WWOZ Street Talk

Roll with the NOPD Crisis Unit

2008-07-09T12:42:00.001-07:00

The New Orleans Police Department's Mobile Crisis Unit attends to the city's mentally ill on their worst days. With employees like Cecil Tebo and Earl Wilson, that's the good news. The bad news is that the city's medical infrastructure isn't equipped to handle everything which comes their way.

A Youth Documentary: Teen Baby Mamas

2008-07-02T22:58:00.001-07:00

Youth radio reporter Kadija Garner explores the issue of teen pregnancy in New Orleans. What are the options for pregnant teens? How are teen mothers judged by others and by themselves? This story is the product of a project facilitated by Eve Abrams and Jacob Brancasi called "Listen Up, New Orleans," funded by the Arts Council of New Orleans and housed at the Lafayette Charter Academy. "Listen Up, New Orleans" teaches teens the art of making radio stories.

A Youth Documentary: Growing Up Without a Father

2008-06-19T09:33:00.001-07:00

Youth radio reporter James Oliver tells the story of his relationship with his father, who has been absent for the bulk of James's life — in part due to a stay in prison.

This story is the product of a project facilitated by Eve Abrams and Jacob Brancasi called "Listen Up, New Orleans," funded by the Arts Council of New Orleans and housed at the Lafayette Charter Academy. "Listen Up, New Orleans" teaches teens the art of making radio stories.

Music in James's piece is by the Rebirth Brass Band and Tom McDermott.

Three Jews Walk Into a Church

2008-06-16T08:49:00.001-07:00

The section of Dryades Street in Central City now known as Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard is a part of New Orleans saturated with history. Step into the past and glimpse the future of this street which is more than a street.

Pedal Power

2008-05-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

From Elysian Fields to the St. Bernard Parish line, St. Claude Avenue now hosts New Orleans' first bike lane. Consider this a down payment on what's to come.

The New Orleans Food Co-Op

2008-05-08T05:37:00.001-07:00

Affordable, safe, healthy food. That's what the New Orleans Food Co-Op wants to bring to the corner of St. Roch and St. Claude Avenues. And they want you to help.
Music in this piece is by The Rebirth Brass Band and The Schatzy Band.

The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic is 10 years old!

2008-04-28T21:24:00.001-07:00

For the last ten years, The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic has been providing ongoing medical and mental health care to some of our city's greatest assets: our musicians.
With music by Jo Cool Davis, Astral Project, The Soul Rebels, Roselyn & David, and The Rebirth Brass Band.

For more information on the clinic, go to http://www.neworleansmusiciansclinic.org/

The Woman Behind the Signs

2008-04-21T21:09:00.001-07:00

Since 1985, Nan Parati has handmade every artist sign for Jazz Fest -- not to mention every craft sign and food price sign. Meet the woman whose artwork you already know, and whose handwriting just may make you feel like dancing.

NOCCA's Creative Writers

2008-04-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

What happens when you take young folks who are passionate about language, and give them the time, space, and resources to write and read? Come find out. Sunday, April 6 at 3pm, NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) will have a student reading featuring the department's seniors.

Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Award

2008-02-27T21:43:00.001-08:00

When KIPP McDonough 15 started their new school year one year after Katrina, music teacher Kelvin Harrison had no instruments with which to teach. After he displays a little ingenuity and a lot of dedication, help comes from the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation...and they've brought more than just instruments.

Mardi Gras Indians

2008-02-15T14:11:00.001-08:00

A short history of the Mardi Gras Indians music and remembrances of the Wild Magnolia's first recordings with Willie Tee and John Sinclair's thirty years of observing the tribe.

The Kid Camera Project

2008-02-10T19:20:00.001-08:00

Its a rainy saturday morning in January at the Robinson home in the ninth ward but it feels a little like christmas as the kids gather around Aria Martin a volunteer from the Kid Camera Project. The kids are receiving their graduation cameras. They were the first participants of the program when it started as a plan to give kids something to do after the storm. They were given disposabe cameras and taught some basics about photagraphy and since then the program has grown to several other neighorhoods throughout New Orleans.

Live at Vaughn's: Stories From a Mexican Drug Smuggler

2008-02-10T18:52:00.001-08:00

Its wednesday night at Vaughns and the place is packed, but tonight the smoky bywater bar is filled with an unfamiliar crowd. Dozens of law students from Maryland are drinking cold beer and eating barbeque before the show starts. But it is not Kermit Ruffins or Shamar Allen who will take the stage. Its Eppy Lopez, a former drug smuggler from a small border town in Texas. The students are volunteers who came to give free legal aid to the citizens of New Orleans and tonight they will hear Eppy tell stories about his 13 years in Louisiana state and fedaral prison. Eppy strolls up to the stage and makes the Microphone look like a toothpick as he adjusts it to his massive frame. But he is all smiles as recalls the artwork he created while incarcerated in Louisianna.

Mardi Gras = Time to Costume

2008-01-28T13:33:00.001-08:00

When you live in New Orleans, you have to know a thing or two about costuming. A handful of New Orleanians explain how it's done, what it means, and why it's so darn important.

Tipitinas 30th anniversary

2008-01-14T16:29:00.001-08:00

A celebration of the 30th anniversary of Tipitinas going on the week of January 14th that contains some recollections of the early days and some short vignettes about more recent times.

The Food Talk Project

2008-01-12T06:43:00.001-08:00

Accessibility to healthy foods is still extremely limited in many New Orleans neighborhoods. Students at O. Perry Walker High School in Algiers partner with members of the Food and Farm Network to help educate members of their community about alternatives. To see some of the informative posters the students created, or learn more about The Food Talk Project, go to www.noffn.org.

The Peace Nomad

2008-01-05T15:11:00.001-08:00

As a senior in College With only 30 credits left to graduation Mathew Garicki decided to quit school and walk across the entire united states in the name of peace. Mathew recently stopped here in New Orleans and I met up with him in a park to talk to him about his journey, Dressed in a white t-shirt with the words peace nomad airbrushed across the front in bright colors Mathew sat with me under the glow of a nearby streetlight and explained why he decided to leave his old life nehind and start a new one as the peace nomad.

Fats Domino takes over NYC part 2

2008-01-04T12:37:00.001-08:00

This is part 1 of a piece about Fats Domino's trip to New York City in
November of 2007. Fats headlines the Today Show in Rockefeller Center. Ivan Neville and Tipitinas' Foundation executive director Bill Taylor also say a few words

Fats Domino takes over NYC part 1

2008-01-04T12:32:00.001-08:00

This is part 1 of a piece about Fats Domino's trip to New York City in November of 2007. Fats plays the Pink Elephant in Chelsea and gets given the key to New York City. Nick Daniels, Donald Harrison Jr., and Lloyd Price also make an appearance.

First Responders

2008-01-03T15:12:00.001-08:00

These days, New Orleans Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Service departments are getting much-needed help from non-governmental sources. Go for a ride with one of New Orleans' finest, Chris Keller, an EMS paramedic. His job has changed since Hurricane Katrina -- in some ways you might not expect.

The Levee Hearing

2007-12-17T14:05:00.001-08:00

The National Research Council recently held a meeting at the Hotle Monteleone to announce some of the findings in their independent assesment of the Army Corps of Engineers Flood Protection plan for the city of New Orleans. We hear from Badass Emma, a local resident of New Orleans as well as the public as they address the board during the public comments session of the meeting.

Dunbar's Creole Cooking

2007-12-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

Celestine Dunbar lost her infamous soul food restaurant on Freret Street after Hurricane Katrina. But her cooking found new life at Loyola Law School, where she's taken over the dining hall.

