Some years ago, when this magazine was still in the planning stages, I used to go to listen to music at a little dive called the Howlin’ Wolf, then located in the heart of Fat City. Jack Groetsch owned the joint, and it became obvious that he was one of the old breed of music club owners who didn’t necessarily get into it for the money or cachet of saying he owned a bar. Jack really loved the music and musicians.
That was very obvious from the bands he booked, and from the way he enthusiastically supported young bands, and looked for new talent to grace his stage. Jack eventually moved his little enterprise to the Warehouse District to its current location, and nursed the baby Wolf to its current day status as one of New Orleans’ best music clubs, through thick and thin, and several expansions and renovations.
Jack married fellow music lover Lesley a few years back, and since then the Howlin’ Wolf has cemented its reputation as a “real music” club with local bands, and with touring acts alike. The Wolf has become a New Orleans institution.
But all lives and loves undergo change, and in late September, Jack and Lesley Groetsch, who’ve since had two children and have moved to the Northshore, sold the Howlin’ Wolf to music entrepreneur Howard Kaplan.
Kaplan had been in the process of trying to create another music institution in Metairie (echoes of Jack?) with the Rock ‘N’ Bock over the past two years. But when Jack and Lesley announced plans to sell the Howlin’ Wolf, what happened seemed almost karmic.
“I may not know everything about what I’m doing–but my intentions are pure–just like Jack’s. He had one love and now he has another love [his growing family]. Jack saw that I might care about something he put his lifeblood into,” Kaplan said.
“I don’t want to change the Wolf. I think the Howlin’ Wolf can be more representative of what New Orleans music all about–not just New Orleans-style music. It seemed as though Tipitina’s as going to pick up that mantle, but it seems as if they don’t want it–they make more money from other ventures.
“That place has a soul–more so than a lot of other places in this area,” he pauses reflectively: “It’s a once in a lifetime shot for a guy like me, and I just had to go for it. The staff is wonderful. I’ll want to retain them, the reputation, the name and everything else that has made the Wolf renowned in New Orleans.”
Like Groetsch, Kaplan plans to do the booking. “Music is really my life,” he said. “But now instead of a little place in Metairie, I have something that we can all grow together.
“Jack Groetsch will stay on as long as he feels comfortable as a consultant. It’s good business and it makes us both feel more comfortable. Jack can’t just up and walk away, it’s been his life for 13 years, and now it’s my life.
“We’ll continue to refocus on the artists–this isn’t going to be the ‘Howie Wolf’…Nothing will change–the Wolf will still have same energy and vibe. I’m the luckiest man in the world because I get the chance to help shape the way an entire metro area is going to listen to music. It’s a tremendous responsibility–and I’m ready for it.”
The Rock ‘N’ Bock has been sold to a new owner. Kaplan said: “I hope they continue with the music legacy we started there.”
On October 9, the Loyola Music Business Program presents Dr. E. Michael Harrington, an expert on copyright infringement, and one of the most sought-after expert witnesses in the U.S. in high-profile copyright infringement cases. Harrington has worked as an expert witness and consultant in cases involving Lauryn Hill & the Fugees, Steve Perry, Patty Loveless, Puff Daddy, Chris Isaak, Mary J. Blige, and countless others. He will deliver a presentation on “Recent Copyright Infringement: The Fugees, Puff Daddy and Sting: Report From The Expert Witness” at Loyola’s Nunemaker Hall on October 9 at 7:30 p.m.
This is the first in a series of music business seminars that will be presented every second Monday of the month on the Loyola campus as part of the Loyola Music University Music Business Program community outreach efforts. For more information, call (504) 865-3984 or email [email protected].
On October 8, “Moose’s Vision” Fund and initiative will kick off its fundraiser to benefit the Alcee Fortier High School Band. The fund is the brainchild of Don “Moose” Jamison, jaz musician, historian, Jazz & Heritage Foundation Board member and programmer on WWOZ. Jamison’s idea is drawn from the deplorable conditions of the band uniforms and instruments he’s seen in New Orleans public schools. It became obvious to Jamison that we were failing to pay attention to our city’s most important natural resource, our young musicians, and we’d neglected to furnish the means for a training ground for many potentially fine generations of musicians to come.
The Moose’s Vision Fund will support a “Strike Up The Band” Fundraiser annually. Alcee Fortier was the first school to be chosen to benefit. Future schools will chosen on a rotating basis.
Monies generated from the fundraiser are dedicated to purchase of instruments and uniforms for the recipient schools. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has sponsored the initiative and can answer questions on donations and the fundraiser, which will be held on Sunday afternoon, October 8 at Ashe Cultural Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Tickets are $20 for the event, and “Fans of The Band” patron/sponsors can purchase instruments individually for the recipient school. The Greater New Orleans Foundation will receive donations and contributions at 1055 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115. Or call the Jazz & Heritage Foundation office at (504) 522-4786 for more information.
Nevillization
Finally the saga of New Orleans’ must famous musical brothers has been put on paper. The Brothers, published by Little Brown & Co. and authored by musical bio author David Ritz (he’s also penned biographies of Etta James, Ray Charles, Jerry Wexler, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye) has just hit the streets. The book is compiled from comments taken from the point of view of four brothers, and from a cursory reading, it’s a pretty candid look at their musical roots, problems with the drugs and the law, individual spiritual quests and the strong family ties that have nurtured their music and lives. Our Bookmark columnist, Alex Rawls, will review the book in next month’s issue of OffBeat.
Jazz
For many years, we’ve devoted our October issue to the local jazz scene. This, I feel, is one of the best issues to date, covering the wide variety of the jazz gumbo (okay, I’m allowed a little cliché–remember, I’m not a writer, I’m more of a ranter!) we have in New Orleans. A little bit of Latin jazz, a lot of trad jazz, some Dixieland, some R&B, lots of reviews–this issue of OffBeat is one of our best ever. We hope you support the Louisiana Jazz Federation’s Jazz Awareness Month activities (see page 34), and keep the genre alive and growing in our fertile musical crescent.
This year should be a big year for jazz: Ken Burns’ documentary Jazz!, which airs on PBS in January 2001, is a stunning portrait of the musicians, music, and the American culture which produced it. We’ve seen a few of the series (it’s a 10-parter), and we know that this series’ impact will be far-reaching and profound in raising America’s consciousness on the appreciation of the art form. It’s also going to seriously impact interest in purchasing jazz, and will create a completely new fan base–trust me.
The Satchmo SummerFest is going to happen this year, the real centennial of Louis Armstrong’s birth, on August 4 and 5 at the Old Mint. French Quarter Festivals will produce music, food and educational programs. The University of New Orleans is also creating an academic symposium to take place at the same time, and producers there are working on a event to take place the same weekend that will bring together the entire Marsalis family together for a landmark concert.
Come visit our office during October and the rest of the businesses on Frenchmen Street during Frenchmen Street Month of Sundays. Hey, baby, the Quarter may be for tourists, but Frenchmen Street is for us locals. See y’all…
