DR. JOHN WITHOUT LABEL…After two critically-lauded albums—including last year’s ambitious Grammy-winning Goin’ Back to New Orleans—Dr. John and Warner Brothers Records have parted company.
Besides Goin’ Back to New Orleans, Dr. John—aka Mac Rebennack—released 1989’s jazzy In A Sentimental Mood on Warner. The two albums have posted combined sales of 250,000 copies. Rebennack’s contract allowed for another five albums with Warner, but in January the company opted not to proceed with another, says Barbara “B.B.” Becker, the Doctor’s Director of Operations.
Becker says Rebennack bears no ill will toward Warner, and was actually happy to be released from his contract. “That was the best news we had all week,” she says. The terms of Rebennack’s contract had made it difficult for him to pursue outside projects, such as contributing to other artists’ records and benefit albums, says Becker. And his ideas for his own albums tended to be watered down by company officials. “Now Dr. John feels more free to do albums totally of his choosing,” says Becker.
Once word of Rebennack’s new free-agent status began to make its way through the music industry, a half-dozen offers from various companies came in, but Becker says Rebennack is in no hurry to sign with anyone. And Warner Brothers is apparently still interested—Becker says that within a week after Goin’ Back to New Orleans was awarded a Grammy in the Traditional Blues category, two high-ranking Warner execs called with new proposals, although it is unlikely Rebennack would re-sign with Warner.
“He would prefer to be on a smaller label that would have a more personal interest in its artists,” says Becker.
Meanwhile, Rebennack is keeping busy with jingle work, weekend gigs around the country, and other projects. In March, he recorded Earl King’s “Let’s Make a Better World” for a British Southern Comfort commercial. Also, he cut “I’m On a Roll,” the last song he co-wrote with Doc Pomus before the songwriter’s death, for a benefit compilation of Pomus’ work. This month, he will produce a Lillian Boutte album for the local Dinosaur label.
In lieu of ever increasing local work, Becker says Rebennack is considering goin’ back to New Orleans full time.
“He still has an apartment in New York, but he’s looking into moving down here since he’s spending so much time here.”
AARON’S NEW ONE… On April 20, A&M Records will release the follow-up to Aaron Neville’s gold-certified 1991 solo album Warm Your Heart. On The Grand Tour, Neville revives material popularized by Sam Cooke (“These Foolish Things”) and Aretha Franklin (“Ain’t No Way”). He covers Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight,” and Marvin Gaye’s “The Bells,” and duets with frequent collaborator Linda Ronstadt on Leonard Cohen’s “Song of Bernadette.”
JAZZ FEST UPDATE /strong>… Several evening voncerts were omitted from the Jazz Fest schedule we published in the March issue. Nina Simone, The McCoy Tyner Big Band and the Alvin Batiste Sextet will be at the Sheraton Grand Ballroom on Wednesday, April 28. The next night, the Sheraton will be the site of “Dew Drop Inn Revisited” with Lloyd Price, Benny Spellman, Marva Wright, Roland Stone, and others.
On Friday, April 30, the Neville Brothers will headline a bill at the Municipal Auditorium that includes Los Lobos and Terrance Simien. At midnight on the same night, Charlie B’s club will host a “Late Night Jam Session” featuring John Stubblefield, Billy Harper, Earl Gardner, Avery Sharpe and Aaron Scott.
Santana, King Sunny Ade and the Meters are on one bill at the Municipal Auditorium on Saturday, May 1. Santana has also been added to the May 2 Fair Grounds daytime schedule.
And finally, “La Noche Latina,” at the State Palace Theater on May 2, will feature Los Sabrosos del Merengue and Nueva Generacion.
SPOKEN WORD… An evening of poetry accompanied by music will be presented at Cafe Istanbul on Sunday, April 11, from 7 to 10 p.m. The featured performers include OffBeat contributor and WWOZ DJ John Sinclair, who will present works from A Book of Monk while accompanied by Kufaru Mouton on drums; Jose Torres Tama (who created the cover of the January OffBeat), reading from Songs of Love and Despair; and Argentine Koala Calvet, presenting selections from her latest book of poetry.
FRENCH QUARTER CELEBRATES MORE THAN USUAL… The tenth annual French Quarter Festival will take over the Vieux Carre from April 16-18. Over 100 hours of music, “the world’s largest jazz brunch,” and a massive fireworks display will highlight the Festival. Musical headliners include Cajun rocker Wayne Toups, Texas jump-blues artist Marcia Ball, and local R&B artist Lenny McDaniel.
DANCE, MUSIC AND SCULPTURE… A local consortium of performing and visual artists will present a series of multi-media concerts at the Contemporary Arts Center on April 22-24, starting at 8:30 each night. Titled “Collecthree,” the series features three sets of collaborating artists. Participants include “cosmic” trumpet player Michael Ray, composer Michael Sanzenbach, choreographer Yvonne Olivier, members of the Anne Burr Dance Company, sculptor Pamela Clark, classical guitarist Bob Folse, visual artist Jeff Walker, and others. Call the CAC at 528-3800 for ticket info.
HOMICIDAL BUNCH DEPT… As if the frenzied response that “The Twelve Yats of Christmas” stirred up wasn’t enough, Benny “Grunch” Antin has made news once again: a trio of cuts from the Benny Grunch & the Bunch album Rizzum and Blues turned up on two episodes of the NBC series Homicide in March. “If I get one of these a week, I wouldn’t have to do anything but watch TV,” says Benny.
JAZZ FEST HOPEFULS DEPT… The semi-finals of the Audubon Zoo’s JazzSearch competition are set for April 3 and 4. The competition is sponsored by the zoo, WWL-TV, OffBeat and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Semifinalists this year include (in order of appearance, beginning at 11 a.m.): Roddie Romero & the Rockin’ Cajuns, Felix Mystery, Noble Coyotes, Invisible Cowboys, Rockie Charles & the Staxx of Love Blues Band, Beggarman Thief, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Smilin’ Myron, Clarence Johnson Quartet and Rhino.
Four semi-finalists from Saturday, April 3 will return the next day for the final competition. The winner of the contest receives a coveted slot at Jazz Fest, a chance for a performance on WWL-TV and a write-up in OffBeat‘s Jazz Fest issue.
Other Jazz Fest hopefuls will perform at the finals of the Abita Open Blues Jam (which, incidentally, is also sponsored by OffBeat) at Mid-City Bowling Lanes on April 1. The contestants are Paula & the Pontiacs, Britt Anderson, Andy J. Forest Band, Red Hot Blues Band and Kenny Holliday. Justice Records recording artist Tab Benoit will perform as a special guest; it was a chance encounter during last year’s Open Blues Jam that helped him land his deal. The winner of this year’s contest may not necessarily be signed, but will receive a gig at the Bowling Alley during Jazz Fest, an ad in OffBeat and a cash prize.
IN BRIEF… Vendetta…Murder…Mayhem…Chicanery!…Passion!…No, not a day in City Hall, but a vicarious taste of the same through the New Orleans Opera Association’s upcoming season. Subscriptions to the ’93-’94 season go on sale April 1. Call 529-2278 for details.
The New Orleans Museum of Art’s new $23-million expansion and renovation makes its debut to the public on April 18. The expanded space will make it possible for NOMA to display its extensive photography collection, considered the finest in the southeast.
Photography is a crucial part of this magazine, and we wanted to showcase some of the great photographers we know, both in New Orleans and from around the country. To that end, OffBeat and Jax Brewery will sponsor a Music Photography Exhibit beginning April 16 and running three weeks to May 7. Check it out…
UPCOMING NOTABLES… Played On The USA, the 13-part music series co-produced by local Stevenson Palfi with grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, premieres nationally on PBS starting in April. It will be broadcast locally during prime time on WLAE-Ch. 32 every Monday at 8pm starting April 12.
The series celebrates American music from Polka to Blues, from Broadway to Latin Jazz. Musicians include Eartha Kitt, Papa John Creach, B.B. King, Pete Seeger, RE.M. and Mary Lou Williams.
Singer-songwriter Victoria Williams—Lou Reed, Neil Young and Pearl Jam cover her work on an upcoming compilation—will be at the Howlin’ Wolf on April 22.
Don’t miss Soul Hat at Jimmy’s on the 16th of April. The Austin-based band’s blend of funk and progressive alternative rock makes for a ballsier version of the Spin Doctors.
Also that night, in one of the month’s more intriguing pairings, vocalist Glyn Styler will perform at the normally-musicless Saturn Bar (located on St. Claude Avenue) at midnight. Styler “subverts tradition using rich, melodious vocals to invoke savagery, sensuality and irrevocable loss,” says a bio. Sounds just right for the Saturn.
