NEW ORLEANS NIGHTLIFE & MUSIC
PLAYING THE CHANGES - New Music Venues Improvise Their Place in the Local Music Scene
New Orleanians returning to the city last year were faced with the immediate problem of acquiring the bare necessities in a stricken city, but once they had managed to track down sheetrock and an oyster po-boy, they turned to that other essential of New Orleans existence, live local music. Some of the old favorite clubs were slow returning; others were gone forever.
So it was always a source of great happiness to see a beloved music venue show up again in the listings. And then something wonderful and surprising began to happen: new clubs began to appear in the lists, clubs with odd and intriguing names, Uptown and in the Faubourg Marigny, in Mid-City and in the Warehouse District. Some represented a new incarnation for a familiar locale, others seemed like mirages, nightlife oases where there had been no nightlife, even before the storm. Against all odds and expectations, the musical root system of New Orleans had not only come through intact, it had begun, like the indomitable banana tree plants that crop up under a neighbor’s fence, to send out new shoots across the city.
Music lovers who venture out to these new clubs will fifind that each one has its own distinct and undeniable character and that they each add something novel and valuable to the already rich music scene. Th ese clubs all refl ect the sense of mission embraced by the people who own and run them, a passion about New Orleans music that urges them not only to preserve the city’s musical legacy but to build upon that legacy something even greater. In every case, the club represents an individual vision, grand dreams in a city that is ready to dream big again.
CHICKIE WAH WAH
Everything about Chickie Wah Wah gives the impression that something exciting in New Orleans music is going to happen here. First there’s the décor, a seemingly eff ortless melding of nostalgia and novelty that leaves you with the vague sense that you once saw the greatest show of your life here, even if it’s your fifirst visit. Owner Dale Triguero’s background in theater and fi lm is evident in these subtleties: the authentic folk art that hangs beside neon and plywood signs picked up from Hollywood location shots in town, the great jukebox that offffers for free (for now at least) its expert selection of New Orleans music (the best Huey Piano Smith— whose “Little Chickie Wah Wah” gives the bar its name—or a rare Snooks Eaglin disc), the tempered lighting, even the elaborately fi nned Black Moor Goldfi sh swimming in a tiny bubble bowl behind the bar (his name, Johnny Five Angels, an obscure Godfather reference). “I like to think of a club as a one-act play,” Triguero says. “Everything has to work to a single purpose.” As in all great stagecraft, the individual eff ects here disappear into the action they support, and that action is the performance of some of the best music New Orleans has to offffer: Galactic for the grand opening, the Rebirth on any given Thursday night, a new folk project on Wednesdays that combines guitar pioneer Jonathan Freilich with the Iguanas’ Joe Cabral and Doug Garrison, along with special guests the likes of John Fohl (of Dr. John’s Lower 911). Familiar musical names in unfamiliar combinations mean something unexpected and exciting is always at hand here.
The only element of this club that isn’t quite ready for great musical happenings is the neighborhood. Although its Mid-City location is central to every part of the city — a quick streetcar ride from the French Quarter (and cab-ride home), an easy jog down Napoleon from Uptown—its immediate surroundings make the club seem an outpost. The dry cleaner next door is not coming back (Trigeuro added its sign to his décor); the Frostop in the next block remains dark. “This is really a neighborhood bar with music,” Triguero explains. “We’re just waiting on the neighborhood.” But Triguero has experience creating a destination for music afi cionados: it was during his co-ownership that Algiers’ Old Point Bar evolved from a place to grab a tall-boy to a place to grab a tall-boy and catch the city’s hottest musicians. He hopes to do the same for his new club—and this time there’s not even a ferry ride involved. But if it isn’t yet drawing large nightly crowds, Chickie Wah Wah is already working its charms on the local musicians, with its great-sounding room and in-house Hammond B3 organ.
The club was set for its grand opening in September of 2005, and we all know why that didn’t happen. In a certain light, you can see still see the waterline near seven feet on neighboring buildings. Trigeuro returned with a wheelbarrow and two friends who commuted in weekly from Alexandria, La. to help him rebuild. “One did everything you can see. Th e other did everything you can’t see,” Triguero remembers. And slowly, while the rest of the city found it still had a pulse, they built a place for the music that will quicken it.
JIN JEAN’S LOUNGE
Jin Jean’s owner Will Bias’s face lights up when he recalls the good times he had at Big Chief Alfred Doucette’s Nite Cap in the early 1970s. “Everyone would get dressed up for a night out,” he recalls, “and that was the place to be.” So when he planned with co-owner Jack Farmer to open his own music club and discovered that the Nite Cap’s location was available, he decided to recreate that scene but with a few upscale touches befi tting the newfound maturity of his peers. “I wanted to make this a place you can bring your mother,” Bias explains, noting as well, “I don’t like bumping into my teenage daughter when I go out. The teenagers have a lot of places to go; this is a place for us.” Th e club’s twenty-fifive and older age limit was set to this end. But if the club’s concept was partially motivated by nostalgia, the nightly party that happens there shows that this crowd is having its good old days right now. The club’s clientele still dresses up for the big night out, and they still know how to make good use of the wide dance flfloor.
