Luciano Leães
Pontchartrain Shakers recording artist
PIANIST IS THE FIRST BRAZILIAN TO PERFORM AT THE JAZZ MUSEUM
LUCIANO LEÃES PERFORMS AT THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM AND PREPARES NEW ALBUM IN THE LAND OF JAZZ WITH LOCAL MUSICIANS
In about 30 years of career, the Brazilian pianist Luciano Leães has a remarkable artistic trajectory. The instrumentalist and composer has shared the stage with names like Carey Bell, Hubert Sumlin, Jesse Harris, Tony Coleman, James "Boogaloo" Bolden, Annika Chambers, performed at festivals such as the Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada), New Orleans Jazz Fest (New Orleans), Lucerne Blues Fest (Switzerland) and was invited to open for Elton John at São José Stadium in Porto Alegre - RS (2013), in a solo performance.
In addition to his original work, Leães maintains an international career with regular activity in the Southern United States, where he has been performing for almost a decade. His music has been played on radios like WWOZ in New Orleans, and he has released albums and singles in local venues like the traditional Maple Leaf. His themes have been arranged by orchestras (OSPA, TSP Orchestra, and Unisinos Orchestra), and he has been awarded the Açorianos (one of the main awards in Southern Brazil), both as a musician and as a music producer. In his DNA, one can perceive reverence for the great piano names of New Orleans, but there is a genuine artistic identity capable of bringing South American nuances and rhythms to the way he plays his instrument. Ron Levy, award-winning pianist and music producer who played with BB King and Albert King, said: "What is the perfect blend of New Orleans R&B and Brazilian soul? Luciano Leães & The Big Chiefs!".
During his tours in the United States, he shared the stage with musicians such as Lionel Batiste Jr, John Fohl, June Yamagishi, Kirk Joseph, Eddie Christmas, Reggie Scanlan, Tom Worrell, Stanton Moore, among others. Still for the coming months, Leães prepares his next album — to be recorded in US territory —, with the participation of renowned local musicians, besides the release of a book in which he recounts his adventures in the musical universe. Co-written in partnership with music journalist Márcio Grings, author and editor of several literary works, the publication will gather the themes of the songs from the new album along with the stories and musical encounters experienced by the musician over the past years. Based in Porto Alegre - RS (Brazil), he has already released two albums — "Power of Love" (2015), with the support of the Big Chiefs, and "Live at Pianístico", a CD/booklet recorded live in Joinville, as well as the singles "Fessta Brasilis" and "Song for JB", a collaboration with the Unisinos Anchieta Orchestra. The musician recently returned from a new mini-tour of Europe and New Orleans, with a highlight being the performance at the Jazz Museum (he was the first Brazilian pianist to achieve this feat).
In Luciano Leães' chronology, there is a deep cultural relationship with New Orleans, one of the points of convergence in his career. And this connection reconnected during a recent trip to Europe, last September. Invited to play at the bar of the Le 360 Cultural Space in Paris, where — in the theater of the venue — the show of the American singer and trumpeter James Andrews would take place, something unexpected happened. While the Brazilian artist was performing, Andrews appeared unexpectedly at the bar and, accompanied by the pianist, sang classics like "Iko Iko" and "Big Chief". Curators of the event in France, organized by the Jazz Museum, witnessing the interaction between both, extended the invitation for Leães to perform at the institute's headquarters last December.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum published on its website:
"Luciano Leães is the main and most active musician associated with R&B and New Orleans Piano in Brazil, and possibly in all of Latin America".
In the setlist of Leães' presentation on December 14, 2023, at the Jazz Museum, in addition to original tracks like “Odila y Maneco”, “Song for JB”, “Fessta Brasilis”, “Power of Love”, “Sinner Not the Saint” and the unreleased “Inner Song”, he also played classics like "People Say" and the spiritual "Go Down Moses". The show by the first Brazilian pianist at the Jazz Museum, with a full house, was part of the institute's instrumentalists' program.
Breaking with the formalities of the event, he interacted with the audience, talked about his career, and described the stories behind the songs. In a frank conversation with the audience, he drew attention to the intimate connection between the New Orleans tradition and Brazilian and Latin American music. Exploring the roots of jazz, the pianist also highlighted the influence of the habanera in the genre, which not only gave rise to the maxixe, tango, vanera, and jazz itself, reinforcing the importance of the African matrix in the diffusion of rhythms in the Americas.
Red DeVecca
Pontchartrain Shakers recording artist
Red DeVecca got his start gigging in the mountains of Pennsylvania performing Polkas & in Prom bands. When he came to New Orleans, he picked up his first gigs at the 544 club on Bourbon Street. Red then played with every blues band in town including Mighty Sam McClain, Wayne Bennet, Carl Perkins, Snooks Eaglin, Amedee 'The Creole Blues Man' Frederick, Eric Lyndell and many more covering five thousand gigs over 20 years. He recorded with the Pontchartrain Shakers, Eric Lyndell, Backsliders, J Monque'd, and many others. Red continues to perform in New Orleans and the Gulfcoast recently entertaining with Pontchartrain Shakers at Blues In Schools, the Abita Fall Festival, Fall For Art, and more. He is a gifted musician and his performance resume says it all.
Earl J Smith Jr
Pontchartrain Shakers recording artist
Earl J Smith Jr. was born on Aug. 14, 1955 in New Orleans, LA. He is a highly skilled drummer, percussionist, and vocalist. Earl has been an active musician for 49 years. Up until the covid-19 pandemic of 2020, Earl spent 26 years touring extensively with the Aaron Neville Quintet. He first performed with the Pontchartrain Shakers in 2018 when the band was founded and recorded on their debut album released in April 2024.
Earl has worked with every staple musician in the city of New Orleans and is currently dedicated to enriching the music at Saint Joseph Catholic Church on the Westbank. The majority of his performances are at home in New Orleans with several bands in the city.
Naoki Kubo
Harmonica
Naoki Kubo, of Japan, debuted as a bassist for Epic Sony in 1982 with a punkabilly band called The Bots. He then got his start in performing blues and lived in New Orleans (1989 and 2016). He has performed with Aggie Jr., Kenny Holladay, Irene & Mikes, and Amedee 'The Creole Blues Man' Frederick, Pontchartrain Shakers and many more. Naoki won the World Harmonica Championship in 10 holes experience. He currently performs in Japan with Pitbull Kubo & The Pack.
Willie Panker
Drummer
Willie Panker grew up in Chicago, where he began studying drums at the age of 10 and playing professionally at 14. He developed a strong interest in jazz and blues while studying under Muddy Waters’ and Little Walters’ drummer, Fred Below. He eventually was sent by Below to Roy Knapp, a world-renowned percussion and music theory educator, to continue his studies. Willie became involved in the Blues scene gigging with James Cotton, Junior Wells, Jimmy Rogers and the like.
Upon moving to New Orleans in the 80’s, Willie became a sought-after sideman, drumming for Earl King, Allen Toussaint and Snooks Eaglin, and eventually forming his own group, The Iguanas . Some of the artists he has played with are John Mooney, Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington, Ronnie Earl, Kim Wilson, Mitch Woods, Fingers Taylor, James Harmon, Anson Funderburg, Gary Primich, Mark Hummel, Jumping Johnny Sansone, and more.
Willie has traveled the world over and performed at festivals, concerts and shows in every juke-joint from California to Miami.
He recently performed with the Pontchartrain Shakers at Abita Fall Festival, MC Combat Veterans Annual Fundraiser, and is looking forward to many more. If you want to hear him soon, Willie plays regularly on Saturday nights on Frenchman St in New Orleans.
Dale Hildreth
Percussion, guitarist, bassist
Dale is a 1976 graduate of The Ohio State University School of Music majoring in percussion and education where he spent 3 years with the marching band. Dale has played in many bands including wedding bands, concert bands, rock bands and jazz bands including Jamie Wight’s New Orleans Joymakers. Currently, he leads his church band, Give Em Heaven and the Windjammers Big Band.
Dale performed with the Pontchartrain Shakers in Navarre, OH for the Blues Art Festival in 2021
Rick Bonn
Drummer
Rick Bonn started performing seriously with his first band, Ecstacy in 1982 , with personnel, Amedee ' The Creole Bluesman' Frederick, Tom Johansson, and Alfred Flint, based in Abita Springs, LA. He worked with the Joe Blackwell band. Bonn performed some memorable gigs with the Hebert Bros. Roddy and Raymond. He returned to East Syracuse, NY and was vital in running the Open Jam featuring central New York's finest musicians. He was a member of Str8 On, playing progressive rock and Heart covers. He currently produces and performs annually in
Cazenovia, NY, re- uniting former band mates and other local musicians. When he is in Louisiana,
It is his immense pleasure to perform with his friends, the "Shakers" -Ricardo
Kevin Estoque
Drums & Percussion
"Kevin Estoque, aka Q, had been a freelance drummer/percussionist in the New Orleans music scene since graduating high school in 1993. Q has lived in the New Orleans area since he was 3 years old and has played music since the 2nd grade. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music. Music has taken him all over the country and to Europe, where he has performed with groups such as the Executive Steel Band, Los Catrachos Boys, The Funky Beans, and Eh La Bas! He has played with several orchestras along the Gulf Coast, including the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony, and the Gulf Coast Symphony. Q can also be found in numerous musical theater orchestras for regional/local productions for the Jefferson Performing Arts and Tulane Summer Lyric and national touring productions for the Saegner Theater. He has also been fortunate to backup acts such as Johnny Mathis, Evanesence, Jerry Lewis, Michael Bolton, and The Who. Kevin is a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians, New Orleans Local 174-496."
