New Orleans/Gulf Coast Musician News

[Dennis Gonzalez]

I talked to drummer Alvin Fielder this morning, since I knew that Hurricane Katrina had hit Jackson, Mississippi, pretty hard. He is doing fine, but must travel to Meridian on Thursday to check on family and property, if State Police will let him through. He informed me that Kidd Jordan is safe with family members in Baton Rouge, but is very worried because his home in New Orleans is located near the first breached levee.

I have not heard from Tim Green, my longtime playing buddy from New Orleans. He lives directly across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans/French Quarter in Algiers. He has a beautiful, old frame house there in a low lying area near the river levee.

There are countless other musicians that I (and I'm sure you all) know there and all along the Gulf Coast and even inland who have been affected by the storm and its devastating aftermath. If anyone knows anything about musicians and/or family (including yours) please post here. I'm anxious for word from trumpeter Clyde Kerr, pianist Darryl LeVigne, bassist Elton Heron, clarinetist Alvin Batiste, trumpeter Michael Ray....the list goes on.

My prayers go up for these folks, asking for only blessings on their lives.

[jesus marion joseph]

I don't know anyone from LA, MS or AL, but my prayers are with them all as well.

[RainyDay]

Thank you for posting this. Perhaps when people have news of musicians in this area, they might post it here. Aaron Neville was on CNN last night talking about how his family had caravanned out of New Orleans when the first announcements came about the storm and everyone was all right.

There is a local New Orleans jazz station that I found yesterday and their website stated that they were shutting down as of Friday night. SPecifically, it said "We be gone after August 26." I'll dig out the site. It might be a place to find out about those in the music world in this area if they are able to post information.

http://www.wwoz.org/

Now it says they won't be broadcasting until further notice but they have updated the site and the "we be" is gone.

This has certainly effected a lot of people, Dennis.


My thoughts are with every last one of them, and I especially hope your good friend, and master musician, Tim Green is doing as well as one could in this disastrous situation.

[Gary Sisco]

Has anyone heard from our pal Shrugs, who also lives in New Orleans?

Christmas? Heard anything?

[Lore]

I've heard that Kidd Jordan left New Orleans, perhaps to visit a family member (a daughter, maybe?) in Texas. Alvin Batiste provided this news to a friend of a friend. That's the sum of what I know about this. I'll continue to ask around and will post here with any updates.

[jazzy mary]

[QUOTE=Scott Dolan:


My thoughts are with every last one of them, and I especially hope your good friend, and master musician, Tim Green is doing as well as one could in this disastrous situation.[/QUOTE]


Yes, exactly my feelings, Scott. I'm listening to Tim right now--I loved his playing from the second I heard it on one of Dennis' cds.

Dennis, thanks for posting this! Please keeep us updated.

[Paul B]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Has anyone heard from our pal Shrugs, who also lives in New Orleans?

I e-mailed shrugs several days ago, before the worst had hit. Haven't heard back. I'm not sure where in New Orleans he was living, or if he was even still in the city. Let's hope for the best...

Bye-ya

[Pete C]

The word from Fred Anderson, via WNUR, is that Kidd is OK, but would not be going to Chicago for his scheduled gig with Fred this weekend.

[MRS]

shrugs is fine. . .somewhere in N. LA, I spoke with him yesterday and he was in good spirits having skipped town a couple days before the onslaught

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Tim Green is alive and gigging in San Francisco. He will probably stay at my home in Dallas until he figures out what to do...and whenever they open up New Orleans.

[jazzy mary]

Whew, thank God!

[RainyDay]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

Tim Green is alive and gigging in San Francisco.

That's good to hear.

When and where is he playing?

[clinthopson]

Thanks guys, for keeping us informed

[MRS]

Hilarious sidebar: shrugs is at a motel outside Lafayette, LA at the moment. This weekend they're driving to a panhandle town a 1/2 hour from my family's place in Seaside, FL where I'll be all next week. I'll get see Dave and finally meet his gal and little Evan!

[musicmargaret]

We haven't been able to get through to anyone in the hurricane area by phone and are comforted about Edward "Kidd" Jordan and Alvin Fielder and Tim Green and "Shrugs," also very concerned about everyone else in the area, musicians or not, and then (to a lesser extent) the many historic music sites. And thanks for being Dennis Gonzalez, Dennis Gonzalez!

