On Sunday, April 29th, J.E.D.I. (Jazz Electronic Dance Improvisation) burned the house down in New Orleans at Maison for a special show during Jazz Fest, making for one serious jam session. The band is spearheaded by world-class drummer Aaron Johnston (David Byrne, Brazilian Girls), and features a different cast of rotating musicians for each performance. Sunday’s iteration included a core band of bassist Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits), keyboardist Borahm Lee (Break Science / Pretty Lights Live Band), and saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, and featured special guest collaborations with trumpeter Benny Bloom (of Lettuce / The Shady Horns), guitarist Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds / Matador! Soul Sounds), vocalist Shira Elias (Turkuaz) fellow Byrne band members and percussion section—Davi Viera, Mauro Refosco, and Gustavo Di Dalva—as well as bassist Nate Edgar of The Nth Power and guitarist Jeffrey Lockhart.
The late-night show quickly became a who’s who of rotating musicians throughout the night, bringing artists from across the musical spectrum to simply vibe off each other and create sweet music. Lee, Zoidis, and Edgar joined the maiden voyage of J.E.D.I. with Johnston back in late 2017, which went off into a galaxy far, far away. As a result of its environment and ever-growing energy, last night officially went into the furthest reaches of the musical universe.
You can check out the photo gallery from last night’s show below, courtesy of photographer Ronald Valle.
Live for Live Music is currently in New Orleans this year for Jazz Fest, putting on a series of late night and daze between shows at clubs across town. You can check out our late night guide for a comprehensive list of what New Orleans has to offer during Jazz Fest, and you can take a look at our own late night calendar below.
