Auto repeat for Mardi Gras.

Shrimp and Gumbo, Dave Bartholomew

THIS is the way to start the week! One of the Gulf Coast’s greatest songwriters greatest song. Jimmy Donley- Think it Over. (Tommy McLain also has a killer version to boot.)

In town for the Stomp and need something to do tonight? Venture out to Metry to witness a slab of yat grandeur with the dynamic duo of “Eddie and Earl” at Mo’s Chalet. That’s non other than Eddie “Gypsy Woman” Powers and Earl “Pass the Hatchet” Stanley holding down their steady Weds night gig. Mo’s Chalet has been chronicled here previously by Lakeview Kid. “Give the people what they want!”

Lakeview Kid described the regular patrons of Mo’s Chalet thusly:

And “the people,” in Mo’s case, fit a certain demographic. They are either members of “the Greatest Generation” or hail from the immediately younger age groups. These are the people who grew up in a still-vibrant New Orleans, attended its grammar and high schools, and bore witness to not only the jazz revival of the late 1940s and early ’50s, but also the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. These are the people who remember Butera and Prima blazing away on Bourbon Street and at the Beverly Club. These are the people who saw Pete Fountain and Al “Jumbo” Hirt trading lightning-bolt licks at Lenfant’s on the lakefront. These are the people who when they hear the name “Dukes of Dixieland” immediately think “Assunto brothers”—you know, those nice neighborhood Italian boys from around the French Market who just happen to have a red-hot family band. These are the people who grew up buying Fats Domino 45s and swaying to Jerry Raines’ “Our Teenage Love” at the CYO dances. They remember serving detention-hall stints with Roland “Stone” LeBlanc at Warren Easton High, or eating cheeseburgers next to a teenage Frankie Ford at Da Wabbit in Gretna after a sock hop at the McDonoghville VFW. These are New Orleans’ salt of the earth, and those who still make it out to Mo’s Chalet are the silver-fox survivors. They’re still boogieing down and drinking up well into their 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Here’s a Stomp sneak peek with a great live performance from Sugar Pie Desanto when she toured Europe as part of the American Folk Blues Festival. Ponderosa Stomp alum Hubert Sumlin is on guitar!

Below is snapshot of Sugar Pie’s Ponderosa Stomp poster- from the letterpress geniuses at Yee Haw Industries. See Sugar Pie Desanto live and snag her poster on at the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans on September 24th and 25th, 2010.

It needs no introduction- SURFIN’ BIRD by The Trashmen! See them live on night one of the Ponderosa Stomp.

The Trashmen, Surfin’ Bird

Today, in New Orleans’ Jackson Square, Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews and others are performing on a giant stage in front of hundreds of thousands of Saints fans and untold numbers of TV viewers. Tomorrow, on Friday September 10th, just steps away, three musical giants of New Orleans will be celebrated in the Cabildo in front of a much smaller crowd but with no less fanfare.

Legendary New Orleans studio personnel Dave Bartholomew, Harold Battiste and Wardell Quezergue will be honored at a reception and panel interview. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Ira Padnos, founder of the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation.

Presented by the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation & The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter.

This event is free! RSVP at the Facebook Event Page.

General Information for 2010 Music History Conference:

The Conference takes place Friday September 24th and Saturday September 25th, at the Louisiana State Museum’s historic Cabildo in Jackson Square.

An array of iconic musicians will be interviewed at the conference including Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees: Duane Eddy, Ronnie Spector, and Dave Bartholomew. See the full schedule below!

Selected sessions from the 2010 conference will be live-streamed on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website.

3rd Annual American Music History Conference Daily Schedule:

• Friday, September 24th, 2010

  • Arsenal Room, 3rd Floor

    • 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
      Duane Eddy with Deke Dickerson

      Chrome-domed rockabilly punk Deke Dickerson is a longtime Stomp backing bandleader and accomplished musician and music writer in his own right. Two guitar slingers go head to head, as he chats with legendary King of Twang and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Duane Eddy.

    • 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
      Jimi Espinoza of Thee Midniters with Dr. Lauren Onkey and Kid Congo Powers

      Renegade punk-blues guitar stylist Kid Congo Powers – of the Cramps, the Gun Club and Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds – joins Rock and Roll Hall of Fame VP of Education and Public Programs Lauren Onkey in this discussion with original bassist Jimi Espinoza of Thee Midniters, who ignited Chicano rock in 60’s East L.A. with cruising anthems like “Whittier Blvd.”

    • 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
      Gloria Jones with Ann Powers

      Los Angeles Times senior pop critic discusses with Gloria Jones what is truly a life in rock – from her influential soul cuts like “Tainted Love” to her life on the glam-rock scene with Marc Bolan.

    • 4:15 – 5:30 p.m.
      Ronnie Spector with Dr. Lauren Onkey

      The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Dr. Lauren Onkey chats with the legendary Ronnie Spector – the diminutive, high-haired wild child whose commitment to rock n’roll started in Spanish Harlem, survived Phil Spector, influenced the Rolling Stones and the Ramones and still burns bright today.

