Striking Fear in the Heart

 

Thank you for giving me the chance to speak out on the possible title sponsorship of Jazz Fest (“Mojo Mouth,” April 1998). I’m more than outraged about this. I’m downright paranoid. The Jazz Fest and the City of New Orleans are inextricably tied to one another. To lose that identity would be tragic. It would be no different than the New Orleans Festival that JVC sponsored all over the country in ’93. Those were wonderful concerts but they certainly weren’t Jazz Fest. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (NOJ&HF), as we know it, it wouldn’t be the same in any other city. [Just as] the “Corporation X NOJ&HF,” wouldn’t be the same in New Orleans. I think the board is underestimating the value that the identity issue carries.

 

My second concern deals with the vision. These people aren’t going to put up this kind of capital just to “get their name out there.” They’re going to expect and demand something in return for their largesse. If there is one absolute truth in corporate culture, it’s this: Whomever controls the purse strings controls the product. I can’t believe that the people who put on the greatest festival on Earth aren’t aware of this. The only thing more frightening than losing control of the Fest would be the long-term effect.

 

Recent economic history has shown that large companies tend to spread out and invest in more diverse fields during times of strong growth. As their markets settle and profits plateau, or, more likely, drop, they will begin a “house cleaning,” shedding themselves of all but their most vital interests. In other words, five or six years from now, after a corporate sponsor has — through its meddling and involvement — cost the Jazz Fest its core audience; they will eventually drop the Fest like a bad habit, leaving it in much worse shape than before they came on board.

 

These same fears are shared by everyone I’ve spoken with since this story broke. Perhaps the Board should release a public statement. I’d like to hear an argument in favor of this proposal. Thank you for letting me share these thoughts. You publish a wonderful magazine and I promise to renew my subscription when I get back from Jazz Fest.

 

Steve Lamb,
via e-mail

 

Steve, we shared your letter with Quint Davis, Producer/Director of the Jazz Fest, and Judge Michael Bagneris, V.P. of Jazz Fest, and they sent us back the following reply:

 

“Not only did the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival reject a proposal [from a major corporate sponsor] but the Foundation also said no to other multi-million-dollar proposals from tobacco, alcohol and gambling interests that they felt were not in keeping with the family nature and image of the Festival, regardless of the amount of money. Let us simply state two facts that everyone who cares about the Festival should know: (1) The name “New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival” is indivisible and non-negotiable at any price. Any corporate identification with the Festival name will have to bow to that reality. (2) At no time was any influence or control of any kind over the Festival considered. The content, structure and nature of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is non-negotiable, for any price, period, as is the integrity of the name. Even though companies from Ray-Ban to Rhodes Funeral Home pay sponsorship dollars to have their names associated with certain Festival stages, in no way do they determine who plays on the stages that bear their names. So it has always been, so it will always be. We hope this information clears up some of the confusion surrounding the issue and reassures Jazz Fest lovers that there will always be a New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.”

 

And that, as they say, is that. -Ed.

 

Big Chief Says No Benefits

 

I was disheartened by the “Hot Picks” article in the March 1998 edition of OffBeat about the “Jammin’ For Johnny” benefit. Once again there is another tribute to assist an artist lacking in health care couched in the form of great entertainment. Sure it’s great for music listeners to see such favorites play for a good cause, but what about the real story, which is the lack of health care for all musicians in New Orleans? Start by asking the question of the artists who performed that day to find out how many were covered; hopefully, but not likely, the increased awareness had a positive effect on our community.

 

Sincerely,
David “Big Chief” Keiser
New Orleans