An option for Thursday night at Jazz Fest...

2nd Annual Nolafunk Jazzfest Series

Jojo Hermann and The New Orleans Suspects Present : Down on the Bayou IV: A Benefit for the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic // House Band -- The New Orleans Suspects with Bonerama Horns Also Performing: Dr. John, Jojo Hermann, Marcia Ball, Col. Bruce Hampton, John Gros, Harry Shearer, Christine Ohlman , Roosevelt Colier, Billy Iuso, Judy Owen, Rebirth Brass Band... more►

Thursday, May 02, 2013 9:00 PM CDT (8:00 PM Doors) - TICKETS
Republic New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
18 years and over

Show: 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. NO INTERMISSIONS
More guests to be announced each week.
100% of gross proceeds to benefit New Orleans Musicians' Clinic

Meriden Daffodil Festival this weekend!...

As The Daffodil Festival Entertainment Coordinator, Bob DeRosa has signed on some top-notch entertainment for this year’s event. You can expect some of the best bands Connecticut has to offer. There will be continuous musical entertainment Saturday, April 27th and Sunday, April 28th on 3 stages located throughout the park. These are the band descriptions for you to check out!

The Sawtelles' record release set is at 12:15 on Saturday. Their spanking new effort is called MOD; go get it:

The Sawtelles performing Spin Cycle at the 2013 Meriden Daffodil Festival:

The Sawtelles closing their set at the 2013 Meriden Daffodil Festival with The Ghost of Johnny Cash:

The countdown to Jazz Fest begins!

Lunch yesterday at Anthony Jack's (great Shepard's Pie) with the Pool Hall Studs to plan out my ninth/their twentieth (ish) trip to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.  Barry picked up the lunch, while Mark broke Johnny Gumbo's longstanding rule of never having to tip the barkeep when you dine at the bar.

Down to a threesome this year, Gumbo deceased and Peter passing on a return engagement.  That means one room, two beds, with Mark (the Big Me) sleeping on the couch.  Hey, it's better than that first year when I had to sleep on the floor!  We are back to the Staybridge this year after several years away (they bumped us a couple times), directly across from Mother's (since Gumbo's infamous boycott is over, we may get to grab a po' boy there, although Barry KEEPS reminding us that he's been barfing for the last week - thanks for the update!).  The familiar cast of characters will be there:  Mark/Lisa from Jersey, with friends Kenny/Kip from out West, and Bob M; the famous Shoe Ladies with their extended family entourage; Marshall and his sizable krewe; perhaps a Scarlett O'Hara sighting.

Mark (smoothly) to Freaky Pete Murano, Shorty's guitar player,  "You guys
were really great when we saw you in Fairfield...and your girlfriend is hot."

The music looks very promising for the Second Weekend  Especially interesting, as Mark keenly points out, is the changing of the guard as to who closes the big stage on the final day of Jazz Fest.  It has forever been the Neville Brothers at Acura (with the Radiators at Gentilly), but this year Trombone Shorty steps up to become The Man!  Interestingly, Aaron Neville will be closing Gentilly with his latest project, which covers old doo wop songs from the 50s/early 60s.  I might just sample that!:
Thursday, May 2 
Friday, May 3
Saturday, May 4
Sunday, May 5

R.I.P. George Jones

Mark's impression/tribute to George Jones:

R.I.P. Richie Havens...

Sad to hear of the passing of Woodstock legend Richie Havens.  The Reet and I saw him at Wesleyan University (dining hall, I think) with Jan/Chris D in the early 70's.  Wonderful live performer.

Saturday is RECORD STORE DAY!...

We are meeting friends at  Mohegan Sun for dinner, so I'm meeting Chris D in New London at The Telegraph in New London to check out some of their in-store performances (see listing below):

The Telegraph, 19 Golden St., New London  Click here for more info
10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Telegraph Records is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with live music all day.
2pm: Sam Perduta (of Elison Jackson)
3pm: Goodnight Blue Moon
4pm: Isaac Young Duo
5pm: John Fries & Corina Malbaurn
6pm: Sidewalk Dave
7pm: Horns of Ormus
8pm: Fatal Film
9pm: Bedroom Rehab Corporation

Listing of Record Store Day's activities.

Goodnight Blue Moon

 

Isaac Young Duo

Thursday morning trail mix...

