By Robyn Loda Beat Street Magazine*
W hat began as a love of
neighborhood and community turned into a unique Oak Street Carnival krewe with big, open arms. Initiated as an informal and small group event 30 years ago by regulars at The Maple Leaf, Carrollton Station and Jed’s, the krewe of Oak can count as many as 600 participants at its Mardi Gras march.
C u rre ntly led by three long-time members, the Krewe of OAK’s by-laws are modeled, despite their obvious differences, on venerable Rex. At the helm are Hank Staples, co-owner of the Maple Leaf; WWNO 89.9 FM program director Fred Kasten; and emergency medical technician Tommy Quinlan, all former Kings of OAK. Unlike the Rex model, the anonymity of its leaders is not critical for this krewe.
A key person in creating the Krewe of OAK was the late Terry Tucker, who was a bartender at the Leaf, Carrollton Station and a number of other clubs in town. “She said, ‘Since we’re inclined to parade, let’s formalize it,’” says Kasten.
S o during Carnival of 1982, they gave it a title, created a theme, named a court, and marched through the Carrollton area; the grand finale was a ball at the Leaf. “T he first march was in the tradition of
the social aid and pleasure clubs, neighborhood clubs and small Carnival krewes,” continues Chasten. “No floats. Just a chance to have fun in your own neighborhood. And our first king and queen were both men!” This has occurred more than once, mind you.
F loats came much later, about 1999, and in order for the krewe to preserve its small-parade status, golf carts must pull them. “We’re committed to honoring the dead legends of Oak Street,” explains Staples. “Other people might not know who the papiermache likenesses are, but they are all dear to us here in this neighborhood.”
T he first float was a bust of the Leaf regular Everett Maddox, the late American poet who died in 1989. The krewe next honored the late, great New Orleans pianist James Booker; also the late Zydeco legend Rockin’ Dopsie, Sr., and two beloved local bar-employee personalities who have since passed on.
C r e ated by local papier-mache artist Ellen Ellis, the floats helped elevate the krewe’s visibility. “Since we’ve commissioned the busts, it’s more like a parade than a marching club,” says Kasten. “The
floats really took us up a notch. We’ve got a core group running it, and we’ve become more organized.”
D o you have to join the Krewe of OAK? “No, anyone can show up in costume and join the parade. Fifty bucks covers the beer and food for two at The Leaf at the ball afterward. We’ve made attempts to collect dues, but it’s been mostly underwritten by the members and especially by the bar,” explains Kasten.
I t all starts around 8 PM at the Leaf on the Friday before Mardi Gras. Inside the queen and king are announced, then the parade line forms outside. Reveling commences for about two hours as the krewe tours the streets of the riverbend, on both sides of Carrollton Avenue. “Refreshment stops” are made along the way at watering holes such as Snake & Jake’s and Bruno’s. The party finally winds up back at the Leaf. B u t why stop there? One Carnival a year just wasn’t enough for these folks. Now thousands of people join the krewe for its “Midsummer Mardi Gras” in August. “We
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created an official party in the middle of the summer heat,” says Staples, “although the term and celebration are actually older than the Krewe of OAK. A group of a few people on Oak Street used to have a party, each year at a different person’s house, to celebrate Midsummer Mardi Gras. We just formalized it a little bit.” In New Orleans, any chance to revel is a blessing. “P arad ing with the Krewe of OAK is an opportunity to connect with the spirit of Carnival right here in our own neighborhood,” says Kasten. “There’s a lifeaffirming nature to it that’s been part of this city for more than a hundred years. It doesn’t cost you a lot of money, and you can experience it, not just be a spectator on the sidelines. It’s more than reveling – as Fess says, ‘What’s Carnival fo’?’ – but the reveling is a helluva lot of fun!”
T he Krewe of Oak will celebrate Carnival on Friday, February 5, when it announces its royalty.
Facebook.com/krewe-of-oak Watch facebook.com/mapleleaf.oak for dates and times of the MiSummer Mardi Gras.
*Republished and updated with permission from Beat Street Media and Stephen Novak (spyboy4u.com)
CONTENTS SOUTH TEXAS
FEBRUARY 2016 VOL. 4 ISS. 11
ENTERTAINMENT 9 MAPLE LEAF BAR: THE BEGINNINGS
ON THE COVER... CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
WWW STEAMMAGAZINE NET KERMIT RUFFINS JAZZ FESTIVAL GALA 2013 BY FRENCHY
15 DALE MARTIN 18 3RD COAST FOODIE! REAL N’AWLINS FOOD AT JACQUES-IMO’S
ALWAYS IN STEAM
ART 11 FRENCHY: ARTISTRY IN MOTION
MUSIC 16 GEORGE PORTER JR: NOLA’S PREMIER BASSIST 20 MAPLE LEAF BAR: THE MUSICAL HISTORY
QUICK READ 5 COMICS 6 CD REVIEWS 7 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 10 NEW RELEASES: CDs & MOVIES 22
PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS RICK BOWEN, DALE MARTIN, TAMMA HICKS, STEVE GOLDSTEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS
TO ADVERTISE WITH US 361-904-4339 | SALES@STEAMTX.COM SEE US ONLINE AT WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC, BOOK, ART, OR SHOW FOR REVIEW! HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM
ALTERNATIVE WEEKLY NETWORK STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine, South Texas Entertainment Art Music, in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine. Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries to: submissions@steamtx.com
J. Michael Dolan (:15) We spend most of the time avoiding it because it’s so confronting and anxious. Nevertheless, saying the unsaid, expressing the unexpressed, revealing the concealed, and exposing what’s hiding in the shadows has huge transformative results in any relationship, group, band, partnership, company or impenetrable situation. Drumming up the courage to finally say out loud what you’ve been withholding for so long may be confronting and uncomfortable going in, but it’s really the only true way to get to the heart of the matter of any problem or challenge. Plus, it offers clear pathways to achieving significant breakthroughs in stalled or seemingly unsolvable situations.
