Papa Lebas (aka, Jeff Muller)

A Little About the Songs

Gold Rolls Royce
For nearly three years, Papa Lebas worked with Allen Toussaint while living in New Orleans. This song remembers Toussaint through a combination of personal experiences, his songs, and his legend.
Deacon John (lead vocal), Tricia Boutté (lead vocal), Tanya Ellsworth Boutté (background vocals), Tracy Griffin (trumpet), Joe Cabral (tenor sax), Jeff Albert (trombone & horn arrangement), Joe Krown (piano & B3 organ), Papa Lebas (guitar), George Porter Jr. (bass), Raymond Weber (drums), Clarence ‘Reginald’ Toussaint (percussion)

Beam Me Up
In 1995, Papa Lebas met Art ‘Poppa Funk’ Neville backstage at a Neville Brothers show at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. The two exchanged emails and corresponded for a period, setting the stage for Papa Lebas’ move to New Orleans the following year. This song is an homage to Neville and all the legendary Crescent City musicians who have passed.
Ivan Neville (lead & background vocals, B3 organ), Tanya Ellsworth Boutté (background vocals), Tommy Lepson (background vocals), Mary Ann Redmond (background vocals), Papa Lebas (lead & wah guitars), Ian Neville (rhythm guitar), George Porter Jr. (bass), Raymond Weber (drums), Bill Summers (percussion), Abbie Palmer (harp, wood flute, nature sounds on intro & bridge vocal)

Thursday Night at the Rock ‘n’ Bowl
Like so many others, Papa Lebas loves the long-standing tradition that venerable New Orleans venue Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl has of presenting the world’s finest zydeco artists every Thursday night. While Clifton Chenier never played there, Boozoo Chavis famously participated in a number of “Battle of the Bs” with Beau Jocque.
Chubby Carrier (lead vocal, accordion & frottoir), Tanya Ellsworth Boutté (response vocal), Matt Hampsey (guitars), Papa Lebas (bass), Raymond Weber (drums)

The Eastport Wobble
Papa Lebas had this song title and tune pop into his head, then went searching for the story. He found it in a blog post by former Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer, which tells of the Hill family, who were early residents of Annapolis and who owned the land that would become Eastport. First was Joseph, whose drunken antics upset the town’s people, followed by his niece Henrietta, who inherited the land and married future Maryland governor Benjamin Ogle, who kept his horses on the land and did entertain George Washington (although there is no evidence they tied one on together—then again, there's nothing to say they didn't).
Julie Cymek (lead vocals), Jenn Byrne (background vocal), Lakin Ducker (background vocal), Scott Hymes (background vocal), Michael Kocher (background vocal), Kevin Lebling (background vocal), Doug Segree (background vocal), Leslie Webber (background vocal), Papa Lebas (background vocal & guitars), Ron Holloway (tenor sax solos), Doug Woolverton (trumpet solos), Chris Watling (baritone sax & horn arrangement), The Naptown Brass Band [Lakin Ducker (alto sax), Todd Kamens (trumpet), Bob Wunderlick (trumpet), Lionel Abbott (trombone), Steve Trczinski (trombone), Chet Higdon (percussion)], Kirk Joseph (sousaphone), Matt Tebo (drums), Shannon Powell (tambourine)

Mardi Gras on Main Street
Every town needs a Mardi Gras song, especially one with as rich a musical culture as Annapolis. Plus, Maryland and Louisiana both share Catholic roots.
Dan Haas (lead vocals), Leroy Jones (trumpet & horn arrangement), Alonzo Bowens (clarinet), Craig Klein (trombone), Joe Krown (piano), Papa Lebas (banjo), George Porter Jr. (bass), Johnny Vidacovich (drums)

Mama Lo
During his time in New Orleans, Papa Lebas played in several bands with Tricia ‘Sista Teedy’ Boutté and Teedy’s family became his second family. At the center of this was Lolet ‘Mama Lo’ Boutté, Teedy’s mother, along with Lo’s mother, Gloria ‘Glo’ Boutté. This song is a musical gift to Papa Lebas’ “bonus mom.”
Deacon John (lead vocal), Tanya Ellsworth Boutté (background vocals), Will Howard (background vocal), Sean LaRocca (background vocal), Tracy Griffin (trumpet), Joe Cabral (tenor sax), Jeff Albert (trombone & horn arrangement), Joe Krown (Wurlitzer piano), Papa Lebas (guitars & hand claps), Casandra Faulconer (bass), Raymond Weber (drums), Shannon Powell (tambourine), Phil Bucci (hand claps), Matt Tebo (hand claps)

Mardi Gras Without You
Written following the passing of Papa Lebas’ father, this song can be about any loss one might experience.
Tricia Boutté (lead vocal), Leroy Jones (flugelhorn), Joe Krown (piano), Papa Lebas (guitar), Casandra Faulconer (bass), Raymond Weber (drums)

La Valse de la Nouvelle Atlantide (The Waltz of New Atlantis)
In addition to both having rich music communities, New Orleans and Annapolis also share the threat of rising seas due to climate change. Told as a sort of fever dream, this song concludes with the reminder that we still have time to act and change course.
Tommy Malone (lead vocal & electric guitar), Louis Michot (Cajun response vocals, high fiddle & t’fer), Dave Easley (pedal steel), Leah Weiss (low fiddle), Erin Snedecor (cello), Gary Wright (acoustic guitar), Papa Lebas (bass), Russ Broussard (drums), Adrian Bond (digital water soundscape for intro)

Fleet Feet on Fleet Street
This is a paean to a little-told part of Annapolis’ history: the fact that Fleet Street, which sits just a block from the waterfront in the historic downtown, was transformed into a vibrant community for Black laborers, watermen, and domestic workers in the late 1800s when many residents, including Henry Clay and Benjamin Holliday, purchased their homes.
Davonne D’Neil (lead vocals), Rahsaan ‘Wordslave’ Eldridge (lead vocals), Michael McHenry (lead vocals), Gillian Thompson (lead vocals), Ron Holloway (tenor sax solos), Doug Woolverton (trumpet solos), Chris Watling (baritone sax & horn arrangement), The Naptown Brass Band [Lakin Ducker (alto sax), Todd Kamens (trumpet), Bob Wunderlick (trumpet), Lionel Abbott (trombone), Steve Trczinski (trombone), Dave Bontempo (second sousaphone)], Kirk Joseph (sousaphone), Papa Lebas (guitars), Matt Tebo (drums), Bill Summers (percussion)

Her Echo Carries On
In the mid-1990s, Papa Lebas—then known as Jeff—became friends with songbird Eva Cassidy around the time she moved to Annapolis, including being neighbors for a period. Together with frequent musical partner Meg Murray, the three performed together at local bars, recorded several songs on a demo Jeff and Meg did, and Eva appeared on Jeff’s debut album, Jes Grew. This song is a loving memory of a friend gone far too soon.
Tommy Lepson (lead vocal), Meg Murray (background vocals), Mary Ann Redmond (background vocals), Mike Noonan (vibraphone), Papa Lebas (guitars), Larry Melton (upright bass), Matt Tebo (drums)