Beautiful Music from Rivers Answer Moons

The first four Instrumental Tracks from LOUISIANA STORIES

December 20, 2024

Great friend SAKURA KONE (Koné) invited me onto his fantastically energetic 6-hour overnight Show on community-radio station WWOZ in New Orleans two weeks ago. Koné’s weekly Show runs from Midnight to 6:00 a..m. (when dawn glimmers and Ships’s horns blow across the Mississippi River, next to O-Z’s splendid new rooftop HQ and Studios in the Jax Brewery building).

Sakura’s radio-handle is D Rootzmaster. Somehow he fields and fulfills global requests throughout his six hours—callers from Australia, Germany, Japan, … and from Louisianans, and engages with each one! About one-third of the Tracks that Sakura plays are “requests’ from his listeners.

This Show Koné had me on for an interview during his final hour. Prior to our talking and playing Tracks-with-Vocals from LOUISIANA STORIES between 5:30 and 6:00 or so, the DJ let run to his listeners the opening four Tracks of the INSTRUMENTALS disc of our (DPRAM’s, Don Paul and Rivers Answer Moons’) 2-CD Album.

That is, Sakura played the MUSIC alone of these four Tracks. I happened to hear them again, listening at a distance while recording the show, a few nights ago. They impressed me unto astonishment! The players virtuosity and FEELING moved me more than ever. Evocations—Improvisation—Depths and Vitality carry across centuries.

Really, really good—if I may brag further about this Band.

So I offer them in their sequence on the Instrumentals disc and hope that you enjoy them, too.

Thanks again SANDI, ANISSA, and JOHN of Bison Disc for their care and taste.

1. “Louisiana Days, Louisiana Nights” Instrumental

with ROGER LEWIS Saxophones, KIRK JOSEPH Sousaphone, DON VAPPIE Banjo and Guitar, HERMAN LEBEAUX Drums-Set and Sound-Scapes, and ALEXEY MARTI Congas and Cajon. Joined by our guests LOUIS MICHOT Violin and ANDRE MICHOT Accordion.

2. “The Bands Are Bringing Everyone Home” Instrumental

Line-up of Musicians as above.

These opening two Tracks were recorded at Rick G. Nelson’s Marigny Studio with Rick as Engineer on March 11, 2024. What you hear on the Instrumentals disc is Take One, with Roger, Kirk, Don and Herman and my hand-claps. Rough, but spirited! We built from this Take in Overdubbing sessions on April 8, 15, and 18 with Adam Keil as Engineer. Alexey added inestimably with his Congas and then Cajon.

Three months later, over in the wood-walled Bayou womb of Dockside Studio in the town of Milton, the Corporation of Maurice, Acadiana, Louis and Andre began their playing during Afternoon of our July 31 session with our encouraging and empowering Engineer JUSTIN TOCKETT through overdubbing the fine parts of Violin and Accordion you can hear in these first two Tracks.

(Then we moved together—Roger, Kirk, Don, Alexey and Louis and André and me—to live recording of ‘Colors Changing Color’ and the Album’s closing two Tracks, “Our Trains Keep A-Comin’” and “Every Child Is Born To Be The Light Of Dawn”. All done in one Take. “Magic,” Louis repeated. To paraphrase Kirk: “Sometimes things be that way.”)

Photo by JUSTIN TOCKET at Dockside Studio, July 31, 2024 after musicians’ session: Andre Michot, Don Vappie, DP, Roger Lewis, Kirk Joseph, Louis Michot, Alexey Marti.

Track 3 on the Instrumentals disc is “Something You Got” with Roger, Kirk, Don and Alexey. (Herman had to miss our sessions at Dockside due to obligations within his family.)

“SomethingYou Got” Instrumental

Next, the poem-become-song “My Mother’s Spirit Speaks To Me, […]”

“My Mother’s Spirit Speaks To Me, Whispering Of Eternity” with Roger, Kirk, Don V. and me.

You may be amazed to learn that the Musicians recorded “Something You Got” and “My Mothers Spirit […] “ within span of about one hour, back to back, late morning into Noontime at Dockside on July 31, just prior to the Michot brothers’ arrival.

Such grace and soul and prowess may seem unfair … till you consider the approximate 230 years of professional playing that Roger, Kirk, Don, and Alexey have as a store of resources for their inspiration.

A little more than two months later, on October 8, 2024, I put the Vocal onto “Something You Got” during Justin’s and my second day of Mixing LOUISIANA STORIES.

About Justin I can’t say enough in praise … Praise of his enthusiasm, knowledge and deployment of plug-ins, and overall taste, soul and vibe. The music you hear here owes inestimably to him—and to the environment that STEVE and WISH (CEZANNE) NAIL have given creators since their constructing Dockside out of Barns and Sheds and pastures neighboring the Vermilion River, lo, 35 or so years ago.

Finally, today I’m very glad to relate that LOUISIANA STORIES is available In-Store and Online at LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY.

The Louisiana Music Factory at 421 Frenchmen in New Orleans may already be among your favorite places for hearing and finding music. It and and its Founders and Staff have presented and supported music and culture over FOUR DECADES!

We of DPRAM couldn’t he happier with a Partner than we are with the LMF and we hope that you can patronize this “tree-mendous” resource, too.

Also, we’ve applied to play with another tireless, stalwart friend, DAVID AMRAM, and with Louis and André again at the 2025 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL. For that prospective engagement I personally would love to have as a further guest, HAMID DRAKE, and the musical riches that Hamid can call forth..

Roger, Kirk, Don V, Herman and Alexey together with David, Louis, Andre, and Hamid is … ALMOST too much to imagine. You may, however, be able to conceive and feel such a Monumental Happening … as our Trains Keep A-Coming.

To those several in New Orleans who have asked: DPRAM hopes to perform soon at the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Theater and the Ellis Marsalis Center, as well as in Theaters and in Festivals and Fairs across the State. We love to perform together and especially LOVE interaction with audiences!

Cheer and the best, best, best this Season and the coming , new Year!

DON