYCKOFF

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Geraldine Wyckoff with Champion Jack Dupree

What are the most significant changes, for you, at the Fest? The loss of the Riverboat President was traumatic. As longtime Fest goer and photographer Pat Jolly would say, ‘Boo hoo.’ The other was when the Gospel, Blues and Jazz tents were moved out of the infield. It made sense, however it somewhat isolated these venues and their musical styles from the general population. So folks stridently heading to the ‘big name’ acts weren’t as likely to hesitate when they heard the strains of the Zion Harmonizers, Sammy Berfect or Raymond Myles emanating from the Gospel Tent. All of whom, as Jessie Hill would sing, ‘create a disturbance in your mind.’

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marching in parades, was a smart move. What might people find surprising about you in reference to Jazz Fest? When I’m getting ready to go to the Fest in the morning—I always arrive when the gates open—my hands literally shake in anticipation. I’m still that excited by it after all these years. On the final day, when I pull out the last ticket in my envelope, I’m truly saddened that there only is only one day left. I know other people have probably attended Jazz Fest more often than I have. I say, ‘Good for them and good for us.’ O www.OFFBEAT.com

NOLATET

A Circus and a Christmas Tree

“H

e’s fearless,” is how bassist and trumpeter James Singleton once described pianist Brian Haas, his fellow bandmate in the super-group Nolatet. “He has no jazz industrial complex baggage. He’s classically trained, has no stylistic prejudices and is a complete wild man.” “It takes one to know one,” Haas replied on hearing the description that he considered a high compliment. The pianist, who’s on fire on Nolatet’s sophomore release, No Revenge Necessary, and composed 5 of its 10 original cuts, could be declared the oddity of quartet. He is the sole member of in the group who is not a New Orleans resident, and he is by far the youngest guy in the band. Nolatet’s other musicians—Singleton, vibeist/percussionist Mike Dillon and drummer Johnny Vidacovich—have Haas, 44, beat by a decade or two. So how does this Santa Fe, New Mexico resident via Oklahoma so ably fit into this group of highly accomplished veterans? “It’s because of my devotion to all three of these men just with them being my heroes,” Haas adamantly declares. “I was 18 years old the first time I heard Mike Dillon play, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was only playing classical music but trying to get out of classical music. Friends told me you have to come see this guy, he’s totally insane. So I went to this punk rock club and there was this terrifying man on stage and he was buck ass naked,” Haas continues, explaining that the band, Billy Goat, had a song that encouraged everybody to get naked. “I go in there and my life was never the same. It seemed as if I was experiencing some kind of wizardry at work. Really it was Mike Dillon who gave me the confidence in a lot of ways to get out of classical music and focus on my own thing and

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write my own music. I soon started my band, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.” Haas and the Jazz Odyssey, which has included Dillon off and on through the years, began touring heavily including stops in New Orleans beginning in the 1990s. On meeting like-minded musicians in the city, the pianist says all they talked about was Vidacovich and Singleton. “I’ve been watching these maestros for years,” he offers, mentioning the pair’s gigs at the Maple Leaf. “They are my favorite rhythm section and I’m still blown away by them every night. New Orleans is the center of my musical world. It’s where this incredible art form was birthed.” The four musicians, who would become Nolatet, first performed together at the Telluride Jazz Festival in 2014, where Dillon, Singleton and Vidacovich had a gig. “We asked Brian to come up and play with us because we were all crazy about him,” Singleton remembered. Following that performance, Nolatet did some other jobs here in New Orleans and Mississippi before heading into the Esplanade Studios By Geraldine Wyckoff

to record its exceptional debut, Dogs, for the Royal Potato Family label. “I can tell you what it sounds like to me sometimes when I’m involved with the music and my head is spinning,” Vidacovich related while reclining in the back of a van during the group’s first tour. “It reminds me of a circus and a Christmas tree with a lot of lights.” In part, Haas credits his background in classical music for his “sweet” acceptance into Nolatet’s concept. “I’m able to do something different with each one of them. When one of then comes to the forefront, speaking in the lead, I’m able to do something unique for each in a support role that is very based on call and response and rapid reactivity. I can support them without comping. With Johnny, I become more like Stravinsky. With James it’s always Ravel and Debussy. James will let me re-harmonize his tunes from the beginning to end. I was scared at first that he would say, ‘Will you please play what I wrote.’ He’s told me that he wants me to break away from the harmonies he’s written and listen to what he’s playing [on trumpet] and

basically re-harmonize on the spot. I barely look at the music anymore.” The result can be heard on No Revenge Necessary’s opening cut, Singleton’s “Black Sheep,” on which the composer pulls out his pocket trumpet and employs an electronic bass loop on this fascinating, unusual ditty of a tune. Meanwhile, Haas, on a nine-foot Steinway, plays harmonically contrasting single note runs on a melody that suggests, though doesn’t actually state, the childhood nursery rhyme and song “Baa Baa Black Sheep.” “Mike, who plays vibraphones through a lot of different effects, will get more aggressive and I’ll just go into the land of Erik Satie,” Haas continues. Dillon’s tendency for explosion is realized throughout the disc and particularly on the vibraphonist’s self-penned, deceptively titled “Elegant Miss J.” It begins with a sway and the soft tone of Singleton’s bowed bass and trumpet solo and concludes with an eruption. Moving from quiet to explosive, Haas agrees, seems to be a trademark of Nolatet, an ensemble in which the excellence of musical talent allows anything to go. “In a simple way, it comes out of punk rock, it comes out of the old secret music formula, loud soft, loud soft,” Haas explains. “A lot of times Mike Dillon is extremely bombastic on solos and the next person might go, ‘Now we need quietude.’” No Revenge Necessary was recorded in New Orleans at the Esplanade Studios with all the band members in one big room not isolated by baffling. “We’re just in there live hoping for the best,” Haas remembers with a laugh. Both of Nolatet’s albums were produced in a relatively minimal amount of time with, according to Haas, Johnny Vidacovich deciding when to wrap up the sessions. “Johnny V just stands up from the drum set and says, ‘Babies, www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: bob adamek

Pianist Brian Haas, Nolatet’s fearless fourth wheel.

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that’s a great record. I’m going home. I’m the one who knows that the longer we go, the worse it’s going to get,’” Haas relates hilariously, mimicking Vidacovich’s distinctive voice and New Orleans patois. With a similar aim, Haas says that while in the studio recording No Revenge Necessary, Vidacovich yelled into the recording booth asking, “How many songs we got?” “We have 10,” came the reply. “And JV says, ‘That’s it, we’ve got 10 songs.’ He’s the maestro.” The title cut of the album, which was composed by Haas, also stands as somewhat typical of Nolatet, if that word can even be used pertaining to this atypical quartet. Its intrigue lies in its capacity to be both simple and complex in structure. Conversations between Nolatet’s members are an important element even before these guys hit the bandstand or the studio. The pianist recalls when, before the recording of the new album, Vidacovich asked him, “Hey, Haas, what are you trying to say with this ‘No Revenge Necessary?’” “I’m like well, JV, I think we need some timpani on that. So Mikey brought his timpani and sat it next to Vidacovich for the session. And Vidacovich is nailing pitches like a trained symphonic percussionist and using the brushes with his left hand.” Vidacovich asked the same question about another of Haas’ compositions heard on the recording, “Gracemont.” “It’s about the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma—a place of solace,” Haas replied. “Oh, so you’re thinking about J.S. Bach?” the always hip Vidacovich knowingly asked. “Johnny gets the conversation going,” Haas admiringly acknowledges. Haas wrote his contributions to the album specifically for Nolatet. “I keep the melodies super clean

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PHoto: bob adamek

Conversations between Nolatet’s members are an important element even before these guys hit the bandstand or the studio.

James Singleton

and strong—something so that Mikey and I can into unison. Michael, James and I have this weird harmonic thing we do together—it’s a unique chromatic trickery. A lot of the harmonic stuff sounds like it’s worked out but I’m thinking theme variations influenced by Beethoven and Mozart. The melody is always there and the harmonies are implied. It’s circular communication.” One of Haas’ favorite parts of the album is Dillon’s solo on the pianist’s song, “Homer and Debbie,” written for the pianist’s youngest and

oldest dogs. (A reminder, Nolatet’s s first release was called Dogs in acknowledgement of Haas’ passion for canines.) “He knew Debbie and she was dying,” Haas explains. It [the song] tells the story of life and death. Mike’s intense solo sort of evokes the chaos that we all experience when we lose a loved one. It sounds unlike anything else on the album. I got more than I bargained for.” Haas appears “fearless” in the eyes of Singleton and it’s reasonable to presume to Vidacovich and Dillon as well. He attributes his courage to

them, his musical heroes. “I know they will catch me when I fall so it’s a pretty blissful place for me. No Revenge Necessary stands not only as a continuation of ideas explored by these four exemplary musicians on their first release, Dogs, but as an amplification on the theme of freedom, explosion, quietude, outrageous romps and, yes, fun. Or in the words of Johnny Vidacovich, the music of Nolatet is “a circus and a Christmas tree with a lot of lights.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

DAVID MURRAY THURSDAY, APRIL 26—SNUG HARBOR

Cycles and Seasons Photo : DEMIAN ROBERTS

David Murray makes rare appearances.

enor saxophonist, bass clarinetist and jazz giant David Murray, an amazingly prolific recording artist, boasts his own rich sound and keeps things popping with his constantly fresh outlook. Murray, who put out his first release, Flowers for Albert, in 1976, describes his latest album, Blues for Memo, as different than any one he’s ever released. “Aren’t they all?” “Well, that’s what I’m going for,” he exclaims with a laugh. New Orleans gets to experience Murray’s magic when he makes a too rare appearance in the city to perform at Snug Harbor on Thursday, April 26. The Wednesday evening before, the blazing musician and composer will be blowing with students from the University of New Orleans jazz department as part of the popular Jazz at the Sandbar series. Have you been involved with many educational programs? I do work with students all the time. I have levels to do different things in my music. There’s a professional level, a college level, a high school level and a junior high school level. I just keep reaching in my bag and I’m subject to pull out something that they’ve got to be able to play. And I’m not judging. I would rather have them play something very simple and play it well than to play something that is too out of their range. It’s better to get a groove on something simple and have a good time with it too. Do you know that Herlin Riley will be at the drums at the Snug gig? That’s great. He’s one of the world’s finest drummers—he’s worldclass, for sure. My model for playing polyrhythms is Ed Blackwell. Herlin’s filled up with all that Blackwell stuff. Whenever you can play with a drummer like that you’re at a distinct advantage. He can sound like a whole village playing. He covers it all. A young bassist, Amina Scott, and pianist Larry Sieberth are on the date. Are you comfortable working with musicians you’ve never performed with? If she [Amina] plays with Herlin and Nicholas Payton, she’s got great credentials—she’s in good company. I’ll be glad to play with her. Every musician who comes out of New Orleans and has come in my direction has always been an accomplished musician. I haven’t had a bad one yet. The people get a feeling for my music. Kidd Jordan schooled them all well and Alvin Batiste and everybody else down there has done a fine job. So what kind of material will you present at the gig? I’m going to send the musicians the charts for ‘Cycles and Seasons,’ and ‘Music of the Mind’ from the new album. We could play standards too. I always play a couple of ballads. Besides playing, what else do you look forward to in New Orleans? The food, point me to the food. I’ve been to all the old traditional places, so I’ll take something new. I just like food. Of course, I like gumbo. Everybody likes gumbo. —Geraldine Wyckoff

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SAMANTHA FISH SAMANTHA FISH: FRIDAY, APRIL 27—BLUES TENT, 4:15 P.M.

From Blues to Rock to Country

efore Samantha Fish appears in the music video for “Blood in the Water,” from 2017’s Belle of the West, we see a man running in slow motion, his brow furrowed, his amplified breath bursting through the silence. When Fish comes into view, she’s alone in a darkly lit, crimson bedroom. Her wide-set eyes look distant as she tunes a Fender Jaguar. “Run from your people,” Fish sings as the camera alternates between her bedroom lament and the man, who’s now driving a convertible across a dusty country road, looking anxiously over his shoulder. Figures dressed in white—a woman and child, an old man—appear and disappear in his rearview mirror. “Run from your home,” Fish croons. “What is the matter?/ What’s goin’ on?/ I see the panic/ I hear the howl/ Tell me what did they do now?” By the time she gets to the hook, her voice lilting over the words, “there is blood in the water,” two storylines are coming into view. There’s the man who’s desperate to run from something he can’t quite seem to escape— and there’s Fish, who’s haunted as much by his memory as by the frustration of not understanding where he went or why. Belle of the West is full of deceptively spare lyrics and direct, rhythm-focused melodies that convey a mix of narratives or almost poetic snapshots of emotion. They tend to come couched in bluesy riffs on different facets of Americana. One moment, a song evokes Leadbelly (the repetition and foreboding images in “Blood in the Water,” written about Fish’s loss of a loved one to suicide, is reminiscent of “In the Pines”); the next, echoes of the Cajun-flavored country sound (“Need You More”) make their way into the mix, thanks in part to the addition of a fiddle. In some ways, the album

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feels like a culmination of things Fish has worked steadily towards for the past few years—among them, her songwriting and the way she uses her voice in relation to her awardwinning guitar chops. “Lyrics are something people can hold onto, so to me songwriting is everything,” says the 29-yearold Kansas City, Missouri native, speaking from her newly adopted hometown of New Orleans, where she settled last spring. “The voice is something that really delivers the emotion and carries the heaviness of the song. And really living the songs and feeling it—that’s what makes it relatable to people. I think it’s the most important thing I do at this point.” Fish’s devotion to getting inside the music that way might help explain how she successfully jumped from releasing Chills & Fever, a retro-soul-meets-garage-rock set of By Jennifer Odell

lesser known vintage covers to the Hill Country blues–inspired, Luther Dickinson–produced Belle of the West in the space of eight months. The former features members of the Detroit Cobras alongside a playful Fish, whose vocals take on a kittenish vibe on some tracks. On the latter, guests include Lightnin’ Malcolm (a friend since Fish was a teenager), Jimbo Mathus, Sharde Thomas and Lillie Mae Rische. “It’s got Mississippi all over it,” Fish says. Despite the guests and regional focus, the material stays true to who Fish is as a voice in blues and roots music these days. Fish looked to rock for inspiration before she dug into the blues—a path she says left her “in love with the rougher edges” of most music. While releasing a series of highcharting, critically praised albums since 2011’s Girls With Guitars,

she dutifully worked on her voice, taking lessons as much as possible. She enlisted hit-making country songwriter Jim McCormick as a cowriter for a few songs on 2015’s Wild Heart. As a guitarist, meanwhile, she’s continued to wow fans ranging from Buddy Guy to the cigar box guitar scene with her blistering six-string electric solos and the occasional oil can guitar outing. “She’s not afraid to take risks,” says bassist Chris Alexander, adding that when he first saw her play, he was struck most by “her honesty.” That carries over into her writing, too. “It comes from an intensely personal place,” he says. Fish expanded the band for Chills & Fever and kept the larger lineup for Belle of the West. “It took a little more thinking putting the show together after that,” she admits. “But now it’s like, balancing this Americana and R&B sound and putting horns on the Americana album and putting fiddle on Chills & Fever … It’s been really fun and sort of a stretch, creatively, to get it all to fit together.” Although Alexander suggests the limits of genre don’t seem to concern Fish, she acknowledges her home-base world of the blues tends to be older and male-dominated, quipping that she’s always dealt with “people walking into a bar and being like, ‘Looky there, that girl’s playing the guitar.’” Fish seems too focused on connecting with people through music to let those matters bother her, though. “I’ve always felt like blues has been the longest standing American art form because it’s relatable,” she says after invoking B.B. King’s belief that blues represents the human condition. “Just because I am who I am right now doesn’t mean I can’t feel something significant, too.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: kim welsh

Samantha Fish’s polished guitar work and engaging vocals are a force to be reckoned with.

MARDI GRAS INDIANS

Hey Pocky Way PHoto: clayton call

A Mardi Gras Indian Jazz Fest guide.

Monk Boudreaux (right) with the 101 Runners

f you go to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, you gotta go see the Mardi Gras Indians at the Heritage Stage. It’s the perfect place to hear this transcendent music, see the awesome beauty of full-suited Indians coming in their magnificent colors and become swept up in it. The performances on the Heritage Stage are unusual in that they are abstracted, formal presentations of the Indians as a stage show rather than the community interactive street parades that the Indians engage in on Mardi Gras Day, St. Joseph’s Day and Super Sunday. During Jazz Fest, there are also Indian parades each day on

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the grounds of the fest that are closer to what goes down at Mardi Gras on the streets of the city. Fest goers are encouraged to second line along with those parades. Jazz Fest is the only place where you’ll see Indians in multiple settings—the traditional street parade, accompanied only by percussion instruments; formal concert settings with electric instruments and in some cases horns; and as part of a larger band performance. The gangs, which come from neighborhoods all over the city, have a common core of traditional material, much By John Swenson

of it derived from the intricate interactions that occur when Indians meet each other on the street on Mardi Gras Day. But each gang has its own story and each Chief has his own way of telling that story. Listen for the differences in the details, the material original to each gang, and don’t forget to dance.

Friday, April 27 Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. will present a show at Congo Square that fuses modern jazz with Mardi Gras Indian music he learned from his father, Big

Chief Donald Harrison. The alto saxophonist’s album Indian Blues is a landmark moment documenting the intersection of jazz and the Mardi Gras Indian tradition. Harrison Jr. now leads his own gang, the Congo Square Nation. “I am the only modern jazz artist that is a real Big Chief in Afro-New Orleans culture,” says Harrison. “The Africanized culture of New Orleans is the missing link to a lot of American music. I think it is a miracle that it is still alive today and that I get to do some of the things that the framers of jazz did over a hundred years ago.” www.OFFBEAT.com

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That same day the Heritage Stage will feature one of the best of the younger generation of Mardi Gras Indians, Big Chief Juan Pardo & Jockimo’s Groove. That stage will also host the Golden Sioux, Black Seminoles, Wild Apaches and Black Mohawks.

Saturday, April 28 The greatest living Mardi Gras Indian Chief, Monk Boudreaux, will sing with the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars on one of the big stages. Monk usually arrives toward the end of that great band’s set to deliver his monumental piece “Lightning and Thunder.” The Heritage Stage features the venerable Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians with Howard Miller; the Mardi Gras Indian/ funk group Cha Wa, whose album Funk ‘n’ Feathers is definitely worth a listen; David Montana and the Washitaw Nation; the Comanche Hunters;

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the kids of Young Guardians of the Flame; and Wild Mohicans, Creole Osceolas, Seminoles and Ninth Ward Black Hatchet.

Sunday, April 29 When Monk Boudreaux leads his Golden Eagles it will be one of the greatest moments of the whole festival. Monk is the greatest living storyteller and culture bearer of the Mardi Gras Indians, and listening to him talk of stepping out on Mardi Gras Day or learning the ropes from Black Johnny is like watching a great preacher at work. Big Chief Kevin Goodman returns from Texas to lead the Flaming Arrows on a day that also features the Young Seminole Hunters, Black Feathers, Monogram Hunters, Ninth Ward Hunters and Shining Star Hunters.

Thursday, May 3 Big Chief Lil Charles Taylor leads the White Cloud Hunters on a day that also includes performances by the Cheyenne and the 7th Ward Creole Hunters.

Friday, May 4 The 79rs Gang Mardi Gras Indians showcase their more contemporary approach to the genre. Check out their eponymous debut album. Ike Kinchen will lead the Golden Comanche on a day that also features Big Chief Bird & the Young Hunters, the Young Cherokee, Young Eagles and Algiers Warriors.

Saturday, May 5 Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias will summon the spirit of the great Bo Dollis “one more time.” Dollis Sr. was the author of the first commercially released Mardi Gras Indian recording, “Handa Wanda,” and Bo Jr., along with his mother Big Queen Rita Dollis, do a great job of keeping the tradition alive. Also on that day are Victor Harris leading Fi Yi Yi and Mandingo Warriors, Trouble Nation, Mohawk Hunters, Wild Red Flame, Uptown Warriors and Young Brave Hunters.

Sunday, May 6 The Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians are one of the most legendary gangs dating back to the days of Big Chief Jolly, George Landry. Chief Jolly brought his nephews the Neville Brothers into the fold to make what many consider the greatest Mardi Gras Indian record ever recorded, the 1976 release The Wild Tchoupitoulas, featuring their funky take on traditional songs and original material like Cyril Neville’s “Brother John.” Another legendary gang, the Wild Squatoulas, will also perform, along with Chief Howard Miller with the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Rhythm Section, the Hard Head Hunters, Buffalo Hunters, Young Magnolias and Apache Hunters. O

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WEEDIE BRAIMAH ALEXEY MARTI: FRIDAY, APRIL 27—WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 1:35 P.M. CHRISTIAN SCOTT ATUNDE ADJUAH: FRIDAY, APRIL 27—WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 2:50 P.M. TRUMPET MAFIA: SATURDAY, APRIL 28—WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 12:15 P.M. TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE: SUNDAY, MAY 6—ACURA STAGE, 5:45 P.M.

Drums in the Bloodline

jembe master Weedie Braimah will be on stage at the Jazz Fest with trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, trombonist/trumpeter Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, percussionists Alexey Marti and Bill Summers and the Trumpet Mafia. At least those are the artists he recalls he’ll be performing with— there could very well be others. Those hip to Braimah’s enthusiasm to play and his skill at adapting to an array of styles know he’s liable to turn up anywhere. “I’ve always wanted to bridge the gap between African music in Africa and African music in America,” says Braimah, who was born in Ghana, raised in East Saint Louis and has been residing in the Crescent City for the last two years. “I tell people if you go to New Orleans, you can see it. African music is alive in the culture. It’s very New Orleans but it’s definitely African as well. I can’t separate the two. I always like to integrate those families back together again.” In many regards, on moving to New Orleans, Braimah reignites the deep drum tradition that rages on the maternal side of his family. His mother, Ann Morris, who married Ghanaian drummer and composer Oscar Sulley Braimah, was a jazz drummer and the daughter of the renowned Weedy Morris who played drums behind luminaries such as Illinois Jacquet and Oscar Peterson. “Out of all of Weedy’s children, only one was a musician and that was my mother,” Braimah points out. “And the one instrument that she picked up was the instrument that her father was known for.” There’s a telling quote in the autobiography of Braimah’s uncle,

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drum ace Idris Muhammad, The Life of Idris Muhammad, about the young, then-named-Leo Morris attending his first day at McDonogh #6. The music teacher asked him, “Are you a Morris?” and on Leo’s reply, he led him to the band room and then pointing, said “There are the drums.” Unfortunately, Weedie and Idris only played together once in East Saint Louis when the djembe player was just 14 years old, though already an accomplished professional. They met again on the street on a Carnival Day in the early 2000s when Muhammad masked Indian with the Congo Square Nation led by Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. The two kept in touch with big plans to put together a group that reflected their family’s African and jazz traditions. Muhammad died in 2014 before their dreams could be realized. Braimah, who was named after his grandfather though the spelling differs, began playing drums at age two. A natural, he’s definitely in that number when it comes to carrying on the Morrises’ huge reputation as drummers. By Geraldine Wyckoff

Artists like those named above and others such as trumpeter Nicholas Payton and the group Tank and the Bangas, with whom he’s recorded, were quick to pick up on Braimah’s talent and his special approach to each musical situation. “It’s unique because they want me to bring the African element to what they’re bringing to the music,” Braimah explains. “Especially Christian [Scott], he’s very open to African music and the folklore as well as implementing the African tradition as it reached New Orleans and connecting the two identities. He wants to be able to make that relationship come about on stage. It makes sense because it’s just making everything come full circle.” “I’m not necessarily playing djembe licks,” he continues. “I’m able to create a new sound that the djembe brings to the music and what makes it a melodic instrument as well.” Braimah plays other West African instruments other than the djembe, of which he has several. “Wow,” he replies, and

then laughs when asked just how many are in his collection. “I just brought back four more.” All his djembes were made in Africa with traditional native wood and rope turns. He’s also heard on the Batá drum and Cuba’s extension of the African drum family, congas. During Jazz Fest, Braimah will lead his own band, Weedie Braimah & the Hands of Time, at a late-night show on Sunday, April 29 at the Blue Nile and Saturday, May 5 at the Music Box. He describes the ensemble’s music as telling his “own story—both sides of his family”—and how African and djembe music has evolved. His “djembe orchestra” takes the place of a drum set in the group that includes a kora, bass, guitars and horns. People might recognize some of the members as coming from the New Orleans based band, the Fufu All-Stars. Flying in from Paris is the renowned balaphon and n’goni musician Adama Bilorou. Braimah does sing though he confesses he can only sing in traditional West African languages. “Singing in English for me, I sound like a stuffed chicken,” he laughingly admits. When Braimah talks of his goal of bringing the African music in Africa and the African music in America together as a way of understanding their relationship and evolution, his words sound similar to how he describes his mother’s aims. “When she met my father, she was learning a lot about integrating the drum set with African music— highlife, afrobeat. He was like the missing piece that was gone.” Weedie Braimah continues exploring and connecting the diaspora that remains central to his life and music. O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: demian roberts

Weedie Braimah brings the African element to the music.

CHARLES LLOYD CHARLES LLOYD & THE MARVELS WITH LUCINDA WILLIAMS: SATURDAY, APRIL 28—WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 4:15 P.M.

Southern Crossroads Connection Charles Lloyd with Lucinda Williams.

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PHoto COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

f spirituality is predicated on the notion that there’s something bigger out there than ourselves, then it makes sense Charles Lloyd would not distinguish between his spiritual beliefs and his art. “My music and my spiritual practice are one and the same,” he said via email this spring. A lyrical tenor saxophonist and flutist whose evocative approach to melody seems not to waver in even the most avant-garde material, Lloyd’s early invocation of musical ideas from beyond the borders of jazz—and the borders of the U.S.— made him a pioneer in jazz by the early ’60s, when he was living in Greenwich Village and hanging out with the likes of Bob Dylan. After stints with Chico Hamilton and Cannonball Adderley, his celebrated quartet with Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette and Cecil McBee recorded Forest Flower: Charles Lloyd at Monterey (1966), a millionplus–selling album long heralded for bridging gaps between both audiences and musicians in jazz and rock. Soon Lloyd was recording with the Beach Boys and playing with bands like the Doors while continuing to make his own albums. At some point the pace and lifestyle became too much; he quietly set up a new life in Big Sur in 1970, remaining there for more than a decade. When he returned, Lloyd launched a relationship with ECM, recording a series of gorgeous and often progressive albums. Today, the 80year-old NEA Jazz Master is training his expansive musical thinking on multiple ensembles including the Marvels, which features guitarist Bill Frisell and pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz alongside his New Quartet drummer Eric Harland and bassist Reuben Rogers. On January 20, 2017, the group issued a collective comment on Donald Trump’s inauguration by teaming up with

Lucinda Williams to release a version of Dylan’s “Masters of War.” (Their second album, Vanished Gardens, is out June 29 on Blue Note Records.) In an email exchange this spring, Lloyd shared insights about the new recording, working with Williams and how his past continues to inspire his present. What do you connect with in Lucinda’s music—and does your shared Memphis– Louisiana regional connection play out within that at all? I’ve worked with a lot of poets, especially during my Big Sur days; Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Bukowski, Gary Snyder, Diane di Prima, Schyleen Qualls, Michael McClure, Bob Kaufman, James Dalessandro … putting words and music together. Lu is a poet. An authentic, American voice. A friend had turned me on to her music when Wheels On a Gravel Road came out. A couple of years ago By Jennifer Odell

she came to one of my Marvels concerts—it was our first meeting and I sensed a deep Southern crossroads connection. When she smiled at me after the concert I knew she understood. Not long after our first meeting she invited me to guest at her UCLA concert and then I invited her to guest at one of my concerts about a year later… The rest continues to unfold. When you play “Masters of War,” do you feel the anger Dylan was channeling when he wrote the song or does the music become an outlet for something else? Dylan covered all of our feelings with his lyrics and they are still relevant today. ‘Let me ask you one question/ Is your money that good/ Will it buy you forgiveness/ Do you think that it could?/ I think you will find/ When your death takes its toll/ All the money you made/ Will never buy back your soul.’ This verse

spoke volumes to me. Am I angry about the condition? You bet, but I can’t let that consume me. I have to focus on positive energy and making music is a positive force for good. Music has always been my inspiration and consolation. That is what I try to bring. What new directions were you able to explore on Vanished Gardens? We know each other better now and therefore we can travel more freely down certain paths. Having Lucinda on five of the tracks adds a new dimension to the overall experience … for my listeners and for hers. I think on the new recording, we were able to let go and plunge deeply into the sound. You’ve said there have been times when you’ve come “close” to playing the sound you hear in your mind’s ear. What does that feel like? www.OFFBEAT.com

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It is flight and out-of-the-body experience. There is no space or time. It’s the zone. There is no me, no you. Just oneness with the sound. It’s newness pregnant with elixirs. There is no predictable way to get there, but we surrender to the deity and try every night. Would you be as prolific a musician at 80 had you not exiled yourself in Big Sur when you were younger? How did staying off the stage during those years affect your music? Good question. I don’t think I would still be here if I had not taken exile in Big Sur. The many years of seclusion and retreat gave me the ability to return to activity while keeping the silence within. Growing up in Memphis, your mother sometimes hosted touring musicians including Lionel Hampton. What questions did you ask Hamp? Did any New Orleans musicians ever come through? I was impatient. As soon as they came down to breakfast, I pounced. I remember that I wanted a Selmer saxophone and my mother wanted to get me something else. I asked Hamp about it. Hamp told her that ‘if a professional needs a Selmer, an amateur needs one all the more.’ I was over the moon when he told her that. At the time, Selmer was making marvelous instruments. Later in my maturation, Prez [Lester Young] and the Conn saxophone mystically came to me, which I still play today. Prez was from New Orleans, and when I was a young man playing at the Antibes Festival in the South of France—I was there at the same time as Duke Ellington— Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney took me under their wings. They took me to the gravesite of the great Sidney Bechet and initiated me. That experience stays with me. www.OFFBEAT.com

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You’ve made music during other times of division and great sociopolitical change. Can you share an experience when you saw music have a tangible, positive or connecting power on an audience? Music is a unifying force. It is about building bridges, it goes direct to the heart and mind of the listener. It was an important component of the marches in the ’60s. Mostly performances seem to be intangible as the music goes out into the ethers and disappears. There are many experiences to share of people who told me their lives changed from the music, or they were healed, or they were uplifted— once when I was performing in San Francisco, a couple came up to me to thank me for my music. They had been political prisoners for over a year somewhere in South America and while incarcerated, they were given a copy of Forest Flower. They told me that without the music they would have given up all hope. Last week I had a concert on my 80th birthday. I received a note in the mail a few days ago with this message: ‘There was not a person there who wasn’t transformed, whose heart was not opened, whose DNA was not permanently rearranged. Thank you for the gift of your music.’ What’s exciting about playing music at 80 that’s changed since you were younger? The longevity and the experience have given me more tools, it goes deeper. Truth and Love. Transformation. Distillation of sound. Mother’s grace blesses me. Water does not wet it. Wind does not blow it and fire does not burn it. O JAZZ FEST 2 018

ALVIN FIELDER KIDD JORDAN & THE IMPROVISATIONAL ARTS QUINTET: SUNDAY, APRIL 29—WWOZ JAZZ TENT, 1:25 P.M.

Jazz’s Outer Reaches PHoto: demian rob erts

Alvin Fielder: Keeping the motion in the music with Kidd Jordan.

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he first time Kidd and I played together in 1974 it was like instead of a kinship it was a twinship,” remembers master drummer Alvin Fielder of saxophonist Kidd Jordan. “I understood Kidd right away because I had been playing with [creative jazz saxophonists] Roscoe Mitchell and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre.” Jordan, who co-founded the Improvisational Arts Quintet (IAQ) with Fielder in 1975, recalls their initial musical encounter similarly. “His style of playing and the things that he was doing just accented some of the stuff I had in mind in the vein of what was going on at the time with [drummers] Elvin

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Jones, [Ed] Blackwell and some of those kind of cats. Alvin had been in Chicago with all those AACM [Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians] cats and I knew a lot of those cats also. So he was in line with what I was doing. “It’s the fire he has in his playing,” Jordan continues on what makes Fielder so special and compatible. “He keeps the motion in the music. We’ve been playing together for so long that I can just relax and do what I want to do and he’ll complement what I’m doing or what the band is doing.” Fielder’s pairing with Jordan was, and is, a natural as both explore jazz’s outer reaches. However, the longevity of this By Geraldine Wyckoff

relationship remains remarkable as Fielder is a Mississippi native who calls Jackson his home and Jordan resides in New Orleans. “We’re nearly the same age, we had listened to a lot of the same music and we were acquainted with the same musicians,” Fielder, who turns 83 in November, says to further explain his and Jordan’s instant connection. Jordan celebrates his 83rd birthday in May. “I met Kidd directly through [Chicago saxophonist] Clifford Jordan,” Fielder explains. “I was working with him when he came down south and he played at Southern University [SUNO] with his quartet. Kidd was at a point

where, I guess, he was searching for different things—he was even talking about just stopping playing because he didn’t have anybody to play with though there were some musicians available like [trumpeter] Clyde Kerr and [saxophonist] Alvin Thomas and a few more. So Clifford told me to come down and meet, talk and play with Kidd. So I did one Sunday and after that I came down every Sunday. We’d just go over music and enjoy each other.” Fielder was born into a musical family in Meridian, Mississippi and began playing drums in his high school band. He says he was inspired to play drums on hearing the legendary Max Roach. www.OFFBEAT.com

ALVIN FIELDER “He was my main influence,” Fielder offers. “I heard Max first, when you’re talking about modern drumming. I had listened to other drummers prior to Max like those in Joe Liggins’ and Louis Jordan’s jump bands. I heard Max on Charlie Parker’s album on Savoy, Koko. “There’s probably some Max Roach in every drummer,” Fielder continues. “We’re all part of somebody. I’m sure there was a part of Kenny Clarke in Max and a part of Big Sid Catlett in Kenny. If you’re around somebody and you’ve heard them, listened and studied them, all of that is part of your DNA. Everything is in my head—everything that I’ve experienced in my life, the good, the bad and the ugly.” Fielder spent some time in New Orleans in the early 1950s while studying pharmacy at Xavier University. He took this opportunity to seek out instruction from master drummer Ed Blackwell who was referred to him by another New Orleans giant, drummer Earl Palmer. It was a relationship and friendship that would last a lifetime. “I learned a whole lot from him—musicality, technique and somewhat of a sense of humor,” Fielder says. “Blackwell was probably the most important drummer in my life personally. I probably studied with Blackwell until he died because I was always talking to him on the phone. I have his ashes, clothes and teaching books.” In Jordan’s younger years, he too spent time with the remarkable and influential Ed Blackwell. “I used to go by Blackwell’s house all the time and play,” the saxophonist recalls. I also worked with [drummer] James Black, so playing with Alvin was a natural transition.” Fielder transferred to Texas Southern University in Houston to continue his studies and while there dug into jazz, blues and rhythm and blues including working with saxophonist Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson. In 1959 he headed to Chicago, where he became deeply involved in the progressive jazz scene, laying down the rhythm behind notables like pianist Richard Muhal Abrams, saxophonist Fred Anderson and pianist Sun Ra. Fielder was a founding member www.OFFBEAT.com

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of the influential AACM. After spending almost a decade in the Windy City, Fielder returned to Mississippi to take over the family pharmacy. Isolated from the exploratory jazz scene he had enjoyed, Fielder found a way to bring creative artists like bassist Malachi Favors, clarinetist Alvin Batiste and saxophonist Dexter Gordon to Mississippi by establishing the Black Arts Music Society (BAMS). “There weren’t many musicians in the South working on the music of [saxophonist] Ornette Coleman and [trumpeter] Don Cherry,” Fielder notes. Just across the state border in New Orleans, there was, of course, Kidd Jordan, who was investigating jazz’s far-reaching possibilities in a city best known for its traditions. “A lot of things fell in place,” Jordan offers philosophically on his relationship with Fielder and the formation of the IAQ. “Things just developed in a certain way and as you get used to doing some stuff, it feels good. Alvin is just somebody I deal with. He’s a good drummer, I like what he does. A drummer is very important to a band and while often a group will change musicians, they’ll hold onto the drummer.” “A lot of times, if I hear things happening between his [Fielder’s] bass drum, snare drum and the cymbals, sometimes I play on that,” Jordan continues. “Sometimes I can almost get a scale out of that. I definitely get a sound color.” One day in 1994, Jordan introduced pianist Joel Futterman to Fielder at Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO). “Joel and I just sat down and played a couple of hours together—we played ballads and everything. When we first played together it was like family. Since then, he’s been a

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part of the group [Improvisational Arts Quintet]. Joel lives in one city [Virginia Beach], Kidd lives in another city and I live in another city. We’re lonely to play music together.” Fielder’s affinity to New Orleans and his relationship with Jordan went beyond the bandstand and their friendship when, starting in 1995, the drummer spent six years teaching at the Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp that was directed by Jordan. “I just call it modern music,” says Fielder describing the style of jazz that he and his fellow musicians pursue. “Bebop was the foundation of all of our music. The music was created in New Orleans and everything is an extension of that.” “When I hit the bandstand, everything is serious, everything,” Fielder concludes. “Even my silence is serious. Silence is part of the music.” “I’m glad to be back,” Jordan says of performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with the IAQ after several years of absence from the schedule. He, Fielder and Futterman will be together as usual to stretch the boundaries of jazz utilizing their mutual and in-depth knowledge of its roots and history just as they did on their latest release Masters of Improvisation, which they recorded live in January 2017 with, for that gig, the addition of trombonist Steve Swell. The ensemble worked bassless that night at the Old U.S. Mint though Jordan anticipates, though he doesn’t promise, the arrival at the Fest of the great, like-minded, New York bassist William Parker. Don’t expect track numbers on the recording or song titles announced at the Jazz Fest set. The forwardthinking, free-flowing Improvisational Arts Quintet impresses with its spontaneity and, quoting Jordan’s description of Fielder, its “fire.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

MITCH STEIN

Bay Area on the Bayou

itch Stein scored his first success as a live-music promoter decades ago by booking New Orleans’ first family of funk, the Neville Brothers. While attending Syracuse University in the early 1980s, Stein booked concerts for the student body. Charged with the task of bringing in a band to fuel a dance-athon raising funds to fight muscular dystrophy, he knew of the Neville Brothers from their place in the Grateful Dead’s extended musical family and he knew they were perfect for the gig. “I needed to book a band that would keep people dancing for hours and I said we should hire the Neville Brothers,” Stein says. “Nobody knew who they were in Syracuse—they hadn’t made it that far yet. It took a bit of fighting on my part but they acquiesced, telling me, ‘Okay, but if it’s a failure, it’s on you.’ Of course, the Nevilles killed it and everyone danced for hours.” Fast forward a decade to the early 1990s and Stein comes to New Orleans for the first time, arriving not just as a fan but also an accomplished keyboardist and musicindustry veteran as both producer and promoter. “I went to see Charles Neville play with his straight-ahead jazz trio at Storyville,” Stein recalls. “I reintroduced myself to Charles at set break and he invited me to sit in on keys with him and bassist Mark Brooks. That night began my journey of Jazz Fest as an annual event for me.” While still good friends with Neville and Brooks to this day, Stein admits it’s tough for an outsider such as himself to break into the tight-knit family of New Orleans musicians. So he started attending Jazz Fest every year as a fan and immersed himself in the city’s music and overall vibe. “I would seek out jam sessions and opportunities to sit in with the intent

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and hope of being able to perform as much as I could during Jazz Fest,” Stein explains. Friends with the Radiators since seeing them play at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall in 1990, Stein made his Fair Grounds debut as a musician in 2012 with the Gatorators, an ensemble featuring Dave Malone, Camile Baudoin and Reggie Scanlan from the Rads along with Stein and drummer Eric Bolivar. The project has since sold out multiple-night runs at Sweetwater Music Hall in Northern California and played the Stepmoms’ Halloween Ball last year at Cafe Istanbul. “Playing [Radiators classic] ‘Confidential’ with those guys is a transcendental experience for me,” Stein confesses. “And it’s not only with those guys. It’s being able to By Frank Etheridge

play New Orleans music in New Orleans with New Orleanians. It’s almost unfair for a guy like me to have such opportunities and I certainly don’t take it for granted.” Stein’s inspiration for playing keys in the loose boogie of spirited melodies and tight rhythms found in so much of the New Orleans musical tradition can be traced to his early training. Playing piano since age four, he recalls that by age 14 he started to feel that “I was missing something, that the playing I was doing was satisfying to an extent, but I was just playing other people’s music and doing so in the classical context of playing it note for note, or else it was wrong.” Classical training came to abrupt that year when he went to the highly regarded piano teacher he

studied under in Chicago. “I added a grace note during a piece by Chopin, Stein says, “and my teacher asked, ‘Why did you do that?’ I said, ‘I thought it sounded better that way.’ At that point, he told me he refused to teach anybody that would do that to Chopin.” Saying when he first heard jazz piano/electric keyboard maestro Chick Corea, “I knew what I was missing,” Stein went on to study jazz composition at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He settled in San Francisco and built a varied, but fruitful, career in film and music, highlighted by collaborations with a stellar roster of players as well as his own band with the jazz fusion of Groove Division. The Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary year in 2015 inspired Stein to reach out to Chuck Perkins, owner of Cafe Istanbul, about booking a show in celebration. The resultant Dead-scene all-star group Axial Tilt proved such a hit that Perkins asked Stein to book shows the following Jazz Fest. Succeeding that next year with New Orleans–based musicians, Stein was then asked by Perkins to become the exclusive booker of his club during Jazz Fest. “That felt like validation for all the years I had put in,” Stein says. This Jazz Fest, Stein’s shows feature him playing with and promoting major talents on national and local levels, from Joan Osborne to Honey Island Swamp Band. The bookings are “a pretty significant gamble on my part, since it’s my dime on the line.” “I’m an independent producer so I know what it means to take on a labor of love,” Stein says. “And I know, done the right way with the right people for the right reasons, that it’s worth every cent and every second you put into it.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: JAMES COTTLE PHOTOGRAPHY

San Francisco-based musician and promoter Mitch Stein feels at home in New Orleans.

