The 5th Annual “Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo” | May 22nd, 2011

Voted Offbeat 2010 Best of
the Beat award for Best Neighborhood Festival, the Mid-City Bayou
Boogaloo festival has maintained its’ commitment of providing a
community-building experience while also raising funds for local
charities. The event will occur Friday (evening), Saturday, and Sunday
rain or shine. Other featured acts include Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & the
Zydeco Twisters; Delfaeyo Marsalis’ Sweet Thunder; Donald Harrison and
the Congo Nation; Kris Royal and Dark Matter, Cyril Neville’s Tribe 13;
and others.

Germaine Bazzle is often referred to as one of New
Orleans’ important jazz vocalists. After graduation from Xavier
University of Louisiana, Germaine began a teaching career and
entertaining in the same year, teaching during the day and playing bass
in a local traditional jazz band at night. After 12 years as a teacher,
she left the classroom and began singing with various bands in New
Orleans. Three years later, she returned to the classroom, but continued
to perform with such jazz greats as Alvin “Red” Tyler, Peter “Chuck”
Badie, Victor Goines, bassist/vocalist, George French, pianist Ellis
Marsalis, Emile Vinnette, Larry Siebert, David Torkanowsky and many
more. Germaine can be heard on her CD entitled “Standing Ovation.”

In
his liner notes producer Kalama ya Salaam writes that while some might
compare Bazzle to other great jazz vocalists she is “dazzling in her own
right . . . Especially in her ability to mimic the sound of the
trombone, but also her musicianship. She knows the music, the changes,
and above all the rhythms. And the listener can hear her expertise in
the way this lady improvises … Moreover there is a bubbling exuberance
in Germaine’s style. She smiles. She laughs, sometimes even giggles.
Hers is a joyful sound. She is an awesome jazz artist and also a very
warm and sensitive human being whose artistry makes one feel glad to be
alive.”

Leah Chase is the product of a very fertile creative
environment. Her maternal namesake, Leah Sr., is an engaging dynamo of
activity and chief chef at “Dooky Chase” Restaurant. Her father Edgar
“Dooky” Chase was the leader of the “Dooky Chase Orchestra.” Leah Chase
graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans with a degree in Vocal
Performance. She completed one year of graduate study at The Juilliard
School in New York, before leaving to pursue her true love—Jazz.

A
self-described balladeer who loves “meaty lyrics”, Leah has the unique
ability to take a familiar song and infuse it with a fresh perspective.
She wants the audience to feel as if they have actually “lived” the song
along with her. A very visual performer, Leah quickly establishes a
warm rapport with her audience. She exudes latent but smoldering
sensuality that is comfortably blended with an excellent comedic sense.
Her performances are as eclectic as her song selections, from the
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Festival. Leah can be heard on her CD entitled “At Last” and also on the
Matt Lemmier CD “Portraits of Wonder.” Leah is currently an Adjunct
Faculty Member at the University of New Orleans, Tulane University, and
Loyola University. In the words of one reviewer, “Listening to Leah
Chase sing is like hearing the private reflections of a melancholy
angel. Her sultry voice is comforting and unsettling – a journey through
remembered passion and lost love.”

Stephanie Jordan, whom
critics have placed in the company of Nancy Wilson and Diana Krall,
began to receive noted prominence following the national televised Jazz
at Lincoln Center Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert for
victims of Hurricane Katrina. Jordan’s recent concert with the Chicago
Jazz Ensemble at the Harris Theater led Chicago Tribune’s leading art
critic Howard Reich to proclaim, “The woman can sing and indisputably
knows how to reach out across the footlights . . . Jordan showed ample
voice, bringing heft to music of the Gershwins and Cole Porter without
pushing volume levels. Clearly she values plush sound and knows how to
produce it.”

