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D.L. Menard
Photo © Ron Weinstock |
A comment to a post on this blog requested if I had any recommendations for JazzFest this year and then Steve Kiviat, who is associated with the Washington City Paper, mentioned he was going to JazzFest for the first weekend and it was the first time in six years. He knew most of the funk acts and brass bands so he requested some other suggestions including any idea about Luther Kent and Ernie Vincent. I replied to Steve by email and am using my response to him as the basis for some Festival recommendations and excluding the most obvious big stage and soul acts like Bruce Springsteen and Al Green.
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| Evan Christopher - Photo © Ron Weinstock |
I have not seen Ernie Vincent who is in the Blues Tent as is Luther Kent (who I have seen and is real good). However, Luther is opposite Evan Christopher who will be in the WWOZ Jazz Tent. Evan’s new Clarinet Road CD, In Sidney’s Footsteps (STR Digital) is superb.
Of special note on Friday, Stephanie Jordan and her Big Band is doing a tribute to Lena Horne and will be followed by Pancho Sanchez with Terence Blanchard.The Blues Tent becomes over-crowded but early on Friday it has legendary pianist Henry Grey followed by the former Clifton Chenier guitarist Lil Buck Sinigal. The New Orleans Revue on the Acura Stage Friday has Frankie Ford, Robert ‘Barefootin’ Parker, and Al ‘Carnival Time’ Johnson looks real good and they will be followed by The Dixie-Cups. Frankie Ford remains a terrific entertainer. The Fais Do Do Stage which features cajun and zydeco always has some good music with an exceptional lineup on Friday with Geno Delafose and Beausoleil standing out. Butch Thompson will be doing a Jelly Roll Morton tribute in the Economy Hall Tent and Irma Thomas will be doing her Mahalia Jackson Tribute in the Gospel tent.
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Brother Tyrone
Photo © Ron Weinstock |
On Saturday,
Brother Tyrone (
If You Ain’t Cheating, You Ain’t Trying) is soul-blues in Blues Tent and recommend him along with Wolfman Washington at that venue. In the WWOZ Jazz Tent I already have mentioned
Evan Christopher and Clarinet Road, but also check out
Irving Mayfield's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra features some terrific compositions and soloists. Closing in the Blues Tent will be a
Tribute to Wardell Querzergue featuring The Dixie Cups, Robert “Barefootin’” Parker and
Tony Owens. D.L. Menard (the Cajun Hank Williams), the
Savoy Music Center Jam and the terrific
Pine Leaf Boys will be on the Fais Do Do Stage, along with a non-cajun act, the
Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Shamarr Allen (
Meet Me On Frenchmen Street) is on the Gentilly Stage early in the day.
The Voice of the Wetlands All Stars (
Tab Benoit, Dr. John, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Johnny Vidacovich, Johnny Sansone and
Waylon Thibodeaux are on the Acura Stage before Tom Petty.
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Stephanie Jordan
Photo © Ron Weinstock |
On Sunday,
Dr. John and
Trombone Shorty are featured on the .Acura Stage but fans of New Orleans funk should also check out
Papa Grows Funk on the Gentilly Stage (overlaps Dr. John) as well as
The Batiste Brothers whom will be on Congo Square (overlap with trombone Shorty). Must see in Economy Hall is
Lionel Ferbos who will be celebrating his 101st Birthday soon, and
The Treme Brass Band. In the WWOZ Jazz Tent,
Ellis Marsalis makes his festival appearance, the great
Diane Reeves will sing and
Nicholas Payton leads a fascinating trio which includes
Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts on drums. In the Blues Tent
Corey Harris & Phil Wiggins make perform some fascinating acoustic blues followed by the JazzFest return of
Ironing Board Sam, once a JazzFest mainstay. Also in the Blues Tent is
Gary Clark, Jr, who has been getting lot of well-deserved press recently.
Kirk Joseph's Tuba Tuba on the Jazz and Heritage Stage sounds really fascinating as he leads a group of New Orleans finest Tuba players. Highlights on the Fais Do Do Stage on Sunday are
Steve Riley and
Hadley Castille, while guitarist
Spencer Bohren performs on the Lagniappe Stage.
So that is my specific recommendations including some you may have not considered. Have a great Fest. I will post recommendations for the second weekend May 1 or 2.
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Papa John Gros of Papa Grows Funk
Photo © Ron Weinstock |
Posts
A genuine surprise is the recent album by New Orleans singer Brother Tyrone, “Mindbender (Guitar Joe’s House of Blues), apparently the second disc by the Crescent City soul and blues vocalist. Its an old-fashioned album with live rhythm and horns including bassist Jack Cruz and the late Wilbert “Junkyard Dog” Arnold from Wolfman Washington’s band, and some fine uncredited horns. Special note has to be given to producer Everette Eglin who also supplies the guitar on this session. There is a nice mix of originals and covers of classic songs. Brother Tyrone for example lends his own voice to the Eddie Floyd’s “I Never Found A Girl,” as well as Toussaint McCall’s classic ballad “Nothing Take the Place of You,” but its an original like “If You Ain’t Cheating,” on which he shines as well as “When It’s Gone, it’s Gone,” a reflection on watching your stuff float away in a flood while he is joined by Richard “Tricky Dick” Dickson’s reference to classic soul as similarly floating away, a sentiment also found in “New Indian Blues,” as he mixes in some Mardi Gras references with references of the classic blues and soul artists he grew up on with Eglin taking a nice solo against the steady rocking groove as he presses on singing these rhythm and blues. “Old Friend is a terrific performance of a George Jackson number that Spencer Wiggins recorded for Goldwax with a nice bluesy solo, and followed by a nice down-in-the-alley rendition of Otis Spann’s “Country Girl,” on which Eglin plays some stinging slide guitar. The tempo picks up on “The Money’s Gone,” as Tyrone shouts out about finding his woman at the pawn shop but the money’s gone, and “you keep standing by the corner and I will be gone before too long.” Johnnie Taylor’s hit blues-ballad “Just Because,” is nicely delivered, while “New Roll and Tumble,” is a 21st Century reworking of Elmore James Fire recording of this classic theme. The set closes with a neat reworking of The Valentino’s “I Used to Love Her,” that some may now as “It’s All Over Now,” with a driving funk groove. This is a refreshingly vibrant disc of soul and blues that is available from the Louisiana Music Factory, itunes, cdbaby, amazon and other sources.
