The Eyes of Jazzfest

Vol II issue 3 THE EYESVol. OFII, issue JAZZFEST 3 1 Photo Michael P. Smith Where is Beat Street? There is a place in New Orleans, a fi gurative address that is home to all that is real. New Orleans Beat Street is the home of jazz. It is also the residence of funk and the blues; R&B and rock ‘n’ roll live here, too. When zydeco and Cajun music come to town, Beat Street is their local address. Beat Street has intersections all over town: from Uptown to Treme, from the Ninth Ward to the French Quarter, from Bywater to the Irish Channel, weaving its way through Mid-City and all points Back o’ Town. Beat Street is the Main Street in our musical village. It is where we gather to dine and to groove to live music in settings both upscale and downhome. Beat Street is where we meet to celebrate life in New Orleans with second line parades, festivals and concerts in the park. Beat Street is lined with music clubs, restaurants, art galleries, recording studios, clothing shops, coff ee emporiums and so much more. New Orleans Beat Street is a mythical street in New Orleans surrounded by water and fl ooded with music. Publisher Stephen Novak Writers Warren America Editor Jay Mazza Karl Bremer Jerry Brock Account Executive Katie Smith Robyn Loda Jay Mazza Art Director Andy Schulz Spike Perkins Rob Rudner 8403 Willow Street Photo Editor New Orleans, La. 70118 Bob Compton Joan Wade 504.314.0710 Cover Art [email protected] Mike Williamson Beat Street Logo Mike Williamson 2 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 3 3 Photo Michael P. Smith In This Issue... We celebrate Jazz Fest with a look at the gospel music traditions and photographer Michael P. Smith! Jerry Brock talks about the greatest gospel singer ever and discusses essential gospel recordings. Joan Wade, Robert Rudner and Robyn Loda discuss the local gospel scene. Spike Perkins explores other Christian musical traditions and takes a closer look at Sherman Washington and the Zion Harmonizers. Turning our attention to Michael P. Smith, Jazz Fest’s official “unofficial” photographer- Karl Bremer reflects on his legacy. Jerry Brock looks back on his friendship with the man and Spike Perkins explores the details of the award-winning photographer’s life. Finally, in celebration of 10 years of South African Independence, Jay Mazza looks at the long history of music in that country. contents Mahalia Jackson: The World’s Greatest Gospel Singer Jerry Brock 6 The Birth of Cool Gospel with Jo ‘Cool’ Davis Robyn Loda 12 Classical Music In New Orleans Churches Spike Perkins 16 Quartets Pictorial 20 Mama Rebirth: Gospel Is Where it All Began Joan M. Wade 22 Marva Wright’s Amazing Journey Robert V. Rudner 24 New Orleans Gospel Today Jerry Brock 28 Who Is Daddy Cotton? Joan M. Wade 36 Essential New Orleans Gospel Recordings Jerry Brock 38 A Photographer’s Photographer Karl Bremer 40 Michael P. Smith - A Musician’s Perspective Spike Perkins 44 Michael P. & Me Jerry Brock 50 Michael P. Smith: 40 years documenting New Orleans Pictorial 52 Steeped in Lasting Rapture- the Music of South Africa Jay Mazza 55 MP3 Confidential Warren America 58 4 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 3 5 Mahalia Jackson The World’s Greatest Gospel Singer By Jerry Brock Photos courtesy Bill Russell and Historic New Orleans Collection. Mahalia Jackson’s “joyful noise” told Bill “a fi shmonger taught me one touched millions the world over. of my fi rst hymns ‘Oh Pal, Oh God.’ Growing up in repressed and poor Not yet 10 she became a soloist in the conditions she spread hope and praise choir at Mount Moriah Missionary to people in need for decades. Baptist Church on Milaudon. Over the past century New Orleanians This church has a long history of have been at the forefront of American Civil Rights activities. At an early age music. Louis Armstrong the King Mahalia became active in the cause for of jazz; Fats Domino King of rock equal rights and justice. and roll; CBS Records simply called Mahalia “The World’s Greatest Gospel Mount Moriah held an annual parade Singer.” Truth is, they were more with brass band from c. 1890 to 1987. than that. They were leaders in race Pastor S. L. Harvey was President of relations in the U.S. the Southern Christian Leadership Council in the 60s and worked with Mahalia Jackson was born in New King and other leaders. In 1985 Orleans on October 26, 1912. On the he explained, “The parade is an bank of the Mississippi on Waterfront opportunity so that the church can go Street at the uptown bend in the river. out and see the community and in turn One block