BLACK & WHITE
I’d like to respond to Bunny Matthews’ interview with Robert Mugge regarding Mugge’s film “Rhythm & Bayous: A Road Map of Louisiana Music.”
In discussing the swamp pop segment of the film Matthews says “the white people in the film look so stiff and the black people are so cool.” Well when performing back to back with Li’l Alfred I don’t doubt for a second that Rod Bernard, Warren Storm, or just about anybody else for that matter (Guitar Gable and King Karl included) might look, as you say, “stiff.” Then again, in the presence of Li’l Alfred, I don’t doubt that James Brown or Elvis would either. Alfred happens to be an exceptionally talented and emotional performer. I don’t know how much of it has to do with his race but it seems to be quite an issue to you two. You probably think he must be a great basketball player too.
But the real low point is when Mr. Mugge and Mr. Matthews agree that when it comes to swamp pop “the whites are stealing the black’s music.” If that’s true then there must be a source that the music was stolen from, the only problem is that that source is the people who invented it and half of them were white. All of them were obviously influenced by R&B stars like Ivory Joe Hunter, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles, but who wouldn’t have been?
Rock ‘n’ roll in the ’50s, be it black, white, Mexican or God knows what else, was probably the most powerful racial integrator this country has ever known; swamp pop a locally mirrored image of it. But one difference between swamp pop and the rest of the rock ‘n’ roll world is the shared style that south Louisiana artists developed together, resulting in music that, whether the performers were black or white, essentially sounded the same. The “white” records were not, in this case, “weaker” than the black ones. I dare anyone to listen to Warren Storm’s “Prisoner’s Song” and try to guess whether the singer and/or the players are black or white.
The same goes for any records by Bobby Charles (mistakenly signed to Chess as a black artist due to his voice and sound) or Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins, both of whom had swamp pop records out as early as 1955, an honor shared solely by Cookie & The Cupcakes. Yes, these are widely considered to be the first swamp pop records and two of them were by white artists. Does this make the music somehow not as valid? Not as soulful, perhaps? I suppose we should dismiss all the Excello blues records that we hold dear to our hearts because after all most of them feature Storm on drums, Al Foreman on guitar and Bobby McBride on bass. It doesn’t matter that they all played the blues as well as any of their darker complexion brethren, they were white. I guess the Stax records will have to go, too…Booker T., Otis Redding…never mind what the music sounds like, it’s just not as authentic as it ought to be. Or as some people say it ought to be.
I’ve always found it funny that most of the people who make these types of racial issues out of music and talk about whites not having as much “soul” as blacks are generally a) not musicians and b) white themselves. Just an observation.
In the case of Rod Bernard hitting with Guitar Gable’s “This Should Go On Forever,” Mugge and Matthews speak as if there was practically no difference between Bernard and Pat Boone. Well after all, they’re both white. Ouch! Need I point out the difference between a bayou musician who’s been performing since age ten and soaking up all the influences of his musically diverse area and a pop artist like Boone who, at the behest of the larger record companies was cutting limp “cover” versions of tunes by black rockers? Need I point out the difference between a musician (Bernard) asking a fellow musician and friend’s (Gable’s) permission to record one of his compositions, simply because he liked the tune and needed a song, and a big wig at a major record label wielding all the power, money and schmaltzy strings he could muster to knock rock ‘n’ roll off the charts with something a little safer, like for instance Boone? Don’t think for a minute that those companies had any innate problem with rock ‘n’ roll beyond the fact that they couldn’t seem to come up with much of it. It was all about money then, just as it is now, and those big companies were threatened by the independents because the independents had something you just couldn’t buy: vision.
Which brings to mind Mugge’s comment that “here Bernard–one of the good guys–benefited from the racist situation where Guitar Gable couldn’t get his own song recorded.” Racist situation? One can only assume that Mugge is suggesting that Gable couldn’t get his version recorded because he was black. Oh, the Chess brothers (who leased Bernard’s version from Floyd Soileau’s Jin label) weren’t the least bit familiar with black artists. Yeah, if Gable had had the song out before Bernard, I’m sure Leonard and Phil would’ve found some white artist to cover it, just as they did with all those songs by Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. As for Floyd, who originally issued the record, I have to ask, what crime is there in starting a record label and asking a friend to record for you, which is exactly what happened in the case of Soileau and Bernard? J. D. Miller, whom Gable was presumably under contract with at the time, probably kicked himself all the way to the bank for not having released Gable’s version earlier. Likewise, had Gable not been under contract with Miller, there is no reason to believe Floyd, who always knows a good sound when he hears one, black, white or otherwise, wouldn’t have recorded him. Naturally Gable should have gotten the writer’s royalties and if he got ripped off by a record company he’s a member of a very large and distinguished community of brilliant rock ‘n’ roll songwriters that includes just about everyone with any talent whatsoever. Generally, it’s an organization that doesn’t recognize race, just who they can swindle.
