Chris Smither More From the Levee

Chris Smither
More From the Levee
Signature Sounds

This new recording from the noted singer-songwriter Chris Smither brings forth ten new tracks that produced the 2014 release "Still on the Levee." As I wrote reviewing that earlier recording," Smither is a singer-songwriter whose performances and songs have a Dylanesque flavor as well as deep blues roots in his direct finger style guitar playing. As Charlie Hunter, his former co-manager observes, Smither's guitar style is 1/3 Mississippi John Hurt, 1/3 Lightnin' Hopkins and 1/3 himself." His swirling guitar playing and feet stomping is combined with Billy Conway's drums and percussion on this album. Guests, including Dana Colley on baritone sax and the late Allen Toussaint on piano, are heard on selected tracks.

Smither's gravelly vocals have a restrained world-weary quality that adds to the appeal as he sings his colorful lyrics that have such haunting lines such as "Help me get these pieces together, Make it so the seams don't seem to show, …" from "Confirmation." Another example is "Turn off that radio, It's like I am talking to myself." from "Drive You Home Again." Colley's low volume baritone lends to the sober background on this track. Jimmy Fitting on harmonica, Goody on piano, and Anita Subanin on background vocals join the melancholy feel of "I Am the Ride." With its street busker tempo, "What I Do" comes off as somewhat cheerful with its invocation of second lines and beads and rice. Allen Toussaint's piano adds a light, sophisticated feel to the part talking blues, "Let It Go."

With Smither's way with words, his enervated sounding vocals, and the deft, but restrained, accompaniment, the ten new Smither tracks on this album further showcase this remarkable singer-songwriter.

I received my review copy from a publicist. For an example of his music (but not on this recording) here is Chris Smither's rendition of "Sitting on Top of the World."

Take 5 With "Get Out Of My Life Woman"

As I type this, I am watching a video of the late Allen Toussaint on Qwest TV. It is a Baloise Session in Basel, Switzerland and was his next to last performance. He passed away after his performance the next day in Barcelona. During this performance, he performed "Get Out of My Life Woman," which he introduced noting he was the most recorded of the songs he had written. This week's Take 5 playlist is a short playlist of versions of this number.

First up we have Lee Dorsey, who made the original recording. This is from a live performance.

Next up is a version that many will be familiar with from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. This though is also from a live performance.

Next up is Joe Williams, the blues and balladeer master backed by the great Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra.

So many artists have done this including Jerry Garcia, Chris Robinson, the Jerry Garcia Band, and the great Albert King who recorded this on his classic album, "Born Under A Bad Sign."

We conclude with a live performance by Mr. Toussaint himself at the "2015 Dear Jerry Concert."

Talking Music 2: Blues and Roots Music Mavericks

Talking Music 2: Blues and Roots Music Mavericks
Holger Petersen
Insomniac Press: London, Ontario
2016:428 pp

Canadian Holger Peterson may be best known as a record producer and head of the blues and roots label, Stony Plain Records. He also is a veteran radio broadcaster and founded the Edmonton Folk Festival among other activities. A few years ago, a collection of interviews he conducted with an assortment of musicians, Talking Music was issued by Insomniac Press. I purchased it, read it and enjoyed it madly. He now has a follow-up volume which I was pleased to receive a review copy from Stony Plain. This second volume has more interviews with am equally diverse set of individuals including recently deceased legends B.B. King, Allen Toussaint and Bobby Charles; such important blues and Louisiana music figures as Zachary Richard, Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite and Rory Block; to rock and rollers Sam the Sham, Ronnie Hawkins, and Wanda Jackson; guitar wizards, Amos Garrett & David Wilcox and James Burton & Alvin Lee; songwriters and singers Chip Taylor, Townes van Zandt; Tony Joe White and Dan Penn & Spooner Oldman; the great singer Solomon Burke and the blue-eyed soul singers, Bill Medley and David Clayton-Thomas; the unique Dan Hicks, the blues-rooted star Steve Miller, the recording genius Van Dyke Parks; the muse of jazz and blues, Mose Allison; guitar wizard Ronnie Earl and two ladies of the British Music Scene, Maddy Prior and Maggie Bell.

