New music spotlight: Jon Cleary

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Published on: August 11th, 2015

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Jon Cleary performing at Jazz Fest in 2013 [Photo by Black Mold]
Jon Cleary performing at Jazz Fest in 2013 [Photo by Black Mold]

Jon Cleary's new album, Go Go Juice, is out this Friday, August 14. Recorded at Dockside Studios in rural Maurice, Louisiana, and finished at Cleary's own spot in the Bywater, the record is a great snapshot of the funky and soulful side of the Crescent City today.

Cleary has an impressive musical resume that includes time spent supporting BB King, Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Ryan Adams, and Bonnie Raitt. As a pianist, Cleary clearly takes pride in the New Orleans R&B traditions of Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, a respect that shines through, in particular, on "Bringing Back The Home," an homage to the city's residents reuniting and rebuilding in the years after Hurricane Katrina.

Cleary came to New Orleans in the late 1970s as a teenager. His first stop was the Maple Leaf. According to the story, the Maple Leaf allowed Cleary to stay on the floor of the club before hiring him to do painting and gardening work in exchange for entry to the shows. James Booker was the resident performer at the time, which allowed Cleary to listen to him practice everyday and become accustomed to the piano and New Orleans live sound. From there, Cleary went on to get to know many of the working musicians in town at the time and his career grew. Though his first landing in New Orleans was at this iconic Uptown spot, Jon Cleary reps downtown with a passion these days.

Go Go Juice is available on vinyl from AmazonMP3 at iTunes, and will be available on CD from the Louisiana Music Factory on August 14.

Jon Cleary's next scheduled local appearance is at the Maple Leaf on August 31 with his band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen. He will also play the Louisiana Seafood Festival on September 4 and the Bogalusa Blues Festival on September 26.

Below, an album trailer for Go Go Juice and a video of Jon Cleary & The Absolute Gentlemen performing at the Maple Leaf in 2014.

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