Jazz Fest- First weekend picks

10th May 2011   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
The Louisiana Weekly Contributing Writer

There are now high tech methods of sorting out what acts one plans to see at Jazz Fest. You can go to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival website and create your own, computerized, personalized schedule and even email it to your friends so y’all can meet up.

Here’s a very brief look at some of this first weekend’s highlights. Remember my motto: “When in doubt go to the Gospel Tent. It always swings.”

Friday, April 29, 2011
National Fav: Mighty Clouds of Joy. The legendary Mighty Clouds of Joy celebrated its golden anniversary in 2010. Led by the great voice of Joe Ligon, who gets down to some testifying, this much-loved and internationally renowned group is known for its quartet-style of gospel touched with soul as heard on its latest album, At the Revival.

Local Fav: Donald Harrison. Expect the unexpected from internationally acclaimed saxophonist Donald Harrison. At the age of 50, the New Orleans native is blowing jazz at the top of his game backed by a strong, young rhythm section that includes the dynamic drummer Joe Dyson, bassist Max Moran and pianist Conun Pappas. Especially since Harrison is performing on the Congo Square stage rather than in the Jazz Tent, he might take this set anywhere from the Mardi Gras Indian nation to a smooth jazz setting or even hip-hop. The creator of “nouveau swing,” enjoys constantly reinventing himself.

Worth Checking Out: The Bahamas Experience. This modern junkanoo group brings together artists from the Baha Men, a Nassau band that is the famous for the unforgettable anthem “Who Let the Dogs Out?” teamed with fellow countryman, singer/key­boardist Raphael Munnings. Munnings is a part of the famous musical family who, as members of the group the Beginning of the End, brought the world the hit “Funky Nassau.”

Personal Fav: Ron Carter Trio w/ Mulgrew Miller and Russell Malone. Besides a career leading his own fine ensembles, legendary bassist Ron Carter has played and recorded with a who’s who of jazz luminaries that includes 12 albums with trumpeter Miles Davis, time spent with saxophonist Eric Dolphy and many, many more. Rounding out this trio of virtuosic musicians are piano giant Mulgrew Miller and guitarist Russell Malone who both boast sparkling credentials of their own. This combination was heard on Carter’s wonderful 2003 CD Golden Striker.

Saturday, April 30, 2011
National Fav: Fantasia. Fantasia Barrino, known simple as Fantasia gained national attention at age 19 when she won the 2004 edition of “American Idol.” The now 26-year-old hip rhythm and blues vocalist went on to make her recording debut in 2006 with Free Yourself that garnered platinum status and Grammy nominations. She’s kept up the pace earning another eight recognitions including for last year’s release Back to Me. Fantasia also won props for her work in the musical “The Color Purple.”

Local Fav: Irma Thomas. It still feels good to describe Irma Thomas as “the Grammy-winning” Soul Queen of New Orleans. She definitely earned the award for her inspired 2007 album After the Rain that came following 45 hard-working years in the music business. Thomas’ Jazz Fest shows are always a love fest between the vocalist and her fans. While adding new songs to her repertoire like the dramatic “River is Waiting” from her album 2008 release Simply Grand she never forgets to revisit crowd-pleasers like “It’s Raining” from earlier in her career.

Worth Checking Out: Kidd Jordan. Saxophonist Kid Jordan is a New Orleans treasure as both a musician and educator and enjoys great celebrity particularly in creative jazz hot spots like Chicago and New York. For those who haven’t delved into free jazz, Jordan is a good place to start as the veteran embodies jazz’s history and uses this information as a base from which to explore further spheres. He does so with great energy, passion and imagination.

Personal Fav: Ahmad Jamal. A creator in modern jazz, the legendary Ahmad Jamal, 80, stands as a pianist who holds rhythm in high esteem — changing it, challenging it and using the best musicians to achieve his goals. At this don’t-miss Jazz Fest set, the musicians who will be working primarily on Jamal originals include New Orleans’ drummer Herlin Riley, who’s back with Jamal having played with him during the 1980s, longtime bassist James Cammack and percussionist Manolo Badrena.

Sunday, May 1, 2011
National Fav: John Legend & The Roots. Rhythm and blues superstar, multiple Grammy award-winning vocalist John Legend just added two more Grammys to his collection. The honors came for his collaboration with the hip-hop/soul band the Roots, which is most broadly recognized as the house band on the television show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” The album Wake Up plus the single “Shine” both received awards.

Local Fav: Dr. John & the Lower 911 with special guest Dave Bartholomew. Any set by Dr. John, the gris-gris man of piano who was just inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, is a good set. Add to that the presence of the legendary trumpeter, vocalist, and fellow Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer Dave Bartholomew, who as a songwriter, bandleader, arranger and producer was the man behind Fats Domino’s hits, and you’ve got what New Orleans music is all about.

Worth Checking Out: Traditional Jazz Tribute to Mahalia Jackson featuring Barbara Shorts, Mathilda Jones, Danielle E. Wilson and Cynthia Girdley. The world and the Jazz Festival celebrates the 100th year anniversary of New Orleans gospel legend Mahalia Jackson’s birth. It would be expected that such a fete would take place in the Gospel Tent, and it will next weekend, but this performance in Economy Hall will focus on the repertoire of hymns that traditional jazz and gospel share – think songs like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Lord, Lord, Lord.” Clarinetist Dr. Michael White assembled the group of vocalists and leads the band.

Personal Fav: Terence Blanchard. The Grammy-winning trumpeter and movie director Spike Lee’s go-to guy for film scoring, Terence Blanchard combines the superior technique, individual tone and emotional delivery that has made him a giant on today’s modern jazz scene. Early in his career, the New Orleans native played in drummer Art Blakey’s band, which was often described as a “university” in itself, an experience that he’s drawn on leading his own expressive ensembles.

This story originally published in the April 25, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.