This past weekend marked the transplanted return of Bear Creek, which opened up as the Bear Creek Bayou Festival at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, LA. With thousands assembled for the exciting festival, many flocked to the Howlin’ Wolf for some late night fun, in the form of a funky tribute to the late great Bernie Worrell.
Worrell sadly passed away due to cancer earlier this year, and an all-star crew of musicians came out to perform in his honor. The full lineup for the show included Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Ian Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Nick Daniels (Dumpstaphunk), Nigel Hall (Lettuce), Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power), Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce), Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce), Jen Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), and TJ Norris.
The musicians took turns sharing stories about the late Worrell, only adding to the emotional significance of the night. It was the music that shined through, as the band brought out countless classics from Worrell’s catalog. Among the many played was “Mothership Connection,” a P-Funk regular that featured Worrell’s iconic synth playing.
Fortunately, our own Rex Thomson was on hand to capture this moment. Watch this all-star lineup’s great version of “Mothership Connection,” streaming below.
For fans of Nikki Glaspie, Eric “Benny” Bloom, and Ryan Zoidis, be sure not to miss them perform a special tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire alongside Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, Natalie Cressman, Skerik, and more at the second annual Brooklyn Comes Alive, a multi-venue music festival with over 50 artists performing throughout Brooklyn on October 22nd. All the information you need to know is located right here.