Jazzy Jam Week 2010

at Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar

John Autin will be opening act at 9:00 pm, Featured performers will play beginning at 10:30 pm.

• Fri. April 23th: Don Vappie
• Sat. April 24th: Cindy Scott
• Sun. April 25th: Cherie Mannino
• Mon. April 26th: Big Daddy ‘O’
• Tues. April 27th: Leroy Jones & Tom McDermott
• Wed. April 28th: Jon Cleary
• Thurs. April 29th: Sam Broussard
• Fri. April 30th: Mitch Woods & Bill Malchow
• Sat. May 1st: Lindsay Mendez
• Sun. May 2nd: John “Papa” Gros

John Autin

Pianist, vocalist, producer, songwriter John Autin is one of New Orleans’ musical treasures. For years, John Autin has been one of New Orleans finest pianists playing or recording with Luther Kent, Marva Wright, Snooks Eaglin, Ernie K. Doe, Tommy Ridgley, Oliver Morgan, Irma Thomas, Eddie Bo, George Porter, Jr., Anders Osborne, Nora Wixted, Timothea, Grace Darling, Brian Lee, Wanda Rouzan, Al Miller, Jeff Chaz, Theresa Andersson, Irene Sage, Big Daddy ‘O’. John has also produced CD’s for many of these artists and others on the Rabadash Records label.

Don Vappie

Born in New Orleans, Don’s versatile background of playing funk, rhythm and blues, and pop music enhances his unique perspective on music and performance. In addition to his work as a producer, composer and arranger, Don has performed/recorded with Terence Blanchard, Benny Waters, Doc Cheathum, Peggy Lee and continues to be a regular guest with Wynton Marsalis and The J@LC Orchestra as well as guest artist at numerous festivals and venues worldwide.

Cindy Scott

She has walked a different path than the average jazz singer. She has a Masters in International Business and speaks German and Spanish. She lived and worked abroad for years in places like Hungary and Mexico. She and husband Bill Fernandez competed for a house on TBS’ reality TV series House Rules – and won! She moved to New Orleans just in time to lose everything to the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina. She earned her second Masters (in Jazz Studies) from the University of New Orleans, a program founded by famed educator Ellis Marsalis and now led by guitar icon Steve Masakowski. She traded a successful corporate career for the crazy life of a jazz musician – and she never looked back!

Cherie Mannino

In a city of transplants and wannabe locals, Cerie Mannino is a true New Orleans native. Born and raised in the lower Ninth Ward with the mighty Mississippi River literally in her backyard. She comes from three generations of shipbuilders and riverboat pilots. The river, the essence of the city, is in her blood. Over the past twenty years her singing career in Los Angeles and New Orleans has put her on stage backing up Rosemary Clooney, Linda Ronstadt and Keely Smith. As a solo artist Cherie has won awards at numerous jazz competitions and has performed at the NO Jazz ad Heritage Festival. Cherie’s vast and varied repertoire includes Blues, Rock, Swing, New Orleans classics, and quite a collection of burning big band arrangements, yet her true passion is Jazz. In her approach to a standard tune, a perceptive listener may catch the influence of Ella Fitzgerald, or Nancy Wilson in her clear tone and purposeful delivery. Her expressive, natural phrasings have an easy, conversational quality reminiscent of Billy Holiday or maybe Tony Bennett. Cherie headlines with various groups at music hot spots in and around New Orleans. Cherie’s vibrant singing style is a true delight for jazz fans. Cherie’s voice is powerful, yet versatile, controlled, yet never loses it’s ability to surprise, which is what makes a voice, a fine jazz voice.

Big Daddy ‘O’

Big Daddy ‘O’ is one of those rare blues finds. For more than thirty years he has been playing in roadhouses and bars in the delta area near the Louisiana/Mississippi border. Rabadash Records “discovered” Big Daddy ‘O’ playing at small bar in Amite, Louisiana. His approach to performing songs makes each song sound like his own, and everyone who has the pleasure of hearing him loves his big beautiful voice and good-natured presentation. At 6’6″, he has a strong presence on stage that no one forgets. He performs as a solo act as well as with his band, “The Big Daddy ‘O’ Revue.”

