BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

 

Decades into his spearheading of the rich musical heritage of New Orleans, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jon Cleary has announced a brand new single, “So Damn Good” with his all-star big band ensemble, dubbed the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

 

”So Damn Good” comes as the first offering from a recently announced full-length studio album from Cleary and the musical unit, The Bywater Sessions. Due for release on April 25, 2025, The Bywater Sessions finds Cleary and the band taking a traditional approach to recording in Cleary’s New Orleans home studio.

 

”We set out to capture that sound in the old-fashioned way; everybody in the room, playing together,” says the legendary musician of the recording process for the album. “Everyone playing on this recording is a New Orleanian by birth or by choice, having learned their craft at the feet of the masters who in turn were taught by the old lions in their day – it’s a tradition stretching back over two hundred years.”

 

 

 

 

This approach is reflected aptly and immediately upon pressing play on “So Damn Good,” with Cleary scatting, calling out changes, and clearly having a ball performing with his meticulously assembled ensemble of top-notch musicians.

 

A double-time swing augmented by blaring Hammond organ stabs, guitar, horns, and percussion quickly establishes the sort of good-time atmosphere one might associate with the great city of New Orleans. Fittingly enough, the single has hit the airwaves just in time for the city’s traditional Mardi Gras celebration, which will occur on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

 

Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen will be playing shows throughout the year in support of the upcoming album, and a full list of tour dates for the ensemble can be seen below. “So Damn Good” is now available to stream on all major platforms, and The Bywater Sessions is currently available for preorder.

 

Connect with Digital Wax on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

 

Wednesday, February 26
Tipitina’s Uptown – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Friday, March 7
Maple Leaf – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Friday, March 14
New Orleans, Louisiana Funk Festival 2025 at Tipitina’s – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Saturday, March 15
Maple Leaf – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Sunday, March 16
The Midland Theatre – Kansas City, Missouri, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Tuesday, March 18
Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts – Springfield, Missouri, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Wednesday, March 19
Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center – Wichita, Kansas, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Saturday, March 22
Maple Leaf – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Sunday, March 23
AT&T Performing Arts Center – Dallas, Texas, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Tuesday, April 1
University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab – Edmond, Oklahoma, United States

Thursday, April 3
Space – Evanston, Illinois, United States

Saturday, April 12
French Quarter Festival 2025 – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Sunday, April 13
Tipitina’s Uptown – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Thursday, April 24
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2025 – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Friday, April 25
The Broadside – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Sunday, April 27
Good Measure – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Monday, April 28
WWOZ Piano Night – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Thursday, May 1
Chickie Wah Wah – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Saturday, May 3
The Maple Leaf – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Monday, May 5
Louisiana Music Factory – New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Tuesday, May 6
Shreveport Municipal Auditorium – Shreveport, Louisiana, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Wednesday, May 7
Robinson Center – Little Rock, Arkansas, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Friday, May 9
Orpheum Theatre – Memphis, Tennessee, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Saturday, May 10
Iroquois Amphitheater – Louisville, Kentucky, United States (with Bonnie Raitt)

Sunday, June 1
Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Festival 2025 – Augusta, New Jersey, United States

Tuesday, July 22
Ronnie Scott’s – London, United Kingdom (with Bonnie Raitt)

Wednesday, July 23
Ronnie Scott’s – London, United Kingdom (with Bonnie Raitt)

Thursday, July 24
Ronnie Scott’s – London, United Kingdom (with Bonnie Raitt)

Thursday, September 4
Big Blues Bender 2025 – Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Saturday, December 6
Johnson’s Boucaniere – Lafayette, Louisiana, United States