“No time to wallow in mire” —The Doors
Invaders from mars J. Michael Dolan (:07)
No time to wallow J. Michael Dolan (:29) No Time to Wallow (0:25) A common concern I hear from clients: “I have a great idea, I just don’t know where to start.” Or, “I’m an artist not a salesman. I’m just not good at marketing myself.” Truth is, somebody’s gotta do the “left-brain” work. Otherwise you’ll be sitting alone in your office or studio with a stack of unseen, un-heard, un-pitched, undistributed, unsold, brilliant ideas and genius works of art. If you’re really serious about moving your career/ project forward this year, then you must overcome your resistance to this critical part of the process. Either hire someone to do it for you, learn how to do it yourself, or hire a coach/consultant to help you hash out an intelligent plan. It’s time to start “thinking smart” about your pitch process, marketing strategy and social media. Because if you don’t get your great idea or worthwhile project in front of the people who matter, you’ll just continue to day-after-day, hesitate in confusion and wallow in the mire. “The time to hesitate is through, No time to wallow in the mire...” —The Doors
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Getting through it
Resistance invades our to-do list. Worry invades our momentum. Doubt invades our confidence. Fear invades our opportunities. Arrogance invades our choices. Distraction invades our workspace. Procrastination invades our timeline. Thank God we have a choice, to allow the invasion to take place or not.
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Three major shifts in showbiz J. Michael Dolan (:19) 1) The “visual” entertainment business, including movies, television, gaming, videos, graphics, animation etc., is quickly becoming a multidevice, global streaming entity. Not just a stationary, national one. Think Broader. 2) Advertising, marketing and PR are now completely different conversations. Although everyone needs marketing, not everyone needs to buy advertising or hire a publicist. Think Cleverer. 3) It’s now a “direct-to-customer” industry. Reaching out and connecting personally with your fans and followers is proven to be more effective than any other media outreach strategy. If you want to expand your empire you must Think Intimate. Truth is most artists & entrepreneurs aren’t thinking about this at all.
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www.theawkwardyeti.com / www.lunarbaboon.com New Books Out Now! Order Yours Today!
CD REVIEWS CHRIS BERGSON BAND LIVE AT JAZZ STANDARD (2 SHIRTS RECORDS) BY RICK J BOWEN New Yorker Chris Bergson has a mountain of talent with his tight guitar, a smoky baritone that instantly recalls David Clayton Thomas and reflective songwriting skills, but he is also smart enough to know it’s hard to stand alone. For his seventh release Bergson assembled a band of special guests and feature players and recorded live over two nights at the Jazz Standard in Manhattan. The fifteen song set is a mix of modern blues, funk and blue eyed soul, delivered the way it is meant to be, in front of an attentive crowd in a hot club. The band hits it hard opening with the soul blues tale of a traveling man ’Greyhound Station,’ Bergson addressing the crowd “thank you kind people for all your advice,” before ripping into a solo bolstered by fierce drumming from Tony Leone. He then gives way to the a three
piece horn section on the old school funk track ‘Mr. Jackson ‘including a fun solo from baritone saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith. Special guest, Ellis Hooks trade barbs with Bergson on “The Only One,” giving the tune a total Sam and Dave feel. Bergeson then transforms the Tennessee Williams poem “Heavenly Grass,” into a delta blues hymn with his Gibson hummingbird. Craig Dreyer displays his skills on the Wurlitzer during the loose grooving ‘61st & 1st,” Bergson then takes a solo turn on slide guitar for ‘Bluemner,’ before slipping into the tender soul ballad ‘Chloe’s Song,’ offering a fine palette cleanser in the middle of the set. Everyone shines as Bergson whips out the Steve Cropper licks during the instrumental ‘Baby, I Love You.’ Do not be fooled by the title, ‘Christmas Time in Bethlehem PA,’ is a gritty urban soul burner with a soaring trumpet solo from Freddie Hendrix and Tower of Power like horn arrangement from Jay Collins. The album closes out with reflections on life in NYC, during ‘The Bungler,’ and ‘Gowanus Heights.’ Live at Jazz Standard shows that a songwriter with skills like Chris Bergson can use classic forms to express his reflections of our modern times.
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INDIANOLA RAILROAD CO. LONG ROAD (SELF RELEASED) By STEVE GOLDSTEIN One of the most refreshing things about this high energy offering by Indianola Railroad Co. is that they don’t have to rely on overused Country Music clichés to sound Country. Their original music sounds familiar without being repetitive or recycled. The band; Scott Smith (vocals, guitar), Tom Robertson (lead guitar), Aaron Stevens (bass), Todd Praesel (fiddle, mandolin, keyboards, harmonica, vocals), and Jaime Valdez (drums), hails from the South Texas Coastal Bend, and just like the 19th century railroad company whose name they adopted, many of the eight songs presented here reflect a regional existence. It all starts out with the story of a couple of young outlaws finding refuge in the small Texas town of “Hallettsville.” There are beer drinking, barn burners like ”Reid Street,” “Red Head,” along with the title track that’ll keep
your toes tapping. “South Texas Drought” is one of those tunes with a live, honky-tonk feel that calls out for a hell raising, audience sing along. Besides the powerful driving percussion and forceful rhythm on “Life of Living Blues,” the band wonders just how bad it’d be to not just play the blues, but to live that life as well – maybe not so bad. There is no reason why Indianola Railroad Co. and several songs from LONG ROAD wouldn’t be right at home on Texas Radio. myspace.com/indanolarailroad www.indianolarailroadco.com
8316 Oak Street, New Orleans LA | 504-866-9359 | www.mapleleafbar.com Facebook.com/mapleaf.oak | twitter.com @ mapleleafnola he Maple Leaf Bar celebrated its 42nd birthday this January. Nobody seems to know or be sure of the exact opening date, but all involved agree that it was in mid-January 1974.
