Kermit Ruffins: Big Easy (2002)

Matt Robinson

Recent articles (86 total)

Published: January 17, 2003

New Orleans is one of the greatest cultural conglomerations on the face of the earth. From the remains of past conquerors like Spain and France, to leftovers from the thousands of international expatriates who gather for the Crescent City’s festivals and endless parties, it remains a gumbo within the American melting pot.

On his latest CD, Nawlins horn man Kermit Ruffins dips in a big ladle and comes up with a tasty menu of multi-ethnic flavors that range from his own roots in jazz to tinges of reggae to rock. From the opening Dixieland theme song "Tiger Rag" and the easy-going swing of "Basin Street Blues," to such second liners as "When I Die" and the butt-shaking "Palm Court Strut," it is evident that Ruffins has his hometown well in hand when he lays it on his horn. Through the musical march of the subtly but noticeably rearranged "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and the Latin spice of "The World is a Ghetto," Ruffins also shows other sides of his jazz repertoire; a mode he escapes with the Wyclef-ian jam "One Life." Along the way, Ruffins also returns to his childhood with the juvenile family affair "Breakfast Lunch and Dinner" and then to one of his personal favorites with a second mix of "Skokian" that closes the album with all the energy and flavor of the broadly talented performer and the wonderfully diverse city he calls home.

Track Listing: 1. Tiger Rag 2. Skokiaan 3. When I Die (You Better Second Line) 4. Wake Up Neesie 5. Palm Court Strut 6. Stardust 7. On the Sunny Side of the Street 8. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 9. Big Easy 10. World Is a Ghetto 11. Basin Street Blues 12. One Life 13. Skokiaan [Remix]

Record Label: Basin Street Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream

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Date	Venue	Tickets
May24	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
May25	Hyatt Regency New Orleans, LA	buy
May26	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
May27	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
May28	Worldwide CD Release Day! Worldwide
May29	Lafayette Square New Orleans, LA
May30	WYES TV New Orleans, LA
May31	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Jun02	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun03	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun04	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jun06	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Jun07	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Jun08	Tipitinas Uptown New Orleans, LA
Jun09	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun10	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun11	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jun13	Jazz In The Park - Louis Armstrong Park New Orleans, LA
Jun14	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Jun15	Little Gem Saloon New Orleans, LA
Jun16	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun17	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun18	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jun20	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Jun21	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Jun22	Little Gem Saloon New Orleans, LA
Jun23	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun24	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jun25	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jun27	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Jun28	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Jun29	Little Gem Saloon New Orleans, LA
Jun30	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jul01	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jul02	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jul16	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jul18	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Jul19	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Jul21	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jul22	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jul23	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Jul26	Space Evanston, IL
Jul27	FitzGerald's Night Club Berwyn, IL
Jul28	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jul29	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Jul30	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Aug01	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Aug02	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Aug03	Island View Casino Gulfport, MS
Aug04	Satchmo Summerfest New Orleans, LA
Aug05	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Aug06	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Aug08	Highline Ballroom New York, NY	buy
Aug11	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Aug12	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Aug13	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Aug15	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Aug16	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA
Aug18	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Aug19	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Aug21	Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA
Aug22	Brick and Mortor San Francisco, CA
Aug23	Brick and Mortor San Francisco, CA
Aug25	The New Parish Oakland, CA
Aug26	Kermit's Treme Speakeasy New Orleans, LA
Aug27	Bullet's Sports Bar New Orleans, LA
Aug29	Vaughan's Lounge New Orleans, LA
Aug30	The Blue Nile (balcony Room) New Orleans, LA