Reflections on New Orleans after Katrina

by Steve Masakowski

A lot has happened to New Orleans and its music scene in the almost two years since Katrina hit the city. It was truly a monumental event and a life altering experience for everyone affected, including the musicians that called the area home. Some talked about comparing the devastation of Katrina to 9/11. But considering the fact that Katrina wiped out most of the Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Louisiana, there is no comparison. And with respect to New Orleans, most everyone felt a sense of relief after the storm had first passed. We got through the "Big One" with probably only wind damage, only to watch the city slowly fill with water from the levee breaches the day after. Most people in New Orleans call this a "manmade" disaster due to poor maintenance of the levee systems.

Many lovers of New Orleans and her music wondered if the cultural gumbo that created the unique flavor of New Orleans music would ever be the same. Katrina did blow musicians and their music all over the country like debris from a bomb. But as the dust settled, most musicians have either come back, want to come back, or would come back if they could, and they all have different reasons, mostly with respect to housing and money issues- that have influenced their decisions. As for myself, I was born and raised in New Orleans and like many others that grew up here and have close friends and family ties; there was no question about returning.

I, like many other New Orleanians, am no stranger to hurricanes. I went through Betsey as a kid. I didn't mind going without electricity, or school for that matter- for two weeks. The worst thing to me was not being able to watch the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show because there was no electricity to power the TV. But when the call came to evacuate the city for Katrina, there was a real sense of fear that maybe this was the "Big One" that we had been warned about for so many years. The first thing you learn when there is a storm in the Gulf is to keep your car's gas tank filled. The usual six-hour ride to Houston, which is where we evacuated to, took more than eighteen hours, rarely getting out of first gear. It was even more rare to find an open gas station, as we chugged along in the traffic jam from hell. Such was the experience of most people from the area as they scrambled out of the hurricane's path.

Once we found temporary refuge in a cramped hotel room with the entire family, including two dogs, reality started to set in as we watched our city fill with water. There were the constant media reports that bombarded us with all of the horrible things that were happening from looting to reports of sharks swimming in the city. And with the shock of being told that it might be months before anyone could return, you start to wonder: How will I make money, pay the bills? Where are we going to stay for months? One of the encouraging things that came out of the disaster is the wonderful generosity of so many people willing to help others in need. In our case, the people of Texas were extremely helpful, providing clothes, housing, and assistance not only to my family, but the thousands of the people who evacuated there.

We managed to get back to our New Orleans home early, after about a month of being displaced. We were one of the fortunate families whose home did not flood, but with holes in the roof and the subsequent rainfall, our house suffered extensive damage. When I first drove into the city at that time, there was a horrible smell of rotten food that had been abandoned in nonfunctional refrigerators for weeks. In fact, that was the first thing on your agenda once you returned to New Orleans- throw out the refrigerator. And curiously, there were no birds, squirrels, or signs of wildlife in general. The city was a virtual ghost town. It also resembled a war zone, with military checkpoints, Humvees, soldiers with rifles, and curfews. Most of the city at that time was without electricity and driving at night was a very scary experience.

Before the hurricane, the music scene was good for local musicians, but there was always a certain amount of apathy about New Orleans music and her musicians. People just took it for granted, and other than some small steps to support and encourage the music business of the city, the music was sustained primarily by the musicians themselves and the few clubs willing to support them.

The music scene was totally changed by Katrina. People suddenly realized the importance of music and how it defines the very essence of the city, much like its food and inhabitants. Even though the city was in disarray after Katrina, the compulsion to bring back the music was very strong. Clubs like Snug Harbor and the Maple Leaf were the first ones to reopen, not because they thought it was a good business decision, but because they knew it was important for the city and its musicians. This created a magnet effect, drawing musicians and loyal music fans back to the city.

George Brumat, owner of the famous jazz club Snug Harbor, was determined to reopen his doors and feature music again, even though everyone new that he would be taking a serious loss. But he managed to reopen with no cover charge and still paid his musicians. Many locals came to the club and everyone who participated had a real sense of contributing to the city's revival. On a sad note, after everything that he had been through in the aftermath of Katrina, George Brumat died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 63. He was one of the best club owners that I ever knew, and his support for the jazz musicians of New Orleans was enormous.

