As you can see from our cover, we have officially entered festival season with our French Quarter Festival issue. What we do best in New Orleans is music (of course!), food and a good party. Oh yeah, and great weather and an interesting culture that can’t be found anywhere else.

French Quarter Fest has grown bigger every year (last year if my memory serves, it attracted at least as many—if not more—attendees as Jazz Fest). Locals love it, and the “outside world” has discovered it too, to a certain extent. I’m still amazed by how many people don’t know about this event. I’ve been told on a few occasions that we shouldn’t tell anyone about it because then the festival would get too big and it would be spoiled for the rest of us!

I disagree with that opinion. If the French Quarter Festival organizers could expand the festival onto Frenchmen Street and into Armstrong Park (both are adjacent to the Quarter, and we all know that Armstrong Park is a jewel waiting to be discovered), there would be plenty of room, and French Quarter Festival could perhaps acquire some national sponsorship… just as long as the music remains local! Currently the festival’s board is evaluating candidates for a new Executive Director. Hopefully, that process will mean hiring someone who has an expanded vision for French Quarter Fest’s future and the ability to make this local event’s reputation “out there,” and an even more important part of our “festival treasure trove.”

Of course, the biggest, best musical event is almost upon us—early this year: the Jazz Fest, which has—according to most music freaks I’ve talked to—a wonderful line-up. The Fest is even opening up a bit to local media (such as OffBeat; we’ll have a booth this year on the Fair Grounds near the new New Orleans Brass Band stage). But we’ve been told we can’t give magazines away, so you’ll have to get your “Jazz Fest Bible” at the usual free joints around town, outside the Fair Grounds from your friendly OffBeater, or on the official Jazz Fest Shuttle busses. We’ll be taking subscriptions and will also be giving you the opportunity to bid on an autographed drum from New Orleans’ most renowned drummer, Mr. Earl Palmer.

Mr. Palmer appears in Michael Murphy’s upcoming documentary film, Make It Funky, that will be screened during Jazz Fest at NOCCA as a benefit for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Archives and NOCCA on April 27 and 28 at NOCCA’s Lupin Theater. Clips of the film will also be screened at Jazz Fest at the Allison Miner Musical Heritage Stage in the Grandstand during Jazz Fest on April 29, with special guests Earl Palmer, Art Neville and Cosimo Matassa. All three play prominent parts in the movie.

I must tell you that I have seen this film and it is extraordinary. This is going to be New Orleans’ version of the Buena Vista Social Club, and will create a heightened appreciation for New Orleans music and musicians in a way that’s never been done before. Seeing Make It Funky made me proud to be involved with New Orleans’ music, and literally brought tears to my eyes (I’m just a little biased!). The film, which consists of concert footage, interviews and archival material, is set for a theatrical release in late September or early October. There will be a follow-up release of a DVD of the concert that was shot at the Saenger Theatre during last year’s Jazz Fest (this will include some of the performances that did not make it to the documentary film), as well as a CD of the music. You cannot miss this movie, if you love New Orleans music!

The spring and summer are truly becoming festival heaven: the French Market Tomato Fest in June is also expanding this year with a lot more music and a parade featuring brass bands and local marching group. Then there’s Essence Fest and the Satchmo Summerfest, and new kid on the block, the James Burton International Guitar Festival in Shreveport on August 19-21. Baby, our summers are not too hot to party!

News, Dirt & Nuptials

OffBeat was honored in February by receiving a Keeping The Blues Alive award from the Blues Foundation for Best Music Publication. This is a nationally-recognized honor and we’re grateful to the Foundation’s members for selecting us.

The state, city of New Orleans, OffBeat and others hosted a killer party at SXSW last week that included many of the Louisiana bands that performed at Austin’s event (why can’t we figure out how to do this here?): Jeff & Vida, Andi Hoffman & B-Goes, Amanda Shaw (who’s just been signed to Rounder Records), Shannon McNally (just signed to Back Porch Records), Theresa Andersson, Jon Cleary, Grayson Capps, Cowboy Mouth, Supagroup, Susan Cowsill, Bluerunners, Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers. The party was catered by Jacques-Imo’s Café and Southern Comfort, and it was rockin’ (not everyone got to play!).

Mr. Mayfield tells OffBeat that he is opening an upscale jazz club in the World Trade Center in April to be called “Irvin Mayfield’s Over New Orleans,” and Irvin indicated that Fats Domino is scheduled to perform opening night. He’s also making plans to create a jazz orchestra to rehabilitate inmates in the Orleans Parish Prison.

SXSW dirt: We hear that a certain Louisiana rocker (and former OffBeat cover boy) was involved in a fracas at a performance during SXSW, that resulted in a smashed acoustic bass on stage and a lot of angry words. Temper, temper!!

Chanteuse (and great broad) Banu Gibson returns to Bourbon Street with a regular gig at Fritzel’s at 733 Bourbon Street every Monday evening at 8 p.m.

Mark Fowler, ex-OffBeater and now manager of the Musicians’ Co-op, shared this little tidbit: “Pianist Dave Ellington has a band called Déjà Vu, which includes yours truly on guitar. We recently played at the National Jazz Historical Park back on February 26. The group does gospel/jazz/R&B-ized versions of Beatles and Stevie Wonder (among others’) tunes. Anyway, Jimmy and Roselyn Carter came to the show, really dug it and stayed afterwards to meet us and ask where to go to here great classic New Orleans jazz (I told him Preservation Hall, of course). We hear that [daughter] Amy has a place in New Orleans and they were visiting her.” Cool!

And congratulations to Jon and Patricia on their March 18 wedding. Be happy and be sweet to each other!