Art in Action

2007-11-29T17:45:00.001-08:00

New Orleans visual artist Elizabeth Underwood started Art in Action a year ago as a means of reconnecting with her city and her people. Art in Action believes that the creative process can provide a way to heal from trauma, in addition to offering a bit of beauty and surprise to the world. So far, Art in Action has sponsored 19 art installations in storm-damaged parts of the city. Art in Action's 20th installation, by Pittsburgh based visual artist Sean Derry, is on view from November 13 -17 from 10 a.m. until nightfall. Derry has transformed the front parking lot of the former Robért Market on the corner of Broad and Bienville Streets in Mid City with inflatable cars hand-sewn from recycled bed sheets.

The Feel Good Tour

2007-11-08T09:25:00.001-08:00

This is the story of the Feel Good Tour: a trip around the country planned by Bill Hudson and Al Coffee, two musicans living in Roanoke Virgina. After the hurricane, they decided to help the best way they knew how by playing music and providing instruments to school music programs in rural parts of Louisianna and New Orleans.

Terence Blanchard explains: A Tale of God's Will

2007-11-02T11:28:00.001-07:00

On the eve of the premiere of his latest work, trumpeter Terence Blanchard speaks about his inspiration and thoughts about "A Tale of God's Will"

The importance of community radio

2007-10-11T12:32:00.001-07:00

This week begins our fall fund drive here at WWOZ so we will be discussing all the things that WWOZ does besides play music. I spoke with station manager David Freedman about why its important to give to community radio and what the future holds for not only WWOZ but radio around the world.

2007-10-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

Making Groceries in New Orleans East

2007-10-04T01:56:00.001-07:00

Winn Dixie recently opened in New Orleans East and while the rest of the area is slow to rebuild, residents are at least able to make groceries. I visited the new store and spoke with shoppers about the state of rebuilding in New Orleans East.

Making Groceries in New Orleans East

2007-10-04T01:55:00.001-07:00

First Book Comes to New Orleans

2007-09-27T19:00:00.001-07:00

First Book, a national organization started to give books to low income kids across the country. After hurricane Katrina First Book set out to bring 5 million books to the gulf coast region. At a recent event held at the New Orleans Public Library, hundreds of books were gicen to kids from Bherman charter school. I attended the event and spoke with the chairman of first book and some kids on the receiving end of First Book's generosity.

A memorial for the great Wilson Turbinton aka Willie Tee

2007-09-19T08:35:00.001-07:00

A 6 minute piece about Willie Tee, the late great keyboardist, producer, writer, and singer for the Gaturs and the Wild Magnolias, among others

City Park's Mow-Rons

2007-09-18T19:28:00.001-07:00

With their push mowers and weed-whackers, New Orleaneans are making City Park beautiful again. Eve Abrams brings us this story.

A tribute to Thorny Penfield, RIP

2007-09-07T09:49:00.001-07:00

This is a radio tribute to the late Thorny Penfield, music fan and catalyst extrordinaire

Silent Second Line

2007-08-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

On August 26 there will be a silent second line march from Armstrong Park to Jackson Square. The march is to raise awareness to many of the issues facing working musicans in New Orleans. In this piece we hear from Deaon John, President of the union and members of the free agents brass band discussing life as a working musician in New Orleans.

The Wild Mohicans

2007-08-16T09:08:00.001-07:00

This is the story of the history of the mardi gras indians and a glimpse at one tribe in particular and how they are working with other tribes to keep the tradition alive in the city of New Orleans.
In this Piece we hear from the members of the wild Mohicans as well as Charice Harrison-Nelson, curator of the mardi gras indians hall of fame and member of the guardians of the flame mardi gras indian tribe.

Street Talk visits Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu

2007-08-08T19:02:00.001-07:00

Street Talk reporter George Ingmire visits with Mitch Landrieu to discuss initiatives to rebuild the cultural economy of Louisiana.

World Cultural Economic Forum

The American Dream

2007-07-18T22:01:00.001-07:00

Neighboorhood housing services, a local non-profint organization is helping low and moderate income families become home owners. This is the story of one family in particular and their commitment to creating a better life for themselves.

Radio Tribute - George Brumat of Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

2007-07-16T22:27:00.001-07:00

Audio essay on Geoge Brumat, owner of Snug Harbor.

George Brumat, owner of Snug Harbor, a jazz bistro in the Faubourg Marigny, passed away on July 7th, 2007, at the age of 63. He opened Snug Harbor in 1983, well before Frenchman Street (where the club is located) was the music oasis it is today.

His dedication to the contemporary jazz scene, both locally and nationally, helped build a club that in many ways stands on its own in the New Orleans music scene.

Links:

Snug Harbor Jazz Club

Gambit article

The Edward A. Kattengell Rec. Center

2007-06-23T13:49:00.001-07:00

Operation Blessing, humanitarian arm of the Christian Broadcasting Network, teamed with the St. Bernard group City of Hope to spearhead a full rebuilding of the Community Street park in cooperation with local Pastor Randy Millet of Adullam Christian Fellowship in St. Bernard. Millet's group proposed a management agreement between his non-profit group, City of Hope, and parish government to rehab and maintain the complex at 801 Community Street. I attended the grand opening of the facility and spoke with members of the community about the new rec center.

The Edward A. Kattengell Rec. Center

2007-06-23T13:48:00.001-07:00

The Commute

2007-06-22T11:12:00.001-07:00

Robert Snow, of the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, and Marcus Hubbard and Lamar LaBlanc of The Soul Rebels, all commute to New Orleans in order to work. And they're not alone. For many, many New Orleans musicians, a long drive is now a regular part of the post-Katrina work week. Eve Abrams joined them on their journeys to talk about how the commute has changed their lives.

Julie's Year of Teaching

2007-06-18T17:42:00.001-07:00

In this Street Talk, Eve Abrams talks with veteran teacher Julie Wedding about her first year back in New Orleans since the storm. For Julie, talking about being a teacher -- in large part -- means talking about her students.

Fruit Vendor

2007-06-12T07:58:00.001-07:00

New Orleans only door-to-door produce vendor, "Okra," is an important part of the fabric of several neighborhoods. We take a ride along in his truck.

Okra's truck *before* it got a new paint job from Dr. Bob

The selectrion varies day to day, but he carries most staples: corn, potatoes, garlic, apples, oranges and bananas.

A simple Radio Shack bullhorn brings Okra's call to the neighborhood.

The Backyard Ballroom

2007-06-07T12:57:00.001-07:00

The Backyard Ballroom was built from a corrugated metal roof shack in the ninth ward. Local artists came together to create a new venue for theatrical performances in the neighboorhood. They also wrote an entirely original play with a live local band playing an original score. The new show , The Palenquin Diaries, confessions of a mardis gras queen, will open next week. This is the story of how the BB came to be in the midst of the rebuilding of the ninth ward.

New Orleans Recovery: Willie Mae's Scotch House/Dooky Chase

2007-06-06T09:25:00.001-07:00

Streettalk soldier David Kunian talks to restaurant legend Leah Chase of Dooky Chase, internationally reknown culinary activist Poppy Tooker, and Kerry Seaton, proprietor of Willie Mae's Scotch House (home of the Food Network's proclamation: "Best Fried Chicken in the world!") about restaurant rebuilding in New Orleans.

Sweet Home New Orleans

2007-06-01T13:34:00.001-07:00

Sweet Home New Orleans (SHNO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing the music and cultural community within the neighborhoods of New Orleans by helping our tradition bearers secure stable, affordable housing. SHNO is a collaboration of service providers that connects New Olreans musicians, Mardi Gras Indians, and Social Aid & Pleasure Club members to an array of resources.
I spoke with some of the founding members of SHNO and some of the people the organization has helped.

