Yes, it’s been ten years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Like the defiant city itself is Dee Dee Bridgewater, who smiles throughout this tribute to the Crescent City along with Irvin Mayfield & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. All of the material here is associated with the history of the city in which jazz originated, and Bridgewater is in marvelous form, not only singing the songs but audibly acting out each lyric with a personalized delivery that captures the city’s heart and soul.
Fresh new material such as “Congo Square” creates a perfect atmospheric tribute as Bridgewater takes you through the steamy side streets, and her French in “C’est Ici Que Je T’aime” makes you feel like you’re having a coffee and beignet at Café Du Monde. The band slithers with Dee Dee as she delivers a tour de force intro to “Saint James Infirmary” that makes you feel like you’re watching a Max Fletcher cartoon, while local favorite Dr. John joins in a gumbo of a duo on “Big Chief.” A version of “Come Sunday” has Bridgewater calling to God like Hannah the prophetess, while she sounds both nostalgic and contemporary during “ What A Wonderful World” and “Do You Know What It Means.” Not only does she make the lyrics sound fresh, but she breathes fervent believability into each verse, selling each song like a ticket to a show. A masterful piece of art reflecting New Orleans that is as rich and colorful as a Leo Meiersdorff painting.
Okeh Records