This Saturday night the musical chameleon “Deacon” John Moore will be celebrating a milestone with a performance at Tipitina’s with his long-running band, the Ivories.
“Deac” has worn many hats over his long career. From a session man during the 1950s R&B heyday to a Jimi Hendrix inspired guitar slinger in the psychedelic 60s, his career is unprecedented in New Orleans history.
For a long time, he mostly played private gigs, reportedly unhappy with the offers from local clubs. But recently, he has surfaced in a variety of venues—always leading a crack band and always with a smile on his face.
My last time seeing the band was at the most recent New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Looking resplendent (of course he always makes a point of looking great on stage) and barely breaking a sweat, he led his big band through a career retrospective of sorts. He sang, he cracked jokes and he ripped a few guitar solos. It was the kind of performance—rehearsed, but loose—that is rare in today’s music milieu.
I expect the same on Saturday night. As my colleague Geraldine Wyckoff says, “don’t miss the legends.” Deacon John is surely among them.
