JAZZ IN MARCIAC

Just back from the "Jazz in Marciac" festival in southwest France. Founded 35 years ago by the local mayor, Jean-Louis Guilhaumon, this annual event in a small village of 1,100 souls has become one of Europe's major jazz festivals, drawing a quarter of a million visitors over a two week period. Headliners this year included Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr., Sonny Rollins, Lucky Peterson, Bobby McFerrin, Esperanza Spalding, Joshua Redman, and Diana Reeves, among others.
     The big name artists all performed under a 5,000-seat tent, while a stage set up in the town square hosted the so-called "Off Festival" acts. That's where I performed on August 14th and 15th with a hand-picked group of Europe-based musicians under the name of the "Tommy Sancton New Orleans Swing Sextet." The band consisted of trumpeter Jerome Etcheberry (France), bassist Mathias Allamane (France), drummer Guillaume Nouaux (France), trombonist and vocalist Paddy Sherlock (Ireland), guitarist David Blenkhorn (Australia, now living in France) and myself (New Orleans) on clarinet.

Tommy Sancton New Orleans Swing Sextet at Marciac

The idea was to play New Orleans-inspired music without trying to adhere strictly to the "trad" style. The use of an electric guitar in place of a piano helped give the band a somewhat freer, more modern sound. Each musician brought his own ideas and stylistic approach to the mix. I found the resulting music fresh and exciting and hope to do some more festival work with this group next year. Off stage, the band had a great time eating the local culinary specialties—foie gras, cassoulet, confit de canard, etc.—and jamming in some of the little bars near the square.

GROOVIN' ON 'OZ

What a kick. This morning pianist Lars Edegran and myself were guests on Tom Morgan's traditional jazz show on WWOZ from 10:30 to 11:00. We talked a bit about how we got into the jazz business--Lars via Stockholm, Sweden, and myself via Preservation Hall in the 60s--and flagged some future events we will be taking part in. Among them, the Tennessee Williams Festival, during which we are putting on a presentation called "The Making of a Jazzman," featuing drummer Jason Marsalis, bassist Kerry Lewis and trombonist Ronell Johnson in addition to Lars and myself. That will take place on Sunday, March 28, 1 pm, at the Palm Court, 1206 Decatur. Also some Jazzfest appearances (I have two sets in Economy Hall on Friday, April 23).

The other big event I was happy to talk about is a stage show based on my memoir "Song For My Fathers," which is coming out in an updated, expanded paperback edition later this month. The show, directed by Ron Rona of Preservation Hall, will take place at Tulane's Dixon Hall on Monday, April 19, at 8 pm. Free and open to the public, it will feature yours truly and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in a multimedia presentation based on the book and the story it recounts about a young middle class white boy's apprenticeship with a group of aging black jazz musicians in the 60s. (For more info, see http://tulane.edu/news/releases/031510pr.cfm#)

But the part of the WWOZ show that I found most moving was the hymn we played for our fallen brother Bunchy Johnson, who passed away last Sunday. With Lars on piano and myself on clarinet, we played "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." Here it is: