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FRIDAY :: APRIL 29TH
Widespread Panic with Ivan Neville at The Fairgrounds
Jazz Fest 2005 by Dino Perrucci |
Friday afternoon was a slower one at the Fairgrounds, but there were still many treats to be sampled. Henry Butler continued to represent New Orleans and to attract many new listeners, and Tab Benoit continued to hold things down in a similar local vein. Randy Newman pleased a contemporary crowd, and Zion Trinity delivered a Rasta sermon at the Congo Square Stage. The featured slot belonged to the recently rejuvenated Widespread Panic, whose Friday afternoon set was solid from start to finish - two plus hours of psychedelic southern flare, JB's guttural moans, and some fine guitar work from George McConnell. In the Jazz Tent, a fiery woodshed trumpet/trombone duel between a youthful Marlon Jordan and the local elder statesmen Maurice Brown was the best kept secret all day.
Gov't Mule with Dave Matthews at The Orpheum
Jazz Fest 2005 by Dino Perrucci |
The evening was again crammed with different first-rate shows, by far the most difficult night to decide what to see and what to skip. This writer ambled over to the Umphrey's McGee/Gov't Mule gig at the Orpheum. An elongated two set show from the Mule was in true Jazz fest fashion - long and emotional, and full of special guests. Brendan Bayliss (Umphrey's McGee) appeared in the first set for a blistering "Sco-Mule," and later bandmates Jake Cinninger, and percussionists Andy Farag, joined Warren and co. for "Lively Up Yourself" delivered in a chunky, metallicized arrangement. Les Claypool appeared to dig deeper into the deliberate "Spoonful." Sandwiched between the Umphrey's guests was the true jewel - an inspired blues guitar duel between Haynes and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo. The following evening, several more musicians sat in with the Mule, most notably Karl Denson, Ivan Neville, and Dave Matthews, who was reading "All Along the Watchtower," a song he performs with DMB, from a napkin. Classic.
Late night at The Parish, the Benevento/Russo Duo were opening up their weekend-long can of whoopass. A star-studded crowd crammed into the space above the House of Blues to see what all the fuss was about. It was just a taste of things to come. The Parish show was definitely a showcase for the new album Best Reason to Buy the Sun, but it was also an ill display of Duo fireworks, chemistry, and the supernatural connection that creates the incredibly evolved Duo sound.
KDTU at HOB :: Jazz Fest 2005 by Chris Goodyear |
Friday night was definitely 'the night' to catch Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, who dropped three late night shows at the House of Blues. Always at the top of the priority list at Jazz Fest, KDTU can be counted on for throwing down endless dance romps well into the morning hours. Thursday's show, highlighted by a guest spot from Melvin Sparks and a punishing JB's jam with Adam Deitch, was marred by the pulling of a fire alarm, which cut power to the stage, and a brawl in the crowd that killed the vibe. Friday, the band more than made up for the previous night's buzzkill. Opening with a firing "New York City," KDTU delivered one of their patented R&B funk marathons, debuting new rock-oriented songs alongside the acid jazz that put them on the map. "Everything Will be Alright" "Bag of Funk," "Trampled Under Foot," "Soul Vibration," and the exploding jam out of "Chance With You" showed the Tiny Universe in top form.