A Dollop of History

2007-05-21T11:39:00.001-07:00

A Dollop of History in Every Bite is a culinary history project that explores the evolution of Creole cookery in New Orleans. The educational project was initiated in January 2005 with a Save Our History grant awarded by the History Channel. The program was also the winner of the History Channel's 2005 Save Our History Community Award funding innovative, educational projects that bring communities together and engage children in the preservation of their local history
The New Orleans Historic Collection found some alarming trends in the public schools. Families are no longer cooking and the health of our future generations as well as the rich culinary traditioins of the crescent city are threatened. I visited schools and spoke with experts about the unsettling trends in the public schools of not only New Orleans, but the nation as a whole.

Music Education - David Weinberg

2007-05-09T12:28:00.001-07:00

Debut from Street Talk reporter David Weinberg on music education in New Orleans. David's living with music relief worker and activist Peter Spring in the Bywater area of the city.

Not You Grandma's Shotgun

2007-04-10T06:28:00.001-07:00

In this Street Talk, Eve Troeh takes a look at a group that's reinventing the New Orleans cultural icon, the shotgun house. Tulane School of Architecture and Neighborhood Housing Services have teamed up for the Design-Build project. Their goal: to create contemporary shotguns that keep some of the important elements of their architectural ancestors.

Timothy's House on Dumaine St.

Timothy in his home, freshly painted.

Design-Build's second house, on Dryades St. in Central City

Street Talk Music Permits mix 2

2007-04-04T19:18:00.001-07:00

In the latest Street Talk, crack reporter (and no, he's not on crack,
but he might seem like it) David Kunian interviewed club owners,
musicians, and property owners about the music license controversey.
Where and when should live music be played in New Orleans? Some say
"everywhere" is not the best answer...

Streettalk explores the parade permit fee debacle

2007-04-03T20:13:00.003-07:00

In this Street Talk, reporter David Kunian talks to second liners and the Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force and
asks about social aid and pleasure clubs and the 300% increase in
parade permit fees.

Street Talk Music Permits mix 2

2007-04-03T20:13:00.001-07:00

The Guiding Light

2007-02-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

America's longest running soap opera pays a visit to Antoinette K-Doe with Hands On New Orleans. The show will be airing a special about the recovery of the Gulf Coast on Valentines Day.

MP3 File

Rabouin High School on Dinerral Shavers

2007-01-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

This WWOZ Street Talk the explores the life and work of musician Dinerral Shavers, through the high school band program he started at L.E. Rabouin High School, in the Louisiana Recovery School District. Shavers was killed in January, but his students continue to carry on the work he started. Produced by Matt Sakakeeny.

MP3 File

Crowds passed the casket overhead to the carriage at Dinerral Shavers' jazz funeral. January 6, 2007.

L.E. Rabouin Students will keep their music going. Look for them at Mardi Gras parades this season!

Silence is Violence - NOLA People Speak Out

2007-01-19T23:12:00.000-08:00

For this Street Talk we take a look at the January 11, 2007 march on City Hall to demand solutions to crime in New Orleans. Street Talk explores the origins of the march, the participants, and the city's response.

MP3 File

Get updates here:

http://silenceisviolence.org/

Photo: Bill Haber, Associated Press

New Orleans Musicians Clinic - part one - Get your butt into the clinic!

2007-01-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

Street Talk reporter George Ingmire meets with Dr. John, Bethany Bultman of New Orleans Musician's Clinic and Freddie Blue of WWOZ to discuss the need for musicians to take care of themselves, because the only way to keep the spirit and vibe of New Orleans alive is to keep her musician's alive.

For those interested in either the services of the N.O. Musicians Clinic or helping support these endeavors, please consider visiting their website or calling 504-895-5748.

MP3 File

2006-12-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

This is a story about a group of LSU football fans and how their activities before home games in Baton Rouge can help the rebuilding of Gulf Coast Louisiana

MP3 File

Relief Workers and Volunteer efforts in New Orleans

2006-12-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Down By the Riverside: A Concert of Thanksgiving was presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, and co-sponsored by the New Orleans Musicians¹ Union, the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund of Preservation Hall and the Tipitina’s Foundation.

On November 26th, 2006, Trombonist Craig Klein and many other New Orleans musical greats played a concert of thanks for the relief workers who have given their blood, sweat, and tears to help out in the recovery of New Orleans. Street Talk reporter George Ingmire interviews individuals involved in the recovery and puts a call out to others to consider helping out. Below are some links to groups that have already established themselves in the New Orleans area.

Emergency Communities
Community Center of Saint Bernard Parish
Hands On New Orleans
Arabi Wrecking Krewe
Habitat for Humanity

2006-12-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

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Coming Out the Door for the Ninth Ward: Stories by the Nine Times Social Aid and Pleasure Club

2006-11-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

This week marks the release of the book "Coming Out the Door for the Ninth Ward: Stories by the Nine Times Social Aid and Pleasure Club." Written by club members in partnership with the Neighborhood Story Project, it includes personal essays, interviews and reflections on second line culture and the community around the former Desire housing project.

Book Release Party! November 17th, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., 1222 N. Dorgenois
8:30-9:30:Book Release
9:30-1:00: Dancing

Nine Times Social and Pleasure Club Pre-Thanksgiving Parade
November 19, 2006,12 noon
Starts: 3436 Louisa Street

For more information about the parade or Nine Times, please contact Corey Woods, business manager. 504. 616.5691

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But We Already Have a National Jazz Park...

2006-10-25T07:02:00.001-07:00

As plans for the Hyatt Jazz District downtown move forward, we explore the National Jazz Park that's already here - run by the National Park Service. Street Talk reporter Eve Troeh learns what the role of the park is, and what its staff's plans are for reviving New Orleans' culture.

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Teach for America returns to post-Katrina New Orleans

2006-10-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

One of the greater concerns with the recovery of New Orleans has been the schools. How have teachers responded to the evacuation and recovery? Street Talk reporter David Kunian talked with Executive Director of Teach For America Mary Garton and recently returned teacher Kyle Schaefer about their thoughts and opinions on New Orleans schools, and how they've dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the flood.

MP3 File

The return of the film industry to New Orleans

2006-10-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

In the aftermath of Katrina, the growing film industry of New Orleans suffered some set backs. Many prospective productions relocated from New Orleans to places like Shreveport and out of state. A year later and at the close of a much calmer hurricane season, the film industry is gearing up again. WWOZ DJ and Street Talk reporter George Ingmire spoke with several people involved in the return of films to the area. Below are a number of links for those interested in possibly pursuing work in the industry.

Louisiana Institute of Film Technology
LOCAL 478
Mandy (Jobs and Casting)
Craiglist (Film Jobs)

For upcoming training workshops co-sponsored by the City of New Orleans and the Local 478, email Jennifer Day at City Hall.

2006-10-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

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Black Men of Labor Parade 2006

2006-09-22T17:46:00.003-07:00

The Black Men of Labor get ready to step out from their headquarters on St. Claude Avenue

Black Men of Labor Founding Members Greg Stafford (far left) and Fred Johnson (far right)

Keeping music traditions alive through younger players.

