Media Contact:
Emily Reimsnyder
Bond Moroch
emilyr@bondmoroch.com
504.613.0005
Carver Theater Presents ...
Jon Cleary Trio ft. Cornell Williams (bass), A.J. Hall (drums), Derwin "Big D" Perkins (guitar)
Support: Cha Wa
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Doors: 9:00 pm CT
Show: 10:00 pm CT
Tickets: Purchase HERE
$15 GA, $25 VIP
Carver Theater Presents ...
Bobby Rush
Support: Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Friday, March 24, 2017
Doors: 8:00 pm CT
Show: 9:00 pm CT
Tickets: Purchase HERE
$20 GA, $75 VIP
Born in England and bred in New Orleans, Jon Cleary is a triple threat, combining soulful vocals, masterful piano skills, and a knack for composing infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics. He balances a career performing on solo piano, with his noted funk band, and alongside a career as a notorious hired gun with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and John Scofield. Cleary is featured on vocals and keyboards on Piety Street by John Scofield & The Piety Street Band. Cleary has toured with Bonnie Raitt since 1999, and has appeared on the albums Silver Lining and Souls Alike. On these recordings, Raitt covered the Cleary originals, "Fool's Game,""Monkey Business,""Unnecessarily Mercenary," and "Love on One Condition."
Cleary has produced over five recordings to date including his latest, a live recording from Sydney, Australia called Mo Hippa, which features a mix of the styles that inform the New Orleans' sound -- from island rhythms, to soul-drenched funk jams. Prior to this he released Pin Your Spin (2004), Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (2002), Moonburn (1999), and Alligator Lips & Dirty Rice (1994). Cleary has a long list of recording credits with artists such as Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, India Arie, and Ryan Adams. In 2012, Jon released Occapella, which is described by Jon as "Having fun with the songs of Allen Toussaint."
With the GRAMMY®Award Winning GoGo Juice on FHQ Records, New Orleans funk master Jon Cleary returned to the hard driving, soulful, and funky pop tunes that have brought him critical acclaim since his 1999 album Moonburn. Beyond Cleary's considerable skills as a tunesmith he is equally renowned around the globe as an accomplished keyboardist and guitarist, and a deeply soulful vocalist. Cleary's thirty-five years of intensive hands-on work on the Crescent City scene has made him a respected peer of such New Orleans R&B icons as Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. Toussaint, in fact, took time from his busy schedule to write most of the horn arrangements for GoGo Juice. In addition to the Toussaint touch, GoGo Juice bursts, full flavor, with expert accompaniment by some of New Orleans' top session men -including fellow keyboardist and vocalist Nigel Hall, and the Dirty Dozen horns- along with members of Cleary's band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and the veteran production skills of GRAMMY® Award-winning producer John Porter.
While thoroughly steeped in the classic Crescent City keyboard canon-from Jelly Roll Morton to Fats Domino to Art Neville, James Booker, and beyond-Cleary uses that century's worth of pianistic brilliance as a point of departure to forge his own unique and eclectic style. "I love New Orleans R&B, " Cleary explains. "I'm a fan, first and foremost. But there's little point in just going back and re-recording the old songs. I think the greatest New Orleans R&B records are the ones that built on what went before but also added something new. By writing new songs you get to channel all the music you absorb through your own individual set of filters-and the fun is in seeing what comes out. Funk is the ethnic folk music of New Orleans, and I wanted to infuse thisalbum with a sound that was true to the city I love."
Cleary has returned to the studio and is currently working on his latest project set to release later in 2017.
To Bobby Rush's innumerable fans, he is an American music icon, a legendary showman, a King of the Chitlin Circuit, and perhaps the most vital living Southern musician to have started his career on the Chicago blues scene in the 1950s. Not only has he made unforgettable contributions to the blues world but also to funk, soul, and a genre he's credited as creating: folk-funk. His new Rounder Records release, Porcupine Meat, will further enhance the legend of this Blues Hall of Fame inductee, three-time GRAMMY® nominee, and 10-time Blues Music Award winner. It will also be an overdue revelation for the uninitiated, for it shows Rush, at age 82, at the peak of his powers as a singer, songwriter, harmonica player, and, above all, an entertainer. Produced by GRAMMY® winner Scott Billington, Porcupine Meat features all-new compositions that range from the down-and-dirty funk of "I Don't Want Nobody Hanging Around" and the playful double entendre of "Catfish Stew", to the deep blues of "Got Me Accused" and the slippery R&B of the title track (about the charms of an otherwise malicious lover). Guest guitar soloists include Dave Alvin, Joe Bonamassa, Keb' Mo', and Vasti Jackson. At a time when Southern soul music is having a comeback, Bobby Rush has never gone away, nor has he ever lost his relevance. This is how it is done.
For more information on Jon Cleary and Bobby Rush and to purchase tickets to each show at the Carver Theater, visit www.CarverTheater.org.
About the Carver Theater
Named after George Washington Carver, the Carver Theater was built in 1950 in the New Orleans historic neighborhood of Tremé. At the time, the Carver was considered state-of-the-art and hailed as America's finest theater for African American patrons. In 2006, the theater suffered extensive damage from the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Following an $8 million renovation, Carver was able to be restored to its original glory and reopened in 2014. The theater is now included on the National Register of Historic Places. The Carver now boasts a unique combination of history, character and high-tech, modern amenities suitable for all audiences during any occasion.
www.Facebook.com/CarverTheater
www.Instagram.com/HistoricCarver
www.Twitter.com/Carver_Theater
FREE E-NEWSLETTER
