The great Jessie “Ooh-Poo-Pah-Ooo” Hill will celebrate his 62nd birthday at Tipitina’s on Friday, December 9th, with an all-star cast of family and friends that includes Ernie K-Doe, Tommy Ridgley, Robert Parker, Oliver “Who Shot the La La” Morgan, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Jean Knight, Timothea, Charles Neville, and Ms. B’s 25-voice Gospel Choir.

Jessie underwent open-heart surgery at Touro Hospital about two months ago. “Man, they sawed my chest half in two, and I’m still feeling the aftershock,” Jessie moaned. “I haven’t been able to work for some time, but I ain’t givin’ up.” If you have enjoyed his great Minit recordings like “Ooh Poo Pah Doo,” “Whip It On Me,” “Scoop Scoobey Doobey,” “Oogsey Moo,” “High Head Blues,” and “Sweet Jelly Roll,” or his magnificent Blue Thumb Records album, Naturally, please come on out to Tip’s and celebrate his birthday, or either you might consider expressing your appreciation-and your season’s greetings-by sending a cash donation to Jessie Hill.

Crescent City music lovers will be celebrating the birth of the great Henry Roeland Byrd-better known as Professor Longhair-at the Third Annual Professor Longhair Birthday Pany at the Louisiana Music Factory, 225 N. Peters in the French Quarter, between 4-6pm on Sunday, December 18th.

The annual event is sponsored by the Professor Longhair Foundation, Songbyrd, Inc., the Byrd family, and the Music Factory. Featured in performance will be pianists Henry Butler, Walter Lewis, and others to be announced-all broadcast live on WWOZ-90.7 FM. Refreshments will be served, and you can renew your membership in the Professor Longhair Foundation while you’re there. Bill Lynn, “The Singing Auctioneer,” will be on hand to auction off various keepsake items, with proceeds earmarked for the upkeep of the Professor Longhair Square memorial plaza at Napoleon & Tchoupitoulas, now scheduled to be installed as an ACNO “Percent For Art” project after work is completed on the Tchoupitoulas Corridor roadway at that location.

And speaking of birthday parties, your correspondent had the pleasure of celebrating the 69th anniversary of Tommy Ridgley’s birth (October 29, 1925) at a modest party thrown by harmonica man Rockin’ Jake. Tommy was feted by Eddie 80, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Jerry Brock and a handful of admirers including this writer and Ms. Penny Sinclair.

Blues queen Ms. louise “Blue lu” Barker celebrated her 81st (November 13, 1913) with an intimate dinner party arranged by her daughter Sylvia, the Palm Court Cafe’s Nina Buck, and Jerry Brock, who were joined by Allison Miner, WWOZ’s Lorraine Farr, trombonist Mike Johnson, and guests.

HEP’ME: Regular readers of this column may remember a rave review of the Walter “Wolfman” Washington CD titled Get On Up available as an import from England’s Charly Records. Now these same sides have been issued in a domestic release from Mardi Gras Records titled The Best of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Volume Two.

Produced by Senator Jones and originally released on lP as Leader of the Pack by Hep’Me in 1981, this CD issue is graced by Jeff Hannusch’s liner notes and a listing of the session musicians who made these records with the Wolfman-a veritable who’s who of New Orleans instrumentalists and backing vocalists.

Other welcome releases in the Best of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues series on Mardi Gras Records include:

 