Photo courtesy of Derek B : http://www.flickr.com/photos/derek_b/

2006-09-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Black Men of Labor organize a second line parade each Labor Day
weekend to honor the city's workers, including the many brass band
musicians who work to make New Orleans' culture distinct. Black Men
of Labor formed in 1993 after the death of jazz musician Danny
Barker, and the the Social Club has advanced Barker's mission of
maintaining traditional styles by hiring traditional brass bands to
march in their parade and offering mentorship programs for younger
musicians. Matt Sakakeeny asked co-founders Greg Stafford, a jazz
trumpeter and school teacher, and Fred Johnson, an Outreach
Specialist at the Neighborhood Development Foundation, about parade
music and culture.

MP3 File

The Yes Men turn their brand of activism on New Orleans public housing issues.

2006-09-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Political pranksters the Yes Men perpetrate a special brand of political activism and social commentary; they impersonate representatives of corporate or government groups and literally put words in their mouths. At the recent Gulf Coast rebuilding and Hurricane Preparedness Summit, they posed as representatives from HUD and made some startling announcements. Some thought their prank was a childish waste of time; some thought it brought attention to questions about policy that need to be asked. Click here for a full-length article on their prank, or listen below to Street Talk's coverage of the event.

MP3 File

White Buffalo Day celebrations take place on the anniversary of Katrina

2006-09-12T01:09:00.000-07:00

This year, the spiritual celebration of White Buffalo Day fell on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. WWOZ DJ and Street Talk reporter George Ingmire reported on how that coincidence gave the performances and rituals enacted by Mardi Gras Indians, Native American and African drummers on that day a special gravity.

Cutting Edge Music Business Conference and Roots Music Gathering

2006-09-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Street Talk sent Christian Roselund to check out the 14th Annual Cutting Edge Music Business Conference and Roots Music Gathering, August 24-27 at the Contemporary Arts Center. But "cutting edge" in New Orleans often means new ways of interpreting our venerable traditions. Check out Christian's piece here. And for more on the conference: www.cuttingedgemusicbusiness.com

Local musicians jump through hoops to keep New Orleans gigs.

2006-08-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Sousaphone player Jeffrey Hills is a family man with a wife and three kids. Before the storm, they lived in public housing and Jeffrey was known for playing with the big time Olympia Brass Band.

Since Katrina, the Hills have lived in three states, unable to find a way to return to the city. Now they're in Houston. Jeffrey makes the 5 hour commute every week to keep his regular gig at Harrah's Casino.

I caught up with him in between sets, hanging out in his car.

Arabi Wrecking Krewe: New Orleans Musicians Bring Down The House

2006-08-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Trombonist Craig Klein talks about his new group - the Arabi Wrecking Krewe. They're a volunteer team dedicated to helping musicians gut their homes and get back to New Orleans. And they're getting a lot of support from outside the city.

Click here to read Alison Fensterstock's article on the Arabi Wrecking Krewe in Gambit Weekly.

Habitat for Humanity's "Musicians' Village" Project Update

2006-07-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

As one of our first Street Talk stories, we covered a new initiative by the international affordable-housing charity Habitat for Humanity. The New Orleans Musicians' Village was to be a grouping of Habitat homes in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward, centered around a $2.5 million-dollar community center where musicians who lived in the Habitat homes could perform and mentor children living in the community. The project, which was initiated by longtime Habitat supporters Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis, was touted heavily as a solution to the dearth of housing for musicians displaced by Katrina.

In planning the project, Habitat stepped outside its usual template in the interests of serving the unique challenge posed by post-Katrina New Orleans. Among other things, they included rental units in the building plans and developed new models for the "sweat equity" usually required of Habitat residents: musicians could exchange hours of performance or music teaching for hours actually spent working on building Habitat homes. However, four months after the first frames went up, only six musicians so far have qualified, according to Habitat's standard criteria, for the residences. Problems so far have included the required credit check and income verification needed to secure the no-interest loan Habitat secures for homeowners in its program; many musicians have poor or no credit, and work sporadically or on a cash basis, making regular income hard to quantify and document. Eve Troeh spoke with musicians ad Habitat representatives to see how the organization is making headway in getting around these obstacles.

The Habitat for Humanity Musician's Village is taking shape in the upper ninth ward. The first new homeowners will move in this month. But thousands of New Orleans musicians are still in need of more immediate housing, and other services.

Trial and Error: Tipitina's Foundation Executive Director Bill Taylor discusses the foundation's role in the music community since Katrina.

2006-07-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

After Hurricane Katrina, the Tipitina's Foundation sought to expand its mission to address the needs of New Orleans musicians with a variety of new programs. From hosting open meetings for the New Orleans music community to discuss the challenges the faced to opening their second floor Music Co-Op for workshops and Internet access during business hours to trying a free hot lunch program, Tip's experimented, to see what would best serve New Orleans music.

Ultimately, after raising record amounts of money, the Foundation elected to focus on programs like their longstanding Instruments-A-Comin', which donates instruments to New Orleans public schools, the Tipitina's Internship Program, and brand-new efforts to address the increasing housing problem.

Executive Director Bill Taylor discusses what worked, what didn't, and where the foundation is directing their efforts in the near future.

IAHV Offers New Approaches to Healing in Post-Katrina New Orleans

2006-07-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

This week on Street Talk we invited Zaccai Free to tell us about the work of the International Association for Human Values, or IAHV, and their work in the Crescent City post-Katrina.

IAHV certified teachers have been offering sessions in relaxation and breathing techniques, including their world renowned Art of Living courses, since early this year. The courses focus on personal development, mindfulness and awareness, and are being offered free of charge at IAHV’s New Orleans headquarters at 1002 Napoleon Avenue.

The IAHV has a tradition of serving communities in distress. After the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 they were designated an official relief agency for the region. There are IAHV teachers and volunteers working in more than 150 countries around the world today.

IAHV has no religious affiliation, and its services do not include traditional psychological counseling. Instead, participants are led in breathing and meditation in a group setting with an instructor. Instructor and coordinator Zaccai Free says everyone from New Orelans SWAT team members to students to the New Orelans city council has found the process very effective.

“Even people who don’t think they need it are surprised and thanking us by the end,” he said. Free says people have told him the courses have helped them sleep through the night, drive more safely, and be more patient with the people around them. IAHV hopes to do more work with law enforcement and first responders in the city. Free says he is especially interested in more outreach to low-income communities around New Orleans. IAHV can also coordinate with community groups to lead workshops on-site.

Free says some may see a clash with the goals of IAHV and New Orleans’ reputation as a heavy-drinking and late-night party town. He says IAHV is not trying to change New Orleans’ culture, just adding another tool in residents’ mental toolboxes for repairing their lives after Hurricane Katrina. Addressing stress relief is essential to working toward peaceful living in any community, he says, and in post-Katrina New Orleans, with everyday tensions running high and violence on the rise, it’s more important than ever before. As the IAHV New Orleans web site puts it:

“If you need a scraper to remove shingles from your roof, you go to the store and get it. What about Stress and Anxiety? Where do you find tool to remove these?”

The International Association of Human Values has new courses starting throughout the summer. Their website is www.iahvneworleans.org.

Central City's Neighborhood Gallery Left Homeless

2006-07-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

The sidewalk in front of the Neighborhood Gallery was full of seven years of stuff last week. There were pianos, a jukebox, clothes, mod vintage chairs, knick knacks, 75 matching seats from the theater, and, inside, every painting on the wall at must-go prices. Sandra Berry and her husband Joshua Walker were holding a moving sale.

The couple has run the Neighborhood Gallery at 1410 Oretha Castle Haley since 1998. They were pioneers on this strip of Central City, a long-decaying neighborhood which transformed in recent years into a hub for non-profits, arts organizations and black-owned businesses. Their performance space, thrift store, and gallery of African-American themed art served as a resource and refuge for many in the community, particularly the children they served in their Kwanzaa Kids Garden next door.