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it..." (Song of Solomon, 8)

[Dennis Gonzalez]

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it..." (Song of Solomon, 8)

Thank you, Margaret, for this beautiful scripture.

[Lois Gilbert]

Musicians for Hurricane Katrina

My name is Sandra Booker. I am a professional jazz singer, residing in southern California, and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Cabrini Schneider, owner of Cabrini's Jazz Alley is also a native of New Orleans. We are having a Jazz Music Marathon at Cabrini's Jazz Alley beginning at 5:00PM on Saturday, September 10th ending at 5:00PM Sunday, September 11th, from to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

This is going to be 24 straight hours of live music. If you would like to lend your time and talent to this effort, please contact
Sandra Booker at jbmusik@earthlink.net or 310.281.6172. Feel free to forward this announcement to any musicians who might be interested as well.

Merci beaucoup cher!

[Lois Gilbert]

PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM MARK SAMUELS, PRESIDENT, BASIN STREET RECORDS
Many of you have contacted us. Thank you for your well wishes. My brother, Will, made it up to New York and my children, my parents, my girlfriend, her dog, and I are waiting in Memphis, Tennessee. We will be heading to St. Louis for a wedding this weekend, and are not sure where we will go after that.

As far as our staff, Jeremy is safe in Connecticut, Emily is in Houston, and Jack is in Atlanta. We don't know where Hal is.

Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Ronald Markham(NOJO's CEO), and Theresa Andersson are all safe in Baton Rouge. Bill Summers reports that he is safe. Michael White is safe in Houston. Jon Cleary is safe in California preparing for a tour with Bonnie Raitt. Henry Butler is safe in Monroe and on his way to a private gig today. Jason Marsalis is safe in Japan recording with Marcus Roberts.

We also know that Derrick Freeman and Corey Henry from Kermit's band are safe, but haven't heard from others yet. Please let us know if you are ok out there.

We hope we have homes and businesses to return to and that we can return soon to help rebuild the greatest city that I know: New Orleans.

[Lois Gilbert]

When the brilliant Chicago trumpeter Maurice Brown moved to Louisiana four years ago, he dreamed of becoming a star in the mythic birthplace of jazz: New Orleans.

He quickly achieved that goal, but after fleeing the city at 2 a.m. Sunday he believes he has lost everything but his life.

"It's all gone--I saw on TV where my whole neighborhood is flooded out," said Brown, speaking from the truck of a friend, who was driving him back home to his parents' house in Harvey, Ill.

Hurricane Katrina not only has taken lives and destroyed home and possessions, it has placed in peril the world's most famous jazz city, a town where international tourists clamor to hear jubilant brass bands and where jazz stars such as Nicholas Payton and Ellis Marsalis nightly ignite the music that Louis Armstrong made famous.

From the Technicolor portraits of Jelly Roll Morton and the great Satchmo that greet visitors at Louis Armstrong International Airport to the street musicians who riff "When the Saints Go Marching In" day and night on raucous Bourbon Street, New Orleans has been indelibly bound up with music and revelry for more than a century.

"Great jazz and great food are so deeply imbedded into the culture of New Orleans, you just can't imagine the city without them," said Chicago author Timuel Black, whose book "Bridges of Memory" traces the great migration of Southern blacks to Chicago.

`Jazz and Creole food'

"Jazz goes from one generation to another in New Orleans, passed down from musician to musician," he added, pointing to New Orleans' most famous jazz dynasty, the Marsalises (pianist Ellis is father to trumpeter Wynton, saxophonist Branford, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason).

"Jazz and Creole food," added Black, "are New Orleans."

But the city's cultural identity has been threatened by Hurricane Katrina, the floodwaters silencing world-famous clubs such as Preservation Hall, inside the historic French Quarter, and Snug Harbor, just outside it. The dozens of New Orleans clubs featuring jazz, blues, rock, funk and whatnot--as well as the upscale and down-home restaurants that cater to the music lovers--long have made the French Quarter and the emerging entertainment district on nearby Frenchmen Street tourist draws.

It was certainly the city's thriving cultural scene, as well as its storied musical history, that drew Brown there in the first place.

Although jazz musicians more typically leave New Orleans to take on bigger cities, such as Chicago and New York, Brown--who grew up in Harvey--was smitten by the city's relaxed ambience and musical legacy.

"It's the whole feeling I got here that made me want to stay for a while," Brown, 24, told the Tribune last year between sets at Snug Harbor, the city's top contemporary jazz room.

