The Ponderosa Stomp is an American roots music festival sponsored by The Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau, music fans who want to celebrate the unsung pioneers of rock-n-roll, blues, jazz, country, swamp pop, reggae and soul. The group’s stated purpose is to recognize those “session musicians”, sidemen, and others who have been influential in American music “while they are still alive,” those who wrote, produced, arranged and played on songs and whose names may have never appeared on the records. The Festival itself was founded by Ira “Dr. Ike” Padnos, and takes its name from a song by Louisiana-born blues harmonic player Lazy Lester. According to the New York Times, the Stomp is “a party on the way to becoming an Institution.”
Past events have featured such favorites as former Elvis drummer Scotty Moore, Barbara Lynn, Sam the Sham, Al “Carnival Time” Johnson, Archie Bell, Dale Hawkins, Bobby Rush, and Dave Bartholomew.
The Stomp traditionally takes place between the two weekends of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. In 2009, the concerts will take place April 28th and 29th, at the House of Blues. The Conference will be held April 27th, 28th, 29th, 2009 at the U.S. Mint on Esplanade Ave.
Find out more information on the website, and get the 2009 schedule.
