soul / rhythm and blues

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Video Comentary

Musical royalty will sojourn Thursday, April 7 to the Copper Dragon in the form of Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. A deliciously funky New Orleans-based band that consists of keyboardist and front man Ivan Neville, guitarist Ian Neville, bassists Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, and drummer Raymond Webber, Dumpstaphunk is a continuing musical animal in the long line of the New Orleans-based Neville family.

As the Meters, Cyril Neville and Art Neville (father to Dumpstaphunk guitarist Ian) made some of the coolest funk music ever, with iconic licks like “Cissy Strut” and “Look-Ka Py Py.” Cyril and Art, along with brothers Aaron and Dumpstaphunk frontman Ivan continued the tradition as the soulful Neville Brothers since 1976.

As much as music has played a central role in the lives of those in the Neville family, the brood itself is just as much an iconic New Orleans institution. Borrowing much from the classic Meters, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk is about as raw and rambunctious as New Orleans, only these Nevilles substitute brass with a heavy dose of jam-infused funk rock and a slight wisp of psychedelia.

“We are definitely torch-bearers of New Orleans funk,” guitarist Ian Neville tells Nightlife. “People expect the bands out of New Orleans to have a certain edge and flavor and a raw funkiness to it, and [Dumpstaphunk] exhibits all that, and you can’t find that everywhere. We’re definitely straight-up funk. We branch out into other areas and genres, but if we usually start a groove, it’s gonna start on the funky side and [we see] where it ends up.”

Ivan Neville began Dumpstaphunk more or less on a whim in 2003. Set to perform at that year’s annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Neville needed a backing band. He found partners in Ian, Daniels, Hall, and Webber, and Dumpstaphunk was born. The five men are a veritable treasure trove of life and experience who have performed with the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards’s X-Pensive Winos, Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, and recent Carbondale visitors the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Last year, Dumpstaphunk released Everybody Wants Sum, which was recorded during various studio sessions between tours. It was a great time for the young Ian Neville, who found the collaboration with bandmates the key. “I like when we all get in the studio, because you never know what’s going to come out,” he says. “All the songs on [Everybody Wants Sum], for the most part, were the result of us being together and playing off of each other. Someone might show up with part of an idea and someone else throws another angle on it. You do that a couple times and you got a couple cool songs. That’s the creative process I like.”

Such a familial and collaborative atmosphere certainly spawns great jams, and Neville says Dumpstaphunk is the kind of band for which the jam crowd is looking.

When asked to cite some early music memories that inspired him, the young Neville references spending his childhood in New Orleans jazz clubs, in addition to never missing the Crescent City’s real famed annual festival: “I got a twenty-nine for twenty-nine-year record for Jazz Fest going on, which most people can’t say that,” he says.

Dumpstaphunk will play a few shows in the South after cruising to Carbondale, including five shows at home in the Big Easy. Whether you follow the music of the Neville family, or prefer the Ü ber-funk sounds of Parliament or a retro class act like Curtis Mayfield, Dumpstaphunk is the kinda funk you wanna find.

“With this band, at this point, we’re pretty much family, for better or worse,” Neville says. “All the stuff that basically goes along with being family-- we argue and fight, almost ready to kill each other, then we’ll turn around and have a good show. We’re all tight like that.”

Learn more at <http://www.dumpstaphunk.com>.

who: Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

what: N’Awlins funk

where: Copper Dragon Brewing Company

when: Thursday, April 7 w/ Soul Glo

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Video Comentary

If there is something that Larry Dillard wants to achieve while he is on stage, he wants to make sure everyone in attendance has the opportunity to let the good times roll.

"I would like to make music that makes you feel good," Dillard said. "I wanted to make feel-good music that anyone could listen to."

Dillard and his Blues Therapy group will celebrate the release of Dillard's sophomore effort, Drink That Wine, with a CD release party Saturday, January 15 at 6 p.m. at Kite Hill Vineyards and Winery, in the venue's new conference center.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Admission includes a copy of the band's latest album, one glass of a Kite Hill house wine, and several appetizers.

During his four decades as a musician, Dillard studied music at Western Kentucky University and played in Martin "Big Larry" Allbritton's band.

Similar to the sessions for last year's Blues Therapy, Dillard worked with Shadi Frick of Low Key Productions. Frick performed several roles on Drink That Wine, from producing and engineering to playing horns and bass to helping with the arrangements. Other musicians on the disc include Chad Minier, Mark Moreno, Jack Hammond, and Matt Linsin.

