Roots musicians in spotlight at New Orleans events

By Cristina Black

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will present a showcase curated by the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation, which is dedicated to revitalizing the careers of veteran musicians of blues, R&B, swamp pop and early rock 'n' roll.

"They're exposing heritage musicians in a lot of the areas we represent," Jazz Fest director Quint Davis said, "so it made sense for us to work with them to bring some of those artists into our fold."

The Ponderosa Stomp Revue will take place April 26 in Jazz Fest's Blues Tent. Performers include mid-century R&B/blues figures Tammy Lynn, Archie Bell, Roy Head and Dennis Binder backed by Lil' Buck Sinegal & the Top Cats.

The Ponderosa Stomp, a project of nonprofit educational organization MK Charities, will present its own annual event April 29-30 at House of Blues in New Orleans. Ronnie Spector, Roky Erickson, Dr. John and Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las are on the bill for a pair of marathon concerts that will present dozens of influential acts, including "Creole Beethoven" Wardell Quezergue and the final show for R&B trumpeter/producer Dave Bartholomew.

Best known for discovering Fats Domino and producing his early hits, Bartholomew is a key figure in the transition from jump blues and big band swing to R&B and rock 'n' roll in the '50s. The Louisiana native headed up Lew Chudd's Imperial Records beginning in 1949, turning out hits like "Blueberry Hill" and "I'm Walking," along with Smiley Lewis' "I Hear You Knockin'," Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and many more.

Now 87, Bartholomew still appears with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, but says he's ready for the Ponderosa Stomp to be his final show. "I'm getting up in age now," he said by phone from his Florida home. "And I want to do it 100 percent while I'm still feeling real good."

During the day on April 29 and 30, Spector, Lazy Lester, Harold Battiste and other artists will join such historians and scholars as Peter Guralnick and Holly George-Warren for interviews and panel discussions about the early days of rock at the Cabildo Museum.

These Ponderosa Stomp panels will be recorded and added to the permanent oral history archives of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Museum.