LUKAS NELSON LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL: FRIDAY, APRIL 27—GENTILLY STAGE, 3:30 P.M.

Like Father, Like Son PHoto: myriam santos

Willie Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson is a gifted songwriter and singer.

ukas Nelson, whose father is Willie Nelson, knew what he wanted to be when he was 6. The revelation arrived like a vision. In a dream, Nelson stood on a stage in front of millions of people. “I was scared,” he remembered. “But when I went out there on stage, a voice told me to put all of my being inside my chest. And then I looked out at the audience while I sang from within my heart. The crowd went wild. I was never afraid to

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be on stage again. That was it. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” Events that followed the life-defining dream reinforced Nelson’s musical path. At 12, he wrote a song for the first time. Willie Nelson recorded his son’s composition, “You Were It,” for his 2004 album It Always Will Be. “You Were It” came to Lukas Nelson unexpectedly one morning while he sat on a school bus. “This song started playing in my head,” he remembered. “It came By John Wirt

like a radio signal. Yeah, songs just come sometimes.” Nelson turned 29 on Christmas Day. When he sings, the vocal resemblance to his famous father is obvious. Like his dad, too, he’s a gifted songwriter and seasoned performer who’s right at home on a tour bus. “I’m on the road most of the time,” Nelson said from Maui, the Hawaiian island where Willie Nelson and Annie D’Angelo raised their two musical sons, Lukas and Micah. “I like traveling

because I grew up that way. It’s a blessing to be able to play music for a living. I can’t imagine anything else.” In addition to his father, Nelson’s major influences include the iconoclastic rock star Neil Young. In 2014, Young invited Nelson and his band, Promise of the Real, to join him on tour. Since then they’ve toured extensively and recorded four albums together. Their latest collaboration is the soundtrack for the Daryl Hannah-directed Netflix www.OFFBEAT.com

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movie, Paradox. Young, Lukas and Willie Nelson and Promise of the Real all appear in the impressionistic western. Some way or another, Nelson figured he’d join forces with Young, a longtime friend of his father’s. “We love rock ‘n’ roll and punk and blues and folk,” Nelson said. “All the same stuff.” Nelson admires Young for reasons beyond music. “Neil’s got integrity beyond anybody,” he said. “He never compromised once in his career for anybody, sometimes to the displeasure of those around him.” Despite being naturally gifted and much experienced, Nelson’s work with Young brought him and Promise of the Real to another level. “It lifts you up to be with somebody who inspires you,” he said. Following his father’s and Young’s examples, maintaining his authenticity is a goal Nelson aspired to from the beginning of Promise of the Real, the band he formed 10 years ago. “Promise of the Real, the name, is about keeping integrity in a business that tries to pull you away from who you are,” Nelson said. “The entertainment industry is full of people who don’t play the music they like because that music is not trendy; or their record labels tell them to play a certain type of music; or people don’t dress the way they want to because it’s not what’s happening.” Lukas’ and Promise of the Real’s self-titled 2017 album is just what they wanted it to be. Featuring guests Lady Gaga and Willie and Bobbie Nelson, the album is also a second chance for songs Nelson believes didn’t receive the notice they www.OFFBEAT.com

deserved when they appeared on his previous albums. Examples include the genre-spanning yet instinctively Americana “Find Yourself”; the deep countryrock-soul ballad “Set Me Down on a Cloud”; and “Forget About Georgia,” an aching eightminute lament to a love that left the singer’s life but won’t leave his heart. “I know they’re good songs,” Nelson said of resurrected material he re-recorded for release through the Concord Music Group’s Fantasy Records. “So now they’re getting the attention they deserve.” Better production is another difference between his new album and earlier recordings. “This is the first album we’ve done professionally,” Nelson said. “We recorded in a nice studio. We spent a pretty penny doing it. And we’re collaborating with a label for the first time. So, it is our first exposure to the larger world of music.” Lady Gaga joins Nelson for two of the new album’s songs, “Find Yourself” and “Carolina.” Nelson and Gaga also co-wrote songs for the upcoming remake of the movie musical A Star is Born. Actor-director Bradley Cooper co-stars with Gaga in the film as her character’s lover and mentor. Scheduled for release in October, the film also features Sam Elliott, Dave Chappelle, Nelson and Promise of the Real. “Gaga is an incredible actor and Bradley is an incredible musician,” Nelson said. “Bradley sings in the movie. I wrote a bunch of the music with Gaga and on my own. I can’t wait to see what happens when it comes out.” O JAZZ FEST 2 018

KERMIT RUFFINS SATURDAY, MAY 5—CULTURAL EXCHANGE PAVILION NOLA 300, 1:50 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 5—ECONOMY HALL TENT, 4:20 P.M.

Do You Know What It Means?

hen Louis Armstrong left New Orleans to go to Chicago in 1922, he joined up with his mentor, Joe “King” Oliver, and from there he went on to become one of the most influential, revered musicians of the twentieth century. But what if he didn’t leave? What if he had stayed in New Orleans? It’s hard to imagine a world without Louis Armstrong, but it’s interesting to imagine how Louis would have lived, worked and played in New Orleans. If you’ve ever wondered what that would be like, look no further than trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. There is perhaps no one in New Orleans who so truly embodies the Satchmo way of living. When I met with him at his bar/home/headquarters, Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge, he was cooking lunch in a big skillet, sipping on a Bud Light, and exuding that infectious kind of positivity that Louis was so famous for. While he does often travel for gigs in Houston, Atlanta and New York, he clearly relishes being home. When he’s not at the Mother-in-Law Lounge, or on a gig at the Blue Nile or the Little Gem, he likes to bar-hop around the city listening to live music. He laughs easily, loves cooking, gives generously, and certainly isn’t shy about his love for New Orleans and Louis Armstrong. Can you tell us a little bit about Louis and the birth of jazz in New Orleans? I’m positive that anybody that loves jazz knows about the birthplace of jazz here in New Orleans. The only true American art form is right from here. Literally six, seven blocks from where we’re sitting. Which is crazy. Just imagine those young guys, just like today, so many young guys make music in every high school in every corner of this city. Imagine Louis and them

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the hat?’ When Louis went to Europe they wanted to examine his horn to see if he had some kind of trickery going on because those notes was never heard of. It was in-between notes. I mean there’s an A and a B, but he was playing notes in-between. They thought, ‘How the hell does he do that? How can this be possible?’ Can you tell us a little bit about the tribute? For the last three years I’ve been doing a tribute to Louis at the Economy Hall Tent and then this year we’re doing a Tricentennial tribute to Louis. Actually right after I walk off stage from doing the Louis Tricentennial tribute at the Cultural Exchange Pavilion, I’m going over to the Economy Hall Louis tribute.

back then, doing the same thing, and coming up with this form of music that just spreads around the world and everybody just started following along and then it evolved into a lot of other stuff. It must have been an exciting time! Just imagine how the city was rolling back then, with the railroad tracks coming down Basin Street and the Iberville Projects were the red light district and a young kid roaming around the streets with a pistol in his hand and the card games and the prostitution and the drugs. The music is just starting to happen because Africans were taking the European instruments and doing something totally different. It had to be one of the best pastimes ever just to sit behind that instrument and to let out all those feelings and love for life. It’s a real spiritual thing. By Stacey Leigh Bridewell

You think playing jazz is a spiritual thing? Oh yes. I always tell young musicians to learn ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and play with it as much as you want. Play around those chord changes. And that’ll bring you along the way for anything that has to do with jazz. Just because it’s a church song, it’s the most popular song in New Orleans, and it just kinda brings you to the point where jazz kinda evolved. To where it all started with church music. What, to you, makes Louis a unique player? To have that spiritual feeling within him to come up with the riffs and the attitude and a love for the trumpet and the craft without even knowing what he was doing is just so incredible. I always look back on that and I think, ‘What was he thinking? How can he pull those tricks out of

Have you thought about what you’re gonna play and who you’re going to play with? I’m always doing Louis every night of the week. The first 45 minutes of my regular show is traditional New Orleans Louis stuff, then I do some of my own material. He always starts off with ‘Sleepy Time Down South.’ Then he goes into ‘Ole Miss.’ I like to jump into that right after. I always bring Corey Henry in with me. When I first started my thing after the Rebirth, I noticed that Corey was a young trombone player that was really playing. We sat down and we copied everything Louis and Jack Teagarden ever did. If you close your eyes for just a minute, it’s pretty close. I’ve got Shannon Powell, David Torkanowsky, Corey Henry, Kevin Morris on bass, and me. We can tear that stuff up! O Other than his Jazz Fest appearances, Kermit Ruffins invites everyone to lunch (noon) and dinner shows (6 p.m.) at the Mother-in-Law Lounge on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of festival week. www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: KATE GEGENHEIMER

Kermit Ruffins pays tribute to Louis Armstrong.

The Once and Future King By John Swenson

Fats Domino, the quintessential New Orleanian.

ats Domino passed last October, but he remains an animate force in New Orleans life through his music. Domino’s spirit is not just the sound of Mardi Gras, it’s what New Orleans feels like 24/7/365. It’s the fickle finger of ivory-tickling fate that makes every five-year-old kid with an ear for the sound of joy a likely practitioner of his music. It’s the call of the professors ringing out of the swell houses of Storyville and the barrelhouse joints from Back O’ Town to Algiers to the Lower Ninth Ward, a river of sound that ranges back through the piano kings of the nineteenth century to Tony Jackson and Jelly Roll Morton, the barrelhouse masters of early jazz, Isidore “Tuts” Washington, Champion Jack Dupree, Professor Longhair, Huey “Piano” Smith and a host of others. It’s safe to say that no piano player working in New Orleans today is not influenced in some way by Domino, and all of them who came from somewhere else were lured here at least in part by the seductive pleasure of his sound. Fats was the quintessential New Orleanian until the end. Even after he had moved in with relatives he kept his brilliant yellow and black house in the Lower Ninth Ward, which had been destroyed in the flood following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as a kind of shrine to his status as one of the kings of rock ’n’ roll. The tribute to Fats on the first Saturday of Jazz Fest will be one of the festival’s do-not-miss events. But there will be other unannounced tributes to Fats happening at the festival, and all over town, because the day does not go by when someone, somewhere in New Orleans, is playing a Fats Domino song. I talked to some of the musicians who will be playing at the festival. They talked about his music, and they talked about his other passion—food.

Davell Crawford will be part of the official Fats tribute at Jazz Fest and will play his own set the day before. Crawford, the grandson of the great New Orleans pianist/vocalist James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, was very close to Domino. “I’ve known Fats just about my whole life,” notes Crawford, “and we became close in 1990 when I was 14 years old. He had a cousin, Geneva Morris, who I was very close with, she attended St. Augustine Catholic Church right there in the Treme. She set up a meeting with Fats, who had been following me for some time although I didn’t know that. He knew my grandfather and made the connection that I was Sugar Boy’s grandson. He became a fan of mine before I really knew how to become a fan of his. I would go to his house and he would send me home with some great crawfish bisque and homemade cheese or we would get in the car and ride around. “At that time I was playing a keyboard called the Yamaha Clavinova. It had just come out and I was demonstrating it for a lot of musicians. Fats wanted one, so we went and purchased one and I spent a lot of time showing him how to record on that machine. So we spent a lot of time talking about music. He thought a lot of me and saw himself in me. We spent a lot of time together when no one else was around. Sometimes some of his friends would pass by and we’d have a little meal, then get in one of the cars and ride around out to Arabi. We’d listen to music, New Orleans music, and it seemed as if he loved and appreciated everyone. He knew everything I was doing. He had VHS tapes of me playing and he would watch shows I was on from HBO and Showtime. “I remember the Rolling Stones coming to town and they wanted meet Fats. Mick Jagger wanted to do two things. He wanted to go to church and hear some gospel music, which he loved, and he wanted to meet Fats. He called me because he knew Fats and I were very close. ‘I just want to go shake his hand www.OFFBEAT.com

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PHoto: clayton call

Musicians in Cars Getting Gumbo

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“I love the way he sings ‘baby.’ That’s the whole French Creole stuff coming out of him. It’s some combination of bidet and baby.” —Marcia Ball and say thank you,’ he said. I had a connection with the church so we went to hear the Gospel Soul Children, but I couldn’t get Fats to greet him. Even Elton John, I couldn’t get Fats to greet him, he would say ‘No, no, who’s that?’ I would say ‘The Rolling Stones, one of the biggest groups in the world,’ and he would say ‘Oh, Lord, I got my beans on, I don’t know.’ I just said ‘Wow.’ I thought I knew how to get through to him, but I guess not. Over the years a lot of my celebrity friends wanted to meet him but he would never do it. Sometimes I would just take them over there unannounced or even some of my fans, I would just take them in the car, and he would come to the door and either welcome us in or we would have to go away. “When we played together on Treme, they wanted him to play the piano and I said ‘Okay you’re gonna have to give me some time to talk to him and encourage him and just let us do what we do.’ They agreed to that and that’s exactly what happened. He came out and I sat at the piano and just made some loose conversation about old times. I started to play and asked him to come to the piano. He didn’t want to at first. Eventually he got up and he played a little bit of ‘Blueberry Hill’ with me. He enjoyed that. It was all organic. I knew when he started pattin’ his foot, I said ‘If that foot moves, I got him.’ What a joy. That was one of the highlights of my life. “It’s not true at all that he stopped recording. Once he got that Yamaha Clavinova he set up a little studio at his place and he did record more music. Considering that his home and most things in it were destroyed in the flood most of it is gone. I’m sure there is something still out there, I don’t know what it is.”

Big Easy Boogie Pianist Mitch Woods has been paying tribute to Domino ever since he came to New Orleans to record with members of Domino’s band for his 2001 album Big Easy Boogie. “The Jazz Fest people actually requested me to do some Fats stuff so we will definitely be doing that,” he says. “Fats is one of the greatest influences on my music. I always tell people if you like rock ’n’ roll, then go back to Fats Domino, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, they were actually great boogie woogie piano players. Fats had the great songs, written with Dave Bartholomew that were catchy songs that everyone could sing. He had a happy spirit and that’s what I love to communicate in my music. That was probably Fats’ main goal— whenever you heard him speak he said ‘I just wanna make people happy.’ “My project Big Easy Boogie was actually recorded with the Fats Domino band. It wasn’t Fats himself but I started writing tunes in the Fats Domino style. We did a couple of Fats covers on that as well. I had been working around town with a lot of his sidemen—Irving Charles, Reggie Houston—and I gradually got to meet Herb Hardesty. When it came time to make the album, it was obvious that I should make the record with these guys. The Fats Domino band—best band in the world. We were able to put together most of the surviving guys including Dave Bartholomew who was instrumental in co-writing all the big hits with Fats and leading his band; and Earl Palmer, his first drummer, who went on to be the most recorded drummer in

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the world. Dave had produced Fats and it was a dream to get him to produce some of my songs. It was like going back in time and getting to play with your mentors. Through Dave I learned the song structures that he gave Fats in writing his songs. Everything was straight to the point. He had a lot of expressions like ‘Put a goose egg on it,’ which is all the horns hitting that one chord altogether. When Herb Hardesty would take a sax solo Dave would say ‘You opened the door, now close it!’ You know like, get to the point, do a nice little solo, and get out. All that stuff is invaluable, that’s what made Fats’ music endearing and enduring. “Earl and Herb kept telling me, ‘You gotta get Dave Bartholomew in on it,’ so when Dave came in on it, it took a while to convince him but finally he came in, and they would call him the Chief. He was the Chief, even with me. There’s one point on the DVD where he’s right in my face, telling me how to sing: ‘Open your mouth, boy, open your mouth!’ I’ll never forget that, it was a priceless moment. Then Earl tells him ‘He’s got a good voice but don’t expect him to be Fats Domino.’ Those guys really enjoyed playing together again. Earl and Herb talked about when they used to record at Cosimo’s, it was all done live, there were no overdubs in those days, they would be getting a really good cut down and in the middle of it Fats stopped and said ‘How did that sound? How’d I sound?’ and Dave would say ‘Man, just keep playing!’ There were a lot of stories about being on the road. Earl told about one time, you know, Fats at the end of the show would push the piano across the stage with his stomach, and apparently this time he pushed it to the point where it collapsed the stage and the whole piano went down. The promoters were pretty pissed at him and I guess he had to pay for the piano.”

Fats Domino Music The wonderful pianist, singer and songwriter Marcia Ball is a long time Jazz Fest favorite and another Fats devotee. “When I talk about who the stars were in my youth, growing up, Fats Domino would be the first person I would mention—Little Richard, Jerry Lee and Ray Charles, all piano players. Whenever anyone asks me what kind of music we play, if I say ‘New Orleans rhythm and blues,’ I get a blank stare. If I say, ‘You know, like Fats Domino,’ everybody goes ‘Oh, yeah!’ That’s what we do. I do a lot of original material that’s basically based on the style of Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint and Professor Longhair, the major influences from New Orleans. But it all comes together under the heading ‘Fats Domino.’ “I go back to Louis Moreau Gottschalk if you wanna know the truth, the connection between classical and ragtime in New Orleans led us to where we are now. “What a lot of people don’t know if they haven’t listened to very early Fats Domino is that he was a kickass boogie woogie player. If you go back to the earliest Fats recordings you can find there’s some straight out boogie woogie. And he rocks. “I love the way he sings ‘baby.’ That’s the whole French Creole stuff coming out of him. It’s some combination of bidet and baby. But yeah. There’s that sweet mellow voice, there was something so, I don’t wanna say gentle about it except that’s really the word that comes to www.OFFBEAT.com

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mind. Sweet eyes, smile, he played with a smile on his face. I think that one of the reasons that he crossed over so completely, besides the quality of his music, was that he was unthreatening in a way. He had that look about him and he sang great songs. To me he set the tone for what became swamp pop. The 6/8 dance beat that goes through ‘Mathilda’ and ‘I’m a Fool to Care’ and all these songs was Fats’ signature.”

“Let’s Go Hang With Fats” Reggie Scanlan, bassist with the Radiators, is celebrating that band’s 40th anniversary at this year’s Fest. But before he was in the Radiators he played the festival in 1977 as part of the Professor Longhair band. That stint with Fess was his ticket to an audience with Domino. “The little bit that I knew Fats he was just the greatest guy,” says Scanlan. “When I was in Fess’ band we would back Jessie Hill up on his gigs. At the time Jessie Hill was living in half a house behind Fats’ house on Caffin Avenue. It was a little shotgun house. Jessie lived in one half of it and the other half was kind of Fats’ clubhouse. When we would rehearse at Jessie’s house after we’d finish he’d say ‘Let’s go hang out with Fats.’ Fats seemed to always be there, hanging out and cooking and stuff. Jessie an’ ’em would be there. I would just sit in the corner, I was just a dumb white kid, I didn’t know what was goin’ on. I was amazed that I was even in the room with these giants. I’d just sit there with my little bowl of gumbo or red beans or whatever Fats was makin’ and I would just listen to these guys tell stories or whatever. Fats was the most gracious guy. I treasure those moments even though I didn’t have much of an input in ’em. Just to be in that atmosphere with those guys to me at my age it was like something you read about in a fairy book or something. It was totally unreal and something that I couldn’t even imagine was happening to me. These were people I’ve read about and listened to. Fats Domino, you listened to him your whole life when you grow up here. He’s part of the tapestry of the city. To actually hang with these guys, it was like somebody coming up to me and saying ‘Hey, you wanna be in the Rolling Stones?’ When I was in Fess’ band I thought I was as far as you could go in the music business. Where else could you go? I wouldn’t trade those memories of those times for any amount of money.” Scanlan’s partner in the Rads, Dave Malone, has a different connection to Domino. “I grew up in Edgard, Louisiana and Fats has relatives in Edgard and also his bandleader Dave Bartholomew is from around there. When we were in high school the head cook was Miss Domino, who was a relation of Fats. So our school lunches were killer. Nobody brought their lunch. The food was crazy good. Miss Domino ran the cafeteria. Back then you could go back for seconds or thirds. Another story is Fats used to go to Crescent City Steakhouse pretty often and me and Ed Volker also went there pretty often. One time I was pulling up in front of Crescent City Steakhouse on Broad and I tapped the bumper of the car in front of me and I realized it was Fats’ car. So we went inside and I fessed up and he said it was all www.OFFBEAT.com

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right. He bought us a bottle of wine and talked to us for a little while. He was a gracious, fine man. I have a cassette tape that someone gave me of Van Morrison working on the His Band and the Street Choir songs. One of the songs is in its early stages, it’s going G to C and he’s singing ‘Ooh Domino, that Fat Man Domino.’ So that song was about Fats. I don’t know if many people know that.”

“It’s a Very Universal Thing” Pianist and songwriter Davis Rogan is fond of saying that every show he plays is a tribute to Fats Domino. After the Katrina flood Davis went to the bar at the hotel where Domino was staying just to sit next to his idol and chat. Now Davis is teaching grade school kids to sing Domino’s songs. “The traditional jazz of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong created American music which became the music of the world,” says Davis, “and I think the second most important era is classic New Orleans rhythm and blues, not just commercially but it created the aesthetic of popular music from there on out. I love the rhythms, I love playing it, there’s something magic about all that great New Orleans rhythm and blues—Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, Cosimo Matassa, Imperial Records, that whole scene, that alchemy of magic that created those great tunes. “I’m back to teaching at Homer Plessy School which is full circle for me because it’s at the old McDonogh 15 building where I went to school. The first two songs I teach them are ‘Blue Monday’ and ‘I’m Gonna Be A Wheel.’ I like both of these tunes for teaching the kids because the kids can really relate to the lyrics. ‘Blue Monday’ is a song about a working person, but that kind of quotidian schedule is so banged into somebody’s head by the time they’re seven or eight. How do you feel on Monday? Bummed out. How do you feel on Saturday? Happy. It’s a very universal thing. You can kind of teach kids how to use the arrangement—on ‘Blue Monday,’ when it gets to the chorus, Saturday morning, the drummer, Earl Palmer, changes from accenting the 2 and the 4 on the snare, he goes 1-2-3-4-5-6, the way he accents the beats. There’s certain ways in which the arrangement supports the lyrics and it’s not too early for second or third graders to start noticing how these things work. And making sure kids from New Orleans know

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to be clapping on the 2 and 4. Nobody does it better than those children. As for ‘I’m Gonna Be a Wheel’ I think the kids tend to relate to ‘I’m not big right now but I’m gonna be something someday.’ They totally get that. “I print out a lyric sheet and I kind of go chord by chord call and response on the words for the younger kids. By third and fourth grade, I’ll play a chord, call a line, call and response, kind of like church. Once we get the lyrics we’ll sing the song a couple of times, then I play them the song, then we get into some other stuff, we talk about the arrangements, we make a map of how the song goes, we talk about where the strong beat is, if we get a little more advanced we try to imitate some of the Dave Bartholomew horn arrangements, we talk about syncopation and note values and all that kind of stuff. “I think these tunes are little narratives unto themselves. Another teaching tool I can use is watching Fats on videos play these songs, just to show them how he sells the hell out of his lyric. He’s got this warm voice, it brings you in, and you feel it with him. There’s an easy, fun-loving joy that Fats Domino has. “Before the kids get to be prejudiced about age in general, when they get to be around 10 or 11, when they’re this young you just play them the tune and they will jump right into it. All I need to do to get second and third graders into Fats Domino is to sing them those great lyrics and play some reasonable facsimile of that rhythm. It’s those two rhythms brought together that create a visceral excitement. The kids aren’t predisposed to dismiss something because it happened in the 1950s, which happens around 5th grade. With these young kids if you show them something exciting then they’re hooked. That’s in the music.”

Nothing Better Than Fats Domino John Gros grew up on Fats Domino because his father Don Gros was a piano player who played Fats’ material around the house. “For me it started with my dad because my dad grew up on the West Bank and when he was in high school he was one of those guys who did all the Fats Domino and Huey Smith songs at sock hops. He was probably a few years younger than Frankie Ford, and he was www.OFFBEAT.com

PHoto: erika goldring

“...the second most important era is classic New Orleans rhythm and blues, not just commercially but it created the aesthetic of popular music from there on out.’’—Davis Rogan

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one of those guys. Gary Edwards will tell you that nobody did Fats Domino better than my dad. He was the closest thing. When I was growing up my dad would always play on the piano when he was home. When he wanted to relax or have a good time or just put himself in a better mood, he would play some Fats Domino. That was my first catalyst for being aware of it, and then as you become more aware of the sounds around you I realized that these songs had been surrounding me my whole life at family parties, wedding receptions, Fats’ music was everywhere. When I became a working musician it was important for me to know the Fats Domino songs. When I started out I was in some very good bands with heavy musicians and the reason I was on the gig was because I knew the New Orleans stuff like ‘Walking to New Orleans’ or ‘Hello Josephine’ or ‘My Blue Heaven.’ Now when I want to put myself in a good mood there’s nothing better than Fats Domino music. “When you think about it there’s only two New Orleans musicians that changed the world. Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino. They touched more people in the world than any other New Orleans musician directly touched. His voice and the way he enunciated the words, he radiated such joy and happiness, even when he was singing a breakup song like ‘Walking to New Orleans.’ There was a certain rhythmic thing that he played on songs like ‘Let the Four Winds Blow’ and “I’m Gonna Be a Wheel,’ that rock ’n’ roll piano bounce, it was rudimentary but it made people feel really good. When you put Earl Palmer’s drums behind it, the big rock ’n’ roll beat, those big horns, it was a format that created a long, illustrious career.”

The Golden Touch Pianist and music historian Tom McDermott ruminated on a bit of a contrarian take on the Domino legacy as it relates to the New Orleans music tradition. “I think Fats’ strongest influence is in the form of repertoire because he’s part of the school of standards that we still play today,” says McDermott. “Since Toussaint died there aren’t people in New Orleans generating standards. What Trombone Shorty song are we going to be playing 50 years from now? Even Harry Connick Jr. or Wynton Marsalis has not generated a standard. I see that as a problem for New Orleans music going forward but in the meantime we have Fats and a lot of his stuff is holding up a lot better than a lot of the other icons except for Toussaint, who was more than just an R&B or rock ’n’ roll guy. As far as playing in Fats’ style, the triplets, it’s a good thing to be able to do but I don’t really hear it that much outside of a handful of people. It seems that the rhythm and blues scene is kind of dying. It’s a generational thing but when I moved here in ‘84 everybody knew who Professor Longhair was but now I would say James Booker is more popular because of the film about him. People who were R&B icons are not as well-known as they used to be. Fats might be the exception. The songs that he recorded are the songs from that era that are still being played. He’s such a joyful image. You can’t help but love what he does. It’s comforting, apart from whatever musical merits it has. He had the golden touch.” O www.OFFBEAT.com

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JAZZ FEST A-Z

Get a Jump On It PHoto: bob adamek

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

ffBeat’s Jazz Fest “A to Z” contains everything you want to know about Jazz Fest music. It’s arranged alphabetically by band name so you can find out when your favorite is playing by stage and time, with handy reference bio information. This guide is also available on any mobile device where you can look up info by band name, day, time or stage. Just go to OffBeat.com! Happy Jazz Fest! Remember that performance times may change. Stage Codes ACU = Acura Stage AM = Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage BLU = Blues Tent CEP = Cultural Exchange Pavilion NOLA 300

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CON = Congo Square Stage ECO = Economy Hall Tent FDD = Sheraton New Orleans Fais Do-Do Stage GEN = Gentilly Stage GOS = Gospel Tent J&H = Jazz & Heritage Stage JAZ = WWOZ Jazz Tent KID = Kids Tent LAG = Lagniappe Stage PAR = Parades

21st Century Brass Band, 5/4, PAR, 4p: This young, Treme-based group finds room in its repertoire for New Orleans jazz standards as well as modern R&B hits. 79rs Gang Mardi Gras Indians, 5/4, J&H, 3p: Big Chief Jermaine and Big Chief Romeo from the 7th and 9th Wards come together to form the

79rs Gang. Jermaine’s baritone voice combines with Romeo’s alto voice as they since about the Mardi Gras Indians’ unique culture. They released their first CD, Fire on the Bayou, in 2015. 7th Ward Creole Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/3, PAR, 3:45p: Big Chief Jermaine Bossier leads this 7th Ward-based Mardi Gras Indian gang. 9th Ward Black Hatchet Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, PAR, 3:20p: Mardi Gras Indian parade led by Big Chief Alphonse “Dowee” Robair. Aaron Neville, 5/4, GEN, 4:15p: The golden-voiced Neville brother, whose classic “Tell It Like It Is” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame collection for 2015, brings originals from his latest effort, Apache (Best R&B/Funk Album winner at the 2016 Best of the Beat

Awards), mixed in with some hits from his prolific career. The Accordion in Louisiana: Marc Savoy, Glenn Hartman and Corey Ledet interviewed by Barry Ancelet, 4/28, AM, 12:15p: Cajun folklorist and expert in Cajun music and Cajun French Barry Ancelet interviews accordion maker and performer Marc Savoy, along with accordion players Glenn Hartman and Cory Ledet about the accordion in Louisiana. Adella, Adella the Storyteller, 4/27, 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. Aerosmith, 5/5, ACU, 5:30p: “If you grew up in the ‘70s you liked

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Aerosmith.” So wrote R.E.M’s Peter Buck about their cover of “Toys in the Attic,” and the odds are good that you still liked Aerosmith if you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s. They powered through their first decade on blustery blues-rock, then set the bar for commercial makeovers in the ’80s. Their first Jazz Fest appearance will also be their last, kicking off their “Aero-viderci” farewell tour. Alex McMurray & His Band, 5/3, GEN, 11:15a: This songwriter’s sharp eye, gravelly voice and wicked sense of humor have been well displayed in the Tin Men, Royal Fingerbowl and his current solo career. His song “You’ve Got to Be Crazy to Live In This Town” was a fitting choice to close the third season of HBO’s Treme. Alexey Marti, 4/27, JAZ, 1:35p: 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 & the Samurai, 4/27, LAG, 3:10p: Led by two of the brighter talents on the local rock scene, singer/ songwriter Alexis Marceaux and multiinstrumentalist Sam Craft, this act’s Monday night shows developed an almost cult-like following in recent years. Algiers Warriors Mardi Gras Indians, 5/4, PAR, 2:15p: Big Chief Alphonse ‘Dowee’ Robair leads this West Bank-based Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Amanda Shaw, 4/29, ACU, 12:40p: This Cajun fiddle prodigy has been in the spotlight since age 10. Her sets can jump from teen-friendly pop to straight-up Cajun, with a classic rock cover or two thrown in. Anders Osborne, 5/6, ACU, 12:25p: New Orleans’ Swedishrooted guitar hero and songwriting titan recently followed up Freedom & Dreams, an exercise in folkinspired, up-tempo Southern blues, with Spacedust and Ocean Views, a collection of introspective musings on places dear to his heart. His latest effort, Flower Box, came out in 2016. Andrew Duhon, 4/28, LAG, 12:35p: With his achingly tender voice and penchant for lyrical depth, folkpop singer songwriter Duhon taps into personal experience to tug at listeners’ heart strings while strumming his way through original music that echoes the blues. Anita Baker, 5/5, CON, 5:30p: The early ’80s hits “Angel” and “Sweet Love” introduced the silky elegance that’s been Anita Baker’s trademark ever since. She scored more hits and won multiple Grammies over the next two decades, yet she’s been largely scarce since her last full tour in 2007. Her hit cover of Tyrese’s “Later” in 2012 set the stage for an album that

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never appeared, and after a few quiet years she announced her retirement in 2017. Her Fest show will be one of her first since reconsidering. Anthony Brown & group therAPy, 4/28, GOS, 3p: This Maryland-based gospel artist is known for his intricate vocal arrangements and creative approach to songwriting. Anya Hollingsworth, 5/5, KID, 1:50p: Violinist Anya Hollingsworth is an eighth grade honor student at Wilson Middle School. She believes music tells personal and historic stories that connect humanity. ARTS consist of three singers and songwriters Kir’ Ondria Woods, Jamilla Johnson, and Harper Jones. They are accompanied by pianist Carolyn Donnell and drummer Larry Donnell II. Apache Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/6, PAR, 1:10p: Big Chief Preston Whitfield leads this Uptownbased Mardi Gras Indian tribe, headquartered at 3rd and LaSalle Streets. Archdiocese of New Orleans Gospel Choir, 4/28, GOS, 12:05p: The Archdiocese represents the largest religious demographic in New Orleans. Its choir represents a tradition of Crescent City Catholicism dating back to 1793. Archie Shepp Quartet featuring vocalist Marion Rampa, 5/3, JAZ, 5:45p; AM, 4p: Saxophonist Archie Shepp long venture in avant-garde jazz includes working with Coltrane on A Love Supreme is joined by jazz vocalist Marion Rampa. Arrianne Keelen, 4/27, GOS, 11:15a: Vocalist, songwriter and Hurricane Katrina survivor. Her song “I Still Love You” landed her a spot as an amateur night contestant on “It’s Showtime at the Apollo.” Keelen won the grand prize in the “Dream New Orleans Talent Search.” Arthur and Friends Community Choir, 4/28, GOS, 1p: This New Roads, Louisiana-based gospel choir, founded by Arthur Gremillion, focuses on fostering a spirit of togetherness through music. Ashe Cultural Arts Center Kuumba Institute, 4/29, KID, 5:15p: This Central City community group brings storytelling, poetry, music, dance, photography and visual art to schools and neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. Astral Project, 5/5, JAZ, 2:50p: 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 nearly four decades. Audrey Ferguson and The Voices of Distinction, 5/6, GOS, 11:15a: The “traditional foot-stomping, handsJAZZ FEST 2 018

JAZZ FEST A-Z clapping gospel” of this Baton Rougebased quartet has been a Jazz Fest regular since before the storm. Aurora Nealand & The Royal Roses, 4/28, ECO, 3:05p: 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. Baby Boyz Brass Band, 4/28, PAR, 4:15p: The next generation of players from the Treme neighborhood. Leader and trumpeter Glenn Hall, III is often joined by Glen David Andrews. Bamboula 2000, 4/27, J&H, 1:40p; CEP, 11:30a: “Bamboula” was originally a form of drum and dance ceremony held in Congo Square. Bamboula 2000 leader Luther Gray brings that spirit into the present with a troupe of players and dancers. Bantam Foxes, 5/3, LAG, 5:40p: Twin brothers, Collin and Sam McCabe, from Saint Louis, now based in New Orleans, write romantic pop songs with giant arena hooks, from Raspberries to Weezer. There latest EP Pinball cut live in the studio contains thoughtful, moody pieces amplified by a post–White Stripes attack. Banu Gibson with guest Vince Giordano, 5/3, ECO, 4:25p: Singer/ dancer Gibson, a longtime staple of the New Orleans music scene, specializes in swing, hot jazz and the Great American Songbook. Barbara Shorts and Blue Jazz, 4/29, LAG, 11:30a: After years singing with the Gospel Soul Children, Shorts left to play Big Bertha Williams in “One Mo’ Time.” Shorts’ voice is powerful and deep and she often ends her shows with the spiritual “Down by the Riverside.” Batiste Fathers & Sons featuring Russell, Jamal, Ryan, Damon and David Batiste, 4/27, CON, 12:45p: The Batistes of New Orleans have had music in their blood for many generations. The family band includes David on the keyboard, Jamal, Ryan and Russell on drums and percussion, with Damon on vocals. BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, 4/27, FDD, 1:45p: Fiddler Doucet’s venerable Cajun band was the first of its genre to win a Grammy in 1998; their latest effort From Bamako to Carencro explores eclectic influences from West African music to James Brown and beyond. Beck, 5/4, ACU, 5:25p: You name it and Beck’s done it, from the teen-angst sendup “Loser” to the heartfelt countryrock on Sea Change to the sparling California pop of his latest, Colors. One of the few artists that indie-rock hipsters, old-school roots rockers and the danceclub crowd have in common. The Bester Gospel Singers with The Dynamic Smooth Family

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Gospel Singers, 4/27, GOS, 12:10p: A cappella gospel harmonies are the specialty of The Bester Singers, a Slidell, Louisiana-based group. Evangelist Rosa Lee Smooth founded the Dynamic Smooth Family group three decades ago, and her daughter Cynthia Smooth Plummer now leads the group. Better Than Ezra, 5/5, GEN, 2:05p: 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, 5/4, GOS, 1:55p; AM, 3:30p: 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, 5/4, J&H, 12:30p: Coming out of the Carrollton neighborhood each year since 1995, this tribe is led by Big Chief “Bird.” Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias, 5/5, J&H, 4:55p: 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 Donald Harrison, 4/27, CON, 2:10p: Saxophonist Harrison is a New Orleans Renaissance man who has explored reggae, funk and Mardi Gras Indian music through the filter of jazz. His 2011 album This is Jazz featured Billy Cobham and Ron Carter. Big Chief Juan & Jockimo’s Groove, 4/27, J&H, 4:20p: 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 Kevin Goodman & the Flaming Arrows, 4/29, J&H, 11:20a: Singer and Big Chief Kevin Goodman, who’s called Austin home since evacuating during Hurricane Katrina, leads this tribe and stage band Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & The Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, J&H, 3:05p: 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, near-psychedelic territory. Big Chief Trouble & Trouble Nation Mardi Gras Indians, 5/5, PAR, 12:55p: This tribe’s Big Chief Markeith Tero also rolls with the Revolution SA&PC. Big Freedia, 4/28, CON, 2:10p: The self-professed Queen Diva put

bounce music on the map nationally with her quick-fire rhymes, sweatinducing rhythms and booty-shaking grooves. Come see her preview new music as she gears up for her first-ever label release on June 1. Big Nine SA & PC, 4/27, : Listen for cries of “way downtown” on the parade from this social aid and pleasure club. Big Sam’s Funky Nation, 5/3, ACU, 3:35p: 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 Steppers SA & PC, 4/29, PAR, 1:30p: Steppers hold one of the season’s most popular Sunday parades. Bill Kirchen, 5/6, AM, 1:55p; LAG, 3:15p: Rockabilly guitarist singer songwriter was as member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen for many years. A pioneer of the format Americana he is the founding father of the “twangcore movement” which includes Dave Alvin, Wilco and Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys. Bill Summers & Jazalsa, 4/8, GE, 7:15p: 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, 4/29, PAR, 11:50a: This 7th Ward-based tribe has been masking Indian for more than 20 years. Black Fool Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/27, PAR, 12:30p: One of the newer Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Black Mohawk Mardi Gras Indians, 4/27, PAR, 12:30p: Big Chief Byron Thomas leads this Mardi Gras Indian parade. Black Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians, 4/27, PAR, 2:45p: This popular tribe was led by Cyril “Big Chief Ironhorse” Green until his unexpected passing in 2013. Blind Boys of Alabama, 5/3, BLU, 5:45p: One of the greatest and most renowned gospel groups, the group was initially formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in Talladega, Alabama. They’ve been a Jazz Fest favorite since the early days, and recent decades have brought collaborations with mainstream stars (Peter Gabriel, Prince) plus a locallythemed and recorded album, Down in New Orleans. The two surviving founders, Jimmy Carter and Clarence Fountain, are still in the lineup. Blodie’s Jazz Jam, 5/5, 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 who will be on the Fair Grounds that day.

