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Widespread Panic’s JoJo Hermann celebrates New Orleans music (Nashville City Paper)
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Widespread Panic’s JoJo Hermann celebrates New Orleans music
By Ron Wynn, rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com March 10, 2006
What: JoJo's Mardi Gras Band featuring JoJo Hermann with Old Union When: 9 p.m. Saturday Where: Mercy Lounge, One Cannery Row Cost: $15 Info: 251-3020
He’s well known for his many contributions to the extremely popular band Widespread Panic, but JoJo Hermann is also a stalwart devotee of classic New Orleans blues and R&B, particularly the music of Henry Roeland Byrd AKA Professor Longhair. During his time away from Panic, Hermann spearheads JoJo’s Mardi Gras Band, a group that plays and highlights Longhair’s music, as well as that of Dr. John and the Meters. Nashville fans will get a treat Saturday night as JoJo’s Mardi Gras Band plays its only Southern show this year at Mercy Lounge.
“Professor Longhair was a phenomenal composer and player, someone whose music continually amazes and surprises me,” Hermann said. “For one thing, the range of styles that he combined into one original, seamless approach was amazing. He mixed rumba patterns with the blues, and just developed these incredible rhythms that will really stun you when you seriously check out his music. We keep finding fresh things in all the songs and it’s such a delight whenever we get a chance to play his music. He’s definitely one of the masters of New Orleans music, one that not nearly as many people recognize as they should.”
Hermann’s Mardi Gras Band also has a prominent area component. Both bassist Johnny Few and drummer Kevin Mabin are regular players at several churches throughout the Middle Tennessee area. They join with Hermann, saxophonist Jonathan Jackson, guitarist Bill Elder and percussionist Hunter Williams in creating a bright, rhythmically explosive sound steeped in the funky beats and joyous New Orleans mode
While maintaining his ties with the Mardi Gras band, the constantly busy Hermann also issues solo projects periodically, the most recent being Just Ain’t Right (Sanctuary), which partnered him with guitarist Luther Dickinson and his drummer brother Cody (better known as the North Mississippi AllStars) plus bassist Paul “Crumpy” Edwards and special guest organist Chuck Leavell on a tingling session of slashing blues-based originals.
Hermann will soon be reuniting with his Panic mates for more new releases and a forthcoming tour.
“The great thing about Widespread Panic is that we all maintain our ties with each other, but take off enough time from it to do the other things that we want with our lives,” Hermann said. “I’ve just been talking with a couple of the guys recently, and we’ll soon be back putting some more things together. But for now, I’m really enjoying the Mardi Gras band sets, and getting Longhair’s message out there.”
