The new EP, New Orleans Voodoo,
features three tracks with specific focus to the haunted holiday. The
opener, "Marie Laveau," pays tribute to the legendary Louisiana Creole
practitioner. Papa Celestin wrote the song in the early '50s, nearly 75
years after the voodoo queen's reported death. The next track, "I Put a
Spell on You," is a Halloween classic with bassist Alan Broome
contributing his gravely voice for the track. Bobby Goldsboro's stirring
"Voodoo Woman" rounds out the release with the tale of a seductive
voodoo woman who needs to "stay away from me."
"Halloween
rivals Mardi Gras in New Orleans with creative costuming and revelry.
The most haunted city delivers the ultimate vibe for the largest
Halloween party on the planet," explains trumpeter/bandleader Kevin Clark
on the significance of this release in New Orleans at this time of
year. "We decided to put these voodoo songs out during Halloween season
to add to the cauldron of spooky tunes."
With
a strong heritage of both music and Halloween festivities in New
Orleans, this type of release is special for the DUKES of Dixieland in
their hometown. "I think all of New Orleans music has a certain feel, a
grittiness to it," says Clark. "It's dirt under your fingernails music."
This is a defining quality that the band historically brings to their
music, whether it's their traditional jazz leanings or a tribute to one
of the city's finest holidays.
DUKES
of Dixieland are a staple in the New Orleans music community with a
history that traces back 41 years and seven-nights-a-week performances
on their Mississippi River home base, the Steamboat NATCHEZ (a tradition
for 20+ years and counting). The band performs on the boat 45 weeks a
year and spends the rest of their time playing with orchestras and at
festivals and performing arts centers both in the US and abroad.
Made
up of well-studied musicians with hundreds of songs in their repertoire
and countless performances under their belt, the DUKES make it a point
to balance their virtuosity with that grit, never losing sight of the
elements that make the Big Easy special. The modern DUKES of Dixieland
trace their history back to when trumpeter and cornetist Connie Jones
left Pete Fountain's band to reform the band. They opened their own
nightclub later that year in the French Quarter and have been a New
Orleans institution ever since, taking up residency on the Steamboat
NATCHEZ in 1992. Clark, who had previously served a thirteen-year tenure
in the band before leaving in 2002, returned to take the helm in 2010.
He brought integral experience from playing at Disney World and booking
shows for Toronto venues with him.
DUKES of Dixieland · New Orleans Voodoo
Release Date: October 31, 2015
For more information on DUKES of Dixieland, please visit: DUKESofDixieland.com
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