Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Crescent City Jewels
Troubadour Jass
The Marsalis family are unquestionably the first family of New Orleans Jazz. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing patriarch Ellis Marsalis in his role as guardian of the jazz tradition. Wynton and Jason have a professorial air about them. Sometimes I think they’re too centered on standing up for the art form to have fun. Branford is the most likely to be in some sort of crossover project (like playing with Sting or leading the Tonight Show Band). That leaves us with Delfeayo. Trombonist Delfeayo is the party animal of the clan. His records put fun front and center, and his latest outing with his Uptown Jazz Orchestra is a collection of well-known songs associated with the Big Easy.
For Crescent City Jewels Delfeayo enlisted some of his friends to help out. Kermit Ruffins leads the band through a spirited rendition of the Jesse Hill classic, “Ooh Poo Pah Doo.” Tonya Boyd-Cannon lends her vocals to “Summertime” and “Exactly Like You.” Big Brother Branford lends his sax prowess to “Inner Urge” and the latin-tinged “El Ultimo Cafe.”
Delfeayo said of the project, “We’re not a jazz band! We’re more like a New Orleans R&B band playing with jazz sensibilities.” They touch on a wide variety of influences and moods, but ultimately his goal is to use his big band to spread happiness and joy. They close the session with the raucous brass band favorite, “Lil Liza Jane.” What a perfect way to close out a session highlighting the spirit and positive spirit of New Orleans.
