In New Orleans, It Bubbles In New Orleans, It Bubbles Up From the StreetsUp From the Streets

Authenticity and Identity Authenticity and Identity in the Post-Katrina Music in the Post-Katrina Music

SceneScene

Gretchen CaverlyGretchen Caverly

Research QuestionsResearch Questions What are characteristics or trends in What are characteristics or trends in

authentic New Orleans music?authentic New Orleans music? What are some effects of Hurricane What are some effects of Hurricane

Katrina on the New Orleans music Katrina on the New Orleans music scene?scene?

InformantsInformants 12 formal interviews12 formal interviews Men and womenMen and women More white than More white than

black informantsblack informants Either professional Either professional

musicians or musicians or professionally professionally involved with the involved with the music scenemusic scene

FieldworkFieldwork Musical performances in different areas Musical performances in different areas

of the city (uptown and downtown)of the city (uptown and downtown) Mostly in clubs or music venues, some Mostly in clubs or music venues, some

street musicstreet music December 2007/January 2008December 2007/January 2008

Authenticity (Thornton Authenticity (Thornton 1996)1996)

Artistic AuthenticityArtistic Authenticity Culture as artCulture as art Specific traits, such Specific traits, such

as technical, stylistic as technical, stylistic detailsdetails

Subcultural Subcultural AuthenticityAuthenticity ““Natural to the Natural to the

community”community” A holistic way of lifeA holistic way of life

““When you listen to the music you can look at two things, When you listen to the music you can look at two things, percussion and melody. Or harmony rather. Percussion is percussion and melody. Or harmony rather. Percussion is syncopated, and they have a particular pulse, the Hey syncopated, and they have a particular pulse, the Hey Pocky Way groove or whatever you want to call it. …then Pocky Way groove or whatever you want to call it. …then harmonically you have this thing that is true of blues music harmonically you have this thing that is true of blues music all over the south, where they mess with the minor third all over the south, where they mess with the minor third and the major third, make them very ambiguous… if you and the major third, make them very ambiguous… if you make it ambiguous you make it a certain kind of feeling make it ambiguous you make it a certain kind of feeling that no one can really explain and that’s what sums up the that no one can really explain and that’s what sums up the blues. And then you can get to flatted fifths and minor blues. And then you can get to flatted fifths and minor sevenths and other stuff too but essentially New Orleans sevenths and other stuff too but essentially New Orleans has all that stuff but it also has a very strong tradition of has all that stuff but it also has a very strong tradition of very complex, sophisticated harmonic arrangement. A lot very complex, sophisticated harmonic arrangement. A lot of the Creole musicians play classics and had to in order of the Creole musicians play classics and had to in order to get work. So it’s a world removed from the blues you’d to get work. So it’s a world removed from the blues you’d hear in Mississippi or Texas. Old New Orleans music was hear in Mississippi or Texas. Old New Orleans music was very very sophisticated and the players were very good. very very sophisticated and the players were very good. Also it’s predominately a horn town, so most of the songs Also it’s predominately a horn town, so most of the songs are in the flat keys, unlike Mississippi or Texas or are in the flat keys, unlike Mississippi or Texas or Chicago, which were dominated by guitars.”Chicago, which were dominated by guitars.”

Artistic AuthenticityArtistic Authenticity syncopated, pulsing syncopated, pulsing

percussionpercussion ambiguous minor-ambiguous minor-

major thirdmajor third complex harmonic complex harmonic

arrangementarrangement heavy brass heavy brass

influenceinfluence

Subcultural AuthenticitySubcultural Authenticity

Physical Spaces Physical Spaces and Eventsand Events

Interactive Interactive PerformancesPerformances

ParticipationParticipation

““They [Astral Project] played at Rock n’ Bowl. Which is very dancing and They [Astral Project] played at Rock n’ Bowl. Which is very dancing and zydeco, R&B type place. And people got right up front, like they normally zydeco, R&B type place. And people got right up front, like they normally do, whoever’s playing, George Porter, Snooks [Eaglin], whoever it is, do, whoever’s playing, George Porter, Snooks [Eaglin], whoever it is, and they started swaying to the music and before long Astral Project, and they started swaying to the music and before long Astral Project, who are all world class musicians and can play any style, their music who are all world class musicians and can play any style, their music was changing in reaction to the fact that people were participating. So was changing in reaction to the fact that people were participating. So the more their music changed, the more people began to participate, the more their music changed, the more people began to participate, and by the end of the set, the dance floor was as crowded as if it was and by the end of the set, the dance floor was as crowded as if it was the Neville Brothers, and everyone was rocking out saying, little did they the Neville Brothers, and everyone was rocking out saying, little did they know, without really realizing they were listening to a band that usually know, without really realizing they were listening to a band that usually plays in a sit down setting, nobody talking, nobody smoking, and the plays in a sit down setting, nobody talking, nobody smoking, and the people nursing their beers! So you know countless examples of that.” people nursing their beers! So you know countless examples of that.”

