The most unknown famous musician
from New OrleansA short man with the modest look of an anonymous office worker dressed in a dull gray suit, with bow tie, two-colored shoes and a little hat that seems too small for his head, with a constant vacuous smile revealing a solid set of upper teeth, and a twinkle in the eyes that do not succeed in hiding flashes of melancholy… Don't be misled : the man is not what he looks like. Not really known outside of New Orleans, he is a legend in his home city.
This is the strange paradox of “Deacon” John Moore. Without any hit under his name, he can be heard on lots of iconic recordings from New Orleans early R'n'B kings and queens !
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| The Moore family in 1954. John is in the top row, the first on the left |
John E. Moore was born in 1941 in a large musical family (“we coulda formed a band by ourselves”, he told many times). He began to sing at church and in school. In his teens, he already was a semi-professional musician singing in different ephemeral bands. One day he realized he could get more gigs if he also played guitar, bought one in a pawn shop, and learned to play it by himself.
In 1957, still in high school, he co-founded the Original Echoes, but the group was short lived when the other guitarist of the band, Terry "Big T" de Rouen, left town for other musical adventures California.
Moore finally joined a group called The Ivories featuring future Dirty Dozen Brass Band Roger Lewis, where he was given the nickname "Deacon" by a band mate from a line of the Roy Brown song "Good Rockin' Tonight”.
John is at the top on the left
In 1960, “Deac”, as his friends and family call him, re-organized the Ivories as Deacon John & the Ivories which became the acclaimed house band at the famous Dew Drop Inn. That's where Allen Toussaint discovered him and led him to the recording studio of Cosimo Matassa as a session guitarist. He worked with numerous successful artists like Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, Robert Parker, Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner. Lee Dorsey...
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| Deac with Aaron Neville |
In 1970, Deac performed at the very first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (later re-baptized JazzFest)
The line-up of the Ivories changed often and the band became a breeding-ground for rising talents : at one time or another, the band featured the Neville brothers, pianist James Booker, drummers Zigaboo Modeliste, Bob French and James Black, bassist George French and many other luminaries of the New Orleans music scene.
During the near 65 years of his career, Deac has played everything, from blues, early R&B and rock'n'roll, to hard, soft or psychedelic rock, folk, funk and even gospel, entertaining three generations at all possible occasions, from private family parties (birthdays, proms, weddings...) to carnival balls, local clubs and neighborhood fiestas to the prestigious New Orleans JazzFest. Actually he must be the only artist who was featured each year at the Festival since its creation in 1970 !
In 2003 he was the central figure of “Deacon John's Jump Blues”, a documentary film celebrating the glory days of New Orleans R&B. The soundtrack was released on CD the same year (see below). This documentary was completed in 2006 by an additional critically acclaimed second film, “Going Back to New Orleans: The Deacon John Film”, a documentary about New Orleans incredibly rich musical tradition through a portrait of Deac (see YT links below for both)
Deac also worked “for” the musicians. That same year (2006), he became the first African-American president of the New Orleans Musicians Union branch of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).
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| Consuela Moore Provost aka Sybil Kein |
Deac has a rare knowledge, understanding and respect for historical and regional musical influences that forged the unique New Orleans sound. Must be a family thing because his own sister, Consuela Moore Provost, who died in October 2022, was a famous scholar researcher and advocate of Creole culture. She was also a playwright and poet, under the pseudonym Sybil Kein, a teacher, a lyric soprano and played seven instruments.
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| The obscure 1990 album "Singer of Song" |
What is totally unbelievable though is that such an icon of the Big Easy musical scene never recorded any album of his own, except the obscure “Singer Of Song” released in 1990, on a mysterious label of the same name (a self produced work ?) and out of print from a long time.
The richness of his discography has to be found in the long list of famous songs on which he has played during his early career and which belong today to the New Orleans cultural heritage. His own recordings are limited to a few singles in the 1960s, the 1990 LP, his appearances in numerous compilations, the Live released in 1999, and the soundtrack album of the 2003 concert DVD.
At the 1994 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Deacon's performance was recorded and 10 tracks were released five years later on the following album. ■
Deac has performed an extremely diverse range of musical genres played in New Orleans and Louisiana, but he's got a sweet tooth for blues and it's blues-fueled music he played in 1994 at the “Fest” : jump blues, Memphis blues, Chicago blues, rhythm and blues...
“When the Deacon decides it's time to take you to the church of New Orleans blues and R&B... gentlemen take your hats off, and ladies put your hats on, and hold on to them tight ! Cuz baby... listen to me now... he's gonna make the wind blow, make you shout and shimmy and shake yo' money maker !” These flowery words are from Sally Stevens, from Oldies.com, and I couldn't resist the pleasure of reproducing them here.
The next track is a typical New Orleans rocking R'n'B : “No Love In My Heart”, marked by several beat changes, and Deac's grooving riff on guitar. B.B. King is honored with two covers : the jumping R'n'B-infused “You Upset Me Baby” with a Memphis sound from the horns and stirring solo from the little man, and an exciting version of “Sweet Little Angel”.
Deac looks towards Chicago on Jimmy Rogers' “That's Alright”, with excellent harmonica by J.D. Hill who also opens the next “Mother-In-Law Blues”, another muscular Chicago blues
Deac is particularly impressive on slide guitar and gives two versions of Elmore James : the powerful “Standing At The Crossroads” and an incredible version of “Shake Your Money Maker”, introduced by an amazing version of “Amazing Grace” on slide, and ending with a little scat before Deac invite the audience to join him for his night show in the Cafe Istanbul.