Local
Staples
says, “I grew up in Washington, D.C. right around the corner from Jed Palmer (The late owner of Jed’s which was across the street from the Maple Leaf. Later he owned the F and M Patio Bar). “In the mid-60s, I was nine and he was twenty-something and I remember him beating me up with my own fists.”
musicians and the Maple Leaf have sustained each other for three decades. It has been the performance space of choice for an incredibly diverse Hank continued, “The first array of talent including time I had the idea to buy into AT ONE POINT, James Booker, Roosevelt the Maple Leaf I was working Sykes, Andrew Hall’s THERE WAS EVEN A as a bartender at Jed’s. Carl Society Jazz Band, the SANDWICH SHOP IN Brown and Palmer were knockLouisiana Repertory ing back shots of Jaegermeister THE BAR Band, the Laissez-Faire and Brown drank Palmer under Cajun Band, Walter the table. It was in the summer “Wolfman” Washington, Beausoleil, the of 1985. I had come to New Orleans for Iguanas, the Rebirth Brass Band, Jon two weeks in 1983 and now twenty years Cleary, John Mooney, and Papa Grows later I own a business and property.” Funk. The list of musicians who have The Maple Leaf got its start when six invesplayed at the Leaf is endless. tors pooled their resources and opened a There are also countless stories, some absobar. They were Tom Bethel, Carl Brown, lutely true, some embellished, about the John Parsons, Bill Odom, Jim Stratton and many national and international stars that Judy Cooper. have graced the stage and/or drank at the Brown was a casual unassuming man- an bar- from rock stars like Bruce Springsteen, attorney, husband, father, and jazz and Robbie Robertson, Ani DeFranco and ragtime enthusiast. He was the last original Keith Richards to movie stars like Dennis owner involved and passed away in 2011. Quaid, Robert Duvall, Samuel L, Jackson “When I was growing up there was no and Kathleen Turner. drinking age in New Orleans,” Brown had The owner’s as unassuming and casual as shared in a 2004 interview, “At fifteen I’d the club itself. Today Henry go to Bourbon Street and hear bands like (Hank) Lee Staples IV owns Paul Barbarin, Alphonse Picou at the Padthe bar, manages the business, dock Lounge, Sharkey Bonano at the Faand books the talent. mous Door, Pete Fountain. I love music,
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the real stuff. I liked to watch Pork Chop and Kidney Stew dance. “The place had been a laundromat on the side where the bar is. We couldn’t decide on a name. I came up with the Maple Leaf. Jelly Roll Morton claimed that the ‘Maple Leaf Rag’- New Orleans style, the way he played it, was the first real jazz piece. He told that to Alan Lomax and I had the Library of Congress recordings and I’ve really been taken by Jelly Roll Morton. I wanted to call it the Maple Leaf Club. My partners said it sounded too exclusive so we decided on the Maple Leaf Bar. There was no real design. We were a neighborhood bar, for ourselves mostly.”
By Jerry Brock, Beat Street Magazine
Republished and updated with permission from Beat Street Media and Stephen Novak (spyboy4u.com)
be credited with starting the Maple Leaf is Bill Odom and it was Tom Bethel who supplied the sheet music for ‘Maple Leaf Rag.’ The way I got involved was by hanging out at the Seven Seas on St. Philip St. right off of Decatur. It was a chess player’s bar and I wanted to learn to play. My friend John Pitts introduced me to Odom who was looking for investors to open a bar. He thought that the chess scene, and players who drink, fit into his idea. So when we opened all of the chess players actually came up almost every night. For two years we belonged to the National Chess League and we would play against teams from all the major cities.”
Parsons was responsible for hiring James Parsons was the Booker whose gigs at the original talent buyer and Leaf are legendary and THE MAPLE LEAF BAR was responsible for hiring are documented on two most of the acts that deIS QUINTESSENTIAL compact discs on fined the club in the early Rounder Records. These NEW ORLEANS years. He essentially records, Resurrection of the brought Cajun and Zydeco Bayou Maharajah: Live at the Maple Leaf Bar music into the city and jazz uptown. and Spiders on the Keys: Live at the Maple Leaf Bar, were culled from tapes made by ParStaples continued the story, “John Parsons sons. doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being a powerful force on the local music scene. Parsons recalled, “It was (piano great) He followed the local trends and spotlightRoosevelt Sykes who suggested that I be ed musicians.” James Booker’s manager. He said, ‘That John
According
to Brown, “Parson’s had a terrific ear and could really tell when someone was good.”
In
his typically low key fashion, Parsons demurred, “The person who should really
boy’s got talent but he needs management.’ Shortly after James got out of prison an agent called me and I hired him. James showed up and I actually met him for the first time on the stage. I liked him immedi-
5 Kings of the Krewe of OAK Standing: Unnamed, Keith “Fish” Williams, Frenchy, Hank Staples, Stephen Novak; Seated: Paul Bel and Tommy Quinlan ately and hired him as a regular on Tuesday nights. He was such a fantastic talent and it is sad that he was really unhappy towards the end.”
Parsons elaborated on why they began pre-
kept it going and the crowd seemed to love us.”
For Daigrepont it was more than just a gig, “I
doubt if I had been playing accordion for more than a year. When I think back to those Thursday nights I always felt like I was going to a party.