Bobby Lounge, 5/6, LAG, 5:40p: A one-of-a-kind mix of barrelhouse piano, Tom Waitsian poetics, Southerngothic storytelling and just plain outthere-ness. Bobby Rush, 4/27, BLU, 5:50p; AM, 3:45p: The wild Louisiana bluesman’s rediscovery has been a great thing to see. Two years ago he got a long-overdue boxed set and cut his first above-ground album, Porcupine Meat for Rounder, at age 82. His catalogue includes 1971’s classic “Chicken Heads,” easily the greatest song on that topic, plus some loopy disco-funk sides from later that decade. At OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Awards in 2017, he showed up to do two songs and left the stage an hour later. Bonerama, 4/28, GEN, 2:40p: What began as a novelty—a multitrombone 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 Deadassociated “Turn On Your Love Light” are full-tilt affairs. Bonnie Raitt, 4/28, ACU, 3:30p: 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. Bonsoir, Catin, 5/3, FDD, 1:35p: This Cajun music supergroup features rhythm guitarist Christine Balfa (a founder of the Louisiana Folk Roots organization), accordionist Kristi Guillory, fiddle expert Anya Burgess, Feufollet vocalist Ashley Hayes, electric guitarist Meagan Berard, and drummer Danny Devillier. The Bounce featuring New Cupid, 5th Ward Weebie, DJ Jubilee, Partners-N-Crime, and Ricky B with DJ Raj Smoove, 5/5, CON, 1:45p: Bounce progenitors Partners-N-Crime will be joined by fellow icons DJ Jubilee, 5th Ward Webbie and Ricky B, who together will put on a historic New Orleans rap show. Joining them are Lafayette’s New Cupid and veteran hip-hop DJ, Raj Smoove. Boyfriend, 5/5, GEN, 12:45p: Part rapper and part performance artist, Boyfriend’s “rap cabaret” shows are entertaining and intellectuallyengaging experiences that make destroying gender norms fun for everyone. Brian Seeger’s Organic Trio, 5/4, JAZ, 12:20p: A jazz guitarist with a lyrical touch, Seeger has played with Aaron Neville, Stanton Moore and Davell Crawford and currently teaches at UNO. The Organic Trio includes Paul Witigen on drums and Jean-Yves Jung on the Hammond B3.

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Brother Tyrone & the Mindbenders, 4/29, BLU, 11:15a: Tyrone Pollard, a.k.a. Brother Tyrone, is a deep-soul vocalist whose original songs could pass for long-lost vinyl tracks. Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, 5/4, AM, 11:30a; FDD, 1:45p: A New Orleans-reared Cajun, this selftaught accordion player has hosted the Sunday Cajun session at Tipitina’s for decades and the Maple Leaf before that. Buddy Guy, 5/6, BLU, 5:40p: Equal parts fire and soul fuel of this Louisianaborn 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, 5/6, PAR, 2:35p: The Buffalo Hunters tribe is led by Big Chief Spoon. Butler Bernstein & The Hot 9, 4/28, JAZ, 2:40p: New Orleans singer and pianist Henry Butler is joined by New York trumpeter and arranger Steven Bernstein. Bernstein’s charts are, like Henry’s playing, often joyfully raucous. Think of Ray Charles’ Big Band with more unhinged piano. C.C. Adcock + The Lafayette Marquis, 5/4, GEN, 11:20a; 5/6 AM, 3:55p: A bona fide

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South Louisiana icon, the multitalented, free-wheeling CC Adcock has earned Grammy nods as a composer for film and is considered one of the finest present-day players of the swamp-rock sound, melding the electric blues, zydeco and Cajun styles. C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, 5/4, BLU, 4:15p: Zydeco king Clifton Chenier’s son has long emerged as a bandleader in his own right. His 2011 album, Can’t Sit Down has a killer version of Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands.” Caesar Brothers FunkBox, 5/3, J&H, 5:45p: Drummer Rickey and keyboardist Norman Caesar were born and raised in New Orleans’ uptown funk neighborhood. Related to the Nevilles by marriage—Cyril’s wife, Gaynielle Neville, is their aunt. There musical roots—the funk and Mardi Gras Indian rhythms—run deep in their sound. Cage The Elephant, 5/5, GEN, 5:40p: A modern-day alternative band whose roots are solidly in the ’90s, harking back to the Pixies’ guitar outbursts and the Manchester bands’ rhythms and harmonies. They have something in common with Dr. John (and the Pretenders), in that they’ve both been produced in recent years by Black Keys wunderkind Dan Auerbach.

Calexico, 5/6, FDD, 5:45p: Good on Jazz Fest for having this creative Americana cult band back for a second time (they debuted in 2013). Formed by ex-Giant Sand multiinstrumentalists Joey Burns and John Convertino, Calexico blends jazz, Latin and country into a cinematic sound that’s been dubbed “desert noir,” the new album The Thread That Keeps Us draws its lyrical themes from immigration politics and its human effects. They can also rock out, as the YouTube video of the 2013 Fest’s “See You Later Alligator” amply proves. Calliope Puppets, 5/3, KID, 11:30a: Humor and satire are priorities in performances by this Louisiana-based puppetry group, which features hand-carved and sculpted puppets. Calvin Johnson’s Native Son – Stories of Sidney Bechet featuring Aurora Nealand and Brian “Breeze” Cayolle, 4/27, ECO, 4:20p; CEP, 2:10p: Saxophonists Calvin Johnson, Aurora Nealand and Brian “Breeze” Cayolle pay tribute to New Orleans saxophonist and clarinetist Sidney Bechet. Caren Green & Cornbread, 5/4, CON, 11:20a: Caren Green is a native New Orleanian who began singing in church at the age of four. Her

JAZZ FEST A-Z influences include Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Ella Fitzgerald. She’s an inspired singer of jazz, soul, classical and hip-hop. Cha Wa, 4/28, J&H, 6p: Veteran Mardi Gras Indians (J’Wan Boudreaux) and local musicians (Joe Gelini, Thaddeus “Peanut” Ramsey, Clifton “Spug” Smith, Ari Teitel, Haruka Kikuchi, Eric Gordon) perform a mix of groove-soaked funk and soul. Chakra and Omosede Children’s Dance Theatre, 4/29, KID, 11:30a: The children’s segment of Chakra Dance Theatre is called Omosede an African term that means “a child is worth more than a king.” Their shows include West African and Haitian Dance folkloric and Vodoun performances. Charles Lloyd & the Marvels with special guest Lucinda Williams, 4/28, JAZ, 4:15p: Lyrical tenor saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd is joined with Louisiana’s Lucinda Williams. The two have recently performed together Bob Dylan’s song “Master of War.” See feature in this issue. Charlie Wilson, 4/29, CON, 5:20p: Long a fixture at Jazz Fest and the Essence Festival, Wilson was the voice on the Gap Band’s funk classics “Early in the Morning” and “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.” His live

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JAZZ FEST A-Z show includes plenty of hits and some testifying about the personal trials he’s overcome. Charmaine Neville Band, 5/5, BLU, 12:15p: 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, 5/3, PAR, 3:45p: This Mardi Gras Indian tribe takes its name after one of the most famous tribes of the Great Plains. Chief Howard Miller with the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Rhythm Section, 5/6, J&H, 11:20a: Big Chief Howard Miller is a member of the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians. He has been celebrated with OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Chilluns with Cranston and Annie Clements, Dave, Johnny, and Darcy Malone, Spencer and Andre Bohren, 4/28, GEN, 1:30p: The “Chilluns” showcase is being picked up from Tipitina’s which presented the program last December. This two-generation show will feature the Malones (siblings Johnny and Darcy of Darcy Malone and the Tangle and father Dave Malone of the Radiators), the Clements (daughter Annie Clements of Sugarland and father Cranston), and the Bohrens (father Spencer and son Andre). Chocolate Milk, 4/29, CON, 3:25p: Inspired by the music of Kool & the Gang, saxophonist Amadee Castenell formed this funk, soul and disco outfit in the late ‘70s in New Orleans. They went on to replace the Meters as Allen Toussaint’s house band before breaking up in 1983. Their occasional reunion shows are a treat for old school soul-loving Fest-goers. The Chosen Ones Brass Band, 5/3, PAR, 12:30p: The rock-steady members of the nine-piece Chosen Ones bring a hip hop-infused, highenergy style to traditional New Orleans back beats and horn sections. Chris Clifton & His All-Stars, 4/29, ECO, 11:15a: 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. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, 4/27, JAZ, 2:50p: 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 and the Bayou Swamp Band, 4/27, FDD, 3:10p: This third-generation bandleader won the last Best Zydeco or Cajun Album Grammy for Zydeco Junkie in 2010.

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He teamed up with Chris Ardoin for his latest album, Back To My Roots. The City of Love Music & Worship Arts Choir, 4/29, GOS, 6:05p: Singers from New Orleans’ City of Love ministry perform as part of the group’s arts focus. Clay Parker & Jodi James, 5/3, LAG, 11:30a: Clay Parker and Jodi James are an acoustic duo from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The pair’s use of dense harmony-singing and subtle musical arrangements indelibly binds them to the tradition of singersongwriters and positions them well in the folk roots and Americana strains of country music. Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders Butch Thompson, 4/27, ECO, 5:45p: 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. Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, J&H, 11:15a: Big Chief Keith Keke Gibson leads this Ninth Ward gang, performing traditionals like “Indian Red” and Monk Boudreaux’s “Lighting and Thunder.” Common, 4/28, CON, 3:45p: The Oscar-winning rapper and Chicago native has been releasing classic rap music since the early 1990s and is now a global hip-hop ambassador in philanthropy, film and more. Connie & Dwight Fitch with the St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great Choir, 5/5, GOS, 12:05p: 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 Corey Henry & Treme Funktet, 5/5, CON, 12:30p: Galactic trombonist Henry’s highly energetic funk band has quickly become one of the must-see groups around town in the last few years. Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band, 4/27, FDD, 6:05p: Ledet was already two years into his music career when he switched from drums to accordion at age 12. He released his latest work, Standing on Faith, last March. Cowboy Mouth, 5/5, ACU, 3:50p: They’ve been on the road for 26 years and counting, and still tend to pull out the stops for Fest shows. Go ahead and knock them for working so hard to be inspiring: If Fred LeBlanc, John Thomas Griffith and the newer guys get it right, by the end of the set you’ll be jumping in the air waving your fists to “Jenny Says” along with everybody else. Are you with me? Craig Adams & Higher Dimensions of Praise, 5/6, GOS, 5:10p: Hammond player and Houston/ New Orleans native Adams leads this dynamic, 16-piece gospel group The Creole Jazz Serenaders with Don Vappie, 4/29, ECO, 12:30p:

Vappie is both a fine player and a scholar of the jazz banjo tradition, steeped in the music of King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton and performing it with the original Creole inflections. He’s lately been playing the Sunday brunches and Friday happy hours at Brennan’s in the French Quarter. Creole Osceolas Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, PAR, 3:20p: Big Chief Clarence Dalcour, who counts Bo Dollis as an early Indian mentor, leads this downtown tribe. Creole String Beans, 4/28, FDD, 1:40p: 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 similarly-styled originals. Crescent City Lights Youth Theater, 4/28, KID, 5:15p: 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, 5/6, KID, 5:15p: Founded in 1988, this New Orleans-based company has toured the US and performed for Winnie Mandela. Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, 5/5, AM, 2:15p; FDD, 4:20p: After getting his start as a drummer with Cajun country music stars like Steve Riley and CJ Chenier, Taylor switched to accordion and launched a successful career as a bandleader. His bluesinfused sound is a staple on the Lafayette and Opelousas zydeco scenes. Curtis Pierre with The Samba Kids, 5/6, KID, 11:30a: The selfprofessed “samba king of New Orleans” leads the Afro-Brazilian troupe he founded in 1987 on a series of parades and performances. Cynthia Girtley’s Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, 4/29, CEP, 11:30a; AM, 2:30p: This jazz-inspired singer/ keyboardist is influenced by Mahalia Jackson, for whom she’s performed tributes. Cyril Neville’s Swamp Funk featuring Omari Neville & The Fuel, 5/3, CON, 2:30p: 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. Da Knockaz Brass Band, 5/6, PAR, 4:20p: Formed in 2014, this eight-piece act plays contemporary brass band music, traditional New Orleans jazz and go-go funk. Da Souljas Brass Band, 4/29, PAR, 2:25p: This next-generation brass band plays in the hot, modern style that makes a second line roll.

Da Truth Brass Band, 4/29, PAR, 1:30p: 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. Dancing Grounds Youth Showcase, 4/27, KID, 5:15p: The showcase will include a hip hop and modern dance performances. Dancing Grounds is a nonprofit community arts organization that provides dance education in New Orleans. Darcy Malone & The Tangle, 5/4, ACU, 12:35p: Led by the daughter of the Radiators’ Dave Malone, husbandand-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. Davell Crawford, 4/27, ACU, 2:15p: Grandson of the late New Orleans R&B great James “Sugarboy” Crawford, Davell is an energetic singer/keyboardist drawing from R&B, jazz and gospel. Expect richly soulful renditions of tunes from his 2016 release, Piano in the Vaults, Vol. 1, mixed with a few of his favorite standards. David & Roselyn, 4/27, KID, 4:10p: Local duo David Leonard and Roselyn Lionheart’s blues and jazz sounds have been a French Quarter staple for years. They’ve also performed on the Smithsonian Institute’s PBS “River of Song” documentary. David Byrne, 4/29, GEN, 5:30p: The former Talking Heads leader has long topped many peoples’ lists of artists who needed to play the Fest. He’s proved an ace musicologist with his long string of collaborations, including a ’90s touring band that included George Porter Jr. on bass. His latest album American Utopia is one of his periodic returns to the Talking Heads style. Deacon John, 5/5, BLU, 4:15p: 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 like Aaron Neville’s “Tell It Like It Is” and Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother-InLaw.” Delbert McClinton & Self Made Men, 5/5, BLU, 5:45p: Texas singersongwriter and multi-instrumentalist McClinton joined forces with his ‘70sera sometime-sidekick Glen Clark for 2013’s Blind, Crippled and Crazy, a hardscrabble rocker of an album full of blues, honky-tonk piano and heart. Delfeayo Marsalis presents the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, 4/28, JAZ, 6:05p: The trombonist, composer and producer recently intrigued with his release Make America Great Again!, his energetic UJO sets balance humor and fun with tight ensemble interplay and memorable solos.

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Delgado Community College Jazz Ensemble, 5/3, JAZ, 11:15a: This modern jazz and big bandfocused student ensemble hails from the emerging music program at the city’s largest community college. Denisia & Back Row, 5/5, CON, 11:20a: New Orleans singer songwriter Denisia’s music will bring you through an eclectic collaboration of R&B, dance, pop, and inspirational sounds that crossover all genres. The Deslondes, 4/27, GEN, 11:20a: 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. Dianne Reeves, 5/5, JAZ, 4:15p: A superior jazz singer who’s largely avoided pop crossovers, Reeves is known for her elegant scat singing along with her affinity for a good lyric. Initially a session singer, she worked with Sergio Mendes and Harry Belafonte before starting her solo career in the early ’80s. She’s now working on a follow up to 2014’s ambitious Beautiful Life, made with a diverse cast including producer Toni Lynn Carrington.

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Dillard University’s VisionQuest Gospel Chorale, 4/27, GOS, 6:10p: 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, 4/27, CON, 3:35p: This band was formed in 1977 by Benny Jones and introduced bebop and funk into the brass band sound They’ve continued to evolve by adding drum kit and electric guitar. Divine Ladies SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 11:50a: This Uptown social aid and pleasure club’s annual parades generally kick off in serious style at St. Charles and Jackson Avenues. DJ Captain Charles, 5/6, CON, 3:05p; CON, 4:45p: The selfproclaimed “most renowned DJ in New Orleans,” Captain Charles has been fortifying his music collection for more than 20 years. DJ Kelly Green, 4/28, CON, 3:20p; CON, 5:05p: Baton Rouge DJ started playing music when she was 6 years old. In addition to DJing, Green produces music and hosts a radio show at Baton Rouge’s MAX 94.1. Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, 5/6, LAG, 11:30a: Students from this Kidd Jordan-directed, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundationsponsored free music program.

Don Vappie, 5/4, AM, 12p: An eclectic banjo player and singer, 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. Don Vappie’s Tribute to King Oliver, 5/4, CEP, 1:40p; ECO, 4:20p: Don Vappie’s tribute to Joe “King” Oliver, cornetist and famed pioneer of early New Orleans music. See feature in this issue. Donald Lewis, 5/4, KID, 4:10p: Local actor and educator Lewis teaches drama and storytelling and performs regularly with the group Young Audiences of Louisiana. Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, 5/4, ECO, 12:35p: 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. Doug Kershaw & Friends, 4/29, FDD, 4:30p; AM, 1:30p: It’s surprising that this venerable artist, now a spry 82, hasn’t made more Fest appearances. He was one of the first Cajun musicians to cross over, recording the classic “Louisiana Man” in 1961 (Bet you didn’t know that

JAZZ FEST A-Z the Hollies, Dave Edmunds and Jan & Dean all covered it). The hippies discovered Kershaw when he played the Fillmore, even opening for Derek & the Dominos there. Dr. Brice Miller & Mahogany Brass Band, 4/29, J&H, 5:45p: 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. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band featuring Thais Clark, 4/29, ECO, 3p: 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. Dr. Michael White Tribute to Billie & Dee Dee Pierce featuring Cynthia Girtley, 5/6, ECO, 4:20p: 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.

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Clark, his regular Jazz Fest guest, adds a vocal component to the set. Dumaine St. Gang SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 11:50a: 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, 4/29, FDD, 6:05p: This second-generation accordion slinger carries on the blues-infused style of his dad Dopsie Sr., often with a whole lot of added speed and volume. The East Pointers of Canada, 5/5, AM, 12:15p; FDD, 2:55p; CEP, 4:45p: The East Pointers are a folk music group from Prince Edward Island. The group has won several awards including Ensemble of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle Orleans, 5/3, KID, 12:40p: Founded in 1998, Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle Orleans provides multilingual education accredited by the French government and the State of Louisiana. Ed Volker and Los Reyes de Lagardo, 4/28, LAG, 5:35p: 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. E’Dana, 5/5, GOS, 1p: Gospel singer and stage actress E’Dana has been touring and recording since she was 15. She hits the Fairgrounds with her Louisiana-based group, Divinely Destin. Eddie Cotton, 4/28, BLU, 12:15p: Eddie Cotton is an electric blues guitarist from Clinton, Mississippi. He grew up singing and playing gospel music at church and playing the music of blues legends, especially B.B. King. Eleanor McMain Singing Mustangs, 5/3, GOS, 11:15a: 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, 4/29, GOS, 12:05p: Keep an ear peeled for this Marrero, Louisianabased group’s rendition of “Walk Around Heaven,” featuring a soloist whose falsetto voice won’t preclude him from topping out on the tune’s highest-register notes. Ellis Marsalis Center for Music Jazz Ensemble, 4/27, KID, 3p: Located in the Musicians’ Village, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music offers opportunities for underserved children, youth, and musicians. The Center provides afterschool and Saturday music lessons for children ages 7-18. The students in the Ensemble practice once a week for 90 minutes and perform a varied repertoire that explores all genres of jazz, from traditional New Orleans music to the

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music of the Swing Era and the Blues. Ellis Marsalis, 5/6, JAZ, 1:30p: The premier pianist, educator and patriarch of one of the city’s top musical families is still an active performer who you can hear every Friday at Snug Harbor and at other venues around the city. EmiSunshine, 5/5, LAG, 12:40p; KID, 4:10p: The 13-year-old East Tennessee Appalachian music prodigy has captured the nation’s attention as a phenomenon with her exceptional talents. A singer songwriter and multiinstrumentalist is influenced by Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker and the Louvin Brothers. Her CD Ragged Dreams was released last August. Eric Lindell, 4/27, GEN, 12:30p: 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 country-influenced edges of Louisiana roots rock. Erica Falls, 4/29, CON, 12:30p: This soulful New Orleans R&B vocalist has sung with Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas but her chops—and songwriting skills—warrant recognition on their own merit. Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, 5/5, KID, 3p: The long-running Eulenspiegel features marionettes, shadow puppets and huge parade puppets in its live music-centric performances. Evangelist Jackie Tolbert, 5/3, GOS, 5:10p: Baton Rouge native who relocated to New Orleans and now lives in Oakland, California spreads the message of the Gospel through song. The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson, 4/28, BLU, 5:45p; AM, 3:30p: Still more than tuff enuff, singer and harmonica man Kim Wilson has been this Texas blues-rock institution afloat through a couple dozen lineups: Star guitarist Jimmie Vaughan is long gone, but the spirit of the original band continues with Austin guitar slinger Johnny Moeller in his slot. Family Ties SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 11:50a: This popular Social Aid and Pleasure Club is based downtown, generally strutting down Basin Street on its annual Sunday parade. Fess Up: A Professor Longhair Centennial Celebration with Pat Byrd, Jon Cleary, Reggie Scanlan, Uganda Roberts and Polly Waring interviewed by Ben Sandmel, 4/29, AM, 12:30a: New Orleans blues singer and pianist Professor Longhair is discussed. Feufollet, 5/5, FDD, 1:35p: This Grammy-nominated crew of young Cajun musicians helmed by Chris Stafford recently expanded their sound by adding violinist, singer songwriter, Kelli Jones-Savoy, who co-wrote much of their 2015 release, Two Universes, and keyboardist Andrew Toups. Fi Yi Yi & the Mandingo Warriors, 5/5, J&H, 11:15a; AM,

Photo: josh brasted

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Marcia Ball FRIDAY, MAY 4—GENTILLY STAGE, 1:35 P.M.

arcia Ball fans will be thrilled this Jazz Fest by the material from her great new record, Shine Bright. “We’re going to be playing some stuff from it,” says Ball. “It was recorded down in Lafayette with Roddy Romero and Yvette Landry and Leon Zeno on bass who’s Buckwheat’s bass player, a bunch of Lafayette-area musicians. It’s got nine original and co-written songs, one Ernie K-Doe cover, ‘When the Mardi Gras Is Over,’ and a Jesse Winchester song called ‘Take a Little Louisiana With You Everywhere You Go’.” Ball, a Gulf Coast native with roots in both east Texas and west Louisiana, has been a fixture on the New Orleans scene for many years, a regular at local clubs dating back to the 1980s. “Those were the heydays,” she laughs. “Playing Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest, playing every night—the Maple Leaf, Jimmy’s, Tipitina’s, the Rock ‘n’ Bowl, every night, playing all night. Some fun stuff.” Ball wrote a song about those heady days, “That’s Enough of That Stuff,” that is one of the best tributes to the New Orleans party scene ever penned. “That was truly my homage,” she says. “Most of the music that I write is in tribute to Allen Toussaint. He’s the touchstone I work from. My new record is dedicated to Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint and Buckwheat Zydeco. I’m playing Piano Night on the Monday and Wednesday I’m playing with Joe Krown and Tom McDermott at Snug, and I’m doing an in-store Wednesday afternoon, just me and my horn player, at Louisiana Music Factory.” Ball is unique in her ability to represent both New Orleans and Austin, Texas musically, playing in both places frequently and embracing a shared musical aesthetic that comes through loud and clear on new songs like “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That” and “I’m Glad I Did What I Did.” “I live in Austin and I am deeply rooted in Louisiana through my relations,” she says. “It’s been great, really. Being a songwriter in Austin gives me so much inspiration. There are a few people like me who have walked this line. One of my biggest influences in Austin was Doug Sahm. He drew no line when it came to music. It was all the same to him. All the way from Mobile to San Antonio, that music is all the same. The West Side Horns in San Antonio and the Boogie King horns in the Golden Triangle, Deacon John’s horn section in New Orleans, all those guys are working off the same ideas. That music is so much the same. “I credit Doug with opening every door for me. Introducing me to Jerry Wexler... Doug had this unerring instinct of knowing what was gonna be cool. And he was there. And then he took over of course.” —John Swenson www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z 3:15p: 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 Division SA & PC, 4/29, PAR, 2:25p: An esteemed branch of the historic Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association. First Emanuel Baptist Church Mass Choir, 4/28, GOS, 5:10p: This choir is based in the Central City Church on Carondelet Street and is one of New Orleans’ most celebrated church singing groups. Flow Tribe, 5/6, GEN, 11:15a: “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, 4/27, J&H, 5:45p: 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.” Free Spirit Brass Band, 4/27, PAR, 4p: A local festival favorite, the young and heavy-hitting Free Spirits are known for a bringing a rock edge

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to the typical brass-band sound that proves a dance-friendly fan favorite. The Furious Five SA & PC, 4/29, PAR, 1:30p: 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. Gal Holiday, 5/3, GEN, 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, 5/6, ACU, 1:45p: Brass band elements, old-school soul and hard rock figure as prominently as the funk these long-running jamband scene stalwarts are known for; their high-energy Fest sets often feature a little percussion lagniappe in the form of Mike Dillon. Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, 5/6, FDD, 12:20p: Originally the drummer in his late father John Delafose’s band, Geno took to accordion and became a popular bandleader specializing in countrystyled zydeco, when not raising horses and cattle at his Double D Ranch outside Eunice, la.

George Benson, 4/29, JAZ, 5:40p: The singer/guitarist practically invented crossover jazz with his smash 1976 album Breezin’. His music remains a mix of jazz and smooth R&B. Benson invited New Orleans’ Wynton Marsalis to play on his 2 album, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole. George French & the New Orleans Storyville Jazz Band, 5/6, 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, 5/6, GEN, 1:40p: 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, 5/5, ECO, 5:45p: 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. Germaine Bazzle, 5/4, JAZ, 2:50p: This locally prized jazz singer

JAZZ FEST A-Z 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 honored her 50-plus-years of work in music education with awards. GIVERS, 4/27, ACU, 12:50p: This Lafayette-based indie-pop five-piece creates shimmering melodies that have a way of splintering off into unusual rhythms. The long-awaited follow-up to In Light is due out later this year. Glen David Andrews and the Treme Choir, 5/4, GOS, 2:50p: 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 the number one album of 2014 by OffBeat Magazine. Here, he explores his gospel roots with a full choir. Glen David Andrews, 5/6, BLU, 1:30p: Andrews performs material from his go-to repertoire. Glenn Hartman & The Earthtones present Polka & Cajun Connection, 5/4, KID, 5:15p: Accordion player Glenn Hartman is a native of California who moved to New Orleans at the age of 18 to study and play music.

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Go Getters SA & PC, 4/27, 4p: A downtown-based Social Aid & Pleasure Club. Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians, 5/4, PAR, 12:20p: One of the most in-demand young Indian vocalists, Big Chief Juan Pardo, leads this uptown Indian tribe. Golden Sioux Mardi Gras Indians, 4/27, PAR, 2:45p: Mardi Gras Indian parade. Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys, 5/3, FDD, 11:15a: 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. Good Fellas SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 12:25p: Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade. The Gospel Inspirations of Boutte, 5/4, 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, Louisiana. The Gospel Soul of Irma Thomas, 5/6, GOS, 3:55p: If you heard 1993’s Walk Around Heaven, you know how stirring Thomas can be as a gospel singer. She 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. Grayhawk presents Native American Lore, 5/4, KID, 12:40p: This Houma, Louisiana resident shares stories from his Choctaw heritage. Gregg Stafford & His Young Tuxedo Brass Band, 5/5, ECO, 3:05p: Trumpeter Stafford made his Bourbon Street performing debut in 1970; he has led the Young Tuxedo Brass Band for over three decades. Gregg Stafford’s Jazz Hounds, 4/28, ECO, 4:25p: Stafford’s other traditional New Orleans jazz ensemble, the Jazz Hounds, have been under his direction since the death of Danny Barker in 1984. Grupo Sensacion, 4/28, J&H, 12:15p: Jaime Perez and Yenima Rojas founded this energetic, panLatin ensemble in 2006 after working together in Ritmo Caribeno; both their members and their influences span a variety of Latin American countries Hard Head Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/6, J&H, 5:50p: This Mardi Gras Indian tribe hails from the 7th Ward. Harmonouche with Raphael Bas, 5/3, CEP, 11:30a; AM, 2p: Guitarist and harmonica player Raphael Bas grew up in Bourges, France. His major musical influences are Django Reinhardt, Manitas De Plata and Paco De Lucia. Since immigrating to the United States he has played many genres including blues, flamenco, funk, reggae, and various types of jazz.

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Harris Family Cajun Band, 4/29, KID, 4:10p: From Breaux Bridge, Louisiana the Harris family are Georgie Mae on accordion, Mary on fiddle and vocals and Peter on guitar. Helen Gillet, 4/29, LAG, 1:50p: This Belgium-born cellist and singer perform avant-garde jazz and French chansons with gusto. She’s become a cornerstone of the city’s music scene in recent years, lending her skills to multiple improvisational projects. Henry Butler & The Jambalaya Band, 4/29, BLU, 3p: 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 to his deeply funky and jazz-influenced sense of blues piano. Though he was diagnosed with cancer earlier last year, the staple pianist continues to perform. Herbert McCarver & The Pin Stripe Brass Band, 5/4, J&H, 1:30p: 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. Heritage Allstar Brass Band feat. Dr. Michael White and Gregg Stafford, 5/6, CEP, 2:10p: This allstar brass band features clarinetist Dr. Michael White and trumpeter Gregg Stafford. Hezekiah Walker, 4/29, GOS, 3:55p: Grammy nominated Brooklyn New York born gospel singer Hezekiah Walker has recorded with the Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. Walker is sometimes referred to as “the Hip-Hop Pastor” due to the number of highprofile secular hip-hop recording artists who attend his church, such as Lil’ Kim and Sean “Diddy” Combs. High Steppers Brass Band, 5/5, J&H, 6:05p: This young local brass band mixes traditional New Orleans brass sounds with plenty of hip-hop influences. Higher Heights Reggae, 5/3, CON, 12:15p: Performing an array of Studio One classics and other hits, this New Orleans-based reggae act is a staple of Frenchmen Street’s small but growing reggae scene. Hiss Golden Messenger, 5/4, FDD, 4:30p: From Durham, North Carolina MC Taylor leads this alternative country band. The band’s main influences include the Beatles, the Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield. The band has been compared to Will Oldham and Bill Callahan. Honey Island Swamp Band, 5/3, GEN, 2:35p: 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, 4/28, ACU, 12:30p: 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, touring worldwide. Their last album, On The Spot, was released last year. Hot Club of New Orleans, 5/4, LAG, 5:35p: 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. Hot Rize, 5/3, FDD, 4:25p: Hot Rize is a bluegrass band that was established in 1978. The band issued six studio albums before they disbanded in 1990. That year they received the first Entertainer of the Year Award issued by the International Bluegrass Music Association. They reunited and are back touring. The band often incorporates a performance as a Western swing band called Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers. The Iguanas, 5/6, FDD, 2:55p: 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, 4/29, GEN, 11:20a: 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, 5/5, LAG, 11:30a: Born into a family of street musicians, Ingrid Lucia sang with the family band, the Flying Neutrinos, from age 8. Her voice is sometimes compared to Billie Holiday, but Lucia’s delivery is upbeat and naughty. Her CD, Living the Life is one of her best. Irish Day St. Patrick’s Day Marching Club, 4/29, PAR, 4:10p: Marching club. Irma Thomas, 4/29, ACU, 3:40p: 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. Isabel Davis, 5/3, GOS, 12:05p: From San Antonio, Texas gospel vocalist Isabel Davis currently resides in New Orleans. Her album The Call reached number three on Billboard’s Top Gospel Album Chart. ISL Circus Arts Kids, 5/3, KID, 5:15p: Students from the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans make up this young group of acrobats, stilt walkers and clowns. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, 5/5, ACU, 2:25p: The well-travelled keyboardist makes some of the deepest funk of his career with this band, which features two bass guitars, giving it a seriously fat bottom.

J. Monque’D Blues Revue, 5/3, BLU, 12:20p: The song and album title “Chitlin Eatin’ Music” best describes the output of this longtime harmonica wailer and Uptown character. Jack Johnson, 4/28, GEN, 5:40p: A surfer dude who made good, Jack Johnson is the king of laid-back acoustic rock. He found his perfect outlet with his soundtrack to the Curious George movie, which not only captured the charm of those kids’ books but put him on top of the charts. An environmental activist in recent years, he’s worked with other concerned types like Eddie Vedder and Jackson Browne on benefit projects. Jack White, 5/6, ACU, 3:35p: The former White Stripes mastermind is on a roll these days. His third solo album Boarding House Reach, which dropped last month with little warning, jumps all over the map—along with his usual manic rockers there are nods to psychedelia, Prince and arena rock, plus a spoken word track (which appears in three different versions, depending on where you bought the album). If he can pull it all off live, his could be one of this year’s most creative big-name sets. And like the movie that he appeared in said, it might get loud. Jake Shimabukuro, 4/27, FDD, 4:40p; AM, 2:45p: Virtuoso ukulele player inspired by flamenco guitar master Carlos Montoya. See feature in this issue. Jamaican Me Breakfast Club, 5/3, LAG, 1:50p: A band that plays new wave radio hits from the ’80s in reggae style. The band includes members from Tank and the Bangas, Trumpet Mafia, the Revealers and the Ellis Marsalis Quartet. Jambalaya Cajun Band presents a Tribute to DL Menard with Larry Menard, 4/29, 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, 5/4, BLU, 2:50p; AM, 4:30p: 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, 5/5, JAZ, 1:40p: Perhaps the city’s only jazz/ funk saxophonist who doubles as a bagpipe player, Rivers was also known for a longtime (now discontinued) Sunday brunch at the Hilton, and for scoring Clint Eastwood’s The Bridges of Madison County. Jamil Sharif, 5/3, ECO, 1:45p: This local trumpeter studied with Ellis Marsalis at NOCCA and went on to do a number of soundtracks, including the

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JAZZ FEST A-Z Ray Charles biopic Ray, for which he was music coordinator. Jasen Weaver Band, 5/5, JAZ, 11:15a: Bassist Jasen Weaver attended New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. The music on his recently released debut CD The Voscoville was nearly all written and arranged by Weaver. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, 5/4, AM, 1:15p; ACU, 3:25p: Isbell used to be the X factor in the Drive-By Truckers, the third songwriter/guitarist and the youngest member. He’s covered much personal and musical ground since leaving that band, writing socially conscious countryrock that can take on the weightiest of topics. Which isn’t to say that he might not pull out “Whippin’ Post” (or a few DBT’s tunes) at the end of the set. Javier Olondo and AsheSon, 5/6, CEP, 11:30a; J&H, 3p: 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. Javier’s Dance Company presents Across the Border, 5/5, KID, 5:15p: Dancers from Javier’s Dance Studio in Slidell perform under the tutelage of Javier Juarez, Melissa Juarez and Muriel Santana. Jazz Funeral for Fats Domino: 4/28, PAR, 11:50a: Fats Domino, arguably the greatest ambassador of New Orleans music, one of the founders of rhythm and blues, as well as rock ’n’ roll passed away last October. Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, 5/6, CEP, 12:50p; FDD, 4:15p: Once a member of the funky Zydeco Force, singer/accordionist Broussard turns to old-school Creole and zydeco with this group. Jeremy Davenport, 5/3, JAZ, 1:35p: Schooled as the featured trumpeter in Harry Connick, Jr.’s band, this 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 Landrum & the Abundant Praise Revival Choir, 5/5, GOS, 2:50p: Landrum, the director of this New Orleans-based choir, has been leading gospel groups since the age of 9. Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, 4/28, BLU, 1:25p: From Los Angeles Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton is a vocalist and a multi-instrumentalist. Paxton’s style draws from blues and jazz and is influenced by Fats Waller and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Jesse McBride presents the Next Generation, 4/27, JAZ, 12:20p: Pianist Jesse McBride has led The Next Generation for more than ten years, taking over for his mentor Harold Battiste who passed away in

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2015. The Next Generation begun by Harold Battiste has been compared to Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in New Orleans. McBride remains focused on contemporary jazz performing compositions by Harold Battiste, James Black, Clyde Kerr Jr., Ellis Marsalis, Alvin “Red” Tyler and others. Jimmy Buffett and his Acoustic Airmen, 4/29, ACU, 5:30p: By now Buffett’s probably logged more Jazz Fest appearances than any other main-stage headliner. His fans have always maintained there’s a thoughtful songwriter behind the Parrothead aura, and the proof is usually there in his acoustic sets. Expect this one to be more about “A Pirate Looks at 40” than “Too Drunk to Karaoke.” JIVA-NOLA featuring Mehnaz Hoosein and Andrew McLean, 5/4, LAG, 12:40p: Joe Dyson, 5/6, JAZ, 12:20p: JIVA-NOLA is Mehnaz Hoosein on vocals and Andrew McLean on guitar. The group performs new and old compositions from popular Indian music. Joe Krown Trio featuring Walter Wolfman Washington, 5/3, BLU, 3:55p: 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 Lastie’s New Orleans Sound, 5/6, ECO, 11:15a: Preservation Hall Jazz Band drummer for 27 years, Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sounds fuses traditional and contemporary jazz. John Boutté, 5/6, JAZ, 2:40p: A local favorite with a high and haunting voice, Boutté 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.” John Lawrence and Ven Pa’ Ca Flamenco with guest Antonio Hildago of Spain, 5/4, CEP, 12:35p: This long-running flamenco ensemble led by guitarist Lawrence usually features saxophonist Rob Wagner with Dave Sobel on percussion, along with dancers. John Mahoney Big Band, 4/29, JAZ, 12:15p: Trombonist, pianist and Loyola music professor Mahoney leads this large modern jazz ensemble, featuring a slew of the city’s top horn players. John Mayall, 4/29, BLU, 5:45p: The British bluesman’s celebrated years with Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and the future Fleetwood Mac are only the tip of the iceberg; he’s played the blues with every kind of band from acoustic trios to horn-driven orchestras. Still remarkably spry at 84, he hits the Fest in one of his first gigs since adding Texas guitar slinger Carolyn Wonderland. See feature in this issue. JAZZ FEST 2 018

Photo: john dixon

JAZZ FEST A-Z

Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band FRIDAY, MAY 4—ECONOMY HALL TENT, 1:50 P.M.

olly, Marla, Julie, Haruka, Chloe, and Dizzy had all made their own names in jazz long before they came together to form one of the most talked about new bands this year: Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band. This all-female Frenchmen trad supergroup includes members of several established bands. Fans of the scene will recognize Marla Dixon’s powerful trumpet and vocals from Shotgun Jazz Band, the driving guitar of Molly Reeves from the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, the steady bass of Julie Schexnayder from the Loose Marbles as well as clarinet darling Chloe Feoranzo of Postmodern Jukebox, gutbucket trombonist Haruka Kikuchi, and washboard wiz Defne “Dizzy” Incirlioglu. The band played together for the first time inadvertently in summer 2016. “It was by accident really,” says clarinetist Chloe Feoranzo. “It was supposed to be a one-off gig that Shaye Cohn [of Tuba Skinny] called us for. There is this Girls Rock Camp over the summer that inspires girls of all ages to incorporate music into their lives. Being all women was never meant to be on purpose except for showing those young women that you can play any instrument no matter what gender you are.” It didn’t take long after that for the band to get attention. “I believe we got a couple gigs based on that performance,” says Julie Schexnayder, “so we just kept rolling from that point on, like ‘Hey, this is fun! We like each other! We got gigs! Let’s do this!’” Performances at the Dragon’s Den, Three Muses, the Spotted Cat and Preservation Hall were soon to follow. Last summer they were invited to the Umbria Jazz Festival and this year saw them at the Abita Springs Busker Festival and the Nevermore Jazz Ball in St Louis. Naturally, the girls have been conscious of the implications and hazards of having an all-female lineup. “We had to make a decision in the beginning if we wanted to move forward with the group because we knew that we would be defined as a ‘girl band’ and would receive special and/or unwanted attention because of that. Ultimately we decided to continue because the band sounds great, we are all friends, and we all share a passion for early jazz. These are the fundamental ingredients for a good band in my opinion,” says Molly Reeves. Shake ‘Em Up has just released their second album, A Woman’s Place, which is now available online through their website and at the Louisiana Music Factory. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

JAZZ FEST 2018

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JAZZ FEST A-Z John Mooney & Bluesiana, 5/3, BLU, 2:40p: 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, 4/28, KID, 3:05p: 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, 5/6, BLU, 11:15a: A multi-instrumentalist who draws from swamp-rock, blues and zydeco, Sansone has two aces in the hole: his songwriting and his gutshaking harmonica solos. Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, 4/29, ACU, 11:20a: Fronted by a cellist turned guitarist, they’re a funky rock band with a few gonzoid touches. The Johnson Extension, 4/28, GOS, 4:15p: New Orleans spiritual leader and matriarch Rev. Lois Dejean leads four generations of family members in sacred song. Jon Batiste with The Dap-Kings, 4/29, GEN, 3:30p: Long before he scored his prime gig as Stephen Colbert’s bandleader, Batiste was known here as a dazzling funk and jazz keyboardist who was open to modern pop and hip-hop influences. For this gig he teams with the crack Brooklyn funk band that formerly backed Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse. Jon Cleary, 4/27, GEN, 1:55p: Since moving over from the UK in the ‘80s, Cleary’s earned a place in the frontline of New Orleans singer/ keyboardists. He won a Grammy Award for his 2015 CD GoGo Juice. Jon Roniger and The Good For Nothin’ Band, 4/27, LAG, 11:30a: Making his debut at Jazz Fest, singer songwriter Jon Roniger plays with his quintet The Good for Nothin’ Band. A Nashville songwriter veteran Roniger can be found frequently performing on Frenchmen Street. See Fest Focus feature in this issue. Jonathon “Boogie” Long, 5/6, BLU, 12:20p: This soulful Baton Rouge-based blues guitar slinger has opened for B.B. King and performed with Dr. John, Kenny Neal and many others. The Jones Sisters, 5/3, GOS, 1:55p: Grade school-aged sisters Kayla, Kiera, Dalia and Dejon Jones comprise this gospel quartet, which first performed when the youngest sister was only two. Jonté Landrum, 4/29, GOS, 1:55p: 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.