Race may be “everything in Louisiana,” as Matthews points out, everything except what we’re talking about here. That is until somebody makes it so. None of the musicians being discussed here ever made an issue about who was black or white. What’s pathetic is that two musical historians have to throw fuel on the fire nearly 50 years after the fact and play separatists, tarnishing a form of music that managed to overcome the racial climate of its time.
Both of you really ought to know better. If you don’t, let’s hope next time you keep the “merciless comments” in and leave the ignorant ones out.
–Alvin Page, New Orleans, LA
SPECTACULAR
Just received the copies of OffBeat you sent. Thank you SO much! You did a spectacular job of editing and showcasing our dialogue about the film and Louisiana music, and I really, really appreciate it! Frankly, I don’t even know if you left Gambit or The Times-Picayune anything to write about, but it’s great that you got all of these issues out there right from the start! I know that the film will benefit.
I’m sorry that that particular piece isn’t one that can be accessed on your web site, but I understand that you have to hold back a bunch of things for print only. It’s nice at least to be mentioned on the site.
Anyway, thank you again, and I’ll look forward to meeting you in a couple of weeks.
–Robert Mugge
PSYCHO
Love your magazine–got it at the IAJE [International Association of Jazz Educators] last year, and you straightened us out on the location of some restaurants.
Was wondering if you know of a guy named Psycho, who just moved to town from Asheville, North Carolina, and bounces at Rick’s, I think, and is a rapper.
In September, 2000, the name of his group was Psychotic Reactshuns. We are his straight ahead jazz friends, we work around the Western Carolinas, mainly Asheville, where he was a good concert promoter and a bud of my pianist and me. I can’t get a hold of him and would like to.
–Lucianne Evans, via email
First thing I want to say is that you have an incredible magazine. Living in New York, I miss the sights and sounds of New Orleans, and nothing takes me back quicker than receiving my issue of OffBeat in the mail.
My question is that I feel my subscription might be up soon, but I haven’t received any renewal notices. Maybe I’m wrong, but I wanted to check.
–Nori Negron-Casimiro, Brooklyn, NY
THE NAME OF GOD
After reading the OffBeat review of Earthsuit’s Kaleidoscope Superior, I wondered if they were listening to the same album as I.
First of all I found it humorous that they said “The obtuse lyrics employ heavy Christian symbolism and seem to revolve almost entirely around the band’s missionary message.” My answer to that is AMEN! These boys love God and aren’t ashamed to speak it. That is entirely the whole point of the band, to lift up the name of God (while playing some decent music I might add)!
The band does an exceptional job of blending many styles of music into each song, while staying true to their obvious musical talent. Nothing goes to waste with these boys, they make you wanna get up and move your feet. I know, I did just that at Spirit West Coast California this year. I came to the concert with a skeptic’s ear, and left a convert. By the second song I was ready to dance and by the end of the concert I wanted to become a groupie. My only complaint is: When are you guys gonna bring your phat, fresh sound over to California again??? I think I have worn out my CD already…
Peace and love from the Bay area.
–Sherri Cheeseboro, Oakland, CA
BLANQUE CHECK
I’m writing to thank you and let you know how appreciative I was to see the letter from the Montgomery’s regarding me. I don’t know who the Montgomery’s are, but it’s nice to know I still have people following me since my Blue Room days.
Thank you also for the great review you gave me on my CD. It may sound odd to you, but your review gave me an uplift and made me proud that a fine CD reviewer would give my singing and my CD such high regard. You wanted to know who the band members are, they are: Don Stevens, piano; Tex Basile (now deceased), saxophone; Rusty Gilder, bass; L.G. Sullivan, drums; Bobby Blanque, vocalist (of course).
–Bobby Blanque, New Orleans, LA
KINDNESS
We just read our review in the August issue of OffBeat. Thanks so much for all the kind words. I’m really glad you [Dan Willging] liked the CD and I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a kind and insightful review. Thanks again.
–Jeff Burke and Vida Wakeman, (Jeff & Vida), New Orleans, LA
RAW TALENT
Glad to see OffBeat taking the lead in seeking out the raw talent of this fair city! Both Quintron and Katey Red prove that one doesn’t have to live in New York or Los Angeles to be on the cutting edge of music! Another one to watch for in the future is the band Orange Eye!
–John K. Lawson, New Orleans, LA
SPOILED ROTTEN
After reading, Bunny Matthews’ comments about WWOZ, I have come to the conclusion that he is spoiled living in a city with the greatest radio station. Try living up here where all we do get is programmed music unless we can get WRPI, or one of the other college stations.
Keep up the good work WWOZ, we appreciate it up here even if Bunny doesn’t. Sure beats hearing Britney and ‘N Sync.
–Steve Daub, Galway, NY
