Keyboard master Davell Crawford is aiming high for the “Legends Series” that he’ll be producing at the Little Gem Saloon beginning next month. The series’ title is no exaggeration: The first confirmed show on October 11 features Irma Thomas, and he plays to get more of the highest-level New Orleans artists into the Ramp Room– which has a capacity of under one hundred, so tickets are likely to go fast.

Davell Crawford launches star-studded new series at the Gem. (Photo: Elsa Hahne)

The shows will have an informal, conversational setup with just piano and voice. Crawford will chat with the guests who’ll do a few songs along the way, spontaneous duets are more than likely and audience questions will also be taken.”It’s not only a musical performance,” Crawford told us this week. “We are going to sit and talk for a little while and in some instances, the audiences will get to engage in the conversation. We’ll be doing all of this in an hour and a half set. And it’s a big deal because a lot of these performers have not played in New Orleans for quite some time and if they have, it’s certainly an honor to see them up close and personal in such a small venue. You’ll learn a bit of history and you’ll hear some great music. A big part of this series for me is informing the audience about my guests, giving them a look at some of my artist friends’ lives.”

The shows will happen the second Thursday of every month, check littlegemsaloon.com for updates. So far Jean Knight and recent White House honoree Carol Fran have been booked for future sessions, and some other New Orleans giants– think of keyboard players with careers going back to the ’60s– are likely to follow suit. “I’ve spoken to a lot of my friends in music and they all want to be a part of this,” Crawford said.