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Wavelength Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies

12-1983

Wavelength (December 1983)

Connie Atkinson University of New Orleans

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HRISTMAS ~ BLOWOUT-+---+­ ____-- SAL E-+--+---+----+:

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2 W AVELENG1lll DECEMBER ISSUE N0.38 DECEMBER 1983 dial ISSN 074 1-2460 direct "/"m not sure, but I"m almost positive, that all music came from New Orleans. · · for all your -Ern ie K-Doe, 1979 christmas

Cover by Bu nny Mauhews gifts-send Wavelength to all your friends table of contents all year! F~nu~ ...... 504-895-2342 Mint Condition Jazz by Virginia Levie ...... 14 Call today and we'll Christmas Music send them a card by Vincent Fumar & Almost Slim 16 row Guitar Slini tomor by Almost Slim ...... 18 Bernadette Karrigan What could be a by Bob Rand~ ! ...... 21 better gift for your James Booker by Bunny Matthews & Jon Foose . 24 music-loving friends Steve Masakowski or family, here 1n by Y o~ke Corbin ...... 30 town or far away? Departments ...... _ December News ...... 4 Just charge it to Swamp Pop your Visa or Master­ by rico ...... 7 charge or send $10 Classical for each subscrip­ by Gilbert Hetherwick ...... 9 tion to Wavelength Cinema by Jon Newlin ...... 10 P.O. Box 15667 Reviews ...... 13 N.O. LA 70175 listings ...... 34 Classifieds ...... 41 Last Page ...... 42

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W AVELEN G1Hl DECEMBER 3 december news

Jackson spent more time away from Senator Russell Long convened a New Orleans than in it, his playing group of corporate lumber always reflected the traditional representatives. He pointed out the sound of his birthplace. He was merits a folklife pavilion would buried in Chicago. have to the people of the state and - Almost Slim to their own corporate prestige. He got some nibbles, interest at the Fair staff revived, and Jean Lafitte A Day Park put up the initial funds necessary to hold a site in the In The Fulton Street warehouse section. Folklife The wheels were in motion but the project still had a major The Folklife Pavilion at the 1984 drawback-no full-time director. In World's Fair got lucky this summer November, Missouri folklorist Jane when Mrs. Russell Long vis~ted a Bergey came on to head the pro­ special Smithsonian exhibition with ject. In addition to programming a large French folkways section. folkways for the St. Louis Gateway Surely, there would be something for the last several years, she is also like that at the Louisiana World experienced with a little known , Exposition? segment of Acadian immigrants, 8 Not necessarily. Though an ac­ the French speakers of southern Does Takee Outee sell guitar picks? tive steering committee had been Missouri. Boogie Bill's formed in May and people like The folklife exhibition intends to a string early in the number, The Nick Spitzer, Louisiana Folklife offer a rich mix of traditional Video Voyage Blues Rockers sustained the groove Program manager, had been music. Plans are for rwo stage with Mason improvising Chuck beating the bushes since 1981 for areas, one with a 400-person Down Bourbon St. Berry licks to the delight of his the sponsorship, so far no help had capacity and another smaller, more Mter Cox Cable capped the first older cohorts. Bill and Slim's solo been forthcoming. This was true, intimate setting. With about four­ installment of its Music City video performance was wonderfull eccen­ despite the wild success of a similar teen performances a day, the documentary series with a live tric, with Slim blowing wild to exhibition sponsored by Stokely musical focus will shift from wee~ recording of bluesman Boogie Bill Boogie Bill's classic offbeat meter Van Camp at the Knoxville Fair. to week. Some theme weeks under Webb and Mason Ruffner at The and authentic back porch Ninth Money was needed fast to ensure consideration include a Delta blues Absinthe Bar. Time Saver Stores, Ward vocalizing. space. Otherwise, Louisiana's uni­ week, old time fiddling, East Texas Inc., sponsor of the program, "You know, this is the first time que living heritage, including tradi­ music and zydeco. donated a copy of the series to the I've ever been down here to Bour­ tional music, would have to be In addition to music, the exhibi­ Jazz Archives of Tulane University's bon Street," Bill said. "I was sup­ sandwiched in with other entertain­ tion will include storytellers, in­ Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. posed to be leaving for Europe this ment programs, as space, funds digenous food, architecture, accor­ Bill Groome, General Manager of morning, but I had a funny feeling and inclination allowed. It was dion makers, weavers and more. CCNO presented the series of thir­ about it, something just didn't set looking grim. According to Bergey, space has teen tapes to Kurt Jerde, Curator right. But I'm glad I came down Mrs. Long communicated her been staked out and the official of the Jazz Archives and long­ here to play with these boys concern to her husband. The steer­ announcement of sponsors is just standing member of the New instead." -nco ing committee put together a five­ around the corner. The envelope, Orleans musical community. minute tape/slide presentation and please. - Virginia Levie Walter Brock and John Scheuer­ man were there representing Preston Jackson, WWOZ-FM (which simulcasts the Trombonist, performances every Wednesday night) and the local musicians Dies At 81 union, respectively. "A royalty con­ New Orleans jazz trombonist tract has been established that will Preston Jackson died November 12 directly benefit the featured musi­ at the age of 81. Jackson died in cians every time these shows are Blytheviile, Arkansas, of heart aired," added CCNO 2 Executive failure while on tour with Kid Producer Jim Gabour, "which Sheik's Jazz Band. Born in 1903, could mean substantial dividends Jackson studied trombone under for the players if we secure an ar­ Honore Dutrey (who played with rangement for European distribu­ King O liver) and Roy Palmer, tion of the series. We were also before moving to Chicago in 1917. lucky to have taped James Booker Jackson recorded in 1923 with Ben­ at the Maple Leaf Bar just a few ny Young's Band and later with weeks ago, which was his last Erskine Tate. During the 1930s, he recorded performance. ' ' recorded and toured with Louis The November 4 Absinthe Bar Armstrong and later with Jimmie taping was an interesting study in Noone. Jackson also played on "ii blues tradition, which has often Johnny Dodds' last recording ses­ 0 Anson Funderbwgh and Darrell Nulisch: Rocketry 'n' roll. been handed down from older sion in 1940. From the Forties un­ black players to younger white til the late Sixties, Jackson led his guitarists on the contemporary own jazz band. By the early Seven­ Texas Rockers: lot more fun to get lost in. Once scene. A slight generation gap was ties, Jackson had stopped playing you get sucked under by its cosmic apparent when Boogie Bill and his altogether because of poor circula­ Six Strings, current of magic music, you may accompanying harmonica player, tion and health. However, he mov­ Not Six-Shooters never be seen again. Slim, joined Mason and the Blues ed to New Orleans where the A staggering number of great Rockers for a few numbers. A warmer climate revitalized him and Everybody knows about The Ber­ rocking R&B and blues artists c:ame satisfactory take of "Johnny B. he returned to music, playing with muda Triangle, but there's another from the South Texas/Louisiana Goode" was eventually recorded, Kid Sheik and other groups at one that extends from Austin to region: Slim Harpo, Juke Boy Bon· however. Even though Bill popped Preservation Hall. Even though Galveston to Baton Rouge that's a ner, Albert Collins and many 4 WAVELENGTIIl DECEMBER others. Great guitarists like Sam boring time-space continuum called "Lightnin' " Hopkins of Center­ "life'.'? When was the last time ville worked the small clubs of the you laughed in the face of ar­ area with his insightful everyday rhythmia or hyperventilation by songs and smoky voice. Mance working up a real lowdown Lipscomb, farmer, fingerpicker ex­ American funk froth to some high­ traordinaire, equally facile with a volume diddy-bop? Bet it's been a boogie, ballad or ranting rag while unless you belong to one of played around Navasota, Texas for those signifyin' churches. Well, over fifty years. The Bayou Prairie calibrate your compass, baby, the has always spawned passionate Leroi Brothers will be in town players, from the days ofT-Bone January 1984. Bring your own life Walker and Pee Wee Crayton right insurance, nitroglycerin pills, ox­ up to Johnny Winter and ZZ Top. ygen tank, maps and navigation Thankfully that tradition lives on devices. in Texas club bands like Anson -nco Funderburgh and The Rockets, The Leroi Brothers and The Cold Cuts. The Rockets and The Cold Cuts have both released albums on New Jumbo Makes Orleans' Black Top Records, while RICO Way For Fishnet the I..eroi Brothers have a debut LP Mason Ruffner and Li'IJunior One Hand: Exiled from the Bayou Pnirie. on Amazing Records (also issued The old AI Hirt club has been on Jungle) and a mini LP schedul­ talking blues that somewhat has nothing to do with the British converted recently into the Moulin ed for release on, believe it or not, chauvinistically warns the Invasion, synthesizers, men who Rouge for Las Vegas style shows, CBS. Jackie Newhouse, former "mature" man about the perils of wear dresses, or Men At Work, complete with showgirls and Rocket bassist, now works the bot­ 'Junior High JuJu," "Tatde with or without their respective enough fishnet to wrap Manhattan. tom for the I..erois, an electrified Tail," and "Scum Puppy." Hats. Safety Dance? Heh, heh. The current production from NYC, quartet I quintet of blast furnace The Leroi Brothers play wild, No, more like a Danger Dance and Follies on Broadway, gaily splices blues rockers. They contrast rather screaming, full blown, open-the­ don't forget the Absorbine, Irene. together motifs from Guys and sharply with the sophisticated ice corral-gate-and-let-the-stampede­ The Leroi Brothers have an Dolls, Fiddler On The Roof, My house cool of Anson and The begin rock 'n' roll music. They are album called Check This Action Fair Lady and jesus Christ Superstar Rockets, who played November 18 not brothers and none of them is that is as furious, joyous and concluding with an amazing disco at the Maple Leaf Bar. named Leroi. Before they acquired downright demented as a rock 'n' version of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Hundreds of bands can play Otis a bass player, they were the world's roll record is likely to get in this, In between shows in the back Rush's "All Your Love," for exam­ greatest garage band. (Real garage the final quarter of the twentieth bar, Decatur Street's own Becky ple, but few can interpret his chop­ bands don't have bass players, real century (to borrow a phrase from Allen, with Harry Mayronne on py guitar phrasing or plaintive garage bands have two electric Tom Robbins who would no doubt piano, deliver the cheeky, lascivious vocal yearning with such a satisfy­ guitars and a great drummer like dig this band if he ever heard and altogether good-natured at­ ing accuracy as Funderburgh and Mike Buck.) Now we can envision them). Their upcoming mini J,.P mosphere of Storyville gone by, in Co. When they shift mid-song them practicing in the dining reponedly contains a version of Roy songs and soft shoe shuffle. from a jerky tango beat to their room: "Mom, you better move the Head's "Treat Her Right" that has Evidently, the lure of greasepaint trademark shuffle, you can sense china cl~t, ~e longhorns are caused several heart attacks among was enough to make AI Hirt that here is a band with a finger loose agam .. . privileged insiders. The Beaumont bypass his much publicized qualms firmly on the pulse of the blues A reviewer in the Washington Triangle is a very dangerous region. about the French Quarter, as he heartbeat. Post called their sound "half Now how often do we get to was seen catching the second show Meal The Cold Cuts is a not-so­ rhythm and half lust." Their music flin with death in this repeatedly of the Follies in November. recent release that is more than a little schizophrenic. The tunes can be neatly divided between straight ahead rock-ability tunes from Collect 'Em All bassist Kenny Bobo and jazzy blues from guitarists Jimmy Don Smith R. Crumb, the legendary San and Little Junior One Hand. Francisco counter­ Although they make great live culture/underground cartoonist, ar­ dance songs, the rockers are not ex­ tist and musical archivist of some traordinary cuts. They could fit stature, has inaugurated the well on any Top Fony radio sta­ Eighties in classic high times style. tion's playlist, which may well be The introduction of Crumb's the reason for their inclusion on Heroes of the Blues trading cards the album. The real gems here are in 1980 brought his patented ec­ "Little Junior's Sleepwalk" and centric neo-realism and ironic sense 'Jailbait." of humor to bear on the likenesses Little Junior One Hand (a.k.a. of some 36 early blues greats. The Freddie Cisneros) is well known selections span the well-known and around the Texas R&B scene as a the nearly forgotten-from Blind versatile white-haired guitarist who Lemon Jefferson and Skip James to can switch from blasting rock to Charley Patton and William Moore. mellow jazz at the drop of a hat. The Early Jazz Greats series His most recent New Orleans gigs followed in 1982, highlighted by a as one of Allen Haynes' Step­ change from his famous cartoon children have given us lots of the style to a new populist watercolor former, but "Little Junior's Sleep­ pomait idiom. From a grinning walk" leans heavily on the latter. Louis Armstrong holding his It also epitomizes the high quality trumpet and a natty, pensive Earl nuance and expression. Reportedly, Buy R. Crumb trading cards and production to be found on this Hines with hands in his pockets, to next in the trading card series, due take stock in America's cultural album. the quiet look on New Orleans to be finished next year, is R. heritage. Priced at $6.95 and Jimmy Don Smith has the most clarinetist Johnny Dodds' face and Crumb on hillbilly stars. postage, you can get 'em from lecherous voice in rock 'n' roll and the detachment and resignation on Impress your friends, confound Yazoo Records /24 5 Waverly 'Jailbait" puts that gravel-laced the visage of King Oliver, Crumb your adversaries, surprise your Place/New York N.Y. 10014. growl in perfect context. It is a has caught a whole new strain of neighbors at parties and Christmas! -William D. White

WAVEI.ENGDIJ DECEMBER 5 imprimatur of Mrs. Alice Byrd, Longhair's widow, who wanted to donate her husband's gold teeth and sunglasses to the project. Robichaux, however, nixed the idea, figuring that some of the wilder inhabitants of the Mighty 13th Ward would make off with the teeth and shades within hours of the sculpture's dedication. Likewise, the bust of Mr. "Ball The Wall" will be very implanted in place. Some people, unfor­ tunately, have got no respect. -Gianlorenzo Bernini Ernie The Whip Dies, 'Never Bought A Drink' Prof. Longhair Ernest Bringier, who came to be known in New Orleans radio circles ]) In Bronze as "Ernie The Whip," died this 8 Although none of his own past month in Los Angeles, of New Orleans: Homeplate of the Blues records were ever issued in gold­ heart failure. He was in his early plated versions, a bronze bust of sixties according to his one-time " I think the key to our victory Henry R. Byrd, better known as radio associate Larry McKinley. Er­ Big Bang/ W aka was the way we physically punished Professor Longhair, will soon grace nie The Whip began his broad­ Waka Smash Back­ the opposing squad," boasted the Napoleon Avenue neutral casting career on WMRY in the BBWW co-captain Vernon "Sticky ground, just outside the door at early Fifties playing R&B records. beats/ Red Rockers Fingers" Rome, "you see, we own­ Tipitina's. (He also owned a body shop on ed all the baseball gloves, and we The bust, designed and ex­ Marcin Luther King Blvd. were Lee On November 13, 1983, the were nice enough to let them use ecuted by artist Coco Robichaux Dorsey was discovered.) Blatz Beer thirty-three-inch deluxe girls' our gloves when we were up to (who has been responsible for was a regular sponsor of his pro­ model aluminum bat of white bat. But just before tossing them many of Tipitina's more uanscen­ gram ("All the .cats are switching American reggae pinged resoun­ our gloves between innings, we'd dental posters and brochures over to Blatz, all the kittens too") and dingly against the softballed head each slip in a few upholstery tacks the years), will be cast in a new he became one the city's most of white American pop rock. Sun­ from a stash in our respective foundry deep within the Ozone popular black radio personalities. day 13 was the fateful day that the jocksuaps. Everybody except Tracey Belt and dedicated at a celebration " It was amazing how popular Ernie Big Bang/Waka Waka softball " Butch" Williams, that is, she us­ on Sunday, December 18 (the was," recalls Larry McKinley. " He powerhouse whupped upside the ed caramel danish. I don't think day-or evening-before Fess' never had to buy a drink in a bar head of a spirited, but outclassed, they ever caught on." birthday). or a restaurant. He was a true per­ young Backbeat/Red Rocker team Possibly the most outstanding Robichaux worked from sonality in the era when personality by a score of 13 to 2. performance that day was by um­ numerous photographs of the late was as important as music was to The BBWW hit machine was pire Rico " Eagle Eye" Esquela who Longhair to create his sculpture radio.'' He was buried in Los piloted by Big Bang percussionist nailed nine exacting split-second and the work bears the personal Angeles. -Almost Slim George "Slugger" Terzis, whose calls, two questionable decisions, homer-bashing prowess was surpass­ and one out-and-out mistake. ed only by his rifle-shot left field BBRR left fielder Paul " Hothaid" arm to second and his ability to Sanchez vehemently objected to Es­ meaningfully converse with teenage quela's close calls, but the steel­ girls in colorful knit tops. BBRR willed and almost-composed arbiter pitcher Vance DeGeneres had a fair held fum. "Ju get back on Jeff feel day signing autographs but a or my cousing weel cut leetle peeg disaster on the mound. As the day tail off ju head neck, Pedro!'' wore on his lofting literally shouted the excitable alien in ir­ " degenerated" into cannon fodder reparably broken English. ''Now for the power packed BBWW r.b.i. we take peek-chur ... " howitzers. Several of the BBWW - nco top sticks used the November Wavelength cover photo of Degeneres (shot by umpire Rico Es­ A Nasty Letter quela) for a batting target in their To The Editor fiery pre-game pepper sessions. " We came to play ball and soil To the Editor: reputations,'' growled the spliffing I would like to thank Vance slugge~s . ''Why am I not having DeGeneres for his statements con­ all the fun in the world?" mut­ cerning our band, Nasty Nasty. We ]) tered the determined pitcher. are now devoted Backbeats fans 0 0 The BBRR offense never and look forward, with much in the studio to watch history materialized, even after a eagerness, to their next record. The Who Dat Say begin made. The participants in miraculous base hit by right fielder publicity was appreciated and if Who Dat? the hottest local seller in recent Fred " Dread" LeBlanc. " Hey Wavelength ever does a cover story memory were (bottom row) Steve Dreddymon, you have wasted yoar or an interview with us, we will be By now, we 've all heard Steve Monistere, Carlo Nuccio, Aaron yout' awaey listening to Bo Did­ sure to return the favor. Maybe for Monistere's grid-iron hit, "Who Neville, Ron "Pit BuJl" Swoboda; delly recoards, mon,'' taunted the the cover of their next album, they Oat?" (the song that finally (top row) B.R. Waymer (with opposing bench in fake Rastafari could write "Censored" across the vaulted New Orleans music to the mike), Brad Edelman, John Hill, accents. "Your mothers like Ozzy front cover and it would sell out ... front page of the Times-Picayune) Reggie Lewis, Louis Oubre and Art Osborne!" squealed the BBRR Thanx Again! Sincerely, but only a chosen few were actually Neville. cheerleaders in frenzied retott. Nasty Nasty 6 WA VELENGTIII DECEMBER swamp pop BY RICO RHYTHM &BLUES IN NEW CAJUN COLLECTIBLES ORLEANS by John Broven T~red of paying ord labels which have preserved some of Louisiana's most important local e~«Wbitant prices for music for the past few decades . Hop­ lml.lslana collectible ing to meet this somewhat legendary NOW IN records? A sbort trip producer, I called ahead to announce my visit, but to no avail : " Well , I'm PAPERBACK down tbe blgbway going with my family to the camp this }'rom New Orleans week"end, podna, sorry but I won't be lmCOVerS a treasure around the store," he explained in a $9.95 slight French accent , " we're gonna of Louisiana bits, barbeque and maybe watch the ball ­ all under one roof. game, you know, just take it easy and 249 p ages spend some time out in the woods.'' 100 B&W photographs e you sick and tired of walking Yep, Mr. Floyd is definitely a Cajun. Appendix nto your favorite local record Once you hit town, it's almost im­ Pelican Publishing Co. Altore to find it's been converted possible to not find the store; it is into a jazzercise boutique full of huf­ literally a Ville Platte landmark. It "Ever since its publication. ..John Broven's book has had the status of fing ladies and a lonely Pomeranian? contains the obligatory large screen being a rare book, one cherished by those about whom it is written cheap Japanese and coveted by those who have copies." Tired of paying exorbitant prices at us­ TVs, burglar bars, New Orleans Times-Picayune ed record stores for untouched vinyl guitars and Michael Jackson posters, collectibles? ("Well, that $25 single but all that modern junk is worth This classic volume traces the careers and songs of t he major R&B of Myron Floren doing ''Cherry Pink tolerating once the sales girl hands you artists, as well as peripheral activities of the New Orleans music in­ and Apple Blossom White' ' was on the singles catalogue. dustry. Featured are the significant contributions of Fats Domino, pink vinyl in a white velveteen Many record buyers today don't buy Ray Charles, Professor Longhair, Huey "Piano" Smith, Little sleeve," you mutter in a feeble at­ the humble 45rpm single simply be­ Richard and many others. tempt at justification.) Have your last cause of its inconvenience on current Available t hrough your local bookstore or send a check for 9.95 plus five garage sale outings netted nothing quartz-locked direct drive high tech 2.00 for postage and handling to WAVELENGTH , P.O. Box 15667, New more than another copy of Mantovani turntables, but often these little discs Orleans LA 70175. Live at Mt. Rushmore? Then it's time contain not one, but two great tun<'s for you to hit a real record store, chere, for only $1.89! For example, if you one like Floyd's in Ville Platte. Ville need a copy of Rod Bernard's ''This Platte is about a three-hour drive from Should Go On Forever,'' and you buy - ----" New Orleans via I-10 to Baton Rouge Jin's Golden Oldie 1001, you get AT WERLEIN'S THE SP SERIES and LA 190 to Opelousas. When the Jivin' Gene's "Breaking Up Is Hard political posters start to say things like To Do" (not the Neil Sedaka song) ~~ "La La Leloux for Assessor," you 'II on the flipside, another swamp pop .. /. know you're getting close. classic. Same thing with Dale a nd Floyd 's Record Store offers what is Grace's ''I'm Leaving It All Up To probably the largest selection of Loui­ You," which is backed with the siana records to be found in the world similarly beautiful "Stop and Think under one shingled roof. From John­ It Over"; the Sir Douglas Quintet's me Allan to Buckwheat Zydeco, if you debut hit, "She's About A Mover" can't find it at Floyd's, then get out the Go/dmine and start savi ng pen­ nies, you're in for a real hunt. Floyd Soileau is the man behind this "Na­ uonally Advertised" store and also the man behind the Swallow and Jin rec-

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W AVELENG1HI DECEMBER 7 Ultra onic b/w Huey Meaux's wonderful " The Wilson. Dave does some rather off· Rains Came"; or Bobby Bland's beat skits like "Chickens, Girl Scouts " Turn On Your Love Light" b/w "I and Farming" and " Furniture Dis­ Pity The Fool' ' - the list goes on and eases.'' If your taste runs toward the , on. Great tunes for under a dollar more risque form of comedy and you ~ tudio apiece and you don' t have to wade have a good working knowledge of through all that flotsam to be found Cajun French, check out the two None NEW ORLEANS' FINEST RECORDING STUDIO on your average long-player. With a Helaire albums. If you don't have a It's no secret that the best sounding records tape-recorder you can make your own good knowledge of Cajun French, the are made at Ultrasonic. And no wonder­ greatest hits compilations by artist, "Conversational Cajun French" book comfortable surroundings, state of the art genre, location, or time period. Of and cassette tapes may be the ticket equipment, knowledgeable people and course, some flip sides really stink like for your trip to linguistic Louisiana. It Billy Swan's somnambulistic version of halps, I mean helps, to have a good years of experience. "Don't Be Cruel," or? and the Mys­ teacher to go along with the tapes, to Now- Digital mixdown at no extra charge. terians' "I Can't Get Enough Of You tell your couion from your cochon and 7210 Washington Avenue New Orleans, La. 70125 504 486-4873 Baby, '' but if you just gotta have ''I things like that. AJI these various items Can Help" and "96 Tears" you take can be had by mail order; send for a the bad with the good. catalog at P.O. Box 10, Ville Platte, Many of Floyd's compilation al­ LA 70586. bums are near-full with contagious If you can make it through Floyd's cuts like J in LP900 1, one of the very without completely draining the ole popular Golden Dozen series. With pocketbook, you might want to stick this one you get both Dale and Grace around Ville Platte for some down hits, Rufus Jagneaux's novelry classic home grub and entertainment. The "Opelousas Sostan" ("I can-nyeer de Pig Shack has pretty good seafood juke box play, alon avec mois, bon ton right on the main drag a few blocks roule!"), Tommy McClain's tender up from Floyd's, and after tanking up " Sweet Dreams," Bobby Charles' on a Saturday night you can get direc· S1ln ... Senlce ... 1nltructl01 "One More Glass of Wine," and the tions from anybody around on the The Oily sltop 11 this 11'11 dediCited exclusively to ultimate Cajun wedding reception best route to Slim's y.l(j.l(j for a wild Dru••rs I Dn••ll song, "Mathilda" by Cookie and the night of two-step abandon to some of AU .... Bnlds e C.plete Taclll11 F1ciHUa e C•llltHive Prlcls Cupcakes. Even Elvis Costello owns the area's best zydeco bands. If there these records, so take his word for it, were only some way of exporting all it's cool. this rural charm to an oft-jaded met· BIG CHRISTMAS SALE IN PROGRESS Floyd's has lots of Cajun humor ropolis like New Orleans ... maybe we records. Insiders will choose Dave Pet­ could talk Floyd into opening a branch 2013 WILLIAMS BLVD. 466-8484 tijean's hilarious LPs over that red­ store in the Crescent City. Nah, it just neck-in-coonass' -clothing, Justin wouldn't be the same. • BY GILBERT HE1HERWICK ¢· Lace Your Ho11day With Extra Spices LET'S GET CLASSICAL! From The Symphony!

You're thrilled by uninitiated classical consumer to Saturday December 3 the great begin. Rich Little 1. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos as sympliem es, and recorded by Nikolaus Harnoncourt Joins you'd love play (Telefunken 2635620). Excellent The Big Orchestra them at bome~ut recording and very spirited playing on original instruments. There are many the classical section good recordings of the Branden burgs December 9 oflOfW recm-tl sto but for my money none can quite A Program of overwhelms you stand up to this. (For the hopelessly Holiday Favorites Here,s some insatiable audio nuts, this recording is not only digital but is also a direct featuring the Philharmonic suggestio on metal master and should prove to be Symphony getting )!OUr own very impressive, even to you!). Chorus & Children's Chorus 2. Holst's "The Planets" as record­ classtpal collection ed by Herbert Von Karajan and the started. Berlin Philharmonic (Deutsche Gram­ December 16, 17 mophon 2532019). For those seeking uying your first classical record­ BIG recordings you usually can't go New Orleans Symphony ings can be a little like diving in­ wrong with the Boys from Berlin. Presents Bto a pool without testing the When a lot of power is needed behind Amahl and the Night Visitors water's temperature. What may first a piece of music , no one can surpass look like a pleasant experience could Karajan. The Holst recording is only in fact turn out to be a shock. Let's one small part of a huge catalogue of face it, walking into a record store and performances. For Beethoven, Richard being confronted with several hundred Strauss, or any other grandiose pieces, ~· artistically packaged (and expensively Karajan and Berlin are the perfect December 20, 21 stickered) album covers can be ex­ choice. Stay away from the chamber Production of tremely confusing. What looks like music and the Baroque where they Handel's Messiah God's gift to the turntable on the out­ often sound like elephants in the china side may send you running for the re- shop. If you're interested in breaking ject button. Then you're faced with your lease, check out their recording filing the album away (never to be of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony played again) and wondering whether (DG 2532015). December 22 it's possible to stop payment on your 3. Any of the recordings of the check! Fortunately there are a few Mozart symphonies by The Academy Shari Lewis solutions. ofAncient Music on the L 'Oiseau-Lyre Guest Conducts There are several first class label. This is the series of records magazines that feature reviews of which Time magazine reviewed as the Orchestra classical recordings. Probably the two "the best of the year," with good (accompanied by best are Fanfare and Gramophone. reason. It is an expensive group of Fanfare comes out every two months records {there are seven sets, three to two old friends: and although it sometimes runs a lit­ four records a set), but if you have the Lamb Chop and tle behind on new releases, it contains cash it is well worth it. Volume six the old kangaroo enough information {it looks like a contains what are probably the more small novel) to keep you reading for popular symphonies, but there pro­ on violin) at least the next sixty days. Gramo­ bably isn't a bad groove in the entire phone is a more traditional-looking twenty-three record series. Sell your car Rich Little - $10-$18 magazine, printed in England. Since and buy them all! Shari Lewis - $7-$14 many new releases appear there first , 4. Vaughan Williams, an orchestral Three Programs - $4-$14 it is an excellent way to jump the gun collection performed by Neville Mar­ on new recordings. riner and the Academy ofSt. Martin ­ Also available from England is the in-the-Fields. (Argo zrg 696). Perfect Penguin Guide to Stereo Recordings. music for your Walkman in Audubon Symphony Christmas Extravaganza This is the most helpful book I have Park. Rolling English countrysides at ever come across in choosing classical their best. Sunrise at Stonehenge. Andrew Massey Conducting music . It is comprehensive, well writ­ Castles on the Thames. You get the ten, simply laid out, and very objec­ idea ... now get the record. Marriner is tive in the writers' approach to review­ perfect for this kind of thing. Practical­ *All Concerts at 8 p.m. - Orpheum Theatre ing the material. The writers tend to ly anything with strings. His Four Tickets now on sale at Orpheum Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations 525-0500 sucss the positive aspects of what is Seasons by Vivaldi (Argo 654) still available instead of hacking away at stands above the many fine perfor­ what they don't like. This book is mances as the best by far . available through Polygram Special 5. The Unknown Kurt Wezll. Imports. If they don't stock it in the (Nonesuch 79019). Rare songs per­ store where you shop, they should be formed flawl essly by Teresa Stratas. able to order it for you. This may be my favorite vocal record For those of you who don't feel like of the last couple of years. If you think researching for the recordings that you hate classical vocal recordings, you match your taste I have compiled the owe it to yourself to check this out. following list of records, which I Absolutely wonderful songs including believe are good places for the a great attack on the Shell Oil Com- W AVEI.ENGTHI DECEMBER 9 ~ THEBWE ~ pany, the album is a perfect first step the Richter (DG 2709045). There are into the world of vocalizing. None­ excerpts available on single discs of all such, by the way,. has changed their the above performances. So much for whole approach to record releasing in Christrnas ... Happy New Year! the last couple of years and is now fast 7. If you must buy a copy of the becoming the classiest label produced Pachelbel Canon there are some things in the U.S. They are no longer con­ you need to know. 1. No two perfor­ JoHN GARY tent at just being a good budget label mances are alike. Everyone who (WED) DEC 14-(SAT) DEC 24 but now stress high quality perfor­ records this piece seems to take dif­ mances and good recordings (as well ferent liberties with it. They stick as record surfaces) while still emphasiz­ strings, flutes, oboes or whatever, in ing the presentation of the more all the corners and generally treat the unusual and lesser known musical whole thing as if it were the final works. chorus in "Take The A Train." 2. The 6. With Christmas coming up, I one that was used in Ordinary People thought I would use this space to was the RCA recording (FRLl-5468). recommend what I consider to be the 3. The only one which is the original best recordings of Tchaikowksy 's Nut­ arrangement (that I know of) is the cracker and Handel's Messiah. There Academy of Ancient Music recording are several good Nutcrackers as well as on L'Oiseau-Lyre (594). This one is my Messiahs. For the Nutcracker, try An­ favorite but will tend to make some dre Previn's on Angel (3788 or 36990 people gag since it is only performed for the suite only), or the Dorati recor­ on three violins and a keyboard. It ding on Phillips (6747257 or 9500697 does not sound like the G.E. light for the suite only). For The Messiah, bulb commercial, Ordinary People , or SAM BuTERA BILLy PRESTON try the Marriner (Argo Dl8D3), the a quick ride up to the fifteenth floor! (MON) DEC 26-(TUE) JAN 3 Colin Davis (Phillips SC71AX300), or •

Blue Room Reservations 529-4744. Cocktails & dinner/ • dancing to the B11l Clifford Orchestra. Entertainment cmema BY JON NEWllN charge. Shows nightly 9:00 and 11:00 except Sunday. THE FAIRMONT HOTEL ::e: OTHER FAIRMONT HOTELS IN SAN FRANCISCO, DALLAS AND DENVER -- HOliDAY TURKEYS DIAl Gift' rx'oua ithout seeming too hastily Why movies will TO YOU oracular about it, I think we never replac~oyster atp .. ad W can go right on and ftle 1983 away as a perfectly wretched year for dressing or eggnog ... movies (not just American ones, ei­ wtt~ d dtlsb of Wild SAVE ISO ther)-it's the reverse of a benchmark, Oil ..., whatever that is, and although I've x..,-,.,ey... and some advaaced. tried to be careful about what crimes­ no onMatt llooldag against-vision I inflict on myself, you Dillo , unuel, simply can't win. Just about the only tamed ill CALL US FOR YOUR MUSIC • heartening trend (for lack of a more James Bo~R:.,.nd the byDec.31 BLUES • CAJUN • cacw • co• endearing term) seems to be that Am­ generally depress'ing 'l'BMPOI.ARY • JAZZ OllOIIBI­ erican movies are recovering some of state of the world. their sense of humor. Almost every TitA • POP • R lc B •IEOOAB. one of the enjoyable American pic­ aocl AI.TJS.l'S tures this year have been comedies: WBiA.~lJSlLILQODL]) ___ construction) even gets into the act Vacation and Eating Raoul and Tra­ with a Poverty Row wit that is what ding Places and Easy Money, and even is missing from sombre horrors like Zelig, are all beady-eyed, over­ Vtdeodrome, The House on Sorority burdened with conceit, goofy-gro­ Row (any picture with that title should tesque to point of luxuriance, all one­ be a natural-just like Rita Mae note-sambas, period pieces for the age Brown's feminist body-count glory, of Reganomics. Even their tides have Slumber Party Massacre-but it ain't a sort of sour wistfulness that echoes so), or The Evil Dead which comes a new restaurant the title of Depression-mood comedies complete [sic] with Stephen King's (Nothing Sacred, Love Is News, Soak personal testimonial to its greatness-a The Rich, Mem'ly We Live, Sing and warning to the curious right there. If Like It, etc. etc.) The humor even one stays away from the good art films for an unforgettable seems to cross into other genres­ (Veronika Voss, La Nuit de Varennes) (affordable) Christmas Party Psycho II is only enjoyable when it's and simply surveys the ordinary ter­ played at a shabby low-laugh level, rain, things are not promising. and a picture like Larry Cohen's Q Most peculiar at the moment is The 4932 prytania st. (most idiosyncratic grade-C horror this Boy Movie. Certainly the most stupe­ 504 899-2404 year-about a quetzalcoad, for heav­ fying exhibition by a once-considered­ private party room available en's sake, nesting in the spire of the major director this year, Francis Ford mediterranean & new orleans cuisine Chrysler Building, occasionally dipp­ Coppola's Rumble Fish (his second plenty of parking ing over Manhattan to gobble up sun­ Boy Movie this year-just goes to show bathing cuties by their penthouse what happens when you have Matt pools or hardhats working on high-rise Dillon and plenty of time on your 10 WAVELENGffi DECEMBER hands) is one of the damnedest things ismatic lead singer drives his car off a ever seen. Matt Dillon is a living (son bridge in the wee, wee hours and the of) Caravaggio, sweating, bleeding, body is never recovered. For those not rippling, smirking, weeping, often familiar with Dickens, Wilkie Collins, simultaneously (I could watch him cry Mrs. Braddon and their imitators, the till the cows come home but there above plot device may have some nov­ isn't near enough of this), and the pic­ elty, but that isn't the issue here, nor ture is a swamp of camerawork and is the general tired seediness of the sound and lighting out of some 1929 production. Rimbaud is evoked by Tobis Klangfilm or a 1954 Brakhage name (often), and Springsteen and shon about nocturnal despair, with Morrison are at least called on for a few· lots of nutty angles and spitball raps on the table-top, but Eddie-this editing-even, God help us, a use of dumb-Adonis monument to musical Negroes as some sort of cheap exotica, arl brut-is, at least as Michael Pare the kind of thing one thought had plays it, something like a brunette Joe flown away with Lew Leslie's Black­ Dallesandro, an amiable dimwit with birds (even an appearance by Queen nice arms and thick voice and a too Ida and her band!) or with the mysti­ solid jawline. The missing tapes of the que fostered by people like Nancy "great lost album" are a plot device, Cunard and Cocteau. not a musical milestone. A film like All of this elaborate wrapping con­ this ultimately asks too many large ceals nothing more urgent than the questions about the meaning of put­ standard-mild juvenile delinquent ting one's life into one's an, and bildungsroman-can Matt live up answers the questions less well than, 1129 Decatur St. to/down his brother's mythopoeic say, Orchestra Wives, a zestful 1942 Open Daily 11 -7 reputation as sage-and-hell-raiser (a B-musical about the tribulations of the question that wouldn't keep a moron dames married to the boobs, buffoons 524-9444 awake nights). Rumble Fish is and Lotharios in the Glenn Miller We buy-sell-ttade something like opening an old issue Orchestra. of Muscle Teens and finding so­ side from the usual run (and it's meone's notes from a bad college a shame to use such an anima­ English Lt. course stashed inside, A ted verb in this fashion) of pederasty on ice. Don't even ask me Christmas turkeys and geese that the about the Tom Cruise pictures, or The studios will put into the national Lords ofDiscipline (which is far duJier deep-freeze for the holidays, there than what it sounds like, an old Olym­ isn't much to look forward to. Along pia Press Traveler Series title). with the Prytania's festival of new (and One recent picture of dazzlingly one suspects, from past experiences, routine interest (to readers of this rag worthily unexponable) French films, at least) is Eddie and the Cruisers, a the Uptown Square is planning (or so cwious item that unsuccessfully takes my sources have it) a series of ftlms by on such forlorn minor topics as the ve­ Jean Gremillon ("one of the great nality of record producers, can-popu­ French film makers, despite forced lar-music-produce-art as it produces periods of inactivity," says Sadoul); ~~.. ,, singular figures of semi-legendary sta­ Gremillon is almost unknown in this ture , what do people do twenry years country- his most famous films are 4 1/2¢ self-service copies, later when their group I record sudden­ Remorques (1939 with Gabin, ly hits as nostalgia; this item deals with Michele Morgan, Madeleine Renaud, Reductions and Enlargements aJersey Shore bar band that wants so about an adulterous tugboat captain) Mon-Thurs 8 a.m.-7 p.m. • Fri - 8-6 desperately to make Art-their pro­ and Lumiere d'ete (1943, with ducer won't let 'em- that their char- Renaud, Pierre Brasseur and Made- Sat- 9-5 Xmas Special on Red or Green Paper • specialty papers • typewriter rentals • passport photos • binding: spiral or velo • word processing • color copies • business cards • rubber stamps • bannergrams • padding • stationery supplies • film processing • Free Pick-Up & Delivery

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DOWNTOWN UPTOWN Howard Ave. I 140 S. Carrollton 801 861 8016 581 -2541 - UNIVERSITY METAIRIE I 039 Broadway I 53 I Metairie Rd. 866-6156 831 -8720

WAVELENGrnJ DECEMBER 11

r r rJf-Lr ,rds kine Robinson-about a debauched que hommage to Dali through the use innkeeper trying to seduce the mistress of Vermeer's "The Lacemaker" J J "eco , of a has-been painter), both with Jac­ (which also figured in Un Chien An­ ques Preven scripts. Also interes­ dalou, the first Bunud film some five ting-at least in print-is Le Ciel esl thousand midnights ago), an amusing r tAo!,e ur MoneY; a Vous (1944, about a woman pilot­ scene with two peasant women and an Madeleine Renaud again-who sets a elaborately gowned pig, and some world's distance-flying record for clever political asides-the film is suf­ for ,o ~&u women), according to Sadoul, this fused with terrorism, psychic and should have been "the seminal fLlm political. I also rather hesitantly of a French neorealist movement." recommend CfiSino Royale (December f ( Select from Thousands wyola also has--along with stan­ 20), originally billed back in 1967 as of NEW USED dards that appear again and again over "the James Bond joke to end them j & there-Strangers On A Train, Alea's all." It didn't ofcourse; there were six LP's & Cassettes LIJ Ullima Cena, Persona-some in­ directors and the filin looks like it. To teresting oddities. Bunuel's Thai Ob­ say that it's a garish mess is being I Many OUT-OF-PRINT Titles scure Objecl ofDesire (December 1), quite charitable, but it's hard to resist his last film and unhappily slammed a movie where Peter Sellers, Woody r & COLLECTOR'S ITEMS by most critics, is from the Pierre Allen, David Niven, Dahliah Lavi, Ur­ U>uys novdene La Femme el Ia Pan­ sula Andress , Joanna Pettet as well as j Rock • Jazz • Classical lin (also filmed by Von Sternberg as some toothy tailor's-dummy named ;hat lace-and-tonoiseshdl apocalypse, Terence Cooper all play James Bond. ( Comedy • Soundtracks The Devil Is A Woman, and also by Orson Welles is the major villain , but & More!!! Duvivier with Bardot), about a bean­ Deborah Kerr(!!) is very funny as M's f less siren who is the ruin of one of Scottish widow as is Anna Quayle as j those courtly old gents that Fernando the head of a school for spies. The sets Rey plays so well. Two very different and costumes are of a style that future (physically) women play the one role archeologists will no doubt refer to as of Concha, which doesn't help things, Psychedelic. Also , on December 14 , a rr but there is a glorious framing device double bill of two (reported) classics on a train (with Milena Vucotic all from Japan, Kurosawa's 1945 film of j gussied up for a change, and a mid­ a famous Kabuki play, They Who get) which gives the show away as a Slep On The Tiger's Tail, and shaggy-dog story. There is also an obli- Mizoguchi 's Sansho Dayu. •

3129 Gentilly Blvd. 3627 S. Carrollton Ave. 601 Terry Pkwy. 282-3322 482-6431 361-5656 j

Tuts Washington Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk" is given the full Washington treatment. Tuts ad­ NEW ORLEANS dresses the keys with immediacy and very direct execution. There are no gaps left PIANO PROFESSOR as he fills foreground and back with figures. Side A ends with a jumping Rounder 2041 "Papa Yellow Blues," Tuts' nickname and a signature song for this lively bachelor. It's his only vocal on me album. Fri.2-Mason Ruffner Professor: me definition aptly describes Side B is equally strong, featuring an Fri.9-The Pranksters Tuts Washingron on his first album. At unusual rhythmic rendition of "Georgia 910 N. Carrollton Fri. 16- Bourre' 76, Professor Tuts exhibits all the con­ " Tee-Nah-Nah" gives On My Mind." 7 Days A Week Fri.23-Tim Williams Band fidence of a dean from the old school of clear evidence of Washington's consid­ 482-2680 New Orleans piano, a school known for Fri.30-The Renegades erable influence on Longhair's "Tipi­ 483-9843 its highly evolved approach to the key­ tina." "Santa Fe Blues" is the bluest of Sat.31-Special New Year's board. Much of the fuel for this evolution the album's offerings from that idiom, Eve Party w/Mason Ruffner carne from intense competition . Lke gun­ featuring 2 way low-down piano. Tuts fighters, the quickest and most accurate uses flatted notes throughout to tint the rose to the rop while others got shot song. down. Tuts, armed and dangerous, is still The album ends with a spirited version walking the keyboard. of "When The Saints Go Marching ln." December Schedule In this fine offering from Rounder It is here that the Professor shows the com­ Records, Tuts has given a sampling of petitive nature of the music. Phrasings, Thurs.l ..... Gibson Street eovanoton standards as well as more obscure blues, though similar, are never identical. Tuts Fri.2, Sat.3 ...... Jimmy's showcasing his considerable talents as a plays with the melody, alw:~ys creating ...... Chimes Baton Rou98 solo performer. He has been reluctant ro variations that are humorous and inter­ Fri.9 record over his long career. The professors esting. This aspect of his music is the Railiators Sat.lO ...... Tipitina's are performers, not recording artists, and fascinating dimension of that old school. Fri.l6, Sat.l7 Neon Cowboyeov,ngton Tuu has been cautious :~bout freezing his The album has solid sound qualiry. The To receive the Radiators' Thurs.22 ...... Chimes Baton Rouoe ever unfolding music in a finite form . piano is balanced and very present (hats monthly newsletter, write: Fri.23 ...... Tipitina's The album opens with '' Arhnsas off to Ultra Sonic Studio). Rounder Fish Headquarters exhibits the walking bass Sun.25 ...... Cooter Brown's Blues." Tuts Records is to be applauded for their ef­ P.O. Box 791027 line that endured from the early dllys right fons in New Orle:~ns , generally, 2nd for Xmas Party through Fats Domino's rock 'n' roll. On this historic album, specifically. Professor New Orleans, LA Fri.30 ...... Dream Palace die right hand side, Professor Washington Tuts Washington has 21lowed one of his 70179-1027 Sat.31 ...... New Year's Eve cascades again and again, echoing lcct\lres to be recorded at last and students 504-488-{)493 Tipitina's himself, ending the song in a most unor­ have got some heavy homework due. thodox flourish. The stage is set. - Jonathan Foose WAVELENGrnJ DECEMBER 13 Mint Condition Jazz

BY VIRGINIA LEVIE

aclitionally, New Orleans jazz has not held the fascination for New Orleanians that it has for T!those farther afield. For decades, the dedicated have flocked here from Hamburg, Osaka and Cleveland with the zeal of pilgrims to see the town ''there is a mania in this city for horn and trumpet The King Oliver Band in its heyday forms that spawned Louis and Jelly the Roll and catch the music playing." Social life gets a lion's share of the respon­ entrance to the jazz museum. at its roots. Today, a dose of Dixieland is de rigueur sibility . The importance of music at home, "the for even the most casual tourists. But public recogni­ piano in the parlour," the ragtime sheet music in­ tion by the residents of this town which is altogether dustry, the absolute necessity of dance hall music all The cornet from the Colored Waifs' Home. proud and casual and commercial in its handling of get their due, while StoryviJle and all its seedy rap­ Hundreds of New Orleans youngsters got their start, its cultural riches has fluctuated over the years. ture receives definitive low key treatment here. There on this horn, including Louis Amrstrong. For the last several, there has been a curious gap are original copies of the rags in sheet music, Louis in the commemoration of New Orleans jazz. (We Armstrong's first cornet from the Colored Waifs do have the white light arch to Louis Armstrong Home and shots of Buddy Bolden. Park, bristling with incandescents, but the educa­ A large show, half the exhibition space of the main tion visitors receive in that hilly domain is another floor of the old federal building, the exhibition is matter.) On October 29, a major museum exhibi­ broken up into numerous smaller sections. The im­ tion, New Orleans jazz, opened at the Old Mint on pression is neat, ordered and linear, like a guided the corner of Esplanade and Decatur, providing the tour. Arranged chronologicaJly at first, in terms of storyline for the music. It's been a long time influences, it shifts to individuals like Papa Jack coming-thirty-five years after a fateful po-boy at Laine, Ferdinand Joseph de Ia Menthe- Jelly Roll Uglesich's and twenty-two years since David Brink­ Morton, then on to a focus on instrumentation, the ley put the ftrst, scrappy little museum on network flow north of the musicians, to Chicago and Roseland TV. in New York, and the "revival" that got going in New Orleans jazz chronicles the music's evolution, the Forties. taking a particular look at the roots that produced New Orleans jazz is a sleek compilation of the such a vibrant hybrid. The show opens with a band­ history behind the music. Visitors spend a lot of time stand mural of the King Oliver band, lovely Iil Arm­ reading. In weeks to come, they should also be hold­ couple of decades of this century was hurting by the strong at the keyboard, surrounded by their instru­ ing white plastic wands that will pick up the music Thirties. Constrain~d by hard times and the emphasis ments. Visitors are lured in by the sound of classics designed for each segment like tiny radios. The past on big band sounds, many of the local musicians who by the likes of the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra. seems secure. We've got the history of New Orleans stayed in town were forced to relegate music to a The emphasis is historical, tracing influences back jazz, right here, all tied up, plus any night of the hobby. But in the Forties, after the war, a new to the opera, voodoo, spasm bands and brass. As a week we can head down to Preservati0n Hall and generation of fans emerged. On the basis of early clip from the paper, the Picayune, 1838, informs, hear the music for a buck. But for that, we owe the classic recordings, New Orleans sound jazz bands musicians and an assortment of local folks who never were being formed by young, mostly white musi­ played anything but a phonograph. cians as far away as San Francisco and London. Local­ New Orleans jazz horn section. The jazz that began in New Orleans in the ftrst ly, enthusiasts found a source at Oren Blackstone's New Orleans Jazz Records down in the Quarter. An imposing discophile, ex-newspaperman Blackstone published probably the frnt jazz discography in English (in four volumes), Index To jazz, as well as publishing Playback magazine for new releases. New Orleans Jazz Records was the place to buy records and hang out. A lot of the customers were kids at the time: Gilbert Erskine was at Loyola and Don Perry, a nineteen-year-old Irish Channel boy. As Perry recaJls, an informal group evolved, listen­ ing to records and catching the live music at places like Manny's Tavern. By Mardi Gras, 1948, the group decided it was high time they saw Zulu. Growing up white in New Orleans in the Thirties, Zulu had seemed off limits but Al Matalbert was playing trumpet in Lewis' band and it was time to go. Johnny Wiggs, AI and Babette Diket, Erskine and Perry caught the coconut-laden spectacle on Dryades Street and it was a thrill. Exhilarated by their daring and the music, they decided to fortify themselves with a po-boy at Uglesich's on Baronne and Erato before

W A VELENGlHJ DECEMBER =

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m~ Q Jazz was born alive and ~ ,0 kicking in New Orleans ... J: and has been a restless gm o; youngster ever since. z~ New > Orleans jazz, now on view at the Old Mint, chronicles the music that emerged here, uptown, downtown, and back of town. We can look back and remember, thanks to the musicians who made The ever-popular "Museumophone," an innovation buffs dream of sorting through the boxes and boxes of the original jazz club museum. Visitors could ring of jazz records, instruments, and memorabilia. The history and a number of up anything from "Immortal Piano Rolls" to Collection has over 10,000 photographs, for example. New Orleanians who "Primitive Blues." In the Old Mint, New Orleans jazz is a clear, durable exhibit that can accommodate the kind of never played anything but always had somebody in, mostly tourists-lots of numbers that visit New Orleans today to satisfy their Germans and Japanese. ·We always had music on. curiosity about America's major cultural contribu­ a phonograph. Danny Barker was on the staff and he would talk tion to world music. to the people as they came in. 1f he didn't know The Collection begun by the New Orleans Jazz a fact, he could make one up, just like that. People Club is now secure and strengthened by the profes­ loved him." However, rooms in the old Quaner cot­ sionalism of the Louisiana State Museum. But growth going on to see Rex. Ovef their roast beef and gravy, tages run small and after nine years, the Collection necessitates change and some of the warmth and a brilliant idea struck-why not form a club? As was cramped. When jazz fan Jim Nissakis, as the charm of the ftrst struggling spot on Dumaine is original member Perry said, "I was never that in­ manager of the new Royal Sonesta, offered the club gone. The shift is to be expected, it's almost in­ terested in clubs, but we wanted to get together more space above its Economy Hall dub, the Jazz Museum evitable, but there's no reason to assume that the and listen to records." Grinning, he adds, "Besides, moved. It stayed at the Sonesta until the mid-Sev­ presentation of New Orleans jazz shouldn't continue we were hoping that with a group we could get a enties when Nissakis was transferred and priorities to reftne itself. The Old Mint includes an audio­ better deal when we went out to hear the music.'' shifted. The Museum moved again to Conti Street, visual area and one would hope that it can soon be That week, Perry and the others did a bit of calling but the rising costs in the French Quarter made it occupied by old jazz clips and documentary ftlms and around and the New Orleans Jazz Club was born, harder to get by on zeal and good intentions. The video. The old dial-a-phones had a vinue that dedicated to "the preservation and fostering of tradi­ staff had always been largely volunteer and the shouldn't be dismissed; they let visitors choose and tional New Orleans jazz. " Over the years, the club museum depended on admission for funds. The club identify the musicians they were hearing. Some high proved to be a focal point for jazz enthusiasts, began looking for a sponsoring organization to take tech version would be a great addition to the music hosting Sunday jam sessions, publishing the over the Collection and the responsibility for ex­ that accompanies the show. There's a lot more gold magazine Second Line . and drawing in jazz fans the hibiting it. The state museum system got the honors, in those hills, and a lot more music history in the world over. and the exhibition we see today has been in the archives. In the meantime, New Orleans jazz does At the urging of original member Harry Souchon, works since the Louisiana museum got the Collec­ New Orleans proud. More New Orleanians should the club decided to open a museum dedicated to tion in 1977. Jazz curator Don Marquis had the jazz take a look at it. • the music in 1961. Over the years, Jazz Club members had accumulated quite a stash of photos, records and memorabilia. New Orleans jazz was in­ to its second revival period, with Preservation Hall having opened in 1960, Dixieland Hall going too. With more determination than funds, they secured a building a building for their use from D .H. Holmes. Holmes deconstructed the Quarter cottage from its original site on Bienville Street and moved it to some property Steiner Brothers had made available at 1017 Dumaine. A week-long celebration marked the opening of the New Orleans Jazz Museum and David Brinkley picked it up for his special on New Orleans jazz. Much of the instru­ ments and memorabilia now on view at the Mint were also at 1017 Dumaine but so were some items that have been edited out over the years, a wall-sized "tree of life" mural, the dial-a-music phones where you could choose Jelly Roll Morton or Bix Seider­ becke at the flick of a rotary dial, the Louis Arm­ strong wind-up tap-dancing doll, and a lamp made out of King Oliver's cornet. As long-time volunteer Helen Perry recalls, "We

Founding father Harry Souchon at 1017 Dumaine with AJan Watson, curator.

WAVELENGTHl DECEMBER Christmas Tunes That Should Have Been Hits e risk of immersion in banal music runs high uring the Christmas season. Whether it be rom Charles Brown's lovely but overexposed n"Please Come For Christmas" or "The Twelve Days Of Christmas," tedium reigns. Meanwhile, some of the ftnest works of this vast genre remain perenni.U­ Iy little heard. Perhaps it is the widespread yearning for musical familiarity that seems to reinforce the mawkishness ofso many Christmas pieces. Certainly the most com­ Please monly heard works were at ftrst merely precious. But time and repeated cover versions have done little more than make them exercises in sentimentalism, or checldists of the season's decorous aspects. As a consequence of the annual demand for cozy stan­ dards, gems are lost in the shuffle. come home Consider Amos Milburn's "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby." By all rights, it should have become an R&B Christmas classic. (It did reach the #3 spot in the R&B charts in November 1949.) With some of the ftnest piano he ever put on record, Milburn only brushes against the seasonal cliches, or ChnStmas. • • and instead pleads with his baby to let him "slide down your chimney," with promises of "a dolly, a chartreuse Cadillac and a diamond." It's too bad that Milburn never had the luck that his old pal, Charles Brown, had in this department. Two Christmas beauties that somehow failed to and bnftg gain much popular acceptance come from that Yule­ tide treasure trove, Phil Spector's Christmas Album. Both are by Darlene Love-''Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and "Marshmallow World." The "please!" refrain of the former is considered by many Spector buffs to be Love 's greatest moment on the turntable. record, while the Iauer's majestically rocking arrange­ ment always suggests a sleigh-ride collision between Nelson Riddle and Dave Bartholomew. For some cur­ ' BY VINCENT FuMAR ious reason, the Warner/Spector label's 1976 re­ release of the album was in stereo. one would doubt the significance of the a capella choral style in Christmas music. The N ecording world's two best exponents of the style have both issued Christmas albums. The King's Singers, an English sextet, released a George Martin­ produced LP, "Songs for Christmas," in 1973. The group's stately articulation is heard on exquisite readings of "Morning-song for the Christ Child" and "IIIuminare Jerusalem." Those masters of vocal har­ mony, The Singers Unlimited, recorded Christmas, \Vilsotl Pickett an album whose vocal grandeur never fails to over­ lVIartha Reeves whelm. Much of the collection concentrates on the works of the late Alfred S. Burt, a jazz trumpeter BenE. King who composed "Jesu Parvule" and " Ah Bleak and Chill the Wintry Wind.'' But their readings of' 'It lVIary \Veils Came Upon A Midnight Clear" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'' are simply of angelic per­ Sam l\iltl()fC fection, and confum that the Singers Unlimited are the most engagingly ornamental vocal group in the Shifley Alston business. Among Christmas oddities, the pop world has yielded "Rain, Sleet or Snow," a Paul Revere and the Raiders tune that sympathizes with postal officials and advises us to start sending our Christmas mail by the Fourth ofJuly. And the devious Procol Harum offered the appealingly enigmatic "Shine On Bright­ ly,'' a song whose demented narrator viewed himself as the Christ Child: "The chandelier is in full swing/As gifts for me the three kings bn"ng!Of my"h and Frankincense, I'm told! Andfat old Bud­ dhas carved in gold. '' Perhaps the most unwarranted case of Christmas­ pop obscurity comes from the brilliant English mimic Ifoy Wood. His short-lived group Wizzard released "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day," an or­ chestral masterpiece of massed pianos, French horns, sleigh bells, a children's choir, and sledgehammer saxes. Wood managed to nail down the season with the same aplomb demonstrated on the Spector LP. The tune rocks emphatically from start to finish, and from the standpoint of sheer finger-popping splen­ dor, Christmas never sounded so good. • 16 W AVE LENGTIIJ DECEMBER BY ALMOST SLIM ll

Acoustic Christmas David Grisman (Rounder ingly, it was recorded in July of 1956. right here in "White Christmas" by the Drifters, " Run Rudolph 0190) New Orleans. (What a time to think of Christmas!) Run" by Chuck Berry, Amos Milburne's "Let's Bluegrass and New Age music fans will want this. Glorious versions of "Christmas In Heaven," "Merry Make Christmas Merry,'' and the inevitable Charles Joining Grisman on versions of'' Santa Claus Is Com­ Christmas Baby'' and a host of other yuletide selec­ Brown classic, " Please Come Home For Christmas." ing To Town," " Wish You A Merry Christmas," tions on this one. Perfect for a rhythm and blues Christmas. "White Christmas" and "Auld Lang Syne," are Darol Anger, Mike Marshall , Bela Fleck and Rob Elvis's Christmas Album (FJvis Presley) Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms) Wasserman. This is one of my favorites-I even listen to "Blue Probably the title tune is rock 'n' roll's most Christmas" on Elvis' birthday. ''I'll Be Home For popular, if not only, Christmas Classic, though I Popular Songs of Christmas and New Year ljohn Christmas," "Oh Lttle Town of Bethlehem" are doubt you'll ever hear it at Midnight Mass. Bobby Fahey) Vam"ck 012. also included. A must for Elvis fans . runs through an even dozen runes including ''Rock­ Fahey's first Christmas album " Christmas Gui­ ing Around the Christmas Tree." tar," proved to do so well that this year a brand new Have A Merry Cajun Christmas {various) followup Christmas disc was recorded. If you liked Of course when Santa arrives on the bayou he has New Orleans Christmas (Johnny Adams) the ftrst, you'll want this one too. to dispense with his standard sleigh and reindeer and This is probably the best of the lot. Johnny sounds switch to a traneaux (mud sled) pulled by six tiny just great in these reworks of Christmas classics. Sound of Christmas (Ramsey Lewis) Chess 8310 Thankfully, Chess has seen fit to reissue this mid­ Guitar Christmas Album (John Fahey) Sixties jazz Christmas classic. Ramsey goes through This is a most pleasant album. A fine guitarist, the best of the season, ' 'Jingle Bells," "White Fahey performs acoustic versions of "Joy to the Christmas," etc . in classic style. Twenty-One Records You Probably World," "The Bells Of St. Mary, " "Silent Night" and more. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite (London Sym­ Won•r Hear This Christmas phony Orchestra) Everest 3111 &cidoor Santa-Clarence Carter Merry Christmas From The Jackson Five (Jackson I forgot this one last year and it should have been Christmas At The Triple-X R4nch-Ridm In Five) at the top of the list. I know next to nothing about The Sky These guys were just so cute. Fine Motor Ciry ver­ sions classical music but this piece of music has been asso­ Christmas In Vietmm~-Jon and Joe of the usual assortment of Christmas faves. I'll ciated with Christmas for what seems centuries. PIIT1y This Christmas-Rockin' Sydney be listening to this December 25 . Traditional Christmas Carols (Pete Seeger) Folk­ Snta's Messin' With The Kid-Eddie C. 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (Huey Smith UNl'JI 32311. Campbell and the Clowns) Seeger handles these traditional Christmas songs How I Hille To See Xmas Come Arotnlll­ This is my favorite, and gets me in the Christmas in his usual excellent style . This is one of the bet­ )immy Witherspoon mood. The record was banned when it was ftrst ter seasonal releases. Sanlll Cftnu Wllih }liSt J.ih Dt14'j-Dootie released for its "blasphemous" renditions of sacred Williams Christmas classics. Wait till you hear the Clowns work Reggae Christmas (various) joe Gibbs 8077 Boogie Woogie Sant11 Clllm-Mabcl Scott out on "Silent Night." What can I say? You 'll just have to buy this one I W11n1 A Mlln For Christmm- )oan Shaw to find out. It features Dennis Brown , The Mighty Christf!14s P11rly Shuffle-Lowell Fulsom Disco Noel (Mirror Image) Diamonds and others. ChristmiiS In The ]IIi/house, Ain 'I Thill A I'm just listing this, don't go out and buy it. But if you do you'll fmd the album jacket contains disco Voices and Bells of Christmas (The Boy 's Choir Shame- Leroy Carr Sant11 Came Home Dnmk--Oyde Lasley and the steps choreographed by Arthur Murray's Disco Dance of Vienna) Olympic 8130 School, no less. Disco versions of "Joy To The You don 't have to be from Austria to enjoy this Cadillac Baby Specials Dig That Crazy Santa Claus-Oscar McLollie World" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" are one. From what my ears detect this had to be record­ included. ed by little angels in a 500-year-old church hidden I'm Dreaming ofa Black Chrislf!14s-Littk somewhere near the Alps. Alfred Gospel Songs of Christmas (various) Blues for Christmas-John Lee Hooker Stunning renditions of Christmas favorites by the It's Christmas Time Again (van·ous) Stax 8519 Be Bop Santa Claus-Babs Gonzalez brightest of Gospel's stars. James Cleveland gives out You could name this one the Memphis Christmas Santa Claus, Bn.ng Me a New Woman-Bumble with the definitive version of ''The Lord's Prayer, '' Soul Spectacular. It contains such Christmas Classics Bee Slim and Shirley Caesar does the same with ''It Came as Mack Rice's "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin' " lt·s Gonna Be A Blue Christm~~~-I.Mry Darnel Upon A Midnight Clear." and "I'll Be Your Santa Baby" by Rufus Thomas. Empty Stocking Blues-Floyd Dixon Other Stax artists include Johnny Taylor, Albert Santa Don't Let Me Down- Earl King It's Christmas Time Again (vanous) Stax 8519 King , The Emotions and The Staple Singers. Christmas In The Ghetto-Big Daddy Rucker Perfect if you plan to be spending Christmas in Memphis . Lttle Johnny Taylor, Rufus Thomas, December (George Winston) Windham Hill I 025 Albert King and the Staples Singers will insure a This isn't strictly a Christmas disc, but it has the soulful Christmas if you pick this bargain up. Mack flavor of a cold, crisp winter day and that's good alligators. I recommend "Christmas On The Bayou" Rice 's "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin' "-my enough for me. Anyone who enjoys Keith Jarrett will by Yin Bruce. Also available on eight-track, as all choice for Christmas tune of 1982- is included here. fall head over heels for George Winston. good Cajun records are. Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn (vanous) The True Meaning of Christmas (Reno and Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby) Histoncal 34 Smiley) Starday 874 Not only is this the biggest selling Christmas This is a collection of mostly pre-war country blues This is truly a magnificent album. This duo has album, it's the biggest selling disc of all time. Every­ on the Christmas theme. But with Blind Willie always been one of my favorite ''hillbilly' ' exponents. one gets a lump in the throat when Der Bi,ngle croons McTell and Blind Willie Johnson featured , you'll These Christmas songs echo the traditional sounds ''I'll Be Home For Christmas." probably listen to this all year. of Appalachia. Phil Spector's Christmas Album (vanous) Merry Christmas (NRBQ) Rounder 4520 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (narrated Contains roc kin' renditions of the yuletide num­ This is a four-song EP that contains NRBQ doing by lionel Barrymore) Radio/a 1114 bers by the Ronnettes, the Crystals, and Bobb B. "Jolly Old St. Nick" and "Christmas Dream" plus Bah Humbug! This will remind you of when you Soxx and the Blue Jeans. Quite honestly, the sax solo (you guessed it) two more. wtre a kid . on Darlene Love's "Christmas Baby, Please Come Bluegrass Country 317 Home" alone is worth the price of the album. Christmas {various) Starday Please Come Home For Christmas (Charles Brown) This is a collection of some of the finest country Without doubt, " Please Come Home For Christ­ Rhythm and Blues Christmas (various) and "hillbilly" artists on the old King label. Quite mas" is the one R&B Christmas standard. Surpris- This one's good enough to listen to aJJ year long. a treat, this is one of Christmas' best. • W AVELENG1HJ DECEMBER 17 Guitar Slim.· The 'Performanest' Man in the History of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues

parking lot. Man, he was stopping cars driving down his choker. He's be runnin' around saying, 'Stove, the highway. No one could outperform Slim. He was where's my choker at ? I can't find my choker.' I'd about the performanest man I've ever seen." say, 'I ain't seen it, Slim,' and he'd be runnin' 'Slim was getting a fuzz­ "King's description coincides with most everyone around tryin' to find it everywhere. Then just before else who saw Guitar Slim on stage, or knew him per­ he would go on, I'd pull it out of my pocket and tone distortion way before sonally. Dead for over two decades , Guitar Slim's hand it to him, and he'd say, 'Stove, I knew you anyone else. You didn't legend continues to grow. Even though his music has had it all the time. ' '' remained popular all these years, many details con­ Stovall is the fust to admit that Slim was his hear it again until people cerning his life are still shrouded in mystery, so much favorite artist, but also points out he had his share like Hendrix came so that putting together a concise biography is like of headaches with him. "Man, he loved to drink," Jimi completing a complex jigsaw puzzle. says Stovall, shaking his head. "If I didn't watch him along.' Guitar Slim was born Edward (Eddie) Jones, all the time he'd miss his job. If he had a job over December 10 , 1926, and is known to have at least in Florida, I'd have to ration him. I'd make sure the one sister. Even though Slim claimed in his Special­ valet gave him only a fifth of wine when he left New ry biography that Greenwood, Mississippi, was his Orleans, another fifth in Biloxi, and one more by birthplace, Hollandale, Mississippi, has also been the time he got to Mobile. And don't nobody fool , BY ALMOST SLIM suggested. No matter, Slim was raised in the Green­ with Slim's wine or he'd be in trouble." wood area, a rural region of intense cotton produc­ One of Stovall's favorite stories concerning his early "Now they call me Guitar Slim, baby, tion in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Times were days of booking Guitar Slim took place in Monroe, And I'm come to play in your town; probably tough, and likely. Slim did his fair share Louisiana. "Fats and Slim played a 'Battle of the Now if you don't like my music, baby, in the fields, visiting Greenwood on weekends. Blues' at the Monroe Civic Auditorium. Man, the I wzll not hang around! The first mention of Guitar Slim (he was six feet place was packed. Slim had told Fats before the tall, 160 pounds, so he easily fit the colorful alias) show, 'Fats, I'm gonna run you offa that stage I like my pocket full of money, baby, in the Louisiana Weekly was during September, tonight.' And my whiskey, gin and wine; 1950. It stated: "New Orleans' newest gift to the "So Slim went on fust because Fats had hit records I like to eat a country dinner, baby, show world is Guitar Slim, held over at the Dew out. Slim just tore 'em up. The place was goin' wild. And I like to get my Iovin' all the time. Drop. The New Orleans blues sensation has made Slim walked off the stage with his guitar and went Now they call me Guitar Slim, baby, a terrific impact on blues fans in New 0 rleans. Ac­ out the back door of the place and got in a car, still And I'm come to play in your town. claimed to be an exact carbon copy of Gatemouth playing. Everybody wondered where Slim had went. Now if I can't play my guitar, baby, Brown, the singing guitarist includes 'My Time Is When it came time for Fats to come on, Fats just I'm still gonna jump and clown." Expensive,' 'Gatemouth Boogie,' and several other told the people, 'Ain't gonna be no battle tonight. (© Venice Music- BMI) performances made popular by Brown." You just saw it.' So Fats just played his regular The comparison between Guitar Slim and Gate­ show." imply entitled "Guitar Slim," and recorded mouth Brown is indeed apt; it is interesting to note y 1951, the record companies had been in 1955, the song conveys in the man's own that he would draw his greatest influence from the hearing about this wild guitar player in Swords Guitar Slim's life and attitude. Earl King Texas guitar school, rather than the guitar players BNew Orleans. Imperial approached fust, and remembers seeing Guitar Slim at the peak of his all from his own state, Mississippi. "Gatemouth's AI Young produced four sides on Eddie Jones at the too short career: ' Boog~~ Rambler' was Slim's theme," adds Earl J&M Studio. The session was rather chaotic, originally "Gatemouth Brown, T-Bone Walker, Lowell King. "He listened to all of 'em and compiled bits producing "Bad Luck Is On Me," and "New Ar­ Fulsom and Guitar Slim were all performing one of their style-Gatemouth, T-Bone, B.B. King. But rival," but the record sounded and sold p<>?fly. Im­ night at the White Eagle in Opelousas. Slim was he took a different approach, he had a lot of melodic perial wouldn't ask Slim back to the studio, but still headlining because "The Things I Used To Do" was overtones in his solos. He used to play a solo that issued the remainder of the session when Slim hit a scorcher. They were all sitting in the dressing room had a marriage to the rest of the song, rather than the big time, using his alias instead of Eddie Jones. and Guitar Slim walked up to 'em all and said, just play something off the top of his head." Slim's next record was a different story. Percy 'Gentlemen, we got the greatest guitar players in the Earl also chaffs when others suggest Slim was a Stovall arranged a session with Jim Bullet in country assembled right here. But when I leave here poor instrumentalist and unable to even play without Nashville, producing the popular "Feelin' Sad," in tonight, ain't nobody gonna realize you even beel the aid of a capo, or as Slim referred to it, "a 1952. David Lastie played sax on the tune andre­ here.' Well, they all laughed, but that's exactly what choker." "Slim tuned Standard, but he used that membered the circumstances that surrounded the happened. · capo to get the effect of open strings. You can't do session: "We was working at the Kitty Cat Club in "Slin1 come out with his hair dyed blue, blue suit, that without that choker. I've seen Slim play many Nashville, and me, Huey, Little Eddie Lang, and blue pair of shoes. He had 350 feet of mike wire con­ a time without it. He just used it for effect.' ' Willie Nettles did the session with Slim. 'Feelin' Sad' nected to his guitar, and a valet carrying him on his Percy Stovall booked Slim during his early career. was a good little record , it had a church sound to shoulders all through the crowd and out into the ·'I used to worry him sometimes and hide it. We worked pretty good off it. " 18 W AVELENGTHI DECEMBER When Slim came in off the road, he stayed upstairs at the Dew Drop. "Slim liked to be where the action was," chuckles Earl. " In fact you knew Slim was back in town, 'cause early in the morning, around seven-eight o'clock, if he was tanked up, you'd hear them amps and P.A.'s going off. Peo­ ple'd be calling the police, 'cause you could hear Slim three blocks away! And here's Slim up in his roo":~ with his shorts on, goin' through his stage rouune. "And Slim's room was something else, man," laughs Earl. "If you went up there, there'd always be about seven or eight different women up there. He'd have his songs written with eyebrow pencil on pieces of paper tacked to the wall . " Earl also recalls that Slim bought the first Les Paul guitar in New Orleans. "Slim was playing one of those big hollow boxes like T-Bone had. But when the solid boxes came out he got one right away. Slim said the hollow boxes were too big, and they didn't give him enough room on the stage. He couldn't · conuol the feedback that was comin' out of'em . So he dealt with the Les Paul. " By 1953, Guitar Slim was one of the biggest draws on the southern R&B club circuit. The responsibilities of managing and booking reverted to Slim's land­ lord, Frank Pania, who owned the Dew Drop, while Percy Stovall concentrated on building up a larger roster of performers. Pania also took it upon himself to find Slim a new band. He hired the lloyd Lam ben band from Hosea HiJI's Sugar Bowl in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Hosea was a friend and business associate ofpania, and paired Slim with the band for a series of road dates. Lloyd Lambert claims that Pania was responsible for introducing Johnny Vincent, then a Specialty A&R man, to Slim. Vincent was impress­ ed enough to convince his boss , Art Rupe, to sign Slim to a recording contract. Vincent recalls that "Slim was supposed to sign with Atlantic, but this was one artist I just had to get. He was fantastic. Slim wouldn't let anyone outperform him. I wouldn't let him out of my sight until he signed with Specialty.' ' October 16, 1953, Slim entered the &M Studio to record what was to be the a biggest record of his career, ' 'The Things That I Used To Do.'' Backing Slim on the session were Gus Fontenette, Charles Burbank and Joe Tillman on saxes, Oscar Moore on drums, lloyd Lambert on bass and Frank Mitchell on trumpet. Vincent claims he had to bail Ray Charles out of jail to arrange and play piano to complete the personnel. When Vincent says, "Slim was hard to record," he has lots of support. Tales of Slim's recording ses­ sions are many . Vincent claims that it took "all night" to record "The Things That I Used To Do." Engineer Cosimo Matassa says "all day," and lloyd Lambert reports it took "two days." Nonetheless, the musicians were obviously gratified when it was over, because Ray Charles is clearly audible yelling "Yeah!" in relief in the last bars of the song. According to Earl King, the idea for the tune came to Slim in a dream. Slim related to King that in the dream he was confronted by a devil and an angel, both of whom held the lyrics to a song. Naturally, Slim chose the devil' s song and it turned out to be "The Things That I Used To Do." Vincent sent the tapes of the session out to Rupe, who was less than impressed with the result. Accor­ ding to Vincent , " He told me it was the worst piece of shit he'd ever heard. He said, 'I'm gonna put it out, but if it don't sell, you start looking for a job.' " The public disagreed with Rupe, to say the least. Immediately after its release , both Billboard and Cashbox made it the pick of the week. Cashbox com­ mrnted, ''a slow southern blues rhythmically chanted by the blues shouter. .. great vocal with the proper blues styling and this side is headed for sales ... top notch." "The Things That I Used To Do" stormed the charts. It topped the R&B charts for six solid weeks, WAVELENGTH/ DECEMBER 19 and ended up the biggest selling R&B record of volume. That's why it was hard to record him, the hospital. " Slim weren't too good a driver, " 1954. The record caught the imagination of the because of the volume he was accustomed to laughs Lambert. " He didn't hurt himself too bad, public: the lyrics, sung in Slim's impassioned gospel­ playing- 'cause let's face it, if Slim was playing you the doctor just told him to take it easy for a month.'' like style, struck a chord in everybody's imagination. could hear him a mile away.'' Pania decided to send Earl King out to imper­ For many, the real appeal of ''The Things That I sonate Slim on a number of dates, and apparently Used To Do" was the novel guitar approach that • • • got away with it. Even though King went along with Slim took, as Earl King explains: "Slim was gettin' Uoyd Lambert agreed that Slim played as loud as the charade, he admits he was "scared to death." a fuzz tone distonion way before anyone else. You he could. "He had this tinny sound," says Lamben, "When I got back to town, the first person I saw didn't hear it again until people like Jimi Hendrix "that he'd get by turning all the bass controls on was Guitar Slim," laughs Earl. "He was walking come along. his guitar and amplifier as low as they would go, and down LaSalle Street with a hospital gown on, a guitar "Believe it or not, Slim never used an amplifier. turn up his treble controls as high as they'd go." under one arm and an amp under the other, yell in', He always used a P.A. set, never an amplifier. He With the number one record in the country, Frank 'Earl King, I heard you been out there imitatin' me. was an ovenone fanatic, and he had these tiny iron Pania booked a full itinerary for Slim through the If you wreck my name I'm gonna sue and I'm gon­ cone speakers and the sound would run through South, and bought him a brand new Olds 88. Slim na kill you! ' " them speakers and I guess any vibration would create promptly got drunk one night and ran into a park­ Slim was back on his feet soon, and ready to hit that sound, because Slim always played at peak ed bulldozer, wrecking the car and sending Slim to the road for a tour of the northern theatre circuit. Since Lamben's band already had Lawrence Cotton on piano, Slim had to split with Huey Smith, an event which likely saddened both of them. One of Slim's first stops was at the Apollo Theatre, ~Have A Black Top Christmas, where he shared the bill with the Spiders. Earl re­ counts a story told to him by Chuck Carbo (one of the Spiders), about Slim's initial performance: Babyll "When it came time for Slim's cameo to conclude, they closed the curtain on Slim, but Slim decided he wasn't finished. In stead he just stepped in front of the curtain and continued playing!'' Eventually Slim's popularity became too much for Frank Pania to deal with, so he turned over Slim 's management to Hosea Hill, who ran his own popular nightspot in Thibodaux, The Sugar Bowl. Conse­ quently, Slim spent a good amount of his time in Thibodaux, which nestles Bayou Lafourche. Guitar Slim's next release, "The Story of My Life," was a powerful follow-up and came from his initial Specialty session. Once again Cashbox Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters spotlighted it by giving it their weekly award and "Smoking" Anson Funderburgh calling it "another powerful item. His mournful tale BT-1023 and the Rockets is accentuated by the chanter's stylings and im­ "She Knocks pressive guitar work.'' Me Outl" Lambert still relishes the days of the mid-Fifties BT-1022 barnstorming the country. "We had the best band out there," he affmns. "Fats, B.B. King, even Lionel Hampton-we could cut 'em all. "We had trouble following Slim at fl!st 'cause Slim'd always jump meter, but it got to where we'd The Cold Cuts "Meat The just jump right with him and it would sound fine. Cold Cutsl" Slim was a showman and a musician. He'd have pur­ Johnny Reno and BT-1021 ple suits, orange suits, green suits, with shoes and his Sax Maniacs hair to match. He'd make motions and faces that "Born To Blow" would drive people berserk. You couldn't hardly get BTEP-1025 into the place when he was playing." Earl King agreed: ''You could play Slim at the Dew Drop and get a mob of people, and the next night play him in Shrewsbury [in adjacent Jefferson Continued on page 40

Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets "Talk To You Available January '84: By Hand" BT-1001 Buckwheat Zydeco' s "I 00% Fortified Zydeco"

Black Top Records are distributed in the U.S. by Rounder Records, One Camp Cambridge, Mass. 02140 (ph. 617-354-{)700) ,...

20 WAVELENGlH/ DECEMBER Mama Bernadette Kemgan 's grand- father fiddled at ihe Old French Opera House, her parents composed ragtime· classics and she pounds the skins in an all-girl band. Bernadette • tS 82.

Bernadette jamming with Roe Oietricl) at the Krauss Senior Citizens Center.

House; both parents were composers of popular The heritage continues. Bernie is pleased to tell BY BOB RANDALL music. Her mother, in fact, is reputed to have penn­ me that a daughter, Theresa Kelly, has studied and ed many of the ragtime classics that are still well­ performed opera, and lists a Carnegie Hall recital known today. among her accomplishments. One grandson is a rock had lunch with my friend Bernadette the other "There's no way to prove that," says the soft­ musician/songwriter, and another is a church cantor. day. Bernie and I had a pleasant visit, and as the spoken Bernie. "Back then you wrote a song and Iwaiter poured coffee we talked of her career in sold it to a publisher for maybe fifty dollars, and then dually, the conversation swings back to Ber­ music. Enthusiastically, she told me how glad she it wasn't yours anymore, you see." ie's own endeavors, such as her group. is to be keeping busy in a city that has always har­ Back at her home, Bernie seats herself before an GcCalled Ethel Merwin's AU-Girl Band, the bored more musicians than it could ever suppon. She ornately wrought upright piano that is undoubted­ group is comprised of six ladies, mostly elderly. The is the drummer for an all-girl group, she says, and ly a priceless antique. group dedicates itself to benefit work, for the most they work often. Trouper that she is, Bernie also finds " This was my mother's piano," she says, and then part, such as performing for senior citizens' gather­ time to do spot engagements as a solo pianist, plays the classic "12th Sueet Rag" for me. She ings, and nursing homes. Paid performances are oc­ Now at face value , there is nothing odd or unusual delivers the piece with an authenticity that defies casional, and the girls never fail to please. Bernie's about any of this, but I listened with a curious description. Stunned, not so much by her skill as by solo work is of a similar nature: benefits for the wonder anyway- my friend Bernie, drummer, pia­ the anachronism that has just taken place, I ask the Golden Age Club, sing-alongs at nursing homes, and nist, musician, is 82 years old. obvious question: more. Bernadette Karrigan, formerly Kelly, nee Peter­ "Bernie, did your mother write that?" "It's what keeps me young," says Bernie, smiling, son, was born in New Orleans in 1901, back when "Well, we can'tprove it, you see." seeing those people happy, seeing them smile." She th~ Crescent City actually was just a crescent. Widow­ She doesn't say any more about "12th Sueet pauses for a moment. ed rwice, Bernie has five children, and a veritable Rag," and the talk turns to other things- her "People don't smile enough anymore." herd of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She brother, for instance, eighty-five-year-old Harold She's right, you know. There are too few people hails from a background that reads like an abbrevi­ Peterson ran a music store on South Broad some years left in the world like Bernadette Karrigan, and that's ated history of this city's musical heritage. Her grand­ back, the store, according to the story, where Pete a shame; her kind has ever been an inspiration. father was a first violinist in the Old French Opera Fountain got his fust clarinet. Play it again, Bernie. • W AVELENG1Hl DECEMBER 21

Pleasant At MagaLine Street I New Orleans Louisidna I 70115 I Telephone 504.897.5015 james Booker.· MuszC As A Mysterious An

''Harlequin without his mask is known to Booker did not look very good. He looked like a present a very sober countenance, and was body that had been dead for a couple of days and himself, the story goes, the melancholy patient his face bore the usual uneasy countenance. Even whom the Doctor advised to go and see alive, he sometimes looked dead but then when you Harlequin- a man full of cares and perplexities saw Booker !aying there looking as utterly respectable lzke the rest of us, whose Self must always be as the morticians' skill allowed and the grim faces senous to him, under whatever name or disguise passing before his body and the floral arrangement or umform he presents it to the public. And as that utilized his "Classified" album cover as a center­ all of you here must needs be grave when you piece and the ubiquitous, sepia-toned portrait of think of your own pa.rt and present, you will not Jesus on the altar-a picture that is well known to look to find, in the histones of those whose lives every cruld who has ever been through Sunday and feelings I am going to try and descn.be to School, the mourner sensed that Booker would've you, a story that is otherwise than serious, and dug the proceedings. The music- Muzak piano ver­ often very sad. " ing a plastic bottle containing a wrute powder from sions of songs such as ' ' Oh, Danny Boy' ' - might' ve - William Makepeace Thackeray, 1851 his coat pocket by a New Orleans police officer and bothered the deceased, but Booker would 've really was arrested at the Dew Drop Inn on LaSalle Sueet, loved the idea of his friends and relatives- all of es Booker's death, according to Dr. Frank Min­ not far from his Aunt Eva's House. Booker was charg­ them in their best clothes- arriving at one time to d, Orleans Parish coroner and freelance uum­ ed with possession of heroin. see him, to pay their uibutes. ter, occurred at 11 :32 p.m. on Tuesday, On June 23, 1970, at a hearing before Judge Ber­ At the end of the wake, a middle-aged black man November 8, 1983 as Booker, in a wheelchair, nard Bagert , Booker was denied a motion he had dressed in a pink, three-piece polyester suit briskly waited to be admitted to Charity Hospital, where filed "to suppress evidence" and on the same day, walked down the center aisle, inuoduced himself as the pianist was born on December 17 , 1939. as advised by his attorney Oerome W'insberg), Booker a minister and told those present that it was impor­ The morning after Booker died, The Times-Pica­ pled guilry to a lesser charge of' 'attemped posses­ tant for them to go to church. Then a younger black yune/States-Item ran a front-page obituary. The sion of heroin ." Judge Bagert sentenced Booker to man stood up and sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chari­ story, by Vincent Fumar, was headlined " 'Piano two years at hard labor at Angola. The 34 days ot." Finally, Booker's 82-year-old Aunt Eva knelt Prince of N. 0 .' James Booker dies at 4 3." On the Booker had already spent in Orleans Parish Prison before his coffin and sobbed: ''I uied to talk to you, same front-page, there was a large front-column were credited to Booker's sentence. While serving I tried to talk to you ... ' ' The last time she had seen photograph of Aaron Neville and a group of New time, Booker worked in the prison library, taught Booker alive was two months before when she went Orleans Saints in the recording studio, cutting ''Who himself yoga and was allowed to play the piano. to the Maple Leaf to hear him play. Eva left during Dat?,'' and an Associated Press story that Bill Allain Because he was a first offender, Booker was freed the first set without speaking to him. had won the Mississippi gubernatorial race , "over­ after serving half his sentence. On the next morning-a cold, gray Friday morn­ coming charges that he had sex with male prosti­ ing, Booker's hearse was driven slowly down Airline tutes.'' ooker's wake was Thursday evening at the Highway to Providence Memorial Park in Metairie. On Thursday morning, The Times-Picayune/ Rhodes Funeral Home on Wasrungton Avenue, His coffin was placed in a crypt and the mourners States-Item printed Booker's official death notice. Bformerly the Tivoli movie theatre. Whereas Pro­ departed. Gerri Hall, the New Orleans singer, blam­ His parents were listed as " the late Reverend J.H. fessor Longhair's wake was somet!Ung of a three-ring ed Booker's death on asuological factors-citing that Booker [who had come to New Orleans from Bryan , circus with the curious and bereaved snapping at Pluto had entered Scorpio (or' 'Scorpius," as she call­ Texas and employment as a professional dancer] and the body with Instamatics and Nikons wrule Ernie ed it) and such an event only happens once every the late Mrs. Ora Champagne Booker.'' Booker was K-Doe and the female commandants of Civil De­ century always causing large numbers of deaths. survived by his two aunts, Mrs. Eva Sylvester, who fense Post 714 vied for conuol of the podium, Book­ Booker would be back, she said, the next time it lives Uptown near the Magnolia Housing Projects, er's wake was solemn and dignified. Those present happened . and Mrs. Bessie Lizona of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, were mostly family, friends and what Booker called Fnday afternoon, veteran record dealer Jim Russell, where Booker spent much of his youth. his "contact men." "Contact men" were basically who had known Booker as a teenager, confessed that On the same morning, The New York Times people who could help Booker-attorneys, club own­ a conversation with Booker could give a person printed its obituary, headlined 'James Booker; Was ers, writers and anyone who would sit down and­ "chills." "Booker," said Russell , "was a man who Called Piano Prince In New Orleans Jazz." The un­ with some degree of sincerity-listen to what he had lived 430 years in 43 years." signed piece noted that Booker ''was known in New to say. Leaving Providence Memorial Park, this writer Orleans as a flamboyant pianist'' and that, among There were few musicians at Booker's wake. Saxo­ recalled the evening when I encountered Booker at other things, he had recorded his first single ("Do­ phonist "Red" Tyler and bandJeader Deacon John the Maple Leaf and asked him if it was uue that he ing The Hambone") in 1953, impersonated Huey were in attendance, and Allen Toussaint arrived in was really going to go to Crucago to tape a program "Piano" Smith on tour during the late Fifties and his brown RolJs-Royce after the brief service was over. for eduational television with Mac Rebennack. served a one-year jail sentence during the Sixties for Booker's two closest musician friends , Earl King and Booker laughed: ''I might go as far as Airline High­ possession of heroin. ''He was rediscovered in the Mac Rebennack, were both in Europe at the time way." 1970's," the Times !'aid, "and became a major at­ of his death. uaction at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festi­ Booker's body, dressed in a dark suit, was placed person , Booker could be a little like having the val and in Europe, although he rarely played in the in a silvery coffin. He wore the sunglasses he was entire Bacchus parade march through your living United States outside of New Orleans.'' usually seen in during recent years (having discard­ Eoom. A few hours with Booker was a demanding Actually, Booker served his one-year jail sentence ed the rhinestone eyepatch as the '80s dawned) and experience, a draining experience and usually, an in 1970 at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. his face was whiskered with a few days' growth of enlightening experience. On January 23, 1970, Booker was observed remov- beard. One rainy afternoon, he arrived to see me and I 24 W AVEI.ENG1HJ DECEMBER \..) SERIALS DFPAWfMENT ,, EARL K. l Of\G LIBRARY ' .UNIVERSITY OF N ~PRL.E.ANs '"Ew ORLEANS · • _.,. IZO~ ~~~-~---

was busy-too busy for Booker's shenanigans and of Booker's correspondence, receipts and four sheets Connick, Jr., son of the District Attorney and a James conspiracies so he departed in a taxi, leaving me with of lyrics in Booker's handwriting. I put the stuff back Booker pupil. Booker signs his greeting, "The Bayou his cane and a stapled manila envelope rubber­ in the envelope, deciding that it had no relevance Maharajah.'' stamped six times with his ' 'Creative International to the "Classified" liner notes and stored it away. 9. Four sheets of lyrics, in Booker's handwriting. Associates" logo . Booker told me to hold on it and Knowing Booker, he might come along and say that One is in blue ballpoint ink and the other is in that I would know when the time was " right" to the time was not "right" and that I'd used classi­ pencil. open the parcel. fied information for his "Classified" liner notes. The pencilled sheets for a song titled ' 'One Day About four years later, when Booker asked Now, I believe, Booker would figure the time was From Bein' A Fool! " are credited to James Booker Rounder Records producer Scott Billington to ask me ''right'' to unveil the artifacts which represent a slice and Ronald Cuccia, "a.k.a. Vonnzig Oark and Zerk to compose the liner notes for his "Classified" of his existence circa-1978-79. catalogued thusly: Y. Black." album, I assumed that the time might be ''right'' 1. A color postcard with two scenes of Mason's The inked sheets, for a song titled " Take Your at last to open Booker's secret envelope. I removed Motel Americana on Claiborne Avenue. It is address­ Time (And uve)," dated "4-11-78" and credited the staples and perused its contents-an assemblage ed to a friend in West Germany, signed "Booker­ to Booker and a name that looks like "WuBuKu," The Piano Pope" and reads: " This is the place when contain the line, " Remember them the way you'd you come to play the festival; stay here and you'll want them to remember you.'' never leave. ' ' During the same period, Booker was anested three 2. A Creative International Associates business times for public drunkenness-Augu•: and Novem­ card, printed in green ink. Booker's address is given ber of 1978, and September of 1979. as "New Orleans, Blueziana." 3. A medical prescription from Oslo, Norway, t 2 p.m. on November 11, 1978, I interviewed dated August 2, 1978. Mac Rebennack in his hotel room at rhe Hil­ 4. A 1968 receipt from Mighty Duke's Tavern with A ton. Mter nearly 45 minutes of reflection and He departed in a taxi, the telephone number of a sax player on the back. commentary, he got around to his mentors and, of 5. Assorted business cards and phone numbers course, Booker: "That's how I learned from like leaving me his cane and written on slips of paper. Papoose [Walter Nelson) and [Roy] Montrell, wat­ 6. A receipt from Werlein's for a book of sheet ching their fingers and learning how to make some a stapled manila music entitled "Bing Crosby: Favorite Songs." nice chords and things. On the piano, I would use envelope. He told me to 7. Two panoramic-view-of-Canal-Street color off-brand fingerings like Huey [Smith] and Fess. postcards. On one of them Booker has used a blue Allen [Toussaint) and Booker played much more cor­ hold on to it and that I ballpoint pen to draw arrows emerging from the top rectly and they were more properly trained in the would know of the Bank of New Orleans skyscraper, the roof of piano, and naturally, more classically-orientated. I've when the which features a giant " BNO" sign. The arrows never had any delusions of playing that stuff. ~e was "right" to open evolve into musical notes over Carondelet Street and ''Booker, being like the child prodigy he was when then, centered over Canal Street-the heart of the he was so young and to have gone through all he's lt. city-Booker has printed in venicalletters: "Booker been through over the years-that's he still amongst of New Orleans," corralling his B, N and 0 with us is, to me, great. I don't think any different than quotation marks . any of the rest of the guys in the business. It's like 8. A copy of a birthday Mailgram to pianist Harry a part of the tradition of New Orleans to not be a WA VELENG1HI DECEMBER 25 good businessman or to be a worse businessman than I only used bits and pieces of the interview in a mew.: ''When I started out in the business, the average cat." subsequent article (Booker's apparent impression, at everybody used to tell me not to fool with Dave Bar­ the time, was that the public needed to be constantly tholomew because 'Dave does this' and 'Dave does o months before my conversation with Mac informed of his adventures, which didn't always fit that' .. .I saw Dave producing different record sessions ebennack, I conducted an interview with into my various editors' scheme of things) and I never and how he handled 'em . I went to his house, nBooker, who had just returned from a Euro­ transcribed the entire interview tape. What follows counted his Cadillacs and I said, 'Well, if that's the pean tour that had taken him to Scandanavia, Ger­ is most of the 45-minute interview, with commen­ way you do it, then shit, me and Dave is gonna be many, Switzerland, the French Riviera and the Mon­ tary. partners.' treuxJazz Festival, where, Booker proudly announc­ Booker began by urging me to interview Earl ''They were gonna try to show me how dishonest ed, his Swiss album, 'James Booker Alive!" had won King, "because he's very frank and very honest. I'm he is. The ones that's very honest, as far as everybody the Grand Prix award for best live recording. Honor­ proud of him for being like that because I remember else is concerned, they're in places where they'll never able mentions, he pointed out, were awarded to Ray when he was not very frank or very honest.'' Booker be seen or written to or talked on the phone to or Charles and Otis Rush. In either Copenhagen, Den­ then accused King of once talcing some of his mater­ nothing. Ain't nobody on the planet 100% honest. mark or Oslo, Norway (Booker couldn't recall ial and turning it into songs "where I couldn't even ''Now the less a man tries to convince me of how where), he had slipped and fractured his elbow while recognize 'em when I heard 'em. " honest he is, the more confidence I have in him. If goin5 through the airport. Booker proceeded to bandleader Dave Bartholo- a man lets me know he's tricky, I know he's honest enough to let me know what I'm dealing with. If a man lets me know that he doesn't dig a person that indulges in trickery, it makes me wonder if he's HAVE YOUR RECORD OUR FOR NEW YEAR'S honest or not or is he actually the tricker that's trick­ WtTH OUR FANTASTIC SERIES-20 MULTITRACK ing the tricker? ''The situation with record companies-not only S~STEM FROM record companies but booking agents, personal man­ TASCAM agers, producers, anybody you gotta sign up with­ TEAC Production Products how can I remember what's on eight pages of con­ tract, eight pages of another contract, eight pages of another contract and sign something saying, 'I will not violate this agreement-everything is cool ?' ''The most important thing is the sales clause and guaranteed release. You can put five clauses on the contract and have it very, very flexible because those five clauses can have subclauses-maybe three of 'em. I'm for revolutionizing the music business. Let the tables turn a little while. "Music is a little bit at a standstill right now (the Number One song on Btl/board's Pop Chart the week of the interview was Taste of Honey's "Boogie Oogie Oogie. "]. You can't tell the difference bet­ ween a record that was made this year or a record that was made last year all the time. Some of 'em sound like that's the same song you heard last year at such and such a month and then when you find Making budget demos, A·V masters, non-sync film or video out who it is, it's a different person singing it. Or soundtracks? Whatever the application, you'll appreciate maybe it's not a different person singing it-maybe Tascam's Series 20: professional recording and mixing it's a different song and a different person singing equipment that remains affordable by sticking to the basics. it and it just sounds like another song that came out last year that was successful. Music is a tricky business, The 22-2 2-tr.ack and 22-4 ~-track machines run at 7.5 or 15 man." ips, with sync on the 4-track for inserts and overdubs. The I asked Booker if he had ever met Charles Levy, companion MM-20 mic/line mixer is compact and expandable: the New Orleans attorney, now deceased, who had repatch a few cables, maybe add an accessory, and change handled the careers of Dave Bartholomew, Fats your whole system. See us and learn how much you can do Domino, and Chris Kenner. I wanted to know be­ with Tascam's Series 20. cause Mrs. Chris Kenner, the recording artist's widow, had recently been released from St. Gabriel Women's Prison (where she had served time for

TASCAM If:\( l'rpdudlllll l'1

26 WAVELENGTH/ DECEMBER son of unholy, psychotic tantrum on the spot, was paid his fee and bid adieu. "He shouldn't have squawked about that," Booker said. "I don't like people squawking over petty change. "They talk about principles. The principle of what? Principle is one thing, feeling is another ... "I have respect for contracts but there's always an exception to quite a few rules. If you're qualified to be an exception, that's something that's quite natural to draw resentment and all kinds of negative responses and it's very difficult to deal with and for this reason, I've been just about on the brink of in­ sanity three or four times. I've never been really, real­ ly totally insane, but I've felt as though I was stan­ ding on the brink of insanity at times. " I can feel it when it comes on. My brain gets certain signals just like hean trouble. Yoiu get signals when you've got heart trouble. Your heart beats a certain way. When you've got rheumatism like I've got, you get pains through your muscles at times. So I usually keep myself kinda posted on what time it is. It's time for a brighter day because we've had a whole lot of the other way." The subject of managers and booking agents arose: "All this for control. Uh uh. They say my biggest difficulty is that I cannot be controlled or that I'm too difficult to be controlled. Oh, I can be controll­ ed. I can be controlled very, very swiftly if the cir­ cumstances prevail in favor of the better half. I con­ sider the better half to be to my financial advantage, where I can call out a few shots. ' 'Don't get me in a studio and tell me to do this, do that, do the other. If you know how to do this, that and the other and a little bit more, I wouldn't have to be sitting there screaming and hollering like somebody hit me in the head with a cue stick. ''If a manager gets a commission to be a mana­ ger-to give you advice-you're the performer but you're also the boss, right? If so, why do the powers that be want to dictate to the artist as if he were in Moscow?'' I reminded Booker that record companies are capi­ talistic enterprises. Selling records and selling toothpaste-what's the difference? There's little regard for the artist ... "Little regard for the artist-that's the punchline of this whole interview. Little regard for the artist, no matter how big he is or what. "A friend of mine, a very good friend of mine, Richard Perry, who produced Ringo Starr, he told me one time, 'I don't like lawyers, I don't deal with lawyers.' When I had to ftle a claim against Ringo Starr to get my proper earnings for the one song that I did with him-'Hold On'-around $1,398, Ringo didn't want to pay it because Richard had advanced me about $760 and Ringo felt we should be even because that was a hell of a favor. And it was a hell of a favor. "Richard Perry was real, real hung U!> behind my music because he told me one time he remembered when 'So Swell When You're Well'-he produced it-he said, 'I remember the night I met yo:.1, Book­ manslaughter; Chris Kenner, Jr., in 1978, was an "So I did this. It was a year after Kennedy got er, you came and staggered over to the piano and Angola inmate) and was trying to discover what killed-1964. Fats recorded my song, 'So Swell you played some of the most fantastic stuff I've ever happened to the royalties from her husband's com­ When You're Well. ' He was on Warner Brothers heard in my life!' positions, which included ' 'Land of a Thouand then. At this particular time, he was on ABC/Para­ "Music is a mysterious an, to stan off with, and Dances" and " I Like It Like That." mount and Clarence 'Junior Boy' Brown-he was my people that's really good at it-at an elaborate, mys­ Booker laughed heartily at the mention of Levy's drummer. And we both were sent for to go Nashville terious an-they get a little taste of the mysterious name and said: "I think Charles Levy does a very and record with Fats. When we came back or maybe ...sometimes mysticism, too. In fact, all of the time, good job as he has done for the past 25 years or so. a couple of months later, Fats hired Clarence and they have mystical, mysterious attributes but it's He's a very, very perceptive observer of the pro­ anyway, I always wanted a job with Fats. So Dave whether or not they're aware of it that's important. cedures of the music business-very perceptive. said, 'Man, if you want a job that bad, just go ahead "Let me tell you something, man, every genera­ " I've never negotiated with this man. I've spoken and get your clothes, put 'em on the bus- go ahead tion that has ever come up has always revolted against to him on the phone. We've had conversations face because he likes you. " the older generation. This happens in the music busi­ to face that were a little bit on the negative side Booker explained that he went to Levy after the ness, too. And the revolting only comes sometimes because I took Dave Bartholomew's advice and said, Fats Domino gigs and asked for his money. Levy in­ from professional envy-that motivates a whole lot 'Well, if Fats [Domino] won't give me the gig, I'm formed him that the $35 a night Booker wanted for of things. Professional envy has some good sides to gonna take the gig.' Dave told me, he said, 'Just his services had not been stipulated in any contract it, if it's dealt with a certain way. get on the bus, bring your suitcase and go ahead and and therefore, Booker would not be compensated. "Look at the politicians. They have their share of ride. When you get to the gig, play the piano.' Whereupon, Booker, by threatening to throw some Continued on page 40

WAVELENGTH/ DECEMBER 27 Booker's Life and Achievements BY JON FOOSE

He was born to James Booker Jr. and Ora preacher described by pianist Edward Frank as a joined her brother. Aunt Betsy worked for the Pro­ Cheatham Booker, December 17, 1939, in New "very stately man, tall, very neat, well-spoken and well family at their beach house. Her husband, Ber­ Orleans. His sister Betty Jean was six years older. pleasant." James' mother worked as a beautician. nard Lizana, was a construction worker. The Lizanas James Jr. was a tall dark man much older than his Because of family problems, James, at two , went lived in a pleasant Victorian house on a huge corner wife. Ora's family moved to New Orleans from Ca­ to live with his maternal aunt and uncle in Bay St . lot, one block from the beach. Shady live oaks and jun country. She was fair-complected ; an early Louis, Mississippi, a tranquil resort town on the Gulf, flower beds made for idyllic boyhood explorations. photograph shows a pretty woman with delicate sixty miles from New Orleans. Two years later, With no children of their own, the Lizanas accepted fean.;res , high cheekbones. His father was a Baptist Reverend Booker suffered a stroke and Betty Jean little James and Betty Jean with great love and tenderness. The house today has big rooms and a homey kit­ chen with ceiling fan to boost breezes from the Gulf. Antique cabinets filled with crystal and china line Our Glamorous the dining room. The old upright piano in the cor-. ner by the window was the focal point of Booker's youth. He began instructions at six. New Year's Eve Gala Mrs . Lizana called her·nephew J.C. "I have never seen a child as good. I used to take him to work with JACK PAYNE'S me and Mr. Prowell was just wild about J.C. Everywhere he would go, he would take ).C. with ILl] ~\t()IUILII~ him. They would go out and crab and fish and things like that. He was smart as a whip." At St. Rose, a Catholic school, he made good grades. ll2t()IUti3IE He also made remarkable progress on the piano. Mrs. Lizana: "The boy was gifted-He loved Miss ~'f)~ Nat [Natalie Piernas, his teacher] and his lessons. She SHOWROOM said that he learned quicker than any child she had taught. When his sister would be playing, he would LOUNGE say, 'No, you 're playing that wrong.' It was comical 'cause Betty was six years older than ).C. My hus­ band was so proud of him." When James was seven, his uncle Bernard died. In the ninth grade he returned to New Orleans to live with his mother. In Xavier Preparatory School he outpaced the music program, took lessons from faculty at Xavier University and was viewed as a child prodigy. He formed a band, Booker Boy and the Rhythmaires, in 1953; they played R&B numbers popular on the radio. His sister introduced James to WMRY dee-jay Ernie "The Whip" [who died this November] and the fourteen-year-old promptly played ''Lawdy, Miss Claudy. '' Soon he had his whole combo broadcasting. New Orleans was a fer­ tile field for James Booker. As older musicians heard of his ability, they called him to sit in and play. He gained entry to the inner circle of artists. Edward Frank: "He had great technique and a Presents good blues feeling even then. He was different, very GREG THOMPSC)N'S gifted, not sure of himself 'cause he was young, but everywhere he would go, he would play. He had to, because people would insist on it. Dave Bartholomew ''Follies On Broad-way'' asked me about James 'cause he had heard about "A glittering, razzle-dazzle salute to the him, and one day Dave called me down to the studio and James was there." biggest and brightest award winning musicals. " " Doing the f:lambone" (which Bartholomew had written) appeared on Imperial. It didn' t sell, but at Open Bar at 9 fourteen James Booker had a record to his name. Show at I 0:30 "I went to Xavier University Junior School of Complimentary Champagne at Midnight Music while I was in the tenth and eleventh grades," Booker explained. " In the twelfth I didn't go at all Live Band/Dancing 'cause I was playing more in nightclubs, with peo­ Continental Breakfast 1:30 a.m. ple like Earl King, Smiley Lewis, Shirley and Lee." Party Favors Still, he did well enough to graduate. The organ had become popular in the emerging All reservations paid in advance rock music of the period, due to the Bill Doggett S85 per person includes everything hit "Honky Tonk." Booker was a pioneer in New Orleans on organ. With guitarist Earl King, James Plan Your Christmas Party Now started the first organ group in New Orleans in 1955. GROUP RATES AVAILABLE Later he joined Joe Tex for a road tour; through Tex, 501 BOURBON STREET he met Johnny Vincent, and recorded a lively organ SHOWS NIGHTLY instrumental for Ace called "Teenage Rock." Things (Corner St. Louis) 524-4299 MONDAY-SATURDAY went fine until Booker discovered Vincent over­ dubbingJoe Tex lyrics on the tune, calling it "Open 28 WA VELENGlH/ DECEMBER the Door." Booker exploded. Vincent backed down, now, and Bartholomew hired Booker to put down The only thing that's missing is the cowbell that the and released it on the fl ip side, under the name "Lit­ piano tracks for "Fats is Back" in 1968. An excep­ horses used to have." Booker achieves the effect by de Booker.'' tional Domino-style piano appears on Booker's ''I'm an octave-spanning yodel. In 1958, Booker hit the road with Shirley and Lee. Ready," released on the Reprise label. He had a talent for imitation, and gravitated to Huey Booker left New Orleans for New York. In the ear­ Why don't you go somewhere " Piano" Smith, who didn't like to tour. Thus ly Seventies, he did session work for producer Mike If you don't know what you ·re doin '! Check your situation Booker went on the road with Bobby Marchan and Stoller, who sent Booker to Nashville to work at the Clowns, playing piano as Huey Smith. He was Starday-King studio as a session pianist. His reputa­ Before you see your ruin. I'm gonna tell you just what I heard, also moving heavily into studio sessions at Cosmos, tion on keyboard spread among musicians around and playing clubs around town. the country. He recorded with Maria Muldaur, Ringo First time, second, and you know third. Booker was a complex young man, sensitive and Starr, Aretha Franklin, the Doobie Brothers, and the You got oo wa, oo wa, oo wa, often high strung. He began experimenting with Grateful Dead. One hell of a neroe ... heroin. At twenty, he entered Southern University, In 1975 he went to Spain, played a music festival The other song, "So Swell When You Well" has feeling that the structure of school would help. But in Barcelona, dazzling the audience with his rock­ been Booker's most successful composition since when Dee Clark came to town needing an organist, ing boogie version of "Malaguena." He was now "Gonzo," covered by Aretha Franklin and Fats James dropped out of school to tour. Because of working to rid himself of his addiction. Of those Domino. financial difficulties, the group split up in Houston years, he said, "It started like a nightmare and end­ and Clark sold the band organ to Don Robie. Ed- ed like a dream-because you know overcoming the You so swell when you 're well (three times) But you had to stay sick so long.

· ~ You know I love you, honey, From A to Z, But something about you Seems to worry me.

Today you love me, Tomo"ow you don't. Sometimes you wzfl, And I know sometimes you won 't.

You so swell when .YOU 're well (three times) But you just stay sick so long! Late 1977 found James Booker at the Boogie Woogie and Ragtime Piano Contest in Zurich, Switzerland. Hts performance resulted in the LP james Booker Live, first released in Europe. It won The Grand Prix de Disque de Jazz for best live album of the year, which James accepted at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1978. (In the U.S., Rounder Records released it as New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live!) Of all the artists in New Orleans, James Booker is the most difficult to characterize. He resettled in the city in the late Seventies and became one of the most popular musicians on the performing circuit-if not always a predictable one. When the crowd was right, when the music surged, the man was a wonder to behold. To some, Booker was known to erect a cold, sardonic wall. Booker's brilliance was tempered in the flame­ the painful struggle of his addiction literally em­ James Booker in Germany, 1977. bodied the Junkers. Booker recorded "Junko Part­ ner, '' an updated version of the old piano anthem ward Frank found session work for Booker at Robie's addiction itself is a dream. It's every junkie's dream on his first LP. The poetry and imagery, set to puls­ studio. James worked with Duke/ Peacock talents to square up. Some pursue it, some don't. I found ing blues-and-boogie beat, are vintage Booker. Junior Parker, Bobby Bland and others. every reason to pursue it because I had so much to His own recording, "Gonzo," a rocking organ in­ look forward to and it seemed to be a stumbling Down the road strumental, surprised many people by climbing to block. I found out after I did kick it, I had a few Came a junko partner. number ten in the R&B charts of 1960. Edward Frank other problems, personality-wise. When I was com­ He was loaded, he was loaded, suggested the title, which was Booker's nickname. ing off of methadone in 1976, I found I was very Loaded as can be. ("Gonzo" had been the lead character in the movie paranoid. I got placed in Charity Hospital on the He was knocked out, knocked Ofjl loaded, The Pusher.) The flip side was called "Cool Turkey." third floor mental ward. I had two nervous And he was singing, he was singing, The heroin references eluded producer Robie, breakdowns between January and March. Then I He was singing this-a song to me. which Booker and Frank took as a fine joke. came to the Euterpe Center and I was on the tail James Booker was a bit of a gypsy; his restlessness end of de-toxing the methadone and it was quite If I had, if I had, is reflected in the early Sixties. He toured the west painful. It was quite a drastic experience. I wasn't If I had one mzflion dollars- with Roy Hamilton's show and B.B. King. Then he sure I could do it.'' I wanna tell ya, wanna tell ya, toured with Lloyd Price, Joe T ex again, and Wilson He did do it , and late in 1976 R&B historian Wanna tell ya what I would do. Pickett. Then "I went down to Bourbon Street and Norbert Hess arranged a European tour, which I would buy, I would buy played at one club called Papa Joe 's and the guy resulted in two live albums. The first LP , james Land around Angola, heard me play and he bought three organs 'cause Booker/ The Piano Pn.nce of New Orleans, features And grow a nice weed form 'ttl 1992. he had two other places, Madam Franchine's and Po­ several Booker compositions. "One Hell of a Nerve" odle's Patio .I played all three of those places every has an interesting history. New Orleans has long had I want whiskey, whiskey, night and, when it got to taxing my body, I called fruit vendors, who drive small trucks through the Whiskey when I'm thirsty. on Dr. John and taught him how to play organ and neighborhoods, hawking their produce. Booker: " I I want water, water, let him be my understudy. That's how he started remember listening to the watermelon man; 'I got Water when I'm dry. playing organ." watermelon, I got canteloupe, I got okra and I want my lover, lover, His deepening dependency on drugs put him at shrimp.' That influenced me to write a certain style Lover when I'm lonely, nght now! odds with the law. He was arrested and found of music. I wrote 'So Swell When You Well' from And just a little herwon, herwon himself in the company of Chris Kenner at Angola that. And there's another I have, 'One Hell of a Herwon nght before I die, State Penitentiary. On release there was more ses­ Nerve,' and it really gives you the sound of the man With a little cocaine, cocaine, sion work. Fats Domino was on the road a great deal going behind the watermelon truck [to sell produce]. Cocaine on the side. •

WAVELENGm DECEMBER 29 Music by Prescription Steve Masakowskz: J"azz guitanSt and inventor, exposes New Orleans to sounds from

BY YORKE CORBIN

he sweet smell of commercial success has so far approach. The third release of Prescription Records, failed to descend upon any of the artistically the contemporary New Orleans jazz label, Mars will Tpotent jaz7 composers stirring about the city. not have the advantage of major label distribution, The small audience that New Orleans normallv which means that Masakowski remains several big muster~ for contemporan an events has heard some steps away from connecting with a large audience. striking mustc these pa.., few years, and out tn the What we're looking for at the momem is solid evi­ big world tht advent ot \X vnron Marsalis has gener dence that he is determined and able to take those ated morr publtc ext tttn .tnt than anyone concern­ steps, one after another. ed with either Jazz or Nev. Orleans would have dared "You have to make your breaks yourself," he says hope. But the gulf between Wynton's success and flat out. "You have to pull your own strings-espe­ the recognttton accorded hts home-based peers ts cially in New Orleans. I've been getting my business large (as i the distanct between jazz and pop star­ Steve Masakowski plays an instrument of his own frame of mind together; I'm seeing with the whole dom : the ftrst Wynton Marsalis album has sold about devising- the keytar. It's a keyboard for the left group of contemporary musicians here , that's one 12~ . 000 coptes; double that figure would make a hand arranged like a guitar finger board, interfaced factor that's necessary for people to get to the point modest pop hit). Sniffing out jazz trends is a pastime with a polyphonic synthesizer. Because there's no where they can stan breaking away from the New in which few Orleanians indulge. picking involved, the right hand is free to fire notes,. Orleans scene, doing things on a higher level. Patrons of the perfume department at D. H. "In the beginning, it's an uphill battle. You have Holmes, however, caught a whiff of what's happen­ to get to a certain point where people start becom­ ing a few weeks back . Floating through the srore were ed a touch of the surreal. "Now I've seen every­ ing interested in you. But I feel like the New Orleans the strains of Steve Masakowski's mellifluous jazz thing," the jazz head muttered. "I guess you have," musical scene is on the verge of becoming prosper­ guitar, perhaps the pleasamest promotional idea any the guitarist noted sagely. ous and beneficial for everybody. Every separate band local depanment store has devised in recent memory. Steve Masakowsk.i takes the quirks of making a liv­ of personality-everyone who's working for a higher One jazz scene hanger-on who happened to be ambl­ ing as a contemporary jazz musician in stride. Sup­ goal-is closer than they've ever been before to quali­ ing about the store at the time looked up in aston­ porting himself as a private teacher, sideman, and ty, to getting recognition that would put them on ishment to see Masakowsk.i , whose usual persona sug­ astute gram-getter, Masakowsk.i leads one of the most a different level ." gestS a serious imellectual with a sardonically humor­ adventurous jazz groups in the city, Mars. He has Conscious that he has a lingering reputation for ous edge, playing gemle riffs for the perfume seekers. just released his first album, also called Mars, which negativism about the local music scene, Masakowski With his chunky frame encased in a rented tux, Mas­ sounds like a canny mating of intellectually challen­ is straining a bit to sound positive. But it's worth akowski's improbable Fu Manchu mustache seem- ging music with an accessible, commercially-attuned looking at how he has steadily applied himself to the 30 WAVELENGTH/ DECEMBER task of making his musical ideas, which tend toward the advanced and esoteric, a force to reckon with on the highly conservative New O rleans scene. A New Orleans native ("no one believes that") who studied The Story Behind The Label at Boston's Berklee School of Music, Masakowski returned home to pursue two separate musical paths. ackaging uncompromised music, _despite its quality. I'm going to keep picking out places like First, he fell in with the hip young players who were Pvoice-in-the-wilderness overtones, IS usually a that.'' making Tyler's jazz club the center of the local jazz :;:;:;: collective affair. Such is the case with the McLean's first album, "History's Made Every scene in the late Seventies; the emphasis there was fledgling Prescription label (of which Mars is part) Moment," was recorded at the Faubourg, soap­ on instrumental flash, showy virtuosity. Masakowski's as viewed by one of its founders, Ramsey McLean. parently the idea of working in a studio still holds skills gave him ready entree to that circle, but his ''Anthony Braxton once told me that there was no appeal for him. understated playing seemed to set him apart. Mean­ no such thing as a good record deal," he said. "I just think it's got to be live or it's not a jazz while, he was exploring a different territory, advanc­ "What we're trying to do is put out the best con­ record," he said. "For authentic quality, it's got ed composition in the contemporary classical mode, temporary music that New Orleans has to offer. to be taken live. It has to be done with everybody under the tutelage of Dr. Ben Braud, the noted com­ It's an artist-produced label. It's really more of an playing together. You can't play it separately. You poser who heads the music department at the New umbrella than a formal record company. It's nice get the edge this way. Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. from the standpoint of control. Things now aren't "We'll have 1,000 copies pressed. Michael the way they were six or seven years ago, when Cuscuna will do the liner notes. If we have four bout three years ago, Masakowski began to minor companies marketed new artists. Record records out on the same label, we'll have a catalog merge as a composer in his own right. He companies today are interested in people who have of contemporary New Orleans music, which will ormed Mars as a vehicle for experimenting produced for them in the past. N?w the_y're buy­ help us to deal with distributors, European com­ with electronic effects, combining his new music ing catalogs and re-releasmg thmgs, ltke Elek­ panies and mail order. The strength of that will studies with his jazz background. Mars began to pre­ tra I Musician.'' be greater than any individual could do.'' (Also sent club audiences with carefully thought-out com­ McLean's Prescription entry, The Long View on Prescription are the IAQ's No Compromise.) positions that sometimes played hob with listeners' which is in the final production stages, is a duet The first album received favorable reviews and expectations, as synthesizer-generated electronic with Tony Dagradi, and should be out before the helped put McLean on the musical map. He com­ sounds travelled outside the normal boundaries of year's end. pares it to the The Long View with a terse frank­ jazz. As might be expected, Mars has been slow to "All of the music is totally original," he said. ness: "The first one did well critically. The new build an audience in New Orleans. "The more original the material, the higher the one doesn't sound like the first one; it's "I would never go out to uy to find a steady gig level of musicianship. On this album I play cello. thematically unified. I like duets. It's like a solo situation for Mars," Masakows1ci explains. "On a Tony plays tenor, soprano, flute and bass clarine~. but you have a friend. It's not nightclub music. weekly basis at Tyler's, it wouldn't work. It's more Actually I play bass on one tune. We recorded 1t It's a highly compositional record. But it's not a conducive to a concert type of situation. You have in the playhouse at Longue Vue Gardens. It was stiff kind of formal. Some of it's pretty abstract. to look forward to particular gigs and try to make recorded acoustically. We used the room, it should The production is better, the material about them interesting- totally different.'' sound big. There's no studio that offered that 1 equal.'' - Vincent Fumar That sounds like the resigned stoicism of a strug­ gling avant-gardist, except that Masakowski has in W AVELENGTIIJ DECEMBER 31 "Pusateri's Original Po-Boy Shop"

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Gift Name3 ______Address ______Crty Stale . Zrp_ Please rnclude the tollowrng holiday greetings to be rncluded wrth the grit ( tO words or less) fact managed to deliver. And if his performances in warding that people in New York don't do. There's you can do, what your strong points are." recent month s are a reliable indication, he may be not a whole lot of competitions for grants here." Steve Masakowski's strong points recall those of ready to break through to a broader audience. This Grant and prize money have gone to support some one of his regular collaborators, pianist Ellis Marsalis, year's jazz fest found Masakowski collaborating with of Masakowski's writing, and he has a substantial his partner for the Monday night duets at Tyler's that a talented visual artist, John Graubarth, at the Snug grant to spend on a second album. The one he has for the past year or two have been the most rewar­ Harbor jazz club, which has emerged as the place just released was largely underwritten by a patron, ding regular jazz gig in New Orleans. Like Ellis, Mas­ to hear the freshest music (some would say the most the father of one of his guitar students. He produc­ akowski is a virtuoso player, a challenging composer exciting art) that New Orleans has to offer. On a ed it himself over a couple of years, employing one and a man with sufficient intellectual detachment screen behind and above the band, Graubarth pro­ nationally known musician, saxophonist Dave Lieb­ to produce fine work at a steady pace in an environ­ jected a shifting, overlapping series of images that man, and what Masakowski calls "a New Orleans ment that too often discourages the musical talent danced at the edge of a viewer's powers of concen­ all-star band. I used different people for different with which New Orleans is almost haphazardly bless­ tration, seeming to resolve themselves into coherent things-three drummers, two keyboard players. It's ed. Masakowski's first album, to be reviewed here visual stateme nts, then dissolving to begin a new all my compositions, and it's a cross-section of dif­ next month, makes a convincing case that a smart chain of association. Masakowski and his band (some ferent things. I'm into a lot of different things, which jazz man can pull together the right elements from of whom seemed to chafe at the task) insinuated their is good and bad as far as marketability is concerned. the New Orleans scene to send the city's musical force music into the consciousness of the audience; depen­ I think for a first album it's important to show what hurtling toward a new audience and into a new year. ding upon where one's attention was more fully engaged, the music would seem a commentary on the imagery, or vice versa. In subsequent performances, most notably at the Longue Vue Gardens concert series, Masakowski, Mars and Graubarth have refined and expanded their concept. Besides the considerable art involved, there is a trick: juxtaposed with the flux of visual imagery, the element of intellectual play in what might other­ wise seem an intimidatingly complex style of music springs to the fore . This art provides its audience with a surprisingly easy means of access, a way to focus one's conscious attention that gives subliminal in­ fluences free play. "None of it's a new idea," according to Masa- · kowski. "I reaJly believe that electronic music is the music of the future, and as with all music that is new on the scene, people have a hard time relating to it, appreciating it. I think having visual effects will help people digest the music. It gives the music a clearer emotional perspective.''

asakowski relishes the challenge of engaging why you should consider an audience. Surprisingly, he makes a virtue Mof the fact that conservative New Orleans au­ a career in Electronics: diences necessitate an extra effort on the artist's part. "One thing good about New Orleans is that there's 1 The U S Department of Labor cla1ms electromc related JObs are among the most prom1stng career opportunities 1n Amenca always something you can do-little goals, little pro­ today jects N that are good things to work for. That's why 2 RETS Training Center an accredited techn1cal school. has r------·., I z ~ I've been down here so long. graduates worktng for maJOr compames like IBM. D1g1tal. NCR. § ., Un1on Carb1de. Honeywell. Eastman-Kodak. and many more ,.. Si ., " I keep thinking about moving to New York. I I s Si i >= 3 You can graduate from RETS Training Center tn only one year •c ~ c even talked to Branford Marsalis about it. He seem­ i i1- i ~ 2l Q College would take at least four years I • ~ u ;I ~ i ~ ed to think that Wynton would never have gotten .... z 1- 1- Q 4 At RETS Training Center you ga1n all the electronic knowledge • • ~ .... ac u c .... I 0 .... I .... 1- the deal he got with CBS if he of a college = c ~ hadn't been in New education w1thout tak1ng non-related courses like ~ § ~ ., c ~ I York. And of course, the people in high positions English and Sc1ence I ,; c t: u ~ 0 .... 1- ! ~ in the record business would never have 5 Upon graduat1on. RETS w1ll prov1de you w1th JOb placement :s c ~ ~ A. 6 c heard him I 0 ~ ... § c 0 i ~ if he'd stayed here because they're never down here. ass1stance ...• • 6 You can c • 00000000 But hoose e1ther day or mght classes at RETS Training I :E at least down here there are things that you can Center. do with grants, etcetera, that can be artistically re- I 7 There 1s noth1ng to buy once you start school All books and E supplies are tncluded 1n the tu1t1on Also. full fmanc1al a1d IS I • ava1lable ... "' 8 RETS Training Center g1ves cred1t for prev1ous tra1mng you I .. "'CD ! ~ have rece1ved that pertams to our courses ... ::) I Ill 0 9 RETS Training 0 :0 Center IS the f~rst accredited school 1n the state c Q) 0 '- 0. of Lou1S1ana. who has accepted the first chapter of Alpha Beta I ::) : >- Kappa and 1s known as Alpha A nat1onal honor soc1ety o~ N I •> -o I 10 There 1s good money to be made tn electroniCS upon gradua­ i5 :J"'""' CD tion from RETS Training Center Anywhere from $15.000 to I Ill o.c: .oO Ul 520.000 a year s "'CD I I I'll c:"' Q) ~ ~g~ (ij c I Q)<1)0. Cii • ~~~ c"' Classes begin in January "'0 0 Q) ... sign up Now! I o-c: .. .,!::o :0 ~::::.;:: a.. I ..•c o-c: ::) "'E • .!::.C:'- I u 0- 0 .. .!!!it: 0w I l.LJCD; 1- Call -1 (f) I 11.. S E 0 ow Collect, ~ ... ~{lE :x:ffi (504) I Ill c;; ~ -S ~f- {~ !e"tJ 0 z 8886848 · ...... ~ 0.~ o- Ia i C: CD Ul _gal zw - "> CD ., WaJ Ul "' u"O Q) "' E "' Q; Q) ~ Ylc c ~,... ~ -Q> E "0 ~ 0 u.< "0 ·~ ~£s "0 ..,_"'- .r:. "0 1% z"' < (3 _1<{ a.. <~ < I 8 3605 DIVISION STREET e METAIRIE .(ii I ~

W AVELENGTHI DECEMBER 33 december listings

Pinkerton, you may as well get it over with. The Nutcracker, Tchaikowsky's ballet­ Conducted by Elio Boncompagni. lnforma· inexplicably a family favorite-about the lion from the New Orleans Opera Associa­ lurid and sordid things that went on after Thursday,1 tion at 529-2278. lights out in 19th Century Russian house­ holds at Christmas time. Call 587-3070 38 Special, Mississippi Gulf Coast Coli· for Thursday, information. seum; ticket information at (600) 388-8010. 8 Joan Rivers, Saenger Performing Arts Saturday, 3 Center, 525-1052. Anyone planning to at­ Saturday, 31 New Year's Eve Blues The Neville Brothers, Steamer tend this is advised to steal a look at the Pestlval, and Presi­ is there dent. Call 524-SAIL. December issue of Hustler magazine for a a better time to have the blues?, Riverside Centroplex, Baton Rouge, with Rich Uttle narrates Prokofiev's Peter and "cosmograph" (as they called them in the B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, the Wolf with the New Orleans Symphony; Twenties) of " Joan Rivers' Nightmare." Z.Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle also on the program: his salute All We Are Saying... , a music and film -so who needs to MGM and noisemakers? press conference. At the Orpheum; admis· tribute to John Lennon, and a benefit for the sion information from the Symphony's of­ Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. At fice, 525-0500. Tipitina's; details at 899-9114. The Messiah, performed by the Jefferson Friday, 9 Community Chorus at Immaculate Concep­ Holiday Pavorltes with the tion Church on 7th Street in Marrero; infor­ New mation at 833·3366. Orleans Symphony, as well as the Sym­ Thursday-Saturday, phony Chorus, the Children's Symphony 1·3, Sunday,4 Chorus and Lisa Trapani narrating. Or· Saturday, 10 Prank Pederlco and his band, French pheum, information at 525-0500. Christmas Pestlval, Monroe. Informa­ Madama Butterfly by the New Or1eans Market; free. Jeffrey Osborne, Saenger, 8 and 11 . tion at (318) 323-3461 . Opera Association, Dec.7, 8, 10. Ticket information at 525·1052. Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein Ger· Friday, 2 trude Stein, Dixon Hall, Tulane, 8 p.m. Pat X , Steamer President (although it might be Christmas Comes Alive, Lafayette. In· Carroll performing her celebrated mono­ more appropriate to hear them while steam­ formation at (318) 981-0693. logue (and I hope it vaguely resembles John ing down the Orinoco or even the Styx); details at Candy's parody on SCTV)-1 always think 524-SAIL. Friday, Saturday, 2·3 of Pat Carroll on those old shows like The Saturday, Three States Arts and Antiques Commuters with Sid Caesar and Nanette 10 Johnny Rivers, Steamer President. Pestlval, Shreveport. Information at (318) Fabray, or on Keep Talking (surely due for Call 524-SAIL. 222-9122. revival soon). The subject matter of this ought to be obvious from the title. Informa­ Saturday, 11 Saturday, 3 tion at 865-5143 . Brass Quintet, at the French Market, Candlelight Tour of Clinton, Clinton, Africa SulteiKidd Jordan mektrlk, 9 free. La. Information at (504) 683-5594. p.m. at Tipitina's. Michael Pranks, Saenger, 525-1052. I The Meulah, performed by the Jefferson like Michael Franks OK since anyone who Saturday, Sunday 3·4 Commu Pioneer nity Chorus, at St. Agnes' Church likes le douanier Rousseau is OK with me Christmas Celebration, on Franklinton. Jefferson Highway; information at and a little subtlety is always welcome, but Information at (504) 839-3637. 834-5727. Plaquemines Parish Pair don't you ever wonder if this guy ever gets and Orange Festival upset and shouts and stomps around? , Fort Jackson. Information at Wednesday, 7 (504) 657·9958. The Sophie Newcomb Memorial Con· Tuesday, 13 cert, Sunday,4 part of the Music at Midday series; Dan Pogelburg, UNO Lakefront Arena. Annual VIctorian Christmas participants are the Tulane and Newcomb Ticket information at 286-7222. , Franklin. Lady BJ et the Snug Harbor, Dec.23, Choirs. Rogers Memorial Chapel, noon, Information at (318) 828-3631 . free. and a special farewell concert at the Wednesday, 14 Stray Cats, Saenger, 525-1052. Saturday, 10 Saxony, Dec.18. Madama Butterfly, Wed.7, Thurs.8 and Homer Christmas Pestlval and Sat. tO, Theatre for the Performing Arts. Friday, 16 Parade, Homer, La. Information at {318) Puccini out of David Belasco and if you've Stray Cats, Mississippi Coast Coliseum, 927-3271 . Bobby Bland at the Riverside not before thrilled to the doomed affair be· details at (600) 388-8010. Centroplex, Baton Rouge, Dec.31. tween Cio Cio San and that heel Lieutenant Saturday-Sunday, 10·11 Friday, 16 and Saturday, 17 Louisiana Crafts Christmas Fair, New AmahI and The Night VIsitors, Menot­ Orleans. Information at 861-8267. ti's opera about a little lame boy who enter­ tains (partially unawares) the three Mag1 during a pit stop one Christmas long ago; at the Orpheum, details at 525-0500. Saturday, 17 Bistro Lounge, 4061 Tulane Ave., Ronnie Dlo, formerly with Black Sabbath 482-9377. Fndays and Saturdays: Ruben (and is he any relation to Madre de D1o?), Gonzalez and his Salsa Rhythms, from 10. with Humble Pie opening. Saenger, Blue Room, in the Fairmont Hotel, 525-1052. 529-7111 . Through Tues.13. Billy Preston. Wed.1 4 through Sat.24: John Gary. Mon.26 Sunday, 18 through Jan.3: Sam Butera, that sempiter­ The Desire Community Chorus, at the nal accomplice of the antics of Louis Prima, French Market, free. assuredly w1th his Witnesses. Reservations; Caroling, by candlelight, beginning at 6 1n danc1ng, as well. Jackson Square. Bobby's Place, 520 East St. Bernard Farewell Concert for Lady BJ, Saxony, Highway, Chalmette, 271-0137. Fridays and 1717 Canal, beginning at 6; information at Saturdays: Bobby Cure and the Summer­ 581-4466. time Blues. Bonapa rte's Retreat, 1007 Decatur, Wednesday, 21 561 -9473. Ralph Cox, every day except The Messiah, performed by the New Sunday. ~ Orleans Symphony, Orpheum Theatre, Bounty, 1926 West End Park, 282-9144. 525-0500; but aren't you starting to wonder Certainly the darkest and most " intime" of why someone doesn't maybe do Berlioz' W.E. clubs. Fridays and Saturdays: Harvey L'Enfance du Christ at this season (kinda Jesus and Frye. creepy but our favorite Xmas music any­ Bronco's, 1409 Romain, Gretna, way) or even perhaps Bach's Christmas 368-1000. Every day except Sundays, the Oratorio? Mississippi South House Band Irma Thomas Christmas Special, 9 Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow, p.m. on Channel 12. Irma performs such 865-9190. Sat.3: Mason Ruffner and the works as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Blues Rockers. Tues.6: Reverberations, a Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella, Frosty The play by Richard Pierce. Fri.16 Johnny J and Snowman, Angels We Have Heard On High the Hitmen. Sat.17: Mason Ruffner and the and many others; advance notice is that it's Blues Rockers. Call for other dates if not a killer. for Phillip Morris. Wednesday, 28 to Dorothy's Medallion, 3232 Orleans. Friday, 30 Snake-dancing, examples of adiposa dolo­ New Orleans City Ballet, Theatre for rosa in motion for Bolero-eyed girl wat­ the Performing Arts. Wed.28 through Fri.30: chers, and Fridays and Saturdays, Johnny Adams and Walter Washington with the 10. Fridays and Saturdays: Sandy Hanson House Band. (no relation to Monte-he/as!) from 11 un· DNam Palace, 534 Frenchmen. Dec.30: til 4 a .m. Mondays: B'Auray from 10 unt1l Radiators. Other dates tee bee ayyy. 2 a .m. 1101 Club, 1801 Stumpf Blvd., 367-9670. Munster's Dance H•ll •nd B•r, 627 Wednesdays through Saturdays, Janet Lyons, 899·9109. Wednesdays. The Loui­ Lynn and Waka Waka. Thurs.1: F rankle siana Repertory Jazz Ensemble. Ford. Sat.3: the ever-dapper Tommy Ridge­ Old Absinthe B•r, 400 Bourbon. ly Sat.tO: Jean Knight. Thurs.15: Frankie 524-7761 . Mondays and Tuesdays: The Frankie Ford. Thurs.29: Frankie Ford. Blues Rockers. Wednesdays through Sun· Sat.31: New Year's Eve bash. days: Bryan Lee and the Jumpstreet Five. Palrmont Court, in the Fairmont Hotel, Old Oper• House, 601 Bourbon. Mon· 529·7111 . Tuesdays to Saturdays, Judy days: the Pontchartrain Band from 9. Tues­ Duggan occupies the piano bench from 9 days through Sundays: Aubry Twins and the to 1 Fresh Air Band from 8:30. Saturday: Oliver The Pamous Door, 339 Bourbon, and the Rockettes-gosh direct from Radio 522-7626. Everyone of note, from Thack· City!-from 2:30 until 8:30. Sundays: the eray to Durante has passed through these Pontchartrain Band from 2:30 until 8:30. charmed portals; Thomas Jefferson and his Mondays: Hell Oneall from 4:45 until 8:30. Creole Jau Band play Thursdays through Wednesdays through Fndays: Randy and Tuesdays. Wednesdays are taken up by Art Dick1e from 4:45 until 8:30. R1der's Jau Band (are h1s brothers named Old Post Office, 4000 Downman Rd., C. C. and Easy?) who also enlivens weekend 242·9960. Call for listings. afternoons from 4 to 8. P•rkvlew T•vern, 910 N. Carrollton, Pat Cats, 505 Gretna Blvd., Gretna, 482-2680. Fri.2: Mason Ruffner and the ' . . ,., 362·0598. Mondays and Tuesdays: Rock· Blues Rockers. Fri.16: Bourre. Fri.23: Tim ' 1ng Russ. Wednesdays and Saturdays: Big Williams Band. Fri.30: the Renegades. -~ Jake and the Nifty Fifties. Tuesdays, Sat.31 : New Year's Eve soiree with Mason Fndays and Saturdays: Grice and Gravy Ruffner and don't give your right name, no, Michael Franks, the Saenger, Oec.11 w1th Jimmy Simon and Janie Grice. no, no. 144 Club, 544 Bourbon, 523·8611 . Pennr Post, 5110 Danneel. Sundays, Wednesdays through Saturdays, Gary always open mike. Check the board as you Brown and Feelings. enter for details of who's playing when. Pool on the Hill, 1000 Bayou Black Dr., Pontch•rtr•ln Hotel, Bayou Bar, 2031 Houma, 851·6892. Thurs.1 through Sat.3: StCharles Ave., 524·0851 . Nightly: Bruce Cross Roads. Fri.9. Studebackers. Sat.1 0: Versen, from 5 to 8, or what was known in Nightlife. Wed.14 through Mon.26: Lifeline. happ1er days as that pause in the day's oc­ Fri.3Q· Zachary Richard. cupation known as the cocktail hour. From Pete Pounteln's, ln the Hilton, 523·4374. 9-ish until the midnight hour, Joel Simpson Pete Fountain and his band, at 10 nightly; does the pianistic honors. one show only and reservations probably Preserv•tlon H•ll, 726 St. Peter, a good idea. 523-8939. Along with Galatoire's and K· Gezebo Cafe and Bar, 1018 Decatur, Paul's, one of the three places in town that 522-0862. Alfresco; ragtime piano each consistently draws a long and deserved line afternoon and again as night is falling. outside: the only amenities are the musical Saturdays and Sundays: John Ryan's New ones. Sundays: Harold Dejan and the Olym­ Orleans Rhythm Band makes a little more pia Brass Band. Mondays and Thursdays: no1se from 1 :30 to 6. Kid Thomas Valentine. Tuesdays and Houllhlln's. 315 Bourbon, 523·7 412. Live Fridays: Kid Sheik Colar. Wednesdays and music of a jau nature outside on weekdays Saturdays: The Humphrey Brothers. from 7 to 11 saving Fridays: the music Rlverbo•t President, Canal Street moves mside on weekends and starts two Docks, 524-SAIL Sat.3: The Neville hours later. Brothers. Fri.9: X. Sat.10: Johnny Rivers, .llmmr'•• 8200 Willow, 866-9549. the pride of Catholic High in Baton Rouge. Thurs.1 : what used to be known as a triple Sat.17: Ivy. Sat.24: Christmas Eve Moon­ threat-Rockouts, Limit and PennyLane. light Cruise. Sat.31 : New Year's Eve a­ Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Fn.2 and Sat.3: The Radiators, if Zeke can float-sounds suspicious, grab a life Gertrude Stein, Dixon Hall, Oec.4. get there in time from his part-time job as preserver if you see Shelley Winters or Red Kns Krmgle at the Azalea Gardens Shop­ Buttons running around. ping Center on Jefferson Highway. Wed. 7: S.•port C•fe end B•r, 424 Bourbon, The Hands presenting, I guess, a hand job. 568·0981 . Tuesdays through Saturdays, Thurs.8: Bas Clas and the Batteries. Fri.9: Sally Townes. Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Alison and the Distractions. Sat.tO: The 711 Club, 711 Bourbon, 525·8379. Tipitina's, Dec.18. Backbeats. Wed.14: The Mysteries (the Tuesdays through Saturdays: one man Eleus1nian ones?). Thurs.15: The Fleshtones Symphonia Randy Hebert, preceded ~¥~1h the Uptights. Fri.16: Woodenhead, Thursdays through Mondays by AI named after that song Elvis Presley sang Broussard. 1n G.f. Blues. Sat.17: The Models, courtesy Slidell Hotel B•r. Slidell. Thurs. through Sun., 1-4: Silk of the Powers Agency. Wed.28: The Limit. 'n' Steel. Fri., Sat., 9-10: Chance Band. Wed. through Sat., Thurs.29: Mrs. Bates-you mean the one 14-17: The Sheiks. Sun.18 and Wed.21: Dock of that ran the motel next to her creepy Vic· the Bay Band. Thurs.22: Nightworks. Wed. tonan house m Psycho? Fri. and Sat., 30 through Sat., 28·31 : Skruples. and 31 : The Sheiks (of the Burning Sands). Snug H•rbor, 626 Frenchmen, 949-0696. lleple Leaf Ber, 8316 Oak, 866·9359. Wednesdays: Amasa Miller. Thursdays: the Tuesdays: Li'l Queenie and her Boughs of Olympia Serenaders. Sundays, except for Holly Wednesdays: Mason (he thought Christmas Day: Li 'l Queenie with her AII-I· Delta Blues were sad songs that steward· Want-For-Christmas-Is-My-Two-Front-Teats esses sang) Ruffner. Thursdays: Bruce L revue. Fri.2: guitar virtuoso Emily Ramler. egru and Bourre. Fri.2: Gatemouth Sat.3: Tony Dagradi Quartet. Fri.9: Ellis Brown. Sat.3: Little Bob and the Lollipops. Marsalis plays Horace (hiyo) Silver. Sat.10: Mon.5· Tomcat Shaka. Fn.9: Exuma. Sat.10: Germame Bazzle and the sentimental Gen­ Beausoleil. Fri.16: Deacon John's New Or· tlemen of Jazz. Sun.11 : The Dirty Dozen leans Blues Revue with Earl (yo' mama and and the Survivors, starting at 5, just in time to smoke some high yo poppa) King. Sat.17: Zachary Richard. tea. Fri.16: James Moore's Urbanites. Sat.17: Willie Metcalf. Fn.23 TBA Sat.24 · The Charles Neville Fri.23: Deacon John and Lady BJ, the Hep­ House Band Fn.30. Rockin . ' Dopsie and the burn and Tracy of cool music. Fri.30: The Tw1sters . Sat.31 . Marcia Ball and a New AI Belletto Quartet. Sat.31 : The Pfister Year's Eve party that no doubt will include Sisters' New Year's Eve party and, speak· many cups of kindness- the 80 proof kind. ing of Spencer Tracy, you know it's going lleneffee's, 1101 N.Rampart, 566·0464. to be like one of those mid-late Thirties pic· Mondays through Saturdays: Marguerite lures of his: it's New Year's Eve in the ball· Montgomery from 11 a.m. until 3, and from room and everyone is drunk and wobbling 5 to 7 Tuesdays through Saturdays: Lee and do1ng the Shag and wearing paper hats Los Lobos from Los Angeles, and he and Aldndge from 10 until 2 a.m. Thursdays the Little Woman (probably Lor­ Tipitina's, Dec.9. through Tuesdays: Janis Medlock from 7 to etta Young or Joan Bennett) have quarrel·

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W AVELENGTII/ DECEMBER ed and everyone else 1n the place 1s oomtr Qrsnt Str.. t Dsnce Hsll, 113 Grant upon its release by that famed connoisseur ed and jovial, even the strangers at their Street, Lafayette, 318·332·9569. of film Douglas MacArthur, and Sansho table, and God, you just know it's going to Hsrrr'• Club, 511 Parkway, Breaux Dayu, a late Mizoguchi unseen by us and be a miserable 1938, and he's glowering Bridge, 318-332-9569. apparently a major work, and therefore and she's acting sort of worried and snip­ Humph,..'•• Shreve Square, Shreveport, worth seeing. Thurs.15: The Magician, this PY (she spent the whole day before work­ 318-227-9611. 1958 Bergman comedy is a peculiar mix­ ing over an old dress so she could look mild­ Iron Horse, 403 Phillip, Thibodaux, ture of nightmare and knockabout, with ly laney and he would be Proud Of Her) and 1-447-9991. elements from well-made-play, horror film, then, suddenly, the band starts playing Auld Marchen, and hall-baked metaphysics all Lang Syne and people are shouting and cry­ Jefferson Street Csfe, 209 Jefferson, floating around Ing and throwing serpentine everywhere Lafayette, 318-234-9647. rubbing elbows but never and she looks at him, tentatively, and then Mulste•s, Breaux Bridge Highway, Breaux meshing. Best to remember the dark, opu­ the band segues, as they say, into another Bridge, 318-332-4648. lent look of the film-a period piece- and number and-gosh-it's Their Song, and The 01' Corner Bsr, 221 Poydras, some of the acting, especially lngird Thulin it looks like, well, it might be a 1938 to look Breaux Bridge, 318-332-9512. en t ravesti and that old dear, Naima foiWard to alter all ... that's what New Year's Psm'• Plsce, Old Town, Slidell. Wilstrand, as the grandma/crone. Tues.20: Eve with the Pfisters might be like. Pspps Joe's, 12375 Florida Blvd., Baton Casino Royale, this 1967 burlesque of the Iugar MUI Loun.. , 4520 Williams, Ken­ Rouge, 1-273-2376. James Bond films is highly uneven (hall a ner, 467-7946. Thurs.1: Topcats. Fri.2: Con­ Psrsdlse Club, 121 S. Buchanan. dozen directors, hall as many comic styles, tours (not the ones that did "First I Look At Lafayette, 318-232-5313. and much Caesar's-Palace-on-Psillocybin The Purse" and "Shake Sherrie"). Sat.3: Psrty Town, Military Road, Slidell, decor), but ti-Jere are funny bits by, among The Brothers (Karamazov? Four? of the Ho­ 1-649-3867. others, David Niven, Woody Allen, Deborah lyCross?). Wed., Thurs., 7,8: Topcats. Fri.9: Ruby's Rendez-Vous, Highway 190 in Kerr, Anna Quayle, Joanna Pettet and Peter Southwind. Sat.10: Rock Island (there's a Mandeville, 1-626-9933. Sellers. Orson Welles is the gambling villain, famous line there they tell me). Wed., Rusty lllsll, 540 E. King's Highway, Le Chilfre, Woody Allen presumably wrote Thurs., 14, 15: Topcats. Fri.16: Nobles. Shreveport. his own material (he explains at one point Sat.11: Rock Island. Wed., Thurs., 21 , 22: to a firing squad that he really can't go Topcats. Fri.23: Contours. Sat.24: Sneeker. Scsrlett O's, 1025 Broad, Lake Charles, Wed., Thurs., 28,29: Topcats. Fri.30: South­ 318-436-8742. through with his execution because he has wmd. Sat.31 : Sneeker. Slick's Music Hsll, Highway 31, St. Mar­ "a very low threshold of death") and the Tlpltlns's, 501 Napoleon, 899-9114. tinville, 318-394-3867. little song at the end is by The New Thurs.1 : Ziganola. Fri.2: Tracy Nelson, a St-k snd Lobster Inn's Fireside Vaudeville Band. Dec.22: Persona, one of sort of legendary singer (we've always best Pub, 820 E. King's Highway, Shreveport, my favorite Christmas movies, this 1967 liked her early Deep Are The Roots album 318-868-5306. Bergman heartwarmer is fun for the whole of classic blues c lassics (not a pleonasm, Stesmbost Annie's, Shreve Square, family-tears, laughs and nervous break­ by the way). Sat.3: Deacon John's New Or­ Shreveport, 318-424-8297. downs-what more could one ask for the leans Blues Revue featuring such figures Tenth Floor, Shreve Square, Shreveport, Yuletide. Why even the setting is cheery: from local music hagiography as Earl King, 318-425-7539. an apparently uninhabited island in the Walter Washington, J.D. Hill, J. Monque'd, Toby's, 1303 Grimme! Drive, Shreveport, Baltic .. . Films are by either season sub­ and Sadie Blake. Sun.4: Kidd Jordan's 318-222-9903. scription (the new season begins early Elecktrik Band (Africa Suite), at 9. Thurs.8: January) or by $1.50 admission; they are "All We Are Saying," a tribute to John Len­ shown in Bobet Hall. non and a screening of Let It Be, a benefit New Orl-ns Mu-m of Art, City Park, lor campaign lor Nuclear Disarmament, 488-2631. Sun.18: The Seven Samurai, also including appearances by the Moderns Contemporary Arts Center, 900 camp, Kurosawa's classic, and Good Wave. Fri.9: Los Lobos and shown once at 1 p.m., 523-1216. Wed. Bourre. Sat.10: The Radiators. Tues., Wed., 7: Winners of the 25th An­ free with Museum admission. 13,14: Nighthawks. Fri.16: Buddy Guy and nual American Film Festival. Wed.14: Open Prytsnls, 5339 Prytania, 895-4513. Junior Wells. Sat.17: The Neville Brothers. screening for anyone interested invited. By Through Thurs.15: Lonely Hearts-not the Sun.18: Professor Longhair's Memorial admission unless you are a CAC member. Nathanael West novel (which, in three sep­ Mambo and I don't mean La Cumparsita. Loyol•'• Film Buffs Institute, arate tries, has never been filmed proper­ Fn.23: The Radiators. Tues.27: Wooden­ 895-3196. Thurs.1: Cet Obscur Objet de ly), but an Australian comedy about a head. Wed.28: the original Meters. Desir, the last Bunuel film about a heartless middl.e-aged piano tuner and a young Thurs.29: the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. chippy, Spanish variety, who destroys a woman trying to escape what looks to be Fri.30: the Neville Brothers. Sat.31: those courtly oid fool (Fernando Rey, natch); the a spinsterish imprisonment within her fami­ Radiators wringing out the old and ringing framing device- on a train as Rey tells the ly. Fri.16 through Jan.5: The Return of Mar­ 1n the new, and listen, if not by Christmas, story to an increasingly incredulous group tin Guerre, directed by (an unknown quan­ Shari Lewis with the New Orleans by New Year's night, okay? in a sitting room-is very funny and there tityfo us) Daniel Vigne, set in 1557 and with Symphony, Dec.22. Trier's, 5234 Magazine, 891-4989. are plenty of characteristic touches, in­ Modern jau, good raw oysters. Sundays: cluding pigs, politics, Spanish dancing, Mike Pellera, David Torkanowsky and curious leather lingerie and the much­ Johnny Vidacovich. Mondays: Ellis Marsalis deplored tactic of having two quite different and Steve Masakowski. Tuesdays: actresses chanteuse Leslie Smith. Wednesdays: play the central female part. George French Quartet. Thursdays, Ger· Mon.5: La Ultima Cena, a period Cuban maine Baule with David Torkanowsky. allegory about a wealthy planter who suc­ Fridays and Saturdays: the James Rivers cumbs to the blandishments of the Age of Movement. Reason and decides to tender a banquet Qermslne Wells Loun.. , 833 Bienville, to his slaves. Need one say, the idea is not 523-9633. Fridays and Saturdays, Mike a success; nor is the lilm-a curiously Pellera, Jim Singleton and Jeff Boudreaux, muted, excessively pretty affair (Tomas from 11 p.m. Gutierrez Alea, who directed this, looks like w.. ser'•• 1610 Belle Chasse Highway, a one-shot so lar-Memorias del Subdes­ 361-7902. Country and Western. Mondays arollo is one of the great post-modern through Thursdays: Firewater. Tuesdays films-but how can we know until we see and Wednesdays: the Gela Kaye Band. The Cuban Fight Against Demons, another Winnie's, 2304 London Ave., 945-9124. early work?). Tues.6: Frenzy, a late Hitch­ Gall the club for details. cock distinguished by the almost peculiar serenity of manner it takes in dealing with repulsive crime and by one of the best punch-lines a picture ever had; there are amusing performances by Alec McCowen Antler's, 555 Jefferson, Lafayette, and Vivien Merchant as an inspector and 318-234-8877. his ruthlessly gourmandizing wife, and a The Big Apple, Highway 1, Larose, brief appearance by Elsie Randolph, one of 693-8688. Seats 2000! the fixtures of Thirties English musicals. looker's, 1040 Texas Ave., Shreveport. Tues.13: Strangers On A Train, this 1951 318-425·2292. Hitchcock has a script by Raymond Chand­ Chief's Southside, (formerly Trinity's), ler (who did not enjoy the experience, and 4365 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge. which may account lor the fact, as Manny 388·9884. Farber has pointed out that the sleazy Circle In The Squsre, Shreve Square, verisimilitude of Laura Elliott's character is Shreveport. 318-222-2216. quite un-Hitchcockien) and is enjoyable lor Clancy's Landing snd Brick Street its grotesqueries and set-pieces (the ten­ T•vern, Shreve Square, Shreveport, nis match, the mock-strangulation at the 318-227-9611 . party that gets out of control, the perfor­ Despersdo Ssloon, Highway 90, mances of Robert Walker and Marion Lorne Raceland, 1-537-364 7. as the dapper psychopath Bruno and his Emporium, 2183 Highland Road, Baton momma), but although the much-discussed Rouge, 387-9538. transference-of-guilt theme is right there on Enoch's- A Csfe, 5202 Desiard Street, the surface, it doesn't seem the major work Monroe, 318-343-9950. it once did. Wed.14: They Who Step on the Gibson Street Lounge, Covington, Tiger's Tail, a 1945 Kurosawa film of a 1-892-7057. famous Kabuki drama which was banned Joan Crawford In Mildred Pierce, Saenger, Dec.12.

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38 WAVELENG1HI DECEMBER Gerard Depardieu as a (no doubt loutish) author, about the Gulf Coast widow-Serafina hibition, a show of memorabilia of happier moyen-age Enoch Arden-a peasant retur­ and her worship for her deceased truck­ times when Tulane Stadium was still among ning from the wars-which reminds us of driver husband, her problems when she the living, including ancient pigskins. tro­ Billy Wilder's great suggestion for the film meets what might be a similar man. her phies, photographs and a 30-minute film. he most wanted to make: a Middle Ages daughter and a sailor and a (symbolic) goat Gallier House, 1118-32 Royal Street. romance about the Crusades beginning and two snippy Wasp types who make her Through Epiphany (and no later, one would with the knights going off to fight the life profoundly miserable. Call the theatre hope), Christmas Dress, showing what ex­ Saracens and locking their wives into their for performance dates and times. travagant fun Christmas was among those chastity belts. "The rest of the story," said Toulouse Theatre, 615 Toulouse, Victorians using items from the Gallier Wilder, " centers on the village locksmith. 522-7852. Wednesdays through Sundays at House collection. played by Cary Grant." 7:30, One Mo' Time , which threatens to Longue Vue Gardena, 7 Bamboo Road. Saenger, 524-0876. A series of Sunday become New Orleans' answer to The Fan­ 488-5488. Decorative arts; Sat. and Sun .. evening double features, each beginning at tasticks, beginning at 7:30. 10 and 11 : Christmas weekend with tradi­ 8, five bucks a shot. Sun.5: two John Wayne Tulane Theatre, off Frere! and McAlister, tional music and decorations. Fri.18: alec­ films, Flying Tigers and Rio Grande, the lat­ so this must be the Phoenix Playhouse. ture and demonstration on antique dolls in ter of which-a 1950 John Ford-always 865-5360. Through Dec.3: The Glass Christmas dress (or holiday drag, in the makes me, marshmallow that I am, weep Menagerie, Tennessee Williams' play about vulgate) by Mary Anne DeBois Blanc. real tears at its end when Wayne and a somewhat defeated Southern belle, her Louisiana State Museum, on Jackson Maureen O'Hara and his estranged son crippled daughter, her moody-dreamy son Square and elsewhere. Tues.13 through De­ (Claude Jarman Jr.) are reunited. In bet­ and a gentleman caller. A lovely play that cember, an 1850 Christmas restaged in the ween there is much stately movement of has been overshadowed by the subsequent Lower Pontalba. At the Old Mint on Espla­ cavalry troops, much Irish low comedy (Vic­ turns taken by Williams' work (the late A nade, New Orleans Jazz and Carnival In tor McLaglen, natch) and a bit too much Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur is a return, New Orleans. At the Presbytere, continu­ harmonizing from the Sons of the Pioneers, not totally successful, to the style and to ing: Spirit World: Photographs and Journal in other words. business as usual in Ford St. Louis itself as a setting. by Michael P. Smith, Six City Sites and Loui­ Country. Sun.12: Joan Crawford night siana, Exploration and Settlement, which is (nurses on duty), with Queen Bee, a 1955 cartographic in nature. rarity in which Joan makes everyone's life Merlo VIlla Gallery, 3908 Magazine, a torment (including, if I recall correctly, 897-8731 . Sat.3 through Sat.24: sculpture Man and a Snake by Ernest "Popeye" Betsy Palmer, who thoroughly deserves it) Aaron-Hastings Gallery, 1130 St. by Brian Borrello as well as a Christmas Reed at the Gasper! Folk Art Gallery. and is also (again if I recall correctly) a sort Charles, 525-5858. Through Dec.8: group show. of Sacher-Masoch version of Harriet Craig, Tallahassee painter, Geoffrey Lardiere. New Orleans Museum Of Art, City which is pretty clinical to begin with, and Sat.10 through Jan.5: Spooky figurative Park, 488-2631. Through Jan.15: A Myriad Mildred Pierce, that 1945 apotheosis which stuff by Jacksonville artist Patricia Way, of Autumn Leaves: Japanese Art from the involves family life, the restaurant business, described by Our Art Critic as "Vietnam Kurt and Millie Gitter Collection, A Classical the class struggle and crime in a witty and veteran nightmares." Approach to Photography, by Leslie Gill. entirely appropriate manner-Joan's som­ Academy Gallery, 5256 Magazine, Optima Studio, 2025 Magazine, nambulistic/apprehensive performance is 899-8111 . Sat.3 through Wed.21 : New work 522-9625. Through Thurs.8: paintings by also entirely appropriate, and there are by long-time Newcomb faculty member Pat Robert Ruelle and Mimi Kubnick. Sat.10 emblematic performances from Eve Arden, Trivigno. through Jan.5: paintings by Larry Zink. Zachary Scott. Jack Carson and even But­ Arthur Roger, 3005 Magazine, 895-5287. Panel discussions second Wednesday of lerfly McQueen. who has the film's great Through Dec.8: paintings and sculptures by each month. line: dredging chickens for frying on the Ida Kohlmeyer. Sat.10 through Jan.5: pain­ Tilden-Foley, 933 Royal, 522-7728. frenetic opening night of Mildred's tings by Adrian Deckbar, whose clarity of Through the end of the month: a group restaurant, she exclaims to Crawford and technique usually conceals something quite show of artists on the Gallery's roster. Carson, "This is so exciting-just like my murky, and paintings and photographs by Tilden-Foley, 4119 Magazine, 897-5300. wedding night! " Sun.19: Bringing Up Baby, James DeSana. Sat.10 through Sat.24: the grand opening which is in its highly rarefied way, perfec­ Bienville Gallery, 1800 Hastings Place, show, made up of three score small pieces tion-the dog is especially good and this 523-5889. In the first part of the month, by about 20 gallery artists from all over the is the film where Cary Grant tells May local potters display their wares. Turkish South. Robson- upon greeting her at the door in market fashion. In the latter half of the UNO Fine Arts Gallery, Lakefront Cam­ a woman's kimono-that he's "just gone month, work by Georgia artist Charles Malin pus, 286-6493. Through Wed.9: Sculptures gay all of a sudden!" Katharine Hepburn and Baton Rouge ceramicist lsume ltto. by Julia Withers. Sun.11 through Jan.27: A is the heiress, Asta plays George the dog, Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp, show of undergraduate work. Traci Nelson at Tipitina's, Dec.2. and also The Philadelphia Story, from Philip 523-1216. Through Sun.18: Victims and Barry's play and directed in a crushed Violations, a cheery pre-holiday show in a velvet style by George Cukor, but also a sweeping genre we're partial to (suppose relatively laughless comedy. Ruth Hussey you'd have to include all those merry and proves that she was one of the great under­ ecstatic martyrdoms in here, and Renais­ rated second-lead actresses. and Virginia sance battle scenes, etc.), with contribu­ Weidler is bearable (which is going some) tions by nine national and local artists in­ but I wonder why this is always revived but cluding Leon Golub, an old master at big, never Cukor's Holiday, also from Philip enraged figures. Peter Dean and Peter Barry and also with Grant and Hepburn; Sahl. In the back gallery, ceramicist Toby Roland Young plays the ne'er-do-well Buonagurio and photographer Susan father, James Stewart the young man from Austin. and upstairs. State of the Art: Missis­ the picture magazine. sippi. TUCP Series, McAlister Auditorium, Delgado Fine Arts Gallery, 483-4048. 865-5143. Mostly new films. Fri.2: King of Through Tues.6: glass art by Deborah Comedy, with Jerry Lewis and Robert de Stanitz, Mark Rosenbaum and Cynthia Niro, at 8; The Hunger (to be shunned) with Butler Rasche. Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie as Galerle Jules Laforgue, 2119 Decatur, New Wave vampires and Susan Sarandon 945-7379. Through Thurs.29: George as their chief victim, at midnight. Sat.3: Oc­ Dureau's Most Famous Model, fifty topussy. Sun.4: Hang 'Em High, early (1967 photographs of human-torso-legless-won­ or so) Clint Eastwood. Wed.?: Lovesick. der B.J. Robinson (who last we heard, was Thurs.8: War Games. in prison in New York for running a gang of subway pickpockets-the idea of crip­ ple as crime czar is almost Brechtian), taken over the last five years. Qalerle Slmonne Stern, 2727 Prytania, Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp 895-2452. Through Dec .8: new works by 51. ,523-1216. Thurs. 1 throughSun.18: The painter/performance artist Jesse Poim­ Tooth Of Crime by prolific Sam Shepard, boeuf, who on Sat.3. will present a perfor­ who manages to be a Hollywood leading mance piece And the Mice Kept Me Awake man sort of, and also be the most acclaim­ (Euclid). Sat.1 0 through Jan.5: Christmas ed "avant-garde" dramatist in America at Show/Miniatures, small scale works by the same time. Call the C.A.C. for ticket Galerie S.S. artists. information. A Gallery For Fine Photography, 5432 lllnecapelll'a Dinner Theatre, 7901 S. Magazine, 891 -1002. Through the end of the Claiborne, 888-7000. The Owl and The month: platinum prints and photogravures Pussycat , a fairly brassy " romp" about a by English pioneer P.H. Emerson. mild bookish sort and a somewhat strident Gaspari Folk Art Gallery, 831 St. Peter, hooker and how their romance causes 524-9373. Through the end of the month: them to reverse their world-views or some sandstone and marble sculptures by Ernest such. Reservations. " Pop-Eye" Reed. Theatre Marlgny, 616 Frenchmen. Historic New OriHna Collection, 533 944-2653. Tennessee Williams' The Rose Royal Street, 523-4662. Wed.? through Tattoo. described as a comedy by its Jan.27 : Sugar Bowl: 50th Anniversary Ex- The Topcats (In younger days, with friend) at Sugar Mill.

