This Saturday, April 29th, The Funk Sessions will return to Toulouse Theatre in New Orleans just in time for Jazz Fest with an all-star lineup featuring Eric Krasno (guitar, vocals; Soulive, Krasno/Moore Project), Stanton Moore (drums; Galactic, Krasno/Moore Project), Eric “Benny” Bloom (trumpet; Lettuce), Wil Blades (keyboards; Eric Krasno & The Assembly), and Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce) [get tickets].
The collaborative funk summit—which began as a monthly residency in Denver where a rotating cast of players from across the funk and jam scenes would come together to play in unique and creative lineups—promises to be one of the funkiest nights in a week jam-packed with musical festivities. In preparation for Saturday’s session, let’s take a look at some recent collaborations featuring the band’s illustrious members.
Eric Krasno initially burst onto the funk and jam scene in 1992 as a founding member of Lettuce, in which he played alongside both Eric “Benny” Bloom and Ryan Zoidis. Lately, he has been touring the country with NOLA native Stanton Moore with their Krasno Moore Project—an organ trio also featuring keyboardist Eric Finland. The band recently dropped its debut album, Book of Queens, which pays tribute to women in music with a series of instrumental covers running the gamut from Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone to Amy Winehouse and Billie Eilish.
The stripped-down trio format allows the distinctive voices of Krasno and Moore—each a world-class improvisor—to really shine without too much sonic clutter or competition for space. That said, it also leaves ample room for extra voices, and the tour has featured a number of memorable collaborations, with a different special guest joining the band at nearly every stop.
The tour began on March 10th at Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, PA, where the trio was joined by its first surprise guest, guitarist Danny Mayer of On The Spot Trio, Star Kitchen, and Eric Krasno Band for few songs in the second set. Watch the full set and check out a clip shared by Danny below.
Krasno Moore Project With Danny Mayer – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA – 3/10/23 [Full 2nd Set]
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The collabs continued during a four-night, eight-show run at New York City’s famed Blue Note Jazz Club. Jazz legend Christian McBride brought his bass on by for a jam on March 16th, the first night of the residency.
Krasno Moore Project With Christian McBride – Blue Note Jazz Club – New York, NY – 3/16/23
McBride’s sit-in was followed by a guest appearance from a musician with a fairly different musical background, Scott Metzger of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on March 19th, the final night of the trio’s Blue Note residency.
Krasno Moore Project With Scott Metzger – Blue Note Jazz Club – New York, NY – 3/19/23
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One of the only horn players to join Krasno Moore Project was Seattle saxophonist Skerik, who sat in with the band at Dimitrious Jazz Alley on April 4th. The brassy timbre of his tenor sax perfectly complemented the band’s organ-guitar-drums instrumentation and offers a preview of what to expect when the Lettuce horns join the duo along with Wil Blades.
Moore introduced Skerik to the stage with a story about inviting him to attend Jazz Fest and offering to let him crash on the floor of his “shotgun” dwelling. “Cut to like almost 25 years later, he now has his own wing in the house. … [My wife] calls him our Jazz Fest roommate.” The story is heartwarming but also a bit sad in light of Skerik’s announcement that he was forced to cancel all of his Jazz Fest appearances due to a recent injury. Heal up soon, buddy!
Krasno Moore Project With Skerik – Dimitrious Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA – 4/4/23
This ongoing series of masterful collaborations culminates this Saturday (technically early a.m. Sunday) when Krasno and Moore join forces with Wil Blades and the Lettuce horns at Toulouse Theatre for The Funk Sessions—and if these collabs are any indication, the combination of Krasno and Moore’s virtuosic chops with the addition of the eminent and expressive Blades (in the place of Eric Finland) and the brassy high end of Zoidis and Bloom are bound to produce the kind of alchemical magic you will only find in New Orleans during Jazz Fest. Click here for tickets.
This show is part of a long, varied list of concerts as part of Live For Live Music’s Fest by Nite series during New Orleans Jazz Fest 2023. The series is set to begin during weekend one of Jazz Fest with The Nth Power‘s Tribute to The Gap Band featuring members of Dumpstaphunk and more at Toulouse Theatre (Friday, 4/28, 12:30 a.m.), TAUK‘s Parliament-Funkadelic vs. Sly and the Family Stone celebration featuring Kanika Moore, Antwaun Stanley, and The Horn Section at Toulouse Theatre (Saturday, 4/29, 9:00 p.m.); SPAGA Plays Dead at Toulouse Theatre (Sunday, April 30th, 8:00 p.m.); and Maurice “MOBETTA” Brown & Friends at Toulouse Theatre (Sunday, April 30th, 1:00 a.m.).
During the “Daze Between” Jazz Fest’s two weekends, music fans in New Orleans can also take part in the fun at Daze Between New Orleans, a two-day music festival at Faubourg Brewery on Tuesday, May 2nd and Wednesday, May 3rd featuring four sets of Goose over two nights in addition to performances by Tank and the Bangas, Lawrence, Neal Francis, David Shaw, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Eggy, Melt, Honey Island Swamp Band, J & The Causeways, and The Quickening. A portion of proceeds from the Daze Between New Orleans will benefit New Orleans nonprofit organizations via Rex Foundation. Find ticketing information via the festival website.
The Fest by Nite programming will continue through the “Daze Between” and into weekend two with Daze by Nite featuring members of Lettuce, Lawrence, Dumpstaphunk, and more with Eggy at The Howlin’ Wolf (Tuesday, 5/2); The Daze Between Band at Tipitina’s (Wednesday, 5/3 – SOLD OUT); a Steely Dan Tribute featuring members of Cool Cool Cool, The Nth Power, The Motet, and more at The Howlin’ Wolf (Thursday, May 4th, 1:00 a.m.); Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper: A Tribute to Art Neville & Dr. John at The Civic Theatre (Friday, 5/5, 9:00 p.m.); two nights of The Disco Biscuits at the Mahalia Jackson Theater (Friday, May 5th and Saturday, May 6th); an LP Giobbi Dead House Dead & Company after-party at The Howlin’ Wolf with special guest Yesmann (Saturday, May 6th, 9:00 p.m.); Warship My Organs at The Howlin’ Wolf (Saturday, May 6th, 1:00 a.m.); and Purple Party: A Tribute To Prince at The Howlin’ Wolf (Sunday, May 7th, 12:00 a.m.).
Check out the gallery below for a running list of concerts included in the 2023 edition of Live For Live Music’s Fest by Nite series in New Orleans during Jazz Fest. For an updating list of announcements and ticketing details, head here. Follow Live For Live Music on social media to stay updated on new additions to the series as Jazz Fest approaches.
The post Four Unforgettable Krasno/Moore Project Collabs To Get You Grooving For The Funk Sessions [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
