photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

"Arrangers don't get noticed much. Like cinematographers, they usually fill in the structures and concepts of others: songwriters and producers, who call on arrangers to deploy horns, strings or other sounds that might unobtrusively improve a song. But people who read album credits recognize that Wardell Quezergue, a working musician since 1953, is the rare exception: an arranger whose long career reveals him as a consistent catalyst of New Orleans R&B, and not just because he shares the songwriting credit on a ubiquitous New Orleans song, "It Ain't My Fault."

At Alice Tully Hall on Sunday night [7/19], the Lincoln Center Festival allied itself with the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation -- the New Orleans record collectors-turned-promoters who find the musicians behind the obscure singles -- to present a tribute to Mr. Quezergue. His wryly understated arrangements for horn sections in particular, drawing on local parade traditions and big-band jazz, often prod, tease or talk back to a singer and a song, with a chortling layer of syncopation that has helped define New Orleans rock... [NY Times]

To quote the official linuep, the show featured "R&B icons The Dixie Cups and Robert Parker; soul greats Jean Knight, Dorothy Moore, Tammy Lynn, and Tony Owens; legendary New Orleans drummer Zigaboo Modeliste; New Orleans musician, producer, and session man Mac Rebennack (Dr. John); garage-music pioneer Michael Hurtt; plus Wardell Quezergue's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, an all-star ten-piece band led by Quezergue himself in a rare New York appearance." More pictures from the event, below...

Continue reading "Ponderosa Stomp's tribute to Wardell Quezergue @ Alice Tully Hall, NYC - pics (Dr. John, the Dixie Cups & more) "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Bo-Keys - Cracker Jack (MP3)

Wardell's Band with Robert Parker @ Ponderosa Stomp '07 in NOLA

Ponderosa Stomp is an American roots music festival that showcases the world's most authentic, vibrant rockabilly, R&B, jazz, blues, soul, funk, and swamp pop....The 8th annual Ponderosa Stomp will take place in New Orleans on April 28-29, 2009.

The Stomp is also hosting a set of dates at this year's Lincoln Center Festival 2009, which runs from July 7 through July 26, 2009 (tix on sale Friday 3/13). The Stomp @ Lincoln Center includes The Get Down: Soul/R&B evening on July 16, Best Dance in Town: Rockabilly on July 17 (both part of the Midsummer Night Swing series), and "A Tribute to Wardell Quezergue" on July 19 at the refurbished Alice Tully Hall.

The only date with details so far, "A Tribute to Wardell Quezergue," honors the songwriter and arranger known as the "Creole Beethoven" with a performance of recent Quezergue (pronounced Kuu-zair) arrangements by:

New Orleans musician, producer, and session man Mac Rebennack (Dr. John); R&B icons The Dixie Cups and Robert Parker; soul greats Jean Knight, Dorothy Moore, Tammy Lynn, and Tony Owens; legendary New Orleans drummer Zigaboo Modeliste; garage-music pioneer Michael Hurtt; plus an all-star ten piece band led by Wardell Quezergue himself in a rare New York appearance.

Those at SXSW next week can get a preview of Ponderosa Stomp at its Friday, March 20th showcase at Continental Club featuring Roy Head, Barbara Lynn, Lil buck Senegal, Classie Ballou, Huelyn Duvall, Floyd Dakil, The Silver Apples, Little Joe Washington, The Bo-Keys, The Elite, The Excels. Founder Dr. Ike Padnos - a real anesthesiologist, is also presenting a SXSW panel.

Though it doesn't mention it on the schedule, Eli Paperboy Reed will be performing with Barbara Lynn at the SXSW stomp. Eli is also playing the same SXSW venue two days earlier, and a show at The Bell House in Brooklyn this Thursday night (3/12). He's also playing a lot of other places. All tour dates below.

The Lincoln Center Festival in NYC will also host the North American premiere of a work by Philip Glass, performed by Dennis Russell Davies and Maki Namekawa as part of Two by Four with the Ruhr, four-hand and two-piano works.

Full Lincoln Center Fest '09 highlights, Eli tour dates, and a Wardell Quezergue bio, below....

Continue reading "Ponderosa Stomp in Austin SXSW & NYC for 2009 Lincoln Center Festival (full lineup) + Eli 'Paperboy' Reed touring"