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Stanton Moore

Over the course of his 20-year career, drummer Stanton Moore has become known as one of the premier funk musicians of his generation. On his latest album, Conversations, he moves in a slightly different direction, returning to his roots while reinventing his trademark sound. The result is a lively and combustible jazz piano trio outing that reveals unexpected new dimensions to Moore's always-engaging virtuosity.

Anyone who's ever heard the interplay between the drummer and his band-mates in the Stanton Moore Trio, Galactic, Garage a Trois or Dragon Smoke is no doubt aware of his intense improvisational chops. But with Conversations, Moore unveils his profound sense of swing and the fluency of his jazz vocabulary in its purest form for the first time. "I've played a lot of jazz in New Orleans through the years, but it's not something that the general public has ever seen me do or is even aware of," Moore says.

Having delved deep into the styles of pioneering drummers like Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield, and Zigaboo Modeliste for his multimedia 2010 project Groove Alchemy, Moore decided to explore his straight-ahead jazz influences with a similar focus. "Jazz has been part of my development and a deep love of mine for a long time. Everything I do funk and groove-wise is informed by what I've learned playing and studying jazz. I had put myself through what was basically a doctoral program on funk drumming, and I wanted to do the same thing with my jazz playing."

Moore sent himself back to the jazz woodshed, taking lessons with veteran drummer Kenny Washington and spending time with Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra co-leader Jeff Hamilton, Moore's partner in the Crescent Cymbal Company. He refined his brush playing by studying the work of Philly Joe Jones—evidenced by his brushwork on "Tchefunkta," a slinkier transformation of the tune that opens his 1998 solo debut, All Kooked Out!

The New Orleans native called on a pair of veterans from that city's vibrant, deeply rooted jazz scene to form his new trio. Pianist David Torkanowksy and bassist James Singleton have both played with saxophonist Tony Dagradi's long-running band Astral Project alongside Moore's mentor, drummer Johnny Vidacovich. Singleton has also worked with the likes of James Booker, Professor Longhair, Aaron Neville, Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, Harry Connick Jr. and Lightnin' Hopkins. Torkanowsky's credits include work with The Meters, Maceo Parker, Dianne Reeves, Dr. John, Boz Scaggs, George Duke, Kirk Whalum, James Moody and Chuck Berry.

Moore chose Torkanowsky and Singleton for their unparalleled musicianship, versatility, compatibility, and long history together. What he realized only after the fact is that his newly-assembled trio was already a Grammy Award-winning group: they had worked together as the rhythm section for Irma Thomas' After the Rain, which was named the Best Contemporary Blues Album of 2007. "I always love playing with Stanton," Singleton says, "and when he got me back together with Tork it became pure inspiration. We all share such deep bonds within very specific musical languages, and the energy keeps growing."

The connection shared by the three New Orleanians, Moore says, "brings a deep sense of groove and pocket and a whole batch of ideas and cultural influences that I can reference and these guys know exactly what I'm talking about. There's the Mardi Gras Indian thing, the brass band thing, the James Black thing. It's hard to find a group of guys who are not only aware of all those influences, but are equally happy playing in any of those genres."

The NOLA bond becomes even stronger through Moore's choice of material. All but one of the album's eleven tracks were written by a New Orleans composer, including the legendary drummer James Black, Tony Dagradi, Steve Masakowski, Evan Christopher, and all three members of the trio. The sole exception is Herbie Hancock, whose "Driftin'" is given a stride piano intro by Torkanowsky that makes it feel right at home in this company.

"Some of these tunes are New Orleans standards or tunes that David and Jim have played a lot together over the years. I wanted to create an outlet for the jazz side of my playing, but I didn't want to do jazz standards that everyone else has done. So we developed a repertoire of tunes that were more in our wheelhouse."

That material was honed over more than a year and a half of Tuesday-night performances at Snug Harbor, the renowned New Orleans’ jazz venue on Frenchman Street. The deep chemistry forged over the course of that residency is in ample evidence throughout the aptly-named Conversations, from the graceful but roiling opener "Lauren Z" to the wistful ballad "Waltz for All Souls," from the Bill Evans-inspired elegance of Steve Masakowski's "The Chase" to the deceptively complex celebration of the New Orleans standard "Paul Barbarin's Second Line."

