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Funny Girl breakout Julie Benko, currently appearing in Broadway’s Ragtime, has released Euphonic Gumbo, a new album inspired by the musical and cultural histories of New Orleans. The album is available to stream below.
Featuring her seven-piece band musically directed by her pianist-arranger spouse, Jason Yeager, the new album sees the Funny Girl star bring to life the spirit of the annual Mardi Gras concerts at Birdland, where their Big Easy-inspired celebrations have become a beloved winter tradition.
“The first time Jason and I visited New Orleans, we fell wildly in love with the place,” Benko previously shared. “The history, the architecture, the food — oh, the food! — the parades, the languages, and the way music is celebrated on every street corner… it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.”
Developed over several years of Mardi Gras–themed performances, Euphonic Gumbo grew from their first experience, where Benko and Yeager immersed themselves in the Crescent City’s parades, street bands, and Storyville lore. The album’s title comes from Benko’s original play Down the Line, set in Storyville, New Orleans’ former red-light district.
The tracklist features songs like “Down in New Orleans Medley,” a Birdland show opener, “Ticklin’ Time (Let the Good Times Roll/Tipitina)” which honors Dr. John and Professor Longhair, the great “professors” of New Orleans piano tradition, 19th-century folk ballad “The Lakes of Pontchartrain,” and more.
Euphonic Gumbo’s ensemble includes Yeager (piano, organ, celeste), who leads a rhythm section of Michael O’Brien (bass) and Jay Sawyer (drums). The horn section is Ron Wilkins (trombone), Andy Warren (trumpet), and Linus Wyrsch (clarinet), in addition to Sasha Papernik (accordion), Justin Poindexter (strings/banjo), and Gabe Terracciano (violin), and tap artist John Manzari.
Photo credit: Kevin Alvey
