Ronnie Wood Returns Surprise Guest Favor With Irma Thomas At Preservation Hall

After The Rolling Stones played their years-in-the-making Jazz Fest set in New Orleans on Thursday, guitarist Ronnie Wood made his way to Preservation Hall to reciprocate a guest appearance from a NOLA legend. Wood joined Irma Thomas and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the historic venue for a performance of “Time Is On My Side” just hours after the vocalist sang the song with the legendary band at the Fair Grounds.

Preservation Hall hosts the Midnight Preserves benefit concerts every year over the two weekends of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band welcomes an array of surprise special guests for late-night musical collaborations each night. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Preservation Hall Foundation’s mission “to protect, preserve and perpetuate the musical traditions of New Orleans, through education, archives, musician support and community engagement.”

Irma Thomas sang “Time Is On My Side” twice on Thursday. Thomas joined The Rolling Stones on the legendary band’s first performance of the song in 26 years at the Fair Grounds before Ronnie Wood’s surprise guest appearance at Preservation Hall. It was Thomas’ 1964 rendition of “Time Is On My Side” that inspired The Rolling Stones to record the song later that year. The Stones put out their version as a single, which became the band’s first top ten hit in America.

“In 1964, which is a very long time ago, we heard this great song on the radio by this amazing singer,” The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger noted at the Fair Grounds before Thomas emerged. “And we recorded and it became our first hit in America. The lady that did the song first, she’s the Soul Queen Of New Orleans! I’d like to bring her out on stage now to sing the song with us.”

Ronnie Wood reeled off effusive licks under Thomas’ vocals as she belted out “Time Is On My Side” at Preservation Hall. While Irma dueted with Mick Jagger at Jazz Fest, Thomas fully helmed the song during last night’s Midnight Preserves concert.

Watch footage of the Ronnie Wood/Irma Thomas/Preservation Hall Jazz Band collaboration below: