Kent is a long ways from Louisiana, but if you put in the work, learn your craft and mentor with the greats, even a kid from a small town in the United Kingdom, Cranbrook, can grow up to be the preeminent pianist of New Orleans. Cleary's solo performance at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on March 30, 2022 demonstrated that Cleary is much more than a piano player. He is also a fine vocalist who knows his range and has an encyclopedic knowledge of New Orlean's standards with stories to match. Cleary is also a fine songwriter and opened his show with his original, "Frenchmen Street Blues" which is a masterpiece, capturing the essence of the Crescent City in it's beautiful lyrics:
Sprinkle my ashes on Frenchmen Street.Don't be upset at the news,Just cut me loose with a soulful song.Don't play no Frenchmen Street blues.Hitch me a ride on a river breezeTo Elysian Fields so greenAnd I'll join the spirits standin' by to smile,On the backstreets of old New Orleans.
All those years hanging out in clubs like the Maple Leaf, where James Booker once lived upstairs and would play whenever the feeling struck him, have paid off for Cleary and even come full circle. For it is Cleary who now holds down a regular slot at the Maple Leaf, often accompanied by his band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Through hard work, respect for his art and its history, Cleary has truly become an authentic Ambassador for America's greatest soft power to the world, New Orleans and its music. Another memorable night of fine dining and great music at the Dakota, which along with the more famous First Ave and its family of venues, make Minneapolis the Crescent City of the North.
