The Hollywood Bowl Celebrates New Orleans' 300th With Harry Connick, Jr.

New Orleans has its Tricentennial this year, and the Hollywood Bowl had a three day party to celebrate, featuring the sounds of the Crescent City performed by New Orleans locals, Bonerama and my teen crush, Harry Connick, Jr. It was also the Fireworks Finale for the season, and we went on the third night, so people were ready to get DOWN. And get down we did!

Bonerama's guitarist, Bert Cotton, set the tone with a super funky Star Spangled Banner that had to be stood for. It was awesome, and then they got down with the heavily trombone based (hence their name) funky brass sounds that transported us to Louisiana for the night. A tribute to a legendary NOLA produce vendor, "Mr. Okra", gave us the local flavor from the start, and a real highlight was their cover of Zeppelin's "The Ocean" that has never sounded groovier.

Erica Falls came out to join the brass boys to belt out a few numbers that brought people to their feet if they weren't already on them. This lady can SING! Wow. By now we were all warmed up, and feeling the New Orleans vibes that you can only really know if you've been there, but these super talents brought you about as close to being there as L.A. could ever get.

And speaking of super talents ... after a lengthy feeling intermission (maybe because a lot of wine drinking got done in there), here came Harry Connick, Jr.! I had a BIG thing for him when I was a teenager (and he was probably the only one my Mom really approved of, because he sounded like Frank Sinatra vs. a Metal screamer!), and this was surprisingly my first time seeing him live. Well, HCJ, it was worth the wait! What a guy! He plays like every instrument there is, and could not possibly be more charming. The crush is back.

Connick, Jr. spoke about how he was said that his New Orleans Saints had lost their season opener that morning (while I was happy that the Vikings had won theirs!), but he felt better because he was playing three nights at one of the best places in the world, the Hollywood Bowl (Agreed. It's one of the very best places ever to catch a show). He was born and raised in New Orleans, and began performing with that city's musical greats when he was just five years old. One of his favorite songs was "Dr. Jazz", which he didn't realize until he grew up that it was about a drug dealer ... and then he and his band played it, and we all got why it was one of his favorites. Connick, Jr. can play piano, drums, one-handed trumpet (while holding the longest note ever and turning the thing all the way around on his lips) ... and sings like an honorary member of The Rat Pack. And looks kind of like a buffer Young Elvis. He's truly got it all.

We were the best crowd of the three night stand, and we know, because Connick, Jr. told us. First night crowds are the eager ones, second night crowd was all industry and too cool, but the third night folks are the fun ones - and you could feel it. Also, this guy is an American Treasure, so it was easy to let loose and party with his infectious way of letting the good times roll. We got a couple of numbers from Connick Jr.'s excellent When Harry Met Sally soundtrack, "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "It Had To Be You" that were both so dreamy it was just silly. And then he had to go and remind us that he's been married to model, Jill Goodacre, for 28 years and their three beautiful daughters were there. Charlotte, Kate, and Georgia Connick came up on stage to be introduced by their supercool Dad, and you could feel the pride between them all. Special. And I'm not jealous at all.

Baptist churches were big in Connick Jr's upbringing (though he was raised Catholic) because "You WILL feel better" when you go. And he brought us there, with his "favorite Gospel singer in the world" Jonathan Dubose, Jr., only Dubose, Jr. sang with his shredding guitar. They played "How Great Thou Art" as funky as it's ever been played, prompting a group clap-along that I don't think I've ever heard done to that old spiritual chestnut. So so good. "Can I play a little New Orleans piano for y'all?", asked Connick, Jr. next, and the answer was YES. "It's all about the left hand ... if you keep your rhythm through your life, you'll be fine." Then he sat down at his piano and showed us all why he's been considered a virtuoso since before he reached double digits. He's something else.

Oh, and then the guy can tap dance on top of it all! HCJ brought out an awesome tap dancer, Luke Hawkins, who tapped it up with Harry, and then  had a tap off with the drummer, trading beats and steps in a frenzy of motion that still has us buzzing about it today. THEN we got a "Jazz Funeral" and the dirge processional turned into a second line for  "When The Saints Go Marching In" that wound all through the crowd, giving everyone an up close look at one of the coolest dudes ever as he banged a drum strapped over his shoulders.

