The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) will celebrate its silver anniversary with a gala fundraiser on Sunday, May 17 from 6-10:30 p.m. at the New Orleans Downtown Sheraton. Noted New Orleans artists Charmaine Neville and Eliott Keener will be the mistress and master of ceremonies respectively. Nicholas Payton and his band will perform. The festivities will feature a unique patron party at the future site of NOCCA (2800 Chartres) on Saturday, May 16 from 2-4:430 p.m. In addition to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, NOCCA music, drama and visual arts students will perform. Patrons will also receive personal tours of the property. The $23.5 million project is slated for completion in the Fall of 1999. Tickets to the patron party and gala are $200 per person and gala tickets are $100 per person. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Friends of NOCCA at (504) 523-7708.
It’s time again for the West Bank’s largest festival, the 7th Annual Armed Forces Festival, which will be held this year May 16-17 at the Naval Support Activity in Algiers (2300 General Meyer). Admission is free and open to the public. Gates open at noon both days. The festival will feature the music of Peabody, Coolbone, Soulful Heavenly Stars, Marva Wright, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. and the Los Angeles-based kings of funk, Lakeside. In addition, the festival will have military equipment on display and there will be food supplied by local restaurants along with a trade show, arts and craft displays and carnival rides. There is also a 5-K race schedule for Saturday, May 16 beginning at 6 p.m. For more information on the race call Pat McKinney at (504) 678-2632 and for more information on the festival call (504) 678-2419.
Four Cats/Radionics Records has just released the debut CD, Going Somewhere, by Todd Washko. The young singer/songwriter is backed by an all-star cast of supporting musicians including Bob Andrews, Vicki Peterson, Susan Cowsill, Theresa Andersson, Carlo Nuccio and others. Going Somewhere was produced by Buzzy Langford.
The Out-of-Towners
Southern Lights Entertainment brings Stanley Jordan to New Orleans for a show at Jimmy’s on April 29. Jordan will perform with the support of Trombone Shorty and the newly configured quintet, Moore and More, featuring Galactic’s Stanton Moore. Native American Indian Bill Miller brings his unique blend of folk, rock, country, new age, tribal chants and drumming to the Jazz Fest on May 3. Eric Clapton, along with a 20-piece symphony orchestra, will perform at the Superdome on Wednesday, May 20. Tickets are on sale at all Tickermaster locations.
Remember that the New Orleans Jazz Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a April 29 get-together that will feature food, music and the unveiling of a jazz poster by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue. The party is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at the Historic Holiday Inn Superdome and there will be a jam session from 7-8 p.m. For more information, call the jazz club at (504) 455-6847.
Oak Alley Plantation will present the outdoor premier of “Turncoats: Espionage on Esplanade,” the latest play by award-winning playwright, John Doucet, beginning the week of April 18 and ending May 17. Dinner and a cash bar will be available from 6-7 p.m. with the curtain at 7:30 p.m. for all Saturday evening performances. On Sundays, lunch and a cash bar will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a curtain at 1 p.m. For theater reservations, call (800) 442-5539.
Once again this year, Cox Communications of Louisiana has received CableACE nominations from members of the National Academy of Cable Programming. Nominated productions include Cox Metro 10’s weekly music show, “Louisiana Jukebox,” winner in the “Best Music Series” category at last year’s competition and nominated this year in the newly-created “Entertainment” category; as well as “Lessons to Learn,” last year’s live forum on the topic of charter schools. Cox has also been nominated for the quality and breadth of its programming in the “Overall Commitment to Local Programming” category, the most distinguished award of the competition. The winners will be announced on May 5 and we’ll let you know how Cox fared in our June issue.
Edward J. Kvet has been selected as the dean of Loyola University’s New Orleans College of Music. He will assume those duties on Aug. 1, 1998. Kvet has a degree in music education from Baldwin-Wallace College and a master’s as well as a doctorate in music education from the University of Cincinnati. Loyola’s College of Music, founded in 1932, serves nearly 300 students and gives them the opportunity to combine liberal studies with professional music courses.
Superfly Productions will present the following shows at the Contemporary Arts Center during Jazz Fest: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (4/30), Medeski, Martin & Wood with Galactic (5/1), subdudes Reunion with the Dirty Dozen (5/2) and Morphine plus The Iguanas and 16 Horsepower (5/3). Tickets for the concert series can be purchased at all Tickermaster outlets or charge by phone at (504) 522-5555. For any additional information, call (504) 365-3031 or browse the web site at www.neosoft.com/~superfly.
A Starry, Starry Night with Allen Toussaint is the theme of the 23rd Annual Archdiocese Charity Ball on Saturday, April 25 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. Proceeds from the evening will go to support the 60 programs of the Archdiocese of New Orleans which each year serve more than 60,000 people throughout the area. Tickets are $150 per person. Call (504) 581-BALL for more information.
If you just have to get out of town during the craziness of Jazz Fest but you still want to visit a festival, why not try the Cajun Music Festival in Eunice, Louisiana on April 26. Doors to the Northwest Community Center Pavilion open at 10 a.m. and the music, food and fun continues through 6 p.m.
Don’t miss the second year of LMNOP (The Music Conference in New Orleans) which promises to be bigger and better than last year’s solid effort. (Look for further coverage in this issue of OffBeat).
The New Orleans Jazz Dance Project is a celebration of the heritage of jazz dance presented by the Newcomb Dance program at Tulane University. This two-week summer dance workshop, which this year will be held June 14-27, features nationally recognized guest artists giving participants professional training and performance opportunities. For tuition and information on the classes, call (504) 862-8000.
Arlee Leonard, the daughter of well-known buskers David & Roselyn, is coming home to perform during Jazz Fest. You can catch her on Wednesday, April 29 at the Funky Butt with the Walter Payton Quintet and then she’ll jump over to the Red Room as part of the LMNOP line-up. You can also see her performing with mom and pop and other members of the family at the Jazz Fest on Saturday, April 25 and Thursday, April 30.
And finally this month, Big Flossy Productions is reviving the traditions of the legendary Dew Drop Inn with a show on Friday, May 1 at the original site (2836 LaSalle St.). The evening will feature Walter “Wolfman” Washington with exotic dancer Mama Efuru, plus comedic vignettes from the Dew Drop Players, stand-up comedy, a fashion show and more. The evening will be hosted by the outrageous and flamboyant Davell Crawford, whose grandfather, Sugarboy Crawford, was an integral part of the Drop’s history. For more information about the show, tickets and time, call Big Flossy Productions at (504) 949-7988.
