It’s amazing, what you find when you go through your old files. Recently, I went through every file I had in my office in my (periodic) attempt at organization. Boy, did I find some interesting stuff. In a file marked “CityBusiness” I found this: The year was 1986. New Orleans was in the throes of a severe economic downturn: the oil industry was on its ass, and we were just beginning to feel the backlash from the glut of hotel rooms that were thrust into the market for the ill-fated 1984 World’s Fair. What could be done to bring the city out of its economic doldrums?
Surprise! The late Ron Ridenhour, a staff writer for CityBusiness at the time, wrote a prescription for a means using the music industry to heal the city of its financial woes. (This article-and the original “thesis” it was based on-was one of the motivating factors behind me starting up OffBeat). At that time, no one in government was paying too much attention to music-except as entertainment at political fundraisers and Mardi Gras balls. The idea of music as an economic force in New Orleans was a pretty new concept.
What Ridenhour proposed back in 1986 was a new publication that would revolve around the idea that New Orleans jazz, food and music festivals are really year-round events here. The music is here, if you just know where to find it. Back then, when I was working as a consultant for a marketing firm, I knew this-but didn’t see any evidence that anyone else recognized music as an attraction for visitors to the city (other than at Jazz Fest). That’s when I was approached by Connie Atkinson, then editor of Wavelength magazine, to buy that publication. To make a long story short, the deal with Atkinson didn’t go through, and OffBeat was born. The original concept of this magazine was to try to provide visitors the best information possible on where to find good music, and to give them some “native information” on our musical history and culture. That concept was expanded over the next few years to create a means to celebrate local musicians’ contributions to our local culture, and to elevate them to the celebrity status they deserve.
From there, we went on to create the Louisiana Music Directory, which catalogs our musicians and music business and cultural resources; the Grapevine, a music industry newsletter; the Best of The Beat Awards, the local “Grammys” for musicians; and www.offbeat.com, Louisiana’s first magazine web site.
Since OffBeat began, we’ve seen quite a few changes in the local music scene: lots more live music clubs; an explosion in the popularity of the Jazz Fest internationally; the formation of a local Music & Entertainment commission; the creation of several music conferences and music education programs; more studios, entertainment attorneys, and music managers; the establishment of a national park to celebrate jazz, New Orleans’ greatest contribution to American culture; the hiring of a music writer at the local daily paper (can you believe this musical city didn’t have one?); much-increased interest in music from media other than OffBeat (every mag and paper in town now has music info, which wasn’t the case when we started), including the outstanding Cox Communications-produced series Louisiana Jukebox. And I just heard that Louisiana’s Office of Tourism will use music as their advertising theme next year in promotion and advertising to attract visitors to the state (’bout time!).
That’s the good stuff. But there are still some real things missing. I believe that city and state government still don’t have a clue on how to preserve our musical culture and how to develop the music industry here. As an entrepreneur who struggles to keep a small business with several employees going-a business that’s totally devoted to music-it is frustrating to know that the city and the state have both made it very difficult for musicians to make a living here. The business and political climate for the music and music industry here sucks, frankly. Note the recent protest of the noise in the French Quarter. We’ve had music in the Quarter and around Jackson Square for literally decades. Apparently the very vocal, relatively small minority who oppose music in the Quarter have more political clout (read money) than local musicians-who provide the very ambience we tout as the “charm” of the Quarter. What about the amusement tax? What about the problems with in-store performances? What about the problems OffBeat had this Jazz Fest with distributing magazines?
What direct benefits can the New Orleans Music & Entertainment Commission (and Louisiana Music Commission) really claim that they have provided to the musical community? I can think of maybe one: the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp. Both regimes have been in service long enough where they could have effected some very positive goals. They’ve both got substantial (six-figure) budgets-it just seems that the general consensus is that nobody knows how these commissions are spending our tax money. I challenge both these Commissions to provide the public, their constituency, with how our money is being spent. Tell us what you’ve really done to change things for the better for musicians and music businesses here. Send OffBeat a copy of your budgets and a list of projects you’ve accomplished (not just what has happened on your “watch”)-we’ll pledge to publish your reports.
The point is, things really haven’t changed that much from 1986. No matter how much attention private businesses pay to developing interest in our music, we’ll never have a real money-making industry here until attitudes change in city and state government, because that attitude filters down into the business community as a whole. I believe it’s up to the people that run the Music Commissions to take the leadership role and take responsibility for their positions and the money they’re spending. How about it?
Interest in jazz heating up but what about the R&B?
I was recently contacted by James Borders, Executive Director of the Louisiana Division of the Arts, to participate in a planning process for creating a “Jazz Network.” Jazz is the trend now: the Jazz Historical Park, the Jazz Network, Ken Burns’ new series on jazz, the International Association of Jazz Educators’ upcoming conference in January 2000. It’s gratifying that there is so much interest. Too bad there’s not more interest in the preservation of what is a hallmark of New Orleans musical culture: rhythm & blues.
