[78-L] NOLA ARSC report: live music

[Cary Ginell]

Instead of doing a day-by-day diary, I thought this year I'd just present different categories of things that went on at the ARSC conference. They'll come in the next day or so under the following categories:

Live Music
Conference Presentations
Sights and Sounds
Dining
Record Hunting (this will be a short one!)

It seems like all non-conference activity was spent looking for and walking to places where there was live music. On Wednesday night, after the opening reception, Steve Ramm and Dr. Rainer Lotz and I saw trumpeter Irvin Mayfield at his own lounge in the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street. Mayfield is an extraordinarily talented trumpet player who is comfortable in just about any genre. He had a small 5-piece group that went from Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" to New Orleans-style hopping spirituals (was it "This Little Light of Mine"?). No cover charge, but a one-drink minimum so I had a ginger ale and Steve and Rainer nursed a beer all night. Mayfield was good, but he couldn't have played more than 4 or 5 songs in the hour I was there - long, long songs. I prefer a greater variety of neatly arranged tunes.

On Thursday night, I hit the jackpot by exploring Frenchmen Street, a two-block long street east of the French Quarter, where tourists rarely stray. Frenchmen seems like a college town - young people everywhere, mostly well-behaved. There are maybe a half-dozen clubs there, the most prestigious of which being Snug Harbor, where Mose Allison and Ellis Marsalis were playing on different nights. The club I chose to go into on Thursday was The Spotted Cat, a tiny bar with a bandstand in the front window. I caught the last set by Sophie Lee, a Korean singer who sings '30s era swing numbers with a kicking little string band (violin, guitar, string bass, drums, and piano). Sophie sang "Swing Brother Swing" as Billie Holiday might have with Teddy Wilson's orchestra and then also did a nice Ella-esque version of "Undecided." The violin player, who I believe is Matt Rhody, also doubled on trumpet, something I haven't seen other than Curt Massey of the old Massey Family. The highlight was two sets by the New Orleans Moonshiners, a traditional New Orleans band that rocked the audience until 2 a.m. I stayed for two sets and left quite happy at 12:30. Instrumentaion was soprano sax, cornet, 5-string banjo, string bass, and drums (a tenor sax appeared out of nowhere for the one spiritual that they played in each set). The banjo player sang in the strained tenor sound of Jim Kweskin but was very exciting on banjo. Cornet player's first name was Chuck and would have been the best of the band if not for an amazing young lady named Aurora Nealand, who was the soprano saxophonist. Search for her on YouTube and you will see all kinds of performances featuring her work. But she swung as much as any saxophonist I've ever seen. I'm a particular fan of the soprano but she came up with ideas that were absolutely astounding.Very unassuming young lady. I spoke to her in between sets and asked her who she listened to growing up. Her answer was "Orel Hershiser." I said, "I'm on to you. I'm from L.A. and I know full well that Hershiser was a pitcher for the Dodgers. Now be straight with me." She laughed and we had a nice chat about music. The set list for the Moonshiners was perfect for my trip. Their two sets were so good, I wrote down every song so I wouldn't forget it. Set 1: Bill Bailey, 5' 2 Eyes of Blue, Sister Kate, I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say, Baby Face, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams. Mama Don't Allow. Set 2: At the Jazz Band Ball, When It's Darkness on the Delta, Shine, My Blue Heaven, I Found a New Baby, Confessin', You Rascal You. 

On Friday, I saw a brass band at a little dive called Donna's at Rampart and St. Ann. This was an all-African American group with trombone, trumpet, tenor sax, tuba, and two drummers. This group should have been outdoor buskers instead of playing for a $10 cover indoors. Very ragged. The trumpet playing leader kept saying "All aboard!" in between numbers until it got tiresome. The sax player was channeling John Coltrane and didn't fit in at all. The band spent too much time passing the tip jar and trying to get requests so I left after the first set. One of the percussionists actually chased me out to the street to try and get me to stay and order another drink.

Saturday night saw another trip to Frenchmen Street. Nothing remarkable there except a busking group consisting of violin, two banjos and tambourine. One of the banjo players was sitting on a kick drum and creating an infectious 1-3 beat. This group knew one tempo: fast and furious. By the third song done without a tempo change, I'd had enough and walked back to the hotel.

I'm sure each conference goer had different musical experiences because music was everywhere - bad and good. One recommendation though. If you want to hear good New Orleans jazz, stay away from the bars on Bourbon Street (more on that later), which was basically just one big beer-soaked frat party with loud rock, rap, and metal, with the occasional nondescript blues band. 

The conference banquet featured a good little local trio featuring a Ken Peplowski-styled clarinet.

Cary Ginell











 		 	   		  
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