STOMP PART ONE

BRIAN WISE LEFT NEW ORLEANS WITH A SWAG OF NEW RELEASES

JON CLEARY

DO NOT DISTURB: HOTEL ROOM RUFFS

FHQ

“Hurricane winds blew a lot of local New Orleans musicians out on the road and since Katrina I’ve been lucky enough to have a steady gig,” writes John Cleary about his latest EP. While he has been busy working for Bonnie Raitt over the past few years Cleary has had to put his solo career on the back burner. Sure he gets a chance to highlight some of his songs during Raitt’s shows – and even gets to open some shows with his Absolute Monster Gentlemen - but it is obviously difficult to find some time in the studio to lay down a new album.

When Jazz Fest arrives Cleary is at almost frenetic pace in New Orleans and, like most musicians there, he needs something new to sell at gigs. Thus, this timely four-track EP was recorded in hotel rooms and at sound checks while on tour and released just in time for the Fest.

It is hardly surprising that the sound is so good and belies its humble origins. Cleary has had his own home studio for many years and is an accomplished musician who clearly knows the sound that suits him best.

The EP kicks off with a fine cover of Free’s ‘All Right Now’ – a song that is perfectly suited to Cleary’s funky interpretation. Next, he deftly tackles the Detroit Emeralds’ ‘Feel the Need’, his soulful voice caressing the song. The other two songs are originals. ‘I Don’t Know’ has a Caribbean feel while the brief but lovely ‘New Area Code’ sees him in piano maestro mode.

If this is the appetiser then I can hardly wait for the main course on a forthcoming album.

DUMPSTAPHUNK

LISTEN HEAR

DUMPSTAPHUNK

Dumpstaphunk comprises two members of the younger Neville clan - Ivan and Ian – along with two musicians who have also worked with the Neville Brothers in Tony Hall, Nick Daniels and drummer Raymond Weber (who also appears with Ivan in the New Orleans Social Club). It is a potent combination and one that has quickly become one of the funkiest outfits in New Orleans. This year, in the absence of the Neville Brothers band and the Meters, the outfit flew the flag for funk out at Jazz Fest. (In fact, the mystery of the Nevilles’ non-appearance at the past two Jazz Fests was deepened by a tirade from Cyril Neville on WWOZ).

This five-song EP comes from sessions recorded while the band members took breaks from their various other outfits and commitments and, with two bass players, it is heavy stuff indeed. They are augmented by a horn section that includes Troy Andrews on trombone.

You might think that the lineage of the players might have the music veering towards the sort of funk that the Nevilles played in their prime – and there are hints of this on the first few tracks – but the Dumpstaphunk sound is far tougher and edgier – more obviously a nod to The Meters. The final song, ‘Shake It Off’, provides more of a jazzy feel with Andrews’ help but still digs into a deeper Meters-type groove for its inspiration.

It seems that the time is right for a new force in funk now that the Nevilles are scattered and The Meters reunion is in hiatus. If the members of Dumpstaphunk can hold it together and get a few more catchy songs than they might just be the keepers of the flame. 

WYNTON MARSALIS

FROM THE PLANTATION TO THE PENITENTIARY

BLUE NOTE

While Wynton Marsalis is capable of making superb albums of ‘traditional’ jazz, he has shown over the years that his musical vision is as broad as the New Orleans scene from which he emanated. So there are echoes here of the albums that Rahsaan Roland Kirk made (with songs such as ‘Volunteered Slavery’) and an energy and inspiration that is sometimes breathtaking.

While the very title of the album is redolent with meaning, Marsalis manages to create a work that is both challenging and entertaining without being overly didactic. Produced by brother Delfeayo Marsalis, the sound is nothing short of stunning.

The title track is a suite propelled by Wynton’s trumpet and the voice of twenty-one year old Jennifer Sanon. What a find! Sanon has immediately established herself as a name to watch with her appearance here. They are joined by Walter Blanding on saxophones, pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos Henriquez and Ali Jackson Jr on drums. The track swings then rocks and then swings again as it traces the history of the African American population. 

‘Doin’ (Y)Our Thing’ features the quintet again swinging with all their might.

‘Supercapitalists’ starts with a scat and slow blues from Sanon followed by Marsalis in almost frenetic form on trumpet. ‘Love and Broken Hearts’ and ‘These Are Those Soulful Days’ are ballads that punctuate the album and give it a languid feel of Southern summer days.

‘Where Y’All At?’ is the standout track for me with its energy, its reference to second line and its challenge. It features a ‘rap’ from Marsalis who invokes a chorus of voices asking the question in the title. This is firmly in the tradition of Kirk and even Gil Scott-Heron. Marsalis also finds time to provide a burst of inspired trumpet playing. This is the way I would love young people to hear rap music!

PINE LEAF BOYS

BLUES DE MUSICIEN

ARHOOLIE

Claimed to be the youngest band ever to sign to the renowned Arhoolie label, the Pine Leaf Boys could just be the future of Cajun music. I am not sure what traditionalists think but here is one band that seems to be attempting to expand the boundaries of Cajun while remaining within the basic format. They can play the waltzes but they can also spice things up with some bluesier songs and they show a definite ‘rock’ (i.e. more energetic) approach to the music that is bound to in a younger audience.

Wilson Savoy is indeed a member of one of Louisiana’s foremost musical families and he is joined by Cedric Watson, Drew Simon, Jon Bertrand and Blake Miller - all fluent in English and French and all multi-instrumentalists.

While last year’s debut album La Musique set the scene the new album is even stronger and, as you might expect, more accomplished. They have certainly been able to attract attention over the past year because their recent performance on the Fais Do-Do stage at Jazz Fest was one of the most popular at the venue.

