French Quarter Festival – Aaron Neville at last and so many more

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

The big news of the 2017 French Quarter Festival, Thursday, April 6 – Sunday, April 9, 2017 is the arrival of the much-loved, vocalist supreme Aaron Neville. “I’m looking forward to it,” says Aaron who, perhaps surprisingly, has never performed at the festival though he remembers attending it decades ago.

Neville, who currently lives on a 12-acre farm in Pawling, New York, will be coming in with his working band that is primarily made up of New Orleans musicians including his brother, saxophonist Charles Neville, pianist Michael Goods and drummer/vocalist Earl Smith Jr. with David Johnson on bass and vocals. Thursday’s set at 3:45 p.m. at the Abita Beer Stage is sure to include material for Aaron’s latest release, Apache. “We do his new stuff, his old stuff, some old Neville Brothers stuff, some doo-wop stuff — we’re always having a good time,” says Charles. “We’re goin’ jambalaya!” Aaron declares.

AARON NEVILLE

On opening day, most of the music is presented in what can be described as the uptown area of the French Quarter – Jackson Square, the stages along the river, the Cajun/zydeco venue at the triangle near Decatur Street and stretching it a bit, the stage at 600 Bourbon Street. For this reason, it’s logistically the easiest day. Weekday or no weekday, however, crowds will be out for Aaron even if folks have to play hookey to make it there. It’s a short walk down from Aaron’s set to Jackson Square to catch the Ellis Marsalis Quintet at 5:30 p.m. It’s amazing to consider that two of New Orleans’ most notable names, Neville and Marsalis, will being performing one after the other on the same day at the French Quarter Festival for free.

Thinking areas really helps out at the French Quarter Festival. Some people just can’t believe that it’s actually harder to get around this once-small event than it is navigating Jazz Fest. Staying in the upper Quarter and jazz state of mind, Friday finds a trio of trumpeters playing back-to-back sets at the Royal Sonesta’s Jazz Playhouse. Doors open at 2 p.m. with Mario Abney kicking things off. He’s followed by the Ashlin Parker Quartet at 5 p.m. Parker, who is a member of the Ellis Marsalis Quintet and leads his own trio at the Playhouse weekly, expands the group with pianist Ernest Turner along with bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Stephen Gordon. “Since there’s a piano, we’ll probably do some Thelonious Monk influenced tunes,” Parker offers. “My bandstand is always open, so it might turn into the Mafia,” he adds as the leader of the multiple trumpet-packed ensemble, the Trumpet Mafia. Up next, from 8 p.m. to midnight is the always energetic trumpeter Eric “Benny” Bloom.

ASHLAND PARKER

If outdoors and dancing is your pleasure, the Soul Queen of New Orleans Irma Thomas will be out by the Mississippi at the Abita Beer Stage on Friday beginning at 5:25 p.m. She’s followed by Cupid so it’s all about line dancing – “To the right, to the right, to the right…”

The down river area of the French Quarter Festival with activities centered around the Old U.S. Mint, provides a bit more of an intimate vibe and is home to the Brass Band Jam Stage. There you can find the Treme Brass Band on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. Leader and drummer Benny Jones knows how to load up a group with solid musicians for a sure-fire show. On the same day and on the same stage, the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, an ensemble full of all-stars, makes one of its rare performances at 4 p.m.

The brassy bandstand gets hot again on Sunday with the Soul Brass Band, led by drummer and vocalist Derrick Freeman hitting at 4 p.m. Not to be confused with the internationally recognized Soul Rebels (long story but Soul got the okay to use the name from the vets), it too is loaded with talent including bass drummer Aron Lambert, trumpeter Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown, trombonists Michael Watson and Terrance Taplin, saxophonist James Martin, guitarist Danny Abel and tuba player Steve Glenn. Freeman and a lot of these guys are singers too so that brings a ton of funky variety to the Soul’s shows. The Stooges Brass Band, which was formed in 1996 by trombonist Walter Ramsey, closes down the stage and these guys know how to do it.

For a change of tone, from brass to reeds and guitar strings, just a quick walk around the Old U.S. Mint building will get you to the Esplanade in the Shade Stage. Blues guitarist John Mooney, whose truly unique style was influenced by the legendary Son House, who he met as a teenager, plus his years spent in New Orleans, performs with his band, Bluesiana at 3:45 p.m. Check his out incredible slide work.

Astral Project follows Mooney at 5:30 p.m. providing an extremely stimulating yet relaxing way to wrap up the day with some great jazz. The renowned New Orleans ensemble, formed in 1978, boasts some of the very best musicians in the city – saxophonist Tony Dagradi, drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton and guitarist Steve Masakowski. Together for so many years, these guys play intuitively like a married couple finishing, with grace and humor, each others’ sentences or in this case their melodic and rhythmic ideas.

It wouldn’t quite feel like the French Quarter Festival without a stroll down Bourbon Street to hear the traditional jazz bands performing on the small outdoor stages. It was on Bourbon and at Jackson Square, the home of “the world’s largest jazz brunch,” where this festival, which originated as a way to bring folks back to the Quarter, all began. Well, they came, and they continue to come from around the world.

A Warm-Up – Washington Square Park Music Festival

The Washington Square Park Music Festival, which presents its second event of its series this Tuesday, April 4, 2017, in the Faubourg Marigny, could be considered a warm-up to the much larger French Quarter Festival. The highlight of the late afternoon and evening festival is a tribute to the late, great vocalist Al Jarreau, who passed away on February 12, 2017. Chris Clark, a Houston, Texas native who built a reputation as a vocalist, bassist and composer, will honor Jarreau backed by the NOLA Big Band, directed by saxophonist Roderick Paulin. The free festival begins at 3 p.m. with trumpeter Glen Hall Jr. leading his band followed by the Hot 8 Brass Band at 4 p.m. and DJ Cap’t Charles at 4:50 p.m. The tribute to Jarreau runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

This article originally published in the April 3, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.