Peterson is a thoughtful interviewer and conversationalist and that comes through all of these chapters. With B.B. King, they explored a number of sounds that touched him, and some of his most memorable recordings, but he was insistent that Holger listen to The Mighty Sparrow's "Honesty." There was plenty of items for Allen Toussaint to speak of, including writing, arranging and producing records, as well as his collaborations with The Band and King Biscuit Boy, with some discussion of him performing post-Katrina and his association with Elvis Costello.

There is plenty of stuff I learned about artists I thought was familiar with such as Billy Boy Arnold discussing the origin for Ellis McDaniel adopting Bo Diddley along with recollections of the Chicago scene including Sonny Noy Williamson, Big Bill Broonzy and Sunnyland Slim while Charlie Musselwhite's memories of growing up in Memphis included not simply meeting will Shade, but also Johnny and Dorsey Burnette who lived across the street from him then. His Chicago recollections are fascinating as he recalls how his first recordings came about, his impressions of various folk like Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and James Cotton, as well as catching music with Michael Bloomfield.

One reads about Rory Block's encounters with various early acoustic blues legends, Sam the Sham discussing touring and his hit records, Ronnie Hawkins fascinating career including being produced by the legendary Henry Glover, James Burton recalling the riff that made the Dale Hawkins' recording "Susie Q," working with Ricky Nelson and Elvis, and more recently with Emmylou Harris and was replaced by Alvin Lee. David Clayton Thomas' recollections include playing with John Lee Hooker as well as his role in the second incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Particularly interesting is his recollection of Blood Sweat & Tears touring with Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly and Nina Simone and how Simone did not like him singing "God Bless the Child" and how Miles defused the tension from this.

There are other nuggets of course to be found here such Ronnie Earl frankly discussing the challenges he faces from mental illness, Chip Taylor's recollections of the Brill Building and hearing recordings by The Troggs and Jimi Hendrix of "Wild Thing" or Merrilee Rush of "Angel in the Morning," Steve Miller recalling Les Paul spending time with his father as did T-Bone Walker, as a 14 year old being in a band backing Jimmy Reed, and years later playing on John Lee Hooker's "Endless Boogie" session which he characterized as "the record business at its ugliest on that session. It was a terrible thing. 'Endless Boogie' wasn't really a great record." Then there is Solomon Burke recalling the joy of recording with Willie Mitchell, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham discussing the Box Top's hit "Cry Like a Baby," and Bill Medley talking about his love for Roy Hamilton.

The book comes off as a series of conversations between friends. At the same time we get a sense of the personalities of the subjects and learn more than a few things about the music we love. I read this book like I would read a thriller. It was that good a read and hard to put down until I had finished it. My comments on this volume also apply to the first one. If you like reading about blues, folk and roots musicians, you will greatly enjoy Holger Petersen's excellent "Talking Music" volumes.

As mentioned in the review, I received a review copy of Talking Music 2 from Stony Plain Records. This should be readily available from better online sources.

Chris Smither Is Still On The Levee

“Still on the Levee” (Homunculus Music/Mighty Albert) is a double disc retrospective of Chris Smither’s 50 odd year career in new June 2013 recordings. Smither is a singer-songwriter whose performances and songs have a Dylanesque flavor as well as deep blues roots in his direct finger style guitar playing. As Charlie Hunter, his former co-manager observes, Smither’s guitar style is 1/3 Mississippi John Hurt, 1/3 Lightnin’ Hopkins and 1/3 himself.

The two CDs cover a pretty wide range of songs by Smither and display his position as a significant composer and lyricist. There is the wistfulness of "Song of Susan" to a fine original blues "Another Way To Find You" that evokes Robert Johnson riffs with a heartfelt vocal and strong harmonica backing. Allen Toussaint adds his piano to "Train Home" that lends a slightly different flavor behind Smither's vocal as he waits for a train to take him home.

Smither's gravelly vocals have a restrained quality that adds to the appeal. "Lola" is a bluesy folk number with exceptional lyrics and restrained rollicking piano backing. "Shillin' For the Blues,” which features members of Morphine, has interesting backing including softly recorded baritone sax by Dana Colley. Loudon Wainwright III joins Smithers on the lively "What They Say."