Stephanie Jordan performed at the private
celebration ‘Oprah Winfrey and Friends of Susan Taylor’ at New York
City’s ESPACE in honor of Susan Taylor’s 37 years of service to Essence
magazine. She also sang the national anthem alongside Grammy Award
winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis and guitarist Jonathan Dubose at
the 2008 NBA All- Star Game in New Orleans. She has appeared live on
NPR’s Talk of the Nation, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center,
Marians Jazzroom in Bern Switzerland, St Croix Blue Bay Jazz Fest,
Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, Duke Ellington Festival, Washington
D.C., Chicago JazzFest Heritage, Glenwood Springs, Co., Adagio’s Jazz
Club in Savannah, Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, Sweet Lorraine’s in
New Orleans, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Stephanie
has been inducted as a member of the New Orleans Magazine Jazz All-Stars
and has served as a ‘Jazz Ambassadors’ for the U.S. Department of
State.

The Stephanie Jordan Big Band Jazz Ensemble will include
Emmy Award-winning arranger Mike Esneault on Piano; and horn section and
rhythm section made up of some of New Orleans’ greatest talent
including; Bobby Campo, Blake Daniels Roderick Paulen, Clarence Johnson,
BJ McGibney, Chris Severin, John Jones, and Don Vappie.

Stephanie Jordan Big Band Musician’s Background

Mike
Esneault is an acclaimed composer, pianist, and arranger. He has
performed and recorded with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Terence
Blanchard, Nicholas Payton, Frank Morgan, Brian Blade, Pete Fountain,
and many more. He has also performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln
Center, and at venues all around the world. As a composer/arranger Mike
recently won an Emmy award for his score for the PBS documentary
“Acthafalaya Houseboat.” Mike continues to write numerous scores for
television and film. He worked closely with film composer Terence
Blanchard on the films “Original Sin”, “Caveman’s Valentine”, and
“People I Know”. Mike’s arrangements have been performed at Carnegie
Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and have been performed by orchestras
including the Prague Symphony Orchestra, London Studio Orchestra,
Seattle Studio Orchestra, and numerous others. Mike is also very active
as a clinician and teacher. He has given master classes across the
country focusing on composition, jazz improvisation, arranging and music
technology. Mike has also been a faculty member of the East Baton Rouge
Gifted and Talented Program since 1998. Mike is also serving as an
Artist in Residence at Louisiana State University where he teaches jazz
piano and improvisation.

Bobby Campo, trumpeter, leader and
composer, was also a founding member of La’s LeRoux and has performed
and recorded with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Kerry Livgren (of KANSAS),
Don Vappie and the Creole Jazz Seranaders, Pete Fountain, The John
Mahoney Big Band, Matt Lemmler, and most recently Dr. John. Bobby also
worked in the Baton Rouge Symphony for 19 years.

Clarence Johnson
III, alto sax, awards include in 1999 & 2004, Offbeat Magazine’s
Best of the Beat-New Orleans’ Best Saxophonist and 1998 Big Easy
Award-Best Emerging Artist. Film and TV credits include; “RAY” staring
Jamie Fox, CBS’ “ELVIS” and ABC’s “SEARCHING FOR DAVID’S HEART”.
Clarence has recorded with Tori Amos, Bruce Hornsby, Davell Crawford,
and also Dave Bartholomew and Earl Palmer.

John Jones is a native
of New Orleans, Louisiana. He began his musical journey on the drums at
the age of eight and has been performing professionally since he was
twelve. In 2006, John received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music
Performance from Southern University. The following year, John was
encouraged to audition for the Louis Armstrong Quintet program at the
University of New Orleans. He was accepted into the LAQ program under
the direction of Steve Masakowski and Ed Peterson and is currently
working towards his Master’s Degree. John is also presently studying
with renowned jazz drummer, Troy Davis.

Chris Severin has
performed with many jazz greats, including: Dr. John, Dianne Reeves,
Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard,
Lou Rawls, Alvin Batiste, Herlin Riley, Victor Goines, Irma Thomas and
Kent Jordan. He has toured worldwide to such venues as the Bern Jazz
Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Mt. Fuji Jazz
Festival, Montreau and the Nexus Night Club. He has also been selected
by top jazz recording companies such as Blue Note Records, Rounder
Records and Windham Hill Records. He also serves on the faculty of the
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA).