Levee Jazz Band
- New Orleans, LA
- Jazz Band
- 31 Verified Bookings
Bonnie D. said “Everyone was so happy with this band and their beautiful music. Thank you so much!!”
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This group, led by super versatile drummer Kevin O'Day, has been playing corporate events and weddings for 20 years in the New Orleans Area. We do jazz, classic rock, blues, funk, classic R&B, and more. Horns, drums, vocals, guitars and keys blend together in rhythm to create the goove and the good times you seek. For Weddings, Kevin can arrange to have a brass band, a jazz trio, and a dance band (sometimes augmented with Mardi Gras Indians) or any combination of those.
I recently had the pleasure of working a wedding with these guys (I am a professional photographer). They were flexible ranging from ceremonial music, reception, and even an energetic Second Line through the streets of the French Quarter with entire wedding party!
Price Range: $800 - 3500
Gig Length: 60 - 300 minutes
On time professional service, attention to detail, and a positive attitude are the foundation of our business, and we are committed to providing you with the best experience possible.
Kevin O'Day: Drums, Leader
If you could only use one word to describe New Orleans drummer Kevin O'Day, that word would have to be "versatile." He is skilled in a plethora of styles from traditional jazz to the hip hop beats of the 21st century. Currently, Kevin gets creative writing and performing with his band, Kevin O'Day and Live Animals. He also fronts a wedding and special events group Kevin O'Day and the Bon Temp Roule Band.
Kevin also performs in New Orleans with The Single Atom Theory, Midnite Disturbers, and The Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra.
Kevin was one of the first musicians to come back to New Orleans after the tragedy of Katrina in 2005. He organized the first show at the Maple Leaf after the flood, playing with a quickly arranged band, the MRE's. With Walter Wolfman Washington fronting the band, it was an inspiring event, covered by every major news outlet. A few months later, O'Day found himself on a "Thank You Tour" organized by Jazz at Lincoln Center and The U.S. State Department. He played snare drum in the all star brass band that toured Africa and the Middle East, as a thank you to the countries that donated of their resources to the cause of rebuilding New Orleans.
From October of 2009 to February of 2010, The Kevin O'Day Band played a five month residency at the legendary Los Angeles nightclub, The Mint. While in Los Angeles, O'Day worked with original Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and did numerous recording sessions.
O'Day has worked with soul and blues legend Walter "Wolfman" Washington's Roadmasters, taking over the drum chair that was held for many years by Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold. In addition to his work with Washington's regular band, he also has led an allstar quartet that featured Washington, trumpeter James Andrews and keyboardist Brian Coogan.
In the 2000's, O'Day worked with Funky Meters members Russell Batiste's and Brian Stoltz's solo projects.. His resume also includes stints with the groove jazz of Have Soul Will Travel; the roots rock of Anders Osborne and Eric Lindell; the slide guitar of John Mooney; the hoodoo blues of Papa Mali as well as the contemporary jazz of saxophonist Robert Wagner.
In a town filled with great drummers and renowned across the globe for percussive innovation beginning with the great trad jazz drummer Warren "Baby" Dodds, O'Day stands out as the go-to guy for gigs of any variety. He is regarded among his peers as a drummer's drummer with a passion that never wanes and a sympathetic ear that defines musical telepathy.
O'Day, who is also a well-regarded composer and lyricist, gravitated to music at an early age developing proficiency on the piano and guitar before finding his muse behind the drum kit at the age of 11. He matriculated through Loyola University under the tutelage of Johnny Vidacovich- the dean of working and teaching drummers in the Crescent City. But long before he completed his course work, O'Day was working the clubs and festivals of New Orleans.
One of his first local gigs was with multi-reedman Robert Wagner at the now- defunct Kaldi's Coffee House. The trio, which featured bassist Andy Wolf, would set the stage for future musical explorations and establish O'Day's jazz credentials. The three musicians went on to become the core of the avant- performance band Iris May Tango and years later O'Day would appear on Wagner's adventurous solo debut. O'Day's first brush with major label national attention came as a member of the critically acclaimed group Royal Fingerbowl, that signed with TVT Records in 1997. The band's unusual instrumentation, standup bass (Wolf again), sit-down electric guitar along with O'Day's minimalist drum kit, and eclectic repertoire helped him develop his sense of dynamics. The band could effortlessly veer from a jazz-inflected original that evoked the Tin Pan Alley tunes of yesteryear to a manic cover of Ozzy Osborne's "Crazy Train."
