Grand Company at Listening-Party + Excerpts from 'Colors Changing Color' + Musicians Talk about the "Magic"

Brilliant Folks Attend Excerpts from DPRAM's Album LOUISIANA STORIES in the Angela King Gallery's EVOLVE Space + Excerpts from 'Colors Changing Color' + Musicians Talk after Recording at Dockside

August 13, 2024

Last Friday night in New Orleans, upstairs of the Angela King Gallery in Angela’s EVOLVE Space, gathered wonderful people. ‘Twas the Listening-Party for excerpts from Tracks in the LOUISIANA STORIES Album by the band and me, Don Paul and Rivers Answer Moons, and our gifted and illustrious guest musicians.

The variety of folks, there in EVOLVE.! Their conviviality and distinction! The breadth of their interests and appreciations and conversation! Plus, Frey Wines to savor. Plus, Thai appetizers from The Good Catch to go with the talk and wine. Rabelais and Truman and Andy and Carson would have loved this company.

Angela King dances with Arturo Perez to the Cajun waltz tune (Don Vappie on Banjo) that accompanies ‘Jack Groves’ on LOUISIANA STORIES. Photo by Keith Hill.

Author Ibrahima Seck of Senegal, principal curator of the Whitney Plantation site in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. His first book is Bouko Fait Gumbo. His next book is due from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Acadiana) Press in 2025. Photo by Keith.

Ibrahima presents ‘Mudcloth Bogolan’ garment of wearable art that he brought from Mail for Maryse Phillipe Déjean. The Mudcloth is worn like a Poncho. This photo and all photos below also by Keith Hill…. unless they’re by Maryse.

Above, the opening 2:20 of DPRAM’s ‘The Bands Are Bringing Everyone Home”, Track 2 from LOUISIANA STORIES. With Roger Lewis saxophones, Kirk Joseph sousaphone, Don Vappie banjo and guitar, Herman Lebeaux drums-set, Alexey Marti congas and cajon, and Don Paul voice of Rivers Answer Moons with our guests Louis Michot on violin and André Michot on accordion.

Above, Big Chief Shaka Zulu of the Golden Feather Hunters Tribe of Black Masking Indians in New Orleans, a NEA Heritage Fellow for his exquisite Suits of Beads, Feathers, more, with Leslie Bertucci in front of the 2023 Suit, inspired the Mesozoic creature the Mesosaur.

A part of Shaka’s 2022 Suit; this part, on display at the AKG Gallery, is titled ‘The Falson’, Egyptology, Volume 4.

Keith Hill, Don Vappie, and Kat Edmundson. Photo by Maryse.

Kat and her friend Mary with art by Jacobo Roa behind them. Photo by Keith.

A closing part of ‘Marsha’s’, Track 3 of LOUISIANA STORIES. With Roger Lewis saxophones, Kirk Joseph sousaphone, Don Vappie banjo and guitar, Herman Lebeaux drums-set, Alexey Marti congas and cajon, and Don Paul voice of Rivers Answer Moons

The musical and visual artist Kelly Love Jones, listening, Detail from photo by Keith. Her album Surrender came out last month.

Don Vappie. Don provided the framing music for ‘Jack Groves.’

‘Jack Groves’, Track 4 of LOUISIANA STORIES, with Roger Lewis saxophone, Kirk Joseph sousaphone, Don Vappie banjo, Herman Lebeaux drums-set, Don Paul voice.

Arturo Perez, Melissa Milton, and Kate Kemble. Photo by Maryse.

Maryse.

Julie Jacobs and Nancy, two great friends of Angela’s and many more

Shaka, Leslie, Gina Smith, and Edward Patrick. Photo by Maryse.

Angela with Shaka, one of the artists she champions.

Don and Kelly after the listening.

Another happy group, after the listening, caught by Keith Hill or by Edward.

The Listening-Party concluded with the whole (13:59!) of ‘Colors Changing Color’, Track 8 of LOUISIANA STORIES.

Here we’ll present the opening few minutes and closing few minutes of ‘Colors Changing Color’, followed by the musicians and engineer Justin Tocket talking about what had “just happened”, July 31 in the Dockside Studio, Maurice, Louisiana.

‘Colors Changing Color’, opening, above.

Below, ‘Colors Changing Color’, closing.

André Michot, Don Vappie, Don Paul, Roger Lewis, Kirk Joseph, Louis Michot, and Alexey Marti. Photo by Justin Tocket.

Photo by, I think, Don Vappie.

Below, the seven of us and engineer Justin Tocket talk just after recording ‘Colors Changing Color.’ “It was so beautiful, so spiritual,” Kirk said. “It got to be I couldn’t tell who was playing what,” Louis said. “It was like we were all one person,” Roger agreed, “and we don’t need to be nothin’ else to it!”