Schedule:

April 26, 2024

11pm: Kermit Ruffins And The Bbq Swingers

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Kermit Ruffins And The Bbq Swingers

Doors 10pm/Show 11pm

Advance Tickets $30

"We Partyin'!"

Kermit Ruffins needs only two words to hype a New Orleans barroom for one of his weekly shows, and this, his personal slogan, sums up what this Big Easy ambassador is all about. From playing himself in the HBO Series Treme, to barbecuing outside his bar, Kermit's Treme Mother-inLaw Lounge, to sitting in with Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the trumpeter/vocalist keeps himself busy when he isn't on stage doing what he does best—entertaining and sharing his love of life with the world. He personifies the laid-back vibe of New Orleans.

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11pm: John "Papa" Gros (Balcony Room)

17th Annual Backbeat JazzFest Series presents John "Papa" Gros

Blue Nile Balcony Room (Upstairs)

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 10pm / Show 11pm

"Sharing New Orleans with the world is my calling," says pianist and organist John "Papa" Gros (pronounced grow)."That's what I have been doing and that's what I'll do with the rest of my life."

For over three decades, Gros has brought his city's celebratory culture to listeners around the globe. Gros mixes all the sounds of New Orleans - funk, trad jazz, brass band, blues - and makes it his own signature gumbo. His new solo album Central City, shows Gros capturing New Orleans' distinct feel-good charm with help from some of its' most renowned players.

Gros began playing gigs when he was just fifteen years old but didn't truly kick off his career until after graduating from Loyola in 1989 with a degree in French Horn performance. During the seminal years that followed, the young man cut his teeth as a solo performer on Bourbon Street while also developing a reputation as a formidable sideman. He backed up some of the biggest names in the Crescent City,: such as Meters bassist George Porter Jr. and guitarist Snooks Eaglin. Between 2000 and 2013, Gros began his transition into the spotlight by leading Papa Grows Funk, a highly revered group that mixed hard-hitting funk grooves with often unpredictable jazz spontaneity. The band released six critically-acclaimed studio albums while touring the U.S. and far off countries like Japan and Brazil.

This year, John "Papa" Gros released Central City, his third solo album. The album is a collection of classic New Orleans songs, both new and old, filtered through his decades of dedication to his craft. The album features Gros' feel good originals alongside his takes on beloved songs by Allen Toussaint, Lloyd Price, and John Prine. Joining Gros on the album are a who's who in the keepers of the New Orleans tradition, who perfectly exploit the similarities between New Orleans jazz and early rock 'n' roll on songs such as "Yeah Yeah Yeah" and "Personality."

Gros absorbed a lifetime of lessons and became part of the direct lineage of New Orleans music. "I'm walking in the same path as Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and Art Neville," explains Gros. "I've been following them my whole life. Now, they're no longer in front of me. They've gotten off the path but the path is still very clear."

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April 27, 2024

11pm: The Soul Rebels

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents The Soul Rebels

Advance Tickets $30

Doors 9pm / Show 10pm

The Soul Rebels started with an idea – to expand upon the pop music they loved on the radio and the New Orleans brass tradition they grew up on. They took that tradition and blended funk and soul with elements of hip hop, jazz and rock all within a brass band context. The band has built a career around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums in a deep pocket funk party-like atmosphere. The Soul Rebels continue to chart new territory as they feature in major films, tour globally, and combine topnotch musicianship with songs that celebrate dancing, life, funk and soul.

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10:30pm: Lyrics Born (Balcony Room)

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Lyrics Born

Blue Nile Balcony Room (Upstairs)

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 9:30pm / Show 10:30pm

Lyrics Born relocated to the United States from his birthplace of Toyko, Japan right around the time Hip Hop was exploding on the East Coast. From the moment he heard Sugar Hill Gang’s 1980 classic "Rapper’s Delight," the Bay Area Hip Hop luminary knew he’d found his calling. Twenty-five years later, LB has obliterated the stereotypes of what an MC is "supposed to" look like and captured the hearts of countless fans who gravitate to his distinctive voice. He’s now the only Asian-American MC to release 10 studios albums and the first to play major music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza.

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1:30am: Jennifer Hartswick (Late Show)

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Jennifer Hartswick

This Is A Late Show Saturday April 27

(Technically This Show Starts Early Morning April 28)

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 1:00am / Show 1:30am

Trumpeter and vocalist, Jennifer Hartswick is one of the most exciting performers in music today. She exudes confidence and joy and brings her own refreshing spirit to the stage every time she performs. Jennifer’s music is honest, and soulful and comes with a maturity far beyond her years.

Hartswick is an original member of the Trey Anastasio Band and has recorded/shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, Phish, Christian McBride, Tom Petty, Aaron Neville, Carlos Santana, The Rolling Stones, Big Gigantic, Dave Matthews, Lisa Fischer, and countless others.

