Jimmy Rogers, owner of CSP Records, tells us that he has signed Louisiana Music Hall of Fame member and swamp pop legend, Rod Bernard, to a recording contract.
“We’re going to record some of the great, Louisiana swamp pop and zydeco roots music that Rod has written over the years,” Rogers says. “The new record will also contain some rock-n-roll and R&B classics as well.”
Rogers indicated that he and Bernard will produce the CD and record it at La Louisiane Studios in Lafayette. Additionally, CSP will soon be releasing a 24-track CD titled, Van & Grace Broussard: The Complete 60’s Masters, a compilation CD culled from the original masters originally recorded during the 1960s.
The Great Day in New Orleans, which will be held on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m., will assemble and document African-American artists from every discipline for a panoramic photo. Photographer Eric Waters will lead a coalition of photographers to document the event. The photo is patterned after the historic Great Day in Harlem shoot by Art Kane in 1958 that featured nearly every great jazz performer at the time. All African-American artists in music, dance, theater, cultural, literary and visual disciplines in the metropolitan New Orleans area are invited to participate in the shoot. Call the Great Day in New Orleans hotline to register at (504) 866-5141.
The Original Pierre Maspero’s Restaurant (440 Chartres St.) is kicking it again with the Mambo Club on Fridays (starring Fredy Omar con su Banda) and the Swing Set on Saturdays featuring Chip Wilson & Somethin’ a Jumpin’. Dance classes are available 7-10 p.m., admission is $5 and the first show starts at 10 p.m. Call 524-8990 for more information.
The Krewe of MOMs’ Sideshow Shock Hop will go off at 10 p.m. at the Howlin’ Wolf on Oct. 31. The Bonedaddys (in their first New Orleans show in seven years) along with Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans will play until the vampires come home.
Superfly Productions is bringing in the Jazz Mandolin Project this month. The Vermont-based trio will play a special performance at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 30 at the Maple Leaf Bar following a performance by John Mooney. Tickets are $8.
On the Northshore, there are a couple of festivals this month starting with the Festival of the Lake Festival which will feature six musical acts and good food, Oct. 2-4. Headliner Marcia Ball will be joined by The Blue Meanies, Four Unplugged, Joybuzzer, The Topcats and others. Catering will be provided by Outback Steak House, Papa John’s Pizza, Chez B’s and a host of other Northshore restaurants. There will be family entertainment as well which will include over 50 craft booths. For more information, call (504) 624-3962.
Also on the Northshore, you’ll find St. Paul’s School celebrating the 10th annual Jazz ‘n Roll on Oct. 18 from 3-9 p.m. Music will be provided by Pete Fountain, the Wagners and Sunpie Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots. The auction will offer golf packages, condo stays, weekend-get-aways, jewelry, art and Beanie Babies. Visitors can also choose from over 40-plus food booths. Tickets can be purchased by calling St. Paul’s at (504) 892-3200.
And speaking of Sunpie, he and his band will be the featured entertainment at this year’s Voodoo on the Bayou, the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association’s annual fund-raiser. This year’s event will be held at Pitot House (1440 Moss Street) on Oct. 24 from 8:30 p.m. until midnight. Over 25 area restaurants will be represented and there will be open bars and tarot card readers. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door (be careful, though, because the event has sold-out in recent years). There’s a 24-hour ticket and information line—(504) 482-0610.
The 13th Annual South by Southwest (SXSW) begins on March 12, 1999 with the Film Festival & Conference, continues with the Interactive Conference on March 13 and then hits high gear on March 17 when the SXSW Music Conference/Festival kicks off. Visit their web site at www.sxsw.com to make your early plans.
The Broadway musical Annie returns to the Saenger Theatre Oct. 7-11 with Sally Struthers (Miss Hannigan), Conrad John Schuck (Daddy Warbucks) and Brittny Kissinger as America’s favorite, red-headed moppet.
The Friends of the Cabildo (FOC) will present the 12th Annual Ghostly Galavant, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Escorted groups leave every 20 minutes to see dramatic vignettes performed by the “ghosts of New Orleans’ past” in beautiful, private patios in the French Quarter. The two-hour tour costs $13 adults ($11 for FOC members) and $8 for children. You can purchase on Jackson Square at the 1850 House (523 St. Ann) or call (504) 523-3939 for more information.
Yeah, cher, it’s time once again time for the Audubon Zoo’s Louisiana Swamp Festival, which will be held during the first two weekends in October. The 14th annual swamp fest will take place Oct. 2-4/10-11 and will feature music, food, Cajun crafts and more. The three music stages will feature Cajun and zydeco music from such talented Louisiana artists as Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Hunter Hays & Louisiana Hot and more. For more information, call 1-800-774-7394 or (504) 581-4629; or visit the Audubon Institute’s web site at www.auduboninstitute.org.
