Tuning up with great musicians at free, family-friendly gigs

29th February 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

New Orleanians have so many opportunities to go out and hear live music – sans cover charge – and bring along their kids. Many people probably don’t quite realize that this generally doesn’t happen in most places around the country. We are rich – we are spoiled. Case in point: On Sunday, March 6, the 21st edition of the Nickel-A-Dance series begins with Gregg Stafford and the Jazz Hounds kicking off at 4 pm at Frenchmen Street’s Maison club.

“The thing I like about the Nickel-A-Dance is to see all those local people who have been following me throughout the years,” trumpeter/vocalist Stafford says. “It’s a lot of people who love the music – who appreciate the music – and it’s always good to see them enjoying themselves and dancing as well. It’s not so much of a touristy thing. When they (tourists) walk up on it, it’s like discovering a treasure chest.”

Stafford took over leadership of the Jazz Hounds following the death in 1994 of the legendary fretman/vocalist Danny Barker. The trumpeter has has played the event many times before both as a leader and a sideman since back in the days when it was first held at the now-defunct Cafe Brasil.

In fact, Stafford offered up a very memorable moment last year when he performed with a (dream) band led by guitarist/banjoist Detroit Brooks. Always one to push the envelope as both a trumpeter and vocalist, Stafford sang a hilarious rendition of the chestnut “Moonlight Bay” all in the upper register of his voice.

“That’s one of my crowd-givers in Europe,” he offers. “If I don’t do it people get upset. You’ve got to keep the audience happy.”

Stafford, a keeper-of-the flame of traditional jazz, is known to add humor whether he’s performing at a club or second lining on the streets with the Young Men Olympian Jr. Benevolent Association or the Black Men of Labor Social Aid & Pleasure Club. He likes to joke and jive as did, he says, many of the legendary musicians who played a part in creating classic New Orleans jazz. “Musicians have always been serious but they had fun when they played,” says Stafford who mentions legendary artists like trumpeter Kid Thomas (Valentine), banjo player Albert “Papa” French and clarinetist George Lewis. “Danny Baker was the epitome of that,” Stafford declares.

A rightfully opinionated observer of the New Orleans traditional jazz scene today, Stafford worries that many of the musicians out there haven’t dug as deeply as they should into the artists who came before. “They play technically correct but culturally wrong. I didn’t write the book on New Orleans jazz but I saw a lot.”

On any given set, Stafford’s repertoire represents the music he heard when he was growing up and the musicians he studied. Again, he makes a point to mention their names – trumpeters Kid Sheik and Teddy Riley, clarinetist George Lewis and others – so people will remember them and their importance in jazz, a sound that would go around the world.

Stafford, who is retiring from teaching after 30 years, also performs every Wednesday night at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe and on Thursdays as the featured artist with the Legacy Band at Preserva-tion Hall. He continues to do private functions and travels abroad.

“I’m in and out of town and I like it just like that,” Stafford declares.

As for the wonderfully intimate and lively scene at the Maison, Stafford describes it as “a little sub-culture situation.” Or as WWL-TV’s Frank Davis used to say, “It’s naturally New Orleans.

For the complete schedule and further information on the Nickel-A-Dance series go to www.jazzcent.com/nickel.

A Saturday Afternoon
Go-To Spot

The Louisiana Music Factory, 421 Frenchmen Street, remains reminiscent of record stores from the past. It’s a place where music lovers go not to just buy vinyl, CDs, magazines and T-shirts of their favorite artists but to chat, about music with the sales people and fellow patrons. On most Saturday afternoons, this is especially true as the “Factory” presents live music.

This Saturday, March 5, is special with the arrival of soul/funk keyboardist and vocalist Nigel Hall who has been making a huge splash with his debut disc as a solo artist, Ladies & Gentlemen… Nigel Hall. The Washington D.C. native and New Orleans resident since 2013, who was heard on vocalist/pianist Jon Cleary’s Grammy-winning album, GoGo Juice, just kills on this album as well as in person as experienced at his record release party at Tipitina’s. Folks in the audience already knew the words well enough to sing along on the disc’s soulfully hip, “Gimme a Sign.” It, along with another Hall original, “Never Gonna Let You Go,” immediately feel like old friends. He also does a super job on covers like the Isley Brothers’ “Lay Away” and vibraphonist Roy Ayers’ “Try, Try, Try.”

Hall, a perfect match in attitude and groove to New Orleans, is bringing in a very solid rhythm section for the gig with the always-tasteful guitarist, Derwin “Big D” Perkins, a member of Cleary’s Absolute Monster Gentlemen, drummer Alvin Ford, who lays down the beat with Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk and bassist Eric Vogel, best know for his work with Big Sam’s Funky Nation. This ain’t no foolin’ around. Showtime is 3 p.m. with the Perdido Brass Band starting at 2 p.m.

This article originally published in the February 29, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.