Jennifer’s live performances are renowned as spontaneous, joyful, and contagious. Her natural charisma and sincerity shine through, and each performance is a celebration of musical collaboration. Whether she is wailing on the trumpet or singing an intimate vocal solo, her performance is all part of a single seamless instrument, one that is played not only with astounding technical proficiency, but also with sensitivity, conviction, and heart.

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April 28, 2024

11pm: The Rumble Ft. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents The Rumble Ft. Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 10pm / Show 11pm

On Mardi Gras morning, your eyes may feast on the intricate and elaborate beadwork of the Indians as they dance down the street, but the first thing you'll hear when they make their way toward you is the back line, known as "the rumble". Featuring seven GRAMMY-nominated musicians, The Rumble is more than just a band — it's an opportunity to be immersed in a wholly unique facet of New Orleans culture. Composed of Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Golden Eagles, trumpeter Aurélien Barnes, trombonist José Maize Jr., bassist TJ Norris, guitarist Ari Teitel, keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, and drummer Trenton O’Neal, the group fuses iconic New Orleans funk in the vein of The Meters and The Neville Brothers — but updated, modern and vibrant befitting the next generation — with electrifying brass and the singular visual splendor of the Black Masking carnival tradition.

The Rumble's debut album, “Live at the Maple Leaf”, received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Regional Roots Album 2024. Their live show is a symphony of rich color and propulsive sound, with each member sharing vocal duties and engaging the audience in the classic Mardi Gras Indian-style call-and-response chanting. The group pays homage to trailblazers like Wild Magnolias and Golden Eagles, both of which featured the vocal stylings of Boudreaux’s father, Monk Boudreaux. The Rumble continues the fight to preserve the legacies and traditions of the community for the next generation while bringing new layers of depth to their live performance. The Rumble provides audiences with not only a top-tier musical event, but a chance to participate in a culture that, while deeply rooted in centuries-old tradition, is thriving and evolving through the active work of this next generation of bold and passionate culture-bearers.

 April 29, 2024

11pm: Toubab Krewe

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Toubab Krewe

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 10pm / Show 11pm

Some music cannot be found on a map or within iTunes categories. Some music is so original it seems snatched from the great, invisible substrata that runs below all human activity, a sound aching to be born without a flag or fixed allegiance – free, questing, overflowing with immediate, tangible life. This is the music of Toubab Krewe, the vibrant Asheville, NC-based instrumental powerhouse that creates a sonic Pangaea that lustily swirls together rock, African traditions, jam sensibilities, international folk strains and more. While nearly impossible to put into any box, it takes only a few moments to realize in a very palpable way that one is face-to-face with a true original who recognizes no borders in a march towards a muscular, original, globally switched-on sound.

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May 1, 2024

9pm: The Creator Ensemble

Advance Tickets $25

Doors 8pm / Show 9pm

The Creator Ensemble

Cochemea Sax/Flute

Marco Benevento Keys

Robert Walter Keys

Reed Mathis Bass

Chris Corsico Drums

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May 2, 2024

11pm: Flow Tribe (Balcony Room)

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Flow Tribe

Blue Nile Balcony Room (Upstairs)

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 10pm/ Show 11pm

Flow Tribe recently released their new single featuring Ivan Neville called "Keep Pushing". The single is an upbeat funk/soul anthem that spreads the good word of never giving up. If any band has experienced the full spectrum of fortune and adversity it's the six Southern rascals in Flow Tribe.

Founded in 2004, the band solidified in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's destruction with the mission to bring the next generation of the New Orleans' sound of unstoppable rhythm and passion to the world. The next 15 years would find Flow Tribe performing over 120 shows a year crossing the country multiple times from the biggest festival stages to freak shows. These are six seasoned blue collar musicians who grind out the good times. They carry on the road dog tradition of following the highway to wherever the next crowd congregates.

The release of 2017's "BOSS", produced by legendary hip hop hit maker Mannie Fresh, gave Flow Tribe a critically acclaimed album that reached #58 on Billboard's R&B Chart. Recording "BOSS" convinced the band of the necessity to build their own studio and establish a hub for creativity for the New Orleans' music community.

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11pm: Krasno Moore Project

Advance Tickets $30

Doors 10pm/ Show 11pm

Eric Krasno is a founding member of Lettuce and Soulive and Stanton Moore is a founding member of Galactic and Garage-a-Trois. The two met each other in the mid-nineties. Through their work with their respective bands they have crossed paths and shared the stage together countless times over the past 25 years. Both are GRAMMY award winning artists who together have worked with a vast array of both classic and current musical artists.
 With a new record on the way, the Krasno / Moore Project is actively playing shows together and booking tours and festivals. They are very much enjoying working together as new partners and longtime friends and colleagues.

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1:30am: Funk You (Late Show)

This Is A Late Show Thursday May 2

(Technically This Show Starts Early Morning May 3)

Doors 1:30 Am / Show 2:00 Am

Doors 1am / Show 1:30am

Advance Tickets $20

For over a decade, Funk You has enchanted audiences with an unmistakably intoxicating blend of modern and vintage sounds. Compromised of eight kindred spirits, this close-knit troupe is driven by an unwavering passion for live performance and emboldened by their own exuberance - making them one of the most electrifying acts in contemporary funk.

