April 2009 Archives

I'll return as a guest on John Schaefer's "Soundcheck" show tomorrow - Monday, 4/20 - to talk about New Orleans. The hook is the annual Jazz & Heritage Festival (4/24-5/3), and the idea is the keep a light shined on the larger context for jazz and cultural heritage in a city still very much in transition.

Cyril Neville is scheduled to join us via phone. Plus, John and I will likely play bits of new CDs by NOLA musicians.

Please listen if you can, or even call in when the phone lines open. "Soundcheck" airs from 2-3pm, and this segment should be at the front end of the show. WNYC-FM, 93.9, or online.

On of the things I hope to have time to bring up is an effort by La. Gov. Bobby Jindal to make drastic and disproportionate cuts to arts funding throughout the state. Now, budgets are tightening everywhere: But this decision seems especially irresponsible and even cruel (not to mention ironic in the light of Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu's simultaneous and quite smart efforts to support cultural economy in La. Here's more detail on that issue.