senting Cajun music, “The whole Cajun music tradition at the club started in 1976 because “In fact, I was in high school and I played the Carl was interested in politics (and) we were five-string banjo with a bluegrass group Luke throwing a party for Sonny Mouton’s guberna- Thompson and the Green Valley Cutups every torial campaign. I figured we needed a Cajun Sunday night. We played there about a year in band. I was wandering around Bourbon Street 1974 and ‘75 and the place was pretty much full one night, walked into a club and that is when every week. I was fifteen when I started playing I first heard the Laissez-Faire Cajun Band. I there. My parents would come and I wasn’t booked them to play the party and they be- allowed to walk around the club. Back then the came a regular band for stage was on the side wall and us. “ THE PLACE HAD BEEN we faced the bar when we performed.” He continued, “It was A LAUNDROMAT sort of strange. When Parsons explained how the club Laissez-Faire per- ON THE SIDE WHERE came to book the band that formed there was a eventually became the most THE BAR IS nucleus of about a famous Cajun band in the dozen girls who would teach the guys hanging world, “I first heard Beausoleil at Jazz Fest. out in the bar how to dance. People had so There were maybe a dozen people and a few of much fun dancing to the music that the the dancing girls. I met Michael Doucet and crowds really grew.” hired him on the spot. They were our Saturday Parson’s also booked Bruce Daigrepont and night band once a month through most of the the Bourré Cajun Band. From 1980 until 1986 eighties.” they performed every Thursday night at the The club has come a long way since those early Leaf. This group was also instrumental in pop- days. In the beginning, the laundromat still ularizing Cajun music and Cajun dancing in operated in the area that is now the expanded New Orleans. Ladies Room. Regulars from that era rememDaigrepont remembered, “When we started ber doing their laundry while Booker tickled the there, it was the only place where you could ivories. At one point, there was even a hear Cajun music on a regular basis in the city. sandwich shop in the bar. We were still learning our instruments but we The stage has been moved more than once and it has been enlarged since landing in its STEAM Editor Tamma Hicks sitting Outside the Maple Leaf current location. The hardwood dance Bar with Jacques-Imo’s owner Jacques Leonardi floor with the maple leaf inlay was a welcome improvement for the dancers that still pack up front. So was the addition of air-conditioning. It’s hard for newcomers to imagine that the bar, like Tipitina's and many others in town, remained without AC well into the late 20th century.
The Maple Leaf Bar is quintessential
New Orleans. The management, staff and clientele have always personified the unlikely mix of intellectualism, hedonism and eclecticism that defines the city. Here’s to another forty years and forty more and FEB 2016 forty more…!
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s, ma Hick By Tam
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Randy Leo “Frenchy” Frechette, has been drawing since he could grip a pencil. In grade school he impressed friends with caricatures of teachers and classmates, but he did not realize his true calling until The Boston Horns approached him in Orlando and persuaded him to paint their performance live in 1994. Since then, Frenchy’s presence has filled venues both large and small with an explosion of creative spirit. New Orleans has been his home, and muse, since 1997. Immediately immersed into the sights and sounds of New Orleans, he could be found in music clubs such as the
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Maple Leaf Bar almost any night of the week, mastering his “acoustioptics” with musical legends such as the Grammy Award winning Rebirth Brass Band, Dr John, James Booker, Willie Nelson, and James and Glen Andrews with Tuba Fats in Jackson Square. And the list keeps going! His artistry in motion eventually garnered the attention of the sports world and was invited to paint the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Utah. New Orleans Saints requested that Frenchy be their official team artist from 20012007, and the New Orleans Hornets from 20042006; he captured energy
Above: Poster for the 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Left: JacquesImo’s Kitchen
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paint thinner or something like that, to thin your acrylics? I have never heard of watering down acrylics and think that's really interesting! Acrylic paints are water based, you’re thinking of oil paint. I didn’t know that about acrylics. So why did you end up on Oak Street and not in the Arts District? The Maple Leaf (Hank) and Jacques-Imo’s (Jacques) have been my mentors since my first days in NOLA. And I just love my hood, but that's NOLA, doesn't matter what ward you live in... We all family. I read that you’ve done a few murals around the city – where are they? The only mural remaining is in the 5000 block of magazine, but stay tuned… We gots murals in the oven! You had just been crowned King of OAK when Katrina struck. How has the city and your neighborhood changed? We are stronger; we are still here! Where can we see your art? Frenchy "Acoustioptics" gallery/ studio! I'm located right beside the maple leaf and Jacques-Imo’s.
Frenchy Acoustioptics Gallery & Studio 8314 Oak Street New Orleans LA 70118 www.FrenchyLive.Com
Top: French Quarter Horse Post Right: Zulu Float Riders Bottom Left: Rosie Ladet “Where Y'at” Cover Bottom Right: A look down Oak Street, Frenchy’s Studio, Maple Leaf Bar, & Jacques-Imo’s
Troubadour Insights
With Dale Martin
It seems that every month I write about Willie Nelson. What is it about this guy that keeps his career going so strong at 80 plus years old? Guess it’s because he’s Willie Nelson and we aren’t. He just received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Washington, D.C., he’s touring with buddy Merle Haggard this spring and he has several new albums in the planning stages. More on Willie later, right now let’s talk about his talented son, Lukas Nelson and his band, Promise of the Real. They will release their third album ‘Something Real’ on March 11th. Their fans will find more of what the band calls "cowboy hippie surf rock,” just like on their previous releases. The band, featuring brothers Lukas and Micah Nelson, Corey McCormick, Tato Melgar and Anthony LoGerfo, recorded the album at San Francisco's William Westerfeld Mansion, once home to Janis Joplin. They shot the video for the title track at the historic mansion. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Neil Young adds his vocals to "San Francisco," continuing a relationship that began with the band joining Young on his 2015 album ‘The Monsanto Years.’ The two younger Nelson boys seem to be following closely in their father’s footsteps, which isn’t a bad thing for us fans. The Randy Rogers Band just released their latest CD titled ‘Nothing Shines Like Neon,’ a collection of twangheavy anthems and barroom weepers. Produced by Buddy Cannon, the new CD features some fellow outlaws like Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss and Jerry Jeff Walker. Though you might not consider Krauss an outlaw, she certainly records music that doesn’t fit into the current mainstream country format. Johnson lends his voice to the rowdy "Actin' Crazy," Krauss sings on the gorgeous "Look Out Yonder" and Walker helps on "Taking It As It Comes," a song he had a hit with many years ago. Rogers' last release was the duets album with Wade Bowen called ‘Hold My Beer, Vol. 1,’ a record that appeared on many best of 2015 lists. Randy plans to hit the road in March in support of the new album. Now, back to Ol’ Willie news. I received over a dozen press releases in the short time span of two weeks, just on Willie. So, either this guy is super busy or has a fantastic press agent or maybe both, but it continues to amaze me at the work ethic of a performer well into their eight decade on this planet. One bit of news was funny, reporting that Willie would be joining pop singer Cyndi Lauper on her upcoming Nashville album. The actual song they plan on doing hasn’t been announced just yet, but the pairing of these two is as unlikely as when Willie sang with Julio Iglesias. The album will be released on Sire Records, but no actual date has been announced at press time. As I mentioned earlier, Willie traveled to Washington D.C. in November to become the first country artist to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. From his seat he watched Neil Young, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, Jamey Johnson and many more play his songs. “It is a great honor,” Nelson said at the time, taking the moment to make an announcement: "I have been a fan of Ira and George Gershwin’s music since I was a little guy. In appreciation for the award, I’ve just recorded a complete Gershwin tribute album." The new CD is titled “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin” has a release date of February 26th on Sony Legacy recordings. Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings produced the album, which will feature 11 of what Nelson calls "some of the greatest songs ever.” The track list includes: I Got
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Rhythm, Summertime, Love is Here to Stay, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, FEB 2016 and Embraceable You. "The Gershwin songs have been here for many, many years," Nelson said. "When I was just a small guy, I remember hearing all these great Gershwin songs and they'll be around forever because great music like that just does not go away." At 82, Nelson still releases at least an album a year, including last year’s Merle Haggard collaboration Django and Jimmie, and 2014’s Band of Brothers, his first LP of new songs in almost 20 years. In March he will headline the annual “Luck Reunion,” a music-and-food festival on his Austin ranch during South by Southwest. You can catch the Gershwin Award Show PBS TV stations. You can see Willie and Merle in April for a three night stand at Whitewater Amphitheater. For ticket info, go to whitewaterrocks.com. On February 5th, Lucinda Williams will release her 12th studio album, ‘The Ghosts of Highway 20.’ One month later, the Grammy winner will launch her latest tour, which kicks off in Los Angeles on March 4th and is currently set to wrap with a pair of shows at historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, April 22nd and 23rd. The trek includes a five-night stint at New York City's City Winery beginning March 13th. The Ghosts of Highway 20 weaves a spellbinding 14-track story that's centered on the 1,500-mile stretch of highway (Interstate 20) that runs from Georgia to Texas, and finds the singer-songwriter experimenting with a variety of different styles. Williams was inspired by poems of her legendary father, poet Miller Williams, who died on New Year's Day 2015. She does a cool cover of Bruce Springsteen's ‘Factory,’ which was a somber ode to his father. She also puts her musical stamp on "House of Earth," which features a set of lost Woody Guthrie lyrics. In September, Williams performed "Ghosts of Highway 20" and other songs alongside friends Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris during Cash's Country Music Hall of Fame residency. Here are Lucinda’s Texas tour dates: April 17 & 18 in Dallas at the Kessler Theater and April 22 & 23 in New Braunfels at Gruene Hall. Glenn Frey, Eagles guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, passed away Monday January 18 at the age of 67. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our comrade, Eagles founder, Glenn Frey, in New York City on Monday, January 18th, 2016. Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia," the Eagles wrote in a statement released that day. "The Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery," the statement continued. "Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide." In a separate statement, Texas native and Eagles co-founder Don Henley said of Frey, "He was like a brother to me; we were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction. But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved." Henley continued, "He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn’t quit. He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven. He loved is wife and kids more than anything. We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow. I'm not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet. It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some." Frey is survived by his wife Cindy and children Taylor, Deacon and Otis.
www.martinsmusic.com
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George Porter, Jr. is best known as the bassist of The Meters, along with Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli and Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste. The group was formed in the mid 60's and came to be recognized as one of the progenitors of funk then called R&B. The Meters disbanded in 1977, but reformed in 1989. Today the original group still plays the occasional reunions but the Funky Meters, of which Porter and Neville are still members, most prominently keeps the spirit alive.
Few bass players in the history of mod-
ern New Orleans music are as storied as George Porter Jr. During the course of a career spanning more than four decades, Porter has not only made a deep impression with his work in the Meters, but he's notched session work with artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, David Byrne, Patti LaBelle, Robbie Robertson, Tori Amos, Taj Mahal, Ryan Montbleau and live perfor-
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
mances with Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Warren Haynes, John Scofield, Steve Kimock, Eric Krasno (and including recent studio releases with Warren Haynes and Bill Kreutzmann) just to name a few.
Porter is also the band leader of his own unique long term project the Runnin' Pardners, well respected not only as a quintessential New Orleans band, the touring band continues to receive accolades on the jam band and festival scene. He has assembled some seasoned and talented musicians to join him on this project - Brint Anderson (guitar), Michael L e m m l e r (keyboards), and Khris Royal (sa x op h on e), and Terrence H o u s t o n (drums).
P orter
has proven to be capable of the ultimate fusion of rock, funk and R&B, and has
gained recognition as one of the industry's elite bass players. He continues to be not only an in demand performing artist but an accomplished studio musician and producer.
