Phil DeGruy: John Coltrane meets Mel Brooks at a Party for Salvador Dali

Phil DeGruy, referred to by Steve Vai as "Phil's approach to the guitar sounds like John Coltrane meets Mel Brooks at party for Salvador Dali," is featured in the Free New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund CC's Community Coffee House Concert Series.

What a pleasantly surreal way to wake up late for Daylight Savings.

As a friend of Phil's, I'd half to say that Vai's description barely covers the half of it. He invented an electric guitar and harp combo: the Guitarp. He heckles back at sign-wielding Mardi Gras hecklers in an elaborate production worth the trip to New Orleans, and created the mind-bending CD, Hello Dali. Genius guitarists Phil, John Rankin, Spencer Bohren and more are a great New Orleans way to waft music through the room along with the scent of coffee.

The series will also feature Craig Klein on trombone, keyboard king Joe Krown, harpist Patrice Fisher, Cajun Johnny Sansone, singer/songwriter Susan Cowsill and trumpet legend Leroy Jones.

HERE's the schedule that runs from today through the Jazz and Heritage Festival. Come on down anytime for the New Orleans music - it could be what Brad Pitt, Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama talked about this week along with, of course, how to restore our culturally irreplaceable Gulf Coast.