BUFFA’S
This is in response to the web post “Lawsuit Seeks to Silence Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant.”
So sad to see certain individuals [Sidney Torres IV] try and dismantle what New Orleans has become. Don’t like what the city is all about … then what are you doing here in the first place? Music in and around New Orleans is such a large part of the soul of the city; sadly, if we keep going at this pace, it’ll be just like any other run-of-the-mill, vanilla town USA.
Good luck Buffa’s, and best wishes for the win!
—Stephen Holloway, Greenville, Georgia
I live in Des Moines. About 10 years ago, I wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Des Moines Register concerning people (yuppies) who were complaining about train noise they could hear from their swanky condos. My letter said: Buying a condo adjacent to train tracks and then complaining about train noise is as dumb as buying a condo adjacent to train tracks and then complaining about train noise.
Same principle applies in the Buffa situation.
—Tom Sacco, Des Moines, Iowa
DIABLO’S HORNS
Their first CD sounded like it was made just for me, hitting all the right notes. Now comes their second release, which is even better. Brass band? Horn band? Jazz quintet? These guys play blues, jazz, funk, classic rock and more. Quality original material with top-shelf arrangements. Tasty choice of covers. Impeccable musicianship. Diablo’s Horns are a must-see when you visit New Orleans.
—Steven Edgar, Queens, New York
MAGIC OF JAZZ FEST
Nice take [“Beauty and Diversity: Celebrating Jazz Fest 2014,” June 2014]. Almost nothing like mine, and I was there every day, but that’s why I liked reading it, and that’s the magic of Jazz Fest.
—Steve Rauworth, Durango, Colorado
OLD FRIENDS
I just love your magazine. OffBeat is fabulous and keeps me close to my beloved New Orleans—what a wonderful city. The music, food, people and ambience create a feeling like no other. I try to come down as often as I can for the Jazz Fest or French Quarter Festival. OffBeat keeps me up on things and it feels like an old friend.
—Jeanne Maloney, Apache Junction, Arizona
GUN-FREE ZONE
This is in response to Jan Ramsey’s blog post “Handgun on hip, we walk through the French Quarter” wherein she suggests, “New Orleans should be a gun-free zone.”
It’s important to have a vision for what could be, what all good things are founded on. When you lose someone to gun violence, everything changes. It’s not about principles or who is right … it’s about unchangeable, irreversible loss. The very nature of a gun is to harm and destroy. It’s not like a car that’s designed for transport, even though people like to make the comparison. Yes, people kill people … with guns: 4,123 people have been killed with a handgun this year in this country. Guns are killing machines; they don’t drive you somewhere or cut your grass or chop your vegetables. They kill and explode things, so to have laws banning them from being carried in public places is a good vision. I’ll back that.
—Isabelle Guzman, New Orleans, Louisiana
COME TO MY HOUSE
One small correction [Lynn Drury, Come to My House, July 2014]: producer and drummer of Sugar on the Floor was Carlo Nuccio.
—Lynn Drury, New Orleans, Louisiana
COSIMO DOCUMENTARY
This is in response to Jan Ramsey’s blog post “Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studio Needs a Documentary.”
I agree with you whole-heartedly. J&M needs a doc. It just so happens I have all the material for one (conversations with Cos, the late Ernest McLean, Herbert Hardesty, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John). Spread the word! I’ve already done a short piece for NPR and I’m up for a feature as soon as I find an outlet important enough for the little room that birthed R&B, rock ’n’ roll, the first-ever studio band, and kept a whole nation dancing.
—Gianluca Tramontana, New York, New York
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