Last year Brown released a stunning, made-in-New-Orleans debut CD, "Hip to Bop," and two weeks ago he played at the Green Mill Jazz Club, in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.

It was an indelible moment for a musician who never had taken a private trumpet lesson in his life. Having immersed himself in music by playing in bands at Markham Park Elementary School and Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, he rapidly became one of Chicago's more talked-about trumpeters while a teenager.

After a brief stint at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, he joined legendary trumpeter Clark Terry on the road, then enrolled in Southern University in Baton Rouge in 2001 and immediately began playing New Orleans' famous clubs. In short order, his picture began appearing on the covers of local music magazines, and he won a coveted, weekly gig at Snug Harbor.

After performing Saturday evening in one of New Orleans' most fabled clubs, Tipitina's, Brown and the rest of the room was hurriedly evacuated.

Brown quickly drove to his home in the Treme neighborhood, grabbed a trumpet, flugelhorn, laptop and "enough clothes for four or five days." He then took his retooled 1989 Cadillac Brougham to a parking garage in suburban Metairie, where he left it for safekeeping, and jumped into his friend's truck to proceed to higher ground in Memphis.

Chicagoan grateful

Though Brown said he's grateful that he got out in time, he nevertheless grieves for what he has left behind.

"My whole recording studio, tons of music, a lot of original scores that I can't ever get back, maybe 50 or 60 tunes I spent years working on--all gone," said Brown.

He estimates the losses, which are uninsured, at $50,000, and he believes that his car has been sunk as well.

Still, Brown realizes he's one of the lucky ones.

"But I'm not sure if I'm ever going to live in New Orleans again--I'm going to build a new foundation for my life," he said.

"I don't know if I'll move back to Chicago or try New York, but it may be over in New Orleans."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n...ationworld-hed

[Ron Thorne]

Dennis, thanks for creating this invaluable thread.

Thanks also for being the kind and generous human being many of us have come to know, admire and love, even if (for some of us) only connected via cyberspace and your recorded music.

[musicmargaret]

There's always the Red Cross for donations for disaster relief (www.redcross.org), but also a singer here in New York named Pat Cisarano sent me contact information for two shelters set up for New Orleans refugees who've fled to Texas (strange that the contact persons are in "recreation"). She wrote:

<< >< > <> <> > > >< >

Here's your chance to help the thousands of refugees who fled to Texas after being wiped out by Katrina - and you can do it painlessly. Many of you have helped with benefits in the past that were a lot of work. This is easy. The Red Cross, along with the Baytown Parks & Recreation Dept, has set up shelters in Baytown that will be open for weeks if not months. All these people have left is the clothes on their backs. I know that you've got a closet full of tee-shirts you don't need. Bands and businesses, etc., donate your tee-shirts and make lotsa new friends.

KYLIE M. DUCHIE
Superintendent of Recreation
2407 Market Street
P.O. Box 424
Baytown, Texas 77522-0424
Phone: (281) 420-6593
Fax: (281) 420-5847
Email: kmduchie@baytown.org

Jennifer Sooy
Recreation Superintendent
Missouri City Parks & Recreation Department
1522 Texas Parkway, 77489
281-261-4371; 281-261-4315 fax

<< >< >< >< >< > >> >

Personally, I wouldn't feel bad at all about sending money and/ or supplies to Dennis Gonzalez if he'd be down with that!

Also, about the great trumpeter Michael Ray, I spoke with Maestro Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arkestra earlier this evening, and he assured me that Michael is okay and is now living in Philadelphia.

[cookie]

It's so sad, man. Heartbreaking doesn't even begin to describe the devastation.

What Cabrini's Alley is doing is great! I hope more jazz musicians and clubowners, festival organizers, media, etc. consider organizing or participating in benefits specifically for New Orleans. I know I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm not a good organizer, but I *will* suggest that we at least pass the hat for New Orleans at the little local jazz festival I'm doing on September 11. Nobody's paying for admission and the food is inexpensive so people could part with some pocket change at least.

Is there any organization in New Orleans to which money could be sent specifically as a gift for New Orleans? Can you earmark donations to the Red Cross specifically for N.O.?

Yes, there is certainly money needed all over the Gulf Coast and I hope that people will contribute what they can to organizations that serve everyone. But jazz musicians have a special connection to New Orleans and reaching out through and with our music could be a productive way to raise funds for this special jazz city.

