Category: Blog

Check out the great new Mardi Gras poster by displaced New Orleanian Jamie Hayes. You may be familiar with Jamie’s works…they are used as title pages in the Los Hombres Calientes DVD.

Basin Street Records proudly presents: New Orleans Artist Jamie Hayes and his 2006 Mardi Gras commemorative Mardi Gras poster “KATRINA.” Jamie, who is best known for his whimsical Mardi Gras posters lost both his galleries in the French Quarter and was not even going to make a Mardi Gras poster for 2006. His wife Pam convinced him to create a design, because in 10 or 25 years it would be historically important. He and his family are still displaced and living in California, yearning to come home. Making a purchase of one of Jamie’s true New Orleans style, limited edition prints will help him get a step closer to returning to the Big Easy.

We at Basin Street really liked the design, and decided to share it with you, our network of valued customers. We have a special offering for you which includes FREE SHIPPING, and if you buy any two posters on Jamie’s web site, the third poster is free. The “Katrina” poster is 16 X 20 inches, costs $35 and a limited edition of 1000. This poster will fit a standard size frame. Each poster is custom embossed with a BASIN STREET RECORDS LIMITED EDITION stamp, as well as signed and numbered by the artist.

Also available is a museum quality, limited edition 125/125, Giclee print that is gold-leafed by hand for $225. Same as the Giclle, but with extra gold/silver leafing and include a small drawing. (There are 10 Artist Proofs available for $275, but “hurry” is the word on those! They’ll sell out fast.)

Go to http://www.jamiehayes.com/basinstreet.htm and order one today.

Thank you and have a great Mardi Gras, from all of us at Basin Street Records.

THE FINALISTS FOR THE 2006 BILLBOARD LATIN JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR ARE:

Latin Jazz Album Of The Year:
“Vol. 5: Carnival” Los Hombres Calientes (Basin Street)
“Listen Here!” Eddie Palmieri (Concord)
“Do It!” Poncho Sánchez (Concord Picante/Concord)
“Sandoval: Live At The Blue Note” Arturo Sandoval (Half Note)

This is the 4th time that Los Hombres Calientes: Irvin Mayfield & Bill Summers has been named a finalist for the Billboard Latin Jazz Album of the Year. They won the award in 2000 (their self titled debut album), and were finalists in 2003 (Vol.3: New Congo Square), 2004 (Vol.4: Vodou Dance), and now again in 2006.

A complete listing of all categories can be found on the website at http://www.billboardevents.com/

The show will be produced and broadcast LIVE from Miami on Telemundo, Thursday, April 27th, 2006, and caps the 2006 Billboard Latin Music Conference.

UNBELIEVABLE…if you weren’t living it yourself.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11326973/from/ET/

WHY ARE POLITICIANS TIP-TOEING AROUND? Why won’t they make some tough, firm decisions immediately before people like me decide that we can’t come back at the end of the school year? Please realize that the flooding in New Orleans was not a natural disaster. It was man-made. And it was the fault of the Federal Government. The levee system, (designed improperly by our Federal Government, and inadequately maintained by State and Local governments, due to greed, stupidity, and graft) killed my friend Irvin Mayfield’s father (along with over 1000 other people), and destroyed the homes and lives of hundreds of thousands of other people in the New Orleans area. In my opinion, here are some actions that must be taken now:

1. Demand that the Federal Government pay the estates of the people they were responsible for killing. The federal government needs to pay each person’s estate a minimum of Three Million Dollars. I know (as well as anyone) that there is no dollar figure that replaces a life, but this figure is a minimum.

2. All of New Orleans can’t be rebuilt. Decide immediately what areas they are and pay people within 30 days 120% of the value of their property (less insurance) before the flooding. If New Orleans population isn’t expected to be more than 250,000 for awhile we can’t support as big a footprint. My neighborhood was 100% flooded, and I doubt few of us would complain if we received 120% of the value of the property before the flooding. For those speculators who purchased homes from people desperate to leave…tough.

There is so much talk about the Baker Bill, or the city or state plans that are out there to basically pay off people who want to sell their property…but there is a bigger issue, and one I don’t feel anyone is talking about. I want to go back to my property and rebuild it. It was worth 3 times more than it would be today if I were going to sell it and I need a lot of help to rebuild it. The federal government needs to pay every property owner every dollar that it takes to be “made whole” taking into account insurance proceeds. This is whether or not that person returns to New Orleans.

3) The federal government needs to rebuild the levees as quickly as possible to category 5 protection. NO DEBATE.

4) The federal government needs to provide all necessary and requested support for schools, hospitals, public facilities, etc for the next 3-5 years to make New Orleans greater than it was before and give every person a fair chance to return.

These 4 actions do not even begin to pay for the stress and additional losses that we have incurred. I believe that every person in New Orleans (and the New Orleans area), whether they lost property or not is entitled to some payment for the emotional toll that it has taken on our lives.

LEVEES.ORG is a grass roots, non-profit that comes very close to reflecting my feelings. Their website is well organized. I encourage you to get involved, sign their petition, put signs in your windows and in your yards. It doesn’t matter where you live.

FEMA…
I probably don’t have to say anymore. But, let’s just say that I received a couple checks from them and then they decided that the flood insurance I received (that is about 1/3 of what it will take to rebuild my home and refill its contents) is enough reason for me to be kicked out of the system. I am stuck in Austin, paying rent and need to be back in FEMA’s system. FEMA sucks.

Two stories involving the US Postal Service.

1) Received a check today from a retailer in New Orleans that sent the check to our New Orleans (flooded) address on December 27th. It arrived in Austin on February 11th. It’s hard enough to stay in business when the federal government poorly designs a levee system and floods your home and office…then the post office doesn’t properly forward your mail.

2) I sent out a direct mail piece by first class mail from Austin on December 8th to thousands of people. Every day I receive several pieces of that back to the return address in Austin that say “insufficient address…return to sender”. They were sent to people in New Orleans who certainly have forwarding orders in place (many are friends who I asked). Why am I receiving them (returned to sender) over two months later? Is it easier for the USPS to send them back than to send them to the forwarding machines?

Sure glad USPS first class went up to $0.39.