Album Review: Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns

Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

***and1/2 out of *****

The traditional New Orleans based jazz outfit Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns have called the Blues Tent their New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival home for a few years now and 2024's recording shows why. The group, while rooted in the trad jazz style, opens up their sound to blues, country, folk and more over this enjoyable set of covers and originals.  

For 2024's Jazzfest set, the core band of Jason Jurzak-sousaphone, bass, Charlie Halloran-trombone, Dave Boswell trumpet, Russell Welch-guitar, Mike Voelker-drums, welcomed multi-instrumentalist Dennis Lichtman who helped round out the sound with violin and clarinet. All of this is in support of the fiercest vocalists on the scene, Meschiya Lake whose stunning range and soulful feeling shines through on every effort. 

Their set was a mix of old classics and originals as the Fest faithful packed the Blues tent to listen to the show. This live albums levels can get a bit wonky, with some solo's being a lot lower in the mix than others, or echoing in speakers oddly, however, the live in the moment feel of the playing wins out in the end.

 

Opening with the Smiley Lewis/Dave Bartholomew number "I Hear You Knocking", the band gets loose as Lake's vocals warm up winningly. The group digs into the Billie Holiday number "Comes Love" as smokey singing and snake like playing intertwine, while the vibe stays slow and sultry for Jelly Roll Morton's "Sweet Substitute" as Lake digs into the old number with elegant style.   

The tempo pops up for the original ode to the party town New Orleans "Anytime is Saturday Night" as the easy boppin' tune flows out before Lake dedicates the passionate plea of "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" to eradicating all the evils in the world. The outfit shifts gears for the dark and stormy love song "'Lectric Chair Blues" and keep the crackling theme but kick up the juiced up beat via "That Chick's Too Young to Fry". 

The energy stays high for "It's the Rhythm In Me" with a good groove and highlight solo from Boswell, before their easy country stroll through Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)". Lake then gets gorgeously passionate on the original "Luck Devil" as the burning with the one you love theme is returned to before the band wraps up their set up the joyful "I Believe In Music". 

A Jazzfest staple since 2010, Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns, Live at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a nice memento for fans who were in the Blues tent that day, or anyone who wants to hear an amazing vocalist and talented band do their thing live in their hometown. 

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