A few days ago – of course, where else but on twitter – I came across Jambase’s review of local pop progsters Big Rock Candy Mountain’s debut album Hey Kid. Previously, in Offbeat magazine I too bestowed similar praise upon the group (so I’m pretty high on them), but I had yet to see them live since their performance at the New Orleans Indie Rock Fest several months earlier. That was until a few weeks ago when I caught Big Rock (@brcm for the tweeps out there) alongside fellow Nola indie favorites Rotary Downs at d.b.a. Surprisingly, when I got to the Frenchman St. watering hole, which typically plays host to the jazz/funk/blues crowd, a sizable crew had already amassed within the venue. After scoring a beer, I squeezed into the front corner of the room and waited for the band to take the stage. A large part of me didn’t know what to expect. Anxious, my mind drifted. I wondered if BRCM could match the raucous histrionics of their album in concert.

One of my favorite things about New Orleans is its diamond-in-the-ruff persona. I find this description to holds true particularly when it comes to its musical landscape. On any given day, you’d be hard pressed not to find a number of shows that would absolutely blow you away. What’s even better is that once you immerse yourself in the scene, you’ll develop a knack for spotting a gem. One of my favorite talents on the local scene is saxophone player Jimmy Carpenter, a native of Greensboro, NC who for the last five has led the horn section in Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s Roadmasters. He can also be seen backing bluesman Eric Lindell. Over the last year, Carpenter has also shown a flair for arranging, scoring the horn parts for both the Wolfman and Lindell’s latest albums. Recently, he released his first solo album, Toiling in Obsecurity, a funky, R&B flavored disc that has become one of my favorite albums of this year. His busy touring schedule limits his solo gigs, but a few weeks ago – I believe if was a random Wednesday – I noticed that Jimmy was billed at d.b.a., so I headed out to Frenchman St to see what the saxman had cooking.