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José Fermín & Merengue4FOUR, 5/6, LAG, 12:45p: A native of the Dominican Republic, Fermin Ceballos leads his Latin group Merengue4-FOUR. The band performs merengue tipico, perico ripiao, bachata and son. Josh Kagler & Harmonistic Praise Crusade, 5/4, GOS, 1p: The members of this New Orleans gospel group range from age 17-30 and claim they are “radical for Christ.” Juanes, 5/5, CON, 3:30p: Singer songwriter and guitarist Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of the rock band Ekhymosis. His solo debut album won three Latin Grammy Awards. Julio y Cesar Band, 5/5, CEP, 11:30a; LAG, 1:50p: These local brothers do Latin-American music on twin classical guitars, and have lately expanded from duo to band. Jupiter & Okwess of The Democratic Republic of Congo, 5/4, CON, 2:55p; CEP, 4:45p; 5/5, J&H, 1:20p; CEP, 3:20p: Jupiter Bokondji from the Democratic Republic of Congo and his band Okwess perform traditional music from this country. His mission was to delve into traditional music and give it an international dimension. As Jupiter Bokondji says “I have to revolutionize Congolese music.” Kai Knight’s Silhouette Dance Ensemble, 5/6, KID, 1:10p: New Orleans troupe that aims to teach young AfricanAmerican woman about positive image and self-expression through dance. Katy Hobgood Ray, 5/3, KID, 3p: Katy Hobgood Ray is a musician, writer, and the host and producer of Confetti Park, a kid-friendly radio show and podcast featuring music and children’s stories from Louisiana. Born in Bogalusa Ray plays violin, guitar, and bass. Keep-N-It-Real SA & PC, 4/27, PAR, 1:30p: This young Bayou St. John-based parade club features solid dancers and parades with some of the best brass bands in town. Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeo Band, 5/3, FDD, 6p: Frank leads his hard-driving zydeco band, which formed in 1990. Kenny Bill Stinson & the ARKLA-Mystics, 5/5, LAG, 5:40p: Guitarist and singer Stinson performs a range of Western Louisiana-rooted rock, country and rockabilly. Kenny Neal with special guests Henry Gray and Lazy Lester, 4/29, BLU, 1:30p: Local guitar-slinger and multi-instrumentalist Neal’s brand of laid-back swamp blues landed him an induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers, 5/3, CON, 4p: One

of New Orleans’ most beloved trumpeters and personalities, Ruffins digs swingin’, smokin’ and partyin’ traditional style. Kermit Ruffins’ Tribute to Louis Armstrong, 5/5, CEP, 1:50p; ECO, 4:20p: Ruffins shows off his more serious side in this set devoted to his hero, Satchmo. Khalid, 4/28, CON, 5:45p: Recently nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, Khalid is a 20-year-old alternative R&B phenom from El Paso, Texas. His debut single, “Location,” went quadruple platinum. Kid Simmons’ Local International Allstars, 4/27, ECO, 11:20a: An early devotee of George “Kid Sheik” 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. KID smART Student Showcase, 4/27, 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. Kidd Jordan & the Improvisational Arts Quintet, 4/29, JAZ, 1:25p: Saxophonist Edward “Kidd” Jordan is among the most influential and enduring in the history of improvised music. An integral part of the musical tapestry of New Orleans, he is the patriarch of one of New Orleans’ musical families. Jordan founded the Improvisational Arts Quintet in the ’70s. Kim Carson & the Real Deal, 4/29, LAG, 12:35p: A longtime New Orleans local who now resides in Houston, Carson is a classic-model honky-tonk angel, able to charm with bawdy humor and then break hearts with a ballad. Kinfolk Brass Band, 5/6, J&H, 4:25p: Formed in 2006, the Kinfolk are true to the traditional brassband sound, performing classics like “Bourbon Street Parade” and “I’ll Fly Away” along with their originals. Kod Kreyol and the Creole Dance Ensemble of Haiti, 4/27, CEP, 3:25p; 4/28, J&H, 3:35p; 4/28, CEP, 11:30a; 4/29, CEP, 2:05p; 5/3, AM, 3p: Dance ensemble from Haiti dancing to Hip Hop, Kanaval, & Konpa. Kristin Diable & The City, 5/5, LAG, 4:25p: 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. Kumasi, 5/4, J&H, 11:20a: This Afrobeat orchestra was founded in

2014. Members Stefan Poole, alto sax, Logan Schutts, drums and Mike Jacobson, congas are joined by many others. If you like Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Antibalas, then this is for you. Kumbuka African Dance & Drum Collective, 5/4, J&H, 5:45p: Founded in 1983 and based in New Orleans, this troupe brings African music and dance to grade schools throughout Louisiana; members range from ages 10 to 55. Kyle Huval & The Dixie Club Ramblers, 4/27, FDD, 11:15a: Eunice native Kyle Huval has been playing Cajun music since age 11. The Dixie Club Ramblers sound is influenced by Joe Bonsall and the Orange Playboys. See feature in this issue. La Banda Blanca of Honduras, 4/28, CON, 12:40p; CEP, 4:45p: From Honduras Blanda Blanca formed in 1971. They are a rock band with elements of merengue and Punta rock. The band’s song “Sopa de Caracol” became an international success in early 1990. Lacee and Lebrado, 4.29, CON, 1:55p: Lacy Yvonne Reed known as Lacee is an American R&B, soul and blues singer songwriter. She is joined with soul singer Lebrando. Ladies of Unity LLC, 4/27, PAR, 4p: These lady steppers hail from Uptown and call the famous Sportsman’s Lounge on 2nd and Dryades their HQ. Lady & Men Rollers SA & PC, 5/4, PAR, 1:20p: Uptown-based social aid and pleasure club. Lady Jetsetters SA & PC, 5/5, PAR, 3:05p: Uptown’s Lady Jetsetters Social Aid and Pleasure Club recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. Lake Forest Charter Jazz Ensemble, 5/4, KID, 11:30a: Students in this young jazz band hail from the 2013 National Blue Ribbon Lake Forest Charter Elementary School in New Orleans. Lakou Mizik of Haiti, 5/6, J&H, 1:35p; CEP, 3:40p: Lakou Mizik is a multigenerational collective of Haitian musicians formed in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake. The group includes elder legends and rising young talents, united in a mission to honor the healing spirit of their collective culture and communicate a message of pride, strength and hope to their countrymen and the world. Landry Walker Charter High School Choir, 5/3, GOS, 1p: A 40plus member gospel choir from the West Bank school whose brass band recently won $10,000 in the Class Got Brass competition. Larry Sieberth presents The Art of the Voice featuring Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Yolanda Robinson, and JarellB, 5/3, JAZ, 2:50p: New Orleans-based pianist and composer

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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, 5/5, ECO, 12:35p: Formed in 1967 by Swedishborn pianist Lars Edegran, this band plays rags, cakewalks and other classic pieces from the original ragtime era. The Last Bandoleros, 4/28, FDD, 5:50p: Fusing Tex-Mex and rock ’n’ roll the Last Bandoleros are a trio featuring Jerry Fuentes on guitar and vocals, Diego Navaira on bass and vocals, and Derek James on guitar and vocals. They record for Warner Bros. Nashville. Lé Kér Créole featuring Sunpie & the LA Sunspots, 5/3, CEP, 3:10p: An all-star band performing Creole jazz from New Orleans. Leah Chase, 4/28, JAZ, 1:25p: A classically trained opera singer who turned to jazz, Chase is also the daughter of two of New Orleans’ most famous restaurateurs. Lee Boys, The, 5/5, FDD, 5:45p: This African-American sacred steel ensemble consists of three brothers: Alvin Lee on guitar, Derrick Lee and Keith Lee on vocals along with nephews Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel guitar, Alvin Cordy on bass and Earl Walker on drums. Lena Prima, 4/28, ECO, 5:45p, CEP, 3:20p: The youngest daughter of Louis Prima performs her dad’s classics along with her own jazz-pop material. Leo Jackson & the Melody Clouds, 4/28, GOS, 1:55p: 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. Leroy Jones & New Orleans’ Finest, 5/6, ECO, 12:25p: 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. Leslie Odom Jr., 4/27, JAZ, 5:40p: Jazz singer Leslie Odom Jr. has performed on Broadway and in television and film. He won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor. He has performed rolls in Jersey Boys and Hamilton and many others. Leyla McCalla, 5/5, CEP, 12:30p; LAG, 3:05p: This talented multiinstrumentalist 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. It’s a socially aware and politically minded follow-up to her widely praised 2013 debut. Lil’ Buck Sinegal’s Blues Band with special guest Barbara Lynn, 5/4, BLU, 1:30p: Sinegal once led an R&B band that included a young

JAZZ FEST 2018

Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural on organ. The blues guitarist seems to slip effortlessly into soulful grooves. Lil’ Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers, 4/29, FDD, 3:05p: 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. Lionel Richie, 5/3, ACU, 5:30p: Though he cut his teeth with the funky Commodores, Lionel Richie had his moment in the mid-’80s when hits like “Say You, Say Me,” “Hello” and “All Night Long” were the epitome of easy-listening soul. Nowadays he’s an American Idol regular, but he promises to stick to his hits for this tour. Festgoers will remember the moment in 2006 where he covered for what would have been Fats Domino’s last Fest appearance. Little Freddie King Blues Band, 5/4, BLU, 12:20p; AM, 2:20p: 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. LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip, 5/4, CON, 6p: LL Cool J is one of hip-hop’s most decorated MCs, considered a founding father dating back to the 1980s. He recently bridged worlds by becoming the Kennedy Center’s first ever honoree from the world of rap. DJ Z-Trip is an award-winning turntablistas who has worked as a producer with artists including LL Cool J. Lost Bayou Ramblers, 5/5, ACU, 11:50a: As their acclaimed Mammoth Waltz demonstrated, this young Cajun band celebrates its genre’s tradition while staying open to new technology and rock influences. The band’s 2017 album Kalenda won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album. Louis Ford & His New Orleans Flairs, 5/5, ECO, 11:20a: Clarinetist and saxophonist Ford’s father was Clarence Ford, who played with Fats Domino. He leads his old-time New Orleans jazz band through a set of traditional music Louisiana Irish – Italian Parade, 5/6, PAR, 3p: Irish and Italian parading group. Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, 4/28, ECO, 11:15a: Fred Starr leads this local traditional jazz septet with a focus on tight arrangements of tunes by Sam Morgan and other music from the turn of the century. Loyola University Jazz Band, 4/28, JAZ, 11:10a: Students from Loyola’s jazz program—the oldest in the city—make up this group. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, 4/27, GEN, 3:30p: Lukus Nelson is Willie Nelson’s son. At 12, he wrote a song for the first time. Willie Nelson

Photo: roger robles

JAZZ FEST A-Z

Banu Gibson THURSDAY, MAY 3—ECONOMY HALL TENT, 4:25 P.M.

here aren’t many musicians who can match singer Banu Gibson’s knowledge of and passion for the vocal jazz of the ’20s and ’30s. One such player will be joining her regular band at Jazz Fest this year: New York multiinstrumentalist Vince Giordano, who leads the Nighthawks Orchestra and is known for Boardwalk Empire and other period soundtracks. While the two have performed together over the years, Giordano doesn’t like traveling and this will be one of the few times he’s played New Orleans. He’ll be playing tuba, string bass and bass saxophone—this being one of the few cities where he can find those instruments instead of having to carry his own. “It’s fascinating that we’ve had parallel careers, and he’s musically attracted to the same things I am,” Gibson says. “I knew his reputation, but seeing him in New York was great fun. Usually you only get to hear this music on old 78s, and when someone plays it the music becomes alive.” The two first crossed paths in the ’80s when Gibson was performing in New York—her pianist and arranger David Boeddinghaus was the connection—and remained in touch over the years. “We used to travel together and bitch about how hard it is to be a bandleader. And it’s tougher for him since he has twice the number of musicians I do.” Gibson can take some pride in having predated, and probably influenced, the current vogue for early jazz. “More people have been getting the bug bite, and that’s spectacular. When you love this music, sometimes you get to feel that you’re the last person who will ever love it.” But as a music teacher herself (she cofounded the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp, which continues this summer), she’s a bit of a stickler for getting the details right. “If you’re doing something as a museum piece, then it’s going to be dead, and I think my own voice comes through when I sing. But I’m also performing in a style that has certain parameters that I live within. When I came to town I was combining Broadway songs with a Dixieland style, but I’ve moved toward something that’s less of a hybrid. If I’m taking a song from the Great American Songbook, I want you to hear it the way you might have the first time around. Since this material has been out there, so many singers have put their own spin on it that you don’t recognize the original. So I take that away and try to give you the real meat and potatoes. A song will completely change if you can give it the right tempo and feel—and if you really sing the lyrics, not just the syllables.” —Brett Milano www.OFFBEAT.com

JAZZ FEST A-Z recorded his son’s composition, “You Were It,” for his 2004 album It Always Will Be. In addition to his father, Nelson’s major influences include Neil Young. See feature in this issue. Lurrie Bell, 5/5, BLU, 1:25p: Lurrie Bell is a blues guitarist and singer. His father was blues harmonica player Carey Bell. Bell’s 2016 album, Can’t Shake This Feeling, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. Luther Kent & Trickbag, 4/27, BLU, 2:55p; AM, 4:45p: Southernfried soul man has had a few musical incarnations including a Bobby Bland tribute show and a short ’70s stint fronting Blood, Sweat & Tears, though he’s best known for leading the funky Trickbag which returned in 2013 after a few years’ hiatus. Lyle Henderson & Emmanu-EL, 5/6, GOS, 6:05p: A former radio DJ at R&B station FM98 and gospel station WYLD, Lyle Henderson also coordinates the gospel brunches at the House of Blues. Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, 5/3, GEN, 5:40p: With his unmistakable sound and look, Lyle Lovett has infused old-fashioned Texas swing with a profound eccentricity. Along the way he’s acted in a few handfuls of movies, raised champion racehorses, and made a couple wellreceived Fest appearances. Though never a prolific songwriter—his last album, Release Me was in 2012—he’s bound to have a few new things up his sleeve this year. Lynn Drury, 4/29, LAG, 3:05p: A singer/songwriter steeped in both her Mississippi heritage and her adopted home of New Orleans. Drury teamed up with veteran British producer John Porter for her CD Come to My House. Maggie Belle Band, 5/4, LAG, 1:50p: San Diego native Maggie Belle originally came to New Orleans to pursue a nursing career, but her music—steeped in vintage soul, gospel and even a bit of jazz poetry— evinces a different kind of healing. Magical Moonshine Theater, 4/28, KID, 1:40p: Founded in 1979 by Michael and Valerie Nelson, the Magical Moonshine Theatre takes its puppets to schools and events around the country . Magnificent 7, 4/29, ACU, 2:05p: Members of The Radiators, Galactic, Bonerama and Papa Grows Funk make this supergroup a funky force to reckoned with. Major Handy & the Louisiana Blues Band, 5/5, BLU, 11:15a: Blues and zydeco expert Handy hails from Lafayette, where he developed his accordion, bass, piano and singing chops. Marcia Ball, 5/4, GEN, 1:35p: A Jazz Fest perennial, the singer/pianist

JAZZ FEST 2018

from Texas was recently nominated for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year award at the 2014 Blues Music Awards. Marcus Miller with special guest Rahsaan Patterson Celebrate Al Jarreau, 5/4, JAZ, 5:45p: Bassist Marcus Miller teams up with singer and actor Rahsaan Patterson to pay tribute to Al Jarreau who passed away February 2017. Mariachi Jalisco US, 5/5, J&H, 2:40p: 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, 4/27, ECO, 1:50p: 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. Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, 5/6, CON, 5:25p: 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, 5/3, GOS, 2:50p: Thursdays at Jazz Fest traditionally feature high-school choirs in the Gospel Tent, and this Treme school has been a regular. Directed by Veronica Downs-Dorsey, the choir has been the recipient of OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Award for Best Gospel for the last four years. Men Buckjumpers SA & PC, 5/3, PAR, 1:30p: The Original New Orleans Lady Buckjumpers and Men Buckjumpers have been rolling for more than 30 years. Men Of Class SA & PC, 5/3, PAR, 12:30p: This Uptown-based social aid and pleasure club has been parading for 13 years and counting. Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns, 4/27, BLU, 12:30p: 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. Meschiya Lake Remembers Sweet Emma Barrett, 4/29, ECO, 4:25p: Once a Royal Street performer, now an essential figure in the local traditional jazz scene, Lake pays homage to one of the most vibrant characters in New Orleans music history. Mia Borders, 5/6, GEN, 12:25p: Singer, songwriter and guitarist Mia Borders has been named Best Female Vocalist and nominated as Best Songwriter in our Best of the Beat Awards. Micaela y Fiesta Flamenca, 5/3, KID, 1:50p: This award-wining

Flamenco dance troupe has been performing for the New Orleans community for more than 15 years. Micah Stampley, 4/27, GOS, 4p: American gospel singer-songwriter who grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Micah Stampley has a multi-octave range spanning from bass-to-first soprano. His voice has often been compared with Donnie McClurkin. Michael Skinkus & Moyuba, 4/27, J&H, 11:20a: Percussionist Michael Skinkus explains that “Moyuba means to give thanks or praise.” The band will play music inspired by the Santeria ceremonies of Cuba. The Mighty Travelers, 5/6, GOS, 12:05p: The gospel quartet the Mighty Travelers have been singing for 30 years following in the footsteps of their uncles The Sensational Travelers of Dallas, Texas. The members are Kenneth Stokes, Patrick Stokes, James Jennings, and Christopher Bollin. Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s, 4/29, BLU, 12:20p: A red-hot “rocka-boogie” pianist and singer, Woods has spent the past four decades perfecting his blend of 40’s-inspired blues and swing with a modern feel. His latest album Friends Along the Way includes a roll-call of notable collaborators including Van Morrison, Taj Mahal, Cyril Neville and Charlie Musselwhite. Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/5, PAR, 12:55p: 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 Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 3:30p: Big Chief Tyrone “Pie” Stevenson recently returned to the Indian nation after a 15-year break Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church Mass Choir, 5/4, GOS, 6:05p: The members of this large local church choir range in age from teenagers to septuagenarians. Motel Radio, 5/4, ACU, 11:20a: This young local quintet performs Americana with an indie rock streak. Mr. Sipp, 5/6, BLU, 2:45p: Singer songwriter and guitarist Castro Coleman, a.k.a. Mr. Sipp, is from McComb, Mississsippi. He started playing the guitar at age six. He has won several awards for his Malaco recordings and was featured in the James Brown movie Get On Up. Muggivan School of Irish Dance, 5/6, KID, 4:05p: The Muggivan School of Irish Dance is under the direction of Joni Muggivan. The dancers at the Muggivan School are trained in competitive style Irish dancing, which allows them to compete on local, national, and international stages.

The Mulligan Brothers, 4/28, LAG, 3:05p: This Americana-meetscountry trio emphasizes strong melodies and original narratives. Their eponymous 2013 album earned high marks from critics in their hometown of Mobile, Alabama. Mykia Jovan, 4/27, CON, 11:25a: Formerly of the soul band Smoke N’ Bones and a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Jovan released her debut record, Elliyahu last September. Nina Simone would likely approve of her single “16 Shots” which she describes as “social commentary from a marginalized token point of view.” Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas, 5/4, 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 hog songs, “Zydeco Hog” and “Everything on the Hog is Good.” Naughty Professor, 5/3, ACU, 11:25a: This New Orleans-based six-piece plays a blend of funk, soul and rock that’s earned them a solid following on the jam band scene. Naydja CoJoe & the Lagniappe Section, 5/4, LAG, 3:05p: A New Orleans vocalist inspired by Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline, Naydja CoJoe performs jazz, country and R&B material. She’s also made a few TV appearances, includingone in the made-for-TV movie Christmas Angel where she portrayed Della Reese’s daughter. New Birth Brass Band, 4/28, J&H, 4:40p: 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, 5/4, J&H, 4:15p: These young marching band alums fold hip-hop, funk, and soul into the brass tradition at clubs and second lines around the city. New Generation Brass Band, 5/4, PAR, 2:15p: New Generation Brass Band will be parading with Lady & Men Rollers and Scene Boosters Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs New Generation SA & PC, 5/3, PAR, 3p: The New Generation Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s annual Sunday parades roll through Uptown. New Hope Baptist Church Mass Choir, 5/5, GOS, 11:15a: This 100 plus choir is from Birmingham, Alabama. Gospel greats Mrs. Ruby Boyd and Dr. John David Brown previously led the choir. Currently, the choir led by Reverend Prince E. Yelder. New Leviathan Oriental FoxTrot Orchestra, 5/4, ECO, 11:20a: A multi-generational, alwaysentertaining large ensemble that plays only ’90s music—as in the 1890s,

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Photo courtesy of the artist

FEST FOCUS

Kyle Huval FRIDAY, APRIL 27—FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 11:15 A.M.

he future of Cajun music always looks bright, with the scads of young musicians constantly entering its ranks, but 27-year-old Kyle Huval has a different perspective. There are not always kids of every age coming up. “In my age group, 21 to 30, there were very few musicians who played [professionally],” Huval says. “If anybody wanted to hear French music, they called me.” The Eunice native never set out to play strictly Cajun music at age 11, just music in general, since his parents listened to a wide variety at home. The only instruments his family had were a harmonica and an old Hohner accordion. So equipped with a Larry Miller instructional book, Huval proceeded to learn simple children’s tunes before diving headfirst into Cajun music, something his French-speaking grandmother listened to religiously. Obviously he learned it well. Three years later the precocious 14year-old was playing Fred’s Lounge in Mamou fronting his band the Dixie Club Ramblers. He later put the Ramblers aside for college, and then reactivated them after graduation in 2014. Other than founding drummer Cody Lafleur, the rest of the lineup is completely different from the Ramblers’ first incarnation. Yet Huval still maintains the same blueprint, with accordion, drums, two fiddles, Joel Savoy and Mitch Schexnyder, no bass but a guitar played with choke chords by Jo Vidrine. Feufollet’s Chris Stafford came along later to play steel guitar. Interestingly, the Dixie Club Ramblers’ sound is not typical of the Eunice-Lafayette area but one that’s heard a hundred miles away to the west. “If you listen to the CD [2017’s Straight Allons on Valcour Records], the closest influence you can find is Joe Bonsall,” Huval explains about the legendary Joe Bonsall and the Orange Playboys, who were popular during the ’60s and ’70s. “You’ll hear the one stroke on the guitar, no bass, steel guitar and two fiddles. That’s East Texas, man. A lot of the records my grandma listened to were either fiddle players or Joe Bonsall.” Huval adds other East Texans like Andrew Cormier and Rodney LeJeune to the list, but Bonsall remains his favorite. “Our music is kind of wild and fast,” Huval explains, drawing comparisons to Bonsall. “We are such a different breed in my age [group]. It’s weird how generations of music can change like that.” Though Huval attracts crowds of all ages, he also does well in drawing the younger set, something he attributes to his lively stage shows. “What I love about our style of music is our speed and energy,” Huval says. “If you watch us play onstage, you’ll notice how we all giggle and mess with each other. Joel and I are famous for teasing each other onstage. He does something and I try to imitate him and then he does something to imitate me.” —Dan Willging www.OFFBEAT.com

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JAZZ FEST A-Z when the shipboard dance music and early jazz they favor was first created. New Look SA & PC, 4.29, PAR, 2:25p: Kids aged 3-16 make up this branch of the Young Men Olympian, Jr. Benevolent Association. The New Orleans Baby Doll Ladies, 5/4, KID, 1:50p: New Baby Doll Ladies are a culturally centered dance-company. New Orleans Classic R&B Legends feat. The Dixie Cups, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Wanda Rouzan, and Al “Carnival Time” Johnson with Bobby Cure & the Poppa Stoppas, 5/5, BLU, 2:35p: A few years ago OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Awards featured an R&B revue with Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Robert Parker and many others. Although Robert Parker looked frail, he was amazing when he got on stage and sang his hit “Barefootin’.” New Orleans Gospel Soul Children, 4/28, GOS, 6:05p: Led by Craig Adams, this long-standing local gospel group delivers energetic and choreographed renditions of gospel standards. The New Orleans Guitar Masters featuring Cranston Clements, John Rankin, and Jimmy Robinson, 4/27, LAG, 12:40p: Started seven years ago, this group plays original music and unique versions of New Orleans rock hits. The band consists of guitarists Cranston Clements currently performing with Cyril Neville’s Swamp Band, music teacher at Loyola University John Rankin, and Jimmy Robinson of Woodenhead. New Orleans Hip Hop Experience feat. Fiend, 3D Natee, a New Orleans Cypher, DJ Keith Scott, and Cool Nasty Band, 5/4, CON, 12:25p: Rapper Fiend has been in the game since No Limit era of the 1990s, while 3D Na’Tee is arguably the most elite female MC to ever come from New Orleans. They will be backed by emergent nu jazz and hip-hop band CoolNasty and Power 102.9’s DJ Keith Scott. New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, 5/4, JAZ, 4:10p: Former leader Irvin Mayfield has lately made some headlines for the wrong reasons, but let it be said that the NOJO, which played regularly at the Bourbon Street club he no longer runs either, was a fine all-star ensemble. Drummer Adonis Rose now leads the band which includes returning members pianist Victor Atkins, saxophonist Ed Petersen, and trumpeter Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown. New Orleans Klezmer Allstars with guest Steven Bernstein, 4/28, LAG, 4:20p: Innovators of a funkedup localized take on traditional Jewish music, this band’s past and present members include scions of the city’s jazz and funk scenes. They’ll celebrate their anniversary with prestigious guests.

JAZZ FEST 2018

New Orleans Nightcrawlers, 4/27, J&H, 2:55p: 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, 5/6, GOS, 1p: Founded a half-century ago by still-current leader Ruby Ray, the Spiritualettes are the longest-active female gospel group in New Orleans. New Orleans Suspects, 5/6, ACU, 11:15a: 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 Tricentennial 100 Voices Youth Choir, 4/28, KID, 12:35p: Youth choir celebrating New Orleans 300 year birthday. New Soul, Inc., 5/3, CON, 1:20p: New Orleans’ old school funk and R&B band. They cover Earth, Wind & Fire, the Commodores, The Gap Band, Hall & Oats and others. New Wave Brass Band, 4/27, PAR, 1:30p: Snare drummer Oscar Washington is at the helm of this updated traditional New Orleans brass band Nicholas Payton: Too Black, 4/29, JAZ, 3:55p: 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. Nigel Hall Band, 4/28, 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 SA & PC, 5/5, PAR, 2:55p: The women’s section of the Upper Ninth Ward parade club, the Nine Times. Nine Times SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 4:15p: 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. Nineveh Baptist Church Mass Choir, 5/3, GOS, 6:05p: Led by Reverend Sam Baker, this choir out of Metairie, Louisiana sings a unique blend of traditional gospel with contemporary songs set to a Caribbean beat. Ninth Ward Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 3:30p: Big Chief

Robbe, who has led four Indian tribes, created this Lower Ninth Ward-based group in the 1940s. NOCCA Jazz Ensemble, 4/29, JAZ, 11:10a: Student group from the secondary school whose graduates include Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Payton, Trombone Shorty and the Marsalis brothers. Northern Cree of Canada Pow Wow, 4/27, CEP, 1:45p: The group originates from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation but is made up of members from the Treaty 6 area. Northern Cree have recorded 37 albums of which Temptations has been nominated for a Grammy Award. Northside Skull & Bones Gang, 5/6, PAR, 1:10p: On the morning of Mardi Gras dozens of skeletons flood the streets of the 6th Ward neighborhood of Tremé in New Orleans. Northside Skull and Bone Gang is comprised of descendants of Native Americans and slaves. The Nth Power, 5/4, CPM. 1:35p: In case you’re wondering what happened to that killer drummer who used to be in Dumpstaphunk (and in Beyonce’s band beforehand), Nikki Glaspie now gets more of the spotlight with this trio, which includes bassist Nate Edgar (late of the reggae band John Brown’s Body) and singer/guitarist Nick Cassarino. Their single “Truth” adds a political slant to the mighty grooves. Old Crow Medicine Show, 5/3, ACU, 3:50p; AM, 1p: Nashville based Americana string band. They have been recording since 1998 and have release Grammy winning albums. The group received the 2013 Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Association. Ole & Nu Style Fellas SA & PC, 5/6, PAR, 4:20p: The Ole & Nu Style Fellas roll through the Sixth Ward each April, coming out at the Ooh Poo Pa Doo Bar. OperaCreole, 5/3, KID, 4:10p: This vocal ensemble focuses on lost or rarely performed operatic and classical music, often spotlighting the contributions of African-American and Creole artists throughout New Orleans’ history. Orange Kellin’s New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra, 4/28, ECO, 1:45p: 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 SA & PC, 5/4, PAR, 4p: 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 C.T.C Steppers SA & PC, 5/6, PAR, 4:20p: 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 Four SA & PC, 5/4, PAR, 4p: 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, 5/6, PAR, 12p: The Original New Orleans Lady Buckjumpers and Men Buckjumpers have been rolling for more than 30 years. Original Pigeon Town Steppers SA & PC, 5/5, PAR, 3:30p: Based way (way) Uptown in the Leonidas neighborhood, this club’s annual Sunday parade follows a unique route. See feature in this issue. The Original Pinettes Brass Band, 4/28, J&H, 2:20p: 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. The Palm Court Jazz Band with Sammy Rimington, 4/27, ECO, 3:05p: The house band from the Palm Court 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, 4/29, J&H, 12:20p: 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. Papo y Son Mandao, 4/27, LAG, 1:55p: Cuban guitarist Alexis “Papo” Guevara and his band Son Mandao includes Israel Romo on percussion, Julian Alpizar on bass, Omar Ramirez on trumpet. Pastor Jai Reed, 4/27, GOS, 5:15p: This New Orleans Baptist minister is a soulful singer in the Stevie Wonder tradition, doing gospel with a contemporary R&B influence. Pastor Mitchell J. Stevens, 5/5, GOS, 1:55p: Vocalist Stevens was born in Westlake, Louisiana. At five years old he sang his first solo and by the age of ten years old he was playing the piano without any formal musical training. Reverend Stevens recorded his very first live gospel recording entitled, Experience Praise Live. Pastor Terry Gullage & Kingdom Sound, 5/4, GOS, 5:10p: From a young age, Elder Terry Gullage knew he had a gift for music. He leads the choir from this church in Marrero. Pastor Tyrone Jefferson, 5/4, GOS, 12:05p: This New Orleans

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JAZZ FEST A-Z 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 the community has included efforts to improve voting rates, feed the hungry and get more young people enrolled in college. Pat Casey & The New Sound, 5/3, JAZ, 12:25p: Formed in New Orleans in 2008 Pat Casey & The New Sound is a band fusing both classic and modern jazz with Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and funk and hip hop. The group plays original material as well as arrangements of classics. Patrice Fisher & Arpa with guests from Guatemala, 5/3, LAG, 12:35p: 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, 5/3, GEN, 1:25p: 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. Paulin Brothers Brass Band, 4/28, ECO, 12:25p: Ernest “Doc” Paulin founded this band in the 1920s, and his sons now perform strictly traditional brass-band music, complete with the longstanding black-and-white uniforms and spiffy white caps. The Perfect Gentlemen SA PC, 4/27, PAR, 1:30p: This Uptown social aid and pleasure club celebrated its 25th year in 2016. The Pfister Sisters, 5/6, ECO, 5:45p: 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, 4:20p: 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. Plaquemine Brûlèe, 5/4, FDD, 11:20a: La Bande de Plaquemine Brûlée a Cajun band from Church Point, Louisiana. Colby Leger, Justin Leger, Jacques Boudreaux and Samuel Giarusso classify themselves as Church Point Cajun Music. Players Ella & Louie Tribute Band, 5/4, ECO, 3p: Bassist Mitchell Player has performed with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dr. Michael White, Leroy Jones and others. The Players Ella and Louie Tribute Band include trumpeter Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown, vocalist

JAZZ FEST 2018

Eileina Dennis, bassist Gerald French, guitarist Todd Duke and pianist Leslie Martin. Pocket Aces Brass Band, 5/3, J&H, 4:15p: This Bridge City brasshop band began as a few friends who got together for an annual Mardi Gras jam before expanding to a full-time touring outfit. Preservation Brass, 5/3, 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. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 5/4, GEN, 2:50p: With its 50th anniversary in the rearview mirror, this New Orleans music institution’s profile is higher than ever thanks to heavy touring, and their last release, So It Is. Their guest-heavy Jazz Fest sets are always festival highlights. Prince of Wales SA & PC, 5/6, PAR, 12p: Uptown’s Prince of Wales is among the oldest parade clubs in the city; their annual Sunday second line struts through the Irish Channel Puppet Arts Theatre, 4/29, KID, 12:40p: Puppeteers. The Pure’D Blues Group featuring Butch Mudbone, 5/4, BLU, 11:15a: A four piece blues band from Memphis featuring singer songwriter and guitarist Butch Mudbone. Quiana Lynell, 4/29, JAZ, 2:40p: 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. The Radiators @ 40, 5/6, AM, 1p; GEN, 3:15p: Groupie-spawning fish-head rockers the Rads are back after calling it quits with a 2011 farewell tour. Expect a massive show of support for these long-beloved locals. Rahim Glaspy, 4/29, CON, 11:20a: Rahim Glaspy is a soul R&B singer from New Orleans. The Rayo Brothers, 5/3, FDD, 12:25p: These young Louisiana folk rockers recently released their first album, Gunslinger. They also happen to share DNA with the famous Cajun band Les Freres Michot and the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Real Untouchable Brass Band, 5/3, J&H, 11:20a: This local brass crew adds congas to its otherwise street-centric sound. Rebirth Brass Band, 5/6, CON, 2p: 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, and has toured heavily since

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the 2011 release of Rebirth of New Orleans. Remedy, 5/5, ACU, 11:10a: Remedy is a five piece group from New Orleans who blend contemporary original songs with covers from the ’80s and ’90s. The Revelers, 5/3, FDD, 3p: An Acadian supergroup made up of founding members of Jazz Fest perennials the Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys. See feature in this issue. The Revivalists, 5/5, GEN, 3:40p: This increasingly popular New Orleans band has solid songs for the rock ’n’ rollers and free-flowing grooves for the jam band crowd. They were big winners at the most recent OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards Revolution SA & PC, 5/3, 1:30p: 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. Rising Dragon Lion Dance Team, 5/6, KID, 12:35p; KID, 3:30p: 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. Robin Barnes & The Fiyabirds, 5/6, JAZ, 11:20a; AM, 2:55p: This R&B vocalist first sang in the choirs at St. Phillip and St. David Catholic Churches, and later with her family’s jazz band the Soul Heirs. Her 2016 album Songbird Sessions marked a true coming of age for the vocalist. Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters, 5/6, BLU, 4:10p: 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 party-starters. The Rocks of Harmony, 4/29, GOS, 11:15a: New Orleans gospel in its purest form, this all-male group has been singing praises and spirituals for half a century. Rod Stewart, 4/28, ACU, 5:30p: No getting around it, Rod Stewart’s previous Jazz Fest appearance went down as one of the slickest and most Vegasy sets in Fest history. Ah, but there is that catalogue of essential solo and Faces albums from the early ’70s, and as long as he promises to do a few tracks from Every Picture Tells a Story, sitting through “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” will be a small price to pay. Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars, 4/28, GEN, 12:20p; AM, 2:15p: 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. Ron Carter Trio, 4/27, JAZ, 4:15p; AM, 12:45p: An immortal

of jazz bass, Carter is perhaps most famous as part of the second classic Miles Davis quartet with Tony Williams and Wayne Shorter. He later branched into fusion on a string of CTI and Blue Note dates, and in recent years has played with musicians from both the pop (Billy Joel, Tribe Called Quest) and jazz worlds. He also worked with the Jazz Foundation of America to aid musicians who were displaced by Katrina. The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, 5/3, PAR, 2:45p: 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. Royal Teeth, 4/29, GEN, 12:30p: 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 a few years. The RRAAMS, 4/28, KID, 4:10p: The River Road African-American Museum Society in Donaldsonville presents an educational program for kids. Rumba Buena, 4/27, ACU, 11:20a: This popular New Orleans Latin band is a 12-piece group with four singers, four percussionists, horns and rhythm to spare. Rusty Metoyer & The Zydeco Krush, 4/28, FDD, 11:20a: From Lake Charles, Louisiana this band plays everything from traditional Creole French songs to nouveau zydeco music. Rusty Metoyer is a self-taught musician playing accordion as well as drums, guitar and scrub board. Ruthie Foster, 5/4, BLU, 5:45p: If the Texas singer/guitarist’s new album Joy Comes Back isn’t the only album ever to include covers of both the Staples Singers and Black Sabbath, it’s got to be the best. Foster is steeped in vintage soul and gospel, but beloved by the jam world; Papa Mali produced her first album and Derek Trucks did the latest. And yes, her gospel-styled version of “War Pigs” must be heard to be believed. Samantha Fish, 4/27, BLU, 4:15p: This Kansas City guitarslinger was originally perched on the bluesy side of classic rock; her early albums included Rolling Stones and Steve Miller Band covers. Yet she’s got far more interesting on her last couple of releases, both from 2017: Chills & Fever explored roadhouse rock with the great garage band Detroit Cobras; the current Belle of the West uses Luther Dickinson’s acoustic-based production to put more soul upfront. See feature in this issue. Santiman and Garifuna Generation, 5/3, J&H, 12:40p; CEP,

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FEST FOCUS

Terrance Simien SATURDAY, APRIL 28—FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 2:55 P.M.

rammy-winning zydeco artist Terrance Simien has played every Jazz Fest since 1986. “I tell people this all the time,” he says in his Creole accent. “For musicians, there’s no better place to be in the world on the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May than the Jazz Fest. Everything is run so meticulously. You just drive up, bam, they take care of you. Being part of Jazz Fest, it’s a beautiful thing.” After performing in more than 45 countries, the world-trekking Simien knows festivals. Russia is one of the spots he’s visited since he stopped counting countries. “What an enormous gift to go anywhere and have people waiting to hear your music,” he says. Simien, a native of the tiny community of Mallet in St. Landry Parish, believes music is more than entertainment. “It’s a medicine. It’s some healing that goes on for the musicians who play the music and for the people who listen.” Simien formed his first zydeco band when he was a teenager. Music became his ticket to a life beyond his imagination. In 1985, for instance, when Paul Simon traveled to Louisiana during the making of Graceland, Simon brought Simien and the Mallet Playboys into the studio. Simien didn’t make the Graceland album, but Simon gave him a consolation prize by singing backup for “You Used to Call Me,” Simien’s recording debut. Other landmarks include Grammy wins in 2014 and 2008; being a judge for the New Orleans-filmed TV talent show Sing Like a Star; and musical contributions to the movies The Big Easy, The Lucky One and the New Orleans-set Disney animated feature The Princess and the Frog. “If you’re gonna choose music as a career, be prepared to do whatever,” Simien advises. “Some things will come hard. Some things will drop in your lap.” The projects Simien didn’t see coming include his collaboration with Randy Newman for The Princess and the Frog. “It was so amazing to get that call from Disney,” he says. “The music director said Randy Newman had been listening to some of my songs [from Creole for Kidz and the History of Zydeco]. He wondered if I’d come to L.A. and work on a song for The Princess and the Frog. I said, ‘Well, let me check my schedule. Yeah, I think we can do that!’” Heard all over the world in the hit movie, “Gonna Take You There” goes over big at Simien’s Creole for Kidz educational shows. “I ask if any of the kids out there have ever seen The Princess and the Frog,” he says. “From preschool to high school, they all raise their hands. So, it’s a hit song everywhere we go.” —John Wirt www.OFFBEAT.com

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JAZZ FEST A-Z 4:45p: From New Orleans Santos Bermudez also known as Santiman is known for his quick-paced punta rhythm. The Garifuna people are of mixed-raced origin with ancestral ties to Arawak, Carib, and African descendants. Though present in several countries, the overwhelming majority of Garifuna outside the United States reside in Honduras. Garifuna in New Orleans have helped define what it means to be a Latino in the Big Easy. Sarah Quintana & the Miss River Band, 4/27, LAG, 5:40p: Water and the Louisiana region’s natural beauty provide the inspiration for this ambitious, dreamy and innovative project from one of the city’s top vocalists. Sasha Masakowski “Art Market”, 5/6, LAG, 4:30p: The daughter of Astral Project guitarist Steve Masakowski has emerged as one of the city’s brightest young jazz vocalists, with a lively style that touches on torch songs and samba. She presents her new album, Art Market, a venture in new territory for the singer/composer. Savion Glover, 5/6, JAZ, 5:40p: Perhaps the best-known tap dancer currently working, Glover came to fame as the star of Broadway’s “The Tap Dance Kid” and five further Broadway shows including “Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk” which he also choreographed, and “Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” which opened in 2016. He’s also done a host of TV and movie appearances. Savoy Family Cajun Band, 4/28, AM, 2:05p; 4/29, FDD, 12:25p: Marc and Ann Savoy have done as much as anyone to celebrate and preserve Cajun music and culture. This group finds the couple with their sons Wilson (of Pine Leaf Boys) and Joel. Scene Boosters SA & PC, 5/4, PAR, 1:20p: Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade. Scott D., 4/28, CON, 11:20a: Hip Hop singer songwriter from Los Angeles who mixes his rhymes with contemporary jazz sounds. His latest EP Slice of Life includes “California Harmonies” with the lyric “another celebrity searching for a cause.” Sean Bruce, 5/4, LAG, 4:20p: 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. Sean Jones Quartet, 5/5, JAZ, 5:55p: Trumpeter and composer Sean Jones was born and raised in northeast Ohio and made his name in New York City. In 2004, Jones had a six-month stint with the Lincoln

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Center Jazz Orchestra, after which Marsalis offered him a position with the ensemble as a third trumpeter then moved to the lead chair a couple months later. Seguenon Kone & Ivoire Spectacle, 5/3, CEP, 12:40p; J&H, 3p: Percussionist and Ivory Coast native Seguenon Kone made New Orleans his home in 2008. L’Ivoire Spectacle features African rhythms with his virtuoso associates. Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, PAR, 3:20p: Big Chief Keith “Keitoe” Jones leads this Ninth Wardbased tribe. Semolian Warriors Mardi Gras Indians 4/27, 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, 4/27, GOS, 2p: 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. Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band, 5/4, ECO, 1:50p: This all-female traditional jazz band was originally assembled by trumpeter Shaye Cohn of Tuba Skinny to perform for Girls Rock New Orleans. Although Cohn is not a full-time member of the band the members include Haruka Kikuchi on trombone, Marla Dixon on trumpet, Chloe Feoranzo on saxophone, Molly Reeves on guitar, Julie Schexnayder on string bass and Defne ‘Dizzy’ Incirlioglu on washboard and percussion. There second CD, A Woman’s Place, is reviewed in this issue. Shaun Ward Xperience, 5/3, CON, 11:15a: Shawn Ward is the son of jazz violinist Michael Ward. He started playing the violin at a young age and has opened for R. Kelly, Anthony Hamilton, Tyrese and others. Misunderstood do to his instrumentation and musical genre choice Shaun continues to explore how to merge all his passions into one cohesive body. Sheryl Crow, 5/4, GEN, 5:45p: Unlike many of the acoustic guitarcarrying songwriters who emerged in the ’90s Sheryl Crow was always a rocker at heart, and the hard-driving California pop on her latest album Be Myself is the latest proof. She’ll always have our praises for the song “Love is a Good Thing,” which called out Wal-Mart for selling guns back in 1996 when few others were speaking out. Shining Star Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 3:30p: The Shining Star Hunters are led by Big Chief Jimmie Ricks, a veteran Spyboy and Second Chief for Larry Bannock’s Golden Star Hunters.

