‘Euphonic Gumbo’ is not exactly a “Nawlin’s” menu item but instead a tasty musical delight that’s the title of of a new album on Club 44 Records from vocalist and Broadway star Julie Benko, featuring a dazzling seven-piece band directed by her pianist-arranger husband, Jason Yeager.  

This recording is the result of the collaborating couple’s numerous trips to New Orleans where they developed a love for the Crescent City and its rich musical and cultural histories. The album’s title comes from Benko’s original play ‘Down the Line’ that is set in Storyville, New Orlean’s former red-light district, and features the legendary pianist Tony Jackson, a mentor to Jelly Roll Morton, as the central character. Eventually, Benko and Yeager were invited by Birdland mainstay Jim Caruso to bring their musical ensemble to the club where their Big Easy-inspired celebrations have become a beloved winter tradition.  

All of this led to the development of the recording ‘Euphonic Gumbo’, and the story unfolds in my conversation with Julie Benko and Jason Yeager.