I’ve been shooting performances at the Lobero Theatre for 22 years, and some of my favorite shows have been presented by the Lobero Foundation. Most have been music concerts, and that suits me just fine since music is what makes me tick. The recent offerings are exemplary of the diversity of talent lucky attendees can experience in the comfy plush seats of the oldest continually operating theater on the west coast. At the beginning of April, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra stopped by for a joyful celebration of Jazz, New Orleans style. Hailing from probably the most well known jazz family, trombonist Delfeayo is more engaging, looser, and funnier than his older siblings Branford and Wynton, and he and his band are blazingly good! In their fantastic show at the Lobero, hot solos abounded in stellar arrangements of new and classic big band material, played with gusto and swing, all presided over by the man with the big smile and a twinkle in his eye. In keeping with his commitment to push the boundaries of the form, and to have a really good time, Delfeayo and the band lived up to his claim to “…bring everything about New Orleans, except the food.” A party time was had by all.