“…“…the Stooges Brass Band, young the Stooges Brass Band, young guys, I’ve been watching them guys, I’ve been watching them since probably, shit probably, bet since probably, shit probably, bet you nobody in the band’s over you nobody in the band’s over twenty five. And I’ve been twenty five. And I’ve been watching them play since they watching them play since they were, you know, twelve, thirteen, were, you know, twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old. And they were fourteen years old. And they were in Atlanta, and I saw them in Atlanta, and I saw them yesterday, the guy the leader of yesterday, the guy the leader of the band, and I asked him, he the band, and I asked him, he said, ‘Oh man, Atlanta didn’t know said, ‘Oh man, Atlanta didn’t know what to do with us!’ They still what to do with us!’ They still don’t! They still don’t, you know?’ don’t! They still don’t, you know?’ So when I saw them they actually So when I saw them they actually came and played in Chicago when came and played in Chicago when I was there and it was the I was there and it was the strangest thing, you know, strangest thing, you know, because here you have this because here you have this amazing New Orleans brass band, amazing New Orleans brass band, that just generates such energy that just generates such energy when they play for New when they play for New Orleanians that people just dance, Orleanians that people just dance, and everyone was just standing and everyone was just standing watchin’ em. And you could sense watchin’ em. And you could sense that they were like, come on that they were like, come on people, somebody please shake a people, somebody please shake a tail feather!” tail feather!”

Hurricane Katrina: Hurricane Katrina: Celebration and Celebration and EscapeEscape

- The ImmediateThe Immediate- The LingeringThe Lingering

““Symbols are, in the first place, highly pertinent to a people’s reaction Symbols are, in the first place, highly pertinent to a people’s reaction to disaster. Symbols influence shared behavior. Equally important, to disaster. Symbols influence shared behavior. Equally important, symbols can be utilized and manipulated by different factors symbols can be utilized and manipulated by different factors involved in a disaster, and thus become political. Disaster spoils involved in a disaster, and thus become political. Disaster spoils pattern, and matters in the state of disruption become less pattern, and matters in the state of disruption become less restricted. The potential for change becomes greater, to the point restricted. The potential for change becomes greater, to the point that disorder itself can become part of the pattern. …as for that disorder itself can become part of the pattern. …as for individuals facing or experiencing catastrophe, they engage the individuals facing or experiencing catastrophe, they engage the symbols evoking their predicament in an almost visceral manner. symbols evoking their predicament in an almost visceral manner. …the symbolic process provides a continual feedback system in …the symbolic process provides a continual feedback system in which the symbol must be integrated with experience if a deeper which the symbol must be integrated with experience if a deeper understanding is to be the end result.”understanding is to be the end result.”

Anthony Oliver-Smith, 2004Anthony Oliver-Smith, 2004

The ImmediateThe Immediate

““After Katrina it was After Katrina it was amazing. I mean this amazing. I mean this place [the Maple Leaf] place [the Maple Leaf] was ground zero… They was ground zero… They fired up generators, they fired up generators, they didn’t have ice, they didn’t have ice, they didn’t have anything! didn’t have anything! They powered the band They powered the band with the generator, you with the generator, you know, and they had to know, and they had to play, I think the music play, I think the music started at like four in the started at like four in the afternoon because the afternoon because the curfew was like eight curfew was like eight o’clock! And it was the o’clock! And it was the same thing, it was like same thing, it was like people going wild, like it people going wild, like it was four in the morning was four in the morning and they were all on acid and they were all on acid during Mardi Gras. But it during Mardi Gras. But it wasn’t. It was just people wasn’t. It was just people with that energy.” Jaywith that energy.” Jay