• Volume One-Johnny Adams, a collection of the Tan Canary’s Hep’Me/JB’s Records singles and album cuts produced by Senator Jones in the late ’70s (prior to Johnny’s long contemporary association with producer Scott Billington and Rounder Records). Included are such gems as “Hell Yes I Cheated,” “Our Day Will Come,” “Stay With Me,” and “I’lI Never Fallin Love Again.”
• Volume Three-James Rivers, another package of late-’70s Senator Jones productions which includes both of the popular multi-instrumentalist’s albums on the JB’s Records label, Thrill Me and Ole’, and resurrects onto CD songs like “Keep It Coming,” “Second Line,” “Smokey The Funky Soprano,” and the two title tracks.
• Johnny Adams, Christmas In New Orleans-this seasonal classic is the CD version of Johnny’s fifth album, a soulful rendering of Christmas staples like “Silent Night,” “Silver Bells,” “The Christmas Song,” “Lonesome Christmas,” and the immortal Charles Brown anthem “Please Come Home For Christmas.” Holiday R&B at its very finest.
• Christmas in New Orleans: R&B,Jazz, & Gospel-Not a new release but a great Christmas compilation issued in 1992 with selections by Charmaine Neville (“Santa Baby”), Tommy Ridgley (“Silver Bells”), Big Al Carson (“The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells”), the Zion Harmonizers (“Silent Night”), WWOZ’s own Ready Teddy (“Night Before Christmas Blues”), and others. The band includes the late, great Wayne Bennett on guitar and producer. Milton Batiste on trumpet

 

MORE NEW RECORDS:

The one and only Charles Brown himself — sort of an adopted son of the Crescent City-has a brand-new Christmas album out on Bullseye Blues, along with a fantastic release for his new label, Verve Records. Both feature Charles’ well-seasoned working band with veteran tenor man Clifford Solomon and guitarist Danny Caron. Charles Brown’s Cool Christmas Blues is just about as good as it gets at holiday time, with new versions of songs Brown made famous like “Merry Christmas Baby,” “-Christmas Comes But Once A Year,” and “Please Come Home For Christmas,” plus new classics like “A Song For Christmas,” “Santa’s Blues,” and “Stay With Me.” An extra bonus is the presence of two great Billy Ward & The Dominos tunes, “Christmas In Heaven” and “Ringing In a Brand New Year.”

There’s a wonderful new holiday song, “The Saturday Night Before Christmas,” on Coco Robicheaux’s premiere recording, Spirit/and (finally in release from Carlo Ditta’s Orleans Records), but that’s not nearly the half of it. Spirit/and is a fine collection of original compositions by Mr. Coco, backed up by a stellar supporting cast which includes players like Tommy Malone, Michael Sklar, Kenny Holladay, Earl “Stereo” Stanley, Diz Watson, Spike Perkins, Jimmy Singleton, Gary Reiger, Boo laCrosse on trumpet solos, Peter Nu on steel drums, the leg-

endary Alfred “Uganda” Roberts on congas & percussions, Smoky Greenwell, Han McNee, the Roadmaster horns, violinist Nancy Buchan, and others too numerous to mention here.

Backing vocals are provided by an all-star cast including the most esteemed Ms. Geri Hall, Irene Sage, Holly Bentsen, Lenny McDaniels, and Allison Miner. Another prominent music business person, Mr. Sonny Schneidau, contributes his piano stylings on a couple cuts.

Other outstanding tunes are-well, almost everything is well worth hearing, especially “Pit Bull,” “Walk With The Spirit,” the fantastic “We Will Fly Away,” a reggae-tinged “Working Man,” and the eerie “St. John’s Eve.” An auspicious debut album for the long-suffering singer/songwriter/guitarist indeed.

Orleans Records also weighs in with a championship calibre CD by bluesman Robert Lowery,

A Good Man Is Hard To Find, produced by Carlo Ditta and the inestimable Ice Cube Slim. Great songs-including two Robert Johnson tunes, some blues chestnuts, and a handful of splendid new works by the anist. Another superfine blues gem from Mr. Lowery and Mr. Ditta. Gary Edwards’ Sound of New Orleans label has just released two glossy new products, the multi-dimensional album Choices by the (Marc) Adams-(Tracy) Griffin Project and Tara Darnell’s soulful tour-de-force, Let It Shine. Marc Adams, my homeboy from Davison, Michigan, plays keyboards for Marva Wright and writes his ass off the rest of the time, penning things like the title track, “Better Get Some,” “All Over Now,” “Talkin’ Bout Love,” and “Port in the Storm,” all of which are charged here by the composer’s power-packed vocal delivery. Trumpet man Tracy Griffin from George Porter’s Runnin’ Pardners is featured instrumentally on Freddie Hubbard’s “Backlash,” his own compositions “Emerald Dawn,” “Tenacious,” and “Indignatin’ Altercation,” and as a fresh, intelligent arranger throughout.

George Porter himself climbed aboard near the project’s completion and ended up remixing the set and capturing co-production credit for this bright package of music.

Tara Darnell essays a program of well-worn pop tunes and gospel standards, breathing (and belting) new life into things like “God Bless The Child, ” “All of Me,” “That’s All,” “Summertime” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” with her magnificent voice and shapely phrasing. Her signature track, “Let It Shine,” the pop-styled “I’ll Be Here for You,” and the closing segment, “Amazing Grace”/”Gospel Medley,” make it clear that we’ll be listening to this talented young lady for many years to come.

Pianist/composer Tom McDermott and his specially-selected Jazz Hellions are out on CD with an eponymous package on Jazzology Records which shows off the wide range and twisted intelligence of Mr. McDermott, one of our city’s most accomplished pianists. The selections careen from songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Joe Sullivan (“little Rock Getaway”) and Raymond Scott to pop standards like “Avalon,” “Once In A While,” and “I Wished on the Moon” to McDermott originals “Kermit’s Rag,” “Summer,” and “For Brenda.” There’s even a version of “They All Axed For You,” a South American number, and one of Tom’s favorites, “Let Them Talk,” done up James Booker style. The Clarence “Buckwater” Washington protege certainly sparkles and shines on this one, as he does throughout the album.

One last local product recommended to musical stocking-stuffers is the debut release by George “Nighthawk” Jackson & The Icemen, Snap Out Of It, recorded here at Chez Flames and marketed to the new Los Angeles-based label Wildcat! Records, headed by myoid friend Mike Gormley (hey Mike!). Wildcat!’s already issued good records by my pals Scott Richardson & Ray Manzarek and ex-Detroiter Catfish Hodge, and the Icemen make it three in a row with this collection of original Nighthawk compositions.

The guitarist/singer is in fine form with backing from a pair of rocking units-one is Gatemouth Brown’s rhythm section, and the other is driven by ex-Dr. John drummer Freddie Staehle.

 

BRASS BAND HEAVEN:

When you’re out looking for live music and something to eat this month, you can pretty much count on Donna’s Bar & Grill, St. Ann & Rampart Streets, to take care of both issues in a big way.

She’s got brass bands scheduled six nights a week-Pinstripes on Tuesdays, Re-Birth on Wednesdays, Li’l Rascals on Thursdays, Soul Rebels on Fridays, Treme Brass Band on Saturdays, and the cooking Algiers Brass Band on Sunday and Charlie’s got plenty barbeque happening in the kitchen. Call 596-6914 for start times because they tend to vary from night to night.

And speaking of brass bands, we’d like to thank the Money Wasters SA & PC and the Sudan Social & Pleasure Club for their superfine second-lines in Treme and the Seventh Ward last month, featuring music by the Treme Brass Band, the Li’l Rascals, and the Soul Rebels. Talk about a good time!

 

CORRECTION: Last month’s WWOZ newsletter primed some erroneous information which has caused the writer some embarrassment: the Smokin’ CD produced as a premium for Fall Fund Drive pledgers does not-for one reason or another–contain selections by Deacon John, Chuck Carbo, Ernie K-Doe, Kermit Ruffins, Al Johnson, nor the Guardians of the Flame. The actual line-up includes Eddie Bo, Carol Fran & Clarence Holliman, Sunpie & The Louisiana Sunspots, Earl King with Tommy Ridgley & The Untouchables, Ironing Board Sam, the Tony Dagradi Trio, David Torkanowsky, the Zion Harmonizers, John Sinclair & Marion Brown, Michael Ray & The Cosmic Krewe, the Chosen Few Jazz Band with Unda Young, and Jon Cleary.

Additionally, the CD was not “remixed” by Keith Keller-all the mixes were made during direct-to-DAT recording by the several original recording engineers-and the insinuation that the producer was responsible for “late production” problems resulting in tardy delivery to subscribers is, at best, misdirected. Further, affiant sayeth not.