With his world weary vocals and the deft, but restrained, accompaniment, it is no wonder that Smither's "Can't Shake These Blues" Produced by David Goodrich (who plays on much of this), “Still on the Levee” is a recording that showcases this remarkable singer-songwriter as he considers some of his favorite and most memorable songs.

I received this from a publicist. Here he performs in concert "Love You Like a Man."

The Blind Boys Down in New Orleans

A new release by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Down in New Orleans (Time-Life) has the legendary gospel singers in the Crescent City where they are backed by a terrific trio of David Torkanowsky on piano, Roland Guerin on bass and Shannon Powell on drums along with guest appearances by the Hot 8 Brass Band, Allen Toussaint and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. 

Mixing in gospel classics like Free at Last, You Got to Move, and I’ll Fly Away with secular positive message songs like the late Earl King’s Make a Better World, the group continues to move the heart with the sheer conviction an awe-inspiring vocals of Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and the others. Certainly even if their voices have some raspiness from age, it is not rust and delivering How I Got Over, the vocals send chills through the listener.

 The Preservation Hall Jazz Band can be heard backing them on Across the Bridge, Uncloudy Day and Down By the Riverside, on which Allen Toussaint adds some gospel funk piano. Toussaint also is heard on the fine If I Could Help Somebody, while the Hot 8 enliven Make a Better World as well as the exhilarating rendition of I’ll Fly Away, that closes this CD that is another marvelous addition to the Blind Boys extensive discography. 

This review originally appeared in the February 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 301). I believe I received a review copy from a publicist. Here are the Blind Boys with the Dirty Dozen Brass band at Tipitina's Uptown.

After Katrina, Moving to a Higher Ground

In April 2006 I wrote reviews on several post-Katrina benefit albums. This is the second review of those I am posting. Here is the first which originally appeared in the April 2006 (issue 281) of Jazz & Blues Report as well as the April 2006 DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. I likely received a review copy, not sure if from the record company, a publicist or Jazz & Blues Report.

Jazz at Lincoln Center did one of the first TV benefit shows, Higher Ground, Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert, which has been made available on Blue Note. Given that the Artistic Director of Jazz From Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis Wynton Marsalis, is from New Orleans as well as the city’s seminal place in the history of jazz and American popular music, it is not surprising that they came out early to help try to help the cradle of jazz recover.

Despite being presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, the music presented here includes much that is not strictly jazz including a marvelous gospel number by Shirley Caesar and lively number by Buckwheat Zydeco. Art & Aaron Neville revive Professor Longhair’s Go to New Orleans with Allen Toussaint on piano, Art Neville on organ, an uncredited guitarist, Wes Anderson on alto and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet on a spirited recording followed by Dianna Krall rendering Basin Street Blues, with a nice traditional jazz feel to the backing evoking Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

James Taylor’s simple solo rendition of his Never Die Young, and Dianne Reeves treatment of The House I Live In both give the lyrics special meaning in light of the performance context as does Norah Jones on a solo performance of Randy Newman’s I Think It’s Going To Rain Today. Terence Blanchard’s performance Over There may be the strongest straight jazz performance with its somber mode, whereas the music of New Orleans is celebrated by Marcus Roberts on Jelly Morton’s New Orleans Blues and Wynton Marsalis’ revival of Dippermouth Blues, from the first recordings made by King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band with a young second cornet player whose nickname was Dippermouth.

Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield plays a marvelous Just a Closer Walk With thee, just backed by pianist Ronald Markam, Bette Midler is marvelous on Is That All There Is, which some may be familiar of from Peggy Lee. The closing Come Sunday with Mark O'Connor on violin is a moving treatment of a composition originally part of Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown and Beige, and later done by another legend from new Orleans, Mahalia Jackson.

Like the city celebrated here, the performances contain a variety of styles, idioms and moods.

