Fat Tuesday’s Most Appropriate New Album POSTED:: February 12, 2010
FILED UNDER::
General
FILED UNDER:: General
words by Dwellephant
Of the many celebrations happening this coming Fat Tuesday, none is more compact and portable (and for a good cause) than the one the Preservation Hall Jazz Band are throwing:
Preservation: An album to benefit Preservation Hall & the Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program
Incredibly long subtitle, sure. But it saved me from having to write a summary paragraph, so thanks for that, too, Preservation Hall Jazz Band!
Essentially, it’s a collaborative effort, pairing the legendary torch-bearers of New Orleans Sound with an eclectic (to say the least) batch of vocalists. We’re talking 21 different people singing over New Orleans classics (if you buy the standard CD or vinyl LP. Deluxe CD gets you an additional six tracks). There are only a few missteps, in my opinion, but I’m not in the business of naming names. At least not bad ones.
The good, however, I’ll call out with no hesitation. My favorites? Andrew Birdstepping back into his Bowl of Fire days for an excellent rendition of “Shake It And Break It”. Tom Waits doing “Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing”. Angelique Kidjo with Terence Blanchard together on “La Vie En Rose”. And the best surprise? Ani DiFranco seeming right at home over a fantastic version of “Freight Train”. (It never occurred to me how perfect her voice is for this music. She should do more of it.).
You can view the tracklisting here, and listen to the entire thing a la streaming audio player here. But I encourage all of you with the means to purchase this album. It benefits one of the best things American music has going for it, and a program to keep that best thing alive.
And for the still-unconvinced-despite-my-powerful-words, here’s a sweet little video for you, too: