RARE RECORDS
As the owner of Jim Russell Rare Records, the oldest record shop in New Orleans, I was interested to read Jeff Hannusch’s article this month showcasing New Orleans area music retailers and how their businesses have been affected by the closing of Tower Records. [“Some New Orleans Music Retailers Rocking,” January 2007]
I was, however, disappointed that we were overlooked for an interview, considering that our business represents precisely the retail niche Mr. Hannusch was seeking to highlight.
Jim Russell Records has been in business for almost 40 years, and offers something for everyone, including new, used, and rare records, with an emphasis on rap, R&B, and rock. We are nationally known, and were rated “8th Best in the World” by Billboard Magazine. In fact, a sizable contingent of our customer base is comprised of those who live elsewhere and always make it a priority to shop at our store when they are in town, many of whom called after Katrina and expressed their relief that our doors were still open. We are pleased at this testament to the specialness of our store in the hearts of so many.
In fairness, one of the tenets of the article was the need to adjust to the dramatically changing music retail industry, and I understand that many of the businesses mentioned in the article were chosen because they are, in fact, doing very well after the closing of Tower Records.
However, Magazine Street has been blocked off for two-and-a-half years in front of our store due to ongoing construction, and the fact is, we don’t know how much longer we can keep our doors open. While music stores that are thriving are certainly a part of our city’s new landscape, so, too are stores such as ours that are struggling, and based on what we offer our customers, most assuredly deserve to be mentioned in the same class.
The article closes with this quote, in part, by the owner of Odyssey Records (which has not yet re-opened): “I want to be able to sell something to everyone that walks in the door …. Certainly New Orleans needs a decent record store and we want to be that store.” We at Jim Russell Rare Records believe we are that store.
—Denise Baumbach, New Orleans, LA
SOUL-LESS REBUILDING
How very depressing to read about the legal constraints on live music that still exist in New Orleans. Since Katrina, I’ve donated directly and indirectly to the rebuilding effort, especially as it relates to musicians, whom I consider to be the heart of the city that I love most in the world. Not being naive, I realize that there has always been, and probably always will be, a “skim factor” on any monies that go to relief efforts in New Orleans. It seems like nothing has been built in southern Louisiana in the last 80 years without someone somewhere figuring out how to rake something off the top. But how disheartening to discover that the city and region still impose a “stupidity factor” on top of that. Doesn’t anyone in the New Orleans bureaucracy—or the professionals in the Quarter whose homes escaped undamaged—realize that things are DIFFERENT after Katrina? The city should be fighting to keep every musician and artist working that it can (and I include the parading clubs in that), or else risk the New Orleans of 2015 looking something like Charleston, South Carolina. I never saw Charleston before the devastating hurricane that hit it in the early ’80s, but the “rebuilt” Charleston I saw in 1993 reminded me of something Disney might have constructed to represent “Old, Historical Town of the South.” Boring, plain—vanilla. Jazz Fest only happens once a year. Making it even harder for musicians to support themselves year-around in New Orleans just guarantees that the soul-less rebuilding plans will prevail, and New Orleans will become a theme-park-ride echo of itself.
—Markeeta Brown, Dallas TX
TOP 50
I just purchased a CD called Carrollton Station Foundation Feeder Bands on the Run, and I am sure that this album should have made your top 50.
I have several of the albums that you rated and I think this one tops most of the ones I have purchased this last year. While it is a compilation, and several of the songs appear on other releases, the same could be said of Sing Me Back Home and the New Orleans Social Club (which I think belongs here for sure). I am not a music critic or anything; I just like New Orleans and Louisiana music.
—Stephen Mitchell, Easton, PA
Actually, the New Orleans Social Club’s Sing Me Back Home was recorded in Austin in the fall after Katrina and doesn’t include previously recorded tracks.—Ed.
BEST OF THE BEAT QUESTIONS
I saw a lot of Hip-Hop shows in New Orleans in 2006 and by far Mista Alien was the best. His name is not up there on the list to vote [for the Best of the Beat Awards]. I saw him at the Howlin’ Wolf and House of Blues and he was great. Just wanted to let you know.
—Jerry Bally, New Orleans, LA
I am also so very glad to finally see that George French has made the nomination in the category of Best Male Vocalist. To my mind and many others, he has been deserving of this nomination for many years. He has a fabulous voice, but we have been seeing the same people [nominated] each year. I have no idea who selects those to become nominees each year, but this was a great choice for sure. I have also expected to see Ms. Germaine Bazzle’s name and also that of Ms. Juanita Brooks in the female vocalist category, but they have not appeared as yet to my knowledge. To me, they are world-class singers but have not yet received the acknowledgement from their hometown that they so greatly deserve.
—Elizabeth Grant, New York, NY
NOT LOOTED
On page 34 of the January 2007 issue of OffBeat, the selection begins with “‘The place got badly looted,’ Sichel says of Restaurant August.” In the article’s text, the restaurant mentioned is Restaurant Indigo. If I remember correctly, Restaurant August was chef John Besh’s first restaurant.
—Wendy King, New Orleans, LA
Ms. King is one of the many readers who pointed out the error in the pull quote. As the article states, Restaurant Indigo was looted and damaged, not Restaurant August. Not only was Restaurant August not looted, but it was recently named Best Restaurant in the new Zagat’s guide to New Orleans restaurants and nightlife. We regret the error.—Ed.
CITY OF FESTIVALS
I’ve read your last few columns proposing that New Orleans seek designation as the City of Festivals with some interest. I thought I should pass along that my original hometown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is already known as “The City of Festivals” for its great number of ethnic and musical festivals, the largest of which is Summerfest. This is not to claim any trademark or try to dissuade you from pursuing your proposal—in my mind, New Orleans can claim any titles it wants and there’s plenty of room for two City of Festivals in this great land—but I at least thought you should be aware of Milwaukee’s current claim.
—Brent Ewig, Silver Spring, MD
A CORRECTION
In “The Heartbeat Award: The Musicians’ Hurricane Relief Agencies,” we neglected to mention the contributions of the American Federation of Musicians. We regret the omission.—Ed.
Published February 2007, OffBeat Louisiana Music & Culture Magazine, Volume 20, No. 2.