"Improvised music should be conversational," Moore says. "If one guy's holding the floor, you don't want to start speaking over him; you want to listen, you want to interject, you might want to convey another idea related to what he's saying, but the same rules for good conversation apply to making good music. The music on this album is conversational, and all the tunes are coming from friends who we've had musical conversations with over the years."
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Book of Queens

by Doug Collette
April 29, 2024

Released in 2023 with next to no fanfare, the very gestation of the Eric Krasno/Stanton Moore Project's first effort carries a cachet all its own. Recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, and mixed by Jim Scott (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Wilco), Book of Queens is tribute to women in music wherein the nine covers offer homage to the work of musical cons such as Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, and Aretha Franklin as well as contemporary figures of note ...

Album Review

Garage A Trois: Calm Down Cologne

Read "Calm Down Cologne" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
April 2, 2021

Formed by guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist Skerik and drummer Stanton Moore in 1999, Garage A Trois has sparked a slew of “But is it jazz?" debates with every new release. Calm Down Cologne will do it again. GAT has been through various incarnations since its debut EP, The Mysteryfunk (Fog City Records, 1999), necessitated by the departure of Hunter. The group's last album, 2011's Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (Royal Potato Family), was actually made by a ...

Album Review

Stanton Moore: With You In Mind

Read "With You In Mind" reviewed by Mark E. Gallo

by Mark E. Gallo
August 12, 2017

Stanton Moore's tribute to Allen Toussaint is chock full of New Orleans sounds and is one of his most exciting albums to date. Moore, a New Orleans native himself, is fully immersed in the groove, and that groove is funky. Allen Toussaint pretty much invented New Orleans funk and Moore is a faithful disciple. This collection has some familiar tunes and a handful of obscurities, all of which are performed precisely and lovingly by Moore, with pianist David Torkanowsky and ...

Album Review

Stanton Moore: With You In Mind

Read "With You In Mind" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
July 26, 2017

The title of Stanton Moore's homage to Allen Toussaint suggests the affection at the heart of this project. With You In Mind symbolizes the achievements of the latter NOLA icon as ongoing inspiration for generations of musicians to come and not just those with their roots in New Orleans like this great drummer and bandleader with top billing here. Beginning with the celebratory called “Here Come The Girls," Moore's quasi-martial beat underscores the rhythm inherent in Cyril Neville's ...

Catching Up With

Stanton Moore Goes Indie

by Gabriel Medina Arenas
July 16, 2014

Drummer Stanton Moore is one of the prodigal sons of jny: New Orleans. His fans know him well from projects like Galactic, Garage a Trois and Dragon Smoke, which prodigiously fuse rock, jazz and funk. Moore, whose musical career spans nearly 25 years, is also an educator and has released several instructional books and DVDs. However, he had never recorded a jazz-only album. Before taking that step, he immersed himself in the jazz world, and played ...

332

Album Review

Stanton Moore: Groove Alchemy

Read "Groove Alchemy" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
May 1, 2010

Groove Alchemy is not only the perfect title for Stanton Moore's album, it effectively sums up the unique means by which he makes music. The rhythm he conjures up morphs into melody then back again in such as remarkable natural fashion, it almost (but not quite) defies description.

It's voodoo of some kind the way Moore hammers out the beat of the first two tracks, “Squash Blossom" and “Pie Eyed Manc," only to have them shape-shift into the ...

414

Live Review

Stanton Moore Trio at the Last Concert Cafe

by Blaine Fallis
December 24, 2008

Stanton Moore Trio Last Concert Cafe Houston, Texas December 5, 2008

Jazz shows don't always draw large crowds in Houston, especially for music that leans towards experimental funk, but the Stanton Moore Trio's show at The Last Concert Cafe was in fact very well attended, and the venue's outdoor stage was put to good use, despite the sub-50 degree temperatures (BRRR!) which for South Texas is considered COLD. Didn't seem to phase the crowd ...

Music Industry

NOLA's Favorite Band Just Bought NOLA's Favorite Nightclub

Source: HypeBot
December 6, 2018

Galactic has announced that they’ve purchased the iconic New Orleans nightclub Tipitina’s. The recently finalized deal, which has been in negotiation for most of the year, will transfer ownership of the music venue and it’s associated business to the popular indie funk band. Galactic is no stranger to Tipitina’s and the band has been performing there for more than two decades. The members of Galactic stated that they plan to continue to operate Tipitina’s as a music club, hosting both ...
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143

Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Glenn Miller Orchestra, Stanton Moore Trio, Funky Butt Brass Band, Eric Mandat, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
September 30, 2010

This week's schedule of jazz, creative music and related genres in St. Louis offers a grab bag of different styles, from traditional jazz, big band swing, and smooth jazz to cabaret, New Orleans-style brass band music, and jam-band funk. Let's go straight to the highlights... Cabaret producers The Presenters Dolan return to action this weekend at the Kranzberg Arts Center, with pianist Joe Dreyer and singer Rosemary Watts doing their show “Everything Old Is New Again" on Thursday and Friday, ...
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Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The Stanton Moore Trio's "Groove Alchemy"

