Continued: New Orleans Notes

Jazzfest 2008. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival recently announced its musical lineup for the full seven-day (as pre-Katrina) event, April 25-27 and May 1-4. Among the big-name out-of-towners appearing this year are Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, the Count Basie Orchestra with Patti Austin, and the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, among many others. While details of the schedule were not available at press time, you can see the full lineup at the NOJ&HF website, www.nojazzfest.com.

Dis `n' Dat. The Historic New Orleans Collection is currently featuring the Mississippi River in its programs. "Surrounded by Water: New Orleans, the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain," an exhibition including displays of maps, drawings, engravings and even sheet music depicting the city's unique relationship with water opened on January 26. It will run until August 10.

On Feb. 9, there was the 13th annual Williams Research Center Symposium, "The Mississippi River: Artery of Commerce and Culture." Among the several speakers was Bruce Raeburn of Tulane University, whose topic was "Music Flows Like Water...1843-1939." Scheduled for Feb. 13 was a concert by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra playing music inspired by the Mississippi. A pre-concert lecture on steamboat life was given by retired riverboat captain Clarke "Doc" Hawley.

For those of you who watched the President's annual State of the Union address on Jan. 29, you may have noted a couple of TV shots of trumpeter Irwin Mayfield sitting in the guest box of the President's wife. Mayfield played a concert at the White House while in Washington, his third visit with the Bush family since Katrina. In that concert, Mayfield brought out his jeweled trumpet designed in honor of his father, whose body was found on Elysian Fields Avenue after the post-hurricane flooding. The so-called Elysian Trumpet is insured for $1 million. Mayfield has certainly come a long way since I first heard him as teenager playing with the Algiers Brass Band.

I mentioned Offbeat magazine's Best of the Beat awards last time, but I did not list all of the winners. Let me at least mention some names familiar to RAG readers and voted best in various categories: Tom McDermott (pianist and trad jazz album, Live in Paris); Christian Scott (contemporary jazz artist and contemporary jazz album, Anthem); Preservation Hall Jazz Band (trad jazz band); Troy Andrews (performer of the year); John Boutte (male vocalist); James Singleton (bassist); Shannon Powell (drummer); Tony Dagradi (saxophonist); Michael White (clarinetist); Irvin Mayfield (trumpeter); Craig Klein (trombonist); Philip Frazier, Kirk Joseph and Matt Perrine (tie, sousaphonist); Bob French (radio personality), Rebirth Brass Band (brass band); and Wardell Quezergue (Lifetime Achievement in Music). The full list can be seen at www.offbeat.com.

On Feb. 1 Herreast J. Harrison, widow of the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., presented books to children at McDonogh Charter Elementary School to celebrate the Big Chief's 75th birthday and his love of reading. This is the second year of giving books to school children by Harrison's book club. During April, Mrs. Harrison's organization will partner with several other community groups to provide books to over 10,000 public school students. A sign announcing the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park has been in place in Armstrong Park at least since December. The sign has since been covered so as not to give the impression to tourists that the Jazz Park is open yet. That is expected to happen in March, at least on a periodic basis.

In the meantime, work continues on the multi-million dollar restoration of the first floor of Perseverance Hall, the ca. 1820 building which will be the centerpiece of the Jazz Park. The central core of the three-acre area leased by the National Park Service was, on my last visit, closed to visitors by a chain-link fence. But progress is taking place, finally. And, also at long last, improvements to Armstrong Park itself are about to begin. Also part of the Jazz Park project are the multi-million dollar restoration of the Jazz Museum in the Old Mint and the restoration of the Jazz Walk of Fame at Algiers Point on the West Bank.

On April 8, a statue of veteran pianist and entertainer Ronnie Kole will be added to those of Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino and Chris Owens in Musical Legends Park on Bourbon Street. The induction ceremony will include a parade from Bourbon Street to Jackson Square as part of the opening ceremonies for the 25th anniversary of the French Quarter Festival. The festival itself is scheduled for the weekend of April 11-13. It promises to be a fine one this year with many of the veteran organizers, including former executive director Sandra Dartus, back in the saddle for this year only. A new executive director has been named to take over thereafter. She is Marci Schramm, who has considerable experience in non-profit management and as a meeting planner locally.

I hope you are enjoying the "new" RAG. We'll stay in touch. twj@tulane.edu.

March 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.