A two-year tenure with the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, sitting in the drum chair that also was occupied by "Mean" Willie Green of the Neville Brothers and Stanton Moore of Galactic, gave O'Day a chance to hone his skills in a world music setting that belied its jazz sensibility.
Before long, the musically insatiable drummer was moving in another direction towards the funk and soulful jazz spawned by New Orleans drum icons like Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste and Idris Muhammad.
His long association with Swedish rocker-turned-acclaimed-songwriter Anders Osborne bloomed when Osborne reconfigured his band into a quartet and brought in Kirk Joseph, late of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Along with tenor man Tim Green, the band forged new roads in trance-inspiring performances further establishing O'Day's cred as a high-energy player who could communicate with top-flight musicians at the maximum level.
O'Day's relationship with Joseph, arguably the most important sousaphonist from New Orleans, produced an extremely funky group called Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove with a CD entitled Sousafunk Ave.
Along the way, O'Day has lent his considerable chops to a huge array of performers. He was a member of the Kosmic Krewe- an eclectic jazz/funk band led by trumpeter Michael Ray of Kool and the Gang and the Sun Ra Orchestra. He has recorded and performed with All That, another innovative group that merged the second line beats of New Orleans with hip hop. He has also performed and recorded with the trombone collective Bonerama.
O'Day's deft touch on the drums is augmented by his deep knowledge of music of every variety. He is as comfortable on the stage at Snug Harbor- New Orleans' premier modern jazz club- as he is in gritty juke joints and watering holes. He gives his heart and soul to the music whether he is on a giant stage in front of thousands at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival or in a tiny club with only a handful of fans.
Kevin O'Day has been one of the leading lights on the New Orleans music scene for more than a decade. He is a charter member of the fertile Frenchmen Street scene and has worked with a literal who's who of the next generation of New Orleans musicians in addition to many of the luminaries who have already made their mark. He has soaked up his influences and experiences and distilled them down into an expressive personal style that is instantly recognizable and undeniably original.
Dance Music:
Hard to Handle The Black Crowes
(phone number hidden)/Jenny Tommy Tutone
Another One Bites the Dust Queen
Brass in Pocket The Pretenders
The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) The Greg Kihn Band
Celebration Kool & the Gang
Cherry Bomb John Mellencamp
Come On Eileen Dexy's Midnight Runners
Don't Mean Nothing Richard Marx
Everybody Have Fun Tonight Wang Chung
Footloose Kenny Loggins
Get Down On It Kool & the Gang
Goody Two-Shoes Adam Ant
The Heart of Rock & Roll Huey Lewis and the News
Hit Me With Your Best Shot Pat Benatar
Hurts So Good John Mellencamp
I've Done Everything for You Rick Springfield
Keep Your Hands To Yourself Georgia Satellites
Let's Groove Earth Wind & Fire
The Look Roxette
Love Shack The B-52's
Manic Monday The Bangles/Relient K
Mony Mony Billy Idol
New Sensation INXS
Private Eyes Hall & Oates
Sledgehammer Peter Gabriel
Summer of '69 Bryan Adams
Sunglasses at Night Corey Hart
Super Freak Rick James
Walking on Sunshine Katrina and the Waves
You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon
You Give Love a Bad Name Bon Jovi
You May Be Right Billy Joel
Your Love The Outfield
American Girl Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) Robert Palmer
Boogie Shoes KC & the Sunshine Band
Brick House The Commodores
Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide) Marcia Griffiths
Give A Little Bit Supertramp
Greased Lightnin' John Travolta (Grease Soundtrack)
Heartache Tonight The Eagles
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
Listen to the Music The Doobie Brothers
Long Train Running The Doobie Brothers
Margaritaville Jimmy Buffet
My Life Billy Joel
Play That Funky Music Wild Cherry
September Earth Wind & Fire
Shout Otis Day & the Knights/The Isley Brothers
Sir Duke Stevie Wonder