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May 3, 2024

11pm: Kermit Ruffins And The Bbq Swingers

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Kermit Ruffins And The Bbq Swingers

Doors 10pm/Show 11pm

Advance Tickets $30

"We Partyin'!"

Kermit Ruffins needs only two words to hype a New Orleans barroom for one of his weekly shows, and this, his personal slogan, sums up what this Big Easy ambassador is all about. From playing himself in the HBO Series Treme, to barbecuing outside his bar, Kermit's Treme Mother-inLaw Lounge, to sitting in with Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the trumpeter/vocalist keeps himself busy when he isn't on stage doing what he does best—entertaining and sharing his love of life with the world. He personifies the laid-back vibe of New Orleans.

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2am: Marco Benevento (Late Show)

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Marco Benevento

This Is A Late Show Friday May 3

(Technically This Show Starts Early Morning May 4)

Doors 1am / Show 2am

Advance Tickets $30

This summer, hallucinatory keyboard wizard Marco Benevento pulls back the curtain on his hazy home studio with Benevento — 40-minutes of small-batch psychedelia bubbled up from the base of the Catskill Mountains.

Titled as a nod to Paul McCartney’s first solo album, the record is a similarly loose, low-key affair. Like Macca’s eponymous release, Benevento is a solo work, where song sketches and sunrise jams share space with more constructed tracks.

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May 4, 2024

11pm: Big Sam’s Funky Nation

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents Big Sam’s Funky Nation

Advance Tickets $25

Doors 10pm/Show 11pm

"We’re All Going To Have A Good Time. That’s What Funk Is All About." -Big Sam

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2am: Karina Rykman (Late Show)

This Is A Late Show Saturday May 4

(Technically This Show Starts Early Morning May 5)

Doors 1:30 Am / Show 2:00 Am

Advance Tickets $25

“Joyride Tour 2023” celebrates the upcoming arrival of Karina Rykman’s hugely anticipated debut album, JOYRIDE, arriving via AWAL on Friday, August 18. The album was first heralded earlier this month with the premiere of the single and title track, “Joyride.” Equal parts thick bass, ethereal synths, disco-funk guitar, and silky, inviting vocals, the track – which features signature lead guitar from JOYRIDE co-producer Trey Anastasio – expertly captures Rykman’s jubilant brand of sonic exploration, bridging an array of genres to arrive at her own compelling and original take on psychedelic indie rock.

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May 5, 2024

11pm: The Adam Deitch Quartet

17th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents The Adam Deitch Quartet

Advance Tickets $25

Doors 10pm / Show 11pm

Beyond his sheer virtuosity and versatility, drummer Adam Deitch has proven to be a musician of perpetual motion. In just over a year’s time, he has been the driving force behind psychedelic funk veterans Lettuce’s eighth studio album 'Unify', released a hip-hop beats album 'TAKE YOUR TIME', and now returns with the second LP release from his soul-jazz project The Adam Deitch Quartet. 'Roll The Tape', available on Deitch’s imprint Golden Wolf Records on November 10, 2023, exemplifies his unwavering commitment to producing authentic music from a broad spectrum of styles, all rooted in his tutelage of rhythmic studies & groove, and his upbringing as a drummer from a young age. The album features organist Wil Blades, Lettuce cohorts Eric “Benny” Bloom on trumpet and Ryan Zoidis on saxophone, and a feature from legendary guitarist John Scofield on the leading single “Mushroom Gravy”.

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May 6, 2024

11pm: The Nth Power

7th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series Presents The Nth Power

Advance Tickets $20

Doors 10pm / Show 11pm

The Nth Power believes in the healing power of music. This all-pro alignment of sharp and seasoned musical vets delivers a transcendent blend of soul, funk, rock and rhythm and blues with multi-part vocal harmonies and songs that inspire audiences to dance, groove, make love or just stand there with goose bumps.

The band's electric live performances have been flooring audiences ever since the group formed in New Orleans during an impromptu jam during Jazzfest nearly a decade ago. After an EP, studio album and two live albums, the band returned in 2021 in support of their second full-length studio release, Reverence, which was featured on the first-round nominations ballot for the 2022 Grammy Awards.

The Nth Power hails from diverse musical backgrounds, races and creeds, but the universal language of love and its power to change lives is the thread that binds them. The trio features drummer Nikki Glaspie, whose credentials include Beyonce, Maceo Parker, Dumpstaphunk and countless more; guitarist and lead vocalist Nick Cassarino, known best for his previous work with Jennifer Hartswick and Big Daddy Kane; and bassist Nate Edgar of reggae giant John Brown's Body.

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Date: April 26-May 6, 2024

Location: Blue Nile, 532 Frenchman Street, New Orleans, LA 70116

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