Internationally acclaimed ambassadors of New Orleans jazz and Louisiana blues from Leroy Jones, Germaine Bazzle, Debbie Davis, Chris Thomas King, Deacon John to Lucien Barbarin and others will fill fall nights in Historic Old Mandeville with intoxicating music during the September to December fall season at the Dew Drop Social & Benevolent Jazz Hall. The season kicks off on Sept. 12 with an evening devoted to the trumpet wizardly of Leroy Jones and his musical partners. Jones will first lead his popular jazz quintet from 6:30-7:30 pm and then after a 30-minute break, come back and join his sizzling Original Hurricane Brass Band from 8-9 pm. The remaining fall schedule includes Deacon John, Friday, Sept. 26, 6:30-9 pm; Chris Thomas King, Friday, Oct. 10, 6:30-9 pm; Germaine Bazzle with the Peter Harris Trio, Friday, Oct. 24, 6:30-9 pm; Shotgun Jazz Band, Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30-7:30 pm and Debbie Davis & The Mesmerizers, Friday, Nov. 7, 8-9 pm; Viper Mad Jazz Trio, Friday, Nov. 21, 6:30-7:30 pm and Lucien Barbarin Jazz Band, Friday, Nov. 21, 8-9 pm; Special Christmas Show, Friday, Dec. 12. This Dec, 12 event will close out the fall season and details for it are still being formulated and will be announced when finalized. Owned by the City of Mandeville, the modest wooden Dew Drop structure at 430 Lamarque St., is on the National Register of Historic Places and among fans and scholars around the world, is considered one of the most important venues in the late 1800s early 1900s development of the original New Orleans musical art form now called New Orleans, traditional or Dixieland jazz. The Dew Drop is recognized as the oldest virtually unaltered rural jazz dance hall in the world. Under a management agreement with the city, it is preserved, protected and opened for shows each spring and fall by the all volunteer non-profit Friends of the Dew Drop. Admission for each concert is $10 at the door and beverages and souvenir merchandise is available as well as meals for purchase prepared next door by members of the First Free Mission Baptist Church. Among his many accolades, Jones, a New Orleans native, is credited with igniting a brass band revival in New Orleans in the 1960s when at 13 he assumed leadership of the Fairview Brass Band which quickly inspired Kermit Ruffins and others to form new brass bands including the Dirty Dozen and currently there are more brass bands on the citys musical landscape then ever in its history. In addition to his brass band work with the Original Hurricane Brass Band which has evolved from the Fairview group, Jones is equally acclaimed for his jazz ensemble work with his quintet. For the fourth year now Deacon John has made a Dew Drop appearance a part of his fall performance scheduling and he often becomes emotional explaining to his avid audience the importance of the old building in the development of New Orleans music. And always many of those turning out for his performance also have fond memories of dancing as students to the music of Deacon John and the Ivories, John Moore was a teenager when he began as a sessions musician for scores of rhythm and blues hits flowing out of New Orleans during the late 1950s and 1960s and in more recent times he has been highly acclaimed for his jazz influenced jump blues vocalizing. Although as a youngster he absorbed the blues hanging out at his daddys legendary Baton Rouge juke joint, the Music Box, Chris Thomas King captured the imagination of a huge worldwide following with his role as Delta bluesman Tommy Johnson in the Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou. His father, Louisiana blues icon Tabby Thomas, died earlier this year. Thomas is also credited with creating a new sub genre of contemporary blues called rap/blues combining street rhythms and sampling of rap with traditional urban blues rhythm progressions. This is his second appearance at the Dew Drop. Hailed as one of the most enduring jazz vocalists in the history of New Orleans, Germaine Bazzle has devoted as much of her professional career to teaching vocal students as she has performing. But in the city and abroad her stunning vocal skills are greeted with effusive critical acclaim. A graduate of the Xavier University music program, she has long taught vocal music at Xavier Prep and is on the faculty of the annual Armstrong Jazz Camp for youngsters. Peter Harris, whos string trio will back Bazzle, has been a much in demand bass player for years around the city sitting in with Don Vappie, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, often backing Bazzle and others. He most recently helped close out the Dew Drop spring season as a member of the Hot Club of New Orleans string ensemble. Led by husband and wife team Marla Dixon on trumpet and vocals and John Dixon on banjo, the Shotgun Jazz Band has become a favorite of fans of traditional New Orleans jazz ensemble playing with also Tyler Thompson on bass and Justin Peake on drums. Paying homage to the origins of the music going all the way back to the days of Buddy Bolden, Shotgun brings the energy, sass and rollicking good times to the forefront making it virtually impossible for fans to avoid the urge to hit the Dew Drop dance floor. Often Barry Martyn, a frequent Dew Drop performer, sits in with them on drums. Many believe Debbie Davis is the busiest jazz/American standards vocalist around. In addition to her newest group, the Mesmerizers, she has long been one third of the Pfister Sisters traditional jazz vocal trio; sings with the trio, the Gloryoskis, is in the Paul Sanchez Rolling Road Show and is a member of the all female vocal collective, the New Orleans Nightengales. She was last on the Dew Drop stage this spring with the Nightengales. The Mesmerizers include her husband, Matt Perrine on sousaphone, Alex McMurray on guitar and Josh Paxon on piano and Davis on ukulele and vocals. Taking their name from a 1920s drug commentary composition by legendary New Orleans clarinet pioneer Sidney Bechet, the Viper Mad Jazz Trio stays faithful to the early origins of New Orleans jazz honoring Bolden, Bechet and others who crafted the unique American cultural contribution to the world. Molly Reeves, guitar and vocals, Kellen Garcia, bass and Ryan Robertson, trumpet, all came from different destinations but met up in New Orleans, each driven by an artistic need to make music in the city where the sounds they adored were created. Lucien Barbarin is considered the premiere trombone player in the annals of contemporary New Orleans traditional jazz and has toured the world with Harry Connick Jr. and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He cut his musical teeth at the age of 6 playing drums in his uncle Paul Barbarins famous Onward Brass Band. When not touring, Lucien resides in Slidell. Details for the fall season ending Christmas show on Friday, Dec. 12, are still being formulated and will be announced when confirmed.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Jun 2014 17:50:52 +0000
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