An anniversary celebration of a homecoming
12th December 2016 · 0 Comments
By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer
PJ Morton celebrates the first anniversary of his return to live in his hometown of New Orleans with a month-long, Tuesday night residency at the Blue Nile. The Grammy-winning keyboardist, vocalist and composer, who spent some 15 years away, has another reason for doing the string of gigs – because he can.
“I never really had the opportunity to do local things – like be at a place like the Blue Nile once a week,” explains Morton, who, no matter where he was residing, hasn’t gotten to enjoy this unique situation. “I’ve never done it before. It’s new for me for sure. I can say to people, ‘Oh you missed me last Tuesday, well don’t worry I’ll be right there next week.’ You can’t be somewhere every week if you aren’t living there. So it really appealed to me.”
PJ MORTON
“I just wanted to have a home-based band that I can use when I’m around here,” Morton says. “I’ll possibly take this band out as well so people can see what my hometown band looks like, sounds like and feels like.”
Gumbeaux’s repertoire will be familiar to those who have followed Morton’s solo career and his work with the Crusade. “It’s just a different take on things. I’m still playing my songs – existing songs. For me, it’s made me go back in and look at and change arrangements and come up with some new things that I haven’t done before.
The horn parts are different because we have these New Orleans guys on sax and trumpet. It’s been fun.”
Morton, who continues to tour with Maroon 5 and as leader of Crusade, has thoroughly enjoyed this last year as a New Orleans resident and sees the city with new eyes and great optimism. “Honestly, it’s been amazing for me,” he proclaims rather jubilantly. “I mean it’s still home but it feels like a brand new place to me as far as the inspiration I feel, the opportunities I feel. I’m just pretty excited about the future of New Orleans and my place in the future of New Orleans.”
“I got out of California because I kinda of felt smothered by the industry. I wanted to come back to New Orleans where there is a spirit of ‘Hey man, you can do whatever you want.’ To me, the New Orleans spirit of music is innovation. I’m never trying to chase the past, I’m influenced by it, of course, because I was born and raised here but my sound has always been about growing and being open to creatively. I think part of the reason why I’m back home is because I wanted to get back to the freedom.”
As the son of gospel luminary, Bishop Paul S. Morton, PJ naturally grew up and participated, often as organist, in services at the Greater St. Stephen Baptist Church. Since PJ’s return to the Crescent City, he’s been invited to sit at the organ several times at the highly-regarded place of worship by his father and mother, senior pastor Debra B. Morton.
“Sometimes they’ll call me up to play and it’s always good to get back up there and get on the organ for a little bit,” Morton says. “That’s one of the ingredients I missed when I was in Los Angeles – to have a home church and every week getting that feel.”
While he’s not exactly complaining, PJ does admit that he eats too much of some of his favorite food since being back home. “I have to figure out how to get back to my California diet,” he laments though he’s still glad he can get a poboy any time he wants and homemade gumbo. “I never get tired of red beans.”
Returning as a young man, a husband and father from cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles, Morton observes New Orleans with a keener sense. “It’s the way we move – there’s an energy and rhythm we have that you can’t find anywhere else or at least anywhere else in the United States. I didn’t realize that. We’re by ourselves here in the U.S.”
Grammy Nominations Announced
The majority of the Grammy buzz is all about Beyonce receiving nine award nominations, more than any previous artist in the institute’s 59-year history. Also that in several categories – Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year – vocalist goes head-to-head with another superstar, Adele. In the top categories, Beyonce’s nominations are for “Formation” from her album Lemonade while Adele’s include “Hello” from the album 25.
The only nomination for a New Orleans artist comes by way of Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles, a fairly recent arrival to the Crescent City. She’s in the running for Best R&B Performance for “Cranes in the Sky” off her album A Seat at the Table.
Other New Orleans/Louisiana related nominees include accordionist Roddie Romera & the Hub City All-Stars, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and bluesman Bobby Rush. Lil Wayne was also recognized for his collaboration with Chance the Rapper.
This article originally published in the December 12, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
