Uncle T, my brother and our down-south connection, attended part of this year’s New Orleans Jazz Festival. We’ll have a couple of posts covering the acts that he saw. Alt-gramma signing off and turning it over to Uncle T:

2009 New Orleans Jazz Festival – Friday April 24

I arrived just prior to the gates opening, and decided to situate myself in the Blues Tent to catch the Roy Rogers set before heading to the larger outdoor Gentilly Stage to catch Spoon’s headlining set.

Rockin’ Tabby Thomas – Blues Tent [11:15am]:

Rockin’ Tabby Thomas, right
Set review:
I caught part of this nice set of rocking swamp blues by Baton Rouge blues legend Tabby Thomas. The band included Chris Thomas King (Tabby’s son) on lead guitar. Chris was in the movie “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?”
Rockin’ Tabby Thomas’ Website

Chris Thomas King

Spencer Bohren – Blues Tent [12:20pm]:
Set review:
Nice solo set of spiritual-leaning blues by Spencer Bohren, who sang and played pedal steel, lap steel and acoustic slide guitars. He began the set with the old spiritual song “Wade in the Water”. His set also included his somber post-Katrina New Orleans tribute “The Long Black Line.”
Spencer Bohren: The Long Black Line
Spencer Bohren’s Official Website

Ladysmith Red Lions of South Africa – Blues Tent [1:30pm]:

Set review:
Nice set by this group of nine African singers, which was both entertaining and uplifting.

Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings – Blues Tent [2:40pm]:

Roy Rogers in the slide zone
Set review:
Slide guitarist extraordinaire Roy Rogers and his excellent band (Steve Ehrmann on bass and Billy Lee Lewis on drums) put on a wonderfully energetic set from start to finish. Roy played such amazing guitar solos that lots of people begin crowding to the front of the stage, causing the ushers much frustration since they were supposed to be seated. For the last third of the set pianist Marcia Ball sat in, contributing nice boogie-woogie frills to the on-going blues stomps. This was such a great set, I had to stay until it finished. The crowd really loved this band and gave it a deserved standing ovation after their final song.

Steve Ehrmann, bass
Set List included:
• Calm Before The Storm
• Patron Saint of Pain
• River Of Tears
• Bitter Rain
• Terraplane Blues
• Baby, Please Don’t Go
• Shake Your Moneymaker
Roy Rogers’ Official Website

Filed under: New Orleans Jazz Festival 2009, Uncle T, concert, Ladysmith Red Lions of South Africa, Rockin' Tabby Thomas, Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings, Spencer Bohren

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