The building, where Berry and Walker also lived, sustained major roof damage from Hurricane Katrina. It has yet to be fixed. In addition, the elderly owner of the building died recently, leaving the property in the hands of estraged family members. The family decided to sell the building, and now the Neighborhood Gallery has to get out as soon as possible.

The garage sale held all last week did little to diminish Berry and Walker’s extensive holdings of art, antiques, instruments, furniture and all the accoutrements of their home and business. They say they are trying to move quickly and get rid of as much as they can, but they don’t have a new space to move into.

Berry and Walker are desperately searching for a building they can afford, hopefully one that can be both gallery and residence. Berry says she is sad to be leaving the O.C. Haley area, which she played a major role in turning around. She is particularly concerned that the street remain a place for predominantly black-owned institutions. Many buildings on the avenue have new owners, many of whom are turning their properties into condos. The Ashe Cultural Center and Barristers/Zeitgeist Gallery are facing new, more expensive leases that may eventually drive them out of their spaces, too.

Berry is trying to stay on the positive side of things. She and Walker are eager to bring their energy to a new part of the city. A space on Freret Street, she says, would be perfect for them. But just how and when something will come about, she has no idea.

Listen to our June 30 Street Talk interview with Sandra Berry, here:

Fair Housing Suit filed on behalf of St. Bernard Residents; GNO Fair Housing Center Executive Director James Perry comments.

2006-06-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 27, the advocacy group the Advancement Project filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on behalf of former residents of New Orleans public housing. Since Katrina, according to HANO, only 1000 of the more than 5000 units of public housing occupied before the storm have been reopened, keeping thousands of New Orleans residents living in exile.

Two weeks ago, HUD secretary Alphonso Jackson unvelied a sweeping redevelopment plan for public housing in New Orleans that included the demolishing of four traditional complexes. One of those four was the St. Bernard development. Former residents of the St. Bernard had been camping outside the project in protest of the city's lack of action for several weeks before the plan was unveiled. The suit, which alleges that the plan violates fair housing laws that cover racial discrimination in housing, as well as international law that states that displaced people must be allowed to return "voluntarily, with dignity and in safety" to their homes.

James Perry, executive director of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Center, an advocacy group that works against discrimination in housing in New Orleans, joined Alison on Street Talk to discuss the suit.

Jay Chevalier's "Come Back To Louisiana" named official recovery song for Louisiana

2006-06-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, the Louisiana State senate passed a bill making colorful rocker Jay Chevalier's song "Come Back to Louisiana" the state's official hurricane recovery song. Chevalier, who has been playing traditional country and rockabilly in Louisiana since the 1940's, has long been involved in Louisiana politics - his topical songs include "The Ballad of Earl K. Long" and "Castro Rock." Plans for the 'official' recovery song include a gala performance in Baton Rouge next month, and possibly even a performance for President George W. Bush. Listen to the Haunted Hearts, Chevalier's current backing band, play the song here. The Haunted Hearts perform at Mid-City Lanes Rock n'Bowl Tuesday, June 27 at 8p.m.

Tulane Music Library Works Toward Restoration

2006-06-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

When floodwaters inundated the basement of Tulane University's Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, the extensive collection of audio and video recordings - many rare or irreplaceable - were entirely lost. Music librarian Lenny Bertrand joins Alison on Street Talk to discuss the painstaking restoration process the collection's salvageable print materials are going through, their efforts to replace the lost audiovisual collection, and the challenges of teaching music without the collection.

The Future of Newcomb College

2006-06-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

Interview by Alison Fensterstock

Since Tulane University unveiled its Renewal Plan in December, the fate of Newcomb College, the university's 120-year-old undergraduate women's college, has been a contentious and much-debated issue. The university's plan called for the dissolution of the college as a degree-granting institution and the restructuring of its programs under the umbrella of the Newcomb Institute, which will administer some, but not all, of the college's resources, including the 25-year-old Newcomb Center For Research on Women.

Current students and alumnae were denied an injunction in March that would have halted the dissolution of the college. Now, two descendents of Josephine Louise Newcomb, the woman who endowed the college in the late 19th century, are suing the university, claiming the plan effectively breaks Newcomb's will. Anna Nagrath, a representative from the organization The Future of Newcomb College, joined Alison on the air today to discuss her group's efforts. Read more about the issue at:

www.newcomblives.com

www.newcomb.tulane.edu

www.renewal.tulane.edu

Irvin Mayfield on NOJO and the National Jazz Center proposal

2006-06-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Jazz Orchestra creative director Irvin Mayfield on the posposed National Jazz Center, a $715 million downtown development that stands to have a complex impact on the city's economy and culture. Interview by Eve and Alison.

Latin Jazz Great Hilton Ruiz Dies in New Orleans on June 6

2006-06-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

Jazz pianist Hilton Ruiz died the morning of June 6 in New Orleans. Ruiz was in a coma for weeks, after a fall on Bourbon Street caused severe injuries to his head.

Ruiz came to New Orleans last month to do shoot a video and do other promotional work for a new album, "Going Back to New Orleans," dedicated to the city after Hurricane Katrina. He was found outside a bar on Bourbon Street, bleeding from his face and head, the same night he arrived. Ruiz was taken to East Jefferson General Hospital, where he remained in intentsive care until his death.

The 54-year-old jazz pianist started out as a child prodigy, playing Carnegie Hall at age eight. He later found fame as a leading Latin jazz player, and toured with greats like Tito Puente and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Longtime friend and agent Joel Chriss says Hilton Ruiz's blend of modern and Latin styles was pure New York.

"The fire of New York City, the authenticity, the risk-taking. You know a lot of what New York is as a place, Hilton represented musically. And he took that sound around the world. Whether is was 6 people in the audience, or 600 or 6,000, he played with an intensity no one could touch."

Ruiz's family is planning a funeral in New York this coming week. Donations to the family can be made at Chase Bank locations.

Eve Troeh

Jazz Pianist Remains in Critical Condition; Foul Play Ruled Out

2006-05-30T06:29:00.001-07:00

The family of jazz pianist Hilton Ruiz have release an official press statement declaring that the serious injuries Ruiz sustained on Friday, May 19, were the result of an accident.

Law enforcement, medical staff at East Jefferson Hospital, private investigators and lawyers have assisted the family since Hilton Ruiz was found on Bourbon Street, unconscious and with many of his face bones broken. Together they have come to the conclusion that no second party was at fault.

It has been difficult to gather information in the case, as Ruiz remains unconscious. When Ruiz's family arrived a few days after the incident, they wanted to be sure there was no foul play, and they are now satisfied that Ruiz was involved in a terrible accident, not an assault.

Ruiz arrived in New Orleans Thursday, May 18 to complete filming for a DVD and CD musical project entitled "Going Back to New Orleans" for the M27 Record Label (www.m27world.com). The production of the CD had been a labor of love for Ruiz who had been deeply affected by the destruction to the city following Hurricane Katrina. Ruiz performed at musical benefits in New York City last fall for Katrina victims and part of the proceeds from this new CD project was also intended to benefit Katrina survivors.

The family would also like to ask for support during this difficult time, and for others to join with them in praying for his full recovery.

"This has been a devastating event for our family but we are thankful for the love and support which we have been receiving from the New Orleans community. My father loves this city so much and he was so excited and thrilled to be here and to participate, even in a small way, in the recovery of the City," said Aida Ruiz, Mr. Ruiz's daughter.