Back on stage, now the group was about to get even funkier! Connick, Jr. sat down at the electric keys, and played his wonderful and positive, "Yes We Can Can" as the Bowl lit up with its Fireworks Finale! The music and the visuals were glorious, and then got even more so when Connick, Jr. played two keyboards, one with each hand, AND drums at the same time, while singing "Big Chief" DURING Fireworks. Talk about a slam bang finish! There wasn't much that could top that, and Connick, Jr. shimmy danced off the stage, the lights came on, and we all just looked at each other like "WOW".

What a way to wrap up the Bowl Summer Season, and what a way to finally see Harry Connick, Jr.! I'm humming and shimmying myself today, and am quite sure I'll never forget this fantastic celebration of New Orleans' 300th Birthday! I feel so lucky. Thank you to all!

*Press photos courtesy of the L.A. Philharmonic

First Mondays At Surfside With Venice Songbird, Suzy Williams!

"Well ... at least Suzy is still singing here." I overheard this last night at First Mondays with Suzy Williams at Surfside Venice, when someone was lamenting the loss of Danny's Deli. And MAN, is Suzy ever still singing here!

If you've never seen Suzy Williams - The Venice Songbird - strut her stuff, well ... you haven't really been to Venice. She's something else, and takes you back to a cooler, nicer time, when people had fun, and made fun, and WERE fun. It's almost vaudevillian when she belts out her jazzy numbers, usually accompanied by the celebrated Brad Kay on the keys, and you are treated to true musicianship, and real showmanandwomanship.

I arrived a little late to Surfside, and Suzy was taking a break to give the floor to the local band, Feisty Heart. They were really good, and I concurred when Suzy said, "Did that sound like Venice, California or what?!" It really did ... like a dreamy seaside soundtrack. When Suzy took back over the microphone, she introduced her next song by saying, "This is a song about trying to get laid." Decked out in a pink wig, pretty dress, and long, black gloves and singing of how "Nature loves a serenade", with Carol Chaiken providing apt trills on her flute ... you surmise it's probably not that hard of a task for Ms. Williams. Because she's awesome.

The crowd was very old school Venice, with everyone cheering on Suzy's every note. A young couple from Australia was sitting across from me, and told me that they had to go get cash, because they had to fill Suzy's tip jar ... "She's amazing!" She really is. There's no one else like her around, and she is a bonafide Venice treasure. To watch her singing to her husband, Gerry Fialka (clad in a chef outfit for the tune), is to know about Venice living history. Sit down with either of them and you'll learn a WHOLE lot.

Her lyrics tend to have great phrases like "The Cat's Meow and the Dog's Bow Wow", those from a Valentine of a song that charmed the room, of course. I ordered up an Old Fashioned, just to be drinking on theme. I loved her tune, "Cover Me", where she pleads with other musicians to cover her songs, so that she may live forever - and she has well over 100 songs for you to choose from, so there you go.

"Get Your Own Bad Habits" featured Williams in full Ethel Merman style voice and bawdiness as she got down and dirty in both voice and choreography. I just love her and can't brag enough about being her friend. It's the best. Her next number was dedicated to her friend, Mews Small, who was in the house. Mews played Jack Nicholson's girlfriend in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and judging from this song that she wrote, she's got plenty of good stories to tell (She has her own show at the Unurban on February 18th!).

"We all have multitudes, and we're all here getting each other - without Facebook!" It was true. Everyone there was very in the moment, and lucky to be in the room together. It doesn't get a lot more Venice than Tonan beaming while listening to Suzy Williams, and looking around to recognize almost every face. What a wonderful Monday thing to do!

After a brief intermission/costume/wig change, Suzy introduced her stellar band that has Stuart Johnson on drums, Carol Chaiken on just about everything, and the inimitable Brad Kay on those keys, exclaiming, "Let's make America swing again!" Yes. Let's.

Between fantastic torch songs, Williams begged everyone to call her if they go to the beach. "If you live in Venice, please call me and make me go to the beach. I don't go enough!" Done. Every day. The time to stop playing came and went, and Suzy said, "If anyone wants to shoo us out, go ahead!" But no one did, and her "penultimate song" about a BBQ drew "We love you, Suzy!'s" To introduce her ultimate song, Suzy spoke on seeing a group of nattily dressed older people she'd seen recently, saying, "Fashion helps you feel not so depressed, so dress up, Kids!" Yes, let's! "I will not go into that good night without a good fight" was the number, and it was extra-great ("My iron lung is gonna make people plotz!"), as was the thunderous applause for all gathered at Surfside on a Monday.