Ivan Neville and June Yamagishi
Jazz Fest 2005 by Dino Perrucci |
The dynamic ensemble's "Band of Gypsies meets Earth, Wind, and Fire" magic had the crowd blissin' out, whoring it up on the dance floor, their bodies slithering in-between one another in a torrid tango with the seductive instrumentation. There is nothing quite like the center of the acoustically superior House of Blues, past 5 a.m., sensually moving to the lustful sounds of the Tiny Universe. Theirs is the sexiest music being made today - the grittiest, deepest funk. Friday was a treat, with percussionist Mike Dillon rejoining the band for an otherworldly show, assisting the monster tandem of bassist Ron Johnson and drummer John Staten. Friday also brought Warren Haynes and Danny Louis from the Mule into the Universe, as well as Ivan Neville, whose guttural vocals and sultry organs fit in the mix with ease. Saturday, more guests came along to share in the groove. Big Sam and his trombone added local spice to "Front Money," and Eric McFadden and his Bay Area psychedelia turned the song on its axis. As the Saturday show blazed along, Eric Krasno appeared to lend hollowbody and help manifest the destiny. "Apparently Nothing" was a wet dream. It drove the crowd mad with deliberate ascending climaxes, harmonic vocal tension and release. Each night was peppered with KDTU classics: Thursday brought "Fallin," Friday the ageless "Groove On" was the money shot, and strictly for the hardcore, Saturday's encore "Walt's First Trip," a rare chestnut from the KD songbook. Despite the drama on Thursday, Karl D solidified his rep as the King of the Jazz Fest Late Nite with another raucous weekend at the House of Blues.
DAKAH Hip-Hop Orchestra at TwiRoPa
Jazz Fest 2005 by Chris Goodyear |
TwiRoPa offered a little different flavor Friday, going well into Saturday morning, with a lineup that embraced beats, rhymes, and the spirit of Jazz Fest. Early in the evening, the DAKAH Hip-Hop Orchestra, which boasts over sixty players, mined the annals of classic beat production with an approach like none other. An ensemble of strings, percussion, reeds, brass, and a plethora of other classical-leaning instrumentation delivered neck-snapping evidence that hip-hop ain't just for DJs. Geographically, no city, style, or set was left untouched. From Bronx boom-bap to blunted Brooklyn steez, to West Coast G-Funk, to the crunk of the derty-derty. Reports from many Festers crowned DAKAH the best of Fest 05. With originality, the passion, and the new style, DAKAH is a force to be reckoned with.
Michael Franti & Spearhead at Tipitina's
Jazz Fest 2005 by Dino Perrucci |
TwiRoPa kept that vibe aflame with Blackalicious, the Quannum duo of Chief XCEL and Gift of Gab. The Bay Area rap team dropped flows over psychedelic-tinged beats and obtuse soundscapes. While Chief XCEL kept the beat raw and set the proverbial table, it was Gab who was "putting it down on 'em." An original, styled, uniquely thought-provoking yet playful, Gab is a talent whose rhymecraft is as progressive, daring, and informed as it gets. Paired with the Chief XCEL, who grounds Gab and keeps it thorough and decidedly street, the Blackalicious team continues to be a Jazz Fest favorite and a great non-jam booking. Soon after the Bay Area boom-bap, Soulive jumped onstage and delivered a solid two-plus hour performance of their hip-hop fused, New York jazz. The Evans brothers, Neal and Alan, held things down with authority, making the room bounce along with their syncopation. Guitar wunderkind Eric Krasno, seemingly everywhere this Jazz Fest, further solidified his reputation as a smooth criminal with tasty hollowbody leads. As the show blazed along, the Abbot, aka Young Deitch, hopped on the kit and welcomed backpacker favorites C-Rayz Walz and Breeze Everflowin' onto the mic for some true-school b-boy shit. Mixing off the wall verses with classic breaks (the O.C. jawn was bananas!), this new jazz/rap conglomerate brought out big things for the insatiable Jazz Fest massive, and the hip-hop night at TwiRoPa went out with a bang.
Meanwhile, Bernie Worrell and some local cats were freakin' people out in the Quarter at One Eyed Jacks, mixing dissonant funk grooves with avant-garde violin and some heavy Hammond B3. Michael Franti & Spearhead delivered a passionate, high-energy sermon of reggae, funk, folk, and hip-hop to an overstuffed Tipitina's Uptown. With a lengthy, sweat-drenched set of the patented Spearhead amalgamation of all things irie, Franti further nailed down his rep amongst Festers', and people didn't leave Tips until the rain finally came Saturday morning. Robert Walter's 20th Congress delivered a star-studded throwdown a night early this year, tearing down the walls of the Maple Leaf till the wee hours with the help of Cheme Gastelum, his saxophone sideman who seemed ubiquitous at Jazz Fest.
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