Leroy Jones & Tom McDermott

Heavily influenced by the New Orleans jazz tradition, Leroy Jones has honored his rich heritage while seeking to expand his musical repertoire. He took up trumpet when he joined his elementary school’s band. At 13, he joined guitarist Danny Barker’s Fairview Baptist Brass Band, who also taught Jones privately. He spent four years in the city’s popular St. Augustine High School Band. After graduating, he formed the Hurricane Brass Band, which along with the Fairview Band provided talent for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. He toured Canada with Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and joined Della Reese, leading to international concert tours that eventually resulted in Jones performing in Southeast Asia for a three-year stretch. Recruited by Harry Connick, Jr. for his big band, Jones was Connick’s opening act during his 1994 tour. He finally debuted to critical acclaim as a leader in 1995 with his CD Mo’ Cream From the Crop.

Tom McDermott was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 24, 1957. He soaked up that town’s ragtime heritage, learning dozens of rags and issuing an LP of originals (“New Rags”, Stomp Off Records, 1982). After earning a Master’s Degree in music from Washington University and working two years for the morning paper as a jazz and rock critic, McDermott headed downriver in 1984 to New Orleans.

In Louisiana, he has explored the styles of New Orleans masters like Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair and James Booker. As a soloist he is in demand as one of the few pianists in town comfortable with the Crescent City’s traditional jazz and R&B styles.

Jon Cleary

He is a funk and R&B musician based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is from Cranbrook in Kent, England, and has studied for the past 20 years the “musical culture and life of New Orleans,” according to his website. Cleary is an accomplished pianist, vocalist and song-writer.

Jon Cleary performs with a number of music luminaries including Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Ryan Adams, and Eric Burdon. Compositions by Cleary have been recorded by notable musicians including Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt and most recently John Scofield on his album, Piety Street.

Cleary’s current band is Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, who have two current albums. Cleary has three solo albums.

Sam Broussard

Sam Broussard was signed to Capitol Records in 1971 as part of the adventurous acoustic quartet of Louisiana boys called Manchild, which also included Bourgeois endorser David Bankston. As a teenager he shared the stage with the likes of Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee and Dave Van Ronk. He went on to do studio and roadwork with Michael Martin Murphey, Nicolette Larson, Foster and Lloyd, Jimmy Buffett and countless others during his stay in Nashville. During his Colorado days he often played with Robben Ford: “I kept up with him a few times.” In the mid-90′s he toured Europe, recording, filming and writing with million-selling franco-swiss star Stephan Eicher.

Mitch Woods & Bill Malchow

Mitch Woods is an American modern day boogie-woogie, jump blues and jazz pianist and singer. Since the early 1980s he has been touring and recording with his band, the Rocket 88s. Woods calls his music, “rock-a-boogie,” and with his backing band has retrospectively provided a 1940s and 1950s jump blues style.

Roots pianist and vocalist Bill Malchow divides his time between the Big Apple and the Big Easy which sounds about right, since his percolating, second-line style bubbles and boils with Fats Waller-style Harlem stride and the steaming New Orleans sounds of Dr. John, James Booker, Allen Toussaint, and Professor Longhair.

Lindsay Mendez

Recently signed by RABADASH RECORDS in New Orleans, Lindsay became the youngest artist (13) to ever sign with the Label. Lindsay has a very impressive resume’ at such a young age. Her National Anthem performances has landed her in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN., the New Orleans Hornets NBA Team, The New Orleans Zephyrs AAA MLB Team, and every Major college in South Louisiana, as well as private functions throughout the Southeastern United States. She has performed with such bands as Irma Thomas and the Professionals, Vince Vance and the Valiants, Bobby Cure and the Summertime Blues, The Wise Guys, Big Daddy O, Waylon Thibodeaux, and many others.

John “Papa” Gros

John “Papa” Gros‘ debut CD, Day’s End, described by Keith Spera (New Orleans Times-Picayune) as “bits of Leon Russell, Dr. John, and Little Feat plus a whole lot of John Gros” is a promisingly fresh look at New Orleans music.

Born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, Gros studied French horn and jazz piano at Loyola University. In 1996, he joined George Porter Jr.’s band, Runnin’ Pardners where he honed his New Orleans piano and organ skills, paying great homage to Dr. John and Art Neville. In 2000, John founded the all-star funk conglomerate, Papa Grows Funk.

From FRIDAY, April 23 thru SUNDAY, May 2

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