Rockhead's Music Thread

ON MY MIND...

I am friendly with many local musicians, and I love when they drop in the office to say hi. One of my favorite people is Shamarr Allen, who's recently recorded with Willie Nelson. You may have read excerpts from his tour diary when he was on tour with Nelson in OffBeat's May Jazz Fest bible.

Allen is one together guy. He's definitely got chops on his trumpet, is a professional, and is one of the nicest and most responsible young men I've ever met. If you don't know Shamarr, he used to perform with Rebirth Brass Band and went out on his own a couple of years ago. Shamarr and his family lost everything, including their family home, during Katrina. He and his family, including his little boy Jarrel, now live in the Musicians' Village. He's put his life back together, and is playing with the likes of Nelson and Leon Russell on Willie's new album.

Shamarr stopped in the office earlier this week to let me know that his tour dates with Willie in baseball stadiums this summer had been cut. “They had to reduce the shows from 90 minutes back to only 45 minutes, so that means that there won't be time for me to play.” He's disappointed, of course (so are we), but he is getting compensated anyway, and gets to spend the summer with his kid in New Orleans instead of having to traipse around the country this summer.

We discussed many of the problems in New Orleans, and how corrupt the city government seems to be. Payoffs and bribes pave the way for many a business in the Crescent City--at least that's what I've been told. I learned that the departed “Ray's Boom Boom Room” which I can see from my office window (and where Shamarr has played many times) was operating as a restaurant without the proper safety equipment. I think that's illegal here and just about anywhere (you must comply with regulations to have a grease vent in your kitchen). No one seemed to have busted the old owner (we figured he'd paid someone off). But the new owner had to have a vent installed and get a liquor license before he can re-open the venue.

While we can bitch and moan about how screwed up things are in New Orleans, Shamarr made a very wise observation: people in New Orleans don't make a lot of money, whether they work in a restaurant, a bar, or as an inspector for the city, a teacher or a cop. So the opportunity to provide and the predisposition to accept a "compensation for a favor" (for whatever) is pretty obvious.

If you read Shamarr's tour diary in the May issue, you know what he looks like: a young African-American man. He's soft-spoken, and his hair is long…like a lot of musicians. He isn't a thug.

One story Shamarr told me was that he was constantly being stopped by police. Now remember, Shamarr has long hair and he's a musician. But he has a late model car, and he's a professional person. He told me he was stopped six times on one run between Austin and New Orleans to record with Willie Nelson. Six times! Apparently he “looks suspicious” Now that is just a shame. The worst story was how he was stopped by local law enforcement for no apparent reason while he was in the Ninth Ward. They searched him and his car and came up with $500 cash in gig pay that Shamarr had with him. The police let him go because he didn't do anything, but get this: they kept his $500! When he asked them to return the money, they said “What money?” and they kept it. Now that is just wrong, but it's probably another indicator of why corruption is rampant in New Orleans. How much money do those cops make? And who is Shamarr going to complain to?

I'm someone who still believes that there's a right and wrong, and this is just wrong. So if you ever wonder why some African-Americans don't trust local law enforcement, think about this story. I hate the fact that this great kid is being harassed for no reason other than the fact that he's a young black man. That law enforcement could take his cash doesn't set too well with me either.