WHY NOT ESSENCE?
I go to Essence at the Convention Center every year. It is fabulous.
Artists, fashion designers and crafts persons, come literally from all over the world. And the food, fabulous! I don’t understand why everyone in the city doesn’t show up. And that part of Essence is free! Of course, I always spend money on the food and art! Everybody shows up at Jazz Fest. Why not Essence?
—Dr. Sara Hollis, Director, M.A. Museum Studies Program, Southern University at New Orleans, LA
JAZZ FEST CAMPSITE
I am writing in response to the letter from Warren Mays published in the July issue. He expressed his shock and horror upon returning to his “little campsite” at the Acura Stage and finding his stuff “torn up” with chairs missing. I find it impossible to understand the mindset of these people who feel they have the right to secure for themselves a prime location and set up camp with tables and chairs. They will want their own private port-a-loo and kitchen sink next. Not content with marking out “their” space, they want the freedom to wander away and return at some later time and expect their “stuff” to be undisturbed. Why is this allowed? Why are people allowed to bring chairs on to the site in the first place?
Surely the joy of Jazz Fest is to travel from stage to stage and experience as many of the sights and sounds as possible. There are plenty of areas to rest, chill out and recharge the batteries. If you do need to sit and rest awhile, try one of the music tents. Economy Hall is always worth spending an hour or so in. Please, keep the gear you take on site to a minimum and leave the areas in front of the stages clear for those of us who want to be able move freely and get a good view of the stage. If you want to picnic, take yourself off to the lake, Audubon Zoo or City Park, and plug in your iPod. No one will bother you, and you won’t be bothering any one else.
—Ed Ievers, London, UK
PROTECTING MUSIC
I read Jan Ramsey’s “Weekly Beat” column on the way home from a week in New Orleans. A few hours later, I stopped in a Georgia rest stop to be greeted by banners proclaiming that Georgia music was “our” music. The banners had Trisha Yearwood, James Brown, Usher, Little Richard, who do all have Georgia connections (although in all fairness, where would Little Richard be without Cosimo?). But I was particularly struck by her thoughts about how the city needs to market New Orleans music. I admit to bias, but New Orleans music is real from the ground up, unlike the corporate mentality of Nashville. The music in New Orleans speaks for itself. Case in point. My kids.
My daughter’s world typically only intersects New Orleans music at the corner of Harry Connick, Jr. Lane and Lil Wayne Blvd. However, she enjoyed immensely the music from the Cajun/Zydeco Fest stages. Even more so, she enjoyed Lionel Ferbos at the Palm Court, with Chuck Badie telling stories of the changes in the city for African-American musicians since the ’40s. (He gave an indirect shout out to OffBeat, by the way). Then, Tuesday, she and my 12-year-old son accompanied me to Shannon Powell Hall-Stars at Preservation Hall. Shannon’s personality, Kid Chocolate Brown’s trumpet, David Torkanowsky’s keyboards and a surprise appearance by Uncle Lionel had my kids totally enthralled. She texted the entire time with several friends who had never heard of most New Orleans music, telling them how great this stuff was. Even the pop diva enjoyed indigenous music and was telling others. See? Real music—and it goes from “old” music to pure pop for now people. (I should have made the week complete with a visit to Quintron and Miss Pussycat but….)
On Saturday, Xavier University recognized the contributions of Chuck Badie and Wardell Quezergue. Does the city have any way of recognizing the contributions of musicians/artists? Financial incentives? Proclamations? A day of mourning declared for Snooks/Eddie/Sam Butera? A new mayor will be a boon for a lot of things in the city, not the least of which could be encouraging and protecting music. New Orleans is truly the heart and soul of American music. Treat it with the respect it deserves.
—Al Dunn, Salisbury, NC