Friends and fans of Hilton Ruiz who would like to help are invited to contribute to a fund established to defray medical and other expenses related to his treatment and recovery. Funds may be donated at any branch of Chase Bank.

New Orleans Women's Health And Justice Initiative

2006-05-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

With the shuttering of Charity Hospital, adequate and accessible health care for New Orleans' uninsured returning residents is in poor shape. The women of Incite! Women of Color, a collective of feminist activists dedicated to ending violence against women of color nationwide, has partnered with other local organizations to attempt to open a free health clinic for women and children in the historic Treme district.

The clinic, which Incite! and its partners hope to have up and running by this summer, will provide a range of preventative health services including pregnancy testing and counseling, Pap smears, breast and pelvic exams, anonymous HIV screening and counseling and other basic gynecological care, as well as hypertension and diabetes screening, resource referrals, trauma counseling, self-help and educational workshops and other services.

Women's Health and Justice Initiative representatives Shana Griffin and Thea Patterson joined WWOZ reporter Alison Fensterstock in the studio Tuesday to talk about their project.

Call 504-524-8888 to volunteer, donate or learn more about the Women's Health and Justice Initiative

Jazz Pianist Hilton Ruiz in Critical Condition in New Orleans

2006-05-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Legendary jazz piano player Hilton Ruiz is in critical condition at East Jefferson hospital after sustaining serious injuries early Friday morning.

Ruiz reportedly arrived in New Orleans Thursday to work on a project related to an upcoming album. Accounts from family and associates say he was found on Bourbon Street around 2 a.m. Friday morning, bleeding badly and his face very disfigured. Reports say Ruiz still had his wallet, watch, and other personal items on him, so it appears he was not robbed.

Ruiz was admitted to East Jefferson hospital, though a time of admittance is not available. He remains in critical condition at the intensive care unit.

According to family, police reported Ruiz's injuries as the result of a fall, while medical examiners say he clearly received a blow to the face with a heavy, blunt object.

The musician's wife and daughter have come to New Orleans, and say they plan to pursue a private investigation.

Ruiz is known as one of the world's preeminent Afro-Cuban jazz players, as well as a strong bop player. He's played and studied with the likes of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Mary Lou Williams and more.

Award-Winning Playwright Eve Ensler Embeds In New Orleans

2006-05-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

WWOZ Street Talk reporter Alison Fensterstock sat down with playwright and activist Eve Ensler - creator of the Vagina Monologues and V-Day - to talk about her ongoing work with women in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Ensler sponsored a program of Katrina Warriors, conversations about abuse and other women's issues, at Tulane's McAlister Auditorium on Sunday, May 21. Listen to their live chat about the event, and Ensler's future plans for New Orleans-based projects, right here.

Mitch Landrieu on Cultural Rebuilding

2006-05-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

Mayoral candidate Mitch Landrieu answers WWOZ Street Talk's questions on the cultural rebuilding of New Orleans - from financial support to music education to incentives for artists and others - like Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs and Mardi Gras Indians - who are not paid professionals but add invaluably to the city's cultural mix.

The Future of Latin American Culture in New Orleans

2006-05-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Two leaders in New Orleans Latino community discuss how recent immigrant workers will impact the city's culture. Rudy Mills is a Honduran musician and director of InterFest, and Ariana Hall is executive director of CubaNola collective.

Mardi Gras Service Corps Reaches Out and Re-Brands New Orleans

2006-05-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Since February, the Mardi Gras Service Corps has worked with more than 2,000 volunteers to gut houses, clean up neighborhoods, paint public schools and more. This month they launch a new Family Match program: displaced families are assigned a small team of volunteers to help with the physical and logistical challenges of returning to New Orleans. Based at the Ashe Cultural Center in Central City, Mardi Gras Service Corps treats culture as an integral part of rebuilding. Its volunteers are steeped in the history and traditions of the places and people they help. Felix Wai tells us more:

Final Report of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission's Cultural Committee

2006-05-03T09:34:00.001-07:00

Part of Mayor Ray Nagin's Bring New Orleans Back Commission included a special Cultural Committee, made up of representatives from the worlds of music, visual art, cultural preservationists and others. While the make-up of the committee was somewhat controversial - "too elite, not street" as a leader of a Social Aid and Pleasure Club put it to me - their report has some interesting ideas for bolstering our baseline cultural instistutions in this city. Street Talk was especially taken by the idea of more community cultural centers in the city, where neighbors could meet to learn about traditions, or start creating their own. The rub here is that the BNOB's plan isn't a sure thing. It wasn't approved by the City Council, and hasn't been guaranteed funding by city, state or federal government. Check out the final report here by scrolling down to Cultural Committee Final Report. (You'll need to download it as a PDF.)

Hear Mayor Nagin Speak on Cultural Rebuilding

2006-05-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin answers WWOZ Street Talk's questions about his plans for the cultural rebuilding of the city - recorded at a Candidates' Forum on April 12, 2006. We talk about music education, second lines, the Mayor's Office for Music and more. Nagin says the final report of the Bring New Orleans Back Cultural Committee reflects his plans. The commission's recommendations have not been approved or implemented. But you can read the final report of the BNOB Cultural Committee in the next post.

4/26 - Seventh Ward Second Line Will Go On

2006-05-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

by Eve Troeh

Edward Buckner of the Original Big Seven Social Aid and Pleasure Club says his group�s annual parade will continue this year, despite setbacks from Hurricane Katrina. While originally slated for April, the new date for the second line is Sunday, May 14, Mother�s Day.

It�s the club�s tenth anniversary, and they are determined to parade.

However, this year�s celebration has had to make several changes in the aftermath of the storm. The Original Big Seven usually kicks off and ends their event at the St. Bernard public housing project. Most of their second liners live in the project, too. The complex has remained shuttered since August, with no plans for reopening.

To reach fans, Buckner has sent thousands of fliers announcing the parade to former residents of St. Bernard and the rest of the seventh ward now living in Houston, Atlanta and other cities.

Buckner is also trying to negotiate with the city to reopen the main yard of the St. Bernard project for the kick-off party. He says the club plans to cut the grass and do other clean-up work to make it a friendly gathering spot. They want to give former St. Bernard residents a chance to see their old home shine, if only for a day. So far, the city hasn�t responded to his request.

Buckner says nine of his club�s ten members are back, and have been meeting steadily the take care of the final details for the parade, like coordinating the route to avoid demolished houses and piles of debris blocking streets.

Another obstacle has been funding. The Original Big Seven usually raises money for their parade from witihin the community - holding block parties and fish fries, or putting out donation cans in local businesses.

But without neighbors to invite, or stores to solicit, the club has had to get outside help. Arts and relief organizations like the New Orleans Arts Council and Project HEAL - Help Employ Artists Locally - have pitched in to help pay for costumes, brass bands, and the increased city parade fees.

Buckner himself says he�s been walking the neutral ground to get in shape for the parade. He says he wants to make sure he can dance every step of the route on May 14. He expects a crowd of thousands.

Transcript - Second Line Fee Increase

2006-05-02T14:54:00.001-07:00

Date: April1 1, 2006

Interviewer:
Eve Troeh

Interviewees:
Linda Porter - President of the Lady Buckjumpers Social Aid and Pleasure Club
Tamara Jackson - President VIP Ladies and Kids Social Aid and Pleasure Club
Gerie Thompson - member of the VIP Ladies and Kids

Eve Troeh: Tamara, tell me about the task force as it existed before storm, and how it�s changed since then.