"Our New Orleans" Was Rhythm And Blues After Katrina

In April 2006 I wrote reviews on several post-Katrina benefit albums. I will be posting these in the next few days (not necessarily consecutively). Here is the first which originally appeared in the April 2006 (issue 281) of Jazz & Blues Report as well as the April 2006 DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. Some of the artists on this have passed on and it is still in print. I likely received a review copy, not sure if from the record company, a publicist or Jazz & Blues Report.

Our New Orleans on Nonesuch is a collection of new studio recordings by New Orleans and other Louisiana musicians recorded in various cities last September and October. The emphasis is less towards jazz and more towards blues and rhythm & blues.

Allen Toussaint opens with his Yes We Can Can, a song he originally wrote for Lee Dorsey and the spirit of helping each other make it is especially apt. Dr. John’s morose World I Never Made is followed by Irma Thomas, backed by Toussaint, singing an unfortunately topical Back Water Blues, singing “My house fell down and I can’t live there no more.” Davell Crawford adds a touch of gospel with his marvelous Gather By the River, one of several fine solo piano performances including Eddie Bo’s slow drag interpretation of When the Saints Go Marching On, Carol Fran’s Tou' Les Jours Ç'est Pas La Même with New Orleans rhythm accents as she sings bilingually about her man, “where were you when I passed by?”, and Allen Toussaint’s instrumental Tipitina and Me.

Traditional jazz is represented by clarinetist, Dr. Michael White, on a lively salute to King Oliver on Canal Street Blues and Preservation Hall on Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans; cajun and zydeco are represented by Buckwheat Zydeco’s Cryin’ in the Streets (with a sullen feel and one of the best vocals I have heard from Mr. Dural with Ry Cooder on guitar) and Beausoleil’s bittersweet instrumental L’Ouragon; and street sounds of New Orleans are sampled by the Wild Magnolia’s Brother John is Gone/ Herc-Jolly-John, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now.

Charlie Miller plays sings and provides the only accompaniment on his trumpet on Prayer to New Orleans, while Donald Harrison’s alto is featured on The Wardell Quezerque Orchestra’s rendition of What a Wonderful World. The disc concludes with Randy Newman reviving his unfortunately appropriate Louisiana 1927 (about the flooding of cajun country in 1917) backed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with members of the New York Philharmonic singing about “they are trying to wash us away,” a lyric that rings unfortunately true.

RIP Wardell Quezergue

The late Wardell Quezergue conducting the band backing singer Jean Knight at
2007 Ponderosa Stomp  - the New Orleans House of Blues. Photo © Ron Weinstock.

Tuesday, fans of rhythm and blues and New Orleans music, received the sad word that Wardell Quezergue passed away.

Dr. John with Wardell at 2008 Ponderosa Stomp at New Orleans House of Blues.
Photo © Ron Weinstock

I had the pleasure of attending the Ponderosa Stomps in 2007 and 2008 when he was featured. A composer, producer, and arranger he produced many classic recordings including Smokey Johnson’s “It Ain’t My Fault,” the Dixie Robert Parker’s “Barefootin’, King Floyd’s “Groove Me,” and Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff.” His arrangements graced Grammy winning recordings by Charles Brown, Gatemouth Brown and Dr. John (“Going Back To New Orleans”) as well as “Deacon John’s Jump Blues” and Luther Kent’s 2009 Bobby Bland tribute.

Trio of New Orleans Musical Royalty: Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint and Wardell Quezergue.
2007 Ponderosa Stomp at New Orleans House of Blues. Photo © Ron Weinstock

On my flickr page regarding the 2007 Ponderosa Stomp I wrote “Wardell Querzergue was spotlighted at this year's Ponderosa Stomp leading a Crescent City Big Band for a funky revue of southern soul and New Orleans Cups” “Iko Iko” and “Chapel of Love,”funk which included his first arrangements in several years, first kicking off with Smokey Johnson's classic "It Ain't My Fault, before being joined by the soulful Tony Owens (who recorded for Cotillion and other labels), Robert Parker (Mr. Q produced 'Barefootin'" and Jean Knight (Mr. Big Stuff) with a special treat being an extended performance by an equal legend, Dave Batholomew. Dave Bartholomew did an overview of some of the great music he produced over half a century.”

