Saturday, July 26, 2025

Jon Cleary - The Bywater Sessions

Album: The Bywater Sessions
Size: 97,4 MB
Time: 41:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Funk/Soul/R&B mix
Art: Front

1. So Damn Good (4:12)
2. Zulu Coconuts (4:12)
3. Fessa Longhair Boogaloo (6:14)
4. Uptown Downtown (3:18)
5. Bin A Lil' Minit (3:02)
6. Just Kissed My Baby (5:47)
7. Boneyard (3:27)
8. Lottie Mo (4:05)
9. Pickle For A Tickle (3:28)
10. Unnecessarily Mercenary (4:02)

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 songs - and some new favorites - and rolled tape."We set out to capture that sound in the old-fashioned way: everybody in the room, playing together," Cleary explains.

The result is The Bywater Sessions, a musical tour-de-force that showcases the grit, funk and joy that's packed concert halls from New Orleans to Tokyo and beyond. Co-produced by Cleary and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Taj Mahal), it's a stunning collection of performances that affirms Cleary's place in the New Orleans musical vanguard."There's a lot to be said for the 'lean and mean' sound of a piano trio, stripped down to basics, simple and direct," Cleary says. "But recently, I've 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."

As for the musicians, it's 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 Scott's 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).

"Sophisticated, nasty, good-time, low-down funk is the folk music of New Orleans," Cleary says. "Everyone 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." /Blues Music Store

The Bywater Sessions mc
The Bywater Sessions gofile

8 comments:

daba said...

Thanks Rooster! 🤙💙🎼😎

Smokey said...

Thanks for the New Orleans music. Love it.

Happymonk said...

Thank you Rooster. Happy Sunday!

Red Rooster said...

You're most welcome Daba, Smokey and Happymonk, glad you guys enjoyed the post. Thank you all for your comments, they are appreciated.

Maxims said...

Thank you for your post Red Rooster !

Red Rooster said...

You're most welcome Maxims, glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for your comment, it's appreciated.

collective cy said...

Excellent post! Thanks.

Red Rooster said...

You're most welcome Collective Cy, glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for your comment, it's appreciated.