Sidi Toure of Mali, 4/27, BLU, 1:40p; CEP, 4:45p: Singer songwriter from Bamako, Mali. His music is a type of songhaï blues. He started his career in the Sonhaï Stars, a regional orchestra. In 1984 he won the award of best singer with a song of his own hand at a Mali National Bienale. Sierra Green & The Soul Machine, 5/6, CON, 11:20a: Vocalist Sierra Green performs a mix of covers and originals. The Soul Machine is a 5 to 10 piece band. Their influences include Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars and others. Single Ladies SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 4:15p: The Single Ladies SA&PC have been parading through Uptown for two decades. Single Men SA & PC, 4/28, PAR, 4:15p: Uptown parade club the Single Men was established in 1995. Smitty Dee’s Brass Band, 5/5, PAR, 2:25p: 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. Smokey Robinson, 5/6, CON, 3:30p: Name a soul song that changed your life and if Allen Toussaint didn’t write it, chances are that Smokey Robinson did. From “My Girl” to “I Second That Emotion” to “Tracks of My Tears” to “The Tears of a Clown,” Smokey was the tunesmith who helped create Motown , then returned to help create the “quiet storm” sound a decade later (“Being With You,” “Cruisin’”). Never mind that the hits trailed off afterward; he’s got plenty of magic to recreate. Smoking Time Jazz Club, 5/3, ECO, 12:30p: A New Orleans based traditional jazz band, reviving the music of the ’20s and ’30s. Their CD Make a Tadpole Holler Whale was nominated for the best traditional jazz album of 2016 for OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Awards. Socks in The Frying Pan of Ireland, 4/29, FDD, 1:45p; CEP, 4:45p: This trio is from County Clare in Ireland. The band includes Aodán Coyne on guitar and vocals and the accomplished Hayes brothers, Shane Hayes on accordion and Fiachra Hayes on fiddle and banjo. They blend traditional Irish melodies with their own composition. Sona Jobarteh and Band of Gambia, 4/28, BLU, 2:50p; AM, 4:30p; CEP, 12:35p: Sona Jobarteh is a kora virtuoso. She is also a social activist, lecturer, composer, and multiinstrumentalist. Sonny Landreth, 4/28, BLU, 4:15p: 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, 5/6, PAR, 12p: This local brass band often

provides the soundtrack for parades by the Ladies of Unity and Revolution Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs. The Soul Rebels, 5/4, CON, 4:20p: After the international success of their Rounder debut Unlock Your Mind, this funk-inspired brass band released Power = Power, an OkayPlayer mixtape of reimagined hip-hop hits. They been collaborating with some of hip-hop’s most respected names in recent years. Southern University Baton Rouge Jazzy Jags, 5/3, 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. Spencer Bohren & the Whippersnappers, 4/27, BLU, 11:20a: A singer, guitarist and musicologist with a flair for traditional blues and gospel, Bohren spotlights his pedal-steel prowess on his 2013 CD Tempered Steel. Sporty’s Brass Band, 5/3, PAR, 1:30p: Sporty’s Brass Band will be parading with the Sudan, Revolution, and Men Buckjumpers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs. Square Dance NOLA with the Bayou Clogger String Band, 5/6, KID, 2:20p: 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. St. Joseph the Worker Music Ministry, 4/29, GOS, 1p: The choir of this New York-based church plays a key role in their community’s daily activities. Stars of Heaven, 5/4, GOS, 3:55p: Chicago’s Stars of Heaven is a female quartet in the tradition of the Gospel Harmonettes. The Stars of Heaven are Shelly Williams, Marilyn Liggins, Tenesha Hoskins, Denita Sanders Jackson and Lisa M. Spies. Steel Pulse, 4/27, CON, 5:25p: From Birmingham, England this roots reggae band was the first nonJamaican act to win the Grammy Award for best reggae album. The band formed in 1975 and made its first concert debut at the Mudd Club in New York in 1980. They are known for their protest songs including “No More Weapons” an anti-war song, “Global Warning” about climate change and “Tyrant” about political corruption. Stephen Foster’s Foster Family Music Program, 5/5, KID, 11:30a: No relation to the early American composer, this family foundation is dedicated to music education in New Orleans. Steve Miller Band, 5/6, GEN, 5:20p: Most of the quirky hits everybody knows—“Take the Money & Run,” “Abracadabra,” “Jet Airliner” and the rest—only came

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FEST FOCUS

Jake Shimabukuro

FRIDAY, APRIL 27—FAIS DO-DO STAGE, 2:45 P.M.

n 2005, Jake Shimabukuro’s stunning ukulele rendition of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” made him a YouTube sensation. The video has since been seen 15 million times. Unlike ukulele players who use the instrument as strummed accompaniment for their singing, the non-singing Shimabukuro plays melodic lines and strums. “I only sing when I want to make people laugh,” he said from Honolulu. “Because I don’t have a good singing voice, singing has never been something I wanted to pursue. I will sing at home for my kids, just for fun, or when I do school visits, just to get them singing along. But I’ll never sing at a show, because people pay for those tickets.” Not being a vocalist was a blessing in disguise, Shimabukuro said. Otherwise, he’d never have developed his virtuoso strum-and-melody technique. “To make my ukulele playing interesting, I had to keep a melodic line going on the ukulele,” he explained. Shimabukuro’s inspirations include the late flamenco guitar master Carlos Montoya. “We didn’t have YouTube when I was a kid,” he said. “So, when I listened to him I thought there must be three guys playing the guitar parts. After I learned it was just one person, I used my imagination to develop something that matched what I heard Montoya playing.” Shimabukuro played Jazz Fest for the first time in 2007. Touring with Jimmy Buffett, Shimabukuro joined Buffett on stage and also sat in with the Radiators. “I really fell in love with the people, the ambiance, the energy of the music and the festival itself,” he said. Music from New Orleans wasn’t on Shimabukuro’s radar until he began performing at pre-schools and elementary schools. His children’s repertoire included Dr. John’s New Orleans-soaked theme song for public television’s Curious George children’s series. “It’s a really cool tune and such an awesome theme song, with the horns and everything,” Shimabukuro said. “I’ve never seen Dr. John perform, but I listened to a lot of his recordings. He’s incredible.” Shimabukuro upcoming album, The Greatest Day, features arrangements of Jimi Hendrix’s “If 6 was 9/Little Wing,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle,” the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” the Zombies’ “Time of the Season” and his original compositions. Now 41, Shimabukuro is a frequent performer at U.S. concert halls. He’s come a long way from early gigs on the mainland that included shows at a yoga studio and a pizza joint. “I never thought I’d have these amazing opportunities,” he said. “And now being able to play my solo show at the Jazz Fest, that’s awesome.” —John Wirt

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JAZZ FEST A-Z from a two-year chunk of Steve Miller’s five-decade career, which was far more interesting overall: He did some visionary psychedelia as part of the late-’60s San Francisco scene; and in recent years has returned to his first love, the blues. Recent set lists indicate that he’s playing a little bit of everything. See backtalk in this issue for more. Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, 5/6, FDD, 1:30p: The venerable band is equally capable of playing straight-up Cajun music as they are of going progressive. Some recent gigs have even included a tenminute jam on Neil Young’s “Down By the River” in French. Sting, 4/27, ACU, 5:35p: Famed for his fluid bass playing, his literate songwriting and the occasional offhand remark about tantric sex, Sting now has four decades’ worth of hits to his name. If you don’t think he ever topped his first band, fear not, there are still a good dozen Police songs in his current set list. Stooges Brass Band, 5/3, ACU, 12:35p: 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. Stoop Kids, 5/5, GEN, 11:20a: This eclectic group was nominated for a Best New Artist award at the 2016 Best of the Beat Awards. It was probably their top-notch showmanship and seamless blend of disparate genres that impressed us. Storyville Stompers Brass Band, 5/5, J&H, 3:45p: 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. Sturgill Simpson, 4/27, GEN, 5:30p: Simpson draws inspiration from Outlaw Country and ’70s rock for his earthy sound, which is currently making waves in Nashville and beyond. Sudan SA & PC, 5/3, PAR, 1:30p: The Treme-based Sudan Social Aid and Pleasure Club rolls with elaborate, ribbon-bedazzled baskets at their annual parades. Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, 5/4, FDD, 3p: 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. Supaman, 4/29, J&H, 4:25p: Supaman is an Apsáalooke rapper and fancy dancer who was born in Seattle Washington and grew up in Crow Agency, Montana. His native American name is Christian Parrish Takes the Gun.

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Susan Cowsill, 5/3, LAG, 3:05p: A long overdue return to the Fairgrounds for this local treasure, renowned in different circles for her years with the Continental Drifters, her early life as a preteen ’60s pop star, and the long string of classic albums that she’s covered in live shows. She and partner Russ Broussard are currently preparing for a Drifters reunion at Tipitina’s and a new solo album. Sweet Cecilia, 4/28, LAG, 1:50p: Sisters Laura Huval and Meagan Berard, along with their cousin Callie Guidry, make up this trio of multiinstrumentalist Louisiana roots rockers from Acadiana. At the 2017 Best of the Beat Awards Sweet Cecilia won for Best Country/Folk/SingerSongwriter artist and for their album Sing Me A Story. Sweet Crude, 4/29, GEN, 1:55p: New Orleans indie pop septet Sweet Crude plays an energetic brand of percussion-driven, sparkly rock that is often sung in French. The Swing Setters, 5/4, KID, 3p: Singer Jayna Morgan’s spirited new band covers standards, folk tunes and Disney songs with a jazz lilt. T’Monde, 5/6, FDD, 11:15a: Louisiana Cajun musicians Drew Simon, Megan Brown, and Kellii Jones brings influences ranging from early country music to ancient French and Creole ballads to present day Cajun music. OffBeat called T’Monde “a creative fusion of classic country and out-of-the-way Cajun.” The band has received several Grammy nominations. Tab Benoit, 4/29, BLU, 4:15p: 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 preserving Louisiana’s wetlands. Tamela Mann, 5/5, GOS, 3:55p: American gospel singer Tamela Mann began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. She received a Grammy Award for song “Take Me to the King.” Mann is also an actress known for her role as Cora in Tyler Perry’s plays. The Tangiers Combo, 5/3, ECO, 11:20a: From New Orleans the Tangiers Combo combines French bal musettes, Latin waltzes, American songbook classics, and Caribbean beats with a homage to New Orleans’ jazz heritage. The band members include Carl Keith on guitar, Eric Rodriguez on the fiddle, and Jason Danti on reeds. Tank and The Bangas, 5/4, ACU, 1:55p: This band, led by electrifying spoken word artist and soulful vocalist Tarriona Tank Ball, broke out on the national scene last year after winning NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band, 5/3, CEP, 1:50p;

LAG, 4:20p; 5/4, FDD, 12:25p; CEP, 3:15p: Tatiana Eva-Marie is a singer and actress living in New York City. She is the lead singer of the GypsyFrench Avalon Jazz Band and was recently included, alongside Cyrille Aimée and Cecile McLorin Salvant, in a list of 37 rising jazz stars by the magazine Vanity Fair. TBC Brass Band, 4/29, J&H, 1:40p: If a brass band on Bourbon Street ever stopped you in your tracks, it was probably TBC Brass Band. Telmary y Habana Sana of Cuba, 5/3, ACU, 1:55p: The “street poet” Telmary Diaz is a leader of hiphop and urban music in Cuba. As a rapper she promotes a message that contrasts with the genre’s commercial norm. She participated in a tribute to Louis Armstrong with Dr. John at the Hollywood Bowl in 2013. Ten Strings And A Goat Skin of Canada, 4/27, LAG, 4:25p; CEP, 12:40p: This Canadian folk music group from Prince Edward Island, performs traditional Music of PEI which is influenced by Celtic music from Scotland and Acadian roots, in English and French. Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective, 5/6, JAZ, 4:05p: This Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and film score composer—whose acclaimed 2015 album Breathless was largely inspired by Eric Garner’s death and the events that followed it—returns home for his annual Jazz Fest stint. Terrace Martin, 5/3, JAZ, 4:15p: Rapper, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Terrace Martin is a Los Angeles native who’s made a name for himself working alongside Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg and more. Known for blending jazz fusion with rap, his 2016 album Velvet Portraits was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, 4/28, FDD, 2:55p: One of zydeco’s ambassadors and one of its most energetic performers, Simien has been present on the Jazz Fest stage for over three decades. The Early Years of Jazz with Dr. Michael White and Gregg Stafford interviewed by Jason Berry, 5/5, AM, 1:15p: “Up from the Cradle of Jazz” author Jason Berry interviews clarinetist Dr. Michael White and trumpeter Gregg Stafford on the early jazz years. Theatre on Tap, 4/29, KID, 3p: New Orleans’ premier rhythm tap dance company, whose mission is to celebrate, promote, and preserve America’s indigenous dance form. Emmy Award-winning founder, artistic director and principal choreographer Heidi Malnar leads the company.

Tim Laughlin, 5/5, ECO, 1:50p: 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, 4/28, BLU, 11:15a; AM, 1:15p: Stripped-down melodies, a wry sense of humor, deep funk sousaphone grooves and bluessoaked washboard scratches, strums and dings fuel Alex McMurray, Matt Perrine and Washboard Chaz’s longrunning trio. Tipitina’s Interns under the direction of Donald Harrison, Jr., 5/4, JAZ, 11:15a: Tipitina’s internship program is an after-school jazz program for high school students. The program focuses on instrumental performance, recording, music theory, and career professionalism. They are led by saxophonist Donald Harrison, Jr. Tommy Sancton’s New Orleans Legacy Band, 5/6, ECO, 1:40p: 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, 4/27, GOS, 2:55p: Primarily comprised of women, this local gospel choir has become a Jazz Fest regular. Toots & The Maytals, 5/3, CON, 5:40p: Reggae’s answer to Otis Redding, Winston “Toots” Hibbert broke out of the early ska and rocksteady scene with a stack of classics including the oft-covered “Pressure Drop,” “Monkey Man” and “Do the Reggay” (apparently the first song title to use that term); everyone from the Stones to the Clash to Dave Matthews has paid him tribute. Lately based on Martha’s Vineyard of all places, he remains a master with a revolving team of Maytals. Topsy Chapman & Solid Harmony, 5/4, ECO, 5:45p: 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, 4/28, PAR, 11:50a: Darryl Adams leads this local New Orleans brass band through a mix of tunes from the traditional and modern brass band repertoires. Toronzo Cannon, 5/3, BLU, 1:30p: Singer songwriter and blues guitarist Toronzo Cannon grew up on the South Side of Chicago. His influences include Albert Collins, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix. His album The Chicago Way was nominated for a Blues Music Award. Tracksuit Wedding, 4/28, GEN, 11:15a: From Denver, Colorado Tracksuit Wedding’s brand of rock and

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FEST FOCUS

Jon Roniger and the Good for Nothin’ Band FRIDAY, APRIL 27—LAGNIAPPE STAGE, 11:30 A.M.

ersistence looks to finally pay off for Jon Roniger this Jazz Fest. The New Orleans native makes his debut at the Fair Grounds this year a month before he hits the half-century mark. A globe-trotting singer-songwriter with a dozen solo albums under his belt, Roniger will perform with his Good for Nothin’ Band, a swinging staple of local music clubs whose formation was “nothing short of a miracle,” he says. “We’re thrilled to be asked to play Jazz Fest,” says Roniger, talking on the phone while rushing from the airport to a late-afternoon gig on Frenchmen Street. “I applied for the last seven years and this band gets me in. It’s an exciting, fun time for us. We’ve put out a couple of records that we’re excited about. And three weeks after Jazz Fest, we take off for Europe.” Roniger explains how he finally hit his current groove after building upon his decades of playing and writing in the mold of heroes such as Paul Simon and Bob Dylan by “delving deep into the jazzier side of writing and letting the movement come in chord changes.” His new style of songcraft and showmanship led to a gig every Thursday at Maison and growing the Good for Nothin’ Band from a duo to a trio to a quintet. “We play 10 gigs a week in New Orleans, so we’re constantly surrounded and immersed in the city’s style. We like to make sure we’re just playing music and that we don’t have to be so serious all the damn time. A lot of players are uptight about the way they think jazz should be, and that affects their approach and delivery. When, really, the show’s just a reason for people to forget about life for a while.” While steeped in his hometown’s musical traditions, Roniger credits his stint in Nashville as crucial to his current success. “Songwriting in Nashville is very businesslike,” he explains. “Two sessions a day… I did that five days a week for five years. Though I’d already been writing songs for 20 years, it was a real crash course in the study of creating a story in your song that has a beginning and end, character development, and different points of view.” Crediting New Orleans as a city where the music business is that of live performance, Roniger says he’s happy to be back in his hometown “doing what I do.” Yet, his gypsy soul arrives at Jazz Fest rooted in the lessons he learned traveling the world, knowledge that fuels his art and his worldview. “I’ve learned that it’s important to have your own point of view and stay true to that,” Roniger says. “I realized that, as a human being, I am not the center of the universe. It’s a big world out there.” —Frank Etheridge www.OFFBEAT.com

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JAZZ FEST A-Z soul is heaped in bluesy emotion and R&B sensibilities. Treme Brass Band, 4/29, ECO, 1:40p: 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 Billie Holiday with Sharon Martin & Company, 4/27, ECO, 12:35p: New Orleans jazz vocalist has also been a theater actress, TV commercial voiceover artist, and program director for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. She has performed a Billie Holiday tribute for several years. Tribute to Fats Domino with Bonnie Raitt, Jon Batiste, Irma Thomas, Deacon John, Davell Crawford, Al “Lil Fats” Jackson with the Fats Domino Orchestra, 4/28, ACU, 1:45p: Fats Domino, arguably the greatest ambassador of New Orleans music, one of the founders of rhythm and blues, as well as rock ’n’ roll died last October. This all-star tribute consisting of New Orleans musicians is joined by Bonnie Raitt. I would guess others not mentioned will take part. Seems like a must see. Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton with special guest Henry Butler, 4/29, CEP, 12:45p: 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. Tribute to Johnny Jackson featuring Zulu Male Gospel Ensemble, 4/27, GOS, 1:05p: This gospel singing group is associated with the well-known Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club will present a program in tribute to the late former board member of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club Johnny Jackson who passed away in February 2018. Jackson was also a Louisiana State Legislature for 14 years and a New Orleans City Council member for two terms. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, 5/6, 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. Trout Fishing in America, 4/29, LAG, 4:20p; KID, 1:50p: The guitar duo of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet has been performing together for 40 years. They’ve received four Grammy nominations and are considered one of the 100 most influential independent artists of the past 15 years. The guitar

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duo of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet has been performing together for 40 years. They’ve received four Grammy nominations and are considered one of the 100 most influential independent artists of the past 15 years. Trumpet Mafia, 4/28, JAZ, 12:15p: Skilled local trumpeter Ashlin Parker, of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, brings a hip-hop sensibility to the modern jazz-rooted approach of his forward-thinking, multi-trumpet ensemble. Tuba Skinny, 4/29, ECO, 5:45p: This band of New Orleans street musicians specializes in traditional jazz, Depression-era blues and spirituals. They recently released their ninth album, Nigel’s Dream. The Tumbling Wheels, 5/4, LAG, 11:30a: Formerly called the No-Counts, the Tumbling Wheels are a traditionally-minded acoustic string band who stand out for their clever songwriting and the warm-hearted vocals of Rachel Wolf. Wait to see if the highlight of their recent CD, a hangover song called “Oh Shit,” proved playable at Jazz Fest. Turnaround Arts Program/ReNew: Delores T. Aaron Middle School Brass Band Ty Morris & H. O. W., 5/6, GOS, 1:55p: This brass band took part in the Turnaround Arts Talent Show at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. this last March. Tyronne Foster & the Arc Singers, 4/29, GOS, 5:10p: 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. Undefeated Divas & Gents SA & PC, 5/5, PAR, 3:30p: This downtown club paraded with the Young Fellaz Brass Band at their 2015 annual Sunday parade. University of New Orleans Jazz Guitar Ensemble, 4/27, JAZ, 11:15a: Student group from UNO’s jazz program, which was established by Ellis Marsalis in 1989. Untouchables SA & PC, 4/29, PAR, 1:30p: The Untouchables represent a division of the historic Young Men Olympians. Uptown Swingers SA & PC, 4/29, PAR, 1:40p: Parade club hailing from way Uptown. Uptown Warriors Mardi Gras Indians, 5/5, PAR, 12p: One of the younger Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Val & Love Alive Choir, 4/29, GOS, 2:50p: Few things sound more spirited than 100 school-age kids singing praises. Valentine Bemiss-Williams directs this large choir Valley of Silent Men SA & PC, 5/5, PAR, 2:25p: This Uptown parade

club has been hitting the streets for three decades. Versailles Lion Dance Team, 4/28, KID, 1:15p; KID, 2:40p; CEP, 4:20p: Strength, endurance, motivation and respect are the calling cards of this local performance group, specializing in traditional Vietnamese lion dance. VIP Ladies SA & PC, 5/3, PAR, 12:30p: This Uptown social aid and pleasure club usually rolls with all women and children at its annual Sunday parade. Vishtèn of Canada, 4/28, FDD, 12:25p; 4/29, LAG, 5:35p; 4/29, CEP, 3:25p: Featuring guitars, fiddle, mandolin and whistles, this trio from Canada’s Francophone Magdalen Islands reflects the pre-Louisiana roots of the Acadian people. They blend traditional French songs with originals that fuse Celtic and Acadian genres with modern rock sensibilities and indie-folk influence. Vivaz!, 5/5, J&H, 12:10p: This energetic and dance inspiring Caribbean/Latin jazz fusion band led by the Bolivian-born guitarist Javier Gutierrez highlights the Cuban tres (a double three-stringed Cuban guitar). Voice of the Wetlands AllStars, 4/28, GEN, 4p: Guitarist and activist Tab Benoit leads a troupe of environmentally conscious musical heavyweights, including Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Cajun fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux and more. Voices of Peter Claver, 5/5, GOS, 5:10p: This adult choir is based at St. Peter Claver Church on St. Philip Street. The Walls Group, 5/3, GOS, 3:55p: From Huston Texas this American urban contemporary gospel quartet started in 2009. The group is made up of four siblings Darrel McGlothen Walls, Rhea Walls, Alic (Paco) Walls, and Ahjah Walls. The group has been nominated for a Grammy Award. Walter Cook & The Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, J&H, 1:25p: Mardi Gras Indians take over the Jazz & Heritage stage with their dance, feathers, and chants. Walter Mouton & the Scott Playboys, 5/5, FDD, 11:15a: Considered a musician’s musician, the venerable Walter Mouton is the stuff legends are made of. For the past 65 years, he has led the Scott Playboys, and he has played La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall for 45 years, 30 straight on Saturday nights. Walter Trout, 5/5, ACU, 1:05p; AM, 4:15p: This blues guitar slinger has worked with Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker and Joe Tex. His latest album is We’re All In This Together.

Walter Wolfman Washington and The Roadmasters, 5/6, CON, 12:35p: A local institution, the Wolfman puts plenty of hot guitar and soulful horns into his funky brand of blues. Walter Wolfman Washington with Ivan, Stanton & James, 5/3, BLU, 5p: Departing just a bit from the full-throttle blues/funk sound of the Roadmasters, the local blues legend plays this set with three familiar faces: Drummer Stanton Moore, keyboardist Ivan Neville and bassist James Singleton, all of whom appear on his winningly stripped-down new album, My Future is My Past.” The War and Treaty, 5/6, AM, 12p; LAG, 1:55p: From Albion, Michigan, husband and wife, Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tanya Blount are The War and Treaty. Their sound is a blend of roots music, blue grass, folk, gospel and soul. Their stage presence together with their voices will keep you mesmerized. Warren Storm - Willie Tee & Cypress Band with guests T.K. Hulin and Gregg Martinez, 5/5, FDD, 12:25p: Drummer Warren Storm and long-time musical partner Willie Tee perform their brand of classic swamp pop with singers T.K. Hulin and Gregg Martinez. Washitaw Nation Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, PAR, 1:10p: 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 Mass Choir, 5/5, GOS, 6:05p: Based in Algiers and the Garden District, these singers are led by Pastor Tom Watson. Wayne Toups, 4/27, ACU, 3:45p: 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, 4/27, PAR, 1:30p: We Are One Social Aid and Pleasure Club is based Uptown. Wendell Brunious & the New Orleans Allstars, 5/3, ECO, 5:45p: Trumpeter Brunious took over as the leader of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 1987 and remained a Hall regular for many years. Brunious has played regularly with Lionel Hampton, Linda Hopkins and Sammy Rimington. Wess Anderson Quintet, 5/4, JAZ, 1:30p: Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson plays alto and soprano saxophones. He began playing the saxophone at age 14 and studied with Frank Wess, Frank Foster, and Charles Davis. Anderson is an Assistant Professor instructor at

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JAZZ FEST A-Z

JAZZ FEST A-Z Loyola University in New Orleans. His quartet includes Mark Rapp on trumpet, David Ellington on organ and Chris Burroughs on drums. He released his latest CD Natural History last year. Westbank Steppers SA & PC, 5/5, PAR, 2:25p: This social aid and pleasure club hails from New Orleans’ West Bank just across the river. White Cloud Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/3, J&H, 1:55p: The White Cloud Hunters’ smoothvoiced 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, 4/27, PAR, 12:30p: Big Chief Ray Blazio leads the Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians tribe. Wild Mohicans Mardi Gras Indians, 4/28, PAR, 1:10p: 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, 5/5, PAR, 12p: This tribe made its Jazz Fest debut just a few years ago with Big Chief Thunder and the Cherokee Hunters.

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Wild Squatoulas Mardi Gras Indians, 5/6, PAR, 2:35p: This Mardi Gras Indian tribe has gotten multiple musical shout-outs from the likes of Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians, 5/6, PAR, 2:35p: 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. The Wimberly Family Gospel Singers, 4/28, GOS, 11:15a: This Marrero family group has been singing traditional gospel for nearly four decades. Xavier University Jazz Ensemble, 4/28, LAG, 11:30a: Student group from one of New Orleans’ great jazz training grounds. Yogapalooza with the Bari Koral Family Rock Band, 5/5, KID, 12:40p: Young Audiences Performing Arts Showcase, 4/27, KID, 11:30a: This top arts education and integration program offers a review of its latest work. Young Brave Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 5/5, PAR, 12p: Big

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Chief James Battiste leads this Indian tribe. Young Cherokee Mardi Gras Indians, 5/4, PAR, 12:20p: Parading Mardi Gras Indians. Young Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, 5/4, PAR, 2:15p: Young Fellaz Brass Band, 5/5, PAR, 3:30p: One of the city’s newer brass bands, the Young Fellaz add plenty of youthful swagger to traditional brass-band instrumentation. Young Guardians of the Flame, 4/28, 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 Magnolia Mardi Gras Indians, 5/6, PAR, 1:10p: Eric Yetti Boudreaux’s flexible rhythm section frequently backs Gerard “Lil Bo” Dollis and his Young Magnolias during pre-Mardi Gras Indian practices Uptown. Young Men Olympia Aid SA & PC, 4/29, PAR, 2:25p: The Aide or first division of the Young Men Olympian Jr. Benevolent Association handles the governing responsibilities for the organization. Young Pinstripe Brass Band, 5/6, J&H, 12:20p: Formed in 2009 and led by fourth-generation

musician Herbert McCarver IV, the group puts a funk and hip-hop spin on the brass band sound. Young Seminole Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, 4/29, PAR, 11:50a: Yvette Landry, 4/27, FDD, 12:20p: 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. Zachary Richard, 5/4, GEN, 12:25p: Richard’s idiosyncratic fusion of rock and Cajun elements have made him a regional treasure and taken him to different musical destinations over the years—most recently the thoughtful and reflective Le Fou. The Zion Harmonizers, 5/6, GOS, 2:50p; CEP, 5:05p: This venerable group has been a Jazz Fest favorite since the beginning. The group’s history goes back to 1939 when the first lineup was formed in the Zion City neighborhood. Zulu Gospel Male Ensemble, 4/27, GOS, 1:05p: Local New Orleans singing group performs gospel music through an R&B and soul filter.

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FEST MATCHUPS

Who, Me? An OffBeat guide to Jazz Fest for you-know-who... By Elsa Hahne and Amanda Mester

Janet, the Jazzhole Her sneakers tied tight, readers reflecting the stage lights, Janet will sit in her own chair on her own blanket in front of the biggest stage all day. Natural habitat: Anything at Acura, including Rod Stewart. Recommendation: Get up, Janet! Go check out Kermit Ruffins’ tribute to Louis Armstrong on Saturday, May 5 at the Cultural Exchange Pavilion NOLA 300 at 1:50 p.m. It’s really not that far from Acura, and Kermit sort of rhymes with charisma—and joy, Janet. Remember joy? Just don’t go home to Illinois and tell your friends you saw Louis Armstrong.

Jacques Some distinctly remember his name being Jack, but non. Jacques appreciates jazz and a lot of things. He likes to think about music. He takes notes in a notebook using a pencil. He reflects. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking behind those round lunettes, but Jacques critiques everything—especially the things he likes. Natural habitat: The Jazz Tent. Hey! Loosen up, monsieur. It’s a festival, after all, and there’s a lot of fun to be enjoyed. We recommend the Lost Bayou Ramblers (Acura Stage, Saturday, May 5, 11:50 a.m.) just to show you that young, happy virtuosos actaully do exist, and if you make that pfft sound even just once, we’ll drag you to the Congo Square Stage for some fullbooty bounce with Big Freedia on Saturday, April 28 at 2:10 p.m.

The Fun Guy Entitled, yet relaxed, the Fun Guy could be laying on his couch right now, but he’s here in cargo shorts from Old Navy that his mom washed just last week. Natural habitat: Gentilly Stage, where the Steve Miller Band plays on Sunday, May 6 at 5:20 p.m. Hey! Come on, dude. Head all the way over to the other side of the Fair Grounds on Sunday, April 29 at 2:05 p.m. when the Magnificent 7 take the Acura Stage. You’ll get Dave Malone, John “Papa” Gros, Tommy Malone, Mark Mullins, Robert Mercurio, Raymond Weber and Michael Skinkus. Truly cool dudes!

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Flower Child Free-spirited, the 2018 Flower Child is almost up for anything as long as she’s the star of the show, whether it’s on stage, backstage, or in the mud. Natural habitat: Fais Do-Do Stage, and the Lagniappe and Gentilly Stages (under open sky—no covered tents), or wherever people dance or generally pay attention to whomever is next to them in the crowd. Hey! We know you came to show off your own moves, but you might really like Johnny Sansone (Blues Tent, Sunday, May 6, 11:15 a.m.). You can hula hoop to harmonica, can’t you? (Just try not to talk over—or take over—the whole show.)

UP ATCH TM S FE

Man Man The Man Man prefers heavy metal, which isn’t really on offer at Jazz Fest, but he generally respects solid guitar work and his girlfriend absolutely had to see the Steve Miller Band so they drove down for the weekend. He’ll see Aerosmith, of course. Natural habitat: Somewhere along the dirt track. Recommendation: You didn’t bring a hat or sunscreen, did you? Well, go take a seat in the cool Blues Tent on Sunday, May 6 at 12:20 p.m. and listen to Jonathon Boogie Long absolutely rage on guitar.

Auntie Auntie’s the matriarch of her family, and has generally worked her butt off for the people around her her entire life. She’s motherly, even to those who aren’t her relatives, and always eager to listen. She’s a volcano of advice, whether wanted or unwanted. She loves to have a good time and goes to concerts to see her favorite artists such as Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (Congo Square Stage, Sunday, May 6, 5:25 p.m.) and Lionel Richie (Acura Stage, Thursday, May 3, 5:30 p.m.). Natural habitat: Congo Square Stage, with friends and family. Recommendation: Get some well-deserved shade and go hear Quiana Lynell breathe new life into old jazz tunes. Just don’t try to adopt her. She’s grown! (WWOZ Jazz Tent, Sunday, April 29, 2:40 p.m.) Illustrator Nat Suarez has a love for bold colors, patterns and people. You can find her at instagram.com/natsuarezillu, or at natsuarez.com. www.OFFBEAT.com

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EATS

“I

picked Louis Prima to be my inspiration for this cocktail because I think he represents New Orleans and a lot of the Italian influences on our cuisine and on our culture here. [Some 100 years ago, the French Quarter was more Italian than French.] Also, I love, love, love Italian food, and Louis Prima helped popularize it and a lot of Italian words, like antipasto and chicken parmigiana all over the country. I named this cocktail The Swing King. It’s made with Ford’s Gin, which has juniper berries from Sicily, Italy, and it made sense to use an Italian amaro that has some nice notes of rose and citrus in it. The bubbles in here put a little zip in your swing, too.

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It’s been a whirlwind of excitement being part of the opening of Bywater American Bistro [this March, across from NOCCA in the old Mariza location]. I was part of opening a restaurant before, but I wasn’t the main go-to person, more like an assistant or lead bartender. It’s been incredible. The way it happened is that I started working at Compère Lapin and worked there for at least two years and then one day, Chef Nina Compton called me and said that they wanted me to run the bar program over here. I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say, but of course my answer was yes. I just had so many questions... But here I am! I’m from Belle Chasse, grew up there. Been bartending for about 15 years now, and it’s been well

By Elsa Hahne

worth it. My first bartending job was a little hole-in-thewall place on Belle Chasse [Highway] that served beer and highballs. I made my hundred dollars and was totally fine with that. ‘I’m 18 years old and I got $100! Whoa!’ But making that every day—it really was great. I love citrus and I love bitters. I love gin martinis and wine and French 75s. Every now and again I’ll really enjoy a Sazerac. It’s the official cocktail of New Orleans, but I love going to other places and watching the bartenders to see how they make it.”

The Swing King 1 ounce Ford’s gin 1/2 ounce El Guapo green strawberry syrup

photos: Elsa Hahne

Crystal Pavlas/ Bywater American Bistro

1/4 ounce Amaro Montenegro 1/2 ounce lemon juice Sparkling wine Dried or fresh rose petals Shake gin, syrup, amaro and lemon juice with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. Top with a splash of sparkling wine and garnish with rose petals. www.OFFBEAT.com

DINING OUT

Frey Smoked Meat Co. For the better part of his still-young career, Chef Ray Gruezke was known for his deft work in fine dining, from his stints at Commander’s Palace and Le Foret to his charming bistro Rue 127. But throughout his white tablecloth career, Gruezke continually sought out opportunities to embrace his inner casual carnivore, from competing in the High on the Hog Cook-off at Hogs for the Cause to hosting fried chicken pop-ups as the Endymion parade rolled down Carrollton Avenue in front of Rue 127. In late 2016, Gruezke converted his part-time obsession into a full-time gig with the opening of Frey Smoked Meat Co. Barbecue is front and center on the menu at Frey, with Flintstones-sized beef ribs (typically seen only as a fleeting special around other joints in town) offered daily. Tender St. Louis–style pork ribs (a first-place winner at this year’s Hogs) are not to be forgotten, nor is the juicy and flavorful sausage made in-house. Brisket and pulled pork

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are best enjoyed in sandwich form, the former in the Bar-B-Cuban, and the latter when paired with caramelized onions and slathered with horseradish cream inside a soft roll. Burgers are divided into “fatties” (a single half-pound thick backyard-style patty grilled over an open flame) and “flatties” (a duo of quarterpound diner-style patties griddled on the flat top). In the fatty category, decadence unsurprisingly abounds, with burgers topped with pulled pork and coleslaw or jalapeño mac and cheese. Excess is not lost in the flatty category, though, either with the triple-decker Big Daddy Flatty or the Half & Half with one beef patty and one hot sausage patty, layered with melted American cheese and dressed with house sauce. The aforementioned fried chicken is cooked to order and arrives fire-engine hot, with a crunchy crust encasing a juicy interior. Pair a leg and thigh with one of the four types of mac and cheese, with partiality going to either the bacon and pepper jack or pimento cheese varieties. To start, order a basket of gargantuan biscuits, standing nearly three inches high and served with honey butter, and cheese fries topped with brisket chili (worthy of ordering on its own), shredded cheddar and sour cream. Should there remain any room left in the tank at the conclusion of the entrée round, an overindulgent shake or

Photo: @freysmokedmeatco

EATS

an avalanche of cookies makes for quite the exclamation point at the end of the meal. Frey traces its roots back through multiple generations of the Gruezke family to L.A. Frey and Sons, which was owned by Chef Ray’s greatgreat-grandfather Andreas Frey. What started as a small stall in the French Market eventually grew to a packaging plant in the Ninth Ward and a slaughterhouse in Lafayette. Although that business and those facilities have long since closed, the family tradition continues and looks to have a bright future, complete with pork belly poppers. —Peter Thriffiley 4141 Bienville Street; Sun–Wed 11a–9p, Thur–Sat 11a–10p; freysmokedmeat.com; (504) 488-7427

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Calas Tout Chaud! Loretta Harrison of Loretta’s Authentic Pralines brings back rice calas at Jazz Fest.