“I love it most when you feel free to let the music take you to places you didn't expect” After reading your bio I have come to the decision that you are New Orleans’ premier bass player! So first – how or why did you decide on playing bass? Actually the truth is I was a guitar player and there were too many great guitarist in the city. (Smiling) I had learned both and there was a need for electric bass players, so it was pretty much because I’d get more work. Early on I once played guitar with Art Neville as a sub on one of his gigs. As I played mostly rhythm and was not an accomplished soloist, he was not too pleased. A few years later Art saw me playing bass and felt that was truly my instrument. A little while later I got the call to see if I was interested in playing with him regularly. That band was the beginning of the band that would become The Meter's.
who ended up singing, because of other circumstances, like a singer didn’t show or was too sick to sing. Did you always want to sing or was that kind of “thrown at you”? I always loved singing so I never gave it much thought. Yes, I always wanted to sing but early in my career as part of the rhythm section any opportunities to sing were pretty much just thrown at me. When I started my own bands “Joy Ride” and “Runnin Pardners” I definitely went into them as not only the band leader but the lead singer. You have recorded with some of the top A-list musicians. Is there anyone still on your bucket list that you’d like to either record or jam with? O’ my, I will have to come back to that one, there are still quite a few and I am going to be recording with two of them early next month, Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi All Stars) and Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce). I don’t know if it’s a record, but you
I know a lot of musicians
CHECK HIM OUT ONLINE
@
GEORGEPORTERJR.COM FACEBOOK.COM/GEORGEPORTERJR
UPCOMING FEBRUARY SHOWS: 2-TUE Panic En La Playa, La Playa Mexico 8-MON Howlin' Wolf NOLA 13-SAT Tipitina's NOLA 15-MON Maple Leaf Bar NOLA 20-SAT dba NOLA 22-MON Maple Leaf Bar NOLA 27-SAT Boulder Theater, Boulder CO 28-SUN Boulder Theater, Boulder CO
have been steadily gigging at the Maple Leaf Bar since 1985. You also are in high demand for recording and perform with four bands (The [Original] Meters, The Funky Meters, The Runnin’ Pardners, and The George Porter Jr Trio – who plays at the Maple Leaf Bar), not to mention being a special guest for other groups. What should people expect when they come to see you? When you come I hope you will hear me and the other players having a great time playing, getting funky and jammin’ till we get to that place where we have to stop, look at each-other and say wow what was that? I love it most when you feel free to let the music take you to places you didn't expect; some great songs come from those jams. On the best nights that happens often, especially at the Maple Leaf. (Smiling) You took a year and half to collaborate, write and record 28 songs, yet your latest EP, It’s Time To Funk, contains four tracks. Do you plan to
George Porter Jr With… The Meters The Funky Meters Runnin’ Pardners
release a full album of these songs in the near future? Yes, well there are now two projects I am working on. Getting back to those other 24 songs/tracks has taken a back seat right now to The George Porter Jr Trio sessions that Michael Lemmler, Terrence Houston and I started about 10 days ago; we are taking it slow but have 5 tracks recorded, with a few years of music we should give a listen to from our Maple Leaf gigs. Those gigs
“may your groove be phat” have resulted in some great jams that we are enjoying revisiting. That said, yes there will be a full Runnin’ Pardners or George Porter Jr Trio CD coming out this year. Maybe not before Jazz Fest, but soon. In your 4 decades of performing, touring, and studio work you have seen music’s flow and ebb in quite a few directions. In my opinion pop music and R&B are turning
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back towards older music styles – 70s funk, 60s psychedelic, even 80s arena rock, and I personally like what I’m seeing. Where do you see the current music path going? I am not sure if I know how to answer that one. I would like to think that there is definitely a new appreciation for those old school styles of music. That said, I know that expecting music to fit into certain categories has certainly not helped most New Orleans music get into the main stream and on top40 radio stations, because we tend to not play on the down beat but play more syncopated and off the one. Also, we just don’t have anyone here that has any real idea on how to market our music; never did. I hope someone reads this and fixes it. That would be ...Nice’ Very Nice... O’ gee that could be a song.
Real N’awlins Food
t s a o C 3rd e i d o o F
By Tamma hicks, STEAM Mag.
SHRIMP & ALLIGATOR SAUSAGE CHEESECAKE
Raised
on a farm in upstate New York by a French mother and an Italian father, Jacques Leonardi was exposed early to the cuisine of both nationalities and the use of fresh seasonal ingredients. A graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, Jacques fell in love with New Orleans and all it had to offer while stationed in the city. In 1990, he began working for Chef Paul Prudhomme of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen while continuing his tenure as a Coast Guard officer. It was at K-Paul’s where he learned the basics of “N’awlins” style cooking. In 1996, Jacques and his wife Amelia purchased the building at 8324 Oak Street in the Riverbend/Carrollton area of Uptown New Orleans. “We had sold a bar we owned and with that money we bought a house,” explains Jacques. “We had $8,000 left and figured it was enough to open our own place up with the rent paid for about a year. We hoped that after that point it would be making enough to pay most of its own bills. There was a song that the Dixie Cups had a hit with ‘Iko Iko,’ which is referred to as a Mardi Gras song. My original plan was to call it ‘Fi No Wan An Dey’ but it was too wordy. My friends said why not just call it Jock -a-mo and change the spelling to my name. I liked the idea and JacquesImo’s was named. Loosely translated it means jokester or jack-ass. Not that nice, but it looks and sounds good.” With a little help from the legendary Chef Austin Leslie (formerly of Chez Helene), a little creativity with the food dishes, and a lot of hard work, Jacques and Amelia now operate one of New Orleans most popular restaurants. It was with Chef Leslie that Jacques learned to create his fa-
E
mous soul inspired meals. Locals and tourists wait up to two hours nightly for a table while the reservation book (for parties of five or more) fills up weeks in advance. When asked why he thinks Jacques-Imo’s has had such great success he credits the cable food channels, “I think that the interest the public has on both eating healthier and using fresh ingredients, they’ve come to appreciate what we offer.” The most interesting part of getting a table is the walk from the bar through the kitchen to the dining patio where an eclectic assortment of brightly colored mismatched tablecloths meets you. Yep, you walk through the kitchen and although this is a happenstance of the building it actually heightens your senses (mainly hunger) to what you are about to be treated to. Even as Jacques tries to say that he’s a little shy, he saunters around talking animatedly to guests and sharing his generosity with both food and drink. In a town that celebrates almost anything, no greater celebration is held than the tribute to
