Almanac Music: The New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers

I’ve been fortunate during my USA trips to  attend the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and witness so many greats of the music world perform on the stages at Jazzfest. Equally, I’ve received great pleasure attending the plethora of small clubs and venues around the French Quarter taking ‘pot luck’ on who’s playing. Many I’d never heard of, some I had a vague knowledge of, and then of course there’s the well known. I’ve never been let down by any of the performers with many becoming firm favourites.  Many stars of the musical world love playing these small clubs and many do it anonymously or with little fanfare appreciating the opportunity to get back to their musical roots. On my last visit to New Orleans some members from our tour group were at a half filled Chickee Wah Wah’s for Jon Cleary’s show. Lo and behold, Tom Jones wanders in, has a listen then joins Cleary for a few songs. What a treat! And that’s the sort of thing that happens in places like New Orleans.

Some of my favourites I’ve seen in the clubs now make up the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers.  In 2008, Luther & Cody Dickinson sat down for a guitar jam with  Jimbo Mathus,  Blues greats Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart and their father, the late Memphis pianist and producer Jim Dickinson. They gathered for a blues session where they all sat in one big circle in the studio and played quietly amongst the microphones, taking turns singing  and improvising on the spot over a couple of late nights. The result was ‘New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers: Vol 1′.

Have a listen to “Blues Why You Worry Me?”