The marvelous music from that year and the following year’s Ponderosa Stomp still resonate in my memory. Dr. Ike Padnos even got Dr. John to revive some of his early recordings on which he played guitar because the Creole Beethoven would arrange and conduct the band for these. I myself was honored that a photograph of mine was used for the cover of the Jazz Foundation of America’s release of his album “After The Math: Part of the St. Agnes Sessions.”

Cover photo taken at 2007 Ponderosa Stomp.

Here are links to some obituaries and appreciations: http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2011/09/wardell_quezergue_legendary_ne.html; http://offbeat.com/2011/09/07/honoring-wardell-quezergue/; http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/arts/music/wardell-quezergue-hitmaker-of-new-orleans-rb-dies-at-81.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto.

For information on purchasing "After The Math" contact the Jazz Foundation of America, http://www.jazzfoundation.org/how-you-can-help/jfa-store and help support their mission.

Josh Charles' New Orleans Inspired Musical Stew

Josh Charles was born in California, raised in Kansas City where he was trained in classical piano before the jazz bug hit him. After High school, Josh Charles moved to New York, where he went to study at the Manhattan School of Music and studied with the legendary Barry Harris. He would play all around the city at any bar with a piano, and discovered Tramps, the legendary New York City club which brought in many giants of classic rhythm and blues, and which brought in many of the great New Orleans artists. Josh honed his craft by listening and learning from the masters of the New Orleans sound and mentored by Crescent City transplant, Dr. John. In August 2005, he was in New Orleans readying to move in as well as record down there. But fate in the form of Hurricane Katrina intervened and he was on one of the last buses out.

In 2009 he recorded a single Healing Time, which provided a small window into the struggle of what the citizens of New Orleans have felt since Katrina. All the proceeds from the success of Healing Time have gone back into the community in the city he loves toward rebuilding the city. Healing Time is included in his just issued album, Love Work & Money (CC Entertainment/El Records). It has him with members of Dr. John’s Band as well as his own touring band and was recorded in New Orleans as well as New York. With the exception of a cover of Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder The Come, Charles wrote or co-wrote the nine originals here.

Listening to this I am tempted to burden Charles by describing him as a blue-eyed Allen Toussaint. I do not mean that Charles is a Toussaint imitator, but his vocals, piano and the general feel of the material is suggestive of the New Orleans legend, in the nature of his songwriting, use of vocal chorus backing and the general groove. Given how Toussaint’s productions shaped much of what we think as New Orleans music over the past five decades the fact that Charles’ soulful efforts here sound like they could have been all recorded in New Orleans shouldn’t be surprising given how he immersed himself in New Orleans grooves in New York. I think Toussaint would be proud of Charles with the opening, The Waiting Game, a nice piece of funk as Charles sings about waiting for the phone call or a train or a check to clear as well as the title track with its churchy piano opening before delivering a message about how love work and money makes the world go round and what brings one up can bring one down. 


Jimmy Cliff’s classic The Harder They Come, is a nice change of pace with its caribbean groove. Pickin’ Up the Pieces, opens with a classic Crescent City piano riffs, before Charles takes us with a piece of bluesy soul with perhaps more of a tint of Memphis than New Orleans. The afore-mentioned Healing Time, is included and one can understand why this remarkable song about coping with the hard times has been so well received. Other songs such as Stars, and the closing Just a Man, further display Charles strengths as a songwriter of soulful songs and a solid, genuine singer. This is an impressive release and this writer certainly hopes he can see him live.



This review appear originally in the May 2010 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 325). My review copy was provided by a publicist.

Trombone Shorty's Backatown Keeps Groove Going

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at 2009 Duke Ellington (now DC) Jazz Festival

Since emerging nationally as a member of Lenny Kravitz’s Band, and his appearance on a nationally televised Hurricane Katrina, Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews has emerged as a favorite band on touring and festival circuits with his blend of funk, Brass Band riffs and some hip-hop & soul seasonings. He is a member of a musical family as his older brother James was a founder of the New Birth Brass band and recorded a brassy al;bum that was produced by Allen Toussaint. Another brother, trumpeter James helped mentor him and Troy’s grandfather was the late Jessie Hill who had a major hit with the New Orleans R&B classic “Ooh Poo Pah Doo.” 

