Once again members of Turkuaz, The Motet, Snarky Puppy, and more gathered together in New Orleans to honor fallen musicians from the previous year under the banner of “Fu*K 2017!” The venerable One Eyed Jacks, one of the French Quarter’s most beloved rooms for live music, hosted the packed late night gathering, with a near capacity crown on hand at 2 a.m. for the all-star cavalcade of jams from music makers who have gone to the great gig in the sky. With luminaries like Tom Petty, Walter Becker of Steely Dan, and more among the departed, the band sadly had a large catalog of tunes to choose from.
Turkuaz guitarist Craig Brodhead, drummer Michelangelo Carubba, and vocalist Shira Elias along with Motet keyboardist Joey Porter, bassist Garrett Sayers, and vocalist Lyle Divinsky were the driving force of the show, and they did a spectacular job of making sure every player got chances to shine and every musician’s legacy was treated with love and respect. Whether it was Cris Jacobs delivering a sizzling take on Tom Petty‘s classic “Breakdown,” the Turkuaz Horns and special guest Skerik punctuating the James Brown tune “Talking Loud And Saying Nothing” (in honor of late James Brown drummer Clyde Stubblefield), or DJ Williams nailing Walter Becker‘s Steely Dan solos, everyone got a chance to show what they could do. Motet bandmates Joey Porter and Garrett Sayers deserve a special shout-out for their musical dexterity and rocking energy throughout the entire set.
We have some highlights from the show pulled together in the clips below. Though every song was amazing we managed to pick four that were above and beyond, including two Steely Dan tracks—”Josie” and “Black Friday”—which were easily the high points of the night. Give them a listen and be glad that, though we lost some amazing players last year, their music will live on in eternity!
Tom Petty – “Breakdown”
Steely Dan – “Black Friday”
Steely Dan – “Josie”
James Brown – “Talking Loud And Saying Nothing”