From The Times Picayune

Liz McComb

Saturday’s best gospel set went down in the Economy Hall Tent. Liz McComb, an Ohio-born pianist and singer who lives in France, presided over an ensemble that included, at various times, the 12 voices of Mississippi’s Eric Brown & Charity choir, percussionist Uganda Roberts, drummer Herlin Riley, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and a three-piece horn section. But McComb, resplendent in a red dress, commanded the stage – and the aisles, where she led an impromptu march. She is not afraid to sweat; she worked the keys of her grand piano hard and sang even harder.

Riley powers Wynton Marsalis’ sextet, but he first took up drums in the church; his church roots showed as he Roberts and McComb, armed with a tambourine, locked into a percussion groove that swept up the crowd. Riley swung out for “There’s A Man Upstairs”, with McComb applying a lighter touch on the keys. She even invigorated “When The Saints Go Marching In”, breaking it down to voice and piano before her New Orleans ensemble surged in to cut the spirit free.