  • First Floor Gallery

    • 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
      Ian Dunlop with Holly George-Warren

      Award-winning author, journalist and Western wear expert Holly George-Warren talks with Ian Dunlop, original bassist for Gram Parsons’ pre-Burrito outfit the International Submarine Band.

    • 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.
      The Trashmen with Jason Hanley

      The Trashmen, the wild 60’s Minnesotans behind the bird share the word with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame director of education Jason Hanley.

    • 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
      Sugarboy Crawford with Rick Coleman

      Award-winning Fats Domino biographer Rick Coleman talks with New Orleans R&B legend James “Sugarboy” Crawford, whose 1953 Chess-cut version of “Jock-A-Mo” remains one of the most popular updates of the traditional Mardi Gras Indian chant.

    • 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
      Floyd Soileau with John Broven

      Two legends come together in this conversation. British-born author John Broven remains the definitive authority on South Louisiana swamp pop, Cajun music and R&B, with his groundbreaking texts “South to Louisiana” (1983) “Rhythm & Blues in New Orleans” (1974) and “Record Makers and Breakers.”(2009)His longtime associate Floyd Soileau cut the records Broven wrote the books on, founding seminal labels like Jin, Swallow, Vee Pee and Big Mamou to put out artists like Clifton Chenier and Rod Bernard.

• Satrurday, September 25th, 2010

  • Arsenal Room, 3rd Floor

    • 2:30 – 1:30 p.m.
      Tommy Brown with Chris Morris

      Grammy-nominated Los Angeles-based writer and DJ Chris Morris, the 60’s bluesman turned 70’s “party record”-making comedian. The Atlanta-based bluesman has held down legend status for over half a century, playing, hanging and entertaining with artists from T-Bone Walker to Tina Turner.

    • 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
      Wendy Rene, Lala Brooks and Barbara Lynn with Holly George-Warren

      Award-winning author Holly George-Warren leads the Stomp Conference’s second installent of the “Here Come The Girls” panel, which she originally moderated at the first conference in 2008. Cult Stax singer Wendy Rene of “BBQ” fame, girl group legend Lala Brooks, and left-handed Gulf Coat guitar empress Barbara Lynn share their stories of the vagaries of the music business for black women in the prefeminist era.

    • 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
      Dave Bartholomew with John Broven and Ira “Dr. Ike” PadnosMade possible with support from Cyril E. Vetter

      Without the talents of producer, arranger, bandleader, talent scout and trumpeter Dave Bartholomew, the world would never have heard of a piano player named Fats – and that’s only scratching the edge of the tip of the iceberg for Dave Bartholomew, New Orleans’ premier architect of rock n’roll. With Stomp founder Dr. Ike and chronicler John Broven, Bartholomew shares his firsthand account of the dawn of the American rock and R&B sound.

  • First Floor Gallery

    • 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
      Leroy Martin and Johnnie Allan with John Broven and Michael Hurtt

      South Louisiana music authority John Broven and frequent MOJO contributor and musician Michael Hurtt talk with Cajun guitar legends Leroy Martin and Johnnie Allan. Look for a possible appearance by their longtime co-conspirator and legendary Ville Platte record man Floyd Soileau!

    • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
      Lil Buck Sinegal with Ira “Dr. Ike” Padnos

      Ponderosa Stomp secret weapon Lil Buck Sinegal has led the band for Stomp events for the event’s entire history. With running buddy Dr. Ike, he finally discloses his story of life as South Louisiana’s crack guitar slinger, from Clifton Chenier’s band to hundreds of Excello sessions to “Monkey in a Sack” and “Cat Scream.”

    • 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
      Roy Head with Andy Schwartz

      Texas wild man Roy Head can still do the alligator, offer marital advice, whip a roadhouse into a soul frenzy and probably fry an egg all at the same time. The irrepressible soul man behind “Treat Her Right” chats with New York Rocker founder and longtime music journalist Andy Schwartz.

*** 15 to 30 minutes between sessions is allowed for the audience of each discussion to change over at a comfortable pace. Please be respectful of our schedule, and join the speakers and moderators in the courtyard or the second floor gallery record fair following their session for refreshments, further conversation and memorabilia signing. ***

The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation thanks Dr. Lauren Onkey and Jason Hanley of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for hosting this year’s Music History Conference.

A complimentary lunch courtesy of the Green Goddess Restaurant, Desperados Pizza and the R Bar will be served in the courtyard at 1 p.m. daily – first come, first served.

The Ponderosa Stomp-curated exhibit “Unsung Heroes: The Secret History of Louisiana Rock n’Roll” is on view on floor 2A of the Cabildo during the Ponderosa Stomp Music History Conference. Admission to the Conference allows you to entrance to the exhibit, as well.