YouTube and Louis Armstrong

These letters are in response to Sam D’Arcangelo’s web post, “Crystal Clear Louis Armstrong Recordings Surface,” reporting on the YouTube posts from the metal or mother record of Louis Armstrong’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Knee Drops.”

Remarkable! How did they do it?! No multi-track, no overdubs, no “fix it in the mix.” Just that elusive “talent!”

—Jim Charne, Santa Monica, California

This is actually pretty typical for the way late 1920s recordings sound. At that time the labels were introducing electrical recordings and designing high-end acoustic phonographs to play them. When the depression hit, record sales fell like a rock, and sound quality took a hit. But most Victor Orthophonic, Columbia Viva-Tonal or Brunswick Electrical Recordings from the late 1920s sound this good. They sound even better on a contemporary acoustic phonograph that was designed to play them.

—Stephen Worth, North Hollywood, California

Most recording engineers today aren’t musicians—they use their eyes to watch the meters instead of using their (albeit rock-bashed) ears to listen to the music—and that’s assuming they are recording real instruments in the first place.

—Andrew Homzy, Vancouver Island, Canada

Eagle Saloon

The following letter is in response to Noe Cugny’s news post regarding the benefit to raise money to restore the Eagle Saloon.

I saw your article on Eagle Saloon. What you may not know is that the reason the Eagle Saloon is falling down is because its owners, the Meraux Foundation, have let it. Here’s the part I assume you do not know. The New Orleans Music Hall of Fame LLC which now “owns” the building is run by the same two people who owned it all those years. This crowdsourcing thing is a ruse to make it look like they are finally doing something. There are numerous people in New Orleans including myself who have fought these people for years to try and save these buildings. That these folks made a point of not contacting any of us tells me they didn’t want anyone around who knew what they were up to.

This is a hustle. A scam meant to both fleece well-meaning music and history lovers and at the same time give cover to the absentee owners.

—John McCusker, New Orleans, Louisiana

Musical Diversity

I just want to thank you [Jan Ramsey] and the OffBeat team for your Fest issues. I just finished a close read of the French Quarter Fest issue, and I’ll crack the Jazz Fest issue this evening. I save them on my bookshelf. I love the in-depth artist profiles, and I’ve created a listening queue of artists I’ve never heard of, who I want to check out the next time I’m in town. Your team does such a good job of forcing me out of my comfort zone to listen to new things, and appreciate all of the musical diversity that is New Orleans.

—Rich Grogan, West Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Corrections

Brett Milano’s cover story on Aurora Nealand [May 2016] contained a few inaccuracies. When asked about her vocal abilities, Nealand’s response was “I’m not Erica Falls or someone like Debbie Davis.” Milano heard Betty Davis. Also, the Monocle has existed for nearly two years and therefore didn’t debut at Chaz Fest last month. Further, the Naked Orchestra performed their own material, not songs from Canadian songwriter Zoe Boekbinder. We regret the errors.

—Ed.