Ah, fall in New Orleans. There ain’t nothin’ better—except maybe spring. But fall is so glorious here because it means that the weather finally starts to get tolerable again, and it’s the start of the fall festival season. There are many, many festivals in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana in October, and one that’s become a hot ticket—is the Voodoo Music Experience in City Park. We have a pullout guide to the VMX, or Voodoo Fest—whatever you want to call it—in this issue of OffBeat. Come say hello at our booth and sign up to win a new guitar from Gibson.
Then there’s Festivals Acadiens, in Lafayette, Gretna Heritage Festival, Art for Arts’ Sake, Voice of the Wetlands Festival, Swampfest at Audubon Park, the New Orleans Film Festival, CultureFest, Oktoberfest, the kickoff of NOSACONN’s African Connection week and so many more. There’s even a Mullet Fest (the fish, not the hairdo) in Gautier, Mississippi, about an hour’s drive from New Orleans on the Gulf Coast.
Bring ’em all on! This is what we do best!
Shamarr Allen is a trumpet player—formerly of Rebirth Brass Band—who, like many other musicians in New Orleans, lost everything to Katrina. “I went back to an empty lot,” Allen says. “We lost everything.” He’s a hard-working guy, and he constantly hones his musical skills in an interesting and productive way. Shamarr has run his own music clinic for young aspiring musicians at the Sound Café in the Bywater. His October series takes place every Tuesday in October from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All kids who are interested in music are welcome to participate. “I want to give something back to the kids of New Orleans,” Allen says with his disarming smile. “I want them to have more than I did—a place to learn, a place to find out what music can do for you. Every week we have different guys from the brass bands come in to the clinic, just to give the kids the ability to participate in music.”
Allen needs instruments for the kids, and is even considering buying them himself. “We haven’t received a lot of help from the organizations who say they want to give the kids instruments,” said Allen. “But if I have to, it’s worth it to me to buy some myself.”
Shamarr Allen is a young guy who’s a good dad (he has a seven year-old son), and he’s seen a lot of the problems that young kids can endure in post-Katrina New Orleans. He and Dinerral Shavers—who was recently murdered in New Orleans—were best friends. “He was like a brother to me” said Allen, “and when he was killed it really was hard.” Shavers’ son D.J. (also sevens year old) spends a lot of time with Allen and his son Jamal. “They’re like they’re both my kids, you know? I know that if something had happened to me, Dinerral would have done the same for my kid.”
Talking to someone like Shamarr always makes me glad that he’s chosen to live here, raise his children here, and grace us with his musical talent. He’s one of the many fine young New Orleans area musicians who are putting their money where their mouth is: they live here, work here, and take New Orleans music around the globe with their recorded music and live performances. And they’re passing the traditions down to a new generation. Thanks, Shamarr, and all the rest of you unnamed and unheralded guys who are keeping the faith, and keeping the flame of music alive and coursing through the future.
Shamarr Allen has collaborated with many of the city’s finest musicians (Dr. Michael White, Paul Sanchez, Bob French, Kermit Ruffins, Herlin Riley, Irvin Mayfield, and many more) on his new CD Meet Me on Frenchmen Street. He’ll headline a parade with the Hot 8 Brass Band on Thursday October 11 at 6:30 p.m. that begins outside the OffBeat offices at Frenchmen and Decatur and heads down Frenchmen to Snug Harbor, where Allen plays to celebrate the release of his new CD at 8 p.m.
October has always been known as “Jazz Awareness Month”—at least as long as I’ve published this magazine, which, by the way, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in our November issue. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Festival is using the occasion to launch Jazz Journey, a newsletter that highlights jazz in New Orleans as an insert in OffBeat every month (the first issue is contained in this issue). It’s a pocket guide crammed with information about our jazz heritage and culture, jazz clubs and events, and where you can find jazz in the city. We’re proud to be involved with this venture and we applaud the NOJHFF for this effort. Let us know if you like it, and how we can make it better for you.
In celebration of Jazz Awareness Month, the French Market will present brass bands throughout the market. On Friday October 5, Gregg Stafford performs near Washington Auxiliary Park; on Saturday October 6, there are brass bands performing at the Flea Market from 1-3p.m. and at Dumaine Street from 2-4p.m.; and on October 7, a brass band will perform again at the Flea Market from 1-3 p.m.
On Saturday October 13, the French Market celebrates one of the city’s signature instruments with “Tuba, Tuba, Tuba,” a performance featuring the Kirk Joseph Tuba Choir (17 tuba players together, what could be cooler than this?) from 10:30-11 a.m. at Washington Auxiliary Park, as well as other performances at Dumaine Street and the Flea Market later in the day. During Jazz Awareness Month, there will also be a series of clarinetists and bands (Doreen Ketchens, Tim Laughlin, Detroit Brooks & the Percolators, Dr. Michael White, and Lars Edegran) playing from 2-4 p.m. at the French Market and Dumaine in tribute to Pete Fountain.
Finally, the folks at Jazz Fest have announced that they will accept press kit submissions for bands wishing to perform at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell until November 1, 2007. The Festival limits applicants to bands living and working in Louisiana, and those bands who lived in Louisiana up until hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but have not yet been able to return home. All qualified applicants may submit their press kits (including a recording, bio, photo, press clippings and contact information) by November 1 to Attn: Music Production, 336 Camp Street, Suite 250, New Orleans, LA 70130. The festival bookers will contact all groups that have been accepted to perform at the 2008 Jazz & Heritage Festival once decisions have been made. Traditional jazz groups applying for the Economy Hall Tent should contact the Music Department at (504) 410-4100 or via e-mail at [email protected]