While some of the songs come from the Cajun songbook - by such artists as Canray Fontenot, Belton Richard, Nathan Abshire, Austin Pitre et al - more than half the songs are originals (along with a great version of Michael Doucet’s ‘Zydeco Gris Gris’). The strength of the songwriting here would seem to auger a bright future for the group. The music veers from the rollicking title track written by Savoy, to Watson’s beautiful ’Musicien avec un Coeur Cassé’ to Simon’s ‘Wild Side Of Life’ – a variation on a familiar theme, musically and lyrically.

It is all invigorating and exciting stuff from a group that just might be Louisiana’s next big thing. (Put them in a movie or two and stand back!).

JAMES BLOOD ULMER

BAD BLOOD IN THE CITY: THE PIETY STREET SESSIONS

HYENA

James ‘Blood’ Ulmer’s credentials in the jazz world are impeccable. He has played with Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Paul Bley, Larry Young and Ornette Coleman, David Murray, Arthur Blythe and many more. Ulmer’s jagged and distinctive style has made him one of the most exciting and interesting guitarists of the past four decades. His early albums such as Are You Glad To Be In America? still stand the test of time. If only his profile matched his curriculum vitae!

For the past three albums Ulmer has taken the blues path (not that some of his earlier work was not blues-infused) with producer Vernon Reid and this latest excursion is another delight.

What Ulmer brings to the blues is the sort of jazz sensibility that allows his guitar to breeze through the familiar blues patterns but to inject something else into the mix with some stunning solos that take the songs to another level. This is not doubt assisted by Vernon Reid’s production and assistance on guitar.

Ulmer recorded the album late last year with The Memphis Blood Blues Band (named after his Grammy-nominated album) at Piety Street Studios in New Orleans. Apart from Reid the band also features Charlie Burnham on fiddle, David Barnes on harmonica, keyboard player Leon Gruenbaum, bassist Mark Peterson and Aubrey Dayle on drums. It is an awesome combination, now on its third album together.

The songs on Bad Blood In The City were inspired by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath and there is a definite emotion and anger in the playing here that reflect Ulmer’s strong feelings about the subject. Similarly, the playing reflects the funkiness of New Orleans and the turmoil that afflicted it. That makes it certainly one of my favourite blues albums of the year.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

CRESCENT CITY SOUL PATROL

GRAPEVINE

When we think of soul music we tend to think of cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles and Memphis (and places such as Muscle Shoals). Of course, those locations provided some of the greatest soul music of all time but they have tended to overshadow other places – such as Birmingham, Alabama and New Orleans. The former’s contribution can be heard to great effect on The Birmingham Sound (previously reviewed by Keith Glass) while soul music from the latter is now gathered on this twenty-two-track compilation that springs surprise after surprise.

Dedicated to ‘the underdogs; forgotten souls of a forgotten city’ this showcases many of the lesser-known talents from the Crescent City in the ‘60s and ‘70s who might have had one or two regional releases but quickly faded into obscurity. As is pointed out in the liner notes, the city had many small independent record labels serving the local market without any effective wider distribution. Some of the names here have been heard recently: CP Love, Wallace Johnson and Tony Owens (featured at this year’s Ponderosa Stomp) while some like Tavasco, Swiss Movement, Pro-Fascination and Sonny Fisher draw a complete blank to everyone bar fanatical collectors.

Still, despite the obscurity, the first two selections here – Lee Calvin’s ‘You Got Me’ and Daisy Burris’s ‘Four Strong Winds’ – are Allen Toussaint compositions and productions. There is no way to escape the legend that is Toussaint.

While Toussaint’s touch is immediately identifiable, the remainder of the collection is not so strongly associated with the classic New Orleans sound and is a mighty revelation. Other artists include Mill Evans, The Philharmonics, Premium, Willie West, Percy Stone & The Explosions, Cynthia Sheeler – artists that never became household names.

Sub-titled 22 Dancefloor Sounds From New Orleans this journey of discovery is well-worth taking.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

THE INSTANT & MINIT STORY

CHARLY

This 3 CD set (with booklet) is a great way to get acquainted with the two longest running in New Orleans labels – Joe Banashak’s Instant and Minit labels.  While Banashak licensed his product out to major labels that often enjoyed huge hits, the fact that he was able to draw in musicians and writers of the calibre of Allen Toussaint helped establish his reputation and that of his various labels. In fact, the imprint of Toussaint’s influence is everywhere on this fabulous 89-track collection.

The music here is classic New Orleans rhythm 'n' blues – a lot of which we would have heard in the ‘60s from a  myriad of English groups and even local bands such as Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs. But frankly, the originals are still the best and now they are even better with modern remastering technology available.

Banashak’s labels pumped out hit singles (many of the written or produced by Toussaint) and most of the well-known and loved ones are here in all their glory: Ernie K Doe’s Toussaint-penned hits ‘Mother In Law’ and ‘A Certain Girl,’ Jesse Hill’s ‘Ooh Poo Pah Doo,’ Benny Spellman’s ‘Fortune Teller’ (also written by Toussaint, of course); Irma Thomas on ‘Ruler Of My Heart’ – the list goes on.

But amidst all the hits there are numerous gems that are worth revisiting. Chris Kenner’s ‘Land Of 1000 Dances (the original version) and ‘I Like It Like That’ (once covered by the Dave Clark Five) are two of my personal favourites of all time. Ernie K Doe’s ‘Te –Ta-Te-Ta-Ta’ is still fantastic. Art Neville’s ballad ‘All These Things’ is superb. It’s enough to make you fall in love with New Orleans music all over again.

Apart from the ‘hits’ there is also plenty to discover and the third disc exhumes some amazing material from the vaults.

If you are on the look out for a great New Orleans box set then this is it!

The opinions expressed in this article are the views of the Website Editor and do not reflect the opinion of Rhythms Magazine.