FAN FOR LIFE
I think Alex Rawls missed the point of Sonny Landreth´s excellent new CD, From the Reach. After releasing a live album with his trio, Sonny wanted to go in a different direction and wrote songs specifically for the people he collaborated with, folks he had wanted to work with for a long time. Though he didn´t actually play with most of the people involved, the contributions being made in different studios with mixes and solos being mailed back and forth, everyone adds to the proceedings in their own way.

To me, this is one of the most fully realized of the current trend of collaborative efforts. There is no way the presence of others makes the CD a generic or watered-down exercise. From the Reach is still surely a Sonny Landreth record full of the kinds of sounds only he can produce, and I hope it broadens his audience, elevating Sonny´s presence by the company he keeps. We in South Louisiana are blessed to be able to see and hear Sonny regularly. One hopes that fans of the guests who may have missed him so far get a taste of something special by checking out this fine release and maybe going to see Sonny live. Lord knows that is all it takes to become a fan for life.

-Mark Grissom, New Orleans, LA

PEACE FROM NEW ORLEANS
Just got back from Greece with the Soul Rebels. It was incredible! We didn´t realize how important of a trip this was going to be. We played as the closing act of the first annual Jazz Fest in Heraklion, Crete. It was a 3 day event to honor the fantastic Greek jazz drummer, Kostas Kouvidis, who died too young in a tragic car accident in Athens. His family and friends put this incredible event together, and we hung out with musicians from all over the world as we came together to honor this man. We leaned that music is a universal language that has a healing power beyond our understanding as I feel it helped the city and his family finally be at peace and to know that the power of their son´s spirit lives on.

Next we went to Athens to play as the main act for the 13th Annual Anti-Racist Festival. This is a festival to promote understanding of different cultures through food and music. They do have problems with this in Greece, and this was an incredible blessing to represent as the only act from the United States and to represent our city of New Orleans.

Looking out from the stage, the crowd looked like a sea of people hypnotized by the power of the Soul Rebels´ music. They had never seen anything like it before. The head music critic in the country came up to us after the show almost in tears and speechless to tell us it was the most incredible music he has ever seen come to Greece. In a time when it seems the world is falling apart and people don´t know what to think of Americans anymore, it meant so much when Winston (the trombone player) said to the crowd at the end of the concert, “We wish you peace from New Orleans and peace from the U.S.A.” We left the stage with peace symbols in the air as the whole crowd chanted “Soul Rebels, Soul Rebels, Soul Rebels.”

-Jesse Robert Paige, Director of Operations for the Blue Nile Inner City Artist Development, New Orleans, LA

BONNAROO
Had a blast attending the OffBeat Magazine sponsored “Something Else” at Bonnaroo. I made it over there a lot, after serving my duties as emcee of several of the Bonnaroo stages. Thanks again for a great time.

-Beatle Bob, St. Louis, MO

PROUD SUPPORT
In January 2000, I was hired to run a club/restaurant in Destin, Florida. I came to the OffBeat offices to seek advice and direction about having live music at the club. You [Jan Ramsey] and Joseph [Irrera] were extremely helpful in giving me both.

Since that time, hundreds of musicians from New Orleans and the surrounding areas have played over a thousand gigs at clubs and bars here on our beautiful emerald coast. It makes me proud when I see the bands listed and recall our first meeting. I have been involved in restaurant and club management/ownership for more than 30 years. Nobody on the planet does more to support and assist musicians than you and your staff at OffBeat.

-Thomas Ford, Freeport, FL

SUSAN COWSILL
The Cowsill article was brilliant. Best piece of writing I´ve ever read. Thank you, Alex Rawls, and congratulations, Susan Cowsill, on your many triumphs over adversity. You´re already a legend, yet you´ve only just begun.

-Rob Clemenz, New Orleans, LA

LINE LENGTH
Thank you for OffBeat, I like it.

Just a comment, no offense, but my librarian mother (now long deceased) used to talk about line length and ability to read it easily and she would say your lines are too long.

-Catherine O´Kane, Danby VT

MESSY LABELS
I love the February issue! Great cover story on Amanda Shaw. I bought her new CD right when it came out, and have really been enjoying it. It´s so nice to see a talented teenager that is also well adjusted and well behaved.

The main reason I am writing is to inquire whether something can be done regarding the address labels on the magazine. Would it be possible to either use a label that peels off more easily or perhaps put the label on the back cover or put it on the outside of a plastic wrapping? I keep all my back issues, and I like to have my covers “label-free.” The current labels are a bit difficult to remove; sometimes they also remove part of the cover.

I would appreciate anything you can do to make label removal easier.

-Jennifer Speck, Henderson, NV

We agree that the label ruins the cover. Since the back cover is a paid advertisement, we can´t place it there. We are looking into either placing all magazines into envelopes (very costly), leaving a white box on the cover to print the subscribers address or using glue that allows the label to be easily removed.—Ed.

IMMERSED
Thanks to OffBeat, I´ve gotten totally immersed in contemporary Louisiana music since I picked up your magazine as a Jazz Fest guide.

-Paul Goode, Redmond WA

THE BEST
I think OffBeat Magazine is the best music magazine in the U.S. I have been a mail subscriber for several years now.

-Bill DeBauche, Shawnee Mission, KS

MRS. IRRERA
I just finished reading OffBeat´s last issue where I discovered that in a few days you [Joseph Irrera] and Ms. Ramsey (soon to be Mrs. Irrera) are going to tie the knot.

Well, well, well. I just wanted to congratulate both of you on your upcoming wedding, and I will make sure I´ll play some N´Awlinz music on that day.

Take care and hopefully we´ll have a beignet together one of these days.

-Francesco Calazzo, Sala Caserta CE, Italy