POWERHOUSE
I saw this powerhouse band [Royal Southern Brotherhood] at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, Connecticut. Simply amazing is the only way to describe them. I have since booked tickets for two shows in Maine and New Hampshire in June, based on John [Swenson’s] article [OffBeat, April 2012]. I have to agree that Devon Allman’s style is his own—it’s not his dad’s. I like this band so much, I bought tickets for my niece to see them in Folsom, California. As for Mike [Zito], all I can say to Eddie Van Halen is, “Eat your heart out!”
—Cletus Flynn, Milton, VT
TASTE OF HEAVEN
My heartfelt thanks to “The Weekly Beat” for the warm and encouraging words on behalf of my documentary about maestro Raymond Myles.
Raymond’s soul-stirring music changed me forever, but I’m starting to see that Raymond might have had a premonition that his time on Earth was short. That he was only here to glimpse what he called “a taste of heaven.” Only his confidants really knew that his Vegas-styled machismo and swagger was a disguise, that beneath the mask of the consummate showman, Raymond suffered the frustration and bitterness of rejection. He’d been judged by the gospel music business not for his formidable talent but for his lifestyle. He constantly struggled with dogma and Scripture that tried to tell him: God’s love does not apply to you. So he lived a life in the spotlight, and in the shadows. As our good friend George Porter, Jr. says so eloquently: “I think Raymond’s struggle for acceptance speaks to the world.”
—Leo Sacks, Cold Spring, NY
NEGLECTING HISTORY
Regarding the recent defacing of the historic jazz landmarks on South Rampart Street: this is another sad reminder of the decay these buildings have suffered through. This should be an impetus for the city, the state, historic preservation groups, the National Park Service, the various tourism promotion organizations, and all other concerned individuals who care about the history of New Orleans and its priceless jazz heritage to step in and save these buildings.
—Nita Hemeter, New Orleans, LA
I am moved by Nita Hemeter’s letter and by reading many associated articles about the deteriorating condition of these ought-to-be “historical landmarks.”
Sidney Bechet’s home was “unwittingly” demolished in October 2010. “They took a backhoe and knocked it down, and hauled it away in a trailer,” said Melvin Peterson, a 76-year-old minister who lives across the street from where Bechet’s home was.
A much longer note could be written that would detail the many losses New Orleans and the world have suffered when these sacred places have been disregarded. It’s a pattern, and I don’t fault only the people of New Orleans. Many of us living at long distances from the city value this unique musical heritage and have not spoken up.
When an article detailing these situations is published, I wish specific information could be included about where and how to express our outrage and where to put pressure on “the powers that be” to preserve our musical history. We absolutely must take action. I cannot bear to read another post-mortem.
—Susan Shaw, Roxbury, NY
The Historic District Landmarks Commission is the city’s regulatory agency for local historic districts outside of the Vieux Carre. Established in 1976, this agency provides the staff and office space for the two commissions, the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission and the Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission.
The two commissions can be contacted as follows: For Algiers Point, Bywater, Canal Street, Irish Channel, Lafayette Square and the Lower Garden District, contact Nicole Hernandez at 658-7050 or [email protected]. For Esplanade Ridge, Garden District, Holy Cross, Faubourg Marigny, Picayune Place, St. Charles Avenue, Treme and the Warehouse District, contact Sevanne Steiner at 658-7048 or [email protected].—ED.
