Earl King addresses some of the reason’s why I do this show in the kick off song “No City Like New Orleans.” But hang on to your ear buds cause its my usual meandering ride through the city’s musical corners.
In recognition of the second cancelled New Orleans JazzFest, Kenny Neal starts the first full set of this week’s show with an original song that flows into a Jimmy Reed medley. Neal apprenticed with Slim Harpo, Buddy Guy and his own blues musician father Raful Neal. He’s been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and recently won the Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year. I put his 13-minute track up front on this show so that if you’re short of time, you’ll at least catch this unique live performance at the 2013 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Marva Wright and Bobby Rush round out that set.
The second set is a classic Gumbo YaYa mash up featuring Ted Hefko with a country-style number “My Life in Bars” followed by Bamboula 2000 and a Haiti sendoff by Cyril Neville. Then, I take a hard left turn by The Electric Arch that somehow goes really nicely when followed by Michael Doucet. Five distinctly different acts whose songs seem to flow well together. Either that or I inhaled too deeply on my way to the studio (. . .just kidding, its against KAOS rules).
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was primarily an East Texas-West Louisiana musician but he was living in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina and his music is so brilliant, I can’t help but gravitate to his vast library when planning a show. You’ll hear “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” where he demonstrates his talent on guitar and violin. The Zion Harmonizers follow that with “My Record Will Be There” along with John Fohl’s “Do or Die” and John Fogerty’s recast of “Proud Mary” with Jennifer Hudson sharing vocals and Rebirth Brass Band backing them both up. (Just an hour into the show and its worth the wait)
If you’re still listening by then, thank you and perhaps Charlie Halloran and the Tropicales will be a good reward, along with Colin Lake, Clifton Chenier, Rosie Ledet, Little Queenie and Louis Prima . . .to name a few. Thanks for tuning in. If you like or not like something. . . LET ME KNOW!
Sweeney's Gumbo YaYa 