SBD Matrix: SBD > XLR + Neumann AK40/LC3/KM100 (on stage, centered, ORTF @ 30″ high) > Sound Devices MixPre-6 [24/48] > WAV > Cool Edit Pro (dither to 16bit) > Vegas Pro 14.0 (mix) > CD Wave Editor (tracking) > FLAC
Audio recording by K.C. Cadwallader
Mix & tracking by Funk It
Photos by Shackaholic
Set One:
01. Introduction
02. Inside Straight [Cannonball Adderley / Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover]
03. Man About Town >
04. Invincible Bubble
05. Adele
06. Medeski banter / band intros
07. The Golden Lady [Sun Ra cover]
08. Medeski banter
09. Dead Dog In The Street [Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover]
Set Two:
01. Intro
02. Tuna In A Can
03. Baby Goats
04. Winin’ Boy Blues [Jelly Roll Morton cover] >
05. Piri Piri
06. Psychedelic Rhino >
07. Wiggly’s Way [Medeski Martin & Wood cover]
08. Medeski banter / band intros
09. Who Took The Happiness Out? [Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover]
John Medeski – organ & keyboards Will Bernard – guitar Kirk Joseph – sousaphone Terence Higgins – drums
The New Orleans Jazz Festival is a 10 day marathon that fills the city with amazing musicians and music for 2 full weekends (and the daze between). I’ve found that there is a much more palpable energy on the first weekend, when you can feel the city coming alive and people aren’t yet worn down, hitting the wall, or already crashed and burned. Maybe you can’t separate the pros from the amateurs yet, but everyone is ready for magic to happen.
This year’s pleasure was hearing Johnny Vidacovich & John Medeski team up for 3 shows, on First Friday and then on Monday and Tuesday. Vidacovich’s playing on all 3 was fresh and invigorated, which you’re not guaranteed to get from him on second weekend gigs, whether he has his pre-show espresso or not.
These are once in a lifetime performances by musicians that are absolute masters of jazz, groove and intention in their playing. Much of it is improvisational, but at peak execution. It is extremely gratifying to capture these musical moments for posterity and help spread them far and wide, hopefully bringing attention and wider appreciation to this alluring city and it’s spectacular musical gumbo.
Medeski, Vidacovich & Wood with Skerik
Friday, April 27th, 2018
New Orleans, LA @ Maple Leaf
SET ONE: Hip Chops [Rahsaan Roland Kirk], Sham Time [Eddie Harris], Coffee [Vidacovich] > Improv > Improv > Improv (inc. Third Stone From The Sun [Jimi Hendrix] & A Love Supreme [John Coltrane]), Blues Improv Outro
Medeski, Vidacovich & Wood with Skerik
April 27th, 2018
New Orleans, LA @ Maple Leaf
SET TWO: Buster Rides Again [Bud Powell] (inc. Caravan [Duke Ellington]) > Wiggly’s Way [Medeski] > Improv > Improv
Medeski, Vidacovich & Wood
Monday, April 30th, 2018
New Orleans, LA @ d.b.a.
Set TWO: Chinoiserie [Duke Ellington], Bemsha Swing / Lively Up Yourself [Thelonious Monk / Bob Marley], Tootie Ma (Is A Big Fine Thing) [Danny Barker], You Haven’t Don’t Nothin’ [Stevie Wonder], Nostalgia In Times Square / Angel Race (I’ll Wait For You) [Charles Mingus / Sun Ra]
Unfortunately I didn’t arrive in time to capture video of the first set, as it was just too crowded. I did get in to see most of it though, and Picklemic has audio of both sets right here:
John Vidacovich, John Medeski & Will Bernard
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
New Orleans, LA @ Cafe Istanbul
Beatrice [Sam Rivers] > Y Todavia La Quiero [Joe Henderson], Mojet [Medeski], Improv > ?Improv? > Improv > Tubby [James Booker], Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise [Sigmund Romberg], Is It Nature’s Rock N’ Roll? [Vidacovich] > Coffee [Vidacovich] (coda)
01. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – Help On The Way > Slipknot! [Grateful Dead covers]
02. Zach Deputy – Next To You
03. The New Mastersounds – Just Gotta Run (with Charly Lowry)
04. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – My Baby (with Nicki Bluhm & Eric McFadden)
05. Robert Walter & Eddie Roberts Jam Room – You Got The Love [Chaka Khan cover] (with Michelle Sarah)
06. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue – Sunny Side Of The Street (with Fred Wesley & Ivan Neville)
07. Stanton Moore Jazz Trio – Magnolia Triangle [James Black cover] (Stanton Moore, David Torkanowsky & James Singleton with Skerik, Eric Bloom, Will Bernard, Mike Dillon & Weedie Braimah)
