ARLIS/NA 45th Annual Conference

Louisiana is home to a vibrant and dizzying variety of deep-rooted musical genres, each with a distinctive pulse and culture: from zydeco, Cajun, gospel, rhythm & blues, soul, and country to rockabilly, roots rock, funk, hip hop, bounce, Mardi Gras Indian, and an entire spectrum of jazz—traditional to avant-garde, contemporary to brass-band parades and funerals. All of these streams flow into and out of New Orleans, this city at the culmination of a mighty cultural river. This afternoon’s plenary celebrates the unique musical mix that is New Orleans by showcasing some of the institutional and independent initiatives that sustain, document, and celebrate these distinctive musical cultures and the musicians who bring them to life.

The historians on our panel—all musicians themselves—are actively engaged in promoting and curating these traditions for the public, yet always attuned to fresh new musical expressions and directions. We look forward to introducing you all to the deep and varied rhythms that emanate from the Crescent City, as a special segue to this evening’s welcome reception at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Dr. Michael White, jazz clarinetist, bandleader, recording artist, and professor of African-American music at Xavier University;

Bruce Raeburn, jazz and rock drummer, Director of Special Collections, Tulane University, and curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive;

Melissa A. Weber/DJ Soul Sister, writer, historian, artist, and long-time host of "Soul Power" on WWOZ FM, the longest-running rare groove radio show in the U.S.;

Ben Sandmel, music journalist, folklorist, musician, author of Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans, and producer of the Music Heritage Stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Panel organizer: Kathy Edwards, Clemson University.