This really struck me as I attended the funeral of Tommy Ridgley. There were so many R&B legends there: Cosimo Matassa, Dave Bartholomew, “Frogman” Henry, Ernie K-Doe, Clarence Samuels, Snooks Eaglinwhat is going to happen to this musical art form when these legends pass on? Jazz is a tradition whose banner is being picked up by a younger generation. Once our R&B musicians are gone, what’s going to happen to the music? Who is preserving it for future generations? Why isn’t someone creating a means to honor these musicians and their music in perpetuitya New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, anyone?
Extended thanks to everyone who made the benefit (which raised over $3300) in honor of Tommy Ridgley a success: all the great musicians who volunteered their time and efforts to help Tommy’s family (see Jeff Hannusch’s review of the benefit in this issue), Dwayne Breshears and John Sinclair of WWOZ, Tommy’s manager Earline Hutchinson, Tipitina’s, Pat Jolly, who helped publicize the show, photographer Earl Perry, and Antoinette K-Doe, who was a lifesaver the evening of the show, and who took care of food backstage.
Johnny Adams Tribute Concert
A concert honoring the memory of another late, great R&B singer, Johnny “Tan Canary” Adams, will take place at 3 p.m. at the Argosy Casino in Baton Rouge on Sunday, September 12. The memorial show’s performers will include Aaron Neville, Bill Pinkney & The Original Drifters, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., Jean Knight, Ernie K-Doe, Deacon John and many more. Tickets are $20 at the door. Call 225-378-6000 for more information.
Benefit for “Jimmy’s Kids”
The Howlin’ Wolf will host a benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy Association on Sunday September 5, beginning at 5 p.m. during the Jerry Lewis Telethon. The show will benefit the M.D. Summer Camp in Covington. This camp allows kids with muscular dystrophy to experience what most kids take for granted. This is an especially significant for benefit organizer and local music maven Jimmy Ford, who has two kids afflicted with the disease.
Performing bands will include Blackula, Consortium of Genius, Egg Yolk Jubilee, Flowers for Tracey, Head 58, Igor Kitty, Jeremy Lyons & The Deltabilly Boys, Motorway, Soul Remedy, Supagroup, Tri-City Six, Urban Mullet, Weedeater and Won Ton Lust.
A second stage for songwriters and poets will also be part of the show, and will include readings/performances by Barry Cowsill, Jason Blum, Jen Kirkland, Liese Dettmer, Mike West, Myshkin and Sue & “D.”
There will also be a fine art auction. All proceeds go to the camp. Admission is only $10 for all this great rock, and it also includes a plate of barbecue. For more info on tickets or on how you can help the camp, call Jimmy Ford at 866-5713.
We say ‘Bye to T-Lo
People move on in life-unfortunately. In the case of OffBeat, we’ve trained and built reputations for many of this (and other) city’s music writers, who have since left us. We’ve had some fantastically talented people pass through these doors over the years, and one of the best, a person who I am proud to know and call my friend, is Lolet Boutte. Lo has been a mainstay of OffBeat since June 1996-the friendly face (and voice) at the front desk, a knowledgeable source of music information (and great gossip!), a capable acquirer of club listings and more. Lolet is moving on to work for Cyril Neville at the New Orleans Music Preservatory and work more closely with her daughter Tricia “Sista Teedy” Boutte’s career, which she has managed for many years. I couldn’t be happier for Lo and Teedy, as they are the crème de la crème of musicians and top-of-the-line friends and OffBeat family. I will miss seeing Lo every day and hearing some of her great stories at lunch, but I’m grateful for she spent a few years with us helping build OffBeat, and know she will help Cyril keep his Preservatory moving ever upward.
Melissa Crory, who has been with us first as an intern, then as our current Louisiana Music Directory Coordinator, will take Lolet’s place as Listings Editor. Missy is a talented musician, a good writer and will be a joy to work with.
Best of luck, Lo-call me when ya got some juicy gossip!
Websites aid Louisiana Artists
The Louisiana Arts News Forum is a free, moderated e-mail remailing service for Louisiana’s “wired” arts community. Send a single e-mail message to [email protected] and your message will be redirected to subscribers across the state each Friday afternoon. Submissions should be received at least two weeks prior to date of publication. The Louisiana Division of the Arts E-Mail Forum is now posted at http://www.crt.state.la.us/arts/forumpr.htm. The LDAoversees an individual artist grants program and anticipates distributing approximately $100,000 in funds to Louisiana professional artists this year. For more information, contact:Louisiana Division of the Arts, P.O. Box 44247 Baton Rouge, LA70804, or call (225) 342-8180.
