Subscribers Jules and Saskia Hartogs.

As I write this, I’m freshly returned from a two-week vacation in Amsterdam and Paris. We planned our trip to Amsterdam as an entry way into Europe (our original plan was to go to Germany to see friends). Amsterdam was the best way to get there. So it must have been an omen that many of our OffBeat subscribers from around the world, and particularly from Amsterdam, made a point of stopping by our booth at the Jazz Fest to say hello.

Jules Hartogs, one of our subscribers from Amsterdam, told us to call him when we arrived (something we surely intended to do, particularly since we found a bottle of Moët & Chandon Champagne waiting for us on our arrival—a surprise gift from Jules). Before we could call him, though, on a walk around the city we had stopped to eat dinner at a random café in a touristy part of town. We were getting seated, when all of a sudden we heard someone calling out “Is that you?” We were stunned to see that it was Jules and his musician friend JP Den Tex, who just happened to be going to that restaurant for dinner (it’s got great food—something we weren’t aware of—as we were later to discover) on their way to see Dr. John perform at the Paradiso club nearby. New Orleans music certainly unites the world!

Jules introduced us to his lovely wife Saskia, and took us out to dinner to experience a specialty of Amsterdam, the Indonesian rijstaffel. We also visited the Pop Institute of the Netherlands where Robbert Tilli showed us the facilities that contained a concert hall (where the Kinks’ first live performance was held in the Netherlands). Tilli also let us know that New Orleans Music Office director Scott Aiges was so impressed with the institute that he took several ideas back to New Orleans. So maybe we have the Dutch to thank for the idea behind the Tipitina’s Musicians Co-op!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have that level of synchronicity in our encounters in Paris, but we did notice that Air France featured a New Orleans channel on their in-flight radio (we heard Ernie K-Doe singing “A Certain Girl” and Allen Toussaint performing “Southern Nights” while flying between Paris and Amsterdam, plus there was a huge story on New Orleans and its music in their onboard flight magazine; Amsterdam’s monthly Living magazine featured a multiple page spread on New Orleans music in its June 2005 issue as well). The Virgin MegaStore on the Champs Elysées featured a huge display on Terence Blanchard’s new CD Flow and on Louis Armstrong.

Funny, I’ve never heard any people who live outside the US praise the food from Louisiana. But they do adore the music. That’s the main reason you can’t find many local musicians in New Orleans in the summer—they high-tail it overseas on tour, make some good dough, and go where they’re really appreciated.

I’ll say it again: why aren’t the powers-that-be using music more as a tool to attract people to Louisiana? Music is truly what we have to use to increase tourism, especially international tourism. While I agree that our culture is unique, swamps are different and gumbo and crawfish are mighty damn good, there’s no substitute for music. The international audience has a demonstrated passion for it that we’re not cultivating as a means to get them to come here.

The Satchmo SummerFest, which the current issue celebrates should have thousands and thousands of people from outside the US who revere Armstrong as a musical saint. What are we doing to promote our music to them?

I know I sound like a broken record (do you younger readers know what that sounds like?), but we are missing the musical boat here. Music is key to this culture’s uniqueness. Without music, New Orleans is another Charleston or Savannah (although I will admit I loved Uglesich’s shrimp and grits more than anything I’ve ever tasted in South Carolina or Georgia!).

The Ogden Museum’s Libra Lagrone, a long-time music “freak” like us OffBeaters, has used local music as a means to enhance the experience of art at the Ogden with the Thursday shows there. Now the Ogden is offering a CD that showcases its music series “Ogden After Hours.” The CD features performances culled from the 2004 lineup, and includes Coco Robicheaux, James Singleton, Little Freddie King, Theresa Andersson, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Jim McCormick and Anders Osborne, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, and many more. Each musical performance is preceded by a small segment of the interview by the respective artist. The CD was created as a gift for all levels of Museum membership. Bravo, Miss Libra and Ogden, for putting local music in your marketing!

MORE FUNK

Michael Murphy’s film Make It Funky! premiered at the Silverdocs Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland. About 4,000 people came to the outdoor screening that also featured performances from Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Walter “Wolfman” Washington. NARAS also screened the film in Memphis and in Seattle. The film was shown at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, the Maine International Film Festival, the Wine Country Film Festival and at Ireland’s Galway Film Festival. Make It Funky! will open in Los Angeles at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and in New York at the Quad on 13th Street on September 9. The local premiere will be during the New Orleans Film Fest the weekend of October 8-10.

If you’re not from around here, register to win a chance for a free trip to New Orleans for the screening at offbeat.com or neworleansonline.com.

BENEFITS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

OffBeat is proud to be a sponsor of a benefit for the Greater New Orleans Gun Buy Back program at Southport Hall on Friday August 12 at 9 p.m. Cyril Neville and the Uptown Allstars and the New Orleans Police R&B Band will perform. Proceeds for this event will benefit the Gun Buy Back program that helps stamp out gun violence by removing guns from the street. Jimmy Anselmo, who is organizing the event, said “We can’t buy guns off the street unless we can raise the money. Last year the program removed 250 guns from the streets in our city and destroyed them. We want to double that number this year. Every $50 raised will remove one gun.” Both Liberty Bank and First Bank have established accounts for the Gun Buy Back program. Donations are being accepted at any branch location. For more information, contact Jimmy Anselmo at (504) 888-3849 or Rev. Norwood Thompson at (504) 866-8188.

Twenty-five of New Orleans’ top chefs will serve their finest dishes at this year’s Taste of the Nation, and ask the public to support their efforts to help fight hunger. Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation is a food and wine benefit to support anti-hunger efforts. The Astor Crowne Plaza, 739 Canal Street, is hosting the event Sunday August 7, 2-5 p.m. Participating restaurants include: Astor Hotel, Bayona, Besh Steakhouse, Bourbon House, Bistro at Maison de Ville, Bombay Club, Café Adelaide, Cobalt, Commander’s Palace, Cuvée, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, G.W. Finns, Herbsaint, Lulu’s in the Garden, Marisol, Martin Wine Cellar, Muriel’s, Mr. B’s Bistro, New Orleans Grill, Palace Café, Red Fish Grill, Rene Bistrot, Rio Mar, and Vega Tapas Café. Taste of the Nation tickets are $60 in advance and $70 at the door and are available by calling (504) 701-7539.

MOVING BACK?

John Mooney is reportedly moving back to the Crescent City after a multiple-year absence. And Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste has bought property in town and is renovating several houses in the Irish Channel. Welcome back to two of my favorite local musicians.