Creole/Soul food and warm Southern Hospitality that Jacques Leonardi and the staff at Jacques-Imo’s provides on a daily basis. We started our meal with two appetizers. Quite honestly I have never been a super fan of grits (in any form), that is until I tried Jacques Fried Grits with Shrimp and Tasso Sauce. First tricolor peppers are sautéed then stirred into cooked grits with cheddar cheese. Grits are chilled and then cut into triangles and deep fried, topped with a buttery sauce of crawfish, sautéed corn, Tasso, and tri-color peppers and feta and cheddar cheeses. I believe the second appetizer is one of the most popular items on the menu… Shrimp and Alligator Sausage Cheesecake! My first thought was “it’s cheesecake, won’t that be awful sweet?” My next thought was “Um, alligator?” Oh, but my taste buds were in heaven and this was a savory cheesecake of cream cheese and smoked Gouda cheese, with onions, tri-color peppers, shrimp and alligator sausage, set in a bread-
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FRIED GRITS WITH SHRIMP AND TASSO SAUCE
8324 Oak Street New Orleans LA (504) 861-0886 Mon-Thurs 5pm-10pm Fri & Sat 5pm-10:30 www.Jacques-Imos.com
NOT FAMOUS SINCE 1996
crumb-Parmesan cheese crust and served with a sauce of tomatoes, basil and Creole mustard with reduced heavy cream. No sugar, not sweet, just really, really flavorful! This may sound weird, but the Alligator Cheesecake was so good I dream about it. Just as we were coming down from our cheesecake euphoria our dinners were brought out. Just a quick side note here… Each entrée comes with your choice of two sides and although they were wonderful I decided to focus on the main meals. And I really do mean wonderful, because as Jacques pointed out they use very fresh and in season ingredients. OK, now back to where I was going… Our Paned Rabbit with Shrimp-Tasso Pasta was delicious from the first bite of tender hind legs in a seasoned breading to the last bite of the pasta. In my opinion it’s pure genius serving it over shell pasta tossed with sautéed Julienned Tasso and shrimp with green onions, seasoning, and heavy cream. As hard as it was to pass the plate to for the next entrée, this was even harder to let go mainly because I had never had Carpetbagger Steak and I’m a huge fan of oysters. Our 10 ounce filet was butter-
PANED RABBIT WITH SHRIMP-TASSO PASTA flied, seasoned and grilled to perfectly to medium-rare and stuffed with poached oyster. A slice of red onion that was broiled with a layer of blue cheese and Tasso Hollandaise topped it off. This was such a rich and savory meal that I was hoping no one else would like it and I could enjoy it all to myself, but no such luck everyone felt the same way. I know, you’re thinking, “why the heck would you want to go all the way to NOLA to eat fried chicken,” but trust me we’re lucky to be close enough to drive because many aren’t! Jacques-Imo’s Famous Fried Chicken was perfected by Chef Austin Leslie and
Jacques makes sure that there is no deviation. Besides the hardship of trying to pick out just two sides because they are all that yummy, now you have to decide if you want White (2 breasts, 1 wing), Dark (2 legs, 2 thighs) or a Mix (leg, thigh, breast) that’s been breaded with a Worcestershire sauce and egg wash and served with fresh parsley, minced garlic, and ruffled dill pickle slices. I know… if this is the only hardship you have to deal with today you should be dancing in the street! Just don’t do it in front of the people waiting in line, they might think you’re rubbing it!
CARPETBAGGER STEAK
JACQUES-IMOS FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN
FEB 2016
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Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen (Danielle Moir, 2014) dogs. It was hot- the place was never adequately air conditioned- so people would wear jogging clothes and they’d run out, strip off their T-shirt, wring it out, then put it back on, come in and dance some more.” By Spike Perkins, Beat Street Magazine
From behind an unimposing façade on Oak Street in Uptown New Orleans, the Maple Leaf Bar has hosted a unique musical universe. Though it did not necessarily revolve around him, James Booker was at its center for a number of years. People would come to marvel at his musical brilliance and puzzle over his eccentricities. The Maple Leaf was also home (sometimes literally) to another brilliant eccentric, the poet Everette Maddox. The building itself had unusual configuration, perhaps best described by this writer in a review of Everette Maddox’s 1988 book Bar Scotch as, “…a long, smokefilled tunnel with pressed tin walls and ceiling, where blasts of zydeco accordion ricochet over the heads of dancing, sweating revelers to escape into the patio in back.”
It was commonplace to bounce between all four clubs, which had shows every weekend, without driving. In a sense the scene predated what now exists on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny.
In the 1970s, Cajun music was pretty much unknown to people in other parts of the country and to many in New Orleans. Maple Leaf ex- partner/ manager/talent booker John Parsons remembers, “People would come from other parts of the country and they couldn’t believe it. They’d never seen anything like that scene on Cajun night-people dancing in the street with their
It was Jazz Fest time, and Booker was scheduled to open for Ball and her band that night. Parsons picked Booker up Beausoleil, today the world’s best for the gig, and was telling him about the night’s headliner, known Cajun band, used “Marcia, with a ‘cia’”, to play Saturdays at the SUNDAY NIGHTS Booker bolted from thewhen car Maple Leaf at least once a month. Other bands that GREW FROM A MU- and didn’t show up until worked the Leaf regularly SIC SALON TO A SO- hours later. Parsons eventually realized he had set off in the early days included CIAL EVENT, A Booker’s phobia about bethe Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, Lil’ PLACE TO SEE AND ing pursued by the CIA. Queenie and Percolators, Parsons believes that BE SEEN. Bahamian artist Exuma, Booker started working the Radiators, and the regularly at the Leaf in 1976. zydeco artists John Delafose and RockHe had Tuesday nights until he disapin’ Dopsie. peared for two or three weeks and ParOut of town acts, like Texas-based sons had to book other acts. As it turned out, Booker was in the Parish pianist/singer Marcia Ball, were welPrison under an assumed name and come. Parsons remembers one early nobody could find him. After he got visit when she struck a chord on the out, Booker was given Mondays and Lil’ Queenie and the Skin Twins took over Tuesdays. Lil’ Queenie and the Skin Twins were the band that Leigh “Lil Queenie” Harris put together after her breakout act, the Percolators, came close to a national career and then broke up.
