"It's refreshing when a concept recording not only is intellectually and historically intriguing, but also conveys a sense of originality and joy. New Orleans guitarist, singer and bandleader Deacon John Moore's 2003 CD and concert DVD, Deacon John's Jump Blues, . . . swings, stomps, strolls and shuffles as if those songs were freshly penned. . . . More than anything else, Deacon John will make you wanna jump up and throw down."

by Don Palmer
Time Out New York
June 17-24, 2004

read Don Palmer's preview in Time Out New York here



"It's hard to be an overnight sensation when you've been in the business for 40 years. But Big Easy Entertainer of the Year bandleader/guitarist/vocalist Deacon John Moore, long one of New Orleans' best-kept secrets, is a national story since the release last year of the CD/DVD Deacon John's Jump Blues and the forthcoming documentary film covering his life and times."

by John Swenson
Gambit Weekly
April 27, 2004

read John Swenson's piece here

"Indeed his guitar playing made him a fixture on all the top records produced at Cosimo Matassa’s legendary studio in the late 50s and early 60s, including Aaron Neville’s Tell It Like It Is and Chris Kenner’s Land of 1,000 Dances. But this recording session puts Deacon John center stage with assists from legendary New Orleans performers Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Wardell Quezergue. Add to this the talents of more than a dozen of New Orleans best session players and rising stars and you have tomorrow’s music history lesson being played today."

by Tod Smith
All About Jazz
October 1, 2003

read Tod Smith's review here

"This wonderful romp is not only a testimony to the career of The Deacon, who in forty years has proven one of New Orleans most enduring and adaptive musical showman, but absolute confirmation (as if any be needed) that The Crescent City stands supreme in its contribution to this nation's musical birthright. Here, aided and abetted by an exceptional cast of truly great musicians, he exemplifies the rigor and roll that is The Big Easy. His style of "jump blues" co-mingles big band jazz with earthy R and B and unfettered rock and roll to conjure up something equal parts primal and exhilarating. Once dubbed the "Creole Chameleon", Moore bridges the Mississippi by bringing together the impassioned sounds of Count Basie, Louis Prima, and Fats Domino into a mix that swings, swaggers, and celebrates the joyful vibe that is New Orleans." by James Cassara Asheville Music Guide September 6, 2004

"Singer and slide guitarist Deacon John Moore, who played on Ernie K-Doe's Mother in Law and Lee Dorsey's Workin' in a Coalmine, leads Deacon John's Jump Blues, an exuberant tribute to the trailblazers of jump blues, a dancehall fusion of R&B and big band. The live concert features Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and a 20-piece orchestra reviving music too spirited and substantial to ever go out of style."

by Edna Gundersen
USA TODAY
September 1, 2003


"Electricity filled the air that night at the Orpheum. The house was packed, and with multiple film cameras roaming through the balcony and in front of the stage, there was a sense that magic could happen, and this was Deacon John's long-awaited moment in the spotlight. John knew it, too. He proceeded to lead the band with quartz-timing precision and undeniable flair, brandishing his beautiful sunset-colored '65 Gibson wide-body guitar and dressed in a sharp suit and his trademark fedora hat."

by Scott Jordan
Gambit Weekly
June 10, 2003

read Scott Jordan's Gambit piece here


"I didn't realize when I arrived at the studio that I would be in for such a fine audio-visual treat — Deacon John's Jump Blues features inspired playing and wonderfully filmed and edited footage of some of the most legendary artists from the Big Easy, including Dr. John and Allen Toussaint."

by Rick Clark
Mix
December 1, 2002

read Rick Clark's column here