Watch Out (Roy Eldridge) Uptown
Smoke Dreams (k.d. lang) Drag
Essence (Lucinda Williams) Essence
You Turn Slick On Me (Howlin' Wolf) The Back Door Wolf
Diddy Wah Diddy (Taj Mahal) Maestro
Am I Wrong? (Keb' Mo') Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues
Smile (The Jayhawks) Smile
Dead Sea (The Lumineers) The Lumineers
After You've Gone (Hugh Laurie w/ Dr. John) Let Them Talk
So Many Rivers to Cross (Maria Muldaur) Louisiana Love Call
The Piano Has Been Drinking (Tom Waits) Invitation To the Blues
You Really Got Me (Ray Davies) See Me Friends
As Long As I'm In Your Arms (Dinah Washington) Dinah Washington: Eight Albums
The Decent of Luna Rose (Laura Nyro) Walk the Dog & Light the Light

Tax season has expired; time to get ready for Jazz Fest 2013!...

Got a text from Keith inquiring about possible Summer concerts, not keen over what he sees coming up at the Calvin or Iron Horse up in Northampton.  Okay, let's see what we can find.

I'll stretch this by including Spring, starting with next weekend's Meriden Daffodil Festival.  Lots of good local music, no longer bringing in washed up oldies acts (I'm looking at you, The Turtles aka Flo & Eddie and Chuck Berry, but not Eric Burdon, 'cause I love Eric Burdon). The lineup includes Plantsville's own (and Johnnykmusic favorite) The Sawtelles performing on Saturday from 12:15-1:00 PM at the Jeff Crooms Welcome Stage.

The inaugural Summer Concerts at Simsbury Meadows has two OUTSTANDING offerings:

• Jun 22 (Sat)- Harry Connick
• Jul 16 (Tue)- Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris

Cafe Nine, as you faithfuls know, is one of my favorite places to enjoy music.  Small, quirky, just seedy enough.  Oh, and wonderful music.  Only thing is, you need to wait for it, because show time is generally around ten or later.  I was going to catch Jonathan Edwards this Thursday night, but he has cancelled.  So, who's coming up?

• Apr 27 (Sat)- Deni Bonet
• May 11 (Sat)- Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
• Jun 5 (Wed)- Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers
• Jul 11 (Thu)- Eilen Jewell
• Aug 7 (Wed)- Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express

Infinity Hall, Norfolk, haven't been there, but keep hearing it is a fantastic venue.  Recently, they announced plans to open a sister venue in Hartford :

• May 16 (Thu)- Asleep At the Wheel (these guys are great)
• Jun 1 (Sat)- Toots & the Maytals
• Jun 29 (Sat)- Big Al Anderson

Bridge Street Live, Collinsville:

• Jun 7 (Fri)- Tab Benoit & Voices of the Wetlands
• Jun 9 (Sun)- Los Straitjackets w/ the Sarah Borges Band

NYC

• May 17 (Fri)- Town Hall - Bettye LaVette & the Blind Boys of Alabama 
• Jun 3/10/17 (Mon)- Joe's Pub - Diane Birch
• Jun 5 (Wed)- Celebrate Brooklyn (Prospect Park) - Patty Griffin 
• Jun 5 (Wed)- City Winery - Dave Alvin w/ Sarah Borges

And another one bites the dust...

The Record Store Day After:  New York's Iconic Bleecker Bob's Closes By Mitch Myers | The Hollywood Reporter

Downtown New York City's Bleecker Bob’s Golden Oldies Record Shop closed on Saturday, April 13 -- just one week shy of Record Store Day. I didn’t get there before its unceremonious final hours, but I did stop by on Sunday, and, with the door unlocked, there was plenty of activity.  "Are you open?," I asked the guy inside.

“No, we closed yesterday," he said. "But if you want to come in and browse and buy something you can. I’m just busy taking care of things.”  As I examined the depleted bins of plasticware, a slow trickle of middle-aged men came into the dilapidated store asking the same thing, and getting the same answer.

Bob's "cleaner," as it were, is Chris Wiedner, and he helped every person who walked in while struggling to tie up a multitude of loose ends and take care of his own personal business. Chris, along with John DeSalvo, JK Kitzer and a small cadre of others, have kept Bleecker Bob’s going since namesake Bleecker Bob Plotnik suffered a crippling aneurysm in 2001. Bleecker Bob and friend Broadway Al first opened Village Oldies Records in late 1967. They moved a few years later and then again, and by that third time, Broadway Al and Bleecker Bob had parted ways and Bleecker Bob’s could be found in Greenwich Village on West 3rd Street between MacDougal and Sixth Avenue.  (read more)

What do you mean you haven't heard them yet!...

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes recently completed their U.S. tour at San Francisco's Troubadour

Encore of show at The Mint - here

Layin' around the shanty, Mama?...

Jonathan Edwards will be appearing on Thursday, April 18th at the Shaboo Inn in Willimantic.....  Oh, wait,  time warp.  Will be at Cafe Nine in New Haven.  Yeah, it's a work night, but it's after tax season, so you can do it!  Anyone in?