““I got back as soon as I could. I think I got back as soon as I could. I think it was about eight to ten weeks it was about eight to ten weeks after the storm… we did do a gig after the storm… we did do a gig fairly soon, yeah…. I think within a fairly soon, yeah…. I think within a day or two of getting back we day or two of getting back we were at the Maple Leaf [Bar] were at the Maple Leaf [Bar] playing. And everyone was still playing. And everyone was still shell-shocked, and really no one shell-shocked, and really no one knew what the long-term knew what the long-term implications were, and was just implications were, and was just worn out and weary and tired and worn out and weary and tired and beaten up, so it felt pretty good beaten up, so it felt pretty good actually to get up and play some actually to get up and play some funk, and everyone in the funk, and everyone in the audience was ready for it, it was audience was ready for it, it was good actually. … It was one of good actually. … It was one of those situations where the music those situations where the music is just very medicinal, you could is just very medicinal, you could just tell it was making everybody just tell it was making everybody feel better to have some music. It feel better to have some music. It was sort of a collective sigh of was sort of a collective sigh of relief, chugging of beers.” relief, chugging of beers.”

John C.John C.

““People go to see us play for two reasons: to celebrate life People go to see us play for two reasons: to celebrate life and to escape life. After Katrina, there was a lot more and to escape life. After Katrina, there was a lot more escape—a lot of folks who were gutting houses, dealing escape—a lot of folks who were gutting houses, dealing with Hurricane Katrina life, and they came out to the music with Hurricane Katrina life, and they came out to the music and thanked us. I realized about three to five months and thanked us. I realized about three to five months afterwards that the music was an important escape, a afterwards that the music was an important escape, a means of letting go before returning to their normal lives. means of letting go before returning to their normal lives. The bars were meeting grounds where people went to The bars were meeting grounds where people went to figure out what was going on. The music was key in figure out what was going on. The music was key in holding the city together at that time.” holding the city together at that time.”

John G.John G.

The The LingeringLingering

- Loss of Youth Music CultureLoss of Youth Music Culture- Creeping HomogenizationCreeping Homogenization- Expanding the realm of the Jazz BandExpanding the realm of the Jazz Band

““Katrina will affect the Katrina will affect the future because kids who future because kids who learn to play the trumpet learn to play the trumpet in elementary school in elementary school and around the corner and around the corner and in the communities and in the communities they live in are scattered they live in are scattered now. The Treme, which now. The Treme, which is where the jazz bands is where the jazz bands are from, is scattered. are from, is scattered. The school music The school music programs where kids programs where kids started playing their started playing their music aren’t there now. music aren’t there now. Five, ten, fifteen years in Five, ten, fifteen years in the future will see a big the future will see a big shift in the base of the shift in the base of the musical community.”musical community.”

John G.John G.

““Unfortunately their lofty ideas are part of Unfortunately their lofty ideas are part of mainstream America, you know? And mainstream America, you know? And someone needs to take them by the hand someone needs to take them by the hand and say, this is how we behave here.” and say, this is how we behave here.” JayJay

Other Research Other Research QuestionsQuestions

Do characteristics of the New Orleans music Do characteristics of the New Orleans music scene correspond with characteristics that are scene correspond with characteristics that are traditionally correlated with third world traditionally correlated with third world countries?countries?

How do the ways that these characteristics are How do the ways that these characteristics are perceived affect the relationship between New perceived affect the relationship between New Orleans and the rest of the United States?Orleans and the rest of the United States?

What are the implications of these perceptions What are the implications of these perceptions for New Orleanian musicians, both at home for New Orleanian musicians, both at home and on tour?and on tour?

Special Thanks To:Special Thanks To: The Sociology/Anthropology department, especially Dr. The Sociology/Anthropology department, especially Dr.

Ben Feinberg and Dr. Lara Vance, for their support and Ben Feinberg and Dr. Lara Vance, for their support and forbearance this yearforbearance this year

Candace Anthony, for midnight brainstorming sessions Candace Anthony, for midnight brainstorming sessions and much moreand much more

Jenny Bagert, without whom this project would have Jenny Bagert, without whom this project would have been completely impossiblebeen completely impossible

Jonno Frischberg, for opening the doorJonno Frischberg, for opening the door Family and Friends, who have provided boundless Family and Friends, who have provided boundless

support, inspiration, and love throughout this processsupport, inspiration, and love throughout this process

Questions?Questions?

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