A new festival jumps into June

11th June 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

Ambitious programming with its focus on women and their involvement with all phases of the arts, education and business marks the arrival of New Orleans newest event, The Rock & Rouge Women’s Music & Food Festival & Beyond. The multi-faceted event takes place on Saturday, June 16, indoors and outdoors at the Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint. Strongly representing this city’s female contributions to the music scene is the appearance of New Orleans Soul Queen Irma Thomas, who at 8 p.m. takes the “Women of Rock” main stage backed by her fine, full band. That outdoor venue kicks off at 11:05 a.m. and includes performances by familiar artists like vocalist Gina Brown and singer/songwriter Lynn Drury as well as lesser-known names some of which are arriving from Baton Rouge. That particular venue closes down at 9:45 p.m., almost 11 hours after the first notes ring out. Simply considering the length of the musical programming plus the many other activities taking place at the festival, it’s easy to understand that the word “ambitious” isn’t an exaggeration.

Founded and produced by Big Pearl Entertainment’s Lani Ramos to give credit and further exposure to women’s important contributions and to encourage young women and girls in their endeavors, the Rock & Rouge Festival also features empowerment panels held on the Mint’s third floor. They will be presented by women from many walks of life including the always provocative and insightful Big Queen Laurita Dollis of the Wild Magnolias. There will also be a tent aimed a girls aged eight to 15 that will be centered around an educational and career option program known as STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. A special performance area for “junior female-led” bands has also been incorporated into the event. Another feature of the festival will be a beauty and health booth.

Food booths will surround the Mint with, of course, cuisine from female chefs and restaurant owners like Andrea Walters co-owner of Ladelyo’s catering and Mrs. Wheat’s Meat Pies. You know when women are stirring the pot they put some love into it.

In some, primarily politic circles, 2018 is being considered the Year of the Woman. As mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, aunts and nieces, women have always held the power to bring folks together. At The Rock & Rouge Women’s Music & Food Festival & Beyond, they’re joining forces, as they often do, as a reminder of their talent and strength.

For further information on the free festival go to www.therockand-rouge.com.

Turre — Trombone and Seashells Comin’

New Orleans loves the trombone. Think bandleaders Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Corey Henry, Delfeayo Marsalis, the group Bonerama, veteran sidemen like Freddy Lonzo and Terrance Taplin, up-and-comers like David. L Harris and those who are gone but not forgotten including Walden “Frog” Joseph, Louis Nelson and so many more. It makes sense that the instrument has found a place in the heart of New Orleanians both young and old as it’s long been, and still is, essential to this city’s brass band tradition.

One of the world’s finest and most prolific trombonists, Steve Turre, arrives in New Orleans to perform with the Herlin Riley Quartet at Snug Harbor on Saturday, June 16, 2018. The group will include Riley’s go-to bassist Jasen Weaver, a graduate of NOCCA and UNO who in 2018 released his own fine disc, The Vascoville. Also onboard is veteran pianist Larry Sieberth whose wizardry and intuitiveness allows him to complement whatever’s happening on a bandstand. The leader and the man behind the drums and rhythm, New Orleans’ own, internationally renowned Herlin Riley is in that number of great Crescent City drummers like Ed Blackwell, James Black, Smokey Johnson, Johnny Vidacovich, Earl Palmer and Idris Muhammad. Riley carries on New Orleans’ reputation as the birthplace of drum giants.

Turre, who is also noted as a recording artist, composer and educator, has performed in New Orleans fairly regularly starting back in 1974 when he was in the magnificent saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s band at the now-defunct but still missed Rosy’s Jazz Hall. His creds include blowing next to such legends as trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and Woody Shaw, recording with Carlos Santana and touring with Ray Charles. Television audiences might best recognize Turre as having been the pony-tailed trombonist in the Saturday Night Live Band.

Hip to New Orleans musicians and its music scene, Turre had heard about our own trombone prodigy, Trombone Shorty, before meeting Andrews when the young, yet to be fully discovered young man was still a student at NOCCA. Turre was definitely impressed and at the 2012 Jazz & Heritage Festival the veteran made a guest appearance at Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s set.

Turre transforms his musical knowledge and talent for blowing trombone when performing on another “instrument,” seashells or more accurately varying sizes of conk shells the ends of which are carved to form a mouthpiece. He makes remarkable and often intricate music with these natural gifts from the sea. Many folks, aware of this portion of his sets anticipate hearing him display this art so much that often he seemingly “hides” the shells under a cloth so they won’t be a distraction. It’s either that or Turre just wants to surprise the unaware.

In the recent past, Turre has agreed that the once somewhat maligned trombone that was often the brunt of jokes has found greater appreciation on the music scene even beyond New Orleans.

“Oh, yes, the trombone is becoming much more popular and people are really hearing the sound of the horn again and responding to it,” Turre once said. “The trombone is a very majestic instrument.”

This article originally published in the June 11, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.