HEARTBREAKING
Thanks Shamarr for sharing your story [Video Interview: Shamarr Allen on his Encounter with State Troopers, July 31, 2014]. We saw Shamarr at the Ellis Marsalis Center yesterday—the same day this was recorded. Nothing but positivity, including bringing out some of his students to share the stage with him. One can only hope that, as a society, we can figure out how to get past the racism that so scars us emotionally and injures and kills many of our fellow citizens. The story is heartbreaking but also uplifting because of the strength and grace of Shamarr Allen.
—John Jacobs, Tucson, Arizona
LIONEL FERBOS
Lionel Ferbos was a link to the early days of jazz. A style of Creole music reading that is fading (has faded?). But he was by all accounts a truly nice man. I met him once at the Palm Court Café during Satchmo SummerFest of his 98th year. He was gracious and expressed true joy that I had come just to see him perform. I later caught his set at the festival. In the mid-90s temps, he was first on stage, white shirt buttoned, waiting patiently for the band. He played and sang in the heat as those in the crowd were just trying find a bit of air to simply stand and listen.
For his 100th birthday, there was a push by WWOZ to send him cards. I did. I commented about how Captain John Handy would be proud that he was still playing. A few weeks later, I received a thank-you card. A thank-you card for a birthday card! He thanked me for the nice card and said, “I guess Handy would be proud to think I made it.” Indeed, Mr. Lionel, you did “make it”: as a musician, an ambassador for jazz and for the city of New Orleans, and as a charming, wonderful man.
Thanks for the music!
—Al Dunn, Salisbury, North Carolina
A BLESSING
First of all, let me say thank you to OffBeat for recognizing my boy [Soundcheck: John Michael Bradford Takes 5, August 2014].
As with any interview, there is always room for miscommunication. Sam William’s character, sound and his music was definitely the flame that lit the fire in John Michael’s heart to pursue music, but John Michael didn’t even own a horn or start playing until a good while after Katrina. It would be those things that John Michael loved about Sam and his sound that would lead John Michael to love Louis Armstrong so much. I do believe that hearing Sam’s music and singing back his licks and horn lines is what helped him out in being able to play right away. John Michael had been reading books, watching videos, and learning the songs of Louis Armstrong before the competitions, but I think Delfeayo [Marsalis] sitting down and telling him to dig deeper was a good thing. Before John Michael won the Seeking Satchmo competition, Ms. Norma Miller, who had worked with Louis Armstrong, introduced John Michael as the next Louis Armstrong at the final concert of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp. That was such an honor for him and to this day is still a blessing in his life. He missed Satchmo Fest last year and will miss it again this year as he is away at Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. It’s been bittersweet. One thing I do know is that whenever you listen to my boy, you will always hear Louis Armstrong somewhere in there … no matter what style of music he is playing, and I love that. Long live the music, passion, and sound of the King!
—Angie Bradford, Metairie, Louisiana
GREAT SERVICE
This is in response to Jan Ramsey’s blog post, “Where Is My Waiter, Dammit” wherein she asks, “If you’re paying to be served good food, then you should expect great service, right?” I grew up in a restaurant family—in the (so-called) hard-working Midwest. I love coming to New Orleans. I remember my first trip in 1986. I recall thinking the service I was getting in one particular restaurant to be kind of pokey when it came to bringing me my change after paying. Then I realized the waiter was just savvy. He figured I was a typical New Orleans tourist—drunk! I’d either forget my change, or would just get tired of waiting for them to come back to my table. I waited out the waiter!
—Tom Sacco, Des Moines, Iowa
OffBeat welcomes letters from its readers—both comments and criticisms. To be considered for publication, all letters must be signed and contain the current address and phone number of the writer. Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length or content deemed
objectionable to OffBeat readers. Please send letters to Editor, OffBeat Publications, 421 Frenchmen St., Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70116.