Combining the old-school vibe of the Nite Cap with inspiration from images of New York’s Cotton Club, Bias has created the perfect venue for R&B and smooth Jazz. Th ere’s an ease and warmth about the place; the patrons table hop at the cocktail tables that ring the dance fl floor, greeting old friends and making new ones. Th e newcomer feels something like a welcome guest at a thirtieth high-school reunion dance. Much of this gracious atmosphere is attributable to Bias himself and his wife, Diane, who greet every guest personally, whether in the club downstairs or in the newly added upstairs restaurant. Although the club has attracted a strong local following, Bias hopes visitors will stop in as well. “Th is is what I consider the heart of the city,” he says of the area around the Garden District, “and we want them to come up here and see how the locals party.” Part of Bias’s master plan to make everyone feel safe and comfortable in his club is extra attention to security; the unassuming doormen will even offffer a door-to-car escort.
On a typical night, the early crowd settles in upstairs for Creole and Southern specialties by Chef Leon Courtney (formerly of Praline Connection and New Orleans Creole Café), such as Will’s Barbecued Shrimp and Catfi sh Charlene (graced with crawfifish étouffffe and sautéed vegetables). But they don’t linger long over their desserts, for fear of missing a single number downstairs. Th e walls of Jin Jean’s are lined with photos of great New Orleans musicians, nearly all of whom have played here since it opened last Mardi Gras. Th e list of regular acts is a guarantee of a good time: Kermit Ruffiffins, Gina Brown, Angela Bell.
A native New Orleanian, Bias is dedicated to promoting the city’s music. “I’ve lived in other places. Lived in Detroit. And we may not have the recording industry other places have, but we’ve got the best live music scene in the country.”
RAY' S BOOM BOOM
If Frenchmen Street is now the de facto center of gravity for the New Orleans music scene, the appearance there of Ray’s Boom Boom Room is set to alter the orbit of everything around it. Ray’s is unlike anything on the street. Capacious and freshly renovated, with a balcony that overlooks the stage on three sides, it also houses a long raw bar and a restaurant specializing in boiled seafood and grilled oysters. One other aspect that sets Ray’s apart from most bars: it’s a music venue owned by musicians. Two of the owners bring with them a couple of the most bankable names in local music: Ruffiffins and Batiste. Trumpeter Kermit Ruffiffins and percussionist Damon Batiste teamed up with music producer Elray Holmes, the eponymous front man of the trio, to create the kind of restaurant and bar in which they would want to play. Holmes’s studio resume includes work with some of the best known artists in hip-hop, including Master P and Ludacris. But the club will take a musical direction closer to that of his co-owners, concentrating on New Orleans jazz. It’s hard to imagine a more musician-friendly setting, so it’s not surprising that Ray’s Room has begun to book some of the most sought-after bands in town.
Th e club’s name is not only a reference to Ray himself but to the dream of Eddie Murphy’s character in the 1999 movie Life, a mythical “most happening spot in all of Manhattan” about which the character insists, “It exists in my mind. You’ve got to have that.” Holmes’ own dream was dashed in the fl flood waters of New Orleans East, where the partners were in preparations to open a club of that name. With the new Frenchmen Street location, however, Holmes sees an even greater opportunity to realize that dream. And part of that vision is to create a launching pad for young musicians. In a fi tting move for such well-established fi gures in the music scene, they intend to work with Donald Harrison to create a music incubator project within the club. Organizing new record labels and installing an in-house music studio, the collaborators plan to introduce younger musicians to every aspect of the music business. If all goes according to plan, they should begin incubating young talent there within the next six months. Another plan in the works is a sister restaurant, to be located across from Armstrong Park and appropriately called “Satchmo’s” serving traditional jazz with its traditional New Orleans fare.
In the meantime, every Saturday offers the special treat of seeing Kermit Ruffi ns and the Barbecue Swingers playing in Ruffiffins’s own club. If you’re lucky, Ray might even sit for a number with the band, adding a smooth Smokey Robinson number to the set. And Ray’s is a good best most other nights as well, presenting local crowd pleasers such as brothers James and Troy Andrews.
528 JAZZ CLUB
528 is the very defi nition of the classic jazz club. In fact, the mere phrase has probably conjured the image for you: cocktails and candlelight, a sweet quintet playing standards with tight solos, stage trimmed with a red velvet curtain, surrounded by couples and four-tops tasting top-shelf liquors and elegant hors d’oeuvres. The only element absent from the scene is the haze of blue smoke, something no one seems to miss, not even the smokers, who can repair to the patio where smoking is allowed and still enjoy the music while taking charming brick streetscape of historic Fulton Street. In all things, it seems, this place is like a fantasy jazz club. But what else would you expect from a music venue associated with celebrity chef Todd English and Harrah’s Casino? The perfect compliment to Riche, English’s fi ne French restaurant next door, this club specializes in Italian wines and small, surprisingly aff ordable, rustic Italian dishes. You can also try their jazz-themed cocktails, like the “So What” (Maker’s Mark Bourbon, sweet vermouth, served up with a cherry) or the “Blue Train” (Grey Goose Vodka and Maytag stuffffed olives). If the atmosphere is ideal and international, the music is still very real and very much New Orleans. So far, the club is booking only local acts, including the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, John Boutte, Leah Chase, George French, and the Hot Club of New Orleans. Early evenings, the tone is set by a solo pianist on the club’s celebrated upright piano. It’s the perfect way to start an evening of bouillabaisse and blackjack.
