New Orleans Suspects will release their third full-length studio recording, Kaleidoscoped, on September 16, 2016, on Louisiana Red Hot Records. The release date for the vinyl edition is September 30, 2016.
New Orleans Suspects brings together some of the best, most highly respected players in New Orleans including: Reggie Scanlan on bass (The Radiators, Professor Longhair Band); “Mean” Willie Green on drums (Neville Bros.); Jeff Watkins on saxophone (James Brown Band, Joss Stone Band); Jake Eckert on guitar/vocals (Dirty Dozen Brass Band); and CR Gruver on keyboards and vocals (Polytoxic, Outformation). Scanlan, who recorded the bass tracks on Kaleidoscoped, recently announced that Charlie Wooton (formerly of Royal Southern Brotherhood) would replace him in the touring entity of the band.
Kaleidoscoped is the follow up to the 2014 release Ouroboros (Louisiana Red Hot Records) that helped define the band’s sound, which is fever-inducing funk, irresistible R&B rhythms, Professor Longhair rhumbas, and jazzy soul-drenched horns. The highly-acclaimed CD received substantial airplay on 3 SiriusXM stations: Bluesville, Jam_ON and The Loft. The new recording is again produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Suspects’ Jake Eckert and Jeff Watkins at Eckert’s own Rhythm Shack Studio in New Orleans. The 8 tracks include a plethora of special guests including: Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett of Little Feat; Golden Commanche “Big Chief” Juan Pardo; “Big Ike” Kinchen; Lee Thornburg; Ian Smith; and Paulie Cerra.
Kaleidoscoped takes a variegated look at roots music, funk and traditional New Orleans music through a colorfully distorted lens, creating a sound some radio programmers are already calling "psychedelic funk." The opening tracks, "Let's Get it Started" and "Cocaine Jane" feature Jeff Watkins and Grammy Award ® winner Jake Eckert at the peak of their powers of studio wizardry. On these tracks, they utilize Tower of Power horn veterans as well as a Leslie speaker cabinet and newer, electronic effects to great advantage. The album sequencing devolves into twisted looks at such traditional Louisiana genres as Cajun swamp pop ("You Got the Fire" and "Creole Hannah"), Mardi Gras Indian Funk ("Round Up Dem Suspects," with call and response led by Pardo), plus a trip through a pastiche of Southern rock, Dr. John-style R&B and traditional jazz. A slight outlier of a track, "Dixie Highway" was written by Paul Barrere for Little Feat; he and Fred Tackett add guitar/vocals and mandolin, respectively, for a New Orleans feel the listener might imagine Little Feat having searched for, but never located. The cover art by Craig Young of a prismatic eye is apropos given the many genres of music embraced by the band on Kaleidoscoped.
Track listing:
- Get It Started
- Cocaine Jane
- Dixie Highway
- You Got The Fire
- Round Up Dem Suspects
- Creole Hannah
- Whatcha Gonna Do?
- Neighborhood Strut
The local CD release shows will be at The Maple Leaf in New Orleans on October 14-15, 2016. Their tour itinerary is as follows with all shows subject to change:
Sat, July 30 -- Maple Leaf Bar -- New Orleans, LA
Sun, July 31 -- Paradise Bar & Grill -- Pensacola Beach, FL
Fri, Aug 19 -- Edmonton Blues Festival -- Edmonton, AB (Canada)
Sat, Aug 20 -- Salmon Arms Roots & Blues Festival -- Salmon Arm, BC (Canada)
Sun, Aug 21 - Salmon Arms Roots & Blues Festival -- Salmon Arm, BC (Canada)
Fri, Aug 26 -- VFW Post 4031 -- Durango, CO
Sat, Aug 27 -- I Bar Ranch -- Gunnison, CO
Sun, Aug 28 -- Old Town Pub -- Steamboat Springs, CO
Thurs, Sept 8 -- The Goodfoot Pub & Lounge -- Portland, OR
Fri, Sept 9 -- Sisters Folk Festival -- Sisters, OR
Sat, Sept 10 -- Sisters Folk Festival -- Sisters, OR
Fri, Sept 23 -- Jannus Live -- St. Petersburg, FL
Sat, Sept 24 -- The Funky Biscuit -- Boca Raton, FL
Sun, Sept 25 -- Bradfordville Blues Club -- Tallahassee, FL
Fri, Sept 30 -- Meeting of the Minds -- Schuylkill Haven, PA
Fri, Oct 14 -- Maple Leaf Bar -- New Orleans, LA
Sat, Oct 15 -- Maple Leaf Bar -- New Orleans, LA
Thurs, Oct 27 -- Broadway Oyster Bar -- St Louis, MO
Fri, Oct 28 -- Fitzgerald’s -- Berwyn, IL
Sat, Oct 29 -- Bunker's Music Bar & Grill -- Minneapolis, MN
Fri, Nov 11 -- City Winery --Atlanta, GA
Sat, Nov 12 -- Grey Eagle -- Asheville, NC
