STLBlues Reviews :: A New Orleans weekend

By Kim "Fest Junkie" Welsh

John Mooney

It was rainy, windy, mucky, and cold the first two days, but finally I had the pleasure of getting my “Fest Fix.” Sunday, November 1st was worth the wait…With perfect weather under majestic old live oak trees in City Park, the eleventh annual “Ritual” Voodoo Music Experience had more than 100 music acts which were quite a "musical gumbo," including down-home blues, Mardi Gras Indians, Cajun music, zydeco, New Orleans R&B, local bands not easily pigeon-holed into any genre, “Carney Rock/Theatre,” burlesque, and brass band jazz/second line.

The festival has grown steadily in attendance, drawing more than 100,000 fans in recent years. Since its 1999 debut on Halloween weekend, Voodoo has called New Orleans home. Voodoo had humble beginnings as a one day festival in Tad Gormley Stadium. The following year expanded to two days and brought Voodoo to the attention of music fans from around the world to worship the music. The wide-ranging line-up of talent each year reflects the multitude of cultures (some quite bohemian) that define New Orleans while showcasing the music, arts, and cuisine that makes our city unique. It also has several large-scale art installations with interactive features, making the Fest a less flammable rival to Burning Man’s creative indulgences. I have included pictures of the Flaming Lips (good eye candy; not my choice of ear candy,) Fleur de Tease burlesque troupe, and Lenny Kravitz in addition to the bluesy performers mentioned.

John Mooney has developed one of the most distinctive and easily identifiable guitar and vocal signatures of anyone alive today. John left home at 15 and began playing with Joe Beard, who introduced him to the first and most enduring influence on the development of Mooney’s music, the legendary Delta blues singer, Ed “Son” House. Impressed by the 16 year old musician’s talent, Son and John soon became friends. Mooney cites Son’s heavily rhythmic style having a strong influence on him. In fact, the way Mooney adapts acoustic playing to a modern electric format is one of his most distinctive trademarks.

In 1976, John moved to New Orleans and immersed himself in the vibrant music scene. John regularly played with the likes of Earl King, The Meters, Snooks Eaglin, and the man who was to influence his music greatly, the father of New Orleans piano, Professor Longhair. John successfully combined the sounds of the delta with the syncopated rhythms of the Crescent City to create the style that has become uniquely his own.

Since 1981 he has been touring with his group, the Bluesiana Band, performing throughout the U.S., Canada, Panama, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Over the years, John and his band have earned a musical reputation that have gained them invitations to play at numerous folk, jazz, and blues festivals, including the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Newport Folk Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, and a yearly appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
JJ Grey’s songs range from raw funk to deep soul, blues, and rock and his band Mofro delivers! JJ Grey’s songs blend front porch realism with the best musical and literary traditions of the South. In true storytelling fashion, Grey’s soulful vocals are commanding and seemingly wise beyond his years.

From gritty funk and juke joint romps to contemplative country soul and blistering rockers, Grey’s music is both contemporary and classic. Now, with his latest release, Orange Blossoms, JJ Grey shows how his songs speak to people all over the world and how far-reaching his Floridian Southern roots can spread.

Under a full moon, Robert Randolph and the Family Band ended the evening by first playing guitar and then the “sacred steel” he learned while playing at the House of God Church in Orange, New Jersey. The band now tends to lean toward soul, rock, gospel, and funk but in earlier recordings such as his 2003 Grammy nominated Unclassified, there are definite blues roots and influences. He is a great showman and a virtuoso on pedal steel who is best seen in concert to be appreciated. He invited all the ladies in the crowd watching him to dance on stage during his rendition of “Hip Shake”. Earlier in the night Randolph and the Family Band played tribute to Michael Jackson with spot-on, lyric-free renditions of “Thriller” and “Wanna Be Starting Something” while, with the help of Randolph’s younger sister on vocals, converted “Man in the Mirror” into a funky new song all its own.

Kim