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Big Sam’s Funky Nation

Big Sam’s big New Orleans sound

ig Sam Williams has not put the How has your sound changed for Songs Orleans rhythms—second-line, funk, Btraditions of New Orleans jazz in the Key of Funk? bounce, etc.—and make them all work and R&B behind him. Far from Well, with this album, I wanted together, what would you say? it. The music, and the culture to represent the band the way that I’ll say this: It’s all related, 648 W. 5th St, Chico surrounding it, we should have been represented and they’re all syncopated. With (530) 924-3171 by always will be all of these years. When you listen bounce, you have the hand claps ILikeIkesPlace.com Bill Forman part of him. How to it, you can hear a heavy Gap going like nonstop, all eighth could it not be? Band influence—or Morris Day notes—or quarter notes, depending Williams was and The Time—but then you’ll also how you want to think of it. And Preview: born and raised then with second line, you got that Big Sam’s Funky hear those little hidden rhythms in Nation performs in the Crescent the background that are more like back beat. And with funk, you just Friday, Aug. 9, at City and learned the Neville Brothers, The Meters kind of cut that back a little bit. So 9 p.m. Sounds Good to play trombone and Allen Toussaint. Some of the all New Orleans music is related, opens. in his middle- it all goes back to African rhythms Tickets: $15/advance earlier albums were kind of like (eventbrite.com); school marching detours, but we still had some of and things like that. $20/door band. He studied these grooves within those albums. In the wake of Katrina, you commuted with well-known We’re really a dance band, and back and forth between San Antonio ROyAL jELLy jIVE Lost on Main New Orleans 319 Main St. Songs in the Key of Funk is really and New Orleans every week to play W/ CHRIS KING & THE GuTTERBALLS facebook.com/ jazz saxophonist/ a dance album. You pop it in, and gigs. What did you see in your city? music educator lostonmain you want to shake something. It was like a ghost town. Like Kidd Jordan; LIVE IN nothing was here, it was just co-founded the When Toussaint passed away in 2015, empty, it smelled really bad, it Stooges Brass Band in his teens; you and Trombone Shorty led his smelled like death. And they had and even played with the city’s second-line tribute. That must have THE HOP yARD the National Guard, they had the famed Dirty Dozen Brass Band. been an emotionally powerful moment THuRSDAy, AuGuST 15, 2019 military, you know, everybody But through it all, the larger- for you. was down here, the streets were than-life singer, trombonist and It was crazy, man. It was dev- astating. You know, we all love lined with tanks and stuff. It SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. bandleader also has leaned heavily looked like a third-world country, 1075 E. 20TH ST., CHICO. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! $15 AVAILABLE IN on the funk. And with Songs in the Allen, and by that point I had THE GIFT SHOP OR ONLINE AT WWW.SIERRANEVADA.COM/EVENTS played with him for 12 years. It man, and I was heartbroken. I Key of Funk (Vol. 1)—the latest said, “Man, I can’t believe this is album with his current band, Big was just very emotional—it was hard for all of us. He was like my city.” Sam’s Funky Nation—the title (a And then, slowly but surely, it nod to Stevie Wonder and his 1976 the nicest, most genuine person you would ever meet. And he’s started coming back. But … some album, Songs in the Key of Life) is a genius, man, he has all of these areas are still not up to par. There a clue to the deep 1970s and ’80s hits, and a lot of people never heard are still abandoned properties, and funk influences contained within. of him. That’s the crazy part. He’s the insurance companies refuse to I spoke to Big Sam about the also the only cat I’ve ever toured pay people their money so they sounds of New Orleans and the with where, every single night, I’d can get their houses back. So, you new album, working with the late get chills just listening to him play. know, I’d say we’re 87 percent Allen Toussaint and returning back. But the culture, the way we to his hometown after Hurricane If a young musician were to ask how live, the lifestyle, everything is Katrina. you take all these different New still here. Ω SierraNevadaBeer @SierraNevada @SierraNevadaChico

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