"We have both live-sounding songs and songs we layered with overdubs and special effects," Dillard beamed. "We have everything you could possibly need right here."

While there is something to be said about catching a band's raw, energetic live performances on a digital recorder, Dillard said that the studio provides a unique opportunity for the band to see how deep their creative ideas actually were.

"Going into the studio can be a real art form," Dillard explained. "You can almost treat it like another member of the band. You can go in and overdub and overdub just like the Beatles did, so that is what we decided to do.... We got it down to a real science."

The musicians and the process created the sound for which he was looking-- mostly. Sometimes songs took unexpected directions.

"We have one song on the album that I originally wrote [as] a bluegrass song," Dillard said. "But then we got to playing it and it turned into more of a ska-like number. It's crazy."

Dillard and his Blues Therapy bandmates blend a mesh of many genres, from blues to jazz, Latin, and funk.

"We pull from all kinds [of music]," he said. "There is some southern rock and rhythm and blues in there. You name it."

Working the local music scene circuit has helped Dillard rediscover a lost art form that he did not realize he had in his arsenal. Dillard said he has written more original material since he began gigging regularly, and he plans to continue writing in the future.

"I was glad to know that I could still do it," he said. "It was rewarding to me that I still had the skill."

Dillard constructed the title track as an homage to the various spots on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trial. He namechecks many of those businesses in the lyrics. But recent scuffles between venues and performance-rights societies like ASCAP and BMI over playing copyrighted material or cover songs has resulted in many businesses foregoing live music altogether, Dillard said.

"It's really sad," he said. "There are only two places on that list in the song that have live music anymore."

Dillard said he tries to draw on real-life experiences for his songs.

"Life inspires me," he said. "It inspires me in everything that I do. It is important to realize that it is not necessarily the blues, but Blues Therapy. That is what can get you through the bad times. Not being able to play a note, and then a musician is born."

For more information about Dillard, search for him on Facebook. To preview songs from Drink That Wine, visit the MP3 section of <http://www.CarbondaleRocks.com>.

who: Blues Therapy

what: CD release party

where: Kite Hill Vineyards and Winery

when: Saturday, January 15

Video Comentary

Some people get it at a young age, and Rob Jones is one of those people.

"Ever since I could walk," said Jones, when asked when he wanted to become a professional musician. "It's something I always wanted to do."

Jones just unleashed his latest solo record, Kicked. The original album consists of classy, inspirational acoustic soul, gospel, and rock, equally blended with as much heart as song simplicity and delivery.

"It's very revealing," said Jones, who has been playing professionally for the past ten years. "I hope it thrills [the audience]. There are songs about everything, songs about relationships, songs about love, and some songs about how everything just goes on."

Kicked is the accumulation of a year's worth of work in the studio. Jones explained that much of the mastering and recording work on the album was sporadic because "real life gets in the way," but he is very proud of what resulted from the persistence and seeing the entire process through to fruition.

"It's exactly what I wanted," he said. "I couldn't ask for anything else."

Very little instrumentation is featured on Jones's album, and what little is there is meant only to uplift and play secondary roles to Jones's voice and lyrics. Brent Stewart supplied guitars, percussion, and harmonica, while Andrew Staff laid down the bass. Tom Miller played shakers, and Jessica Pease sang background vocals.

Stewart, who also provided background vocals, recorded all of the song tracks in his home studio, with the exception of "Breathe," which Jones recorded at Misunderstudio in Murphysboro. Mike Lescelius at Misunderstudio mastered the whole album, and Dave Clark provided the album cover art and design.

Many musicians are influenced by other artists, and Jones is no exception. Jones said he has an eclectic taste in musical influences, which include Prince, Ryan Adams, Sting, Seal, John Mayer, and Charles Peacock. In addition, many of the songs on the record are based on Jones's faith, which he said is a very important element in his life.

Jones said his recent choice of music heavily influenced the outcome of his record. He said he was listening to a lot of Jeffrey Gaines at the time he was recording Kicked and, as a result, the makeup of the songs followed suit.

"We all borrow from somebody musically," he said. "I try to make a better song than I have before, a more well-rounded song. I looked at music as an artist. You can learn from any style, and it's still you in the long run."