And speaking of Surfside ... what wonderful hosts for this gig. Suzy told us, "Surfside actually pays bands money! They support locals, so locals, I think we better come eat here!" Because the food is actually good, and the service is even better. *Special shout-out to Alexis, our server, who was lovely and gracious the entire evening. It's really a great spot for Venice - and we'll be there again on Saturday after the Mardi Gras Parade - Join us!

After Suzy shouted her "Thank you's!", I heard a visitor say to a local, "That was incredible. You live a charmed existence here." He was not wrong. When asked how they came here, the person I eavesdropped on said, "I was seeking asylum." You too can seek asylum from the crazy world at large each First Monday with Suzy Williams at Surfside Venice ... you will simply plotz!  Love you, Suzy!


Surfside Venice
23 Windward Avenue
Venice 

Next First Mondays: March 5th
                                    April 2nd

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band Live In L.A.!

I've been to Preservation Hall in New Orleans, but not when their legendary namesake band was playing. That's been an empty spot in my soul ever since, so when I received the kind invitation from KCRW to attend their private live session with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Apogee Studios, I leapt at the chance.

We were greeted upon arrival at the door to Apogee with Mardi Gras beads, and directed to the bar where authentic Hurricanes were being served up to set the tone. It felt festive before the band even took the stage, and only went up from there. The listening room at Apogee Studios is tiny, so we revelers were packed in hip to hip, heel to toe, ready to be dazzled. KCRW DJ Garth Trinidad was our radio host for the evening, and Bob Clearmountain was the host of the event, as Apogee is his excellent, state of the art, perfect sound studio.

Trinidad introduced KCRW jazz aficionado, Bo Leibowitz, to tell the tale of how Preservation Hall came to be. Leibowitz took it all the way back to the 1800's with his encyclopedic knowledge of this "Cultural mélange" of a musical genre. It went a bit long for a SRO audience who were antsy (and drinking Hurricanes), but I'd be into circling back to hear more about it some day ... because Trinidad finally had to cut him off and introduce the band people were fiending to see.

The PHJB took the stage, led by Ben Jaffe, whose parents founded the Preservation Hall, and who serves as bandleader and its upright bass player. Their brand new album - of original songs! - comes out the 21st of April, and we got to hear So It Is front to back, live (and so will you when it airs soon on Morning Becomes Eclectic!). The album was produced by Dave Sitek from TV On The Radio, so you know it's gonna be good. They kicked it off with the title track "So It Is", and the party was officially started then, but really lit up when they launched into the second number, "Santiago". It was pure energy, and featured blistering solos from every player, heavily influenced by their time recently spent in Cuba. These are virtuoso musicians we're talking about, and it was all basically a master class on what you can sound like if you practice your instrument every day of your life like you were taught. WOW.

The whole proceeding was held down by the excellent drumming from Walter Harris, who Jaffe called "the gas in their engine". Indeed. "Innocence" and "Malaga" were both outstanding, and really showed off what a hambone their trombone player, Ronell Johnson, is. His use of his mute and fully infectious enthusiasm was not only super impressive, but impossible not to smile at. This cat is INTO it, every note.

It was cool to see the conversation between the two saxophonists, Charlie Gabriel and Clint Maedgen. Gabriel is the elder, and you could see him flexing his experience to the younger whippersnapper Maedgen, who more than ably kept up, he answered with his own flair. Both of them made my brother wish he had kept up with his own sax lessons. Yep.

"One Hundred Fires" WAS that hot, and pianist Kyle Roussel made sure of that. I was watching the blur of his fingers and thinking simply "How?" - while wishing I'd kept up with my own piano lessons. Yep.

If you want to know what an awesome trumpeter sounds like, pay attention when Branden Lewis plays - though his playing demands it, so you won't be able to help it. Geez Louise! He's so good. All the guys not seated lined up at mics for their song "Mad" and sang "I ain't mad at you, no matter what you do" while we answered with the "Lalalala" chorus. This was the only song with vocals, and everyone was feeling it, and belting it out. It whipped up everyone into a frenzy, so much so that then when the guys left the stage, we could not accept that it was over.