The fate of Snug Harbor is in question, but it was George's wish that the club continue without him and hopefully someone with an equally generous heart will keep the club going in his honor. Mardi Gras and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival have since experienced record attendance. These events are always a good source of work and income for musicians and provide yet another reason to return to the city.

Of course, there are many musicians who decided to move away or could not return for a variety of reasons. Musicians, along with the other residents of New Orleans, could be generally divided into two groups: those who their homes to flooding, and those who didn't. Everyone sustained some damage from Katrina, but if your house was flooded, you virtually lost everything. There are countless sad stories about musicians losing instruments, CD collections, photos, clothes, everything. And of course, if you lost your house, you have nothing to return to, even though the government supplied thousands of trailers to homeowners, and the whole area is dotted with FEMA trailer parks.

The bureaucracy associated with the Road Home Program originally designed to supply people with money to rebuild, has been slow to say the least. It is sad to see great musicians, such as jazz vocalist Leah Chase, still living in a tiny FEMA trailers so long after the storm. With the help of Habitat for Humanity, Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis are creating the Musician's Village, which provides low coast permanent housing for displaced musicians.

Rather than suffer the ills of rebuilding your home and jumping through the bureaucratic hoops of the Road Home Program, or continuing to live in temporary housing, many musicians decided to simply move away. Musicians like guitarist Ted Ludwig, whose house was literally torn in half by the storm and tidal surge, and master bassist Bill Huntington, decided to relocate to Arkansas. Austin, Texas was another location that was attractive to some New Orleans musicians such as Leah (Little Queenie) Harris. As in the case of bassist Jim Singleton of Astral Project, some are trying their hand at spending time between cities such as L.A. and New Orleans.

The lack of musicians early-on after the storm created an opportunity for younger musicians and students to fill the void. Many stepped into playing situations that they ordinarily would not have had the chance to experience. New Orleans has always been a spawning ground for new talent, and Katrina just helped speed up the process. In terms of students, especially after Katrina, New Orleans is one of the few places in the country where students can gig and learn their craft. At the University of New Orleans, where I teach, we like to think the city is an extension of the classroom. For some students, it's their primary source of income. On Frenchmen Street, clubs like Snug Harbor, The Spotted Cat, and D.B.A. all routinely hire students and young talent. In any case, there is a lot of music being made in New Orleans, even more than before the storm in my opinion.

So almost two years after Hurricane Katrina, the birds and the squirrels, and the music have returned to New Orleans. One silver lining regarding displaced musicians is that it has help spread New Orleans' music around the country, and has no doubt, influenced music making in other places. So far, we have been very lucky getting through one hurricane season, and part of the next one- free and clear. But, I think it's going to take another hurricane hitting New Orleans without any major flooding or damage to convince everyone to come home.

You are invited come see post -Katrina New Orleans for yourself!

Steve Masakowski

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About the Author

Steve Masakowski has long been regarded as one of the top jazz artists in New Orleans. Born and raised in "The Big Easy", Steve has played guitar with most of the city's greatest musicians including Alvin "Red" Tyler, Ellis Marsalis, Earl Turbinton, and James Black. He has also performed with Grammy Award-winning artists Bobby McFerrin, Nicholas Payton, and Dianne Reeves at major festivals around the world. As a recording artist, he has released numerous CD's including two on the prestigious Blue Note Records label.

Steve has been an active member of, and composer for the award-winning New Orleans Jazz group Astral Project. He has twice been voted "Best Guitarist", and won "Best Contemporary Jazz Group" three times in the annual reader's polls featured in Gambit and Offbeat magazines. He has published lessons in Guitar Player magazine and authored the book Jazz Ear Training - Learning to Hear Your Way Through Music for Mel Bay Publications.

Steve has participated in numerous Jazz concerts and workshops at major universities including Princeton, the University of Chicago, and the University of Indiana. Steve is currently on the faculty at the University of New Orleans where he holds the position of Coca-Cola Endowed Chair of Jazz Studies and is music director for the WWNO Crescent City radio program.

To learn more about Steve Masakowski's musical activities please see: www.astralproject.com