Busy beyond his years, Troy has recorded a CD with his brother, and a previous CD with his band Orleans Avenue along with plenty of studio work. Now he has a new release, “Backatown” (Verve Forecast), that seems destined to increase his fan base even more. Also there are recordings available of his New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival sets (from 2004 and 2006-2008) that can be found at JazzFestLive.com.

The title of this album refers to the area of New Orleans that includes Tremé, the historic neighborhood where so many great musicians came from and which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Produced by Galactic’s Ben Ellman, Troy’s band, Orleans Avenue (Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dwayne Williams on percussion and Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax) is the core behind him with special guests that include Allen Toussaint, Kravitz, Marc Broussard and Charles Smith (Orleans Avenue’s original drummer playing synth bass). Troy wrote all except one of the 14 numbers on this.

The tune is set with the opening “ Hurricane Katrina,” with its hip hop rhythm mixed with a funked up brass band sound, followed by Allen Toussaint’s “On Your Way Down,” where the legendary pianist plays as Troy delivers the message the folks you see on the way up are the ones you will pass on the way down. After another funked up instrumental, Kravitz joins on guitar and backing vocal on “Something Beautiful,” as he asks “Can You Show Me Something Beautiful,” which is quite catchy. The title track opens with some dark sounding synth bass from Smith before Troy enters with some buzzing trombone with some ripping baritone from Oestreicher as the horns weave around each other. Broussard adds a vocal to “Right to Complain,” wLith a message about all make a complain but no one wants to do anything. The instrumental “Neph,” has an mesmerizing cowbell-ish groove before Troy on trumpet conjures up a strong spanish tinge with stirring interludes of his trumpet soaring over the percussion. “Suburbia,” opens with some metal-ish guitar before Troy adds some trombone and trumpet playing that suggest a call to arms. The groove of “In the 6th,” with the baritone helping set the funk riff, sounds like a homage to the Dirty Dozen and other modern New Orleans Brass Bands that his music is rooted in. “Where Y’At,” is a composition that originated in some onstage jamming with “new ideas coalescing out of improvised sections of existing pieces.” Troy credits Marvin Gaye as inspiration for the ballad “Fallin’.”

Anyone who has seen Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue know how electric the performances can be. A studio recording can only go so far in capturing this aspect of his music, but “Backatown,” is a recording that undoubtedly will increase his growing visibility (his appearances on the HBO series “Tremé,” also contribute to this) and certainly please his many fans.

This review also appeared in the July, 2010 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 327) at page 15 although I have added a few bits like the reference to the availability of his Jazz Fest sets. It should be readily available.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I received a review copy from a publicist for the label.

RIP Oliver Morgan and Jimmy 'T-99' Nelson

I spent this past weekend at the Pocono Blues Festival and return home to learn via the net that two more performers of blues and rhythm music have passed.

Sad to hear that Jimmy 'T-99' Nelson died. The blues shouter had been a resident in Houston for half a century. He recorded some wonderful blues for Modern Records in the early fifties including "Meet Me With Your Black Dress on," and "T-99 Blues". The latter number was a reworking of "Honeydripper Blues", best known by Roosevelt Sykes. Nelson was inspired and influenced by Big Joe Turner and in recent years had produced some fine recordings for Bullseye Blues and other labels. I never had the pleasure to see him perform.

Oliver Morgan was known for the recording "Who Shot the La La". A New Orleans singer and entertainer, he was a fixture at JazzFest times and I did have a chance to see him at JazzFestPonderosa Stomp where he did his best known song. Allen Toussaint recorded an album by him that was issued on NYNO in the nineties. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune obituary by Keith Spera, "In nightclubs and at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, he performed with his trademark second-line umbrella. He was among the first to incorporate this jazz funeral accessory into a nightclub act, and never hesitated to lead a parade." He left New Orleans for Atlanta after Katrina destroyed his 9th ward home and had not performed since Katrina. He is pictured at the 2004 Ponderosa Stomp and the guitarist is Irving Bannister, the highly underrated Crescent City string bender