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by cookie

Is there any organization in New Orleans to which money could be sent specifically as a gift for New Orleans? Can you earmark donations to the Red Cross specifically for N.O.?

Cookie, I don't think that the Red Cross will or can split their funds in a disaster such as this. At this time, donations are earmarked to aid all victims of Katrina.

However, here's a site which provides some specific links to New Orleans agencies, as well as many other worthy ones.

[musicmargaret]

Oh, in answer to RainyDay's question about where Tim Green has been playing in San Francisco: with Anders Osborne Aug. 26th & 27th at the Boom Boom Room, 16O1 Fillmore (at Geary), 415-673-8OOO, http://www.boomboomblues.com/cgi-bin...ar/calendar.pl, mail@boomboomblues.com. Sorry I can't tell you about any new dates.

New Orleans guitar player and concert presenter Rob Cambre wrote to us early this morning:

"... my lady julie and i left new orleans on saturday, ahead of the pack of evacuees. we could see the seriousness of things by then and knew enough from past experiences to take it seriously. we have found safe harbor with my grandmother and relatives in greensburg, but it appears that the city we left, and our home, may be no more. at least not as we remember them. it has been hard to communicate with anyone, as the cell phones are useless and we have limited computer access. so we know very little of the whereabouts and well being of our friends. power has been out at my grandmother's for the last several days. so we'll see what happens... i managed to get most of the guitars, pedals and an amp out of the house before we left. please keep us in yr thoughts. this a real life-changer."

It is surely a life-changer, and he may be homeless now, but since he escaped alive with his lady and his guitar, we are glad that at least he still has a life.

[JiminHouston]

Members of the jazz scene in Houston have set up a web site as part of a beginning to help musicians from NO who have, like thousands of others, evacuated to the Houston area: http://www.SHONOF.com

[Gary Sisco]

Thanks for the info re Shrugs, and the rest as well.

Anyone who hears from or sees Shrugs, please ask him to give me a call. Thanks.

[Paul B]

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Anyone who hears from or sees Shrugs, please ask him to give me a call. Thanks.

Ditto. Thanks.

[RainyDay]

Originally Posted by musicmargaret

Oh, in answer to RainyDay's question about where Tim Green has been playing in San Francisco: with Anders Osborne Aug. 26th & 27th at the Boom Boom Room, 16O1 Fillmore (at Geary), 415-673-8OOO, www.boomboomblues.com/cgi-bin/calendar/calendar.pl, mail@boomboomblues.com. Sorry I can't tell you about any new dates.

Thank you. So sorry I missed him. I was so hoping he would be playing over the coming long weekend.

[RainyDay]

Three Louisiana-born stars -- Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis and Tim McGraw -- will headline a televised charity concert to air live on Friday for victims of Hurricane Katrina, NBC said on Wednesday.

Plans for the one-hour, commercial-free show, called "A Concert for Hurricane Relief," were announced as the Bush administration and Congress began working on legislation to assist in hurricane recovery efforts.

"I am heartbroken by the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in my home state," said country star McGraw, born in Delhi, Louisiana, in a statement. "It's at times like these that each of us must work together to provide life-saving aid to those in terrible need."

Joining McGraw are two New Orleans natives, trumpet player Marsalis and jazz singer Connick, whose hometown was left largely submerged in floodwaters.

In addition to music, the special will feature appearances by movie star Leonardo DiCaprio and other celebrities.

Separately, cable channel MTV and sister networks VH1 and CMT plan to simulcast a live hurricane-relief special on September 10 featuring such acts as Green Day, Alicia Keys, John Mellencamp and the Dave Matthews Band.

And veteran entertainer Jerry Lewis said he would devote a portion of his annual Labor Day telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which starts on Sunday, to hurricane recovery. Lewis said the association has pledged $1 million to help storm victims.

Katrina has claimed more than 200 lives, left tens of thousands of people homeless and caused billions of dollars in damage since slamming into the U.S. Gulf Coast on Monday.

NBC aired a similar star-studded charity concert in January that raised more than $18 million for survivors of the tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people and left millions more homeless in South Asia and East Africa. An estimated 19.5 million viewers tuned in to some part of that broadcast on NBC and its sibling cable TV outlets.

Both efforts were reminiscent of a two-hour telethon carried by all four major U.S. TV networks 10 days after the September 11, 2001, attacks on America. That special raised more than $150 million in pledges.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050901/...E0BHNlYwN0bWE-