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
September 26, 2010

The subjects of our video scrutiny this week are the Stanton Moore Trio, who will be in St. Louis next Saturday, October 2 to play at 2720 Cherokee. Underpinned by Moore's hopped-up New Orleans-style grooves, the trio seems to draw considerable inspiration from NOLA's funk standard-bearers The Meters as well as from the 20th century tradition of jazz organ trios generally. You can definitely hear those influences at work in the first video ...
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Performance / Tour

Stanton Moore Trio to Play Saturday, October 2 at 2720 Cherokee

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
September 21, 2010

Drummer Stanton Moore, who was just in St. Louis with Garage A Trois last week to play at the Old Rock House, will return with his own eponymous trio to perform on Saturday, October 2 at 2720 Cherokee. The New Orleans-based Moore (pictured) divides his time among Garage A Trois, the funk band Galactic, and the trio, which usually includes guitarist Will Bernard and organ player Robert Walter. For this show and the rest of their fall dates, they'll will ...
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263

Recording

Stanton Moore, "Groove Alchemy" (CD Review)

Source: Between the Grooves with Philip Booth
July 20, 2010

Galactic drummer Stanton Moore again was an unofficial MVP at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, playing at the fest and around town with his day-job band, leading his own trio, working with Anders Osborne, and sitting in with Levon Helm.

Click here to read my review of the jazz-funk drummer's latest solo album, as published in Relix mag. Or see the full text below.

Galactic drummer Stanton Moore achieves an appealing synchronicity with organist Robert Walter and ...
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179

Performance / Tour

Stanton Moore Trio | 05.06 | Los Angeles

Source: JamBase
May 25, 2010

Words by: Jamie Dewaele | Images by: Brigitte Bard

Stanton Moore Trio with Anders Osborne :: 05.06.10 :: The Mint :: Los Angeles, CA

Stanton Moore Trio :: 05.06 :: S.F. Funk is a genre of music that emphasizes the 'down' or 'off' beat. It is usually played with the expressed purpose of inciting the audience to get up and dance. Music legends like James Brown, Little Richard, George Clinton, and the Funky Meters are credited with creating 'funky' ...
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148

Radio

The Jazz Session #159: Stanton Moore

Source: Michael Ricci
April 12, 2010

Drummer and New Orleans native Stanton Moore is a busy man, whether with his bands Galactic and Garage a Trois or as a solo artist. He's just released a trio CD called Groove Alchemy (Telarc, 2010), which is also the name of the companion instructional DVD and book, all of which explore funk drumming. In this interview, Moore talks about the legacy of drummers Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield and Zigaboo Modeliste; why he decided to explore funk drumming in depth ...
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197

Interview

Drummer Stanton Moore Goes to the Heart of Funk

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner
April 7, 2010

By Tad Hendrickson

Swing, clave, or groove is inherent in different kinds of music. While the nuance of each term's meaning is specific to its genre, there's a general overlying idea of a rhythmic sweet spot that makes the music come alive. This is something drummer Stanton Moore has grappled with since he started playing and has continued with as he explored rock, the second-line music of New Orleans and hardcore funk. It carries on to this day as the ...
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Event

Enter Music Publishing Rolls out Voting for 15th Annual Drummies; Vote by April 30th

Source: JCM Media
March 23, 2010

San Jose, Calif., -- The 15th Annual Drummies, conducted by Enter Music Publishing, are now open for voting to drummers interested in participating in one of the most well-respected Award/Polling events. Voting is done online at drummagazine.com. Enter Music Publishing, publishers of hip, drum/percussion magazines worldwide, has experienced tremendous growth of the Drummies over the last 15 years. Last year, more than 5000 ballots were cast in 40 categories, covering best drummers in various genres to most popular drums, cymbals ...
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151

Book / Magazine

Drum! Interactive Struts New Orleans with Stanton Moore

Source: All About Jazz
March 16, 2008

San Jose, Calif., -- Enter Music Publishing, publishers of diverse, hip drum/percussion magazine worldwide, has made available its January 2008 Issue of DRUM! In its interactive edition at drumdigital.com. The January Issue features the second-line strut of New Orleans drummer, Stanton Moore, hot licks of Mitch Mitchell and four emerging Cowboy drummers, Myron Howell of Jake Owen's band; Tommy Bales of Flynnville Train, Steve Sinatra of Halfway to Hazard, and Jared Pope of Whiskey Falls. Stanton Moore could be, as ...
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