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Words & Images by Pamela Martinez
Re-New Orleans :: 01.06.06 :: Boulder Theater :: Boulder, CO
When my friend Russell Batiste Jr. calls and says he's coming to town to play, that just means one thing - change your plans. You're going! Every music project with which this man is involved is golden, and Re-New Orleans is no exception. On the sixth day of 2006 the Boulder Theater came to life from the beginning of the first tune, and the heat never let up.
Batiste, of the Funky Meters, PBS, Papa Grows Funk, and Bonerama, just to name a few, teamed up with horn player Carlos Washington and the boys from Global Funk to bring this project to life. And what a project it is! Playing classic New Orleans tunes, some Funky Meters, and some Global Funk made for a jazzy, funkin' good time.
Washington, who has the talent of a young Louie Armstrong and the stage presence of Maceo Parker, was a dynamic and entertaining front man, with not only amazing horn lines, but great vocals as well. And having Ryan Krieger team with Batiste on drums was just the icing on the cake. The crowd was in such a frenzy from the first drum solo they could have taken drum solos all night. What a fantastic foundation for these guys to play on. The inclusion of a bass player like Matt Schumacher teaming up with Batiste and Krieger created a fierce a groove machine.
Aragorn Wiederhold and Anthony Smith held court all night playing back and forth in a funky jazz style that had everyone moving. The fantastic guitar-playing virtuoso Wiederhold strutted across the stage numerous times to square off with the mad scientist keyboardist Smith, as they dueled in funk-jazz style, copying each other note for note. Everyone was a front man at some point during the show.
Check this group out and let's RE-NEW ORLEANS!!!
JamBase | Boulder
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