Crescent City gold
Javier Fernandez | Richmond, California USA | 12/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Do you like New Orleans music? If so, this set is a must. Since year 2000, Mitch Woods, pianist, singer and composer from San Francisco has been working on a musical project entitled Big Easy Boogie, which pays tribute to the music of his beloved city, New Orleans. He put together original and current musicians of the Fats Domino's band, including Herb Hardesty, Reggie Houston, Jimmy Moliere, Fred Sheppard, Erwing Charles, Jr., Earl Palmer (probably the most recorded drummer in the history of American popular music), and made a recording of his own original music devoted to the Crescent City in one of its most modern studios, the Boiler Room. Eventually, the great Dave Bartholomew joined the project as trumpet player and co-producer.
Mitch, who has been studying the music of New Orleans for years, achieved this project and the result is a DVD/CD set which is a true historical document of the music of the city, and that has been called the Buena Vista Social Club version of the Crescent City. The superb CD includes 12 original compositions, featuring "Thought I Heard Satchmo Say", "Mojo Mambo", "Big Easy Boogie", the terrific instrumental boogie "Crecent City Flyer", to name just a few, and the only non original song, a great rendition of Fats Domino's "I'm ready". Guests such as Maria Muldaur, John Mooney, Charmaine Neville, Alfred "Uganda" Roberts and Tex Stephens are heard on some of the tracks. The DVD includes footage of the recording sessions, with the legendary Dave Bartholomew, live performances of the band in New Orleans during the Jazz Fest, with more guest musicians, and priceless interviews with Herb Hardesty, Earl Palmer, Mitch Woods and Cosimo Matassa, the man who, back in the 50's, recorded New Orleans icons such as Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, James Booker, Dr. John and many others such as Ray Charles, Little Richard, etc. in the historic J&M Recording of North Rampart Street.
Mitch Woods should've been included in the 2007 "Goin' Home. A Tribute to Fats Domino" 2 CD set but, incomprehensibly, he was left out while the record producers opted for big names, some of whom have very little to do with Domino's music.
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