Studio Performances – Sweeney's Gumbo YaYa

First Band Studio Performance Since COVID Marks JazzFest Preview Part 2

I will take full credit for the brilliant alignment of this week’s show theme and the live studio performance of Bon Bon Vivant in the KAOS studio on the campus of The Evergreen State College. Why not? Start the show and read on.

Bon Bon Vivant is scheduled to play its first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival this year. If all goes well, it will be the first JazzFest since 2019. Last week, I featured New Orleans bands who are scheduled for the first weekend of the venerable festival. And as luck would have it, Bon Bon Vivant is scheduled for the second week. So you’ll hear this exciting band perform five of their songs live in the KAOS studio “Last Night’s Glitter,” “Ship is Sinking,” “Nature Vs. Nurture,” “Lady Luck, ” and “Tracks.”

You’ll also hear other New Orleans acts featured on the second weekend lineup of JazzFest, including Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Irma Thomas, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Meschiya Lake, Ted Hefko, Sarah Quintana, John Mooney and, of course, Trombone Shorty who traditionally closes the festival but for this show opens it.

(From Right) Jeremy Kelley, Abigail Cosio, Jason Jurzak, Glori Cosio and Deacon Marrquin -Bon Bon Vivant based in New Orleans and performing above at Spanish Room in Tacoma.

Back to Bon Bon Vivant, this is their second visit to the KAOS studio but the first since the pandemic. In fact, it was the first studio appearance of any band in the studio since the pandemic. It was fun to see the studio gradually fill up with curious Evergreen students involved in the station — well until they all had to go to class. Journeyman studio engineer and recent Evergreen graduate Isaac Chavez handled the work of getting the five-piece band in the tight quarters and sounding right.

Between songs, you’ll hear Abigail Cosio and Jeremy Kelley (wife and husband team) with the help of other band members talk about what it has been like to be a musician in New Orleans and touring in this era, about being scheduled for JazzFest for the first time, how they met and their ties to the Northwest. You’ll also hear some great information about the Krewe of Red Beans -a group, which could have just been one of a dozen parade party clubs, that has turned into a fundraising and brainstorming dynamo focused on nurturing the art and music culture of New Orleans. The Krewe parades on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras) and enlists Bon Bon Vivant as one of its bands. The Krewe also allows members from around the world, including me, to join and support their mission. You’ll hear all this in the first hour. I hope you’ll listen to this creative band and check them out. They are very good at doing online performances as well.

Of particular note of this live recording is that you can clearly hear the original lyrics sung by Abigail (also written by her) with the help of her sister Glori and Jeremy.

Thanks for tuning in.

Bon Bon Vivant Plays KAOS Studio and Gumbo YaYa

Jeremy Kelley was assembling his saxophone when he identified the band that starts today’s show. You won’t have to guess cause I’ll just tell you but get it started now and then read on about today’s studio set with Bon Bon Vivant. (click the sideways arrow below)

Bon Bon Vivant first caught my ears with their album recorded live at the New Orleans Mint. This group offers beautiful harmonies with hip swaying rhythms, haunting lyrics and engaging melodies. This is music for the body, brain and soul. And this isn’t just music that copies the New Orleans. These cats live there.

Dirty Bourbon River Show kicks off today’s show with “”Ain’t No Place (Like New Orleans)”. This song that could have been written by the members of Bon Bon Vivant who hail from California originally but have been living and performing for at least a decade in New Orleans making great music. While the two sisters and Jeremy made the eastern migration together, they found the other California refugees in New Orleans.

I wasn’t surprised when members of the band also recognized the very talented Carolyn Broussard who opened the first full set of the show with “Sweet Inspiration” from her Revival! release. Albanie Falletta and John Fohl, both active musicians in New Orleans, finish out that set.

While Bon Bon Vivant was setting up in the adjacent studio at KAOS today, I played a set of music featuring Raymond Weber on drums. He turned 53 today He’s performed with a wide variety of groups, including Harry Connick Jr., Irma Thomas, Jon Cleary, a Jerry Garcia tribute band, and Dumpstaphunk. But HBO Treme fans might recognize him from when he played himself as the drummer for Antoine Batiste and his Soul Apostles which was featured in the second season. It’s a fast paced set.

When I learned that Jason Jurzak, the BBV’s sousaphonist, wrote songs and performed with Meschiya Lake, well it was easy to pull out her “Bad Kids Club” record and play a Jurzak original “Flim Flam Man.” Lots of fun music followed including songs by Frog and Henry, the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, Louie Ludwig and the Shotgun Jazz Band.

Finally, a little less than an hour in to the show, the six-piece band kicked off with “Lost Soul.” Their music is hard to describe and easy to dance to. As mentioned Jeremy Kelley plays sax (soprano and tenor), his partner, Abigail Cosio writes the songs, plays guitar and sings. Her sister, Glori Cosio, adds harmony and rhythm. Ryan Brown handles the accordion and engineers the band’s live recordings. Jason handles the base line on the sousaphone and Brad Webb is their drummer for this tour, filling in for regular drummer Ry D’Antonio who had to skip the tour so he could be a supportive new papa.

I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like this band so stay listening through the early sets so you can catch them. Or, just play this version below which just includes the band’s five song set in the KAOS radio studio.

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