REPUBLIC
The intrepid club owners behind Republic were among the very fi first to create a new music venue in post-Katrina New Orleans. “People said we were crazy,” co-owner Robert LeBlanc recalls, “but some of those same people came out to help us [with renovations], and they’re still supporting us now.” LeBlanc, with co-owner Luis Espinel, (whose Ray’s Over the River was lost to Katrina damage) hopes to attract people of likeminded entrepreneurial spirit by catering to more progressive tastes in music and events, bringing in buzz-worthy national acts, such as Death Cab for Cutie, who played to a sold-out house along with their opening group, YouTube phenomenon OK Go. But the lineup isn’t simply a matter of taste for Republic’s owners, they also hope that such new off erings on the New Orleans scene may help attract energetic young professionals to the city who may otherwise look to settle in places like Austin, where the progressive entertainment scene has had a higher profifile. Republic is gaining a loyal clientele, who can return several times a week and see something completely diffferent each night: rock and roll, fashion, even fi film screenings.
The goal of putting interesting people into contact with one another even extends to their redesign of the venerable music hall that was the former residence of the Howlin’ Wolf (which has moved up the street). For the most part, LeBlanc and his group decided to highlight the existing features of the space, including the vintage advertising murals that grace the walls of the upstairs lounge (added by Oliver Stone when he was shooting JFK here), which they complemented with new murals downstairs evocative of the same period. But they also took down walls and opened sight lines throughout the building, creating a sense of interconnectedness for every part of the room. It’s the ideal setting for fundraising events, and Republic is coming close to its goal of hosting $300,000 worth this year.
MÉLANGE
The newest development on the New Orleans music scene is the new home for Jeremy Davenport in the Ritz-Carlton’s signature restaurant. Having established his place at the French Quarter Bar (FQB) that shares the third fl floor with Mélange (formerly Victor’s), Davenport recently made his much-anticipated return to New Orleans to take up residence in this new venue, created especially with him in mind.
The move was part of a larger revamping of entertainment at the Ritz, a change of concept and theme that integrates the unmistakable elegance of the hotel with a fi ne sampling of the best the city has to offffer. The restaurant’s new Chef de Cuisine, Eric Aldis, has partnered with chefs from the city’s most beloved restaurants, learning their signature recipes to create a menu featuring some of the most celebrated dishes in the city: from Jacque-Imo’s alligator sausage and shrimp cheesecake to Cuvee’s mustard-herb crusted salmon with lump crabmeat, brie orzo, and lemon confifit. In all, thirty dishes from more than twenty local restaurants will be featured on the changing menu. And the chefs represented will make special appearances as guest Chef de Cuisine as well. As food and beverage director Rafael Torres explains, the idea is to embrace the culture of New Orleans, to give visitors a taste of what the city has to offffer and then encourage them to go out and explore further. Th is same approach is in evidence in the FQB, where the entertainment off ers a sampling of local favorites, such as Ingrid Lucia, Bob French, and James Rivers.
While the Ritz-Carlton’s new approach is to embrace the whole of New Orleans culture, Jeremy Davenport’s fans are a bit more partisan in their appreciation. “This is all about Jeremy,” one fan remarked, looking around at the posh crowd of the lobby lounge, remodeled to open onto the polished wood dance fl oor of Davenport’s new setting.
Th e crooner’s devoted local following is abuzz about his return, and seeing Davenport in action, it is easy to understand why. Davenport is the embodiment of rat pack style, with his French cuffffs and impeccable suit, the studied casualness of his musical phrasing, whether on trumpet or vocals, as he swings through a set of jazz standards; to see him in his element is to revel in an experience of cool sophistication nearly extinct today. But with all Davenport’s coolness, his warm rapport with the crowd may be his most winning trait. Th e fans, many of whom arrive in vintage style, sporting fedoras and two-tone shoes, are almost as much a part of the act as the lush chordal melodies of pianist Thaddeus Richard. For these fans, to see Jeremy Davenport at the Ritz is as quintessentially New Orleans as shrimp creole. Like many New Orleanians, Davenport was treated graciously during his evacuation, receiving offffers from Las Vegas, New York, and L.A. Th e entire band fi finally moved up to St. Louis, Davenport’s birthplace, where they remained for six months. “It was bittersweet,” Davenport recalls. “We were glad to be working, but we weren’t home.” With Davenport back in place amidst a celebration of the city’s great music and food, the Ritz Carlton has prepared a perfect introduction for the city’s visitors and a welcome return for its residents.