Music | Bruce Mattson

Ludix Entertainment is delighted to present an all-new, all-original collection of New Orleans-inspired music by our absurdly gifted friend, Bruce Mattson.

Crescent City Swagger (LDX 1001) serves up a Cajun stew of eleven vocal and instrumental tracks combining blues, jazz, gospel and swing influences. It features the talents of Dr. Charles Neville, Amadee Castenell, Willie J. Laws, Tony Medeiros, Doug James and many other superb musicians.

“Mattson accomplishes something significant on this Crescent City Swagger album. He creates a lofty vision of New Orleans flavored blues, jazz, and swing while offering something that serious fans of this music can really sink their teeth into. Many New England blues fans will likely be returning to this album for many a repeated listening.”

— Bill Copeland

   

Crescent City Swagger is now available in a beautifully packaged compact disc edition from CD Baby.

It is also available via digital download as a full album, or as individual songs, from CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon.

Track listing & credits

01 “Westwego Wedding March” (3:26)

• Bruce Mattson - Piano
• Tony Medeiros - Guitar
• Malcolm Stuckey - Bass
• Bob Paluccio - Drums
• Doug James - Baritone sax

02 “After the Flood” (7:14)

• Willie J. Laws - Vocal
• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3
• James Fidlon - Guitar
• Tony D’Amico - Bass
• Charles Neville - Tenor sax

03 “The Peacock Principle” (4:18)

• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3, electric piano, guitar
• Bob Paluccio - Drums
• Ben Smeltzer - Trombone
• Mark Teixeira - Percussion

04 “Greazy Street” (3:53)

• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3, electric piano, guitar
• Ephraim Lowell - Drums

05 “Your Uncle’s Monkey” (5:01)

• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3, electric piano
• Barry Fitzpatrick - Guitar
• Bob Paluccio - Drums
• Greg Takemoto - Alto sax

06 “Wheels Up and Gone” (5:03)

• Tony Medeiros - Vocal, guitar
• Bruce Mattson - Piano, Hammond B3
• Jesse Williams - Bass
• Mark Teixeira - Drums, percussion
• Amadee Castenell - Tenor sax
• Doug James - Baritone sax

07 “Swamp Slunker” (4:21)

• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3, piano, guitar
• Ephraim Lowell - Drums
• Mark Earley - Baritone sax
• Mark Teixeira - Drums, percussion
• Amadee Castenell - Tenor sax
• Doug James - Baritone sax

08 “Rooster Shoes” (4:33)

• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3, piano, percussion
• Willie J. Laws - Guitar
• Mark Teixeira - Drums

09 “Professor Creole’s Original Groove Elixir” (4:33)

• Bruce Mattson - Hammond B3
• Barry Fitzpatrick – Guitar
• Bob Paluccio – Drums
• Ben Smeltzer - Trombone

10 “Wake Up Moses” (5:54)

• Willie J. Laws - Vocal
• Bruce Mattson - Piano, Hammond B3, guitar
• Jesse Williams - Bass
• Mark Teixeira - Drums
• Charles Neville - Tenor sax (left)
• Amadee Castenell - Tenor sax (right)

11 “Hymn for Veronica” (6:39)

• Bruce Mattson - Piano, Hammond B3
• Tony Medeiros - Guitar
• Malcolm Stuckey - Bass
• Bob Paluccio - Drums
• Amadee Castenell - Tenor sax

All songs composed by Bruce Mattson (BMI).
Copyright © ℗ 2015 Bruce Mattson. All rights reserved.
Produced, engineered and mixed by Bruce Mattson.
Recorded at Big Noise Audio.
Mastered by John Mailloux @ Bongo Beach Productions.
Package design by Brian Moriarty.
Released 27 February 2015.

Lyrics

“After the Flood” (Mattson)

It’s a rain that finds everybody some day
Break off a piece of your heart, and wash it away
After the flood
what am I supposed to do after the flood
But tonight the levee holds and the river runs dry
The day the blues rained straight down from the sky
In sweet merciful dreams, after the flood

It rushes into your life, and tears it apart
Kicks your soul and breaks your heart
After the flood
Life goes on after the flood
But tonight the levee holds and the river runs dry
The day the blues rained straight down from the sky
In sweet merciful dreams, after the flood

(solos)

Sometimes the weather changes out of the blue
So keep your heart on high ground
Cause there’s not much else that you can do
After the flood
Life goes on after the flood
But tonight the levee holds and the river runs dry
The day the blues rained straight down from the sky
In sweet merciful dreams, after the flood
Life goes on after the flood
What am I supposed to do after the flood
After the flood

§

“Wheels Up and Gone” (Mattson)

There’s a sign in the hard luck hall of fame
That says “Lifetime Achievement”, and there just beneath it
Is a plaque that bears my name

You dream, then you work like a dog till you get it
And just like that it’s wheels up and gone

From the inside looking out my outlook’s looking bleak
I’ve been divorced and abducted, pink slipped and busted
And that was just last week

You dream, then you work like a dog till you get it
And just like that it’s wheel’s up and gone

I’ve got a first class ticket on a non-stop flight
To the best day of my life
But something always ends up going wrong
You dream, then you work like a dog until you get it
And just like that it’s wheels up and gone

My old lady was a little bit shady
Not to mention she was hip with direction
She cashed out my stash, and found her way out

You dream, then you work like a dog till you get it
And just like that it’s wheels up and gone

I’ve got a first class ticket on a non-stop flight
To the best day of my life
But something always ends up going wrong
You dream, then you work like a dog until you get it
And just like that it’s wheels up and gone

Might as well be driving in a demolition derby on a Saturday night
When I’m way too drive to drunk
With a tank full of gas and great big batch of
Homemade hootch in my trunk

I pulled a blind mule from a barn fire
Then chased back a Jack with a bottle of wine
You know I ain’t much for liquor but the mule was a kicker
And that barn was mine
You dream, then you work like a dog until you get it
And just like that it’s wheels up and gone

I’ve got a first class ticket on a non-stop flight
To the best day of my life
But something always ends up going wrong
You dream, then you work like a dog until you get it
And just like that it’s wheels up and gone

§

“Wake Up Moses” (Mattson)

Pray for deliverance, pray for a drought
Read aloud from your bible ‘cause there’s danger about
Don’t look now, but I think the last saint just went marching out

Wake up Moses, justify your fame
Wake up Moses, justify your fame
No time for resting on your Red Sea laurels
Now the bayou call your name

Pack your mojo, grab your magic staff
Pack your mojo, grab your magic staff
Gas up your Cadillac and
Get down to Louisiana fast

(solo)

Go down Moses, down to New Orleans
Go down Moses, down to New Orleans
Look for a raging lady named Katrina
Got the whole world on its knees

The levee’s wasting, the water’s rising still
The levee’s wasting, the water’s rising still
But that’s alright ‘cause if the
Levee can’t then Moses surely will

(solo)

Part those waters, make that levee hold
Part those waters, make that levee hold
Paint us a rainbow in a clear blue sky
Of purple, green and gold

If Moses can’t there’s just one thing to do
If Moses can’t there’s just one thing to do
I’m calling Noah and we’ll
Haul ‘em all to dry land two by two

About the composer

Bruce Mattson is a jazz/blues pianist, Hammond B3 organist and composer based in Boston. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, former member of the Gregg Allman Band, bandleader, sideman, and session musician. You can contact Bruce through his website at brucemattson.com.