Music
Press
"It's great to hear younger New Orleans musicians make some really wonderfull and joyous music. You can hear everything in here...yeah there's no doubt where these guys are from." - John Fischbach, Producer of Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life
"BLEU ORLEANS IS TODAY...NOW!!! Fresh, Exciting, and Pumped Up with the flavors that could only come from those most seriously dedicated to the art form. They may well be with us for a long time." - Allen Toussaint, Legendary producer/songwrtier/piantist
"Bleu Orleans is a fresh take on an old tradition, a medley of styles that is very much New Orleans but with ambitions far beyond the city's boundaries." - Keith Spera - Music Writer
http://neworleansmagazine.com/in-this-issue/articles/news/our-jazz-all-stars-the-class-of-07-1999.html - New Orleans Magazine
http://www.offbeat.com/artman/publish/article_2592.shtml - Offbeat Magazine August 2007
My name is Ruth Price, and I run the Jazz Bakery, a prestigious jazz venue in Los Angeles, CA. I first booked the band based purely on my response to their CD. Since then, I have had the pleasure of presenting them three or more times, and in each instance, they proved to be, if possible, even better! With each performance, their audience has grown, to the point where we have had near-capacity crowds. They have become one of the highlights of our month!
They are thoroughly musical, and reliably professional.
Ruth Price
President & Artistic Director
Jazz Bakery
- Ruth Price
One thing is certain about this concert listeners won't be greeted by your average B-flat Crescent City jazz ensemble. The sounds of jazz, rock, R&B, hip-hop, blues and world music permeate the repertoire developed by Bleu Orleans - WashingtonPost.com , Mike Joyce
They were one of the true highlights of our Performing Arts Season
- Ruth Waalkes-Director of Cultural Participatio
It was a very memorable and informative session and we are grateful to Edward and Darrell for their generous contribution to our students and out program. - David Roitstein, Jazz Program Director
Discography
Bleu Orleans
Title: "Bleu 2"
Label: Fertile Crescent Entertainment, 2005
PERFORMANCES
• Essence Music Festival, New Orleans
• Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans
• Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Workshop with Brian
McKnight, New Orleans
• French Quarter Festival, New Orleans
• Offbeat Magazine Awards, New Orleans
• The Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles Ca
• Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, New Orleans
• House of Blues, New Orleans
• Club La Ve Le, Los Angeles
• Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club, New Orleans
• DBA, New Orleans
• Iris Jazz Resort, Houston, TX
• Premier of Documentary on Cannonball Adderly
with guests Harold Battiste, Alvin Batiste, and
Herman Leonard.
• Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,
University of Maryland
COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE
• Berlin Jazz Festival
• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
• Grand Jazz, Mackinac Island
• Montreal Jazz Festival
• Heineken Jazz, Rotterdam
• JVC Jazz Festival
• NCL Floating Jazz Festival
• Mt. Zao Jazz Festival, Japan
• Standard Bank Festival, South Africa
• Festival de las Artes, Mexico
• Capetown Jazz Festival, South Africa
• Potomac River Festival
• Festa Music Ascona, Switzerland
• International Festival De Louisianne
• Dam Square Festival, Amsterdam
• Grand Jazz Sapporo, Japan
• South Fever Tour, Netherlands
• Catalina Jazz Festival
• City Stages, Mobile, Alabama
• Telluride Bluegrass Festival
• Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia, Italy
• Sao Paulo, Brasil
• Eight city tour of China
Photos
Bio
BLEU ORLEANS
You might ask, “How would one categorize a band that combines jazz, rock, R&B, hip-hop, blues and world music into one particular genre?” Well it’s no secret that the Crescent City is a modern day musical Mecca and the members of Bleu Orleans push the envelope of traditional New Orleans music. Bleu Orleans is carrying the torch of New Orleans’ music into the new millennium.
Founding member and trumpeter Edward Anderson explains, “Many people think of New Orleans and New Orleans’ Jazz in romantic “old world” terms. However the 21st century is a very different world than when Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Jelly Roll Morton were defining the music in the early 20th century. Neither John Coltrane, nor Miles Davis experienced such a rapidly evolving world with email, digital media, or the paranoia brought about by 9/11. As natives of New Orleans, the devastation brought about by Hurricane Katrina has of course deeply affected our lives and our artistic outlook. As creative artists, we want to express these experiences through music.” Bleu Orleans is very eclectic and very rooted in the fundamental influences of contemporary jazz. They also feel free to borrow from the undeniable influences of the popular, and world music influences of the 21st century. Bleu Orleans is a jazz super group consisting of master musicians who are each capable bandleaders in their own right. Bleu Orleans band mates appeared as members of the Ray Charles Septet in the Academy award winning feature film, Ray staring Jamie Foxx. Collectively Bleu Orleans’ members have played musical events around the globe. They have been a mainstay at venerable New Orleans festivals including the Essence Music Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Additionally, Bleu Orleans members have performed with such world-renowned artists as Wynton, Marsalis, Patrice Rushen, Tori Amos, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Smith, Harold Battiste, Herbie Hancock, and Brian McKnight.
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