REVIEW: Kermit Ruffins brings Mardi Gras cheer to Blue Note
NEW YORK — Kermit Ruffins is a man of many hats. Depending on the venue he’s playing, the New Orleans trumpeter is either a modern-day interpreter of Louis Armstrong, a rousing partier or a smooth jazz player. At all times, no matter the style he chooses, he is a cultural ambassador of his beloved hometown.
Ruffins recently played a weeklong series of shows at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village. He brought with him the Barbecue Swingers, and the quartet sounded fun, polished and celebratory. Mardi Gras was in the air, and Ruffins brought the energy.
The 90-minute show started with some expert trumpet playing from the maestro and slower, beautiful standards. His “St. James Infirmary,” complete with Ruffins tapping his Adam’s apple to help with the syllables, was something special, a song that is both funereal and catchy, sad yet joyous. He had the packed house singing along with the well-known chorus.
The switchover in the set occurred when Ruffins stopped holding the microphone for a few minutes, grabbed a Bud Lite and started telling some jokes. He has used the same comedy material before, but there’s never been a concert where the joke doesn’t still land. He tells the jokes probably for a number of reasons: emulating the old-time greats and their mid-set comedy routine, and also to ensure the audience is having a good time. The stated ticket price for any Ruffins show is a contract with the artist: You shell over the price of admission, and he will leave you entertained.
The second half of the show allowed Ruffins to flex his versatility and offer some party tunes, including his relatively new track, “I’m So New Orleans.” He also brought up James “Sleeping Giant” Winfield for three songs that fit nicely into the heart of Ruffins’ set. Winfield’s presence is evidence of Ruffins’ continued supporting of other NOLA-based acts. There has yet to be a Ruffins concert I’ve seen where he doesn’t champion another singer and bring him or her on stage.
The Blue Note might not seem like the best fit for a Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers show, but any doubters were proved wrong. He can keep it jazzy and standard; it’s just that Ruffins yearns to have a good time, one that involves speeding up the beat, instigating sing-alongs and holding up a beer for a collective toast.
I’ve seen Ruffins three times in New York City (this Blue Note performance, plus at (le) poisson rouge and B.B. King’s) and several times in New Orleans (Little Gem Saloon and the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street). Each and every time he has changed the mood from relaxed to frenetic partying, or from jumping-around “Skokiaan” to original rap songs. He’s a consummate performer who looks every audience member in the eye with that recognition of being mutual music lovers.
His motto is true: We partyin’.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Click here for more information on Kermit Ruffins and Basin Street Records.
