photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Dr. Ike

"Before Kansas City was recorded by everyone from the Beatles to Peggy Lee, the song was first released in 1952 as K.C. Loving by an obscure Houston pianist named Little Willie Littlefield.

The single became a regional hit in the Los Angeles area, where Littlefield was recording for Federal Records, but it would be up to Wilbert Harrison, Trini Lopez, James Brown and Hank Ballard to turn Kansas City into a top 25 hit on the national pop and R&B charts. Littlefield remained a fascinating, mysterious footnote to pop-music history.

The annual Ponderosa Stomp festival in New Orleans exists to bring such footnotes to life. This showcase for the semi-legends of rockabilly, blues and R&B was founded eight years ago by Ira Padnos, a local anesthesiologist and record collector who goes by the moniker of Dr. Ike and favors thrift-shop fezzes and Indian headdresses atop his unruly bush of dark curls. His extravaganza has grown from a local bar to this year's two-night stand at the French Quarter's House of Blues, with 37 sets spread out over two stages.

And so, on Tuesday, the first day of the eighth-annual Ponderosa Stomp, there was the 77-year-old Littlefield, dressed in a dark-blue brocade blazer and grinning with delight beneath his comb-over." [Jazz News]

The Stomp is coming to Lincoln Center in July. More pictures from Day One of this year's New Orleans fest, Howard Tate (who has a NYC date of his own coming up) included, below...

Continue reading "the 2009 Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans - Day 1 in pics "

The Sadies @ Big Apple BBQ 2008 (more by Chris La Putt)

The Seventh Annual Snapple Big Apple Barbecue Block Party returns to Madison Square Park June 13-14, 2009, from 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM...Admission to the event is free.

Remember how Lucero is touring and will be in the area with a show at Maxwell's on June 12th? Ends up there's also a NYC date. Lucero is headlining the Big Apple BBQ's first day on Saturday, June 13th (one day after the Maxwell's show). The show is free, but if you prefer Maxwell's, tickets for that one are still on sale.

The Sunday headliner for the Big Apple BBQ will be country guitarist and singer Junior Brown. Full lineup and all of Junior's summer tour dates are below.

The lineup for last year's Big Apple BBQ included Alex Battles & the Whisky Rebellion, Eli "Paper Boy" Reed, and the Sadies.

This year's fest will also have panel discussions scheduled throughout the day. Presentations include "What is it About Men and Meat and Midnight and a Pit?" and "Mutton: The Movie." OK, we really only like this festival for the music.

Full BBQ fest lineup details (Howard Tate included), and all Junior Brown tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Big Apple BBQ Block Party - 2009 music lineup includes Lucero (after Maxwell's) & Junior Brown (all tour dates) "