Feature

Many different tunes elicit feelings for many different holidays, and Mardi Gras is no exception. Even though Mobile is the Mother of the Mystics, New Orleans definitely gets the award for generating some of our most memorable Mardi Gras melodies.

Artists such as Professor Lomghair, The Wild Magnolias, Dr. John, Earl King and the Olympia Brass Band have created sounds that have made perfect soundtracks to many revelers’ Mardi Gras experience.

Widespread Panic keyboardist John “JoJo” Hermann fell victim to the infectious sounds of the pre-Lenten season while coming up as a musician in New York City. When Hermann began modeling his style, he used icons such as Gregg Allman, Chuck Lavell, Ray Manzarek, Nicky Hopkins and Alan Price as examples. Sometime later, he was introduced to a musician that would take him into the direction of the sounds of the Crescent City.

“Someone turned me onto a Professor Longhair record, and I was just hooked,” says Hermann. “I went home on the piano, and that’s all I did for five years was just go home and practice Professor Longhair and New Orleans music.”

While perfecting his “New Orleans” style of playing, Hermann soon learned that it was a challenge following in the footsteps of Professor Longhair.

“You know, I had to unlearn a lot of things,” he explains. “It took me a long time to get it, because it’s just such a unique style. But it made me happy, and other people said it made them happy. So, I got a gig!”

Hermann paid his dues at all the regular music halls and watering holes where young musicians do such in New York City, but there was one bar at the corner of 15th Street and Irving Place, called Tramps, that let him hone his New Orleans sound.

“I’d say I cut my teeth, so to speak, on New Orleans music there,” says Hermann. “It was like a steady line-up of bands there. There was Loup Garoux with Tony Garnier, who now plays for Bob Dylan. They were the Monday night band. My band, The Delancey Street Hawaiians, we were Tuesday night. Eliot Murphy was Wednesday; Buster Poindexter played there a lot. That’s kinda where he got started. Then, on the weekends, they would have like The Radiators or Albert King or Big Joe Turner and Johnny Copeland. There were just great, great artists on the weekend with the blues thing. So, I was just like a dropout; I dropped out of school and was hanging out there.”

Hermann eventually left New York City for the South. His travels took him from Oxford, Miss., to Athens, Ga., where he joined the ranks of Widespread Panic. When Panic’s popularity began growing in the late ‘90s, so did the band’s tour schedule.

After years and years of intense touring, the members of Panic decided to take a break from their grueling schedule. During this hiatus, the members of Panic began working up side projects to hone their chops and venture out musically in between tours, and Hermann was no exception.

After moving to Nashville, the sounds of Mardi Gras came to Hermann once again, and he decided to gather a group of musicians to help him pay homage to those New Orleans musicians who had touched him. His challenge became a matter of finding the right musicians for the job in a city focused on country music.

“I went to Hunter (Williams), who plays congas,” Hermann says. “You know, I had just moved to Nashville, too, so I didn’t really know my way around. I was like, ‘You know some good players who play church music?’ I thought that would be the way to go. I didn’t really want to get country session players, you know. So, anyway, I met these guys, and they were friends of Hunter’s. So, I met them, and we’ve been together four or five years, now. Then, John Jackson (sax), as well, and Bill Elder (guitar), we’re good friends. We all just kinda do our thing in Nashville.”

The end result was JoJo’s Mardi Gras Band. JoJo’s Mardi Gras Band began turning heads and moving feet with their festive sounds at venues such as Bonnaroo and Nashville Stages with covers from his New Orleans idols, especially Professor Longhair. They quickly developed a reputation for creating a party atmosphere so intense that it would be impossible for the audience not to feel the spirit of the Mardi Gras season. It’s only natural that JoJo and his festive fellows should bring their sounds to its birhtplace on Fat Tuesday. In addition to their Mardi Gras standards, they also have a few surprises.

“You know, I’ve been writing some songs, you know, boogie-woogie kinda stuff,” says Hermann. “So, I’m kinda psyched to bring those in, but you know, it’s just Professor Longhair covers and a little Meters, Ray Charles. It’s just a Mardi Gras party band.”

After Hermann gets the Port City jukin’, he must gear up for the release of Widespread Panic’s tenth studio album “Free Somehow.” Judging by his excitement for this album, Panic fans should not be disappointed with this one.

“I mean, I just love this record so much; I listen to it all the time,” Hermann admits. “We recorded with Terry Manning (George Thorogood, Led Zeppelin, Joe Cocker). You pretty much know the story there. We’re very excited for it to come out. We’ve been working hard on it for a very long time.”

Hermann sees the addition of their new member Jimmy Herring (guitar) to this album as a welcome addition. Currently, Spreadheads can grab an advance copy of the song “Walk on the Flood” at LiveWidespreadPanic.com for a $10 donation to Make It Right-9th. This organization is dedicated to the redevelopment of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.

“You know, Jimmy Herring has just added so much to it,” says Hermann. “It’s really unbelievable, his tracks. It’s hard to describe it from the inside, but I really can’t wait to play these songs live. I just think they’re great songs.”

The live Widespread show has always been quite integral to both the band and their legion of fans. After Hermann finishes his stint with the Mardi Gras Band, he’ll spend two months with his family and then hit the road with Widespread at the end of March. Hermann also says Panic fans can look forward to catching the band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in late April/early May, but will they return to Mobile?

“I hope so,” says Hermann. “I know we did last spring, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t this spring. I haven’t gotten a schedule yet, but I’m sure hoping they send us back to Orange Beach. I just loved that gig.”

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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