NEW ORLEANS, LS. (Top40 Charts/ Ponderosa Stomp Foundation) - Though the Ponderosa Stomp culminates in a huge two-day festival April 29 and 30 in New Orleans, it is also a revered, year-round institution and leading advocate for the great unsung heroes of American Music. In 2007 alone, the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation sponsored a showcase at the South By Southwest music conference in Austin, drew nearly 5,000 fans to a Stomp-curated show at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool and launched a concert series at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans; this series adds a Stomp flavor to the weekly After Hours concerts. South Louisiana guitar man Paul "Lil Buck" Sinegal will perform at the museum December 20 while swamp pop star Tommy McClain will perform January 24. Pianist and funk originator Eddie Bo will perform February 28.
Ogden After Hours concerts include a 15-minute oral history that educates audiences about the musicians' contributions to American culture. The concerts, including the histories, are recorded and archived as a part of the ongoing, larger Oral History Project.
The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation also works with Ogden to bring American music legends into New Orleans public schools, exposing students to these unsung heroes and educating them about the history of American music. The Foundation is working specifically with New Orleans mission school Good Shepherd School - a private curriculum, community-based school where all the students come from impoverished families - to present concerts at the school. Before his Ogden show, Sinegal will perform for the students and faculty at Good Shepherd, bringing the music to underprivileged students.
The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation works to pay homage to the unsung heroes of rock and roll whose influence and contributions have shaped American culture for over 50 years; and help revitalize their musical careers. Since its inception, The Foundation has provided an unsung generation of over 200 American musicians a platform to tell their stories, educate audiences about their pioneering cultural contributions, and step into the spotlight, some for the first time in their lives.
About Paul "Lil Buck" Sinegal:
The best guitar slinger South Louisiana has to offer, Paul "Lil' Buck" Sinegal honed his chops as an Excello session man and Clifton Chenier's longtime guitarist. Revered for his work with Lil' Bob (of "I Got Loaded" fame), Rockin' Dopsie, and Fernest Arcenaux, Lil' Buck also recorded his own killer instrumentals - including "Cat Scream" and "Monkey in a Sack" - for the La Louisiane label in the late '60s. More recently, he cofounded the Lafayette-based all-star aggregation Cowboy Stew Blues Revue. In 1999, Lil' Buck was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame.
About Tommy McLain:
South Louisiana swamp pop star Tommy McLain is best known for his genius blue-eyed soul treatment of the Patsy Cline classic "Sweet Dreams," which barreled into the national charts in 1966. Tommy found himself touring with internationally popular garage bands like The Yardbirds, Tommy James and the Shondells, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Tommy is also known for recording the definitive version of Bobby Charles' swamp pop anthem "Before I Grow Too Old."
About Eddie Bo:
Eddie Bo has been laying down the groove for over 45 years, from scorching balls-to-the-wall rock 'n' roll to classic New Orleans rhythm and blues to soul and hardcore funk. Bo began his career cutting sides for Johnny Vincent's Ace label before moving over to Chess and then the Ric label. He then took over Allen Toussaint's role as producer at Seven B, later releasing seminal sides for imprints like Scrim Scramuzza's Scram Records and his own Bo-Sound moniker. Honored at last year's Jazz Fest Piano Night, Eddie is one of the last great piano players from the golden age of New Orleans rhythm and blues.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 (504.539.9600).
The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation is a project of MK Charities Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational organization. All contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS Code Section 170. MK Charities Inc., is supported by a grant from the Louisiana State Arts Council through the Louisiana Division For The Arts and the National Endowment For The Arts.
