Nolafunk.com’s Summer Jazzfest

Featuring Trombone Shorty, Jon Cleary, High & Mighty Brass Band

Thursday, August 26^th -South Street Seaport, Water Taxi Beach

With the sunny days growing a bit longer, and the nights a little warmer, outdoor summer concerts are so close, we can almost taste them! This summer, baste in the fun, musical spirit of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival without ever leaving New York City. Fans of New Orleans music and outdoor summer concerts can get their kicks at Nolafunk.com's first ever Summer Jazzfest.

The event will feature performances by some of New Orleans' hottest musicians. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Jon Cleary: Piano, Bass, Drums and special guests High and Mighty Brass Band. All three bands are longtime favorites of the Crescent City and are guaranteed to throw down the tastiest gumbo of funk, jazz, brass, R&B, rock & hip hop.

The event will be at Water Taxi Beach at South Street Seaport. Soak up the sun at the beach (with perfect sound and views of the stage) or stay cool under the tent. The venue serves food and drink and offers some of the best views of the Brooklyn Bridge and The East River.

For more information, visit: http://www.nolafunk.com/

To Purchase Advanced Tickets: Here

RSVP to the event on FB, invite friends: Here

NOLADELIC!

Tonight’s Sullivan Hall set features a heavy-hitting lineup of all-American funk music. We’ve blogged before about Big Sam’s Funky Nation, the New Orleans brass-funk-rock juggernaut, when they came down to Le Poisson Rouge for the NOLAfunk.com Mardi Gras Ball. Well, they’re back, this time celebrating the release of their newest album, King of The Party (the sound of which caused reviewer Dwayne Fatherree of neworleans.com to coin the term “Noladelic”). To back them up, we have one of the more exciting young brass funk acts in existence in the High & Mighty Brass Band, plus a young and groovy New York funk-rock act, Late Night Machine. Short of being down in the Big Easy itself, you couldn’t find a funkier way to spend your Friday night.
High & Mighty is a particularly exciting opener. These guys are brand spankin’ new (their first album is in final tracking currently) and their shows around NYC are generating buzz. The sound is trad-groove music, but it gets eclectic, and the band is full of talented singers. Like a younger edition of the experimental Funky Nation, HMBB brings fresh energy to the brass band scene and, most of all, promises to induce the booty-shakes.
Late Night Machine is even newer, but they’re not just any opener. Using a more traditional funk-rock setup (guitars, bass, funky keys and drums), they bring a classic funk vibe that feels totally refreshing. The songwriting lies in a great classic soul tradition, but the players imbue the songs with some real energy at a level that surprises for a band on their way up. These are some classy musicians with great material, and the vibe they set ought to be just right to keep the night groovy.

Get ready to funk with the King of the Party. Dancin’ shoes are the dress code.

Doors for the show are at 8. Tix are $25, and you can get them at the door (if it doesn’t sell out!) or right here.

Mardi Gras Road Show rolls into town

In keeping with the NOLAFunk.com tradition of bringing the juggernauts of New Orleans music into the city, we've got a pair of incredible shows coming up featuring two of the Crescent City's biggest, baddest talents. The Mardi Gras Road Show features the Rebirth Brass Band and Dumpstaphunk, two genre-defining acts that are each at the very top of the pile when it comes to funk and rock. They're coming into the city on Thursday, April 1st to rock the Highline, and then sticking around to play that Friday (the 2nd) at Sullivan Hall. Either of these acts coming up to NYC is plenty of reason to get ready to party. Both in one night? Unbelievable. Get ready for a unique night of really killer funk.

Rebirth was one of the bands at the forefront of the revival of New Orleans brass band music. Along with the Dirty Dozen, the Rebirth Brass Band rose quickly to the top due to their open-minded approach and unquestionable talent, and have stayed there quite comfortably ever since, with a huge and ever-growing fan base that spans generations. Always staying fresh, never resting on their laurels, the Rebirth is one of the most energetic funk shows out there. Need to be convinced? Here:



Dumpstaphunk, formed in 2002, is a much younger institution, but it was always destined for greatness and has already become a staple in Saints territory. Founded by two New Orleans Nevilles (Ivan and Ian Neville, descended from members of the Neville Brothers and The Meters, respectively), the lineup was something special from the beginning, and it's turned into the new standard-bearing act for New Orleans funk music. Their sound is loud, raucous, gritty and dirty, and it mixes together just about every sort of sound out there that makes you dance. If you haven't heard them yet, check them out in this video from a past appearance at Sullivan Hall:



Any fans of New Orleans music shouldn't miss this one. This is as good a funk show as you will ever see, period.
By the way, if you can make it out to both shows, there's a discount for getting the tix together...

Both shows (the 1st and 2nd of April) get underway at 8 p.m. The Highline is 16+, and Sullivan is 18+. Tix are $35 per show, although you can get the two-show pass for $65.

Joe Krown Trio at Sullivan Hall!

This Thursday we've got a killer trio from New Orleans coming up to play at Sullivan Hall. Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Joe Krown, and Russell Batiste, Jr, are each major artists in their own right, but since 2007 they've been playing a regular weekly gig together at the famous Maple Leaf Bar that's become an institution in town. The level of groove these three guys can put out together is just unbelievable. Check it out:



In case you don't already know these guys, here's a (VERY brief) history:

Walter “Wolfman” Washington is best known as a virtuosic guitarist in a bluesy vein, although he mixes in jazz, funk and various other influences. Originally a successful sideman, notably with Lee Dorsey, he started working as a singer in the '70s and has seen further success fronting his band, the Roadmasters.

Joe Krown covers B-3 organ duties here. Widely known for his decades-long tenure as the keyboardist for the legendary Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown's band, he's highly regarded for his work with his own organ combo. Fluent in jazz and in funk, he's a force to be reckoned with.

Russell Batiste, Jr., the son of NOLA jazz titan David Batiste, is probably best known as the drummer for the Funky Meters (the reincarnation of classic funk band The Meters, and for his work with the groove heavyweight combo Porter Batiste Stoltz. He's also played stints with artists from Maceo Parker to Harry Connick Jr.


Any one of these legends is plenty of reason to come on out to a show. All three coming together and forming a band is something fans of New Orleans funk should consider ourselves lucky for. This will be a memorable night.

The Joe Krown Trio hits Sullivan on Thursday, March 11th. Doors are at 8 am. Honey Island Swamp Band opens. Tix are $15 in advance or $18 day-of-show. PS—look out for a pair of upcoming Rebirth Brass Band / Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk shows at the beginning of April!

Mardi Gras Continued: Trombone Shorty and Eric Lindell

Now that we're all recovering from the Mardi Gras Ball (and getting ready for the Fat Tuesday party over at BB's), NOLAfunk.com has even more amazing shows on the horizon for your enjoyment. This Friday, one of New Orleans's most distinguished brass players will be at the Highline to funk your face; the next day, a lion of blues and rock guitar will melt it at Sullivan Hall. All in all, between Trombone Shorty and Eric Lindell, your face will have an interesting weekend.

Trombone Shorty, pictured above at Voodoo Experience 2009, is the sort of musician that everybody can respect. He has ridiculous jazz chops on both trombone and trumpet, but he puts them to use in a wild blend of funk-rock that both salutes his hometown and blows minds. His site has an amusing anecdote regarding Bono and The Edge dancing on tables during a night he was headlining a NOLA club at age twelve. If you don't know his music already, I suggest you check him out.

Eric Lindell is a singer-songwriter based in Cajun territory; he's released his last three albums on the legendary blues and rock label Alligator Records to acclaim. The dude plays all over the world for sellout crowds, and we're lucky to have him here. I couldn't locate the video of him performing on Conan, but here's a pretty nasty one from Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa.

Trombone Shorty plays the Highline Ballroom at 9 pm this Friday; tix are $30 in advance or $35 at the door (if it doesn't sell out), and the Ryan Montbleu Band opens.

Lindell plays Sullivan on Saturday; show starts at 8 with Clinton Curtis and The Roof Walkers, and tix are $20 in advance or $22 at the door.

Mardi Gras in NYC, 2010!

UPDATE--Just added: DJ Cochon de Lait will be rocking the Ball, spinning greasy Nola funk and soul in between sets.

It's that time again. Next Saturday, Nolafunk.com is hosting the fourth annual Mardi Gras Ball, one of the biggest New Orleans music events of the year in NYC. We've been putting on this show every year for the past four years, and we can say from experience that it's a great time. Traditionally, in addition to getting some of the best music New Orleans has got to offer, we get the place decked out in real Mardi Gras style and, of course, bring copious amounts of throw beads.This year's party returns to Le Poisson Rouge (on Bleecker & Thompson), and the lineup features three classic New Orleans heavy hitters: Bonerama, the brass rock band described by Rolling Stone as “the ultimate in brass balls” (video from the Late Show w/ OK Go's singer below); Big Sam's Funky Nation, the powerhouse funk machine led by Big Sam Williams, formerly of the world-famous Dirty Dozen; and Tab Benoit, one of the top blues and roots musicians to emerge from Cajun country in generations.

All signs point to this year's Ball being the best one yet. Tickets have been going quickly, & we sold out early last year, so don't wait around to pick yours up. Wear your Mardi Gras costumes, too—we will be.

The Mardi Gras Ball is Saturday, February 13^th at (Le) Poisson Rouge. Doors open at 8. Advance tickets are $30, and you can get 'em here. Tix at the door will be $35 (if they haven't already sold out!).

P.S.—we've got tons of other great music coming up from Whodat territory. If you can't wait for Mardi Gras to celebrate, we'd recommend you check out E.O.E. at Sullivan Hall next Tuesday, February 9^th. Future upcoming shows include Trombone Shorty on 2/19 and Eric Lindell on 2/20. For more keep checking back here (we'll be updating regularly now, I promise!) and at www.nolafunk.com.

Funky Slivovitz Jam!

For those observing Passover, bring your Slivovitz to this one!

April 6 and April 7 11:30PM
Post-Beacon Allman Brother's Jam

Featuring
LEO NOCENTELLI (THE METERS)
CYRIL NEVILLE (NEVILLE BROS.)
MATT ABTS, DANNY LOUIS + ANDY HESS (GOV'T MULE)
BRANDFORD MARSALIS

@ BB King Blues Club