I bet that night the Cafe Istanbul was certainly over-crowded ! ■
A bit of boogie on the piano immediately followed by a squadron of riffing horns : the whole Nola sound in just a few notes ! How do they do that ?! There's some magic about this jazz & R'n'B mix unlike any other one anywhere. Is it the tone ? the tempo ? the notes ? the pinch of Dixie ? the slice of second line ? the drops of Afro-Caribbean beat ?
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| All photos featured in this section are from the DVD |
“Deacon John's Jump Blues” was planned as a three-part project centered both on Deacon John and on the golden age of New Orleans R'n'B (1950s-early 1960s) through the production of the legendary Cosimo Matassa studios, a music that changed the world by setting the foundation of rock'n'roll.
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| With the late Dr John |
The three parts were an audio CD (that we review here), a DVD of a concert filmed at the Orpheum Theater, and a complementary documentary film on the music and on Deac that was released later, in 2007.
The filmed concert took place in 2001 but the soundtrack for the CD was actually recorded first at the Ultrasonic Studios. Deac is backed by an impressive big band conducted by Wardell Quezergue and featuring top New Orleans musicians like Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler and Davell Crawford on piano, Dr John on piano and vocals, Amadee Castenell on tenor sax, Deac's brother Charles Moore on electric bass…
Iconic late figures of New Orleans music are present through their work : Prof Longhair (”Tipitina”), Dave Bartholomew (“Someday”, “Hook, Line And Sinker/Go On Fool”) or Joseph Liggins, known for his wonderful song “Going Back To New Orleans”.
Deac is on guitar and sings all the tracks except one performed by the Irma Thomas-influenced "Teedy" Boutté. Deac and the renowned Zion Harmonizers perform an outstanding passionate version of "Jesus on the Mainline" a Capella, bringing up the pious gospel side of New Orleans.
Actually the real star of the album and the film is the music itself with some outstanding moments. There's stirring horn-fueled big band swing numbers like the opening Ray Charles' cover “Jumpin' In The Morning”, or “I Didn't Want To Do It”.
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| A few Charleston steps next to Amadee Castenell |
There's slow R'n'B versions of blues as “Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out” soulfully performed by Deac, or Dr. John's “Losing Battle”.
There's 1950s romantic jazzy crooners like Bartholomew's “Someday” and, from the same Bartholomew, the Latin and Caribbean-influenced “Hook, Line And Sinker/Go On Fool”.
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| With "Teedy" Boutté. |
There's pre-rock'n'roll with “wap-a-doo-wa” backing vocal chorus on “Let The Good Times Roll/Feel So Good”, and the romantic soul slow “Piece Of My Heart” nicely sung by "Teedy" Boutté.
There's Dr John with his inimitable piano playing and singing on Prof Longhair's “Tipitina”, and a big band swing version of “Going Back To New Orleans” in a Cab Calloway style, crooned by Deac. And for the outro, there a happy reprise of “Nobody Knows You…” by Davell Crawford solo on piano.
A rejoicing, superb and moving opus proving that Deac is really underestimated out of the Crescent City, and that there's no other place like New Orleans, mother city of most of the musical styles of the second half of the 20th Century. ■
► “Going Back to New Orleans: The Deacon John Film”, primarily about the prominent role of New Orleans music and musicians in the birth of rock'n'roll through the souvenirs and the eyes of Deacon John, produced and directed by Cyril & Gabriel Vetter, 2007 : https://youtu.be/jsTVCdpseA4
“This is a companion documentary to the Deacon John's Jump Blues project. It features interviews with Allen Toussaint, Dave Bartholomew, Dr. John, Cosimo Matassa and others from the seminal music created at Cosimo's Studio in the New Orleans French Quarter”, comments Cyril E. Vetter.
→ http://www.deaconjohnsjumpblues.com/home.htm
■ Another bio-documentary/interview
► Deacon John talks about his life, 2016 : https://youtu.be/-p16SV1fhW0 – or - https://youtu.be/9xL5w1RZmis
■ Live performances
► With J. Monque'd, Rock'n'Bowl, New Orleans, 2009 : https://youtu.be/hdy9tgR0XjY
► Excerpts of his Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame Induction performance, 2009 : https://youtu.be/xdS-oiCRnZ4
► Meals On Wheels Gala, New Orleans, 2009 :
→ “Nobody Wants You” : https://youtu.be/8_LW_D1SniQ
→ “Going Back To New Orleans” : https://youtu.be/Y9l-F92In7o
→ "Come Rain Or Come Shine" : https://youtu.be/toa8lp4rdEk
→ “Hit The Road Jack” : https://youtu.be/hqRPEWm8XHk
► “Let The Good Times Roll”, 2009 : https://youtu.be/o0-f7ykPVhs► New Orleans, 2010 : https://youtu.be/DokRj3_LKsg
► New Orleans JazzFest, 2011 (bad sound quality) :
→ https://youtu.be/ms7PPJKw3bI
→ https://youtu.be/5hnxcSWzFus
→ “Going Back To New Orleans” : https://youtu.be/eOUA1QAdoio
► With the Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Bay St. Louis, MS, 2011 : https://youtu.be/g_xikfh1KU4► "At Last", House of Bud's, Hyannis, MA, 2011 : https://youtu.be/xdLGjMlM5Ok
► Chickie Wah Wah club, New Orleans, 2011 :
► “Many Rivers to Cross”, Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club, New Orleans, 2012 : https://youtu.be/ATjtwI1fRFM
► Blue Nile club, New Orleans, 2014 :
► New Orleans JazzFest gala, 2023 :
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