POP MUSIC REVIEWS : St. Martin Turns Loose High Spirits

Armand St. Martin’s business card makes an appealingly simple representation: “New Orleans Rock ‘n’ Roll.” What the pianist-singer had to offer at his 10th annual Mardi Gras party at the Alligator Lounge on Friday, however, was a bit more expansive, with a parade, Mardi Gras beads and nonstop entertainment.

In fact, a friendly atmosphere, high spirits and plenty of dancing rhythms are what St. Martin’s gigs are really all about. Although most of St. Martin’s songs were originals, the overflow crowd appeared to be less concerned with the tunes’ undemanding lyrics than with the danceability of the rhythms.

Fronting the Creole Liberation Front, a five-piece band, with two backup singers, St. Martin romped easily across a range of styles, from Professor Longhair boogie and Cajun rhythms to urban R&B; and rock ‘n’ roll. His piano was enthusiastic, if not quite on a par with his better-known New Orleans contemporaries. His singing sometimes verged dangerously close to Elvis Presley parody, but in its most attractive moments had a strong roots quality.

Best of all was the undefinable way in which St. Martin connected with his audience. Not especially gregarious, addicted to corny jokes and personal asides, he nonetheless managed to produce spirited crowd responses.