The Maple Leaf was the linchpin of a music scene that gathered momentum in the 1970s and exploded in the late 80s and early 90s. It mixed traditional Louisiana music genres with outside influences and helped nurture organic, familytype interaction and connections among musicians and music genres.
Bruce “Weasel” McDonald, to whom she was then married, was on guitar and John Magnie was playing keyboards and they all sang. McDonald was already a legend of Louisiana music, having played with Beausoliel’s Michael Doucet and Tommy Comeaux in Coteau and toured and recorded with Zachary Richard while still based in Lake Charles.
Though the Maple Leaf was the oldest and arguably the best-established, it should be noted that in those days the Carrollton area had four music clubs within walking distance of each other and this was part of what drove the scene. Also on Oak Street was Jed’s, which later, under new management, became Muddy Waters. On the corner of Willow and Dublin Streets were Jimmy’s Music Club and Carrollton Station.
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little spinet Booker played and said, “Wow, I’ve touched James Booker’s piano.”
Beausoleil (Rick Olivier, 2012)
Moving to New Orleans, he had joined George Porter Jr’s band, Joyride, soon after the breakup of the original Meters. The Skin Twins music was funky and eclectic and it was hard to believe that a band without bass and drums would have people up dancing, but dance they did.
The music at the Maple Leaf reached a real zenith in the late 80s. Booker was gone, but regular acts like Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Rockin’ Dopsie packed the dance floor most weekends and a new band, the Iguanas, landed a steady Sunday night gig. They were just beginning to build a following and define their sound. Eventually normally slow Sunday nights turned into a social event. Meanwhile, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Holsapple, a cult hero of the New Wave era, had moved to town and began playing solo at Carrollton Station on Sundays. Local musicians like John Magnie and his fellow subdudes, or Leigh Harris (Holsapple would eventually join her band, Mixed Knots), would come sit in with him and then head over to the Leaf to catch the Iguanas.
John Magnie, now with the Sub- Tommy’s brother, the Radiators’ dudes, recalls discovering the Maple Dave Malone, also feels a strong Leaf shortly after moving to New connection with the Leaf, “I have a Orleans, “I basically moved over to different perspective than the rest of that neighborhood because I found the band because I’m the only Radiout about the Maple Leaf, in 1974, ator (for whom) it was my neighborright after I moved to New Orleans. hood bar. The Maple Leaf was James Booker had just come back small, and it was always an intimate from Europe and was around there place for us to play. The people a lot, but another guy who was real were right in your face, and after big for me was Everette Maddox. years of playing big places, it’s a joy The place was full of creativity, to recollect playing those little bitty just from the crowd that hung out places. It’s special; it’s like playing in there and drank in the afternoon. I your living room.” think that’s why it nurtured good bands. Anytime you had an idea for Malone remember one Maple a band, you Leaf expericould go in there ence with BEAUSOLEIL, TODAY THE and play, and less than then you got the WORLD’S BEST KNOWN CAJUN warm and bar tab, and it’s BAND, USED TO PLAY ON fuzzy feellike, ‘how much SATURDAYS AT THE MAPLE ings- the do we owe for time he was playing t o - LEAF AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH nearly elecnight?’” trocuted, no He also remembers hearing Tom- doubt before the later upgrades of my Malone for the first time at the the club’s electrical system, “It’s the Leaf. “… he was probably about one place in my entire career--26 18, (playing) with Kurt Kassen. He years with the Radiators-- that I had a Dan Hicks-type band, with almost died on stage. I think there girl back-up singers. It was like was a rainstorm and the electricity as country-jazz. I was impressed.” messed up, and nobody checked the Magnie and Malone have now (electrical) ground between my amp worked together for nearly forty and the microphone. So I stepped years, first with Lil’ Queenie and up to the mic and it arced, about Percolators and currently with the two inches of lightning burned my lip. Got knocked flat on my ass, but Subdudes. I finished the gig.”
Sunday night grew from a music salon to a social event, a place to see and be seen. Soon the Iguanas’ shows were packed with beautiful people and rumors of celebrities. Bassist Rene Coman remembers, “People would go there expecting to see some celebrities drop by, like Springsteen dropped by one time and sat in with us, or rumors got around that Garth Brooks was there. It would be three in the morning, and they wouldn’t want to go home—it would be like, ‘where do you people go, what do you do, doesn’t anybody have to work in the morning?’” Another great band associated with the Maple Leaf in those days was the Song Dogs. Spearheaded by Bruce McDonald, they played all original music and combined veteran musicians with some talented newcomers. The Song Dogs developed a huge following very quickly, becoming favorites at the Leaf and everywhere else they played, including early out of town gigs. They
RIGHT: James Booker performing at the Maple Leaf Bar; The Classified Album Release; 1983 (Scott Billington)
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put out a local record on their own and came close to signing a national deal. They were a huge rumbling ball of creativity, energy, and dissension. But there were just STEAMMAGAZINE.NET too many internal conflicts, and the band just couldn’t stay together.
The Maple Leaf continues to roll on and nurture new, up and coming bands, like Sexual Thunder, and old friends George Porter Jr Trio, the Rebirth Brass Band, and Jon Cleary’s Absolute Monster Gentlemen among others. The bar also helped pioneer “breakfast shows”, starting at 2 AM or later during Jazz Fest and Carnival, that many of the other clubs in town emulated. Over the course of forty years, the Maple Leaf can take credit for many firsts in the music scene in New Orleans. The sense of creativity and eccentricity that attracted the musicians back in the beginning and its two great muses, James Booker and Everette Maddox, live on in story, song and spirit. *Republished and updated with permission from Beat Street Media and Stephen Novak (spyboy4u.com)
THE MAPLE LEAF BAR 8316 Oak Street, NOLA 504-866-9359 www.mapleleafbar.com Facebook.com/mapleaf.oak Twitter.com @ mapleleafnola
Release dates are subject to change, and often do.
**Release dates and Parental Ratings are subject to change, and often do.**
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