Karen Dalton-Beninato: All that Jazz: New Orleans Bandleader Interviewed on Obama - اخبار المعهد العربي

During the Presidential primaries I interviewed Musicians Village resident Bob French for Jay Rosen's Off the Bus project, since so many candidates used the Village as a campaign backdrop. At the time, Senator Barack Obama was campaigning on loan forgiveness to attract doctors and students to New Orleans, ensuring displaced residents who return have a place to stay, giving grants to doctors practicing in New Orleans and creating a national insurance reserve for struggling homeowners.
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French said, "I think all four of them are great ideas. I don't think we'll ever get any from the administration we have now. Because they ain't about poor folks. They're about their friends."

When I told him candidate Tom Tancredo had suggested ending all federal aid to New Orleans, he answered, "They got tall mountains in Colorado, tell him to go take a jump off one of them. I think he's an idiot." French is an interviewer's dream and possibly a publisher's nightmare, because he always lets the chips fall where they may.

Leader of his family's Original Tuxedo Jazz Band founded 100 years ago and WWOZ-FM disc jockey, French is the friend you call when you need to vent. Because he can out-vent anyone in the City of New Orleans, if not the entire United States. The word eff will be used as a substitute.

On Meeting the President

"I went on this trip because I wanted to meet the man, I wanted to meet his old lady. And I got a chance to see the White House, from the inside and not the outside," Bob said. "It was a good experience. He was cool, man. She was cool. They're nice people. I don't see anything else but that. We played for little kids and they were appreciative, so that was okay. Both of them wrote personal checks to the Musicians Village, Michelle and Barack."

Ann Marie Wilkins, whose husband was one of Michelle Obama's professors at Harvard, was a driving force behind the Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village, so residents of the Village, playing for the Governors Ball with Harry Connick, Jr. happened organically. "It was great meeting both of them - personality plus," said Bob French of the President and First Lady.

"This has been a special year. Harry's band and the five of us played the White House. It was hip, we got 50 governors out there and the Obamas. They're sitting down listening to the band. There was a part where just the guys from New Orleans played. Obama and his old lady, they were all swinging out. That's good enough."

On the Presidential Election

"I made some bets that he would never win. When Ann Marie said Obama would win, I said what is an Obama? Is he black or white? She said black, and I told her these racist MF's will never elect a black man. Now the Republicans, every time we look up they're trying to find something wrong. All this was wrong before he got in office. He's trying to clean up what they couldn't clean up. And you don't hear about Bush any more, it's like he's nonexistent. He's a disgrace, because we never should have been in any of these wars. At the inauguration I watched him and he wanted no part of that. He had to be there. He'll go down in history as the guy who had to turn it over to the black cat."

Everything Obama's for they're against. If he tells them 'I want to save a life,' they won't give him the votes. But he's a strong dude, I could tell that meeting him. And his old lady, my god is she fine! She made my day, she sat right in front of the bandstand where I could look at her. And she's a nice person."

For my full interview, including Bob's take on the Colts, the Mayor Elect and his new gig, go to "Mr. French Goes to Washington" article at:

New Orleans.com

Photo from the cover of Downbeat Magazine.


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