08. Jans Ingber, Adam Deitch & Nate Werth – percussion jam on the deck
09. Adam Smirnoff Jam Room (with Jans Ingber, Mike Ballard, Joey Peebles, Congo Sanchez, DJ Williams, Borahm Lee, Justin Stanton, Iaan Neville & Nate Werth)
10. Adam Smirnoff Jam Room – A Message From The Meters [The Meters cover] (with Jesus Coomes, Ryan Zoidis, Alvin Ford Jr, Isaac Teel, Nigel Hall, Eric McFadden & Nate Werth)
11. Adam Smirnoff Jam Room – (with Jesus Coomes, Ryan Zoidis, Alvin Ford Jr, Adam Deitch, Emily Musolino, Corey Henry, Charly Lowry, Mike Olmos, Nate Werth, Oteil Burbridge, Isaac Teel & Nigel Hall)
12. The Infamous Stringdusters – My Destination
13. Stanton Moore Jazz Trio – All These Things [Allen Toussaint cover]
14. Snarky Puppy – Skate U
15. Bernard Purdie Jazz Lounge – Heavy Soul Slinger [with Pete Shand, Eddie Roberts, Todd Stoops, Karl Denson & Mike Olmos]
16. Lettuce – Phyllis
17. Brownout – What You Did
18. Dr. John – Mack The Knife (with Fred Wesley)
19. Marco Benevento Trio – I Just Want To Make Love To You (with Nicole Atkins)
20. Ivan Neville – Wrong Number (I’m Sorry, Goodbye) [Aaron Neville cover]
21. Ivan Neville – Joy Inside My Tears [Stevie Wonder cover] (with Nick Daniels, Nigel Hall, Eric Bloom, Karl Denson, Corey Henry, Trombone Shorty, Stanton Moore & Dan Oestreicher)
22. Soulive – Up Right (with Oteil Burbridge)
23. Roosevelt Collier Super Jam – Getten’ To Know You [Parliament cover] (Roosevelt Collier, Todd Stoops, Will Bernard, Fred Wesley, Ron Holloway, Corey Henry, unknown drummer, unknown bassist)
24. Eric Bloom Jazz Lounge – Mercy Mercy Mercy [Joe Zawinul cover] (Eric Bloom, Johnny Vidacovich, David Torkanowsky, Michael League, Will Bernard & Congo Sanchez)
25. Eric Bloom Jazz Lounge – How Blue Can You Get? (Eric Bloom, Alvin Ford Jr, David Torkanowsky, James Singleton, Eric McFadden & Skerik)
26. Snarky Puppy – Grown Folks (with Stanley Jordan)
27. Worship My Organ – Improv > The National Anthem [Radiohead cover] (Marco Benevento, Robert Walter, Adam Deitch & Skerik)
28. Brown Sabbath – N.I.B. [Black Sabbath cover]
29. The Floozies – Fat Bottomed Girls [Queen cover]
30. Lotus – The Legend of Zelda Theme Song > Improv
31. Dr. Klaw – Cardova [The Meters cover] (with Sugah Davis)
32. Dr. John (solo piano) – Wade In The Water
33. Southern Soul Assembly – ??? (JJ Grey, Luther Dickenson, Marc Broussard & Anders Osborne)
34. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – Monk Strap
35. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – Do It All Night [Prince cover] (with Ziek McCarter of Con Brio)
36. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers – I’m Your Woman
37. Mike Dillon Jazz Lounge – ??? (Johnny Vidacovich, David Torkanowsky, James Singleton, & Will Bernard)
38. Mike Dillon Jazz Lounge – Dugout [Garage A Trois cover] (Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento & James Singleton)
39. Dumpstaphunk – Meanwhile (with Roosevelt Collier, Nigel Hall & Trombone Shorty)
40. Anders Osborne – Aim Way High (Carl DuFrene, Brady Blade, Eric McFadden & Ivan Neville)
41. Neville Jacobs – The Stakes (Cris Jacobs, Ivan Neville, Tony Hall & Brady Blade)
42. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – Viola Lee Blues
43. Lettuce – “Neal Untitled”
44. Free Jazz Workshop – Improv (Skerik, Mike Dillon & Vernon Reid)
45. Nigel Hall – Never Gonna Let You Go (with Eric Benny Bloom & Ryan Zoidis – The Shady Horns)
46. Ivan Neville vs. Robert Walter – Improv (with Stanton Moore)
47. JJ Grey & Mofro – A Night To Remember
48. Soulive – Too Much (with Nigel Hall)
49. Everyone Orchestra – Keep Those Troubles Away (Matt Butler, Isaac Teel, Vernon Reid, Ron Holloway, Reed Matthis, Marco Benevento, Mihali Savoulidi, Scott Pemberton, Pappy Biondo, Paul Hoffman, Anders Beck, Jeff “Congo” Sanchez, Jans Ingber, Amy Helm & Nicki Bluhm)
50. Marco Benevento Trio – If I Get To See You At All
51. Dr. John – Walk On Guilded Splinters (with Leo Nocentelli)
52. Simon Allen Jazz Lounge – ??? (with Robert Walter, Dan Lebowitz, Daniel Carares & Mike Olmos)
53. Dumpstaphunk – Don’t Do It [The Band / Marvin Gaye cover] (with Cris Jacobs & Amy Helm)
54. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue – Do To You (with Leo Nocentelli)
55. Galactic – Africa / New Orleans [The Meters cover] (with Erica Falls, Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Skerik, Eric Bloom & Mike Dillon)
