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Art Neville, Dr. John and Mayor Nagin

January 27, OffBeat held its Best of the Beat Awards at the House of Blues, and Mayor Ray Nagin showed up to declare the day Fats Domino Day in tribute to our Lifetime Achievement honoree. As anyone who was there will attest, it was a remarkable night, with stellar performances from Bobby Lounge, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave. and Bonerama on the main stage and Rob Wagner, the Imagination Movers, Susan Cowsill, Gal Holiday and her Honky-Tonk Revue and Washboard Chaz Blues Trio in the Parish.

Troy Andrews, Art Neville, Jan Ramsey

Publisher Jan Ramsey and WWL-TV’s Eric Paulsen presented Performer of the Year to Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and Album of the Year to Allen Toussaint for The River in Reverse, his collaboration with Elvis Costello. Harold Battiste (pictured with Jesse McBride and Irma Thomas backstage) received Lifetime Achievement recognition for his work in music education.

Eric Paulsen and Fats Domino

The high point was the tribute to Domino, though, which was introduced by producer Cosimo Matassa. The Lil’ Band o’ Gold rhythm section—Warren Storm, Kenny Bill Stinson, David Egan and C.C. Adcock—not only anchored the band, but each contributed lead vocals, swamp pop legend Storm leading off with “Let the Four Winds Blow” and “The Prisoner Song,” which he proudly introduced by saying, “Fats Domino recorded this in 1958 … and so did I.” The horn section included Lil’ Band o’ Gold’s Dickie Landry, the Iguanas’ Derek Huston, and long-time Domino horn men Roger Lewis, Elliot “Stackman” Callier and Herb Hardesty. They were joined by Jon Cleary (who also played guitar in the rhythm section), Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr. (who, naturally, came up with a funky arrangement for “You Keep On Knocking”), Art Neville, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, who wrote and debuted a song in tribute of Domino for the occasion. Though Domino didn’t perform, those near him recall him playing air piano and singing along to his own songs. You really should have been there.

Photos by Erika Goldring, Greg Miles and Earl Perry

C.C. Adcock, Herb Hardesty, Elliot “Stackman” Callier, Warren Storm

Best Blues Band or Performer
Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters

Best Blues Album
Tab Benoit: Brother to the Blues (Telarc)

Best R&B/Funk Band or Performer
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

Best R&B/Funk Album
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint: The River in Reverse (Verve/Forecast)

Best Rock Band or Performer
Better Than Ezra

Best Rock Album
Cowboy Mouth: Voodoo Shoppe (Eleven Thirty)

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Band or Performer
Lil’ Wayne

Best Traditional Jazz Band or Performer
Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers

Best Traditional Jazz Album
New Orleans Jazz Vipers: Hope You’re Comin’ Back (NOJV)

Troy Andrews

Best Contemporary Jazz Band or Performer
Troy Andrews

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Branford Marsalis: Braggtown (Marsalis Music)

Best Brass Band
Rebirth Brass Band

Best Brass Band Album
Dirty Dozen Brass Band: What’s Going On (Shout! Factory)

Best Gospel Band or Performer
Zion Harmonizers

Best Cajun Band or Performer
BeauSoleil

Best Cajun Album
BeauSoleil: Live in Louisiana (Way Down in Louisiana)

Gennie Thomas, Cosimo Matassa, Antoinette K-Doe

Best Zydeco Band or Performer
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas

Best Zydeco Album
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas: Hang it High, Hang it Low (Rounder)

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Band or Performer
Theresa Andersson

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Album
Linda Ronstadt and Ann Savoy (The ZoZo Sisters): Adieu False Heart (Vanguard)

Best World Band or Performer
Fredy Omar con su Banda

Best Emerging Artist
Deadboy & the Elephantmen

Best Cover Band
Bucktown Allstars

Album of the Year
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint: The River in Reverse (Verve/Forecast)

Band or Performer of the Year
Troy Andrews

Jessie McBride, Harold Battiste, Jr. and Irma Thomas

Best Female Vocalist
Irma Thomas

Best Male Vocalist
John Boutte

Best Bass Player
George Porter, Jr.

Best Guitar Player
Sonny Landreth

Best Drummer/Percussionist
Johnny Vidacovich

Best Saxophone
Kidd Jordan

Eric Paulsen and Fats Domino

Best Clarinet
Dr. Michael White

Best Trumpet
Kermit Ruffins

Best Trombone
Mark Mullins

Best Piano /Keyboards
Allen Toussaint

Best Harmonica
Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone

Best Tuba /Sousaphone
Kirk Joseph

Best Accordion
Terrance Simien

Best Other Instrument
Theresa Andersson (violin)

Music Business

Jon Cleary

Best Club
Maple Leaf

Best Radio Station
KBON 101.1 FM (Eunice)

Best Recording Studio
Piety Street Studios

Best Record Label
Flat Town Records

Best Producer
Delfeayo Marsalis

Best Record Store
Louisiana Music Factory

Best Instrument Store
International Vintage Guitars

Best Pro-Audio Store
Guitar Center

Best Sound Engineer
Michael Paz

Best Booking Agency
White Oak Productions

Best Manager
Kimball Packard

Best Music Attorney
Dino Gankendorff

Best Music Photographer
Terri Fensel

Jo “Cool” Davis

Best Festival
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Best Festival Outside of New Orleans
Festival Acadiens

Music Awareness
Louis Armstrong International Airport

Music Business of the Year
Piety Street Studio