Tamara Jackson:
The task force was initially the Second Line Cultural Tradition Task Force. It was designed as an umbrella organization to help create an ordinance to govern all Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs that parade, and help us become organized to avoid consistent increases in the fee structure for the parades.

We wanted to organize as a group of clubs under one governing body to get assistance from the city and the police. We wanted to establish a rapport with political leaders. Post-Katrina, board members changed because people were displaced, and the name changed to New Orleans Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force. We wanted to separate from the term "second line" because second lines have started to have a negative connotation. People when they heard "second line" thought violence, and didn�t see the true spirit of what we bring forth on a Sunday.

Eve Troeh:
You�re also trying to re-emphasize the social aid aspect?

Tamara Jackson:
Yes. All clubs individually give back to their community. Each club does community things throughout the year. The task force is looking to build on that foundation.

Eve Troeh:
What�s the fee structure you�re referring to?

Tamara Jackson:
The fee structure increase came from NOPD - from $1,200 to $3,760.

Eve Troeh:
What was the timeline on the increase of fees?

Tamara Jackson:
The timeline was ASAP - immediately [after the first shooting]. If you were parading in the time after the memorandum [from NOPD was in] effect. The reason they gave to club members was to deter the criminal element on the parade route. They said an increased presence would accomplish that. We disagree because at the last parade - at the Single Men�s parade - the incident was four blocks away. Yet police were visible. The young man committed the crime in view of police officers. And this was the police presence as that was increased from pre-Katrina. So this is a citywide problem. The problem affects the city completely, not just our culture.

Eve Troeh:
So who should carry the burden when violence occurs?

Tamara Jackson:
We cannot be responsible for what other people do. It�s a hardship when you impose an astronomical fee on a self-sufficient culture. "To protect and serve," is the job of the police department for everybody. They�re supposed to do the same job at $1,200 that they�re going to do at $3,760. Violence is a city wide problem, and each club should not be responsible for problems that city has as a whole.

Eve Troeh:
Linda, your club has been around a long time.

Linda Porter:
Yes, 22 years.

Eve Troeh:
How has second line culture changed in that time?

Linda Porter:
I guess it�s changed a lot in that time, with the fees and all. Other things, too. Like we used to be called the �Car Queens" because we had so many cars in our parades. Then they said we had to have less. And the number of divisions that parade now had to be the same as when you start.

Eve Troeh:
Will the new fees change your tradition?

Linda Porter:
For us, not really. We�re just trying to help other clubs. Because our club is kind of a big club. So we stand behind other clubs and help them increase their tradition.

Eve Troeh:
What do clubs do to deter violence?

Linda Porter:
When we register with police, we automatically have to ask for help. Because automatically our parade falls around the Bayou Classic [football game]. Every year police watch our crowd closely and make us get extra protection.

Eve Troeh:
And what about other things like the route sheets?

Linda Porter:
We put on our route sheets to leave trouble at home. Because there�s children out there. Leave your dogs, snakes; cause people bring all kind of things!

Eve Troeh:
Do you think your club sends a message out that�s peaceful and positive?

Linda Porter:
I think so. When we had the big parade in January, people came back for the culture. You know, the mayor couldn�t bring people back, but a second line brought them back to this city. This is something New Orleans loves. They love this here. I don�t know why the crime happened. I guess �cause they knew they�d see people out there, and could do it.

But in 20-something years, there�s been just one, maybe two incidents at our parade.

Eve Troeh:
Tamara, you were telling me that there will be no second lines in April and May.

Tamara Jackson:
Yes, they�re not parading. The next parade is June 14, with Devastation Social Aid and Pleasure Club.

Eve Troeh:
Is that a new club?

Tamara Jackson:
No, indeed. They�ve been around a long time.

Eve Troeh:
Well, it�s an appropriate name for these times.

Tamara Jackson:
Yes, yes it is.

Eve Troeh:
Are the clubs not parades these two months because of the fees?

Tamara Jackson:
Yeah, the clubs were preparing to parade prior to new fee increase. The financial responsibility is a great difference. Most clubs have displaced members. They�re trying to get people money to come back. It�s an extra hardship for clothing, costumes, and to pay the band. It�s hard to fund the culture and keep it going.

Eve Troeh:
Gerie, I want to ask about the VIP Ladies and Kids club. Where is it located?

Gerie Thompson:
We parade Uptown. We bring our kids out. A lot of our members are still displaced, but we keep in touch to make sure they can come back to get adequate housing and help get schools so the kids can come back. We paraded on March 5.

Eve Troeh:
How was parade on March 5? With more police, was it different?

Gerie Thompson:
It was no different for us, because it was a beautiful day.

Linda Porter:
Don�t get us wrong, we love the increase in the police. Tamara, me, everybody, we do feel safer. It�s just the price we have to pay to get that protection that we have trouble with.

Gerie Thompson:
It�s post-Katrina and we�re all already having hardship to get back on our feet. Our people can�t come home because we can� afford to have them both pay to parade and come home.

Eve Troeh:
Well I want to thank you ladies for being here. And we�re doing to continue this conversation in weeks to come.

4/6 - Second Line Fee Increase Puts Strain On Tradition

2006-05-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

by Eve Troeh

In January 2006, the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund and the New Orleans Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force hosted the All Star Second Line Parade. More than 30 clubs took part. Wearing shirts that said "ReNew Orleans," they led thousands of returned and displaced New Orleanians through the sixth, seventh and eighth wards, dancing and stepping for hours to the sounds of three brass bands.

The event ended in violence, however, when three bystanders were shot as the parade wound up near Zulu headquarters on Broad Street and Orleans Avenue. Days after the shooting, the New Orleans Police Department increased their fee for providing protection at second line parades by almost 400 per cent, from $1,200 to $4,445. The idea behind this, said New Orleans Police Department Public Affairs Officer Juan Quinton, was to increase public safety.

"We�re not trying to damage a culture, but the events were getting too large to where we could police them effectively. And these are not events where the city picks up the tab for what happens there."

The Norman Dixon Sr., Annual Second Line Parade Fund, part of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, has traditionally paid the police fees for the city�s social aid and pleasure clubs. Norman Dixon Jr., administrator of the fund and President of the Young Men Olympian Social Aid and Pleasure club, says there is not enough money in his father�s memorial fund to cover the new costs.

"At that price," Dixon said, "only two or three clubs would be able to afford to parade, instead of a second line almost every Sunday."

Members of the New Orleans Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force met with police representatives, including Superintendent Warren Riley, to work out a sliding scale of second line parade fees based on the size of each event. In February, task force leader Tamara Jackson said negotiations with the city, "looked promising."

Then, another shooting happened on March 20. This time it was at a Central City funeral for a member of the Single Men�s Social Aid and Pleasure Club. The fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man occurred despite the increased police protection. Jackson says the incident happened four blocks away from the parade, but still in sight of patrolling officers.

After the incident, the police once again set a standard fee for all second lines, this time at $3,760, which is where the price stands today.

Jackson and other club leaders say Social Aid and Pleasure clubs should not bear the complete burden of violence that occurs around their events. They point to recent shootings at Mardi Gras, including a 2004 shooting at the Krewe of Muses parade, and say the police have not tried to deter those events with fee increases.

Police say this is because second lines are treated as private events in the eyes of the city, meaning police can set fees at their discretion. Mardi Gras parades - and other parades such at St. Patrick�s and St. Joseph�s Day parades - are governed and protected under a city parade ordinance.

The Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force says it is seeking a similar city ordinance for second line parades. Such an ordinance, they say, would protect them from the police increasing fees each time an incident occurs.

Street Talk sat down with three women from the New Orleans Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force to talk about how the new fees are affecting second line culture in the city. See the transcript in the next blog.

4/6 - Musicians Resource Center Provides Food, Fun and Support Downtown

2006-05-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

by Alison Fensterstock

Starting two weeks ago, a serendipitous meeting between the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and St. Anna's Episcopal Church has given birth to a weekly event that will be useful - and fun - for musicians and nonmusicians alike. The church became one of the first nonprofit organizations to take advantage of the NOMC's Summer Solace funding to hire local musicians to play in New Orleans during the gig-dry summer months. On Wednesdays, after an evening service, the church will host dinners and performances , as well as provide access to legal, medical and mental health counseling for musicians.

"We've been in the neighborhood for over a hundred years, and like any faith-based organization, we've gone in and out of involvement with our neighborhood," says Father Bill Terry. "For a long time, we've felt like we should do more outreach among musicians, and Katrina allowed us to get the funding to set up and consolidate some resources."

This past Wednesday, attendees were treated to gumbo and other New Orleans dished prepared by a St. Anna's parishioner, as well as a performance by the Storyville Stompers and Lillian Boutte.

"There are two critical links to our culture - music and food," says Terry. "In some respects, we've done a very poor job of nurturing those aspects of our culture. If we lose our core of musicians, this city won't be New Orleans anymore."

Terry envisions St. Anna's on Wednesdays as a point of contact for musicians, where they can relax, network, jam and eat, as well as access valuable resources in their own neighborhood. "New Orleans is very neighborhood-based, so we're focusing on providing these resources downtown," he says. "For a lot of people, going from Bywater to Carrollton can be like buying a plane ticket to Iowa. So this will be a kind of satellite of the musicians' clinic, serving Treme, Bywater, the 6th, 7th and 9th wards and the French Quarter."

On Wednesdays, musicians will be able to set up appointments for medical screenings, legal advice, stress management counseling and other services. The church will provide space for them to meet with caseworkers throughout the week.

St. Anna's Church is located at 1313 Esplanade Ave. Services begin Wednesdays at 6 p.m., with dinner and performances beginning at 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation for nonmusicians.

4/6 - New Orleans Musicians Clinic Gig Initiative keeps musicians working� and well

2006-05-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

by Alison Fensterstock

The long, hot New Orleans summer usually sends any musician with the means on the road. Summer festivals are usually eager to add an authentic slice of the Crescent City to their roster, and the drop in tourism during the humid midsummer months means gigs in the city are few and poor-paying.

"We're very concerned about what summer is going to mean for local musicians," says Beth Fisher, a spokesman for the NOMC. "Summer was hard enough to begin with, and we don't know what the post-Katrina world will do to their ability to make a living in town."

The Katrina-induced exile found many musicians facing an uncertain housing situation in New Orleans. Coupled with the higher quality of life offered by many other cities, the NOMC worried that the dearth of gig opportunities in New Orleans in the summer might be yet another reason for local musicians to say goodbye for good. To combat that possibility, they developed the Summer Solace program, an initiative that will fund performances by local musicians at nonprofit organizations - including churches, parks, schools and nursing homes - throughout the summer. The Summer Solace offers funding at an average of $100 per man per gig, a rate that's more than competitive with most French Quarter clubs. The NOMC also asks that each nonprofit use their grant to obtain matching funds from other organizations to expand the number of performances they can support.

The NOMC is still in the process of compiling a database of organizations and musicians who are involved in the project. Fisher suggests that interested musicians and organizations partner with each other before approaching the NOMC to apply for funding. "We encourage musicians to be proactive in finding gigs," she says. "The band can go to a church and say, 'I want to play here,' and then the church will do the request."

For more information, call 504-415-3514 or email msl@savenolamusic.org

3/20 - Louisiana Music at South by Southwest

2006-05-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

by Alison Fensterstock

MARCH 20, Austin, TX - New Orleans used the substantial platform of the South By Southwest music industry conference for the first showing of its new initiatives in promoting Louisiana music and generating tourism, post-Katrina. Scott Aiges, who resigned as head of the Mayor's office for music business development on October 5, organized Louisiana's presence at the event as the first official act of his new nonprofit organization, the Louisiana Music Export Office. Members of the Louisiana delegation at the conference included Basin Street records, Offbeat magazine and the Ponderosa Stomp, as well as multiple Louisiana agents, recording studios, equipment manufacturers and artists. Half of the $65,000 budget for the weekend was provided by the Louisiana State Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; the rest was ponied up by Hibernia Bank, Putumayo World Music and Southern Comfort. The Louisiana Music Export Office has been retained by the state as a consultant on music business development, and was instrumental in the lobbying effort to pass the new sound recording tax credit incentives.

Events over the course of the weekend included an "industry networking" crawfish boil; a showcase of Ponderosa Stomp acts - including Li'l Band O'Gold, Barbara Lynn and classie Ballou and the Family Band - at the Continental club; a large trade booth at the Austin Convention Center and an outdoor showcase at the prestigious outdoor festival venue Town Lake Shores. The Town Lake Event featured the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk and Allen Toussaint, among others. All proceeds from the $5 suggested donation went to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. The Hot 8 Brass Band also drew crowds marching and parading in the streets of Austin.

At a panel on the state of Louisiana music post-Katrina, Cyril Neville, Scott Aiges, Jan Ramsey (publisher of Offbeat magazine), Keith Spera (music writer for the Times-Picayune) and Allen Toussaint debated issues including revitalizing tourism and creating a supportive city atmosphere to lure musicians home permanently. Participants in the weekend's events had mixed responses to the SXSW initiative. The initiative was modeled on national cultural export agencies' common marketing efforts to draw attention to their indigenous music, with the aim of encouraging both tourism and lucrative international festival bookings for their local acts. Cyril Neville, who has relocated permanently to Austin, had little faith in the state's plans, worrying that the interests of musicians themselves were being bypassed.

Mark Samuels, head of Basin Street Records, voiced concerns that the need to rebuild the neighborhoods that organically generated many New Orleans bands would be ignored in favor of a focus on tourism.

Ira Padnos, director of the Ponderosa Stomp, was pleased with the attention his acts drew at South by Southwest; however, he said, he had already planned and funded a showcase at the 2006 event and linked with the Louisiana delegation as an afterthought.

Roger Lewis of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band enjoyed the exposure and the opportunity to play with old friends, though he felt the export office's efforts would have little effect on his band's career. The band elected to record their new album, due out in early 2007, in Austin and Los Angeles, and not to take advantage of the new tax credits. For more on Louisiana at South by Southwest, click here.

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2006-03-28/cover_story.php

3/23 - New Governor's Office Likely to Replace Louisiana Music Commission

2006-05-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

by Eve Troeh

The resignation of Louisiana Music Commission members Ellis Marsalis and Bernie Cyrus last week raised questions about the future of the state�s role in Louisiana music.

Mark Smith is the director of Entertainment for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. He says the state is likely to create a new office to handle music in the near future.

Smith points to a bill currently making its way through the state legislature that would creat the Louisiana Governor�s Office of Entertainment Industry Development. The new office would combine film, television, digital media and music under one agency. Smith says the office will be operated in conjunction with private contractors who are industry professionals, instead of using volunteer commissioners - many of whom were musicians themselves.

Former Music Commissioner Bernie Cyrus says he thinks film and music are apples and oranges, and shouldn�t be approached the same way. He is also concerned that the new office will not focus on music education, health care or housing for musicians.

To read the state bill that would create the Governor�s Office of Entertainment Industry Development, read here.

2006-05-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Feature story about increase in second line fees on National Public Radio, by Street Talk reporter Eve Troeh.