Album Notes

The NEW ORLEANS RHYTHM CONSPIRACY is a music and cultural collective inspired by the city’s spirit and long heritage of multicultural collaboration, from Congo Square to the Dew Drop Inn, from the sounds of social aid and pleasure club secondline parades, to the chants of Mardi Gras Indians, from jazz and blues to rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll and, of course, the Street-beat Funk New Orleans is so famous for!
The RHYTHM CONSPIRACY collective includes some of New Orleans finest artists from founder bassist, songwriter and producer Jack Cruz ( Walter "Wolfman" Washington, James Booker), to master percussionist Uganda Roberts (Professor Longhair), to the Wild Tchoupitoulas and Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians- Big Chief Roderick Sylvas & Spy Boy Juan Pardo - Marilyn Barbarin (of the famous New Orleans Barbarin musical family).
Bassist Jack Cruz together with Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold have both long been known as the Roadmaster rhythm section and widely regarded as one of the Crescent City's tighest rhythm sections and DANCIN' GROUND pairs them with the Roadmaster Horns of Dave Woodard (trombone), Tom Fitzpatrick (sax) and Jimmy Carpenter (sax), with Dave Jumper (trumpet) and Rick Trolson (trombone). And rounding out the Roadmaster sound is the Wolfman himself, playing guitar on several cuts.......
Fans of the Nevilles' and Funky Meters will recognize the rolling B3 sounds Ivan Neville on several tracks. George Sartin's guitar easily complements Neville, as they came up together and Sartin's been the longtime guitarist of Cyril Neville's Uptown Allstars. Ya don't get much more New Orleans than that.....
Fans of Americana and contemporary southern folk blues will recognize the Spencer Bohren's slide guitar and lap steel on several cuts.
Dancin' Ground also brings to listeners the soulful vocals of a singer little known outside of New Orleans until now - those of Tyrone Pollard, who those of us in the know in the city affectionately, respectfully and proudly call our brother, Brother Tyrone. And indeed Marilyn Barbarin is also little known outside our hometown, but check it out baby, 'cause she can belt it out with the best of them, from Aretha to Betty Wright.......
There's more to this CD than I could possibly write about...so many musicians with so many story's and so much history together....you just have to listen.....and then get up and DANCE!
Sneakin' Sally