Tuesday, March 31, 2009

NEW ORLEANS PRESERVATION, VOL. 1 - Order it now!

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans is proud to announce the release of their brand new recording, New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1. Recorded January 20-22 in the hallowed venue from which they derive their name, this exciting new CD features the stellar multi-generational lineup currently represented in their extensive international touring schedule. Boasting an impressive collection of classic gems of traditional New Orleans jazz as sung by Charlie Gabriel, Mark Braud, Walter Payton, and Clint Maedgen, this album faithfully reproduces all the energy and spirit that has made this all-star lineup an international sensation for almost fifty years. Available at retailers throughout New Orleans, online at PreservationHall.com, and at any of the group’s hundred-plus yearly tour dates, New Orleans Preservation, Volume 1 is living proof that Traditional New Orleans Jazz is alive and well in the Crescent City and beyond.

-CLICK THIS LINK TO ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!-

Check out these 14 amazing tracks!
1. Short Dressed Gal
First recorded by Sam Morgan’s Jazz Band in 1927, this swinging version features vocals by Clint Maedgen and a lively call and response chorus.
2. Sweet Substitute
Originally recorded by Jelly Roll Morton and subsequently revisited by dozens of artists over the years, this version features the sweet vocals of senior PHJB member and fourth-generation New Orleans musician Charlie Gabriel.
3. El Manicero
Originally introduced to the PHJB repertoire by Billie and Dede Pearce, El Manicero represents a New Orleans take on a traditional West Indian street vendor’s market song and features Charlie Gabriel’s playful clarinet over a gentle afro-caribbean harmony.
4. Sugar Blues
Previously recorded for 2005’s The Hurricane Sessions CD, this revisitation features band leader Mark Braud performing the vocals and trumpet parts formerly laid down by his uncle, former band leader John Brunious, Jr.
5. Chocko Mo Feel No Hey
Based on the popular chant of the Mardi Gras Indians, and featuring lyrical call and response between Charlie Gabriel and the rest of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, “Chocko Mo Feel No Hey” is a wonderful example of a classic New Orleans street song that blends dark lyrics with a joyous melody.
6. Halloween
An homage to the seasonal change that brings cooler weather to the streets of New Orleans after every sweltering summer, “Halloween” is an original composition by Clint Maedgen.
7. Tailgate Ramble
Another lively New Orleans classic with vocals by Charlie Gabriel, the lyrics of “Tailgate Ramble" reference the old-school practice of musicians who would advertise their nightly gigs by driving around and playing their music from the back of pickup trucks on the night of their show.
8. Blue Yodel No. 9
Originally recorded by Jimmy Rodgers and Louis Armstrong, this ballad of a French Quarter hustler sung by Clint Maedgen is a tribute to one of the earliest American recordings to feature interracial players.
9. Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
This rollicking PHJB show-stopper features the vocal stylings of enigmatic bass player Walter Payton. A staple of the PHJB touring production, the live performance traditionally features a one-man kick-line that must be seen to be believed.
10. I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire
A personal favorite of Preservation Hall founders Allan and Sandra Jaffe, the PHJB tribute to this Ink Spots classic features piano by Rickie Monie, vocals by Clint Maedgen, and the charming spoken back-up vocals of Walter Payton.
11. Tiger Rag
It has been said of this high-energy traditional New Orleans rag that it began its life as a French minuet. Boasting a three-key progression common to that earlier structure, this New Orleans interpretation features the roaring trombone of Freddie Lonzo and vocals by Mark Braud.
12. Westlawn Dirge
Recorded in part as a tribute to the Olympia Brass Band, the famous New Orleans marching band with whom many standing members of the PHJB have played over the years, “Westlawn Dirge” exemplifies the pre-burial tradition of the mournful brass band parade song characteristic to a New Orleans jazz funeral.
13. What A Friend
A hundred-year-old selection from the Baptist hymnal, “What A Friend” follows “Westlawn Dirge” on this album as a tribute to the second-line, post-burial celebratory segment of a New Orleans jazz funeral and is a wonderful example of the New Orleans tradition of adapting religious tunes into a street-friendly format.
14. Ice Cream
Sweet and fun, this crowd-pleasing sing-along led by Mark Braud also appears on the very first PHJB recording, Sweet Emma and her Preservation Hall Jazz Band, from 1964.

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