He likes songwriters and songs with meaning, elements he likes to incorporate into his own songwriting techniques.

"Some songs have different meaning to someone," he said. "It means something different to you than it does to me. And that's okay."

Kicked was meant to be a personal, deep, and simple record that showcases Jones's musical abilities in their purest form. He says he achieved exactly what he set out to achieve.

"It's raw and honest," Jones said of the album's outcome. "No smoke and mirrors, just me, my voice, and my acoustic guitar. It's a very organic sound."

In addition to pursuing a solo songwriting and performance career, Jones is also involved in a band called the Dregs. The group— whose self-deprecating name means "scum of the Earth"— features Jones on keyboards, James Brown on guitar and bass, Joe Thomas on guitar, and Paul West on drums. The Dregs combine old-school country and rock elements with various other genres, and are set to play Sunday, October 24 at Key West.

Jones described the band as a combination of many different musicians who are not thought to share much common ground. Most listeners would not expect to hear a live band play back to back many of the songs from a Dregs setlist. Jones credits the band's diverse musical diet as the reason why the band is able to play many different forms of music.

"We are all over the place," Jones said. "We play some Willie Nelson, Prince, and even a Kings of Leon song. Anything you could imagine."

Coming up next for Jones is a slew of shows that he hopes will help garner more interest in his songwriting talents. In January, Jones is set to play the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. Many established songwriters first got their feet wet at the Bluebird, including Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley, and Kenny Chesney. All of these artists played the café 's open-mic night before they became big stars.

Jones said he is very excited to soon grace the same stage that these artists performed on and get his chance to perform to the Music City crowd.

"It's incredibly exciting," he said. "I can't wait to play there."

Jones said he hopes his music resonates with listeners. Today's society is harsh enough without having something musical to which to relate, he continues.

"It's a broken world, and I just hope to give a glimmer of hope to someone," he said. "Hopefully it speaks to you."

Copies of Kicked are on sale at Jones and Dregs performances, or by emailing Jones directly at <RobJones44@rocketmail.com>.

who: Rob Jones / Dregs

what: acoustic soul / variety

where: Key West

when: Sunday, October 24

Video Comentary

Nikko Smith:
From Saint Louis to Hollywood to Southern Illinois
by Jeff Hale

American Idol season four finalist Nikko Smith will bring his soul and pop music Saturday, July 3 to Walker's Bluff, as part of the Bluff's Independence Day weekend celebration. Smith's performance begins at 6 p.m., weather permitting.

Fans of American Idol will no doubt remember Smith, who endeared himself to Idol watchers in 2005. Dubbed "the comeback kid" by Idol judge Paula Abdul, Smith's warm and easy charm caused him, after being eliminated once, to be brought back for a second time as a replacement for fellow contestant Mario Vasquez, who departed the competition for personal reasons. Smith's espresso-smooth vocals wrapped themselves around some of pop and soul music's most enduring classics with a gospel quality that even made Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" and Stevie Wonder's "Part Time Lover" sound like a trip to a church service. Eventually Smith finished the competition in ninth place.

In 2006, the rhythm and blues singer/songwriter launched his own record label, Show Me Entertainment, named after his home state of Missouri, and in 2008 he released his debut CD, Revolution.

Born in Saint Louis Missouri in 1982, Smith is the son of Saint Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith. Born during the same year as his father's World Series win with the Cardinals, the young Smith would soon make his own mark, with his voice, which listeners can hear at .

Last week Nightlife caught up with Smith, who talked about his roots, his music, and the positive and negative impacts that international television exposure can have on a budding music career.

How did you first get into music, and how did you decide that it was going to be your career?
Well, I've always been really interested in entertainment. But I think that the music came with my mom [Denise] getting me into going to church and singing. I was probably about seven when I found out about this movie, Purple Rain with Prince. After I saw that movie, it was pretty much a done deal. I knew I wanted to be a singer and performer from that point on. After I saw it, I was always walking around the house with my plastic purple guitar, singing. I couldn't play real guitar then. I used to pretend I was Prince [laughing].

In all of your performances on American Idol, even "Georgia on My Mind," there was a real gospel vibe to your vocals. Is that something that just naturally comes through in your voice, or was it cultivated by your background of singing in church?
I think it was a little bit of all of that. My mom is also a singer, and has spent her whole life singing in the church. I listened to her all the time coming up. She grew up in Texas, so she has the whole gospel feel when she sings. And most of the people whose records I listened to as a kid got their start singing in church. That plays a huge part in how my vocals come across and in my style of singing. 

Who were your other musical influences, who have you learned the most from, and who have you looked to for inspiration?
First it was Prince, when I was little. Then a little later, I discovered the movie Moonwalker. After I discovered Michael Jackson, my eyes were opened to a whole new spectrum and new feelings. My whole attitude toward music changed, and I started branching out and listening to different stuff, like the Police. My auntie always used to listen to the Police and Sting.

When I got a little bit older, I remember one of my favorite groups of all time being Dru Hill, that R and B group from the nineties. They had that gospel feel, but it was a new-age R and B version of gospel. When I turned fifteen, I started really getting into the vocal aspect of music, and Dru Hill had amazing vocals. That's when the whole singing thing really started to mold for me. I started getting into R. Kelly, and after that, I was branching out all over the place, with groups like Led Zeppelin and Stone Temple Pilots. Anything I thought was good, I started listening to.

What was the American Idol audition process like, and how did you end up singing for Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson?
American Idol had been on for three seasons, and each time my mom would always say, "You should audition for American Idol". I would always tell her, "Ma, I'm not going to a strange city and sleeping out on the ground waiting to get in, and standing in line for hours and hours." I always thought it was kind of cheesy when I was watching it.

But finally, American Idol was having auditions here in Saint Louis. Once again, my mom said, "You have no excuse not to go now; it's in your own city." And when your mom tells you to go do something, you gotta go do it. I didn't want to, but my girlfriend at the time was also an amazing singer, and she wanted to go down and audition. Originally I was just going down to show her support and help her with her audition.

We slept out on the street that night, outside of the dome. You get to meet so many different people, and people were singing all night. A lot of people think you just get right in and sing for Paula, Randy, and Simon. But there are two or three auditions before you even get to meet them. Me and my [girlfriend] sang for a bunch of different people who worked for the show, then we sang for the producers. Then, finally we got to sing for Paula, Randy, and Simon.

Those three are known for being the heartbeat of American Idol. When you got into the actual competition, how much personal one-on-one contact did you have with them, as far as getting to know them?
They always tried to restrict contact. We saw them as little as possible when it wasn't necessary. After we finished shooting, we didn't stand around on the sidelines shooting the breeze-- it wasn't like that at all. After we did get finished with auditions, Paula came up and gave us some words of inspiration. All of them, Simon too, were just super-cool when we did get to talk to them. But Paula was very, very nice. That was at the same time that the scandal with her came out in the media, so unfortunately they restricted our contact even more after that. We basically only got to see them when we performed.

During your time on American Idol, what was your favorite performance?
I don't know. I was really, really lucky. Everything I sang, I was a fan of. I had seen previous seasons where people ended up having to pick something they'd never heard or sang before. But everything I got to sing was something I grew up hearing or something I'd always wanted to sing. I don't know if I could pick a favorite. I'd probably say "Part Time Lover," because I'm a Stevie [Wonder] fan.

How much would you say the recognition generated by your time on American Idol has helped your career since that time?
Man, it's had a humongous, gigantic impact. Just the exposure that you get every week with being on there is phenomenal. I was blessed enough to be on there, leave, and then get to come back.

People recognize you everywhere you go once you've been on there. However, that's a double-edged sword. Yes, people recognize you, but after being on that show, where you spend the entire competition singing other people's music, a lot of people look at you like, "That's not a real artist." The exposure was great, but you have to work even that much harder after being on American Idol and singing other people's stuff. You have to work to prove yourself as an artist. There's definitely pros and cons about it, but I wouldn't trade it.

As long as we're on the subject of your own music, what can people expect to see and hear at Walker's Bluff on Saturday?
I do a little bit of everything. These past couple of years I've been expanding my musical horizons and tastes, and incorporating more and more into the show. We do our own stuff, but we also do Michael Jackson to Carrie Underwood to Journey, and then back to Prince. We've got the rock 'n' roll and the R and B. It's all over the place when we do shows. We like to party, and we have all the up-tempo and old-school funky songs. But I also love to slow it down with stuff like "Sarah Smile" by Hall and Oates.

who: Nikko Smith
what: singer / songwriter
where: Walker's Bluff
when: Saturday, July 3