Cori Walters
Drums & Percussion
Cori Walters has played drums and percussion with a constellation of
musicians both in
New Orleans and across the United States.
With a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in orchestral percussion, she has
held positions in The Wichita Symphony (1993-1995) the Louisiana
Philharmonic Orchestra (1998-2011, extra), the New Orleans Symphony
Chorus Orchestra, and the JPAS Orchestra (1998-present)
Having experience in every style of music from cajun and zydeco to
orchestral to soul, funk, blues, gospel, reggae, Afro-Cuban, traditional jazz.
big-band jazz, and modern jazz , she has performed regularly with cajuo
accordionist Bruce Raigrepont, Cajun fiddler Waylon Thibodeaux, and
zydeco artist Dwayne Dopsię, among others.
She performed with Eddie "Bo" Bocage before he passed away in 2009. She
held the drum seat in Al "Big Al" Carson's Bluesmasters from 2002-2005
before moving into the traditional jazz scene of New Orleans.
She became the drummer of The Dukes of Dixieland (2008-2010) and was a
member of The Palm Court Jazz Band, supporting New Orleans jazz legends
Lionel Ferbos, Lucien Barbarin, Chuck Badie, Wendell Eugene, Wendell
Brunious, Mark Braux, Topsy Chapman, and many more. She also performs
regularly with jazz luminaries Rick Trolsen, Louis Ford, Warren Battiste, Tom
Fisher, Wendell Brunious, Tom McDermott, and many more. She has
performed regularly at Fritzell's European Jazz Club for many years (2006-
present) and is a member of The Mahogany Jazz Hall All-Stars.
For 17 years, Cori could be seen and heard every year at the New Orleans
Jazz and Heritage Festival in the Gospel Tent laying down gospel grooves for
local gospel artist Joe "Cool" Davis, and playing other stages with Latin
bands, Cajun bands, etc.
The most recent band in which Cori has been a member is the Mahogany
Jazz Band (2021-present). She was also in the Lena Prima Band (2012-2017),
which featured Lena Prima, daughter of the world-famous Louis Prima.
Cori has an extensive teaching career as well. After teaching private lessons
on percussion and piano for decades, she was the Graduate Assistant in percussion at Wichita State University, where she taught classes for music
majors, private lessons, and conducted all of the University ensembles
(assistant conductor of percussion ensembles). She was an Adjunct Professor
at Delgado Community College for 12 years (2006-present) teaching (and
creating) Piano classes l, Il and Il, Music Appreciation, Jazz Appreciation, and
Humanities. Currently she is the Percussion Instructor at Xavier University of
Louisiana (2017- present). She also teaches Talented in Music at an arts-
focused Charter School (2016- present).
Timothy Paco
Multi-instrumentalist
Timothy Gerard Paco .
Cajun/Creole
Filipino- Hawaiian
Bassist (Double Bass - Electric Bass Guitar -Tuba)
Ukulele
Tim Paco is a multi-instrumentalist well immersed in music having performed thousands of gigs. He started performing with Jamie Wight (Jojjo's father) in 1996.
His musical resume includes-
Austin Symphony (1980's)
Saenger Theater Bassist ( Broadway Shows )1985 - 1996
Pat Barberot Orchestra ( big band) 1985-2019
Le petite Theater "Pit Musician" .
Steamboat Delta Queen 1992-2005 including Crew and Feature Bands
Tim performed at many New Orleans Clubs and was a highly sought after sideman for many years in the French Quarter.
Maison Bourbon,
Famous Door,
719 Bourbon,
Absinthe House ,
Fritzel's , Preservation Hall, Palm Court, Court of Two Sisters, GW Finn's , Galatoire's, Chart House , Saint Louis Cathedral, and various art galleries.
Tim also performed with brass bands including the
Storyville Stompers,
Lars Edegran, Andrew Hall, Clive Wilson , Panorama, Ninth Ward Marching band, and many more.
Tim worked with Brint Anderson in the 1990s where they used to open for the Meters at Tipitina's.
Tim's experience also led him to work on the Ukulele which includes as a soloist,
Harry Hardin's groups, Hawaii 504,
Royal and Dumaine Hawaiians. Tim is also a skilled instrument builder. A luthier since 1987, he has built and repaired guitars , basses, bowed string instruments and ukuleles.
He has a speciality in restoring Martin Ukuleles from the 30's-50's as well as other vintage instruments.
Tim started performing with Pontchartrain Shakers when they were founded in 2018 and has since moved to Texas where he stays busy playing blues, swing, and traditional jazz.