off River Road at Audubon so that the people of the community Park, just past the corner of Constance can see the people of the church.” and Leake, towards the railroad tracks built when she was young. She attended McDonogh #24 public school on Adams St. near Dominican. To many Bill Russell was the lanky Her neighborhood was full of life and white hair man at Preservation Hall, music but not money. At 13 she left To some he was an intellectual artistic school in eighth grade and went to giant. Mahalia and Bill met in Chicago work as a washerwoman and cook. circa 1944 and became close in 54. For two years he worked as her unoffi cial Aunt Duke was a very religious woman and unpaid personal assistant. They and didn’t allow Mahalia to listen remained friends for life. to secular music. “All around me in New Orleans were the deep moving The following draws quotes in part hymns – the swelling, rocking spiritual from the Bill Russell Collection of and gospel songs. I loved the hymns “Mahalia Jackson Papers” at the and gospel songs but I disobeyed my Williams Research Center. parents and listened to the blues, the sorrow songs of my people. I heard the Mahalia knew poor but she also knew rich throbbing voices of Ma Rainey, love and respect, was taught religion Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith” and picked up singing. She was the third of 6 children. Her father was “There was other music – the haunting Johnny Jackson, longshoreman, barber, rhythms of the work songs chanted and on Sunday’s a clergyman. Her by the Negro men as they sweated mother passed away when Mahalia was and strained, laying the railroad ties 6 and Aunt Duke took her in. They … the wail of the blues, church music lived at 7465 Pitt Street. all got mixed up together in my brain” Mahalia wrote in 1954. She brought her to Plymouth Rock Missionary Baptist Church. Here she In 1928 at 16 Mahalia moved to began to sing in the church. Mahalia Chicago to live with another aunt and 6 NEW ORLEANS BEAT STREET MAGAZINE Vol. II, issue 3 7 worked in hotels, laundries and private In 1954 Mahalia explained, “Not appreciative audience sounding and behind them. But they express another homes. “There was no money for everyone knows of the bitter fight it resounding in her ear in the concert kind of slavery from which we want to lessons and I saved to buy phonograph took to win that acceptance. When I hall of the world, Carnegie Hall” she escape’” she told Russell. records of Grace Moore, Mariam was a teenage girl I sang in Chicago said. Anderson and Paul Robeson. From churches literally for my supper. Mahalia worked hard for people’s them I To earn five dollars was to be very By the late 1940s her popularity was rights and to offer hope and relieve learned successful. I sang on the street corner immense. In 1948 she performed for suffering. In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther diction and of cities all over the world, sang the King Jr. asked her to sing prior to breathing. gospel music written by such wonderful his “I Have A Dream” speech at the I learned composers as Prof. Thomas Dorsey.” Lincoln Memorial in Washington, style by D.C. At his request she sang “Buked listening “We were pioneering then, Professor and Scorned.” to Bessie Dorsey and I and everyone else who “I been buked and I been scorned / Smith’s was singing the then ‘new’ gospel I’m going to tell my Lord / When I records. music. We were lonely because the get home / Just how long you’ve been She always great Baptist connection to which treating me wrong.” meant we belonged frowned on our style She performed at tent revivals here with Reverend A. A. of singing. Gospel music – the way Childs, at the corner of 3rd and Giles, in Chicago the most Mahalia sang at President John F. we sang it – was the same old church to me,” 21,000 at the Ponce de Leon Park in Kennedy’s inauguration. She sang at music, but with a little bounce. Sunday Visiting New Orleans, 1960 Mahalia Atlanta, GA. In Dayton, Ohio over prisons, children’s homes, hospitals after Sunday, the finest preachers in said. 50,000 people lined the streets to and for “dope fiends.” Harry Belafonte the connection railed and stormed at welcome Mahalia Jackson. said of her “the single most powerful She sang in the Salem Baptist Church us from their pulpits, accusing us of black women in the United States, the Choir, joined the Johnson Gospel bringing jazz into the church.” On October 4, 1950 she packed woman power for the grass roots.” He Singers and then traveled with Prof.

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