While most of my time spent in New Orleans involves eating, drinking and seeing music, a good portion of each day is spent sitting and staring at the view from the balcony and listening to either WWOZ radio or the iPod. (Okay, music is everywhere, but sometimes there is complete silence, too.)
I put together this mix using some of the songs the iPod dealt out on shuffle, as well as songs inspired by the trip.
SOME NOTES:
I first met Maurice Brown in New Orleans, 2004. We have been friends ever since. He now resides in Brooklyn and is currently in Las Vegas as a featured horn player with Silk Sonic for their MGM residency. With a week off from Silk Sonic, he made it to Jazz Fest and I got to see him blow the roof off of Snug Harbor on 4/28. I knew back in 2004, about one minute into "It's A New Day" that this guy was something special.
I was surprised to not find The Kinks' "You Still Want Me" on any of my Kinks albums. A single-only track that goes for big bucks, this track sounds more like Gerry & The Pacemakers or Freddie & The Dreamers than the usual, early R&B from Ray & Dave. When the iPod shuffled this out, I was pleasantly surprised.
James Singleton is about as in demand in New Orleans as air conditioning. I was fortunate enough to see him a number of times during Fest, plucking and bowing his upright bass with Lulu & The Broadsides, Astral Project and his new project Malabar. The track here is from his String Quartet record from 2007.
Speaking of Lulu & The Broadsides, Lulu is actually Dayna Kurtz, who I first heard in New York about 20 years ago, right around the time I first heard Norah Jones. Always loved her Prince cover. (And I think Norah Jones may be singing on it.)
I know I have shared John Boutte's Neil Young cover a number of times before, but it's too good not to keep sharing.
The Nightcrawlers closed their Jazz Museum set appropriately with this track, and so we close our set with it, as well.
I'll leave you with something that should probably have its own post, but here goes.
I met Leo Sacks in 2003. We have mutual friends and a mutual love for all things New Orleans, especially New Orleans gospel. Leo was very instrumental in getting the late great Henry Butler to perform in my shop during our last days, but that's another story. Leo has spent the last 15 years pouring his heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into a documentary on the late Raymond Myles, a New Orleans gospel legend who was murdered in the prime of his life in 1998, right on the edge of the French Quarter. I was fortunate enough to see a rough cut of this film on my last day in New Orleans. To say I was proud of Leo is the understatement of the year. This was a beautiful, heart-wrenching film that deserves to be seen by everyone. It doesn't matter if you are a fan of gospel music or the city of New Orleans. "A Taste Of Heaven" is very special.
You can read more on the film here. And you can get a taste of Raymond's music on this mix.
TRACKLIST:
It's A New Day- Maurice Brown
Wake Up Everybody- Raymond Myles
More Than A Heart Can Stand- Marvin Gaye
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do- Cookie & The Cupcakes
Bongo Joe- James Singleton String Quartet
Southern Man- John Boutte
Joy In Repetition- Dayna Kurtz
It's Too Late- Irma Thomas
King Of The Mountain- Southern Culture On The Skids
You Still Want Me- The Kinks
Take My Love- Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
It Was You- Aretha Franklin
Joy- Lucinda Williams
Runaways Life- Lil' Band O' Gold
Ursuline Second Line- New Orleans Nightcrawlers
OH! This happened, too. When worlds collide, indeed!
11 comments:
Good one Pete.
Would have been quite something to be in that room
Cheers
Stephen
The Nightcrawlers have been recording again, so hopefully we'll have a new album from them later this year.
I knew Brown was in NYC, but hadn't heard about his gig in Vegas. Good for him. \Nice curated list, buddy.
Wow. I clicked on the link for Raymond Myles. I completely missed this man and his music. I look forward to the film and the re-release of his music. Thanks Sal
Was Pete playing Preservation Hall? That was pretty great. Were you there?
hpunch,
I was not there. I found out the next morning. It's a series Pres. Hall has been doing on and off for about 10-15 years called "Midnight Preserves." Always special guests, but usually rumoured, not announced. Saw Robert Plant and Patty Griffin one year. This year no one was announced (at least I didn't know) and the shows were sold out. Jason Isbell, Gary Clark and Pete.
That is awesome. And, was one of my Mom's favorite songs. Thanks for posting.
What a great mix!
Thanks Sal
"Runaways Life" is astounding. I would pay good money to hear that one done live. It's like a double-shot of adrenalin.
Welcome back, Sal!
Picking up on the Pete Townshend mention here and in the One Sentence Review, I listened to the Audible session this weekend and enjoyed it immensely. Agree with you that it was better than the same material in Who Am I. Pete is a great interview, and he is more forthcoming here than in his autobiography. Highly recommended for any Who fan--and it's free for those living in the States.
Bill
Welcome back! Glad you had a nice time, I know it's one of your favorite places.
Next week, going condo hunting in Sarasota, Florida. Yeeow!!
Happy to see you're still in the glow of New Orleans.
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