It’s been over 12 years since Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes graced the cover of OffBeat, and over 15 years—plus a few lineup changes—since the New Orleans mainstays first introduced us to their off-kilter brand of rock n roll. In all that time, no one has ever accused the band of slacking in the party department, and they plan to keep that streak alive when they celebrate their newest album at the Maple Leaf this weekend.
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. Photo by Brandt Vicknair.
Slated for Saturday, March 25, the CD release party will find plenty of guest musicians thrown into the musical melting pot that is Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. They’ll be gathered to perform every song from the band’s seventh record, Sketch, a 13-track effort that includes a dozen new originals and cover of Allen Toussaint’s “Last Train.” Of course, old favorites will also be a part of the setlist.
“We haven’t played together in the city in a little while so it will be good to get together and play with everybody, and it’s just really fun to put out new music,” says frontman, guitarist and cellist Marc Paradis (who you might know as Johnny Sketch). “There’s always a little bit more of a push, a little bit more energy behind a show when you have something new to offer your fans and our friends.”
Among those friends will be a number of guests, including Radiators guitarist Camile Baudoin, singers Darcy Malone and John Paul Carmody, and former Dirty notes like violinist Harry Hardin and saxophonist Brad Walke. All of them contributed their chops to Sketch, which was knocked out over 10 days at the Living Room Studio in Algiers.
“We were prepared this time. It was like we’d done our homework. And that was pretty nice,” Paradis explains. “A lot of the songs we’ve been playing for a while, so we had enough to live with them before we committed to the CD…. A few of these songs, we may have played once or twice live, but they aren’t part of our regular setlist. I think at least one we’ve never played before.”
The new album is a snapshot of where the band is over 15 years in, hence its eponymous nature. More so than previous Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes releases, the LP showcases traditional song structures, albeit with plenty of the band’s signature flare. It’s also the group’s first effort to feature keyboardist Josh Paxton, who has made his mark on the writing process since joining the band over a year ago.
“In the past we’ve done more instrumental stuff and maybe leaned a little more heavy on improvisation,” Paradis notes. “There’s plenty of that on this record, but it has a lot more songs with melodies and choruses and such. It’s a little more straight ahead than some of our other stuff.”
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes have already shared one track from Sketch, a danceworthy funk rock explosion called “Why Try.” The song features the tenor sax stylings of Brad Walker, and you can check it out below. As for the rest of the album? You’ll have to wait until this Saturday to hear it in full, so you might as well let the band play it for you themselves.
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes will perform at the Maple Leaf Bar on Saturday, March 25. Doors open at 10pm and music begins at 11pm.