Trinidad brought them out for an encore after all the screaming and whistling demanded it (you'll probably hear me whistle on the broadcast. Sorry.), and Jaffe thanked KCRW, saying they have a cool radio station that they also adore in NOLA as well (WWOZ) so they know what it means. Seriously, thank GOODNESS for KCRW these days! As Jaffe was saying his words of thanks, I was thinking how even as messed up as the world is right now, I hadn't thought about any of it while I was in that room listening to this remarkable band. I was purely in the moment, loving it, and so was everyone else, it appeared. Just as I was thinking this, Jaffe said, "When the world's got you down, think of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. We love you all." And we love them.

They blazed through an encore of songs from their Jim James produced album, That's It! and we all danced like there was no tomorrow. Because you never know ... and we want to go out dancing.

Thank you to the wonderful Preservation Hall Jazz Band and KCRW for a night of musical escape that no one in there will soon - or ever - forget. Laissez les bon temps rouler - all the way to L.A.!

*Photos courtesy of KCRW and Brian Feinzimer.

Wayne Kramer's Lexington

Wayne Kramer is someone whose life story I'd very much like to read. From lead guitar in the Mighty MC5 to prison inmate to social activist to new father, Kramer's life has an interesting story in every chapter. His latest record release (and first jazz album), Lexington, (from Kramer's own label, Industrial Amusement) feels like it tells his story instrumentally.

From the opening track, "Chasing A Fire Engine" to the very last echo of the last chord on the last track, "Spectrum Suite" ... Kramer and his musical co-horts engage in a musical conversation that ranges from whispers of compassion to shouts of joy.

Lexington also serves as the soundtrack to the PBS documentary The Narcotic Farm, about the failed war on drugs. As Kramer served prison time (for selling cocaine to an undercover officer back in 1975 at Lexington Federal Penitentiary in Kentucky), it's a subject he knows quite a lot about. I believe Kramer would give large credit to his guitar for saving him, and he certainly pays that forward.

Kramer's time in prison also enlightened him to the fact that music is therapeutic and restorative for inmates (and everyone, really), and together with Billy Bragg and Kramer's wife, Margaret Saadi Kramer, started the organization Jail Guitar Doors, which gets guitars into the hands of inmates so that they might have something to love and do both within prison, and after they get out.

Through it all, Kramer always had the music. Included in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarist Of All Time, that guitar shines through on every track of Lexington, lending a little punk and metal flair to the extra-jazzy compositions being served up by Kramer and his Lexington Arts Ensemble (consisting of Kramer on guitar, Tigran Hamasyan on piano, Phil Ranelin on trombone,  Buzzy Moore on tenor sax, Bob Hurst on upright bass, Doug Lunn on bass, Eric "The Claw" Gardner and Brock Avery on drums, and Dr. Charlie Moore as co-producer and partner).

"Chasing A Fire Engine" is a rap session between Kramer's guitar and the sax with jazzy piano holding it all together. "Arc" is heavier, you can really feel the rock in there. "The Wayne In Spain" takes you on a trip to a jazz club in Spain, with Dick Dale (sounding riffs) tagging along. The gorgeous track, "13th Hour" is my favorite I think, all slow and dreamy sounding. The piano dances in the forefront of the hot track "Taking The Cure", that is until Kramer's guitar cuts in and leads. The final cut "Spectrum Suite" is big and majestic and perfectly titled, as the instruments hit every color of the musical spectrum, from electric guitar shred to horns that make it impossible not just to tap your feet, but to get up and dance! I'm lucky to call Kramer a friend since we traveled together on Tom Morello's Justice Tour back in 2008 ... and we all danced a lot on that voyage.

I recall Kramer playing his poetic jazz compositions, almost spoken word at times, to big rooms full of kids waiting to hear a Morello monster shred. Not the target jazz audience, but Kramer had them nodding and listening silently after one number. Kramer's range, in music and in life, has to be experienced, and live is where its at, though this new record puts you right there in the club with these players. Especially on vinyl.

Lexington will be released in limited edition vinyl on Record Store Day (tomorrow, April 19th ), appropriately, and will be available for full digital download on April 29th.