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photos: Elsa Hahne

hen Loretta Harrison started Loretta’s Authentic Pralines 41 years ago, she did so on solid footing in the New Orleans tradition. “I started this company with my mom’s recipe,” she says, “which she got from her mother, which she got from her mother... And I will one day leave it to my sons.” Tradition, however, hasn’t stopped Harrison from cooking and serving up her goodies with a twist. There are quite a few versions of her pralines, and after she introduced beignets to Jazz Fest some years ago, she couldn’t make just one kind. She came up with praline beignets, chocolatepraline beignets and crabmeat beignets. Ironically, her habit of serving with a twist also recently landed her in a gray plastic boot that keeps her foot immobilized as she hobbles around her busy kitchen preparing for this year’s Jazz Fest (as she does for every other festival in town). “I have two stories about this foot,” she explains. “One, I was trying out for the Senior Olympics. But the second one is really the truth—I tore a tendon and never took care of it. I just kept working, and it got worse.” But she isn’t going to miss Jazz Fest for all of that. In business for 41 years, she’s logged just as many as a vendor at the large festival. “Working this long at the Jazz Fest, they know that I’m a person who likes to do different things,” she says. “There are some people who do and some who don’t, but I do. So they asked me, since this is the Tricentennial of New Orleans, if I wanted to try something a little different, so I will be doing the calas and three different versions of it.” Loretta Harrison’s calas is one of only two new foods served and

Shrimp Calas

sold at Jazz Fest this year. (The other one is Vaucresson’s alligator sausage po-boy.) Many New Orleanians have heard of calas, but never tried them, as they’re a historic food of the city and no longer sold commercially. Related to the beignet, calas are rice fritters made with leftover, cold rice mixed with flour and eggs, among other things, and then deep-fried. Loretta Harrison will be making what she calls original calas, but By Elsa Hahne

also a sweet potato calas and a savory shrimp calas, not unlike a crab cake, but chewier and served with a remoulade made with mayonnaise, roasted garlic, capers and artichoke hearts. Harrison hopes she doesn’t have to get into a fight with local food historian Poppy Tooker regarding her original calas, as they’re known to have been round like balls, whereas Harrison’s version is flat, for quicker and easier frying. “I don’t want to take anything away from history,” she says. “But this will make it fry more evenly and that will help me with the lines and lines of people. I know the lines are going to be long.” “My biggest challenge at Jazz Fest is looking at those long lines and serving them quickly,” she continues. “My customers come every year from all over the world and they come to the booth and

they want to talk and know from me how things are going and they want to enjoy. So my challenge is to have those long lines but to not have people wait a long time in them.” Harrison hopes that Jazz Fest will provide her with a sign in front of her booth to help explain the history of calas, which she retells as a snack food sold by slaves who’d make the calas on Sundays after church and then go up and down the streets selling them “to anyone designed to eat them:” “They would give some of the money to their masters and some of the money they would keep, they were allowed to keep, to buy their freedom.” Standing by the fryer, Loretta Harrison pulls freshly fried calas onto a tray using her bare hands, seemingly untouched by the searing temperature. 41 years of experience have clearly left their mark. “Everything is not hot. Not to me...” O www.OFFBEAT.com

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REVIEWS

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

Supercharged and Passionate

Johnny Sansone Hopeland (Shortstack Records) If you don’t already know who Johnny Sansone is, it’s high time you found out about him. Long known for his instrumental prowess, particularly on harmonica and accordion, Sansone has been growing steadily as a songwriter and bandleader since surviving the events of 2005. His performances of the anthem Poor Man’s Paradise on his own and with the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars vaulted him into the pantheon of New Orleans songwriters. A legendary series of acoustic sessions with guitarists Anders Osborne and John Fohl at Chickie Wah Wah after the flood elevated all three to another level of songwriting genius that is still playing out today. Osborne joins Sansone for these sessions with help from the Mississippi Hill Country world boogie of the Dickinson Brothers—Luther on lead, slide and bass; and Cody on drums. This is the swamp rockin’–est band sound Sansone has ever come up with and he brings the material to match. Sansone’s big, growling voice soars over the relentless pummeling of the rhythm driven by the Dickinson www.OFFBEAT.com

brothers. Luther and Anders have a formidable two-guitar attack. Anders frames these songs like a master builder while Luther darts and glides around his lines with sharp slide textures and dense cross-rhythms. The sound is Sansone’s vision, and he gives it a name as he honks and moans harmonica blasts like a freight train sounding its air horn deep in the night. “They call it the blues, they call it country, they call it rock ’n’ roll,” he sings. “It’s all just soul with a ‘Delta coating’” The world boogie comes in right at the top with the irrepressible choogle of “Can’t Get There From Here.” “Derelict Junction” rides a deep-fried harmonica riff into a maelstrom of hard-driving frenzy that keeps building the intensity through the song. The title track is a medium tempo ballad that gives Sansone a chance to mythologize the trials of loving and losing, hitting the road and missing your roots. Luther’s slide offers appropriate sympathy. Things heat up again on the anthemic “Johnny Longshot,” which rides out on some more highintensity slide work from Luther. “One Star Joint” is a slow-burn shuffle with Anders and Luther playing unison parts along with Sansone’s harp for a thick, raunchy sound. Johnny knows it’s a dive but he likes it as is. Things get even grittier on the hardscrabble “Plywood Floor.” Sansone pulls out his accordion to wrap up the record on the classic ballad “The Rescue,” offering an elegiac touch that recalls the timeless “Save the Last Dance for Me.” The record is a great performance from

all involved—supercharged, passionate music broken up halfway through, then again at the end by ruminative turns. The energy level peaks so hard it could easily fly off the rails, but the perfectly balanced production from Osborne, and the finishing touches from Trina Shoemaker’s superb mixing, keep the buzz and distortion from turning into a train wreck. That’s how you catch lightning in a bottle. —John Swenson Johnny Sansone plays Jazz Fest on Sunday, May 6 in the Blues Tent at 11:15 a.m.

Terence Blanchard Live (Blue Note) Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard continues the conversation on violence between law enforcement and African American citizens that he addressed musically and philosophically on his 2015 Grammy-nominated album Breathless. This time out, Blanchard, along with his E-Collective, which includes returning members pianist and synthesizer musician Fabian Almazan, guitarist Charles Altura, drummer Oscar Seaton and newcomer bassist David “DJ” Ginyard, made his point by performing live at three locations—in Minnesota, Cleveland and Dallas—where engagements between police and the citizenry led to the death of unarmed innocents. While Blanchard has said he had no intention of making the E-Collective a protest band, he wasn’t able to ignore that mindsets have changed little

since Eric Garner uttered his last words, “I can’t breathe” to a New York City police officer, which inspired Breathless. While one might presume that the mood of the music might convey anger, Blanchard’s horn, which is frequently synthesized, often pleads rather than shouts. As is heard on the disc’s first cut, “Hannibal,” the piano’s delicacy also lends itself to a theme of hope and reconciliation. The lovely, simple yet moving single notes of the guitar and Blanchard’s lyrical blowing on “Unchanged” seem to communicate a feeling of lament and ask the question, “Why?” Following much applause from an obviously attentive and appreciative audience, Blanchard and the E-Collective close with “Choices,” which expresses the option of serenity over rage in curing the seemingly incurable hatred and distrust that now prevails in the nation and the world. As delivered by this hugely talented group of musicians both individually and collectively, serene does not translate into a lack of powerful emotions in their playing. An undercurrent of frustration prevails here and throughout the album. Having such a vital theme and being performed in concert JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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REVIEWS settings, Live shares a strong resemblance to a suite of music, as did Breathless. They stand together in purpose and passion. —Geraldine Wyckoff Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective plays Jazz Fest on Sunday, May 6 in the WWOZ Jazz Tent at 4:05 p.m.

Tuba Skinny Nigel’s Dream (Independent) Nigel’s Dream is the ninth album from Tuba Skinny. Recorded in December 2016, the band was unhappy with the sound quality and decided not to release it. Luckily for us, upon later inspection, they decided they liked the performances and to release it anyway. So here we have a delightful new album from Tuba Skinny that starts off with the jaunty calypso number “Belamina.” The next four songs are original compositions of impressive quality: “Unfortunate Rag” by Tomas Majcherski, “Nigel’s Dream” and “Tangled Blues” by Shaye Cohn, and “Levee Waltz” by Robin Rapuzzi. Tomas has a great sax solo on “Nigel’s Dream” and “Tangled Blues” is perfectly punctuated by Erika Lewis’ moaning vocals. It’s back to hot and fast with “Dusting the Frets” and then another original, “Springtime Strut” by Tomas, which has a throbbing rhythm that the horn solos somersault over to sublime effect. Much like on Louis’ 1931 version of “Stardust,” “Jazz Battle” is the perfect showcase for Craig Flory’s dizzying technical abilities. The Piron/Bocage tune “Bouncing Around” is much the same, a high-flying three-ring circus in fantastic synchronicity. The rhythm section is dead on, relaxed yet still driving the song forward. “Any Old Time” comes at the perfect time to slow things down and show us a softer side. Greg Sherman’s vocals are wonderfully twangy and lonesome. The album reverts back to jumping and lively and keeps it going with “Fireworks” and “Oh Red.” Erika

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graces us one more time with “Some Cold Rainy Day,” and then the album finishes on the slow-waltzing “Dream Shadows,” which sways and lists like the sailboat on the cover, coming to a resolution that suggests there’s still more beyond the horizon. I’m so glad they decided to put this out into the world. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell Tuba Skinny plays Jazz Fest on Sunday, April 29 in the Economy Hall Tent at 5:45 p.m.

Tom McDermott Podge-Hodge (Independent) The evaporation of the music business has left a lot of recording artists flopping around outside of the original musiquarium, gasping for air. New Orleans musicians, without a music industry to sustain them, have been resourceful in finding other means to make a respectable if not good living plying their craft. Most of our local players put together their own recordings to sell at gigs and augment their income. Pianist Tom McDermott is among the most resourceful of them. The thoughtful, scholarly pianist is a great historian and practitioner of the various strains of New Orleans music as well as music from the African diaspora throughout the Americas, particularly in the Caribbean and Brazil. Over the course of his 16 albums, McDermott has explored the interaction among these varied styles from Gottschalk to the present day, as well as engaging in wonderful collaborations with many local musicians.

This record is a kind of overview of McDermott’s career concentrating on some interesting projects with a few outtakes and some new material included. The record begins with songs from some of McDermott’s early releases. From Louisianthology, a hodge-podge of its own, come Matt Perrine’s delightful arrangement of Sidney Bechet’s “The Fish Vendor” and three synth pieces: the tongue-in-cheek synthesizer “Hello Central, Give Me Dr. John”; the equally strange “Manchega” and the even stranger “Traditional Albanian Synthesizer Tune.” You are not likely to hear those pieces performed by McDermott at Buffa’s. My favorite tracks here come from the wonderful duet recording with cornetist and trumpeter Connie Jones, Creole Nocturne. The now out-of-print album features Jones, a noted sideman in New Orleans traditional jazz bands for a generation, in the spotlight with McDermott framing his gorgeous tone on “Just a Little While to Stay Here,” “Creole Nocturne,” a version of “Keep On Gwine” for the ages and “Song of Bernadotte.” The Crave, another out-ofprint disc, contributes a somber “Petite Fleur” and two versions of a tango, one played straight (“Tango Aleman”) and one on Disklavier, (“Tango Aleman Remix”). That’s the podge. The hodge is divided into five parts. Frenchified—“Ambivalence” and “Musette #2,” with Patrick Harison on accordion; and “Frere Jacques,” with Sarah Kirby, Sarah Quintana and Helen Gillet on altered vocals, were part of an unrealized project. The Little Christmas Album That Couldn’t—or wouldn’t in this case, but McDermott was happy to include two existentialist yuletide tracks, “A Modest Proposal” (McDermott on vocals and piano) and “Does Santa Realize That He’s Not Real?” which features a great deadpan performance from Debbie Davis.

Waltzy—McDermott loves to swing his waltzes and here are some we haven’t heard: “The Gospel Waltz That Wasn’t,” “C-Sharp Minor Waltz,” “Theme for Blanche” and “Waltz for the Luley’s.” Tweaked—McDermott was part of the original Nightcrawlers brass band project. “Martin’s Mambo” and “Klezmer Nuthouse” with live material he edited for this disc. Miscellaneous—McDermott throws in a duet with frequent collaborator Meschiya Lake on Hank Williams’ “Rambling Man” and his best “Lullaby (for Leah Kirby),” a fitting way to end a satisfying listen. —John Swenson

Luke Winslow-King Blue Mesa (Bloodshot Records) Blue Mesa is a mature, reflective recording that should help garner Luke Winslow-King the recognition he truly deserves. Recorded in Lari, Italy, the record features guitar phenom Roberto Luti—if you haven’t heard him play then you’re in for a treat. Joining in are local favorites including Ben Polcer (trumpet), Dominick Grillo (baritone sax), Matt Rhody (violin) and Chris Davis (drums), among others. Things get started with “You Got Mine,” which is reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone,” and it sets the tone for the most realized and developed record of Winslow-King’s career. Next up is the aggressive psychedelic blues of “Leghorn Women,” and WinslowKing delivers a sensual vocal performance that would make Jim Morrison proud. www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS Things slow down with “Blue Mesa” as Winslow-King’s evocative lyrics are perfectly complemented with slide guitar playing that is as expansive as the visceral images created throughout the story. “Born To Roam,” which continues the

wanderlust spirit from the previous track, and “Thought I Heard You,” return to the more rock-oriented vistas explored on the first half of Blue Mesa. “Break Down The Walls” is a gorgeous testament to the power and spirit that lies

Conversational, Eclectic & Whimsical Nolatet No Revenge Necessary (Royal Potato Family) Two years after their debut CD, Dogs, and with a cross-country tour under their belts, Nolatet is back with a recording that expands on its superimprovisation concept. For the first project, vibes player Mike Dillon, pianist Brian Haas, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich stuck to their primary instruments. The band’s expanded sound palette for No Revenge Necessary is substantial. Dillon added marimba, tabla and percussion; Haas added melodica; Singleton added pocket trumpet and bass melodica; and Vidacovich added timpani to their respective instrumentation. The result is music that is conversational, eclectic, sometimes whimsical—and always intriguing. Here, they explore the New Orleans music tradition in a funky jam band style with many more sonic options in their hands. This recording is rich in the players’/writers’ vision and delivery. Haas wrote the opener, “Lanky, Stanky Maestro,” as a tip of the hat to Vidacovich, one of the Crescent City’s most enduring and versatile drummers, and frequent rhythm-section teammate with Singleton since the 1970s. Vidacovich turns it into a frisky musical conversation with each of the other players. Dillon’s vibes and marimba provide a surreal counterpoint throughout Haas’ oftenfrenetic “Homer and Debbie.” Singleton’s “Black Sheep” features his pocket trumpet, cushioned by Dillon’s marimba and Haas’ whimsical “Baa Baa Black Sheep” keyboard responses. Haas composed the plodding title track about the end of a relationship, but also sees it as a musical commentary on today’s divisive times. Each player contributes mightily here, buoyed by Vidacovich’s deep-timbred timpani. Dillon’s sparkling vibes dominate his “Elegant Miss J,” offset by the drummer’s loping drum solo. Singleton’s horn work is the clarion call on the CD’s most ambitious piece. His composition “Dikefinger” opens with the four players combining angry musical imagery about Hurricane Katrina before the mood dramatically shifts into an upbeat anthem about hope and unity. A very different mood dominates “Bluebelly,” the bassist’s zany response to the punkish modernism found in Dillon’s and Haas’ musical adventures with their other projects, including Garage A Trois and Dead Kenny G’s, and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, respectively. It feels a bit out of control from start to finish, intentionally. Haas was inspired by parts of America’s landscape when he composed the more reflective “Gracemont” (a town in Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains region) and plodding “Pecos Wilderness” (near his home in Santa Fe). The closer, Singleton’s “Malabar,” is the most poignant track. His nimble bass work, Haas’ avant-garde keyboard runs and Dillon’s high-energy vibes offset the subdued ending, which features a bowed bass solo and rather mournful trumpet finale. You never know where these four are going—until they get there. —Ken Franckling www.OFFBEAT.com

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within us all. It is uplifting in its deceptively simple delivery and signals a change in direction with regards to the feel of Blue Mesa. The funk cooked up on “Chicken Dinner” is infectious and is clearly informed by the time WinslowKing spent in New Orleans. Winslow-King moved back to his hometown in Michigan. The horn work is particularly notable and is highlighted by Luti and Winslow-King playfully going back and forth on guitar. Up next is “After The Rain,” and like its title suggests, it is soul-cleansing and life-giving. With a comforting voice infused with a wisdom and knowledge that belies his years, Winslow-King’s “Farewell Blues” conjures up images of Mississippi John Hurt and is the perfect end to Blue Mesa. —Christopher Weddle

Bon Bon Vivant Live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (Gallatin Street Records) What a fitting band to choose for the first album on the Gallatin Street Records label. Long before Storyville, the original place to go for sin and vice in New Orleans was Gallatin Street, which is now French Market Place. On this second album from Bon Bon Vivant, the band vamps through original tunes by frontwoman Abigail Cosio and a few wellchosen jazz standards to evoke the kind of murder and mayhem cabaret vibe one would expect in a seedy waterfront underworld. They recorded live at the Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, which is just steps away from where Mary Jane “Bricktop” Jackson, one of Gallatin Street’s

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most notorious characters, murdered and looted her victims. “The Jazz Axe Man,” “Saints and Sinners” and “Gone Gone Gone” play right into that folklore, with Cosio’s lyrics weaving tales of revenge, redemption, booze and jazz. The album has its tender moments as well, like on the heartbreaking “Poplar Tree.” There’s some great sax playing from Jeremy Kelley, particularly on “Why Don’t You Do Right?” The Boswell Sisters’ “Shout Sister Shout” is a lively and natural choice for this band. Sisters Abigail and Glori Cosio have created a jazz-country-blues way of singing that is one of the many ways this band bends genres. They call themselves an “indie gypsy” band, but somehow that just doesn’t seem to say enough about their style. In the end, I think it’s better to stop trying to place them in a genre and just let them be their cabaret-jazz-blues-gypsy-countryindie-pop selves. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Natalie Mae Run to You (Independent) New Orleans, meet Natalie Mae. Now that you’ve been introduced, you need to get to know one another. Although she has been a part of the local music scene for some time now, and it’s partly because of the embarrassment of riches we have here in the Crescent City, artists like Mae often get overlooked. With a soothing voice that would be well suited to a rainy Sunday morning sitting on a porch overlooking Bayou St. John, Natalie Mae proves that she is comfortable straddling the lines that often separate country, folk, bluegrass and singer-songwriter. Joining Mae on guitar are Billy King, Mark Palms and Reed Lightfoot. Jacob Warren and Dan Wally Baker hold down the bass. Drew Howard adds dobro and pedal steel while Brian Brill plays piano and organ. Patrick Fee covers drums and percussion

and Carter Bancroft along with Emolyn Liden add fiddle. Run to You kicks off with the title track and does a nice job of setting the stage for what’s to come: a showcase for

Mae’s vocals with solid musical accompaniment. Drew Howard adds tasteful dobro playing to the upbeat opening track. Mae slows things down on “Broke Down” and gently draws

The Radiators Just Won’t Go Away The Radiators Welcome to the Monkey House (Radz Records) Sometimes the best things happen when you’re not even trying. The Radiators have labored for many years over their recordings trying to capture the strange alchemy that makes Fishhead music on tape. They’ve tried the DIY approach, expensive studios, big name producers and engineers, corporate A&R, live albums and even digital recordings using Pro Tools. Some great music has come out of it all, but nothing comes as close to capturing this band’s spirit as its latest recording, Welcome to the Monkey House. Why? No real musical reasons, Svengali sessions or technical advances. …House is this good because nobody ever thought it would happen. When the band stopped touring they all went their separate ways, getting together for the occasional reunion gig in New Orleans. A new recording was out of the question—after all, they had “broken up.” Volker’s post-Radiators forays into small clubs included at different points but never altogether all of his bandmates in the Radiators. That is until last years’ Rattlers gig, with everybody except guitarist Camile Baudoin in the band. The show was massive, one of those shows that tape traders will treasure for generations. So good, in fact, that it convinced the band to go back into the studio with Camile and make a record. 16 songs went down in a couple of days in the comfortable environment of Jake Eckert’s uptown Rhythm Shack studio. Eckert and Suspects bandmate Jeff Watkins worked the board and helped with arrangements. The band unearthed a bunch of fan favorites that for various reasons never made it onto previous albums and added a few new tunes into the mix. The title track is the kind of high-spirited invocation of the party that the band has always been so good at. Volker added “One Monkey” and guitarist Dave Malone contributed the showstopping “16 Monkeys on a Seesaw” to complete the theme. The vocal interaction between Volker and Malone has never been better as they split leads and share choruses. “King Earl” is finally revealed in all its majesty. Likewise Malone and Baudoin ply their unique twoguitar sound to great effect on classic Rads crowd pleasers like “Run Red Run” and “Doubled Up In a Knot.” But the payoff is in how well the band plays as a unit—bassist Reggie Scanlan and drummer Frank Bua locking down the beat on “Ride Ride She Cried” and “Bring Me the Head of Issac Newton”; Volker adding colorations and carnival keyboard interludes on “Time to Rise and Shine,” “Back To Loveland,” “Nightbird,” “The Fountains of Neptune” and “First Snow.” It’s a classic New Orleans rock sound, and when they roar into “Fishhead Man,” “Make You Say Hot Dog” or the insanely catchy “I Got a Buzz On” there’s just no doubt that this band never sleeps on this city. I got a b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-buzz on for the Radiators, and it just won’t go away. —John Swenson www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS the listener in as she laments lost love. Up next is the album’s sole instrumental. The slow, brooding “Oh, The Stars” creates a nice soundscape for both fiddle and banjo. “Go With You a Long Way” co-written with Reed Lightfoot, creates the opportunity for a beautiful duet. Next up is “Give It Up,” a high-spirited romp that allows Mae and company to show that they are comfortable heating things up. “Falls Of Richmond / Chilly Winds” begins with the instrumental passage before giving way to the rollicking “Chilly Winds.” As the title might suggest, “Another Failed Affair” follows in the tradition of any number of country drinking songs as Drew Howard gets a chance to shine on pedal steel. Co-written with Emolyn Liden, “River Green” allows for some nice twin fiddle and banjo playing and is a great traveling song that will surely have you tapping your foot as you walk along. Things wind down with “Little Man,” a song that I imagine would be nice way to rock a young child to sleep. —Christopher Weddle

Charlie Dennard Sozinho (Independent) Charlie Dennard is a New Orleans native who splits his time between the Crescent City and Cirque de Soleil. With Sozinho, he’s recorded one of the most elegant solo piano albums to come out of New Orleans in recent memory. He’s gone for the ECM vibe here, both in the design of the package (somber and gray) and the composers covered: www.OFFBEAT.com

Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Denny Zeitlin, and Bill Evans, a grandfather of the ECM sound. There’s also a healthy dollop of Braziliana, with the title (meaning “alone”), and three tunes by André Mehmari, an important young Brazilian pianist/composer. Very little rhythmic flash here; it’s more about harmonic richness with a piano that’s very rarely recorded this well here in town. This is a disc where subdued and gracious beauty abounds. —Tom McDermott

Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band A Woman’s Place (Independent) Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band is back at it again with their second album, A Woman’s Place. It’s been a meteoric rise for these ladies, who’ve been tapped for some pretty serious gigs and festivals this past year, and the experience is evident in this album. They’re tighter, stronger and more confident about their musical identity. We’re hearing a welcome introduction of vocal harmonies on “Puttin’ It On” and “Shake Sugaree.” Fingers crossed that they’ll keep developing this because their very different vocal styles create an intriguing blend. There’s some great instrumentation going on as well. The combination of Molly, Dizzy and Julie keeping rhythm fuels the energy of the album from its off-and-running opener “Traveling Blues” to its cheeky finale “The Spinach Song.” The Hot Five’s tune “Skid-Dat-De-Dat” gives Marla some time to shine on trumpet with Chloe ornamenting slyly on clarinet. Haruka does some solid tailgating throughout the album, an approach you don’t hear often enough these days. “Last Kind Words Blues” provides some dark shading for the album with a haunting vocal from Marla. “A Woman’s Place (Is in the Groove)” is a swinging tune that is appropriate not just because of the significance of its title, but also as it was originally JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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Take A Little Louisiana Marcia Ball Shine Bright (Alligator Records)

Doro Wat Jazz Band

prisoners attack of stride-master David Boeddinghaus, guitarchomping John Rodli and bassslapping hellion Twerk Thomson. These guys pull off the tricky feat of driving the music home without speeding up; to my ears they actually improve on the original versions of some of these tunes, by slowing down, for instance, “Jamaica Shout,” and beefing up the Latin rhythm on “Rhumba Negro.” It’s like a drummer-less version of the Eddie Condon bands, but with more New Orleans flavor. A-plus. —Tom McDermott

Doro Wat Jazz Band (Independent)

The Vettes

recorded by Vivien Garry and Her All-Girl Band. It’s a tip of the hat to the women of jazz who came before them, as is the fact that all of the songs on the album were composed, arranged, and/or originally performed by women. Same goes for “Dusty Rag” by ragtime composer May Aufderheide. A Woman’s Place is an excellent second outing from a band that is clearly going to get better and better. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

With all the trad jazz talent in New Orleans these days, it was bound to happen: Someone decided to put together a “superstar” band. Not superstar in the sense of being well-known (this is trad jazz, after all) but in ability. Trumpeter Ben Polcer has picked such a cast, and the results are ferocious. Doro Wat (named after an Ethiopian stew) has a tasty repertoire (Moten, Prima, Satchmo, Jelly Roll, Fats Waller, Juan Tizol) and plays it with incredible drive. Its leader is Polcer, whose father, Ed, was the trumpeter in one of the last NYC Eddie Condon congregations. Thus, Ben was weaned in part on some of the hardest driving trad jazz ever played. Joining Polcer on the front line are the trombonist-who’severywhere, Charlie Halloran; the divinely inspired reedman James Evans; and the always dependable and witty clary/saxophonist Tom Fischer. The back line is equally compelling with the take-no-

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Gold Star (Independent) Slicing synthesizers, thumping drums, march tempos and big hooks—it must be the 1980s. Actually, the time is now, the late 2010s, and the ’80sinspired Vettes write and record counterintuitively fresh music. For the Vettes’ second album, Gold Star, the band combines meticulous songwriting and arranging with buoyant studio performances. Gold Star features 10 original songs and an unexpected rendition of LeRoux’s classic Gulf Coast ballad, “New Orleans Ladies.” A quintet mostly composed of siblings, the Vettes formed in 2005. The group’s discography is small but commendable. The past decade saw only three official releases: 2008’s T.V. EP; 2010’s album-length Plasticville; and, released this year, the fulllength Gold Star. Front woman Rachel Vette sings lead while her brothers

For the 15th album of her illustrious career, Marcia Ball enlists Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) to handle the production, and one listen proves that was a wise decision. Recorded in Austin and at the legendary Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana, Shine Bright finds Marcia being backed by different bands—each providing a touch of the local flavor of their respective cities. The album features nine originals and three covers (Ernie K-Doe, Ray Charles and Jesse Winchester). From the opening moments of the funky, groove-laden title track “Shine Bright,” a song that manages to tie together Ken Kesey and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, you know you could only be listening to Marcia Ball. Like a great roux, one that takes time, care and attention to create, Marcia Ball, over the course of 50 years as a professional musician, has developed a style that, while imitated, is uniquely hers. Whether it’s Texas Roadhouse Blues or the boogie-woogie barrelhouse sounds of legendary New Orleans piano players, it’s all stirred up and presented in a soulful and classy, yet down home and funky manner. And while Marcia’s musicianship and delivery are second to none, she has become quite the songwriter, one who is not afraid to tackle the difficult issues that we face today. However, the message is often delivered on top of such wonderfully infectious grooves that even heavy topics provide opportunities to feel good and dance. If you are doubtful then check out “Pots And Pans.” “They Don’t Make ’Em Like That” returns the listener to a simpler time; and while those times are gone, at least we are lucky enough to still have originals like Ball in this world full of built-in obsolescence. The sax work of Steve Berlin (baritone) and Eric Bernhardt (tenor) ebbs and flows with Ball’s piano and takes a wistful lyric and propels it into a feel-good dance party. While Ball has certainly made a career of delivering infectious swampy dance grooves, don’t think for a second that she can’t still deliver soulful ballads and tender love songs. Ball’s road-weary vocal delivery on songs like “What Would I Do Without You” and “World Full Of Love” tends to lend an air of extra authenticity to each. On “I Got To Find Somebody” and “When The Mardi Gras Is Over,” Ball tackles quintessential New Orleans institutions like Ernie K-Doe and Mardi Gras with the confidence and swagger required. Of course, getting help from a backing band that features Roddie Romero (guitar), Eric Adcock (Hammond B-3), Lee Allen Zeno (bass), and Jermaine Prejean (percussion) paired with Berlin and Bernhardt on sax certainly helps to liven up the celebration. That same backing band is in full swing on “Once In A Lifetime Thing,” giving Romero and company a chance to shine as they lay down a swampy groove that is reminiscent of the classic swamp pop sounds of yesteryear. Shine Bright closes out with Ball covering Jesse Winchester’s “Take A Little Louisiana.” This is a match made in heaven; and while Jesse is no longer with us, his spirit is certainly kept alive by performances like this. So take their advice and take a little Louisiana with you... and make sure to take a little Marcia too! —Christopher Weddle www.OFFBEAT.com

REVIEWS Todd, guitar; Chad, keyboards; Brian, drums; plus non-family band member Mitch Gray, bass; play authentically ’80s-pitched accompaniment. Gold Star’s opening song, “Hard Way,” confirms such vintage Vettes influences as Depeche Mode and Duran Duran. But “Hard Way” succeeds on its own, without sounding too imitative. The band learned its ’80s music lessons well. The especially upbeat “On Top,” for instance, and its jackpot chorus could be an outtake from an early’80s Duran Duran album. In “Survive the Night” Rachel Vettes’ unadorned vocals suggest such minimalist ’80s female singers as Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Missing Persons’ Dale Bozzio. She provides all of the passion necessary, however, for the rousing, arena-ready chorus in “Flip the Bird.” If Katy Perry is on the hunt for some good songs, the outsized “Bird” and another of the Vettes’ empowerment songs, “Diamonds in a Jar,” would serve the pop star well, in the studio and, even more so, the arena. The same goes for “Swagger Jackin’.” A sassy, fun number with playful rhyming lyrics, it’s a great summer song. Of course, “New Orleans Ladies,” retitled “New Orleans Lady,” is the elephant in the room. Despite the transformative synthand-staccato treatment the Vettes give the song, its beloved melody doesn’t go missing in the band’s clever reinvention. The time, work, attention to detail and money the Vettes invested Gold Star is obvious. It deserves a gold star. —John Wirt

Soul Project The Long Hustle (Soul Universal Productions) Aptly named The Long Hustle, this second album from Soul Project comes four long hustling years after their critically acclaimed first album, Music for Movers & Shakers. In that time they’ve become a fixture on Frenchmen www.OFFBEAT.com

Street at the Blue Nile and Cafe Negril and have become known for their high-energy shows and tight ensemble. For The Long Hustle they’ve mixed elements of jazz, funk, soul, blues, reggae and gospel to create an album with many facets under a cohesive groove. It starts with the Wolfman-esque “What We Got,” which pulls an interesting sleight of hand when it morphs briefly into a traditional brass band segment near the end. There are a couple fun takes on familiar tunes such as a reggae “Down by the Riverside” with rap verses and a funky version of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” with a second line rhythm in the midst of things. Jon Cristian Duque, lead vocalist and guitarist, seems to have done most of the savvy, genreconscious arranging. It’s unclear which tunes are originals. It would have been nice to have song credits listed, but I know for sure that saxophonist David Ludman composed the funk-fusion “Blue Snail” and keyboardist Jeremy Habegger composed the album’s live slowburn closer “Gsus.” All in all it’s a solid, wellproduced album from a really tight band. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Misled Regenerator Vol. 1 (Dixie Dawg Records) A new release from a band walking the punk/metal line since the early aughts, you know what you’re in for pretty early into the first listening session of Misled’s Regenerator Vol. 1.

Most of the songs fall close to the grunge/hard rock idiom or the slower side of thrash/groove metal. What are interesting are the accidental convergent similarities the music has with grunge, particularly the Sub Pop records of the Pacific Northwest and the alternative metal of the Northeast of the early ’90s. The sounds often conjure up early Nirvana, the Melvins, Helmet, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, at least as much as frontman/ guitarist/singer Chris Rico’s stated influence from southern bands closer to home like Pantera and Crowbar and from classic hard rock, heavy metal and punk bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and the Ramones. It’s in the polished production, punchiness of the bass, co-temporal clarity and crunch in the distortion and balance in the sound between the individual instruments and the vocals as a result of studio compression, and the band’s goal of a pop sensibility evident in the catchiness of the hooks and the format of the songs, many following pop’s familiar formula of verse-chorus-bridge. Rico’s guitar work at times sounds like a less-polished version of his guitar heros, Hendrix, Hammett and Iommi, but surprisingly most like someone he doesn’t cite as an influence: Alice in Chains guitarist and backing vocalist Jerry Cantrell, with fuzzy blues rock riffs that crescendo with the wah pedal. A previous review from this publication from over a decade ago remains true today with regard to Rico’s vocals, as equal parts Glenn Danzig and, oddly enough, Mighty Mighty Bosstones vocalist Dicky Barrett. But this band has definitely grown over time, although the extent to which that’s a result of better musicianship and what’s attributable to more studio investment is up for debate. One appreciates how Rico’s gruffer growls, groans and snarls help split the focus between the lyrics, the contour of the songs, and the instrumental sonic palette, rather than attempting JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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REVIEWS the attention-grabbing soaring falsetto or vocally taxing shouts that are hallmarks of many of his influences. While stylistically the band hasn’t changed much in over a decade, Rico’s done a good job honing in on his own strengths and those of his musicians, and hopefully will continue to do so. —Nick Benoit

Van Morrison Versatile (Legacy) Van Morrison’s 38th album finds the Irish soul man fit as a fiddle. Singing standards by George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Jule Styne and more, Morrison and his well-cast musicians play fresh renditions of this familiar material. Along with “Bye Bye Blackbird,” “A Foggy Day,” “Unchained Melody” and “Makin’ Whoopee,” six original Morrison compositions bump Versatile’s playing time to nearly 70 minutes. Morrison’s original compositions fit smoothly alongside the album’s overall jazz vibe. He opens with “Broken Record,” a jubilant original that hits a swinging sweet spot between blues and jazz. “Take It Easy Baby” sways in that same blues-meets-jazz vein, doing so with finger-snapping cool. And the upbeat and breezy “Start All Over Again” glows with optimism. As for the classics, Morrison doesn’t phone them in. The Gershwins’ “A Foggy Day,” Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You” and others receive relaxed but never lazy treatment. Most of the selections run three-to-five minutes. Despite that brevity, there’s room for solos from the band. Within the standards context of Versatile, the album’s beyond conventional selections also work. That goes for “Skye Boat Song,” a Scottish folk song performed here as an instrumental, and “Affirmation,” the album’s longest selection. Lasting more

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Led Zeppelin’s “Misty Mountain Hop,” the New Orleans favorite “Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing,” Allen Toussaint’s “Life” and finish with a light-hearted version of the bittersweet “We’ll Meet Again.” It’s a joyous album that is sure to be a new favorite for New Orleans music fans. —Stacey Leigh Bridewell

Paired with the band’s signature firecracker rhythm, these two songs set the tone for an album that is pure, contagious fun. Alex McMurray’s originals feel as if they’re already classics. The songs that are covers keep things eclectic. They’ve put their unique spin on the jazz standards “Root Hog or Die” and “Borneo,”

than six minutes, “Affirmation” qualifies as a jazz hymn flavored by Celtic overtones. Reinforcing the track’s Irish connections, Morrison’s fellow native of Northern Ireland, classical flutist James Galway, joins the meditative wanderings. Two of the album’s most intimate songs are among its most recognizable. But Morrison avoids clichés by liberally reinventing melodies for “The Party’s Over” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” The takeaway from Versatile—while several of his 1960s and ’70s peers recently announced their retirements, Morrison sounds as if he’s still enthusiastically in the game. —John Wirt

The Tin Men Sing with Me (Independent) Billing themselves as “America’s premiere washboard, sousaphone, and guitar trio,” The Tin Men have been going strong for over fifteen years. They’ve found something special in that combination of instruments and it’s surprising there aren’t more bands doing this configuration. Of course, who would try to compete with the heavy-hitters in this outfit? Alex McMurray is a natural songwriter and a solid guitar player, Matt Perrine is one of the best sousaphone players out there, and Washboard Chaz is a New Orleans rhythm institution. Sing with Me, their fifth album, begins with a clarion call to all the “Freaks” to pitch a fit, jump and shout. “Sing with Me” furthers that sentiment.

