Tag: Welcome To New Orleans

Fiya Fest 2014 Highlights – New Orleans, LA

Fiya Fest 2014

Fiyawerx Productions did it again for a 2nd year in a row, putting on a lineup of complete fiya, with all the proceeds benefiting The Roots of Music. Combining the best performers in New Orleans with other musical icons and up and coming acts in the contemporary funk scene, Fiyawerx Productions is pushing the storied history of New Orleans music forward while investing heavily in the cultural heritage of the city.

If you are in New Orleans for the Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fiya Fest is an event that is not to be missed. I’ve been very fortunate to be asked to helped document these once in a lifetime musical moments and below I’ve shared video clips from most of the acts that performed this year. I believe the music is for everyone and should be enjoyed and spread far and wide. I think the Fiyawerx krewe would likely agree with me, so I’ve shared quite a lot of footage in hopes that those that could not attend can enjoy these “once only” live collaborations.

Maceo Parker & Friends (Eric Krasno, Nigel Hall, Nikki Glaspie, Calvin Turner & The Shady Horns)
“Go Ahead” (inc. Mothership Connection & Sing A Simple Song), Uptown Up, Shake Everything You Got

The Headhunters Super Jam (Mike Clark, Bill Summers, Donald Harrison, Fred Wesley, Blackbyrd McKnight, Doug Wimbish, Eric McFadden, Ivan Neville & Karl Denson)
Four String Drive
Paging Mr. Wesley (with DJ Logic, and Will Bernard replacing Eric McFadden)
Shekere Intro > Watermelon Man (with Will Bernard replacing Eric McFadden, Donald Harrison replacing Ivan Neville, and ??? on Fender Rhodes)

The Nth Power
Waiting, Thank You (ending jam), Catfish [Four Tops cover]

The Midnite Disturbers Allstar New Orleans Brass Band
Baker’s Dozen [Galactic cover] (with Brandon “Taz” Niederauer)
Snowball [Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover] (with Brandon “Taz” Niederauer & Cyril Neville)
Who Took The Happiness Out? [Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover] > Jam > A Day At The Races (Chali 2na) > Freestyle (Chali 2na) > Who Took The Happiness Out? (reprise) (with Rahzel, Chali 2na, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer & Cyril Neville)

Eddie Roberts West Coast Sounds
unknown song

GRITTSS (George Porter Jr, Roosevelt Collier, Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Terrence Houston, Big Sam & Sam Kininger)
The Chicken [The J.B.’s cover] (with Bernie Worrell)
Genius of Love [Tom Tom Club cover] (with Bernie Worrell) >
Let’s Get Fired Up [Zigaboo Modeliste cover] (with Bernie Worrell & Corey Glover)
Will It Go Round In Circles [Billy Preston cover] (with Bernie Worrell, Corey Glover, Billy Iuso, Norwood Fisher & Eric McFadden)
Welcome To New Orleans [Zigaboo Modeliste cover] (with Bernie Worrell)

101 Runners
Shoo Fly

The Revivalists
Masquerade (with Jennifer Hartswick, Carly Meyers & Khris Royal)
Stand Up (with Brandon “Taz” Niederauer)
Sunny Days (with Jennifer Hartswick, Carly Meyers & Khris Royal)
Whipping Post [Allman Brothers Band cover] (with Pete Murano on guitar)

Clint Maedgen (of Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
unknown song

The Heard
unknown song

Frequinox (Stanton Moore, Robert Walter, Will Bernard & Robert Mercurio)
Hunk (Robert Walter), Sprung Monkey (Stanton Moore), Penske (Will Bernard), Adelita (Robert Walter), Kickin’ Up Dust (Robert Walter), Chicken Lickin’ (Funk, Inc.)

Fiya Fest Schedule

You can also find my videos from the 2013 Fiya Fest here and the 2012 and 2011 Fiyawerx Family Funktion Crawfish Boils here and here.

Members of Dumpstaphunk & The Neville Brothers pay tribute to The Meters at private jazz fest party at the Maple Leaf

Nearly a year ago, during the 2nd weekend of the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the 4th Annual SF Management Crawfish Boil kicked off at the Maple Leaf Bar. The music started at 7pm, so you’d have to forego your after-jazz fest nap if you wanted to see this show. All proceeds from the event were donated to the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation.

Shari Frank, the event coordinator, always makes it a point to put together a unique combination of musicians. For 2011, it was Ivan Neville, Ian Neville, and Tony Hall (from Dumpstaphunk) with David Russell Batiste (from The Funky Meters). Mark Rechler’s Circus Mind opened the show with choice covers such as Bill Wither‘s Use Me and Joe Cocker‘s version of Traffic‘s Feelin Alright. Midway, Gaynielle Neville, Cyril Neville‘s lovely wife, and her entourage stormed the stage for a few originals and a romp through the Sly & The Family Stone classic, Everyday People.

Video 1 of 4: Ain’t No Use (To Cut You Loose) [w/ Mark Rechler & Steve Finkelstein],
Doodle Oop (The World Is A Little Bit Under The Weather) [w/ Steve Finkelstein]

Slowly, the musicians filtered in and out, before we were left with 3/4th of Dumpstaphunk (Ivan Neville, Ian Neville & Tony Hall) + 1/4 of The Funky Meters (Russell Batiste). This is when things got interesting with some very deep cuts from The Meters‘ time-honored back catalog. What’cha Say. Gettin’ Funkier All The Time. These are Meters tunes that rarely if ever have been played live by either the original lineup or the Funky Meters lineup. Ivan and his friends put forth faithful interpretations that also expanded into heavy funk improvisations. Mojo Hannah, a Tami Lynn tune that was a staple of The Neville Brothers‘ repertoire was particularly soulful.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get much funkier, Cyril Neville busted onto the stage with an exhilarating performance of The Meters’ Chug A Lug, which then turned into a percussion jam between Cyril and Russell Batiste. Then Ivan teased in the chords of Zigaboo Modeliste‘s crescent city anthem, Welcome To New Orleans. That’s when my crew and I knew that we’d arrived.

Video 2 of 4: Chug A Lug [w/ Cyril Neville] > Welcome To New Orleans [w/ Cyril Neville]

Video 3 of 4:Gettin’ Funkier All The Time, Just Kissed My Baby

Video 4 of 4:What’Cha Say, Mojo Hannah,
The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh, Makes You Cry) [w/ Steve Finkelstein]

The full audio recording of this performance is available to stream or download over at Live Music Archive.

And if you’re interested in the 2012 SF Management Crawfish Boil, to take place on Saturday, May 5th, go to the SF Management website.