New Orleans is arguably the mecca of music in America. A cultural melting pot, the Crescent City has been at the forefront of various musical styles and evolutions, including ragtime, jazz, blues, funk, brass band/second line, Afro-Cuban, rhythm & blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and more since the late 1800s. Being one of the main port cities of early America, the diversity of cultures from the West Indies, Africa, Cuba, and Latin American led to a literal musical gumbo of sorts, if you will—influence upon influence upon influence coalescing into something that is strictly NOLA.
This fall, three generations of local legends are coming together to present Take Me To The River New Orleans, a musical performance celebrating the musical culture, heritage, and legacy of The Big Easy, which will make its way to New York City’s Sony Hall on Thursday, October 25th (purchase tickets here).
The tour will precede the Martin Shore documentary Take Me To The River New Orleans (the follow-up to 2014’s Take Me To The River Memphis), which examines the rich, deep history of New Orleans music, its evolution, and the many iconic musicians that have graced the world stage. The musicians taking part in this historic performance consist of Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan and Ian Neville (descendants of the royal Neville bloodline), iconic bassist George Porter Jr. of The Meters, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Lost Bayou Ramblers Duo, the 79ers Gang, and Terence Higgins. For any true music fan, this is a can’t-miss performance.
Take Me To The River – New Orleans Live! Trailer
[Video: National Show 2]
Also coming to the recently opened Sony Hall will be a two-night run on October 11th and 12th from The Revolution, Prince’s original band (purchase tickets here). Formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979 by the Purple One himself, The Revolution became one of the most successful acts of the 1980s, selling over 16 million albums with the help of #1 albums such as Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day. With the sudden and unfortunate passing of their legendary friend, the group played several hometown shows at First Avenue in honor of Prince. The show continues to go on, and The Revolution will head to NYC for a celebration of the power of music and the spirit of love.
An obviously difficult and emotional decision to return to the stage after the passing of Prince, guitarist and vocalist Wendy Melvoin explains, “We’ve been really quiet, and we did that consciously because we were grieving and didn’t want to be disrespectful. But the fans wanted the chance to feel the energy so we just want to give it back letting them experience what we were as a band for Prince.”
Drummer Bobby Z. relates, “Prince said that music is medicine. … People need it, and we need it, and we can make it as authentic as we can. In honor of him, we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
The Revolution (ft. Stokley Williams) – “When Doves Cry” – 4/28/17
[Video: cmputrbluu]
Tickets for both Take Me To The River on Thursday, October 25th, and The Revolution’s two-night run on October 11th and 12th are currently on-sale. Check out the links below for ticket and event information. For additional information and event updates, join the FB Event pages.
October 11th – The Revolution: Tickets / FB Event
October 12th – The Revolution: Tickets / FB Event
October 25th – Take Me To The River: Tickets / FB Event
The post The Music Of New Orleans & Prince To Be Celebrated At New York City’s Sony Hall This October appeared first on L4LM.