Friends of New Orleans Cemeteries will hold a reception for “cemetery enthusiasts” on Wed., Oct. 14 beginning at 8 p.m., at Prates Alley Cafe (622 Pirate Alley). The gathering will follow a lecture by Dr. Jenna Kuttruff entitled “Dressed to Die: Mid-Nineteenth Century Burial Dress in Louisiana,” which starts at 7 p.m. in the Presbytere. Needless to say, a capacity (freak) crowd is expected for this one.
The Mississippi: River of Song is a Smithsonian Institution series for public television and radio that explores the richness and vitality of American music at the close of the 20th Century. Through live performances and intimate discussion with musicians along the course of the Mississippi River, the series discovers the music that has flourished in the heart of the nation. Part four of the series concentrates on Louisiana, from Natchez, Mississippi to Delacroix Island. Featured artists on that particular show include Gov. Jimmie Davis, D.L. Menard with Christine Balfa, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, David & Roselyn, Treme Brass Band, Soul Rebels, Irma Thomas, Henry Butler, Eddie Bo and more. Butler and Delafose will perform a free, public concert on Sept. 30 at the Hibernia Stage in Woldenberg Park in support of the program. The television series will be broadcast on four consecutive Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. (Jan 6-27).
The 1998 Gumbo Festival festivities will begin on Friday, Oct. 9 (at 6 p.m.) and continue through Sunday, Oct. 11. Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River directly across the Huey P. Long Bridge from New Orleans, the Gumbo Festival is held on AngelSquare, 1701 Bridge City Avenue. For more information, go to their e-mail address at [email protected].
October is month to celebrate Oktoberfest and the Hotel Inter-Continental New Orleans is bringing out chef Willie Coln to prepare some of his best Bavarian fare and then backing him up with the om-pah-pah stylings of Helmut Fricker & His Polka Band. Mr. Fricker will perform from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Oct. 13-24, and on Sundays from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The four-course Oktoberfest meal is only $26.95 per person. Call (504) 525-5566 for more info.
The gay troubadours, Pistol Pete & Popgun Paul, have just returned from a mini-tour of the southeast. The duo will perform on Oct. 20 at the Neutral Ground (9:30 p.m.) and on Nov. 8 at the Funky Butt at Congo Square (10 p.m.), a performance that will feature a full rhythm section.
Red Hot & Blues will play Mid-City Lanes’ Rock’n’Bowl on Oct. 9 in support of their debut CD, Blues It Up. The disk was recorded locally at Sound Services Studio with engineering provided by Mark Hewitt.
Walrus Submarine, known for its eclectic mix of approaches to Lennon and McCartney—from Middle Eastern and doo wop to bluegrass and reggae—will play the Neutral Ground Coffee House on Oct. 10 beginning at 11 p.m.
Kindermusik, a nationally acclaimed music and movement program for young children newborn through seven years of age, will be visiting New Orleans Nov. 5-8. Sessions will be held at the Holiday Inn New Orleans in Metairie. Call 1-800-628-5687 for details or visit their website at www.Kindermusik.com.
Laura Plantation on River Road will hold the Br’er Rabbit Folk Festival & Channel Craft Market during the weekend of Oct. 24-25. The weekend will feature storytelling and theatre, puppets, dancing and Cajun music, 100 craft booths, folk arts, plantation tours and Creole culinary treats. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for students ages 6-18. Call the plantation at (504) 265-7690.
New Orleans-based community radio station WWOZ in conjunction with Night Train Records announced the creation of a series of specials devoted to New Orleans music. Night Train to New Orleans will be programmed and hosted by label president, Aaron Fuchs, and will feature music and interviews about New Orleans albums that Night Train and its subsidiary, Funky Delicacies, has released. In all, there will be 12 hour-long programs. The planned specials include: The Scram Records Story (featuring Eddie Bo, Mary Jane Hooper, Curly Moore, Benny Spellman, Walter Payton and more); The Beautiful Losers of Louisiana (with The Barons and Bobby Jay); The Bosses of the Big Easy B3 (with James Booker, Willie Tee and The Gaturs); and many more.
While WWOZ will integrate these specials into local programming, they will also be shopped by station manager, Dave Freedberg, for nationwide syndication at the upcoming National Convention of Community Radio Stations.
At American Sector Recording Studio, they’ve been recording the new release by Rigid with engineer Erik Flettrich and Danio Saratak Lauricella producing. Righteous Babe recording artist Ani DiFranco was in the studio in September recording the vocals for the PBS series River of Song for the NPR show American Routes. In addition, local producer/musician Freddy Koella assisted French recording artist Richard Gilley while he worked on his sixth album.
Check out Sam Adams and Philip Meancon in Play It Again, Sam at the Columns Hotel, Oct. 4 and 11, beginning at 7 p.m. Leah Chase, Wanda Rouzan and Melancon will perform from the Rodgers & Hammerstein songbook at the Ponchartrain Hotel, Oct. 18 and 25. Shows are at 6 and 8 p.m.
And finally this month, “Ready Teddy” is back and playing at Cafe Brasil every Sunday from 9-11 p.m.
