EUPHONIC GUMBO
IS NOW AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE!
A (musical) note on the gumbo...
“What we play is life.”
-Louis Armstrong
How did a nice Jewish girl from Connecticut end up steeped in the sounds of New Orleans? Simple: I visited... and fell madly in love. The music, the spirit, the ghosts, and the joy all pulled me deeper down the rabbit hole.
Euphonic Gumbo is my love letter to the Crescent City. We stirred in a little of everything: the syncopated strut of early jazz, the spice of a Cajun fiddle, the echo of folk ballads, Jelly Roll Morton’s “Spanish tinge,” and, of course, nods to the great piano “professors” famous for making the ivories dance. It’s music that honors both life and death, mischief and memory, Disney dreams and Longfellow laments.
This album is a celebration, a second line, a reverent revelry. A party, plain and simple.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Julie
TRACK LISTING
Song list:
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Down in New Orleans Medley (Bourbon Street Parade/Go to the Mardi Gras/Basin Street Blues) | 5:17
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Ticklin’ Time (Let the Good Times Roll/Tipitina) | 3:52
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The Lakes of Pontchartrain | 4:09
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Funky Fête (Iko Iko/Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing, featuring John Manzari) | 3:07
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Ma Belle Evangeline | 3:19
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Pretty Baby | 2:45
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Don’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey! | 2:43
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St. James Infirmary (featuring John Manzari) | 5:38
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J’ai Passé Devant Ta Porte | 3:07
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Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? (Live at Birdland) | 4:40
ARTISTS
Julie Benko Vocals
Jason Yeager Piano, Hammond Organ (1, 2), Celeste (6), Arrangements
John Manzari Vocals (8), Tap Dance (4, 8)
Andy Warren Trumpet, Flugelhorn (3)
Linus Wyrsch Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone (2, 4)
Evan Arntzen Tenor Saxophone (10)
Ron Wilkins Trombone
Michael O’Brien Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass (2, 4)
Jay Sawyer Drums
Sasha Papernik Accordion (5, 9)
Gabe Terraciano Violin (9)
Justin Poindexter Guitar (9), Banjo (9)
Jim Caruso Announcer (1, 10)
Photography by Kevin Alvey
Produced and Arranged by Julie Benko & Jason Yeager
Executive Producers: Mike and Julie Frakes
Tracks 1-9 recorded on June 12th, 2025 at Samurai Hotel Recording Studio, Astoria, NY
Recording Engineer: David Stoller
Assistant Engineer: Grady Bajorek
REVIEWS
"Euphonic Gumbo brims with exuberance... Benko’s supple phrasing and actorly diction chart a path from gentle reminiscence to deep longing, like memories rising and receding... shifting effortlessly from brassy belt to intimate, conversational delivery and wordless improvisation. Fr listeners who can’t hop on a plane to New Orleans, but crave an uplifting escape, this recording offers a warmly transporting alternative."
-NYC Jazz Record
"Festive, generous, and unpretentious... Euphonic Gumbo stands as an inviting, carefully crafted work that a wide audience can enjoy."
-Paris Move
"A revel without a pause."
-The New York Sun
"I enjoyed it immensely, my only reservation being that the multi-genre nature of the album may deter the purist. It shouldn't. Check it out."
-Bebop Spoken Here
"This production may entice you to sing along."
-Making A Scene!