WA VELENGTIII DECEMBER 39 it would tum out, his last Atco session in 1958 would and couldn't finish. Guitar Slim (cont'd from page 2o) produce the prophetically titled "When There's No "So we drove to Newark to play the next night, Way Out" and "If I Had My life To Lve Over." and Slim played the gig but he collapsed right after. Parish] and get the same mob. Even the people who Despite doctors' warnings about his heavy drink­ One of the valets ran and got a doctor, and the doc­ knew him to say 'Hi' to in the streets would think ing, by 1958, Slim was really sick and getting weaker, tor looked at Slim and said, 'Man, check this man nothing of driving 100 miles to go see him that same so much so that he was unable to travel and forced into a hospital, he's really sick." night." to stay in Thibodaux. "I wouldn't say he was a pretty "We were gonna stay in New York 'cause that's When the ftrst Electric Fender basses came on the good drinker," says Lamben. "He was the best! Slim where our next date was. So we drove up to the market, Slim wanted one for his band and talked just wouldn't take care of himself. He lived fast, dif­ Ceceil Hotel, and I sent the valet across to take Slim Lamben into buying one. Although Lamben became ferent women every night. I'd try and tell him to to the doctor, while I checked into the hotel. When one of the f1rst electric bass players, Earl King says eat good and get his rest, but he'd say, 'Lloyd, I live I got to the desk, there was a telephone call waitin' that it took a lot of convincing on Slim's pan to prod three days to y'all's one. The world won't owe me for me from the valet. He said, 'Uoyd, Slim's dead.' him into buying the new bass. a thing when I'm gone.' " I didn't believe it 'cause I'd just seen him not more "When he saw that B.B. King's band had one Earl King gives some insight into the last days of than five minutes before. We got in the station that was it. Slim wanted everything electric. If Slim Guitar Slim: "Slim got ruptured [from riding the wagon and drove 'round the corner to the doctor's. would have had all the gadgetry that's out today it guitar on stage) and I think that's what caused him But sure enough Slim was layin' up on the table woulJ be ridiculous. When the Cadillacs came out to drink more than he ever had. Man, when he came gone.'' with all that gadgetry he was just like a little kid . in off that last tour, he almost had to wear a truss. rd on Slim's death was slow getting He just marvelled over that-seats moving, water " I went over to visit him in Thibodaux when he back to New Orleans. The Louisiana shooting. " was sick and he had empty 100 proof bottles laying Weekly was a full week late in its announce­ Slim stayeil ~ busy that Specialty had to arrange all over his room. The doctor told him to stay off ment. "Somebody knocked up on my door and said to record while the group was touring. Lambert that hard liquor, but what are you gonna tell a guy 'Slim's dead,' "says Earl. "I said, 'Man, that can't recalled that the second Specialty session took place who drinks a pint of gin and chases it with a fifth be true. People like Slim don't die . They're still here at Chess Studios in Chicago, and produced Slim's of black port every day?" when I'm gone.' " next big seller, "Sufferin' Mind," in 1955 , with An Strangely enough, Slim had quit drinking the last "It wasn't liquor that killed him,'' speciftes Rupe flying in from L.A. to produce. months of his life, according to some. "Slim was get­ Lambert. "The doctor said it was bronchial Rupe, however, took it upon himself to bury ting ready to go on another tour,'' continues Earl. pneumonia. Today they might could have saved Slim's guitar way down in the mix, and even added ''Slim sat in the Dew Drop one night and he was him, but all that drinking and hard living brought a Hammond organ. The session lost a little of the talking very straight and serious. He told me, 'Earl, his resistance down. ' ' New Orleans feel, but it was identiftable Slim just all this liquor I been drinkin', all the wrong things Slim's body was kept in New York by authorities the same. His final Specialty session took place in I been thinkin', you know my body's been slowly to see if drugs were involved in his death. Hosea Hill early 1956, and was recorded out in Los Angeles, sinkin' .' eventually paid the fare to fly Slim's body back to before he switched to the Atlantic/ Atco label. "That's when I went over and asked Hosea Hill, Thibodaux for a massive funeral at the Mt. Zion Bap­ ven though Slim's record sales began dip­ 'Is there somethin' wrong with Slim?' and he said, tist Church. Guitar Slim now lies in an unmarked ping, he was still a top attraction. He and 'No, he's fine, he just got out of the hospital, and grave next to his benefactor, Hosea Hill. Ethe band criss-crossed the country, playing to he's not even drinkin.' Why do you ask that?' I said, So ended the all-too-short life span of the 32-year­ overflow houses. When he came in off the road he "Cause Slim talks too straight tonight, he's not fun­ old Guitar Slim. He is survived by several common would spend the days in a lazy manner usually drink­ ny. He's never under the weather about anything.' law wives, and a number of children, one of whom ing with friends in the Dew Drop or in Thibodaux That was the last time I saw him.' ' plays guitar in the small dubs around New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl. In February 1959, the group embarked on a tour and who keeps Slim's name alive. Hardly a year has Atlantic recorded Slim both in New York and at of dances and nightclubs in New York State. "We passed since his death when someone doesn't Cosimo's, according to Lamben. There was little went up to Rochester," recalls Uoyd Lambert, "and rerecord one of his songs. Earl King's 1982 version depanure from the last Specialty sessions (although Slim came up to me and said, 'Uoyd, I'm tired, I of Slim's anthem, "It Huns To Love Someone" only voices were occasionally added and the horn section · don't think I can make it no more. Y'all got a good reinforces the timelessness of his work. beefed up) largely due to the strength of Uoyd band, you can get another singer. ' Almost everyone is adamant about what would Lamben's tight band. Atlantic must have been "I said, 'Come on Slim, you can make it. You have happened if Slim were alive today. "He'd have somewhat disappointed though in their attempts just been with a broad or something.' been on the scale of a B.B. King or a Ray Charles,'' with Slim. They had visions of crossing his records "He said, 'No, Uoyd, my time is up.' So we says Earl King. Uoyd Lamben states simply, "No into the teenage market on the same scale Chess had played the dance and when it came time for Slim question about it. Guitar Slim would have been the done with Chuck Berry, but with little success. As to come on, he could only do part of the first song biggest." •

unorthodox? The last time I saw Jerry Wexler, he draw and seeing concrete evidence of it, makes me (cont'dfrompage 27) had very high compliments for me. say, 'Man, don't you think it's time to just go ahead Booker "Whatever faults a man can find with me, those and throw the towel in?' Or should you just be as professional envy for each other, in spite of their faults exist all over- not only in the entertainment stubborn as a mule and let 'em know that they can­ friendship. I don't know how to phrase this but industry but in each and every business there is. not freeze you out? music and politics is the same thing. Music has a very There are times when my biggest fault gets to be get­ "That's a hell of a challenge. I'm not in the posi­ political nature. The music business as an enterprise ting on the telephone. I might call Jerry five times tion to challenge anyone because I come from a fami­ has more of a commercial nature than it has an ar­ a day but the man is so busy-he's somewhere, he ly that was not poveny-stricken, but now I'm a grown tistic nature. When the artistic nature combines with might be in Cairo, Egypt, or something. man. I have responsibilities that fall in certain cate­ the commercial nature and goes over-beautiful. But "I don't know whether to take a crap or go blind gories. It gets difficult in a case like mine where you if the anistic product is denied cenain freedoms ... because it's totally beyond my comprehension why have collection agencies hounding you and threaten­ ''The record company is a loan company. I I know some of the biggest people in the world and ing you and all that kinda shit.'' remember I used to borrow money from record com­ I have not made $10,000 a week in my life and they panies and they'd say, 'Look, remember now, all tell me I'm the greatest thing they've ever heard urope, Booker said, is where they know how to Booker, we're not a loan company.' And I said, 'Oh, and the most unique thing they've ever heard. live. There are doctors willing to prescribe mor­ yes you are!' Everybody writes nice things about me. Ephine derivatives for one's throbbing bones and "If you're gonna pay the musician $3,000 for so "It's incomprehensible to me. I don't have no when Europeans produce music festivals, they spare many sides and then deduct the money when my combination of faults that the average entertainer no expense. royalties come in, you're a loan company. You're doesn't have-especially the successful ones. "That's the way to be," Booker concluded. "Like a loan company that's loaning me money-don't tell "One of the faults that I don't like about myself that old governor said a long time ago-what's his me you're not a loan company.'' is my extravagance. I detest that because I know too name? Huey Long? He said, 'Every man a king.' Booker mentioned that Jerry Wexler had got him much about economy to panicipate in extravagance. "And if he handles the ivories right, he's the Ivory some work connected with the soundtrack for Louis But if that's one of my natural faults, it's not as bad Emperor. If he's just a piano player that ought to Malle's Pretty Baby, shot on location in New Orleans as quite a few others that could be top priorities.'' be making zillions and ain't, he ain't nothing but and starring Brooke Shields. Booker called Wexler's Booker then expressed the notion that the record a Piano Prince. aid "a little bite.'' companies might have permanently blacklisted him "I fell into all those categories. Sometimes it flat­ "Why can't a man like that," Booker asked, "but I don't ever intend to hear no honest answer ters me and gives me reason to smile and sometimes "who tells me how great I am- why can't he help but I'm entitled to draw whatever conclusions I wish it makes me laugh on the outside and cry on the me? Is it because of my attitude? Is my attitude so and me drawing the conclusions that I decided to inside.'' • 40 WA VELENGrni DECEMBER ALEMBIC lead gui tar (nor a bass) $1350. Michael 889-0922 10 a.m. ro 5. p.m. 1/JWO~fk-. :,_, < ~ FOR SALE, RolandJuno-6 synthesizer, 6 months old , perfect condition . $800. THE TIME ••• Five Years Aner The Nuclear War. BLUE CIRCLE SOUND 482 -4 11 4. Let me do the sound fo r your next gig. THE SURVIVORS ••. Post-Nuke Thrill Freaks EXPERT DRUM INSTRUCTION Very reasonable rates which incl ude a Beginning ro advanced , all styles-rudi­ Lookin' For AKick. stereo recording of your performance. mental, orchestral, jazz, rock, Larin . In­ 899- 192 3. dividual or class instruction. Call for ap­ pointment, Drum Studio , 523-25 17. ''The Rocky REASONABLE, professional recording services. Demos, radio spots, or whatever, DRIVER needed with reliable vehicle for Horror of caJ l G il bert Herherwick, 522-9470. working band. Good pay. 895-3282 . the Eighties" MUSICIANS NEED a stereo receiver- used and cheap, -The Movies Working band seeks creative instrumen­ working decently; anyone with an extra/ talist. Vocals helpful. Rockin' C&W. unwanted one, please call 944-3502 after 832-058 1, 861 -1 665 . 8 p.m. No hot stuff, puh-leeze. Will pay ''Unorthodox cash for the right article. sci-fi. .. Surrealistic.'' -Variety (;:·~..,.,- ~~-~~e- at< ..~~>· ~ s~~!:~, ;~.~:~:~~::· ~ ru .. . ~";)·: __. i J; .1 :.1 the Lollipops • , • t - '-· • · r frl.9 - r:xuma ~I . • ' • <-JI( ·'-:), ~ ..-·(· Keg-ular Features. •\yl;p. Sat.lO - Beausoleil ~ fri.16- Deacon John's , Tuesdays - Li' l Queenie New Orleans Blues Revue Wednesdays - Mason Ruffner and with r:arl King the Blues Rockers "' Cralll'l Sat.17 -Zachary Richard 11 IIICITIIEAMI....-t • student nlte - no cover w / valid university 10 ...... 1111,.. frl.23- TBA Thursdays - Bruce Daigrepont I W"" willll flllrl. Sat.24 - Charles Neville 8r Bourre Shows 10 p.m. House Band weeknights frl.30 - Rockin' Dopsie 10:30 weekends 8r The Twisters Sat.31 - New Year's r:ve PITT THEATRE 8316 Oak Street Party with Marcia Ball Mon.5 - Tomcat Shaka 6201 Elysian Fields 866-9359 288-1611

A full servke booking a~wn<'Y pro­ viding the finest In New Orleans arlists, as wt•ll as nalional and ln­ Lt·malional talent and touring motYI/nallon. Mal'di Gms Entt·t·tainment nwt Spt•fialists %d~ In February, Wavelength will publish its annual Band and Booking Agent Guide, a comprehensive list of the working bands and & the Skin Twins musicians in the New Orleans area, with all the pertinent NEWJiLEANS information- addresses, phone numbers, members' names, what kind Dirty Dozen rJPKING AGENCY, INC. of music, agent's name, and anything else you might want to add. After almost a year, we still receive requests for last year's Guide Brass Band from people who are looking for bands, and since Wavelength goes all over Louisiana and the Gulf South, club owners and bookers P. 0. Box 1900-1 New Orleans. La 70 179 (50-I J 9.J 7-5.J.J3 in other cities and states often want to find the bands they read about in Wavelength. Don't miss out on a job because a club owner can't find you! To get your b'ind listed. fill out the form below (use an index card if you don't want to mutilate your copy of Wavelength) and send it to us as soon as you c an. along with a black and white photo NEW ORLEANS (non·returnable) if you have one. A listing in the Band Guide is free, of course. Deadline: January 1. ..•• ~~:~::: STEAMBOAT COMPAN~T SAT.3-0LIVER MORGAN LA 70115 wavelength, P.O. Box 15667, Ne~ Orleans. FRI.9-X . our 1983 Band Gu•de. SAT.l0-JOHNNY RIVERS Please list our. ~ba~n-d_•_n_y_------=== SAT.l7-IVY BAND NAME :- SAT.24-CHRISTMAS EVE TYPE OF MUSIC MOONLIGHT CRUISE SAT.Jl-NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY BOOKING AGENT·PH__o _N_E_N_o_. ______MEMBERS NAMES All Concerts aboard The President

525-6311 (wharf) ~RIV ERBOAT~ For more info 586-8777 (office) lffp-AI:SIDI:ifi'?2 call 524-SAIL

WAVELENG1H/ DECEMBER 41 last page

One of the most popular bands in New Orleans, Persia, has broken up. Lillian Axe has acquired Persia's drummer ... Traci Borges Knight Studio chief, has a new progressive country album out under his stage name The Dynamic Beaujazz(B.]. is T.B. 's stage name). Borges just recent­ ly finished writing an album for one of Sha Na Na, Donnie York, entitled Louisiana Hey! Rides Again. Prestige Records has a new double album in the works called The jazz Singers featuring the vocal gymnastics of Satchmo, Fats Waller, Bessie Smith and twenty other jazz greats ... One of Ivan Neville's recent tunes has found its way onto an upcoming Boz Scaggs release ... Marcia Kavanaugh's new show on WYES, New Orleans Suroival and Celebration, aired last month with a theme song by Allen Toussaint performed by her band The Lost Boys. News from the band Atchafalaya: " On Sept.l3 we played a celebration at the Butte La Rose exit of Interstate 10. The party was to commemorate the signing of a bill, by the Governor, to purchase and save parts of the At­ chafalaya Basin for protecting wilder­ ness areas in the state. We played at around 12 noon. People from all over the U.S. were pulling in at this rest area and staying to dance and party with us. We were announcing to them that Louisiana has bands that play at rest areas every day at 12 noon, and we had some people believing it!!!'' The world's funkiest band, The Meters. What do The Sheiks and The Fabulous Thunderbirds have in com­ It takes a lot of pull to get the funk­ ords, Box 83, S-310 58 Vessigrebro, 1983 Christmas release. (Remember, mon? They're both on Miller Beer's iest band in the world to play on your Sweden, has reissued the 1950's Spade boys, that got Huey "Piano" Smith Rock Network. ''What that means is birthday, but Ziggy Modeliste, being sides recorded by Bogalusa rocker Vern in trouble way back when.) ...Red free beer for everybody!" boasts the the drummer for the Meters, has a lit­ Pullens ... Sound Engineers Roberta Shift (a displacement of a spectrum to­ recent Sheiks newsletter, quickly fol­ de pull with that group, so on Zig's Grace and Skip Godwin have left Sea­ ward longer wavelengths, something lowed by a "Just Kidding!" We've birthday, December 28, there will be Saint Studios ... Some of Elvis Presley's we can relate to) is a new magazine got the time ... a Meters reunion at Tipitina's. Every­ Louisiana Haynde shows will be releas­ from the Midwest that "seeks to in­ Mac Rebennack is currently playing body's invited ... Earl King and Walter ed in album forrri, but will be avail­ crease one's spectrum to a higher in England and Clarence "Frogman" Washington are back from Holland able only through mail order-thanks, degree of understanding in the realms Henry is going back to Great Britain where they played to sold-out audi­ Marshall. of alternative music and to combat the in March to tape a television special ences at an outdoor music festi­ Recent attractions on Cox Cable's mediocrity and blatant commercialism ... Clark Vreeland is in Boston, home val ... Tommy Ridgley has released his Music Makers, besides Mason Ruffner that runs rampant in today's music of the bean, doing studio work ...Leg ­ own single, "Live While You Can," and the Blues Rockers and Boogie Bill scene.'' Members of the Lionel Ritchie endary New Orleans drummer Earl and "Sometimes You Get It Some Webb, were Tuts Washington and fan club can subscribe for $6 a year at Palmer was in town recently for ana­ Times You Don't" on his Tudor la­ The Wild Magnolias ... Speaking of R.S., P.O. Box 513, Dekalb, IL tional union meeting. Earl is treasurer bel. .. Definitely check out Chuck Sim­ The Wild Magnolias, they recently 60115. of the Los Angeles Musicians Union. mons' new single ''Love Motivation'' visited Washington, where they enter­ Ellen DeGeneres won Showtime's After reading a news item in the and "Love You Like Me," both sides tained at the Smithsonian and New local "Funniest Person In America" New York Times about Gotham's great rocking R&B. Get it... That York and were enthusiastically receiv­ contest and Wynton Marsalis was writ­ ''Jazz On The Ferry'' celebration Johnny Adams session for Rounder ed ... A new Dr.John album should be ten up in Time Magazine ...We knew (which often includes ersatz New Or­ that we reponed was to happen in the on the market by the time you read them when! leans Dixieland combos such as ''The summer will finally take place this this ...The Dirty Dozen's first album Ramsey McLean, heard lately play­ Band From Rampart Street,'' who ac­ month. The session had to be post­ should be on the shelf soon, too. ing in the Survivors with Ziggy, tually hail from Port Washington, poned because of contractual prob­ Kenner Mayor Aaron Broussard has Charles Neville and Reggie Houston, Long Island), Jesse Core suggests New lem with another record com­ joined pal Ronnie Lamarque at Studio received a call from punk idol Richard Orleans counterattack with a group pany ... Eddie Kirkland, a bluesman In The Country to record a 1960's style Hell last month. Hell is looking for a called the Real Rampart Street Band who has made a number of great re­ single. Apparently singing is nothing couple of New Orleans musicians to and have an inner city playoff on cords since the 1950's with John Lee new to either of the artists; Broussard help him record- you're not going to (North) Rampart Street. Hooker among others, has been a re­ was lead vocalist with The Other Guys believe this- Benny Spellman's The Fanzine Spotlight this month cent regular attraction here in New from 1965 to 1968 and Lamarque sang "Lipstick Traces." falls on T.B.S. Publications, 4 Costley Orleans. Don't miss him if you have with The Nobles, a Fifties group that The Sponges- Rick Connick, Mick Ct., Kent, Ohio 44240, whose fall '83 the chance ...Mighty Sam moved back is still performing today. The Kenner Fisse and David McGee- have catalog lists a wide variety of music I to Pensacola after his band Brownsville Community Theatre will receive ben­ regrouped and will debut around the artllit 'zines from "Flipper, NO!" disbanded. efits from the record, which will be end ofDecember. .. lady BJ is moving (stories, poems, pictures about a dog Doug Kershaw was named Loui­ sold, naturally, at the Kenner City to Houston late this month to perform named Flipper and all her furry siana's official ambassador of music by Hall and Lamarque Ford. in a long-running tribute to Billie friends) to ''The T.B.S. Calendar the World's Fair during his Blue The Raffeys have recorded a " hot Holiday. There'll be a farewell concert 1984, Dec. '83 to Jan. '85, refund if Room stint ... Rock and Country Rec- rockin' version" of "Silent Night" for for her at The Saxony December 18. world ends sooner." 42 WAVELENGTII/ DECEMBER ...... , .,.....,...... , 'I'll....., Fdcla~ Satarda~ It) 29 30 1 2 3 DEACON JOHN'S BLUES BONNIE ZIGANOLA TRACY REVUE RAITT NELSON featuring Earl King, Walter Washington, J.D. Hill, Sadie Blake & J.Monque'D. 4 KIDD 6 6 7 8 ALL WE 9 10 ARE SAYING LOS LOBOS 19.~~ SPENCER ALLISON & SLEEPY A tribute to John THE BAND BOHREN THE DIS- LABEEF Lennon in a plus special RADIATORS · Africa Suite TRACTIONS benefit for CND guest BOURRE (Cam&aign for Nuclear 9p.m. isarrnament) 11 12 13 14 16 16 17 THE SPENCER GREEN BUDDY GUY CLOSED THE NIGHTHAWKS I• NEVILLE BOHREN ON RED & JR. WELLS BROTIIEilS ~ ·

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ''PROFESSOR WOODEN- THE LONGHAIR'S TUTS TBA TBA TBA MEMORIAL WASHING- HEAD RADIATORS MAMBO'' TON

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