After thirty-five years of being at the forefront of the ever-evolving musical landscape of New Orleans, Grammy Award winner Jon Cleary decided to bring that sound back home, both figuratively and literally. He assembled his Absolute Monster Gentlemen (his acclaimed all-star big band) in his home studio in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, drew up a setlist of some of his most beloved songsโ and some new favoritesโ and rolled tape.โWe set out to capture that sound in the old-fashioned way: everybody in the room, playing together,โ Cleary explains.The result is The Bywater Sessions, a musical tour-de-force that showcases the grit, funk and joy thatโs packed concert halls from New Orleans to Tokyo and beyond...
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After thirty-five years of being at the forefront of the ever-evolving musical landscape of New Orleans, Grammy Award winner Jon Cleary decided to bring that sound back home, both figuratively and literally. He assembled his Absolute Monster Gentlemen (his acclaimed all-star big band) in his home studio in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, drew up a setlist of some of his most beloved songsโ and some new favoritesโ and rolled tape.โWe set out to capture that sound in the old-fashioned way: everybody in the room, playing together,โ Cleary explains.The result is The Bywater Sessions, a musical tour-de-force that showcases the grit, funk and joy thatโs packed concert halls from New Orleans to Tokyo and beyond. Co-produced by Cleary and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Taj Mahal), itโs a stunning collection of performances that affirms Clearyโs place in the New Orleans musical vanguard.โThereโs a lot to be said for the โlean and meanโ sound of a piano trio, stripped down to basics, simple and direct,โ Cleary says. โBut recently, Iโve been experimenting with different combinations; adding horns, guitar, percussion and even another keyboard player. This expanded line-up has allowed the arrangements to blossom in new directions.โAs for the musicians, itโs the best of the best. Long time Monster Gentlemen Cornell Williams and A.J. Hall anchor the band on bass and drums, respectively. They are joined by Nigel Hall (Lettuce) on Hammond organ, Pedro Segundo (Ronnie Scottโs All Stars) on percussion, Xavier Lynn (MonoNeon, Ledisi) on guitar, and an all-star horn section of Aaron Narcisse (Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra), Charlie Halloran (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Preservation Hall All Stars) and Jason Mingledorff (Galactic).โSophisticated, nasty, good-time, low-down funk is the folk music of New Orleans,โ Cleary says. โEveryone playing on this recording is a New Orleanian by birth or by choice, having learned their craft at the feet of the masters who in turn were taught by the old lions in their day - it's a tradition stretching back over two hundred years. The roots go deep, but each generation, growing up with street parades and second-lines, absorbs the old and introduces the new, gently coaxing the essential essence into and out of each succeeding decade.โItโs an apt description of Clearyโs career thus far. Born in London and on a plane to New Orleans before he turned twenty years old, he grew up absorbed by the sounds and rhythms of the Crescent City. His mastery of the cityโs music landed him gigs playing as a session musician in the bands of local legends Earl King, Johnny Adams, Walter โWolfmanโ Washington, Snooks Eaglin, Ernie K-Doe, Jessie Hillโ and as a guitarist for Dr. John. He later toured extensively with icons like Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal. His solo career began in earnest in 1989 and includes beloved records like their self-titled band debut and his 2015 Grammy winner, Go-Go Juice. In fact, his first job in New Orleans was as a painter at beloved local club the Maple Leaf Bar, and it wasnโt long until he was playing piano in that very room. To this day, he and his band continue to pack that room to crowds that gather from around the world, playing their unique and ever-evolving take on New Orleans funk and R&B.โThese grooves are not museum pieces, they are alive, breathing and fresh - and thatโs why joints like Tipitinaโs, The Maple Leaf Bar and Chickie Wah Wah are always packed when the locals, young and old, come out to hear the Gentlemen do they thang,โ Cleary proudly adds.On The Bywater Sessions, the band that Rolling Stoneโs David Fricke called โas broad, deep and rolling as the Mississippi riverโ is finally captured as intendedโ live, in the room and as funky as ever. And with that comes an invitation from Cleary himself:โClose your eyes, imagine youโre in the room with us, me and the band, Mike Dorsey the engineer, John Porter the producer and Reed the manager. Turn it up and enjoy the experience. I hope you have as much fun listening as we did playing.โ
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