Dec. 10-11, 2010: Catch Fred at Studio 281 in Atlanta

Fred will return to his jazz purist roots with a performance coupled with a meet-and-greet/booksigning event at Atlanta's Studio 281, the ATL's "real jazz spot," Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-11.

Fred will sign copies of his critically-acclaimed book, "Hit Me, Fred!" on Friday beginning at 7 p.m., and will play jazz, his first love, with the HC3 Trio, beginning at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

The club is located at 281 Peters St. in the Castlebury Hill Loft District. Click here for more information.

Greg Aiello photos from Bear Creek!

Bear Creek 2010 was a funky good time all around, but it got especially hot during the Sunday evening Lettuce set that featured Fred, Pee Wee and Maceo -- the former JB Horns, together again. Our friend and photographer Greg Aiello was there and got these great shots. Thanks, Greg!

Greg also caught the following shots at sets by bass men George Porter Jr. and his Running Pardners, and Tony Hall of Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, seen here with the Tony Hall Band, featuring Skerik and Sam Kinninger.

Fred, Maceo and Pee Wee -- together again!

The big highlight of Bear Creek was the reunion of the three JB Horns during a set with Lettuce.

The JB Horns gathered in the backstage trailer before performing with Lettuce on Sunday, Nov. 14

Hey Now!

Fred and Pee Wee sat in Saturday with New Orleans bass man George Porter Jr., formerly of the Funky Meters, at the Bear Creek Music and Art Festival.

At Large @ Bear Creek!

Fred is getting around the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, this weekend, appearing with numerous bands as an Artist-At-Large at the Bear Creek Music Festival. The festival this year features a Tribute to the (old) JBs set that will reunite him with his old friends Pee Wee Ellis (below) and Maceo Parker. He's also hooking up with other friends including Skerik and Sam Kinninger. Stay tuned for video clips and more photos. 

Pee Wee and Fred

Skerik and Fred

Fred and Sam Kinninger

A flash from Bonefest 2010

In May of this year, Fred teamed with Ed Earley (left) and Randy Oxford (right) for the inaugural Bonefest Tour that Randy helped organize in the Pacific Northwest. Click here to view video and stay tuned for developments regarding the next edition. 

Photos from Saarbrucken

The Fall 2010 tour included at stop in Saarbrucken, Germany, where the crowd cheered local homegirl Celia Baron, who sat in for a couple of tunes. Here are some photos, courtesy of photographer Siggi Schenke.

Guest vocalist Willi Amrod sings his selection from the new CD, "Everywhere is Out of Town"

The New JBs w/ guests Celia Baron and Willi Amrod

Live in Poretta, Italy!

The New JBs played the Porretta Soul Festival this summer in Porretta, Italy. Click here for a video sample of that performance, courtesy of Lepida TV.

Photos from Berlin

Click here for photos from the New JBs' recent date at Quasimodo in Berlin. A big thank you to photographer Peter Purgar for these great shots!

Coming up: A big reunion at Bear Creek, Nov. 12-14

As an Artist At Large for the second year in a row at the Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival, Fred will get together with his old friends Maceo Parker and Pee Wee Ellis for a special set honoring their music with the jam band Lettuce, with whom he's previously collaborated. Click here to read more at jambands.com.

Funky footage from Soul Train, courtesy of NPR

Click here to check out Fred getting down in 1975 with Soul Brother No. 1 and the original JBs. Thanks to Family Friend Anthony Wilson for passing it along.

Mo' photos from Cologne, Oct. 28, 2010

Mo' thanks to Heinrich Buttler for these additional photos from the Stadtgarten show in Cologne on Oct. 28.

 Ernie Fields Jr. and Paul Shigihara

 Dwayne Dolphin on bass

Christian Elsaesser, who filled in for Peter Madsen on piano

Fall 2010 Tour Stop Three: The JazzNoJazz Festival, Zurich, Oct. 31

Thanks to photographer Johannes Vogel for these great shots of Fred, with fellow horns Gary Winters and Ernie Fields Jr., from the JazzNoJazz Festival in Zurich, Switzerland, where the New JBs crossed paths with old friends Joe Sample and Wayne Henderson of the Crusaders, as well as Blood Sweat and Tears. The festival also featured exciting acts including Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spaulding, Monty Alexander and Christian Scott.

Fred featured on the French radio show Jazzafip

Fred spent an enjoyable couple of hours in the studio of fip radio in Paris as the featured guest on the show jazzafip, with hosts Vincent Provini and Frederique Roze (Fred for short), on Tuesday, Nov. 2. It was part of two days of promotional activities organized in Paris by crack French PR agent Lionel Aknine of ak9promotion.

Click here to hear the show, made accessible to English-speaking audiences by charming translator Perle Tharinger. Thanks to Perle, special guest trumpeter Loic, as well as Vincent, Fred and the rest of the fip crew.

(In photo, l-r, Lionel Aknine, Fred, Fred, Joya, Vincent, Perle and Loic.)

Austrian Arrows Airlines takes great care of people and cargo!

After hot second, third and fourth shows in Berlin, Zurich and Innsbruck, Fred's horn had it's own seat and seatbelt during his travel to Paris to promote the new CD, "With a Little Help From My Friends."

Fall tour begins in Cologne, Germany, Oct. 27, 2010

Fred's tour supporting the European release of his new album, "With A Little Help From My Friends," got off to a great start in Cologne, Germany, at the Stadtgarten on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2010.  Funky Family Friend Heinrich Buttler was among the 300 some people who enjoyed the show and took these photos. Thanks, Heinrich!

(That's New JBs trumpeter Gary Winters and saxophonist Ernie Fields Jr. smiling in the background of the third pic, with Cologne-based guitarist Paul Shigihara, who filled in for Reggie Ward on that date, barely visible behind them.)