Jon Cleary – The Bywater Sessions
FHQ Records
10 Tracks – 42 minues
London, England born Jon Cleary made his move to the US prior to his 20th birthday, settling into New Orleans where he quickly absorbed their culture and music. One of his first jobs in the city was to paint the exterior of the Maple Leaf Bar, one of the premiere blues bars in New Orleans. It was not too long after that, he started playing piano in that room. And 35 years later still makes regular gigs at the venue.
Cleary started playing guitar at age 5 and started his first band at age 15. It was only upon arriving in New Orleans that he shifted to playing the piano. The house he lived in had a piano and he started practicing every day. His aptitude for the piano was quickly recognized by other New Orleans’ artists, which led him to play with Earl King, Johnny Adams, Snooks Eaglin, and a two- year stint in the Walter “Wolfman” Washington Band. He played with Dr. John as a guitarist. He has also been a session musician for many recording artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Taj Mahal, and Eric Clapton.
His solo career started in 1989 with the release of his first solo album. In 2015, Jon received a Grammy Award for best Roots Music Album for his release of Go Go Boots. After getting his own career started, he formed a supporting band he called The Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Jon Cleary led the band playing bass, guitar and vocals. His bass player Cornell Williams was in the original configuration and is still playing with him presently. The other members of the current band are drummer A.J. Hall, Nigel Hall on organ, Pedro Segundo on percussion, Xavier Lynn on guitar, and the horns of Aaron Narcisse, Charlie Halloran, and Jason Mingledorff.
This album was a live recording session in Jon’s own studio in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood. The set mixes several of Jon’s favorite songs with new material. All songs are originals written by Jon. He says that the music was recorded the old-fashioned way of everybody playing in the same room together.
The album opens with “So Damn Good”, a song from his 2002 album, a jazzy rocking up-tempo number kicking off the album in high style and as he cites “I feel so good when I get the blues”. “Zulu Coconuts” references the Zulu Parade that occurs on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans which finds a Zulu throwing painted coconuts out to the crowd as he tells everyone “you can come to my house, you can bang on my front door, you can drink up all my liquor and pass out on the floor, steal my gas money, have the keys to my car…but keep your dirty hands off my Zulu Coconuts”. Next, he offers a tribute to the famed late New Orleans pianist, Henry Roland “Professor Longhair” Byrd on “Fessa Longhair Boogie” as he lets the piano rip in a mostly instrumental extravaganza.
“Uptown Downtown” starts with a jazz party mix shifting into an organ and horn led song with Jon citing that being in New Orleans means “a good time” all around town. “Bin A Lil Minit” keeps things jumping as he cites it’s been a while since we “all got up in it”. The funky “Just Kissed My Baby” has nice guitar and percussion driving a feel -good song identifying how he feels after kissing his baby.
A calypso beat leads into Jon declaring he is “Not ready for the “Boneyard” and proceeds to let everything start jumping again to prove his point. Jon keeps the piano spinning again on “Lottie Mo” as he tells her “Don’t leave this town” but “You know you done me wrong”. “Pickle for a Tickle” starts slowly but quickly picks up the tempo as he “tickles the grand piano”. He concludes with “Unnecessarily Mercenary” in which he cites “Only Thing you worry ’bout is having your fun, first sign of trouble baby and it’s understood you’ll get going girl, while the going’s good”.
The whole album is constant, fun and high energy. Jon proves himself as one of the best pianists playing today with vocals certainly reminiscent of Dr. John, without Mac’s growling style. The Absolute Gentlemen, to a man, delivers a constant joy and fervor in their performance that certainly will make every listener wish they could be there for an actual live performance, not just this well-executed recording.
