“SJI” back-to-back live by Preservation Hall and friends

Here’s an entertaining, if incomplete, snippet of video from Voodoo Fest, via Brooklyn Vegan. It’s a double version of “SJI” performed by Preservation Hall, with assists from My Morning Jacket members. The clip starts fairly deep into version one, with guest vocals by Jim James, who as noted here previously does a turn on the [...]

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Baby Boyz

Red Cotton on the Gambit’s blog writes: Leaving Jazz Fest yesterday, I ran into one of my favorite bands The Baby Boyz playing at Stallings Park. I’ve been watching these proteges of trombonist Glen David Andrews for two years now and I’m increasingly impressed by their talent and stage presence. Well, what are the options [...]

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Gordon Gano’s “SJI”?

A brief note about a version of “SJI” I would like to have heard, despite the description. This NYT writeup concerns a band called Delta Spirit, performing at Piano’s, in New York. At Pianos the group briefly featured guest vocals by Gordon Gano, formerly of the Violent Femmes, whose take on warped Americana bears some [...]

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Stream-able Touissaint live set on NPR

In a May 20th set at the Village Vanguard, Touissaint plays a bunch of material from Bright Mississippi. The band for the gig includes Don Byron, Christian Scott, Marc Ribot, David Piltch, and Jay Bellerose. “SJI” comes up pretty early — about 12 minues into the nearly hour-and-a-half set. Joe Henry (who produced Bright Mississippi) [...]

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“SJI” & ballet

A writeup from Ohio State publication UWeekly.com praises a collaboration of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and BalletMet for a performance called “Jazz Moves Take 2,” which the writer says “explores all the different ways that jazz in all its various forms and dance can come together.” A highlight, apparently, is a piece called “Bourbon Street:” [...]

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If you’re in Seattle…

… you might consider checking out the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, apparently performing five shows at Benaroya Hall, starting January 22 (tonight). NOJO is led by Irvin Mayfield, one of the city’s preeminent modern trumpet stars. This spirited, swinging, 16-piece band is steeped in the tradition of New Orleans jazz, blues, swing and spirituals, and [...]

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Folk music then and now (and next)

More of our ongoing Q&A series with Robert W. Harwood soon, but meanwhile, it so happens that Mr. Harwood sent along a link of interest. It’s a YouTube video that’s below, but before I get to it, a little context on why I found it particularly intriguing. Way back in April, The New Yorker published [...]

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Glenn David Andrews & Danny Barker: Two takes

Made one of my periodic YouTube checks over the weekend, and found this video of an entertaining performance apparently recorded at Voodoo Fest, by the Paul Sanchez and the Rolling Road Show — with Glenn David Andrews taking the vocals. New Orleans trombonist Andrews, cousin of James Andrews and Troy (Trombone Shorty) Andrews, seems to [...]

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New version review: Cassandra Wilson

So I noted a while back that Cassandra Wilson had started performing “SJI” live, and had recorded a version for her album Loverly. Well that’s been out for a little while now, and I finally bought the song (and so far one other tune from Loverly). Her “SJI” is definitely a keeper. The version on [...]

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White Stripes live take

Well, this isn’t much of a video, but a somewhat interesting live version of The White Stripes’ take on “SJI.” Differs from the recorded version in just how heavy Jack White gets on the guitar. He does some nice stuff — going even weirder on the lyrics than he does in the band’s studio version, [...]

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