Wolfman with Friends Walter “Wolfman” Washington My Future Is My Past (ANTI- Records) The title of the great New Orleans guitarist and vocalist Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s latest release, My Future Is My Past, tells a lot about the philosophical tone of the album. Washington, who is most often heard leading his fully equipped band, the Roadmasters, or in a trio format with organist Joe Krown and drummer Russell Batiste, changes direction on this CD. He makes a detour, or almost a U-turn of sorts, by performing in a solo, trio or quartet setting with musicians primarily known on the jazz scene—pianist David Torkanowsky, bassist James Singleton, drummer Stanton Moore—rather than in the R&B, blues and funk world in which he’s been most visible. Washington retains his late-into-the-night signature style on the opening number, Percy Mayfield’s “Lost My Mind.” In a very rare move, he presents it alone, accompanying himself simply on guitar. It’s among a number of well-chosen tunes on the album, including David Egan’s always-moving “Even Now.” Wolfman and Irma Thomas, who along with Johnny Adams had recorded the song, team up perfectly in the back-and-forth dialogue that is stylistically old-school New Orleans. It stands as an album highlight. Another is Doc Pomus’ and Mac Rebennack’s “She’s Everything to Me,” which Washington enriches with his unique falsetto. As is typical, he thoughtfully takes his time with every note, every word. It’s somewhat rare to hear funkster organist, guest Ivan Neville play so serenely and minimally while Mike Dillon offers a few, well-placed notes with his marimba. Washington does present a guitar solo here, though, like on most of the cuts, he keeps it short and simple. Working even “closer to home,” Wolfman embarks on Naomi Neville’s (Allen Toussaint’s) “I Cried My Last Tear” with Jon Cleary ably manning the piano. Again, when Washington goes up for those high notes, he just kills. On this cut, he does take the opportunity to stretch out on a guitar solo. The album appropriately concludes with a Washington original, “Are You the Lady,” backed by the big-eared trio of Torkanowsky, Singleton and Moore. It alone might provoke the question as to whether My Future Is My Past is a jazz album. It certainly has those leanings but then when it comes down to it, Washington’s style has always hinted at that—after all he and jazz share a birthplace. —Geraldine Wyckoff Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters play Jazz Fest on Sunday, May 6 on the Congo Square Stage at 12:35 p.m. www.OFFBEAT.com

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Listings

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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

MONDAY APRIL 23

30/90: Margie Perez, Super Jam (VR) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Helen Gillet (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: St. Louis Slim, Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show, G and the Swinging Gypsies, John Lisi Band (VR) 12p BMC: Lil Red and Big Bad, Paggy Prine and Southern Soul (VR) 7p Bombay Club: David Boeddinghaus (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Café Negril: Maid of Orleans (VR) 6p, In Business (VR) 9:30p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): James Williams (JV) 8:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Justin Molaison (VR) 5:30p, Alex McMurray (SS) 8p Circle Bar: Dem Roach Boyz (RB) 7p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: John Boutte (JV) 7p, Soul Brass Band (BB) 10p Dos Jefes: John Fohl (BL) 9p Dragon’s Den: Monday Night Swing feat. Tom Saunders and the Hot Cats, Jeremy Joyce Trio (GY) 8p, AudioDope with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 6p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p

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House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Sean Riley (BL) 6p, Home Grown (VR) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 6p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. with Terrence Houston (FK) 7p, Michael Lemmler (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a One Eyed Jacks: Blind Texas Marlin (VR) 10p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Swing Dance Party (SI) 7p SideBar NOLA: Alex Massa, Mike Dillon, Dan Oestreicher and Scott Graves (VR) 8:30p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Starlight: Burlesque Bingo with Lefty Lucy (BQ) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Macrodose420 Sound Selector Set (VR) 5p Three Muses: Monty Banks (JV) 5p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robinson Band (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p

TUESDAY APRIL 24

30/90: Mem Shannon, Bayou Saints (VR) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Damn Gina Trio, Big Dixie Swingers, Jan Marie and the Mean Reds, Mofongo (VR) 12p BMC: Set Up Kings, Dapper Dandies, Captain Green (VR) 5p Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Bourbon O Bar: Marty Peters Quartet (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Café Negril: 4 Sidemen of the Apocalypse (VR) 6p, John Lisi and Delta Funk (FK) 9:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Chip Wilson and Marcello Benetti (VR) 5:30p, Jon Cleary (FK) 8p Circle Bar: Alex McMurray and his Band (RK) 7p, Cold Beaches, Garbage Boy (ID) 9:30p Columns Hotel: New Orleans Guitar Masters with 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) 10p Dos Jefes: Mark Coleman and Todd Duke (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: the All-Star Covered-Dish Country Jamboree (CW) 9p

Fontaine Palace: Soul Rotisserie (VR) 5p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Chastity Belt, Lala Lala, Pope (ID) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Poor Peter, DJ Flat9 (RK) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Songwriter Sessions: Adam Pearce, Aaron Benjamin, Sarah Quintana, Jamie Bernstein (SS) 7p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Michael Liuzza (BL) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Beast (CO) 8:30p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: NOLA Dukes (VR) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Maison Bourbon: Uncle Yokes Catahoula Music Company (JV) 7:30p Maison: Hector Gallardo’s Cuban Jazz Band, Gregory Agid, Gene’s Music Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 10p Old Arabi Bar: Lynn Drury (FO) 8p Old U.S. Mint: Navy Fleet Week All-Star Jazz Combo (JV) 2p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 6p, Preservation AllStars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Prime Example: the Sidemen +1 Quintet and Jam Session (JV) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Latin Night (LT) 7p Siberia: Marc Stone’s Back Porch Party (BL) 8p SideBar NOLA: Zurich-Chicago-Paris feat. Rob Mazurek, Jeb Bishop, Simon Berz and Christophe Rocher (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p Starlight: DJ Fayard presents Club 817 (FK) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Think Less, Hear More (MJ) 8p Three Muses: Albanie Falletta (JV) 5p, Dr. Sick (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Vulfpeck, Joey Dosik (VR) 8p Trinity Episcopal Church: Organ and Labyrinth with Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9:15p

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25

30/90: Justin Donovan Trio, Gumbo Funk (VR) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Eight Dice Cloth, Bamboulas Hot Jazz Trio, Mem Shannon, Sunshine Brass Band (VR) 12p BMC: Demi, Yisrael, Funk It All (VR) 5p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (JV) 8p Bratz Y’all: Keith Stone with Red Gravy (BL) 7p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Café Beignet (Musical Legends Park): Steamboat Willie Jazz Band (TJ) 10a

Café Negril: Maid of Orleans (VR) 6p, Another Day in Paradise (VR) 9:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Ivor Simpson-Kennedy (VR) 5:30p, Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p, Jelly Biscuit (VR) 10p Contemporary Arts Center: V4 Dance Festival (DN) 7p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Dos Jefes: George French Trio (RB) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Irie Collective Jam Session (RE) 10p; Upstairs: DanceHall Classics (RE) 10p Fontaine Palace: Marigny Brass Band (BB) 9p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Hot Blood Orkestar, Soul Project (JV) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p, the Garden, Tijuana Panthers, Cowgirl Clue (RK) 7p House of Blues: Hollywood Undead (VR) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): the Sword, the Shelter People (ME) 9p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Cary Hudson (BL) 6p Jazz Playhouse: James Williams (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Tim Robertson (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Big Sam’s Funky Nation, the Deslondes (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Anais St. John and special guest (JV) 7:30p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Maison: Eight Dice Cloth, Jazz Vipers, Big Easy Brawlers (VR) 4p Maison Bourbon: Uncle Yokes Catahoula Music Company (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Hook, Line and Dine with Frogs Gone Fishing (RR) 9p, Boukou Groove (FK) 11p Marigny Brasserie: Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 7p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p Mulate’s: Lee Benoit (KJ) 7p Old U.S. Mint: Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road (JV) 2p One Eyed Jacks: Vixens and Vinyl (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Tom Sancton and Sammy Rimington with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound (TJ) 6p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Jesse McBride presents the Next Generation Jazz Quintet (JV) 7p Republic: Joey Bada$$, Boogie and Buddy, Dessy Hinds (HH) 8p Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge): Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5:30p Saenger Theatre: Maks, Val and Peta (DN) 7:30p Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. David Murray (JV) 7p JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p Siberia: Ashlae Blume X-Tet (SI) 9p SideBar NOLA: Mike Dillon and Matt Chamberlain (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Uptown Jazz Orchestra with Delfeayo Marsalis (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Starlight: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 7p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Arsene DeLay (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Vulfpeck, Joey Dosik (VR) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

THURSDAY APRIL 26

30/90: Andy J Forest, Marc Stone (VR) 5p Armstrong Park: Jazz in the Park feat. Kermit Ruffins, Walter L. Cohn High School Marching Band (JV) 4p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mike Harvey’s Hot Club (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Marty Peters Jazz Trio, Kala Chandra, Jenavieve and the Royal Street Winding Boys, Bon Bon Vivant (VR) 12p BMC: Ainsley Matich, Andre Lovett Band, Chrishira (VR) 5p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski with Tim Laughlin (JV) 8p Botanical Garden (City Park): Threadhead Thursday feat. Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters, Dave Jordan and the NIA (VR) 6p Buffa’s: Gumbo Cabaret (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Chloe Feoranzo (JV) 8p Bullet’s: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 7p Café Negril: Revival (VR) 6p, Soul Project (VR) 9:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Erica Falls (VR) 8p, Jason Ricci Quartet (VR) 10:30p Circle Bar: Dark Lounge feat. Rik Slave (VR) 7p, Alligator Chomp Chomp with DJs Pasta, Matty and Mitch, the Louisiana Hellbenders (RB) 9:30p Civic Theatre: Trey Anastasio Band (VR) 9p Contemporary Arts Center: V4 Dance Festival (DN) 7p Covington Trailhead: Rockin’ the Rails feat. Uptown Phunk (VR) 5p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (PI) 7p, Little Freddie King (BL) 10p, Ike Stubblefield Trio feat. Terence Higgins and Ari Teitel (FK) 1a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Dos Jefes: Carl Leblanc Trio (JV) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Crescent Fresh Stand-Up (CO) 7p Four Points Sheraton French Quarter: Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 5p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: the Rayo Brothers, Esther Rose (BU) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Cortez Garza (VR) 6p, Dolores: A Tribute to the Cranberries with Nora Jane Messerich, Claire Givens and many others (SS) 9p, the Iceman Special (FK) 11:59p Hotel Storyville: Noches Magicas en el Jardin feat. Bookoo Rueda (LT) 6p House of Blues: Dixie Dregs: Complete Original Lineup 40th Anniversary Tour (VR) 8p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Jake Landry (BL) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Comedy Gumbeaux (CO) 8:30p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p

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JAZZ FEST 2018

Hyatt Regency: Jazz and Heritage Gala feat. Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, PJ Morton and others performing a Tribute to Fats Domino (JV) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 6p, BrassA-Holics (BB) 8:30p Joy Theater: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, New Orleans Suspects (VR) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Will Dickerson (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p, Darcy Malone and the Tangle, the Asylum Chorus, Tracksuit Wedding (RR) 8p; John Mooney and Marc Stone with Alfred “Uganda” Roberts (BL) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Andrew Duhon (FO) 12p, Cha Wa (MG) 1p, Jason Marsalis (JV) 2p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 3p, Billy Iuso (RR) 4p, Chris Thomas King (BL) 5p, Brass-A-Holics (BB) 6p Maison: Tuba Skinny, Good for Nothin’ Band (VR) 4p, Stanton Moore Trio with Robert Walter and Will Bernard (FK) 10p Maple Leaf: Sam Price and the True Believers (RR) 8p, Vernon Reid, George Porter Jr. and Johnny Vidocovich (RK) 10p Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Ogden After Hours feat. Nolatet (MJ) 6p Old Arabi Bar: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9:30p Old Point Bar: Steve Mignano (RK) 9p One Eyed Jacks: Fast Times ‘80s and ‘90s Night (VR) 10p Palm Court Jazz Café: Butch Thompson and Clive Wilson with N.O. Serenaders (TJ) 8p Polo Club Lounge: John Royen (JV) 6p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Gregg Stafford (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars feat. Louis Ford (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Ashlin Parker presents Trumpet Mafia (JV) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, Chubby Carrier (ZY) 8p Siberia: Eastern Bloc Party feat. the Klezmer All-Stars (KL) 9p SideBar NOLA: Zopli-2 (VR) 6p, James Singleton and Aurora Nealand (VR) 9p, Mike Dillon, James Singleton and Brian Haas (VR) 11:45p Snug Harbor: David Murray Quartet (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Up Up We Go (JV) 2p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Starlight: DJ Mange spins Old School Goth (IL) 10p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (JV) 5p, Mia Borders (SO) 8p Tipitina’s: Railroad Earth, Shannon McNally (VR) 9p Treo: Krewe de Lune pres. Lunar Lagniappe: A Benefit for the Congress of Day Laborers (VR) 7p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 5p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 9p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p W XYZ Bar (Aloft Hotel): Noah Young Band (FK) 5:30p Willow: Rock N’ Soul Women’s Shelter Benefit feat. Gaynielle Neville, Joi Owens, Gina Brown, Anne Elise Hastings, Felice Guimont, Chrishira Perrier, Eunice Love, Angelica Mathews (VR) 10p

FRIDAY APRIL 27

30/90: Keith Stone, Kettle Black, In Business, the Wahala Boys (VR) 5p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Willie Green Project (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show, Chance Bushman’s Rhythm Stompers, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 12p Blue Nile: Kermit Ruffins (JV) 10:30p, Robert Walter and the Posthumans (VR) 12:30a; Balcony Room: Mike Dillon and Billy Goat (VR) 11p BMC: Lifesavers, Roadside Glorious, Hyperphlyy (VR) 3p Bombay Club: the Bombay Club All-Stars feat. Duke Heitger, Evan Christopher, Hal Smith, James Singleton, Kris Tokarski (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Asylum Chorus (VR) 6p, Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 9p, Calvin Johnson and Native Son (JV) 11:59p Bullet’s: Pinettes Brass Band (BB) 9p Cafe Istanbul: Axial Tilt: A Grateful Dead Celebration at Jazz Fest feat. Joan Osborne, Stu Allen, Rob Eaton, Mitch Stein, Robin Sylvester, Jay Lane (RK) 10p Café Negril: Big Mike and the R&B Kings (VR) 4p, Dana Abbott (VR) 7p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Bill Carter (VR) 8p, Johnny Sansone Band record-release show (BL) 10:30p Circle Bar: Norco Lapalco, Friendship Commanders, US Nero (RK) 9:30p Civic Theatre: Trey Anastasio Band (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 10p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet (FK) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Vivaz (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 8p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 10p & 12:30a, Alien Knife Fight (VR) 11:30p Four Points Sheraton French Quarter: Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 5p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Acid Mothers Temple, Yoo Yoo Right, Viva L’American Death Ray Music (RK) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p, LaDama (LT) 9p House of Blues: David Shaw (RK) 9p, the California Honeydrops (SO) 11:30p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jake Landry and the Right Lane Bandits (BL) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Matador! Soul Sounds feat. Eddie Roberts and Alan Evans (FK) 9p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Dick Deluxe (BL) 12p, Captain Buckles (RK) 3:30p, Jason Bishop Band (RK) 7p Howlin’ Wolf: Dumpstaphunk, Naughty Professor, Chali 2na (FK) 10p Jacques-Imo’s: Michael Weintrob’s INSTRUMENTHEAD Kick-Off Party feat. Papa Mali and Bobby Vega (VR) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Stefan Moll (JV) 4:30p, Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p Joy Theater: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Chapter Soul (VR) 9p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: the One Tailed Three (FO) 5p, Roux the Day (FO) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Jeff “Snake” Greenberg (PI) 7p

120

JAZZ FEST 2018

Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5p, New Soul Finders: Ladies of Soul (SO) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Catie Rodgers and her Swing Orchestra, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Brass-A-Holics (BB) 10p, Blue Plate Special feat. Will Bernard, Stanton Moore, John Medeski, Chris Wood and Skerik (FK) 1:30a Maple Leaf: Medeski, Wood, Skerik and Johnny Vidacovich (JV) 10p, Sonic Bloom feat. Eric Benny Bloom (FK) 2a Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Music Box Village: Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium, Nolatet (MJ) 6p Old Arabi Bar: Dick Deluxe Band (VR) 9:30p Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9:30p One Eyed Jacks: Sweet Crude, Maggie Koerner (ID) 8p, Boyfriend with surprise backing band (VR) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Portside Lounge: Alex McMurray and friends feat. Carlo Nuccio (VR) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Will Smith (TJ) 7p Prime Example: Maurice “Mobetta” Brown and friends (JV) 8p Republic: Voodoo Dead feat. Steve Kimock, Jeff Chimenti, Jackie Greene, George Porter Jr., JM Kimock (VR) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Tab Benoit, the Iguanas (VR) 9p Saenger Theatre: Queens of the Stone Age (RK) 8:30p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Kyle Huval and the Dixie Club Ramblers, Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rodailleurs (KJ) 10p SideBar NOLA: Helen Gillet and Sasha Masakowski (VR) 9p, Alex Massa, RyanScott Long and others (VR) 11:45p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 9 & 11p Southport Hall: Deck Room: Battle of the Bands Round 2 (VR) 7p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (JV) 6p, James Martin (JV) 10p Starlight: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Hot 8 Brass Band, Dynamite Dave Soul (BB) 9p Three Muses: Matt Johnson (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p, Michael Watson and the Alchemy (JV) 11:59p Tipitina’s: Tank and the Bangas, Big Freedia, Soul Rebels (VR) 9p, the Floozies: Funk Jesus the Second Coming (VR) 1:30a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p W XYZ Bar (Aloft Hotel): Travers Geoffrey (SO) 5:30p Willow: Hot 8 Brass Band, the Revealers (VR) 10p

SATURDAY APRIL 28

30/90: Sean Riley Blues Band, Samantha Pearl, Smoke N Bones, Big Easy Brawlers, the Grid (VR) 2p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Nutria (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Kala Chandra, G and her Swinging Gypsies, Johnny Mastro, City of Trees Brass Band (VR) 12p Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p, Red Baraat (VR) 10:30p, Megawatt feat. Bajah,

Adam Deitch, Borahm Lee, Raja Kassis, Josh Werner, Weedie Braimah, Luke Quaranta, Khris Royal, Maurice Brown (VR) 1:30a BMC: the Jazzmen, Willie Lockett and Blues Krewe, Crooked Vines, Captain Green (VR) 3p Bombay Club: Joe Krown (JV) 8:30p Bourbon O Bar: Marty Peters and the Party Meters (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Odd Fellows Rest (JV) 6p, Camile Baudoin and Papa Mali (VR) 9p, Soul O’ Sam feat. Sam Price (VR) 11:59p Bullet’s: Hurricane Harvey Relief Benefit Jam Session (VR) 1p Cafe Istanbul: Axial Tilt: A Grateful Dead Celebration at Jazz Fest feat. Joan Osborne, Stu Allen, Rob Eaton, Mitch Stein, Robin Sylvester, Jay Lane (RK) 10p Café Negril: Joy Clark (VR) 4p, Jamey St. Pierre and the Honeycreepers (VR) 7p, Dana Abbott (VR) 10p Carrollton Station: Mia Borders Band (FK) 10p Check Point Charlie: Woodenhead (VR) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Andrew Duhon (VR) 8p, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (VR) 10:30p Circle Bar: Egg Yolk Jubilee (BB) 8:30p, Mod Dance Party with DJs Matty and Kristen (RB) 11:30p Civic Theatre: Trey Anastasio Band (VR) 9p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, Poppy’s Poppin’ Saturday Review (VR) 4p Creole Cookery: Trad Stars Jazz Band (JV) 11a d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 6p, Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p, Naughty Professor (FK) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Tom Fitzpatrick and Turning Point (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: Aaron Lopez-Barrantes (SS) 7p, MOJO with DJ Jeremy Phipps (VR) 7p, Primetime feat. DJ Legatron Prime (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 8p, Dancing Room Only (VR) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 10 & 11:59p, Alien Knife Fight (VR) 1a Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Imarhan, Kumasi, Joshua Benitez (VR) 9p Hey! Cafe: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Hi-Ho Lounge: the Rip Off Show (CO) 8p, Pink Room Project (HH) 11p House of Blues: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress (FK) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jake Landry and the Right Lane Bandits (BL) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 9p, Fruition (BU) 11:59p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Geovane Santos (JV) 12p, Marcos and Crescent Citizen (BL) 3:30p, Keith Stone with Red Gravy (BL) 7p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): the Southern Belles, Gina Sobel’s Choose Your Own Adventure, Emily Julia Kresky (RK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne with Samantha Fish, Eddie Roberts and Ivan Neville, Rebirth Brass Band (VR) 10p Ice Pit at Orpheum Theater: Hustle! Jazz Fest Edition with DJ Soul Sister (FK) 11p Jazz and Heritage Center: Donald Harrison (JV) 8p Jazz Playhouse: Stefan Moll (JV) 5p, Shannon Powell (JV) 8p Joy Theater: As the Crow Flies, Once and Future Band (VR) 9p, Beats Antique, the Preservation Horns, the Russ Liquid Test (VR) 2a

Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Van Hudson (FO) 5p, Hurricane Refugees (FO) 9p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8 & 10p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, the Function, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p, Fiyawerx Productions Presents (VR) 2a Maple Leaf: Cha Wa (MG) 9p, Leafopotomous feat. N.O. Suspects, Jennifer Hartswick, Eric McFadden (FK) 11p, DJ Logic, Terence Higgins, Will Bernard and Wil Blades (FK) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a New Orleans Jazz Market: Lionel Hampton Band feat. Antonia Bennet and Jason Marsalis (JV) 7 & 9:30p Old Arabi Bar: Lynn Drury Band (FO) 9:30p Old Point Bar: One Percent Nation (RK) 9:30p One Eyed Jacks: the Deslondes, Julie Odell (VR) 8p, the Nth Power: Nirvana Tribute (VR) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger and Butch Thompson with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Rickie Monie (TJ) 7p Prime Example: Donald Harrison Quintet (JV) 8p Republic: Voodoo Dead feat. Steve Kimock, Jeff Chimenti, Jackie Greene, George Porter Jr., JM Kimock (VR) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Bonerama, Terrence Simien and Zydeco Experience, John ‘Papa’ Gros Band (VR) 8:30p Rusty Nail: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 9p Saenger Theatre: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue Treme Threaxdown feat. Irma Thomas, Jon Cleary, Kermit Ruffins, Soul Rebels, Big Freedia (FK) 8p Santos Bar: Royal Teeth, Pet Fangs (PO) 9p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Debauche (GY) 10p SideBar NOLA: Alex McMurray and Glenn Hartman (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Evan Christopher and Clarinet Road celebrates NOLA 300 (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Jazz Band Ballers (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 10p Starlight: Shawan Rice (SO) 7p, Olio Ragtime Revue with the Slick Skillet Serenaders (JV) 10:30p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Robert Glasper Rotation Trio with Chris Dave and special guest (VR) 10p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Salvatore Geloso (JV) 6p, Esther Rose (JV) 9p, New Orleans Swamp Donkeys (JV) 11:59p Time Out: Andre Bouvier and the Royal Bohemians (VR) 11a Tipitina’s: Galactic (FK) 9p, Flow Tribe (FK) 1:30a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

SUNDAY APRIL 29

30/90: Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires, Revival, T’Canaille, Sam Price and the True Believers (VR) 2p AllWays Lounge: Smoking Time Jazz Club (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradstars (JV) 4p, Roamin’ Jasmine (JV) 7:30p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Bamboulas: Gina and Lindsay, NOLA Ragweeds, Carl LeBlanc, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale (VR) 12p Banks Street Bar: Soul Brass Band (BB) 8p BMC: Jazmarae, Moments of Truth (VR) 7p Bourbon O Bar: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Birger’s Ragtime Band (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Bullet’s: John Pierre (RB) 6p Cafe Istanbul: Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan feat. Keith Cotton (FO) 10p, Bernard Purdie’s Party feat. Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Joan Osborne, Cyril Neville and others (VR) 1a Café Negril: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 6p, Vegas Cola (JV) 9:30p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): James Martin (JV) 8:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Chris Smither (VR) 8p, Jesse Dayton (VR) 11p Circle Bar: Micah McKee and friends, Blind Texas Marlin (FO) 7p, John Mooney (BL) 9:30p Crazy Lobster: the Gator Bites (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Palmetto Bugs Stompers (SI) 6p, Funk and Chant with John “Papa” Gros and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (MG) 10p, Lightnin’ Malcolm with Brady Blade (BL) 1a Dos Jefes: Michael Mason Band (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Fontaine Palace: Ambush Reggae Band (RE) 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Gasa Gasa: Red Baraat, Miss Mojo (FK) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Morphed Sketch Comedy (CO) 6:30p, NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p, Miss Mojo, Deltaphonic, Waiting on Mongo (VR) 10p House of Blues: Los Lobos (LT) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Jamey St. Pierre and the Honeycreepers (SO) 8p House of Blues (the Parish): Jon Cleary (RB) 9p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Jason Bishop (BL) 6p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Howlin’ Wolf: Foundation of Funk feat. Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr., Anders Osborne, Jojo Herman, the Bonerama Horns, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer (FK) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson and friends (FO) 8:30p Little Gem Saloon: Jamison Ross (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Styk (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (VR) 9p Live Oak Café: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10:30a Maison: NOLA Jitterbugs (SI) 10a, Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 4p, Brad Walker (VR) 7p, J.E.D.I. Jazz Electronic Dance Improvisation feat. Aaron Johnston, Marc Browenstein, Borahm Lee, Ryan Zoidis, Eric “Benny” Bloom (FK) 10p, Zeppelin vs. P-Funk feat. Michaelangelo Carubba, Shira Elias, Roosevelt Collier, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Steveland Swatkins, Nate Werth, Mike “Maz” Maher (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington (RB) 9p, Maple Leaf All-Stars feat. Ivan Neville, Big D, Tony Hall, Cyril Neville (VR) 11p, the Nth Power (FK) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Old Point Bar: Amanda Walker (PI) 3:30p, Ron Hodges and friends (VR) 9p

122

JAZZ FEST 2018

One Eyed Jacks: Worship My Organ feat. Robert Walter, John Medeski, Skerik, Adam Deitch and DJ Logic (FK) 9p, the Switch Hitters feat. Nigel Hall, Wil Blades, Nate Werth, Robert Sput Searight (FK) 1:30a Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Portside Lounge: Daria and the Hip Drops (PO) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Nicholas Payton Trio (JV) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Carolyn Wonderland, Sonny Landreth and Kenny Neal (BL) 9p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a, Po Boyz Organ Group with Dan Caro (VR) 5:30p Siberia: Monocle, Julie Odell, Happy Talk (RK) 9p SideBar NOLA: Masakowski Family Electronic Band (VR) 9p, Mike Dillon, Steven Bernstein and James Singleton (VR) 11:30p Snug Harbor: Davell Crawford and Company (JV) 9 & 11p Southport Hall: Eric Lindell (BL) 8p Spotted Cat: Gouzy Band (JV) 2p, Kristina Morales and the Inner Wild (JV) 6p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Starlight: Messy Cookers Jazz Band (JV) 3p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): DMD the Band feat. Daru Jones, Marcus Machado, Doug Wimbish and special guests (FK) 9p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Squirrel Nut Zippers album-release show (SI) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Roland Cheramie and friends (KJ) 5p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 9p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

MONDAY APRIL 30

30/90: Dapper Dandies, Super Jam (VR) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Helen Gillet (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: St. Louis Slim, Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show, G and her Swinging Gypsies, G-Volt and the Hurts (VR) 12p BMC: Lil Red and Big Bad, Paggy Prine and Southern Soul (VR) 7p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Café Negril: Noggin (VR) 6p, In Business (VR) 9:30p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): James Williams (JV) 8:30p Carrollton Station: Jimmy Robinson and Michael Skinkus (RR) 7p Central City BBQ: NOLA Crawfish Festival (VR) 3p Chickie Wah Wah: Meschiya Lake and Tom McDermott (JV) 8p, Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory (BL) 10:30p Circle Bar: A Motown Monday with DJ Shane Love (RB) 9:30p Civic Theatre: the Darkness, Diarrhea Planet (RK) 8p Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Swampede and Prairie Party-Cajun Crawfish Boil feat. Tommy Mclain, CC Adcock, Steve Riley, Curley Taylor and others (KJ) 2p, John Boutte (JV) 7p, Medeski, Vidacovich and Wood (VR) 10p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 1a Dos Jefes: John Fohl (BL) 9p Dragon’s Den: Monday Night Swing feat. Neela, Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band (GY) 8p, AudioDope with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Jonathon Boogie Long (VR) 10p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p

Gasa Gasa: Hard Proof (FK) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p, the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra (MG) 11p House of Blues: WWOZ’s Piano Night feat. Jon Cleary, Marcia Ball, Ellis Marsalis, Davell Crawford, Henry Gray, Joe Krown, David Torkanowsky, Al “Lil Fats” Jackson, Tom McDermott, Bob Seeley, John Autin (VR) 6:30p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Mikayla Braun (BL) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): Christophe Mae (PO) 8p House of Blues (Voodoo Garden): Sean Riley (BL) 6p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 12p & 6p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Evan Christopher (JV) 7p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Tom McDermott (PI) 12p, Alexey Marti (JV) 1:30p, Mitch Woods (RB) 3p, Tin Men (JV) 4:30p, Johnny Sansone (BL) 6p Maison: G and the New Orleans Swinging Gypsies (JV) 1p, Chicken and Waffles (JV) 4p, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses (JV) 7p, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 10p Maple Leaf: George Porter Jr. Trio feat. Michael Lemmler and Terrence Houston (FK) 10p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Music Box Village: the Residents (VR) 6:30p One Eyed Jacks: Frequinox, Green Is Beautiful: A Tribute to Grant Green (VR) 9:30p, NeonMedeski feat. John Medeski, Mono-Neon, Robert Walter, Daru Jones, Skerik, DJ Logic (VR) 1:30a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters feat. Leroy Jones (TJ) 6p, Preservation AllStars feat. Charlie Gabriel (TJ) 8p Siberia: Alex Massa’s Fat Trio, Organized Crime feat. Noelle Tannen (RB) 9p SideBar NOLA: Mike Dillon, Brad Houser, Dave Easley and Doug Belote (VR) 8p, Snarky Sasha feat. Chris Bullock and Sasha Masakowski (VR) 11:45p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Starlight: Burlesque Bingo with Lefty Lucy (BQ) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Harriet Tubman (MJ) 9p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Joe Cabral (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Instraments a Comin’ feat. the Nth Power, New Orleans Suspects, Naughty Professor, Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias, Honey Island Swamp Band and others (VR) 8:30p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robertson (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p

TUESDAY MAY 1

30/90: Bayou Saints, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale, the Fufu All-Stars (VR) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Damn Gina Trio, Big Dixie Swingers, Jan Marie and the Mean Reds, Chance Bushmen’s Rhythm Stompers (VR) 12p Banks Street Bar: Sam Friend (VR) 8p Blue Nile: Adam Deitch Quartet (VR) 10p

Bombay Club: Matt Lemmler (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Cafe Istanbul: Johnny Vidacovich Trio feat. John Medeski and Will Bernard, Pete Muller and friends (FK) 8p Café Negril: 4 Sidemen of the Apocalypse (VR) 6p, John Lisi and Delta Funk (FK) 9:30p Carrollton Station: Grayson Capps Band (RR) 7:30p Central City BBQ: NOLA Crawfish Festival (VR) 3p Chickie Wah Wah: Anders Osborne, John Fohl and Johnny Sansone (RR) 8p Circle Bar: Helen Gillet (MJ) 9:30p Civic Theatre: Beach House (ID) 8p Columns Hotel: John Rankin (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Alexis and the Samurai (ID) 5p, Treme Brass Band (JV) 8p, Cyril Neville and Swamp Funk, Water Seed (FK) 11p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: the All-Star Covered-Dish Country Jamboree (CW) 9p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Party Gras feat. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles (MG) 10p Frenchmen Theatre: Big Pearl and friends (VR) 9p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Waxahatchee, Guts Club (ID) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Calvin Johnson’s Chapter Soul SuperJam feat. Big Sam, June Yamagishi, Jen Hartswick and Roger Lewis (FK) 9p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Songwriter Sessions: Jim McCormick, Mike Doussan, Kevin Gordon (SS) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): the Dangerous Summer, All Get Out, A Will Away (RK) 8p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Jouwala Collective, Gina SobelGina Sobel’s Choose Your Own Adventure, Emily Julia Kresky (RK) 10p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 12p & 6p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Glen David Andrews’ Birthday Party (JV) 8p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Tuba Skinny (TJ) 12p, Eric Johansen and Tab Benoit (BL) 1p, Jeff McCarty and Tab Benoit (BL) 2p, Nolatet (FK) 3p, Grayson Capps (RR) 4p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (RB) 5p, Little Freddie King (BL) 6p Maison: Eight Dice Cloth, Gregory Agid (JV) 4p, Fiya Bomb feat. John Medeski, Chris Wood, Nikki Glaspie and Skerik (FK) 10p Maison Bourbon: Uncle Yokes Catahoula Music Company (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove (FK) 8p, Rebirth Brass Band (FK) 11p Old Ironworks: Threadhead Patry feat. Bonerama and George Porter Jr., Lost Bayou Ramblers and others (VR) 11a One Eyed Jacks: Dragon Smoke feat. Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville, Eric Lindell, Robert Mercurio and DMD the Band (VR) 9p, Eddie Logic Project (VR) 1:30a Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band feat. Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 8p Prime Example: the Sidemen +1 Quintet and Jam Session (JV) 8p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Siberia: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue CD-release party (CW) 9p SideBar NOLA: Mike Dillon, Reed Mathis, Simon Berz and Brian Haas (VR) 8p, Mike Dillon, Jean-Paul Gaster and Nathan Lamberston (VR) 10:30p Snug Harbor: New Orleans Jazz Masters: Germaine Bazzle, Herlin Riley, George French, David Torkanowsky and Charlie Gabriel (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p Starlight: DJ Fayard presents Club 817 (FK) 10p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Naked on the Floor with Steven Bernstein, Redrawblak (MJ) 9p Three Muses: Keith Burnstein (SS) 5p, Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Steve Earle and the Dukes, the Mastersons (VR) 9p Trinity Episcopal Church: Organ and Labyrinth with Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: Jamaican Me Breakfast (RE) 9p, the Fortifiers (BL) 10p

WEDNESDAY MAY 2

30/90: Justin Donovan Trio, Jasen Weaver Tribute to Charles Mingus, Lantz Lazwell and the Vibe Tribe (VR) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Jesse Morrow (JV) 7:30p

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Bamboulas: Eight Dice Cloth, Bamboulas Hot Jazz Trio, Mem Shannon, Bon Bon Vivant (VR) 12p Banks Street Bar: Glen David Andrews (JV) 8p Blue Nile: Ivan Neville Piano Sessions Vol. 8 (VR) 9p, Game of Bones feat. Big Sam Williams and Corey Henry (VR) 11p Bombay Club: Josh Paxton (PI) 8p Buffa’s: Open Mic Night with Nattie Sanchez (SS) 7p Café Negril: Maid of Orleans (VR) 6p, Another Day in Paradise (VR) 9:30p Candlelight Lounge: Andrews Brass Band (BB) 8p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): James Martin Band (JV) 8:30p Central City BBQ: NOLA Crawfish Festival (VR) 3p Chickie Wah Wah: Jon Cleary (PI) 8p, Eric McFadden and the Colluders (VR) 11p Circle Bar: DJ Bashert (FO) 7p, Debauche (FO) 9:30p Civic Theatre: the Afghan Whigs, Built to Spill, Ed Harcourt (ID) 8p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tin Men (RK) 4p, the Iguanas (VR) 7p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and the Roadmasters (BL) 10p, Bayou Gypsys feat. Roosevelt Collier, Tony Hall and Terence Higgins (FK) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Dos Jefes: George French Trio (RB) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Irie Collective Jam Session (RE) 10p; Upstairs: DanceHall Classics (RE) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 7:30 & 11:30p, Johnny Sansone Band (BL) 10p

Frenchmen Theatre: Harmonica Extravaganza (VR) 8p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Brent Cobb and Them, Savannah Conley (CW) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: Delta Revues (BL) 6p, Toubab Krewe (VR) 8p, Eric McFaddon, Papa Mali, Doug Wimbish, Terence Higgins (FK) 11p House of Blues: Clutch, the Bronx, Red Fang, Fireball Ministry (VR) 7:30p Howlin’ Wolf: Michael Jackson vs. Stevie Wonder feat. Members of Lettuce, Jesus’ Peasant Party, Mike Dillon and the Mallet Men, Brady Blade, Rob Ingraham, Reed Mathis (FK) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Professor Craig Adams Band (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 12p & 6p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8:30p Lafayette Square: Wednesday at the Square feat. Amanda Shaw, Trumpet Mafia (VR) 5p Little Gem Saloon: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8 & 10p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Palmetto Bug Stompers (TJ) 12p, Dr. Michael White (TJ) 1p, Bonerama (FK) 2p, Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield (JV) 3p, Marcia Ball (BL) 4p, Zachary Richard (KJ) 5p, Samantha Fish (BL) 6p Maison: Hector Gallardo’s Cuban Jazz Band, Roamin’ Jasmine, Jazz Vipers (JV) 1p, West Coast New Boogaloo Showcase feat. the Humidors, El Metate, Ideateam, the Crooked Stuff (FK) 9:30p, John Medeski’s Mad Skillet feat. Terence Higgins, Kirk Joseph and Will Bernard (FK) 2a

Maison Bourbon: Uncle Yokes Catahoula Music Company (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Woot Down Musicians Clinic 20th Anniversary Benefit (VR) 5p, Funk Monkey (FK) 9p, Ivan Neville, George Porter Jr., June Yamagishi and Johnny Vidacovich (FK) 11p, Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 2a Marigny Brasserie: Grayson Brockamp and the New Orleans Wildlife Band (JV) 7p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a, Krewe du Two (VR) 1p One Eyed Jacks: the Daze Between Band (VR) 9:30p, Fuck 2017: A Tribute to Those We Lost feat. members of Turkuaz and the Motet, Cris Jacobs, DJ Williams, Nate Werth, the Turkuaz Horns (VR) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Lars Edegran and Topsy Chapman with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation Legacy Band (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 8p Prime Example: Jesse McBride presents the Next Generation Jazz Quintet (JV) 7p Ralph’s on the Park: Joe Krown (PI) 5p Republic: Marian Hill, Michl (VR) 8p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Creole Stringbeans (SI) 8p Roosevelt Hotel (Fountain Lounge): Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (TJ) 5:30p Sandbar (Loyola University): Jazz at the Sandbar feat. Herlin Riley (JV) 7p Santos Bar: Swamp Moves with the Russell Welch Quartet (SI) 10p Siberia: United Bakery Records Showcase feat. Shane Sayers, Duke Aeroplane, Epic Proportions (FO) 9p SideBar NOLA: Skerik and Simon Berz (VR) 9p, James Singleton Rough Babies feat. James Evans, Justin Peake and Karl “Pickles” Kummerle (VR) 11:45p

JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Snug Harbor: Louisiana Piano Summit: Marcia Ball, Joe Krown and Tom McDermott (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Chris Christy (JV) 2p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Antoine Diel and the New Orleans Power Misfits (JV) 10p Starlight: Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (CW) 7p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): SONO presents Henry Butler (PI) 9p Three Muses: Leslie Martin (JV) 5p, Hot Club of New Orleans (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: the Radiators (VR) 10p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Debi and the Deacons (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

THURSDAY MAY 3

30/90: Andy J Forest, Smoke N Bones, Walk Talk and Friends (VR) 5p Armstrong Park: Jazz in the Park feat. Sporty and the Big Shots, Noisewater (VR) 4p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mike Harvey’s Hot Club (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Marty Peters Jazz Trio, Kala Chandra, Jenavieve and the Royal Street Winding Boys, City of Trees (VR) 12p Banks Street Bar: Smoker’s World feat. Derrick Freeman (FK) 11p Bar Redux: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (BL) 9p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski with Duke Heitger (TJ) 8p Botanical Garden (City Park): Patrice Fisher and Arpa with special guests from Guatemala (LT) 6p Buffa’s: Pfister Sisters (JV) 5p, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand (JV) 8p Cafe Istanbul: GATORATORS feat. Dave Malone, Camile Baudoin, Reggie Scanlan, Mitch Stein, Eric Bolivar, Brad Walker (RK) 10:30p, Voyager feat. Joe Marcinek, Renard Poche, Mitch Stein, Reggie Scanlan, Jason Hann (FK) 1:30a Café Negril: Revival (VR) 6p, Soul Project (VR) 9:30p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): James Rivers Movement (JV) 8:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Seth Walker (VR) 8p, John “Papa” Gros Band with Cris Jacobs (VR) 10:30p Circle Bar: Dark Lounge feat. Rik Slave (VR) 7p, the Bush Hogs (RK) 9:30p Crazy Lobster: the Spanish Plaza 3 (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Jon Cleary (RB) 8p, New Breed Brass Band (BB) 11p, Cedric Burnside Project (BL) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 5:30p Dos Jefes: Todd Duke Trio (JV) 9:30p Dragon’s Den: Crescent Fresh Stand-Up (CO) 7p, Upstairs: Ariee (RB) 10p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Ensemble Fatien (VR) 10p Frenchmen Theatre: Junko Beat record-release party (VR) 9 & 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: the Iceman Special, Slugger, DJ Recess (VR) 10p Hi-Ho Lounge: Erica Falls (SO) 8p, Saucefest feat. Skerik, Nikki Glaspie, Brian Haas, Simon Lott, Helen Gillet, Martin Krusche, Dan Oestreicher, James Singleton, Sam Dickey, Aurora Nealand (MJ) 10p House of Blues: Trombone Shorty Foundation’s Shorty Fest feat. Trombone Shorty and

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JAZZ FEST 2018

Orleans Ave., Tank and the Bangas, Soul Rebels, Water Seed, New Breed Brass Band and many others (VR) 8p Houston’s Restaurant: Hansen presents Garden District Trio (JV) 6:45p Howlin’ Wolf: the Daze Between Band feat. Eric Krasno, Dave Schools, Duane Trucks, Marcus King, Deshawn Alexander (FK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Porch): Official Revivalists Afterparty feat. Space and Harmony (VR) 1a Jazz Playhouse: Ashlin Parker Trio (JV) 6p, BrassA-Holics (BB) 8:30p Joy Theater: Rage!Fest feat. Lettuce, DJ Soul Sister (FK) 10p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Soul Rebels (FK) 11p Little Gem Saloon: Monty Banks (PI) 5p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 8p, Dead Blues feat. Grahame Lesh, Luther Dickinson, Elliott Peck, Daru Jones, Marcus Machado, John Medeski (BL) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Allen Hebert (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Maison: Dinosaurchestra, Good for Nothin’ Band, Sweet Substitute (JV) 1p, Dysfunktional Bone (FK) 10p, Fiyapower feat. Karl Denson, George Porter Jr., Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Big Sam, Maurice Brown (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Sonny Landreth, George Porter Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich (FK) 10p, Col. Bruce Tribute feat. Duane Trucks, Dave Schools, Taz and others (VR) 1a Mulate’s: La Touche (KJ) 7p Old Arabi Bar: Johnny Sansone’s Second International Blues Invitational feat. Dave Specter, Joe Krown, Benny Turner, Alabama Slim, Al Gold (BL) 10p Old Point Bar: the Two’s (JV) 9p One Eyed Jacks: the M&M’s (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Leroy Jones and Katja Toivola with Crescent City Joymakers (TJ) 8p Portside Lounge: Hog Leg feat. members of the Iguanas and Canned Heat (FK) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Prime Example: Jose Fermin and Merengue 4 (JV) 8p Republic: Dead Feat feat. Anders Osborne, Jackie Greene, Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, Brady Blade, Carl Dufrene (VR) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Chubby Carrier, Geno Delafose, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas (VR) 8:30p Rusty Nail: Mia Borders Band (FK) 9p Saenger Theatre: the Revivalists (VR) 8p Santos Bar: Keith Frank, CC Adcock and the Lafayette Marquis, DJ Quintron (VR) 9p Saturn Bar: Alex McMurray and his Band (RK) 10p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Eastern Bloc Party: Blato Zlato (KL) 9p SideBar NOLA: New Orleans Guitar Masters feat. Jimmy Robinson, Cranston Clements and John Rankin (VR) 9p, Minos the Saint (VR) 11:45p Snug Harbor: Dr. Lonnie Smith with Donald Harrison (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Up Up We Go (JV) 2p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 6p, Jumbo Shrimp (JV) 10p Starlight: Lynn Drury (FO) 8p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Ivan Neville’s NOLA Nites with Cris Jacobs, Alvin Ford Jr. and others (VR) 9p Three Muses: Tom McDermott (PI) 5p, Joe Pollack (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Turkuaz (VR) 9p, Marco Benevento (VR) 2a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 5p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 9p

Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: DJ Black Pearl (VR) 9p, Corey Henry and the Treme Funket (FK) 10:30p Willow: Cyril Neville and Water Seed (VR) 10p

FRIDAY MAY 4

30/90: Keith Stone, Chris Klein and the Boulevards, Big Easy Brawlers, Raw Deal (VR) 5p Apple Barrel: Adam Crochet (BL) 6:30p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Harmonouche (JV) 5p, Willie Green Project (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show, Chance Bushman’s Rhythm Stompers, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 11a Banks Street Bar: Swamp Donkeys feat. James Williams (JV) 8p Blue Nile: Kermit Ruffins (JV) 10:30p, Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 12:30a; Upstairs: Soul Brass Band (BB) 1:30a Bombay Club: the Bombay Club All-Stars feat. Vince Giordano, Duke Heitger, Tom Fischer, Hal Smith and Kris Tokarski (TJ) 8:30p Bourbon O Bar: Doyle Cooper Jazz Band (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band (VR) 6p, Greg Schatz (VR) 9p, Sam Friend (VR) 11:59p Café Beignet (Musical Legends Park): Steamboat Willie Jazz Band (TJ) 10a Cafe Istanbul: Honey Island Swamp Band (RR) 10p, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 11:59p Café Negril: Big Mike and the R&B Kings (VR) 4p, Dana Abbott (VR) 7p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): Antoine Diel Jazz Quartet (JV) 5p, Nayo Jones Experience and special guest (JV) 8:30p Carrollton Station: Andrew Duhon Trio (SS) 10p Chickie Wah Wah: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (VR) 8p, Charlie Wooton Project (VR) 11p Circle Bar: Natalie Mae (VR) 7p, Dash Rip Rock (RK) 10p Civic Theatre: Tank and the Bangas, Naughty Professor, Maggie Koerner (VR) 9p Club Caribbean: Reggae Invasion (RE) 10p Crazy Lobster: Ken Swartz and the Palace of Sin (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Tav Falco’s Panther Burns (VR) 7p, Soul Rebels (BB) 10p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 2a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 10p Dragon’s Den: the Tipping Point with DJ RQ Away (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Comedy Fuck Yeah (CO) 8p, Latin Night (LT) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie Fontaine and the Beat Machine (VR) 6, 9 & 11:30p, Ghalia and Mama’s Boys (VR) 10p Frenchmen Theatre: City of Trees (VR) 9:30p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Flow Tribe, Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 9:30p Gattuso’s: Carlo Ditta Quintet (VR) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: River Dragon (RK) 6p, Stooges Brass Band (BB) 9p, the Roosevelt Collier Trio (FK) 11:59p House of Blues: Funky Meters (VR) 9p, the Motet Tribute to Sly and the Family Stone (VR) 1a House of Blues (the Parish): Cowboy Mouth (RK) 9p

Howlin’ Wolf: 16th Annual Bayou Rendezvous (FK) 9p Jazz Playhouse: Joe Krown (JV) 4:30p, Nayo Jones Experience (JV) 7:30p, Trixie Minx’s Burlesque Ballroom feat. Romy Kaye and the Mercy Buckets (BQ) 11p John Bukaty Studio and Gallery: Send Me a Friend Benefit with Anders Osborne and Nolatet feat. Mike Dillon, James Singleton, Brian Haas and Johnny Vidacovich (RR) 8p Joy Theater: Galactic, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (FK) 9p, the New Mastersounds (FK) 2a Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Guitar Slim Jr. (BL) 9p Kerry Irish Pub: Chip Wilson (FO) 5p, Paintbox with Dave James and Tim Robertson (FO) 9p Le Bon Temps Roule: Joe Krown (PI) 7p Little Gem Saloon: Lilli Lewis (PI) 5p, Jamison Ross (JV) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Catie Rodgers and her Swing Orchestra, Swinging Gypsies, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 1p, Brass-A-Holics (BB) 10p, Worship My Organ feat. Adam Deitch, Skerik, Marco Benevento, Robert Walter, John Medeski and DJ Logic (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: In Business (FK) 9p, James Brown Tribute feat. Tony Hall, Raymond Weber, Renard Poche (FK) 11p, the Electric Company feat. Bobby Vega, Papa Mali, Chris Spies and Jermal Watson (FK) 3a Mardi Gras World: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (VR) 8p Old Point Bar: Rick Trolsen (PI) 5p, Jamey St. Pierre (RK) 9:30p Old U.S. Mint: Alexandra Scott and her Magical Band (FO) 6p One Eyed Jacks: Frogs Gone Fishing (VR) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Kevin Louis and Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Portside Lounge: the Suplecs, Alpha Sardine (RK) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Prime Example: the Bridge Trio (JV) 8p Republic: Delta Rhythm Revue feat. Tab Benoit and Samantha Fish,Whiskey Bayou Records Revue with Jeff McCarty and Eric Johanson (BL) 8p, Spafford (FK) 2a Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Wayne Toups, Ryan Foret and Foret Tradition (KJ) 8:30p Saenger Theatre: Gov’t Mule, Marcus King Band (VR) 8:30p Santos Bar: Tommy Wright III, Lil Ya of U.N.L.V., Evil Army, the Cops, Trampoline Team, Gushers (HH) 8p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Kumasi, Egg Yolk Jubilee, Electric Arch (VR) 10p SideBar NOLA: Dayna Kurtz (VR) 9p, N.O. Klezmer Trio feat. Glenn Hartman, Jonathan Freilich and Aurora Nealand (VR) 11:45p Snug Harbor: Ellis Marsalis Quintet (JV) 9 & 11p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings (JV) 6p, Dr. Brice Miller and BukuNOLA (JV) 10p Starlight: Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 7p, Bells and Whistles Burlesque (BQ) 10:30p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra 7 (JV) 9p Three Muses: Royal Roses (JV) 5:30p, Doro Wat Jazz Band (JV) 9p, Glen David Andrews (JV) 11:59p Tipitina’s: the Devon Allman Project, Duane Betts (VR) 9p, Turkuaz Gives You Wings: A Tribute to Paul McCartney and Wings feat. Denny Laine (VR) 2a Treo: Nicole Ockmond CD-release show (SS) 8p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p W XYZ Bar (Aloft Hotel): Lynn Drury (FO) 5:30p Windsor Court Hotel Cocktail Bar: Mark Monistere (JV) 5p Zeitgeist: James Singleton Saxophone Forest (MJ) 9p

SATURDAY MAY 5

30/90: the Sleazeball, Noah Young Band, Soul Project, Gumbo Funk, Rocodile (VR) 2p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, Red Organ Trio (JV) 4p, Jasen Weaver Band (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Kala Chandra, G and her Swinging 3, Johnny Mastro, Crawdaddy T’s Cajun/ Zydeco Review (VR) 11a Blue Nile: Washboard Chaz Blues Trio (BL) 7p, Cris Jacobs Band with Ivan Neville, Naughty Professor and special guests (FK) 10p, Marco Benevento (VR) 1a Bombay Club: Leroy Jones (JV) 8:30p Buffa’s: Doyle Cooper and the Red Hot Jazz Band (JV) 11a, Lynn Drury (JV) 6p, Banu Gibson (JV) 9p, Jenna Guidry (VR) 11:59p Bullet’s: Johnny Sansone Band (BL) 8p Cafe Istanbul: George Porter Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners (FK) 10p Café Negril: Joy Clark (VR) 4p, Jamey St. Pierre and the Honeycreepers (VR) 7p, Higher Heights (VR) 10p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): Robin Barnes and her Jazz Band (JV) 5p, Lena Prima Band and special guest (JV) 9p Carrollton Station: John Mooney and Bluesiana (BL) 10p

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Chickie Wah Wah: Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show (RR) 8p, James Singleton, Skerik, Johnny Vidacovich and Jonathan Freilich (MJ) 11p Circle Bar: the Iguanas (RK) 10p Crazy Lobster: the River Gang (VR) 11a, Poppy’s Poppin’ Saturday Review (VR) 4p Creole Cookery: Trad Stars Jazz Band (JV) 11a d.b.a.: Tuba Skinny (JV) 6p, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (BB) 10p, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Tav Falco’s Panther Burns (VR) 1a Davenport Lounge (Ritz-Carlton): Jeremy Davenport (JV) 9p Dos Jefes: Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (ZY) 10p Dragon’s Den: MOJO with DJ Jeremy Phipps (VR) 7p, Primetime feat. DJ Legatron Prime (HH) 10p; Upstairs: Talk Nerdy to Me (BQ) 8p, Sexy Back with DJ Dizzi (VR) 10p Fontaine Palace: Les Getrex (BL) 9:30p, Walter “Wolfman” Washington (BL) 11:30p, Louie Fontaine and the Starlight Searchers (RK) 1:30a Frenchmen Theatre: Mofongo (LT) 9:30p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 2p, Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p Gasa Gasa: Givers, ROAR, Naughty Palace (ID) 10p Gattuso’s: Cinco de Mayo feat. Treces del Sur (LT) 7p Green Zebra Bar: the Deft Funk DJ’s Uptown Getdown (FK) 9p Hi-Ho Lounge: the Iceman Special (FK) 8p, Pink Room Project (VR) 11p House of Blues: the Motet, Butcher Brown (VR) 9p, the Main Squeeze (VR) 1a House of Blues (the Parish): Ripe (FK) 11p Houston’s Restaurant: Hansen presents Garden District Trio (JV) 6:45p

Howlin’ Wolf: Anders Osborne and friends feat. Eric Krasno, Marc Broussard and others (FK) 10p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Mike Dillon Band feat. Brady Blade, Hildegard feat. Sasha Masakowski, Cliff Hines and Chris Bullock (FK) 10p Jazz and Heritage Center: Naydja Cojoe, Nayo Jones and Mykia Jovan (JV) 8p Jazz Playhouse: New Orleans Swamp Donkeys (JV) 8p Joy Theater: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe presents Eat a Bunch of Peaches feat. Stanton Moore, Mike Dillon, Kenneth Crouch and others (FK) 9p, the New Mastersounds: Celebrating the Women of the Scene feat. Kim Dawson, Adryon De Leon, Mayteana Morales, Shira Elias, Sammi Garett, Boyfriend, DJ Soul Sister, Erica Falls (FK) 2a Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Neisha Ruffins (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Beth Patterson (FO) 5p, Patrick Cooper and Mark Carroll (FO) 9p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Gem Saloon: Alana Davis and Marc Stone (BL) 8p, Glen David Andrews with Dave Specter (JV) 11p Little Tropical Isle: Reed Lightfoot (RK) 5p, Styk (RK) 9p Maison: Chance Bushman and the Ibervillianaires, the Function, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 1p, Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 10p, Galacticphunk (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Ari Teitel (FK) 9p, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen with Nigel Hall (FK) 11p, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (FK) 3a Mardi Gras World: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead

(VR) 8p Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Music Box Village: Weedie Braimah and the Hands of Time present the Essence of Time: a Drumming Journey Through the Diaspora (AF) 7p Old Point Bar: Misfit Toys (RK) 9:30p One Eyed Jacks: Sonic Bloom featuring Eric “Benny” Bloom (FK) 9p, Break Science Live Band (FK) 1a Palm Court Jazz Café: Duke Heitger with Palm Court Jazz Band (TJ) 8p Pontchartrain Vineyards: Jazz’n the Vines feat. Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton (JV) 6:30p Portside Lounge: Egg Yolk Jubilee, the Red Foxx Tails (BB) 9p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Prime Example: Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet (JV) 8p Republic: Cinco de Freedia, Sweet Crude, Boyfriend (BO) 9p, Spafford (FK) 2a Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Cinco de Mayo Party feat. Javier Olando and AsheSon (VR) 4:30p, Walter Trout, Sonny Landreth (BL) 9:30p Saenger Theatre: Exile on Bourbon St. feat. Ryan Adams, Don Was (RK) 9p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a & 5:30p Siberia: Maggie Belle Band, Tasche and the Psychedelic Roses, the Tumbling Wheels (VR) 10p SideBar NOLA: Larry Sieberth, Brad Walker and Doug Belote (VR) 9p, Wally Ingram, Eric McFadden and Glenn Hartman (VR) 11:45p Snug Harbor: Herlin Riley Quintet (JV) 9 & 11p Southport Hall: 10 Years (VR) 7p Spotted Cat: Antoine Diel and Arsene Delay

JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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LIVE LOCAL MUSIC (JV) 2p, Panorama Jazz Band (JV) 6p, Davis Rogan Band (JV) 10p Starlight: Shawan Rice (SO) 7p, Olio Ragtime Revue with the Slick Skillet Serenaders (JV) 10:30p Three Muses: Chris Christy (JV) 5p, Esther Rose (JV) 6p, Shotgun Jazz Band (JV) 9p, Sam Friend (JV) 11:59p Time Out: Andre Bouvier and the Royal Bohemians (VR) 11a Tipitina’s: North Mississippi All-Stars (VR) 9p, the Greyboy All-Stars (VR) 2a Tropical Isle Bayou Club: the Troubadour (KJ) 1p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 5p, T’Canaille (KJ) 9p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p Vaughan’s Lounge: Klezmer All-Stars (KL) 9p, Morning 40 Federation (RK) 11p

SUNDAY MAY 6

30/90: Ceven and the Boys, Ted Hefko and the Thousandaires, BrasiNola, James Martin (VR) 2p AllWays Lounge: Catie Rodgers and her Swing Orchestra (TJ) 9p Bacchanal: the Tangiers Combo (JV) 12p, the Tradstars (JV) 4p, Roamin’ Jasmine (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: Gina and Lindsay, NOLA Ragweeds, Carl LeBlanc, Ed Wills and Blues4Sale (VR) 11a Blue Nile: Funky But Better feat. Big Sam Williams, Doug Wimbish, Roosevelt Collier, Maurice Brown, Daru Jones, Marcus Machado (VR) 10:30p Bombay Club: Kris Tokarski with Tim Laughlin and Hal Smith (TJ) 8p Buffa’s: Some Like It Hot! (TJ) 10:30a, Nayhum Zdybel’s Blue 4 (JV) 4p, Steve Pistorius Quartet (JV) 7p Bullet’s: the Wizz (RB) 6p Cafe Istanbul: Bonerama feat. John “Papa” Gros and Darcy Malone (BB) 10p Café Negril: Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie (JV) 6p, Vegas Cola (JV) 9:30p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): Quiana Lynell and Lush Life with special guest (JV) 9p Chickie Wah Wah: Ian Moore Band (VR) 8p, Mike Dillon, James Singleton, Jonathan Freilich and Brad Walker (MJ) 11p Circle Bar: Micah McKee and friends, Blind Texas Marlin (RK) 7p, John Mooney (BL) 9:30p Community Church UU: Evan Christopher, Cindy Scott, Brian Seeger, Roland Guerin and others (JV) 11a Crazy Lobster: the Gator Bites (VR) 11a, the Neon Shadows (VR) 4p d.b.a.: Jazz Vipers (JV) 6p, Stanton Moore Trio (JV) 10p, Xoniuqerf feat. Donald Harrison Jr., Stanton Moore, Robert Walter, Rob Mercurio and Will Bernard (FK) 1a Dos Jefes: Tangiers Combo (JV) 9p Dragon’s Den: Open Jazz Jam with Anuraag Pendyal (JV) 7p, Church (EL) 10p Fontaine Palace: Ambush Reggae Band (RE) 11p Funky Pirate: Mark and the Pentones (BL) 4p, Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Gasa Gasa: Backtrack, Misery, Hangman, Mercy Kill (PK) 7p Hi-Ho Lounge: NOLA Comedy Hour (CO) 8p, AzzFest feat. DJ Rusty Lazer, BateBunda, New Thousand (VR) 10p House of Blues: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (FK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf: Papa Mali’s All-Star Birthday Bash feat. the Electric Company, Cris Jacobs, Bobby Vega, Kirk Joseph, Queen Delphine, Eric McFadden, Wake of the Dead, Sam Price and the True Believers, Mike Dillon, the

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Crooked Stuff and many others (FK) 9p Howlin’ Wolf (the Den): Hot 8 Brass Band (BB) 10p Jazz Playhouse: Germaine Bazzle (JV) 8p Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge: Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers (JV) 8:30p Kerry Irish Pub: Patrick Cooper (FO) 8p Little Tropical Isle: Styk (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (VR) 9p Mahalia Jackson Theater: Michael Blackson (CO) 8p Maison: NOLA Jitterbugs (JV) 10a, the Hokum High Rollers, Tuba Skinny (JV) 4p, Herbie Hancock Tribute feat. Joey Porter, Garrett Sayers, Ryan Zoidis, Robert “Sput” Searight, Nate Werth (FK) 10p, Purple Party: A Tribute to Prince feat. Members of Prince, the Motet, Turkuaz, Snarky Puppy, the Main Squeeze (FK) 2a Maple Leaf: Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter “Wolfman” Washington (FK) 9p, Lost Bayou Ramblers (KJ) 11p, Pretty Knights feat. Alvin Ford Jr. and Khris Royal (FK) 3a Morning Call City Park: Billy D. Chapman (JV) 10a Old Point Bar: Shawan Rice (JV) 3:30p One Eyed Jacks: Eric Lindell (BL) 8p Palm Court Jazz Café: Mark Braud and Sunday Night Swingsters (TJ) 8p Preservation Hall: Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 7p Prime Example: Joe Dyson Quintet (JV) 9p Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Sonny Landreth, Tab Benoit, Jonathon Boogie Long (BL) 8:30p Saturn Bar: Valparaiso Men’s Chorus (FO) 10p Seahorse Saloon: Po Boyz Organ Group with Simon Lott (VR) 10a, Po Boyz Organ Group with Dan Caro (VR) 5:30p Siberia: Helen Gillet, Zoe Boekbinder, Sasha Masakowski (SS) 10p SideBar NOLA: Redrawblak feat. Brad Walker, Aurora Nealand and Paul Thibodeaux (VR) 9p Snug Harbor: Terence Blanchard E-Collective (JV) 9 & 11p Southport Hall: Petty Fest NOLA (VR) 8p Spotted Cat: Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses (JV) 2p, Kristina Morales and the Inner Wild (JV) 6p, Pat Casey and the New Sound (JV) 10p Starlight: Messy Cookers Jazz Band (JV) 9p Sweet Lorraine’s: Uncle Nephew feat. Shannon Powell and Darren Hoffman (JV) 9p Three Keys (Ace Hotel): Selwyn Birchwood (VR) 9p Three Muses: Raphael et Pascale (JV) 5p, Linnzi Zaorski (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Dumpstaphunk, the Nth Power, DJ Soul Sister (VR) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Roland Cheramie and friends (KJ) 5p, Faubourg Ramblers (KJ) 9p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, Debi and the Deacons (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, Late As Usual (RK) 9:15p

MONDAY MAY 7

30/90: Margie Perez (SO) 5p Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Helen Gillet (JV) 7:30p Bamboulas: St. Louis Slim, Co. and Co. Travelin’ Show, G and her Swinging Gypsies (VR) 12p Blue Nile: the Nth Power (VR) 10:30p Buffa’s: Arsene DeLay (VR) 5p, Antoine Diel (JV) 8p Café Negril: Noggin (VR) 6p, In Business (VR) 9:30p Carousel Bar (Hotel Monteleone): James Williams (JV) 8:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Bill Kirchen and Austin DeLone (VR) 8p Circle Bar: Dem Roach Boyz (RB) 7p

Crazy Lobster: the Insta-Gators (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Soul Brass Band (BB) 8p, Funk Monkey (FK) 10p Dos Jefes: John Fohl (BL) 9p Dragon’s Den: Monday Night Swing (GY) 7p, AudioDope with DJ Ill Medina (VR) 11p Fontaine Palace: Louie’s Do the Bar Lounge (VR) 6p Funky Pirate: Willie Lockett Band (BL) 8p Hi-Ho Lounge: Bluegrass Pickin’ Party (BU) 8p, Instant Opus Improvised Series (MJ) 10p House of Blues (the Parish): KILLY (HH) 7p Jazz Playhouse: Gerald French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band (JV) 8p Kerry Irish Pub: Kim Carson (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Parsons (RK) 5p, Reed Lightfoot (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: Smoking Time Jazz Club (TJ) 12p, John Fohl (BL) 1:30p, Water Seed (FK) 3p, Funk Monkey (FK) 4:30p, Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 6p Maison: Chicken and Waffles, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Sierra Green and the Soul Machine (VR) 4p Maple Leaf: Big Sam’s Funky Nation (FK) 9p, George Porter Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners (FK) 11:59p Morning Call: Valerie Sassyfras (VR) 10a Preservation Hall: Preservation Jazz Masters (TJ) 5p, Preservation All-Stars (TJ) 8p Santos Bar: Igor and the Red Elvises (RK) 8p SideBar NOLA: Phil DeGruy (VR) 7p Snug Harbor: Charmaine Neville Band (JV) 8 & 10p Spotted Cat: Royal Street Winding Boys (JV) 2p, Dominick Grillo and the Frenchmen St. All-Stars (JV) 6p, Jazz Vipers (JV) 10p Starlight: Burlesque Bingo with Lefty Lucy (BQ) 7p Three Muses: Bart Ramsey (JV) 5p, Miss Sophie Lee (JV) 8p Tipitina’s: Papa Grows Funk Reunion: One More Monday, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes (VR) 9p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Rhythm and Rain (RK) 5p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: Graham Robinson Band (RK) 5:15p, Trop Rock Express (RK) 9:15p

TUESDAY MAY 8

Bacchanal: Raphael Bas (JV) 12p, Mark Weliky (JV) 7:30p Bourbon O Bar: Marty Peters Quartet (JV) 8p Buffa’s: Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras with Vanessa Carr (VR) 8p Café Negril: 4 Sidemen of the Apocalypse (VR) 6p, John Lisi and Delta Funk (FK) 9:30p Chickie Wah Wah: Chip Wilson (VR) 8p Circle Bar: John Fohl (BL) 7p, Gools, Bug Lord, Dabs, Lunasol (RK) 9:30p Columns Hotel: the New Orleans String Kings with Don Vappie, Matt Rhody and John Rankin (JV) 8p Crazy Lobster: AC and the Heat (VR) 5p d.b.a.: Treme Brass Band (BB) 10p Dos Jefes: Tom Hook and Wendell Brunious (JV) 9p Fontaine Palace: Soul Rotisserie (VR) 5p Funky Pirate: Blues Masters (BL) 8:30p House of Blues: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and friends (RK) 6:30p House of Blues (Foundation Room): Songwriter Sessions: Carolena, Kristin Courville, Asher Danziger, Sean Riley (SS) 7p House of Blues (the Parish): Red Wanting Blue, Liz Brasher (RK) 7p Jazz Playhouse: James Rivers Movement (JV) 8p Joy Theater: An Evening with Ethan Bortnick

Benefiting Upbeat Academy Foundation (SS) 6p Kerry Irish Pub: Jason Bishop (FO) 8:30p Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: Lucky Lee (SS) 9p Little Tropical Isle: Mark Pentone (RK) 5p, Frank Fairbanks (RK) 9p Louisiana Music Factory: New Orleans Swinging Gypsies (VR) 2p, Amanda Shaw (VR) 3p, Cyril Neville (VR) 4p Maison Bourbon: Uncle Yokes Catahoula Music Company (JV) 7:30p Maple Leaf: Herlin Riley, Eric Struthers and Joe Ashlar (JV) 8p, Rebirth Brass Band (BB) 11p SideBar NOLA: Simon Berz and Cliff Hines (VR) 9p Spotted Cat: Andy J. Forest (JV) 2p, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (JV) 6p, Smoking Time Jazz Club (JV) 10p Starlight: DJ Fayard presents Club 817 (FK) 10p Trinity Episcopal Church: Organ and Labyrinth with Albinas Prizgintas (CL) 6p Tropical Isle Bayou Club: Cajun Drifters (KJ) 7p Tropical Isle Bourbon: Wild Card (RK) 5p, Jezebels Chill’n (RK) 9p Tropical Isle Original: the Hangovers (RK) 5:15p, F.A.S.T. (RK) 9:15p

FESTIVALS APRIL 25-29 Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette features live music, regional food vendors, art and more. FestivalInternational.org APRIL 27-MAY 6 The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival includes live music on several stages, food and drink vendors, an art market, cultural exhibits, demonstrations and more. NOJazzJest.com APRIL 30-MAY 2 The three-day NOLA Crawfish Festival at Crescent City BBQ features boiled crawfish, beer and live music. NolaCrawfishFest.com MAY 3-5 The Alex River Fete in downtown Alexandria includes live music, food vendors and more. Facebook.com/AlexRiverFete MAY 10-13 The Contemporary Arts Center presents Southern Sonic, a new festival of experimental music, sound art and sound-based visual art featuring performances, panels and workshops. Cacno.org MAY 18-20 The annual Bayou Boogaloo music festival on Bayou St. John features live music, regional art, food and drink vendors and kids’ activities. TheBayouBoogaloo.com

SPECIAL EVENTS APRIL 27-MAY 6 Photographer Michael Weintrob’s two-week INSTRUMENTHEAD New Orleans Pop-Up Exhibit hosted by Jacques-Imo’s restaurant features live music, food and book signings, and a kick off party on April 27 with performances by Papa Mali and Bobby Vega. MAY 5 Arts District New Orleans presents its annual Jammin’ on Julia featuring art, refreshments and music on Julia Street. ArtsDistrictNewOrleans.com/Events-Specials/ Jammin-On-Julia

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BACKTALK STEVE MILLER BAND: SUNDAY, MAY 6—GENTILLY STAGE, 5:20 P.M.

ou might think you know Steve Miller from the hits—“Fly Like an Eagle,” “Abracadabra,” “The Joker,” “Take the Money and Run,” etc.—but there’s a lot more to this singer-songwriter and guitarist than a string of chart toppers. Even at the height of his popularity, Miller has always been a dedicated blues musician, and the lessons he learned from Les Paul, T-Bone Walker and Buddy Guy have informed his music throughout a 50-year recording career. Miller was born into a musical family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents were close friends with Les Paul and Mary Ford and frequently had jazz musicians over to their house to visit. Paul gave Miller his first guitar lessons. The family moved to Dallas when Miller was still a child. In Texas Miller learned about the blues and came under the wing of another family friend, T-Bone Walker, who taught him advanced guitar techniques. Miller was developed beyond his years when he went to attend college in Madison, Wisconsin. Before he could finish his studies he decided to move to Chicago and become a working musician. From there he moved to San Francisco where the opportunities for gigs were greater in the flourishing late-1960s music scene. Miller began his recording career backing Chuck Berry and went on to make several great albums in London with producer Glyn Johns. On his third album, Brave New World, Miller was joined by Paul McCartney on “My Dark Hour.” Miller went on to become one of the biggest hit makers of the 1970s using techniques he learned from Les Paul, but even at the height of his popularity Miller was always a blues player, using James Cotton as a sideman and including at least one straight-ahead blues tune on every album. When the hits stopped coming, Miller returned to his first musical love, playing blues and R&B. On his number one Blues album Bingo! (2010), he even cut a version of Jessie Hill’s New Orleans classic “Ooh Poo Pah Doo.” I’ve heard that tape of you from when you were about five years old playing for Les Paul. You’re like “Hey, you wanna hear a love song?” and you’re whanging away on the guitar. You had the whole concept down already.

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I had seen Les Paul play. I had been taken to the nightclub to see Les and Mary Ford. They were in town for six weeks or so and they were rehearsing their act. We went every night because we lived right in the city in this funky old townhouse, we were like a block and a half away from the gig. As soon as I saw them—it was just like every show Les Paul ever did, it was completely sold out and there were like eight guitarists on stage, a lot of jamming going on. I was just doing what I saw Les do. I knew I wanted to do this as soon as I saw Les and Mary and how much fun they were having. I was already singing and playing and my uncle had already given me a guitar. My mother and my aunts and my cousins were there so I was singing harmony rounds with them. By the time I was two I was singing harmony rounds on ‘Row, Row, Row By John Swenson

talks back

Your Boat.’ I had an uncle that played violin in the Paul Whiteman orchestra. We had lots of professional musicians coming to the house for meals. We were in Milwaukee and all the big bands who would come and play Chicago would come to Milwaukee for an extra gig. Charles Mingus used to come over and Tal Farlow, Red Norvo. I was growing up seeing people play music and of course my parents loved music so I just thought that was the greatest most natural thing to do in the world. I would pretend I was making up songs. That tape you heard, I was on the second floor of the house, banging on the guitar my uncle had given me, all my little pals were down in the alley behind the house and I was like doing my show. My father snuck in and made a wire recording. I was so mad at him I was absolutely furious that he would sneak in www.OFFBEAT.com

Photo: clayton call

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“T-Bone showed up in a flesh-colored Cadillac convertible with real leopard skin seat covers, in a suit, just as sharp and clean and beautiful as he could be.” and record me like that. It was the first time I’d ever heard my voice back and I was like totally freaked. What happened was that Les Paul was visiting, there were a lot of parties, drinking, smoking, a lot of music. It was right after World War II and these people were really letting loose. My dad wanted to play it for Les Paul and I was extremely embarrassed by it so Les Paul paid me a quarter to listen to it and that was like my first paying gig. He taught me so much. He taught me my first three chords which were one finger chords, the I-IV-V. He told me when you put out a single you’ve got to send out a package of 100 post cards to every city requesting your tune as if it were from lots of fans. I knew he was speeding the tape up and slowing it down. It was 1949. I didn’t know he was a genius. I didn’t know he was kind of inventing the electric guitar. He was just my godfather and this really cool guy who was at the house all the time. Did those studio techniques help you conceptually when you started to record? Oh yeah. I was completely into singing harmonies, doing the multitrack vocal work and multitrack guitar parts. I’d already been ping-ponging between two quarter track stereo machines, using tape reverb. Everything Les did is what people do now when they make records. They make them at their house, they use tape echo, Les is really the guy who started all that. He was making his records in his house in the ’40s. He was the first guy who said, ‘This recording studio environment sucks.’ I never thought I was going to be making my own records until I was about 20 years old. I saw what he was doing and just absorbed it. My dad had a Magnacorder. Tape recorders were brand-new, it was a new thing—German technology. Les had the second tape recorded available in the United States. When Les and my dad met they were like two of the 20 people in the United States who had tape recorders. They loved each other. My dad would go to record them where they were rehearsing at this place called Jimmy Fazio’s Supper Club in Milwaukee. Les and Mary got married in Milwaukee and my mom and dad were the best man and the maid of honor. They spent their honeymoon in my parents’ bedroom. www.OFFBEAT.com

As soon as I could sing harmonies with myself in the studio I was doing it. And that turned out to be how all the pop records in the ’70s were made. When you moved to Dallas you met T-Bone Walker. Yeah. Milwaukee was like a jazz scene. This was the end of the war. I was born in 1943. They dropped the atomic bomb in 1945. We’re talking about 1950 when we moved to Texas. When we got to Texas it was a total shock. Number one it was segregated. My parents were hipsters, they loved jazz and blues, they had black friends, which was just not acceptable back then. They accused my father of having race parties and arrested him. There was a huge musical stew going on in Dallas. The Big D Jamboree was on, which was basically an outlier of the Grand Ole Opry. We had Louisiana Hayride from Shreveport. So Elvis would be in Dallas. I saw Carl Perkins in Dallas. They had rhythm and blues shows, they had country music, they had Mexican music, they had Tex-Mex. It was on television. There was a store in downtown Dallas called the McCord music company that was the first music company outside of California that sold Fender instruments and amplifiers. So there were Stratocasters and Telecasters and Fender Bassman amps and concert amps for sale in Dallas. You could turn on television and Freddie King was on television on Saturday afternoon on an R&B show. Or Ernest Tubb. Or Riley Crabtree. Or Hank Williams. All of this music was going on. There were black radio stations, KNOK was a black station, nothing but blues and rhythm and blues, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf. We had regular pop stations like KLIF. Then we had a DJ named Jim Lowe on WRR, a public station, PBS-style, they had a great blues show on five days a week called Kat’s Karavan. So I’m listening to Jimmy Reed, I’m 11, 12 years old, starting a band. T-Bone Walker was a patient at the hospital where my dad practiced. He introduced himself to T-Bone and they became really good friends. T-Bone became a regular at our house, which was really unusual because it was a segregated city. He’d come over and we’d hang out. He played some gigs which my father recorded. I’ve got 21 songs T-Bone recorded at our house in 1951 and 1952.

He was the sweetest man. When he showed up at the house for the first time I knew he was coming because we rented a piano and the carpet was rolled up. I stayed home from school. T-Bone showed up in a flesh-colored Cadillac convertible with real leopard skin seat covers, in a suit, just as sharp and clean and beautiful as he could be. As soon as I saw him I said you’re T-Bone Walker, show me show me show me. I sat right next to him every time he played and that’s how I learned what playing lead guitar was. When you went out to San Francisco it was the height of the psychedelic era and your guitar sound was about the shape and quality of the notes and tones rather than how fast or loud or long, which was completely different from the whole acid rock style. Guys like Jorma and Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia, the popular guitarists of the time, they were folk musicians who said ‘Let’s get an electric guitar and an amp and some Beatle boots and play rock ’n’ roll.’ I grew up in Texas listening to T-Bone Walker and Freddie King playing a Stratocaster through a Fender amp. When I got to San Francisco it wasn’t a musical scene, it was a social phenomenon. They were using the form as a way of drawing people to come to the psychedelic party, to take the LSD, to see the light show. It took those bands a long time to really learn to make records. They finally got it all together and started learning what it was, but when I showed up I had just been playing in Chicago for three years where Junior Wells would steal your gig if you weren’t on top of your game. Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Howlin’ Wolf... I played with Buddy Guy, I was rhythm guitar player in his band. Barry Goldberg and I put a band together and we were competing with those bands for the same gigs. Paul Butterfield was there, it was before Mike Bloomfield joined him. Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters were back in Chicago, their records weren’t selling, they were playing at Pepper’s, they were playing at the Blue Flame, they came to the North Side and were playing at Big John’s. So as absurd as it sounds, we were competing for the same gigs. Then San Francisco opened up. We went from working from nine o’clock at night until four in the morning six days a week in JA ZZ FEST 20 18

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“The Airplane were really interesting, Jorma and Jack were really good, Marty Balin was a good singer, Grace Slick was a good singer. The Dead were like a mediocre blues band high on acid.” a nightclub for $125 a week in Chicago to making $500 playing to 1200 people at the Fillmore Auditorium and being treated like a rock star with a light show. You had the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane, those were the two sort of pop-star bands and in between you had to fill in all that space around them. The Airplane were really interesting, Jorma and Jack were really good, Marty Balin was a good singer, Grace Slick was a good singer. The Dead were like a mediocre blues band high on acid. Pigpen was okay, but it was like oh, boy, they’re gonna play a 45-minute version of ‘In the Midnight Hour’ that you don’t wanna hear. And then they’re gonna stand around for 20 minutes because they were high, and people loved that and thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I just came from a place where you played 45minute sets and you had to be great instantly or they’d throw you out of the nightclub. It was a social phenomenon and in their way those bands really are great and did really great things, they created a whole new way of presenting music. The idea of playing in a football stadium with a giant PA system was developed by the Grateful Dead. We all had to do that. When I started getting my audience I went from playing theaters to hockey arenas to football stadiums in nine months. Is that why you chose to go to London to make your first album? For a different musical point of view? I was really naive when I signed my deal. I had 14 record companies trying to sign me and I said ‘I want artistic control over everything, I want to own all my publishing, I want a half a million dollars.’ It was 1967. Capitol finally agreed to all my demands. I thought ‘Oh boy I’m going to Capitol Records, my godfather’s studio, Hoagy Carmichael, Les Paul, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole...’ I walked in and there were a bunch of crew-cutted right-wing engineers who ran the music department. When we finally set up to record they walked out because I was a hippie. But I had the right to go and record any place I wanted to according to the contract. So we went to London. We found Olympic Studios was available. Glyn Johns was available as a hired engineer.

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He almost became a member of the band. Glyn was very ambitious and he was very good at what he did and he was much more of a rock star than we were. We had to pretty much keep him off the record. Keep him from playing bass, keep him from playing rhythm guitar, from playing the tambourine. I argued with him all the time. I learned a lot from Glyn about making records. The difference between the English and the Americans was the Americans were all conservative assholes, they didn’t like loud amplifiers or big drums or any of that stuff. They were into making pop records. When you went to London they had a Marshall stack, they wanted you to turn it up, they wanted it to sound like rock ’n’ roll. They had the microphone 15 feet away from the amplifier. There was a crazy guy at the console saying ‘Let’s see if we can make it sound badder.’ It was great. We got there and Glyn was all of that. I had a lot of arguments with him about too much echo on the records. I was into Otis Redding and the Stax sound, I liked a lot of dry presence and soul. We argued about the sound of the guitars, the sound of the record. We really argued about electronics. He didn’t like any electronic sound glosses, he thought that was all bullshit. I had to really force him to do that stuff and fight for it. While I was mixing my first record, Children of the Future, Led Zeppelin was coming in, moving their gear in for their first sessions at Olympic and Jimmy Page was hanging out with Lonnie Turner and I while we were mixing Children of the Future, listening to our electronic music ideas and hearing what we were doing. It was that kind of a creative pool. Procol Harum was around, Peter Frampton was there, Johnny Hallyday was coming over, the Beatles were around, the Rolling Stones, the Who. It was much more interesting than being in Los Angeles with the Association. So that’s how you met McCartney. I met McCartney because Glyn was recording them. We went over to George’s house and he said why don’t you come over to the session tonight and I went over to session, they were doing ‘Get Back.’ I went back the next day and they were running over a couple of days. I was supposed to be

there to mix Brave New World. We got to the studio and I think it was Easter Sunday and John and Ringo didn’t show up. We were just jamming around, then George took off and I was showing Paul some riffs and he started playing drums. We instantly became musical mates and started jamming. Glyn said ‘Let’s put it down on tape’ and we recorded ‘My Dark Hour.’ Paul did the drums and bass and he sang the background vocals and I did the guitar parts and sang the lead. You’re doing a massive reissue program this year. Yeah, it’s our 50th anniversary. We’re putting out 18 vinyl records, a box set for September, I’m writing my biography and doing a 51-city tour. I’m working with Jazz at Lincoln Center on a series of blues programs. I’m 74 years old and I’ve got lots of energy. On your early albums you wrote a lot of political material—“Living In the U.S.A.,” “Jackson-Kent Blues,” “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around”... ‘Fly Like An Eagle,’ they were all political statements. When I went to college I became a student demonstrator. There was a lot of politics in the music. As I got further along it became more important to have a positive message in my music. ‘Fly Like An Eagle’ was the last one of a series of political songs that I wrote. One of the things about “Fly Like An Eagle,” the subtext of that song is really powerful. It really connects to a lot of people in New Orleans. The Neville Brothers covered it. The whole idea connects to Native American culture as well. It’s interesting, we have a recorded version of it three years before it was released and there are verses in it about Indians. It’s always a really important part of our live performance. I was trying to say these things as a young man when I was writing this stuff and here it is 50 years later and 200 million people have heard this or more and the songs are still around. An extended version of this interview can be found at OffBeat.com. www.OFFBEAT.com