Usually you hear about tribute concerts to honor legendary artists or bands. In New Orleans on Apr. 30, though, that concept will be expanded to pay homage to “The Last Waltz,” The Band’s 1976 farewell show in San Francisco that featured a litany of famous guests and was chronicled in a documentary of the same name by Martin Scorsese. “The Last Waltz New Orleans” will similarly feature a solid list of performers and apply the city’s ubiquitous twist to the original.
If you’re curious as to why the concert’s organizers wanted to hold this tribute in NOLA rather than San Francisco, it seems like the rationale is to incorporate horn arrangements by the late, great Allen Toussaint. Toussaint, it could be said, embodied the spirit of New Orleans jazz, so this new Last Waltz is basically a double tribute.
Warren Haynes, of Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band, will serve as the event’s musical director. Other musical guests will include notable producer and multi-instrumentalist Don Was, keyboardist John Medeski and bassist George Porter, among a number of others. The concert has also promised “surprise guests,” and given that this is taking place concurrently with JazzFest, there will be plenty of well-known musicians who might find time to make an appearance.
“Last Waltz New Orleans” will take place on Apr. 30 at New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre. Tickets, which go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. CDT, can be purchased here.