Deacon John's Jump Blues: Music from the Film (CD)

You get a taste of Deacon John here...just a smidgen of what its like to hear him with his full band. I heard him this year at Jazz fest in New Orleans and he was awesome. It is an act that is hard to describe. He has a huge amount of energy. You really have to see the costume changes, dancing and continuous kinetic movement to fully enjoy this guy. I wish he had more on CD, especially with Wanda Rouzan, a jazz singer who frequents his stage in New Orleans.

DEACON JOHN’S: JUMP BLUES DVD Soundtrack-Image Entertainment Sterling One The unparallel musical treasury of New Orleans has created a dilemma of riches. To open that soulful treasure chest is to be blinded by a visible layer of jewels, of gems, of a bright and shining bounty that dazzles the lucky listener. But this chest is thick, it is packed tight with booty all the way side to side and through out. Beyond the visible ambassadors like Prof. Longhair, Dr. John, sundry Nevilles, Meters, Fats, various Marsallises, there is a thick strata of greatness, not widely known outside the borders of the Crescent City. Many N.O musicians have made fulfilling lives without the touring, the vagaries of record deals, the wear and tear on the body and spirit that often accompanies a famous status. Local following, the peace of living amid familiar surroundings, taking a role in a living history of a blessed musical destiny, all contribute to many of these masters, who choose to say home and define their own success, by their peace of mind. New Orleans is one of the few places in the world that can support this artistic possibility. A prime progenitor is the visionary Deacon John Moore. Deacon is a pioneering guitarist, arranger, singer and musical mentor throughout decades. He has earned an honored chair, and has a reputation for being a man who can make the phone call, set up the meeting and deliver the message. JUMP BLUES is a valuable primer for the uninitiated, and for the faithful, it is an affirmation of the genius beneath the hype. Deacon plays guitar on most tracks, (he played rhythm on the Toussaint, Lee Dorsey masterpiece, Working on a Coal Mine) and contributes most vocals here, though this is not always clear from the liner notes. The CD Also features top of the line performances from Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, as well as lesser known artists like Teddy Boutte contributing a hot but demure rendition of Piece of my Heart, and the Zion Harmonizers who work the same holy territory explored by the Soul Stirrers, The Pilgram Travelers and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama. But it is clearly the Deacon’s masterful interpretations that set this collection apart from numerous other compilations. His tasteful, restrained and passionate vocals on Nobody Knows You When you’re Down and Out , the cover of Shirley and Lee’s Let The Good Times Roll, and the naughty but nice, I Didn’t Want to Do It, and a breathtaking rendition of Tipatina are all worth the price of admission. Deacon John’s Jump Blues and this revival of the R and B of the late forties and early fifties are long overdue. It has become a low profile, but still essential part of one of our greatest musical legacies.