Results for "Jon Cleary"

Jon Cleary

Beyond Cleary’s considerable skills as a tunesmith he is equally renowned around the globe as an accomplished keyboardist and guitarist, and a deeply soulful vocalist. Cleary’s thirty-five years of intensive hands-on work on the Crescent City scene has made him a respected peer of such New Orleans R&B icons as Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. Toussaint, in fact, took time from his busy schedule to write most of the horn arrangements for GoGo Juice – thus bringing symmetry to Cleary’s recording of an entire album of Toussaint songs, entitled Occapella, which garnered rave reviews in 2012. In addition to the Toussaint touch, GoGo Juice bursts, full flavor, with expert accompaniment by some of New Orleans’ top session men – including guitarist Shane Theriot, fellow keyboardist and vocalist Nigel Hall, and the Dirty Dozen horns – along with members of Cleary’s band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

2026 Blues And Bayou Festival Presents Sol Roots At The Sedalia Center

August 5, 2026

The 2026 Blues and Bayou festival showcases the Sol Roots trio, known for their dynamic fusion of New Orleans-inspired funk, deep blues, and greasy soul, during an evening concert at the beautiful Virginia arts venue, The Sedalia Center. Additionally, the local acoustic group Root 2 Music will open the event with their captivating blend of folk ...

James Rivers: A Retrospective

by Thomas Cole
July 18, 2026

James Rivers was part of the backbone of the New Orleans sound, from the earliest days in the '50s until July 5, 2026 when he passed away at the age of 89. A regular at Jazz Fest, he performed there only two months earlier, his final public appearance. He's played with everyone in New Orleans and ...

Jeremy Sassoon: Older And Wiser

by Neil Duggan
April 2, 2026

UK singer and pianist Jeremy Sassoon has followed a remarkably unusual path. After qualifying from Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London and completing postgraduate training as a hospital psychiatrist in Manchester, he made the bold decision in 1995 to leave medicine behind and pursue a full-time career in music. He first established himself as an accompanist, ...

A House Full of History with Leslie Blackshear Smith in New Orleans

by Thomas Cole
March 28, 2026

On the recommendation of more than one person, I sought an audience with another of the born and raised New Orleanians who have been indispensable to an education in the town's traditional music. Living a stone's throw from the river and the shadows of an imposing abandoned factory, I knocked on the peeling paint of a ...

Sol Roots Trio Performs At The Listening Booth

January 15, 2026

The Sol Roots trio performs an award-winning blend of New Orleans influenced funk, deep blues, heartfelt soul, and energetic rock at The Listening Booth, located on Delaware's scenic coast. On Saturday, January 17 world class guitarist and vocalist Sol Roots brings his trio to perform at intimate concert hall The Listening Booth, which is located on ...

The Bywater Sessions

By Jon Cleary

Label: Well Kept Secret
Released: 2025
Track listing: So Damn Good; Zulu Coconuts; Fessa Longhair Boogaloo; Uptown Downtown; Bin a Lil' Minit; Just Kissed My Baby; Boneyard; Lottie Mo; Pickle for a Tickle; Unnecessarily Mercenary.

The Columbia Pike Blues Festival Brings D.C. Community Together on June 14th, 2025

June 8, 2025

Now in its 28th year, The Columbia Pike Blues Festival (June 14, 2025 from 1:00pm-8:30pm) is an electrifying summer celebration that brings music, community, and culture together in the heart of Arlington’s most vibrant corridor. This festival is the largest blues festival in the D.C. metro area. Presented by the Columbia Pike Partnership in partnership with ...

Jon Cleary: The Bywater Sessions

by Thomas Cole
May 28, 2025

Interviewed on WWNO in New Orleans, when asked what has inspired his The Bywater Sessions album (and it is an album as the traditional vinyl format is available), the response was simple. Musicians from New Orleans thrive on live performances and, too often for one reason or another, the CDs sold at gigs do not reflect ...

Uptown Downtown

May 23, 2025

Album: The Bywater Sessions
By Jon Cleary
Label: Well Kept Secret
Released: 2025
Duration: 3:18