Stayin' Alive The Bee Gees
Summer Lovin' John Travolta/Olivia Newton John
Superstition Stevie Wonder
Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison
Honky Tonk Women The Rolling Stones
I Get Around The Beach Boys
I Got You (I Feel Good) James Brown
I Saw Her Standing There The Beatles
The Loco-Motion Little Eva/Kylie Minogue
Mustang Sally Wilson Pickett
Please Please Me The Beatles
Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond
Think Aretha Franklin
Twist and Shout The Beatles
Jazz Music:
A Foggy Day - George Gershwin
All Blues - Miles Davis
All of Me - Standard
As Time Goes By - Standard
At Last - Etta James
Au Privave - Charlie Parker
Autumn Leaves - Standard
Birdland - Charlie Parker
Black Orpheus - Standard
Blue Bossa - Standard
Body & Soul - Standard
Canteloupe Island - Herbie Hancock
Chega De Saudade - Jobim
Corcovado - Jobim
Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington
Days of Wine & Roses - Henry Mancini
Desafinado - Jobim
Dindi - Jobim
Dolphin Dance - Wayne Shorter
Don't Get Around Much Any More - Duke Ellington
Falling in Love with Love - Rodgers & Hart
Footprints - Wayne Shorter
Freddie the Freeloader - Miles Davis
Georgia - Hoagy Carmichael
Giant Steps - John Coltrane
Girl from Ipanema - Jobim
Green Dolphine St. - Standard
Have You Met Miss Jones? - Rodgers & Hart
How High the Moon - Standard
I could write a book - Rodgers & Hart
In A Mellow Tone - Duke Ellington
In A Sentimental Mood
In The Mood - Duke Ellington
Isn't it Romantic - Rodgers & Hart
It Don't Mean A Thing - Duke Ellington
It Had To Be You - Standard
I Left My Heart In SF - Tony Bennette
Jeannine - Standard
Just Friends - Standard
Lullaby of Birdland - Standard
Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
Mercy Mercy Mercy - Joe Zawinul
Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
Moon & Sand - Bill Engvick
My Favorite Things - Rodgers & Hart
My Funny Valentine - Rodgers & Hart
My Romance - Rodgers & Hart
Night and Day - Cole Porter
Oleo - Sonny Rollins
One Note Samba - Jobim
Our Love Is Here To Stay - George Gershwin
Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk
S Wonderful - George Gershwin
Satin Doll - Duke Ellington
Sea Journey - Chick Corea
So What - Miles Davis
Someday My Prince Will Come - Standard
Song for My Father - Horace Silver
St. Thomas - Sonny Rollins
Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson
Stompin at the Savoy - Standard
Straight No Chaser - Thelonious Monk
Summer Samba - Standard
Sweet Georgia Brown - Standard
Take Five - Paul Desmond
Take the "A" Train - Duke Ellington
The Way You Look Tonight
There Will Never Be Another You - Standard
They Can't Take That Away From Me - George Gershwin
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
Wave - Jobim
What a Wonderful World - Standard
When I Fall in Love - Standard
Smokey Brown | Guitar/vocals |
Josh Paxton | Keys |
Jimbo Walsh | Bass |
Kevin O'Day | Drums |
Benny D | Guitar |
Doug Deitrich | Bass |
Kirk Joseph | Sousaphone |
Growing up in South Louisiana, I came into personal contact with so many world class groups and individual performers. Some that stand out in my mind are Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (cajun), Clifton Chenier (zydeco), Astral Project (modern jazz), and The Funky Meters (new orleans funk). I also studied the music of Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and Led Zepplin through recordings and videos. Others that made a great immpression on me were Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. I studied with master drummer John Vidacovich (scofield, booker, prof longhair) while at Loyola, and another incredible drummer, Herman Jackson (bb king, alvin batiste) before that during high school.
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Bonnie D. said “Everyone was so happy with this band and their beautiful music. Thank you so much!!”
Kellie T. said “The Simon Burke Trio was amazing! I will definitely book with them again.”
Melissa M. said “Band was on time, playing as we walked in. All of the guys played well throughout the night, smiles on their faces during breaks. Our event cleared out…”
Racquel T. said “Having FIRST heard this band when they were on tour in Spain, I was overjoyed when they connected with me wanting to book a gig in my hometown Albuquerque,…”