Claire Domingue and the Shape of Sounds

The Shape of Sounds, the newest release by singer-songwriter Claire Domingue, is a revelation and treat from a talented young artist.  Skillful, intricate piano interludes frame this original album of folk-rock influenced music by the gifted pianist/guitarist and her equally gifted band. Domingue’s lilting vocals bring the songs to life, giving power to her strong lyrics.

Several songs stand out on this album.  Chief among them is “Glass,” a song of isolation and heartbreak.  The lyrics advise the young persona to “break through the glass, and you’ll finally be free.” In addition to the powerful lyrics and provocative vocals, the song also is anchored by strong, innovative guitar work on the part of Coby Tate and Lenny Austin. Domingue and her band are proficient on several instruments, and many of the songs, especially the haunting “Quelquefois” and the pulsing “After Everything” profit from the addition of violin or cello to the brilliantly rendered guitar, piano and percussion work on the respective works. 

Domingue’s lyrics speak to many young people—or any persons-- experiencing doubt about the direction their lives are taking.  In “Losing It,” Domingue sings that “My biggest fear is waking up and everything is the same.” Anyone wanting a new direction would relate to such a fear.  Of course, one of the best tracks on the album is the deceptively simple, “In Her Way,” a tale of unrequited love and loss.  Riveting guitar work and a haunting mandolin drive this sweetly sad piece, accenting Domingue’s lovely vocal rendering. 

This album is something any true lover of music should experience.

Change, Risk, and Hope

Change: I find myself writing about change a great deal. Too many people are resistant to change, electing to grow old, shiver, and die before taking a risk.  Some are too narrow to feel regret, but for those timid souls who would have loved change but never moved on their gut feeling, regret can be a heavy chain weighing them down.  Too often these people deteriorate into grotesque caricatures of themselves, becoming stilted as well as stifled.  Since Katrina and the death of my mother, my life has undergone radical change. Losing my mother was the most horrific loss I’ve ever experienced, but she always wanted me to move on and be strong.  I did so, immersing myself in writing, sending out my books, and risking rejection.  Well, I could decorate a Christmas tree with the rejection slips I received, but the risk and temporary defeat led to success. I’m now a published author.  I never would have experienced such happiness without my desire to change my life and my willingness to take the risk. Too many people told me not to take risk.  They thought I was too weak to handle any defeat or controversy—not that it was any of their business, but we all know what is said about opinions.  . .

Then, I met Ben, and when most women are on the road to becoming “Red Hat Ladies,” I’m embarking on a new chapter of my life with him.  No quiet lunches wearing my red hat. We listen to music in the Maple Leaf and Carrollton Station, making out like teens.  When we’re ninety, someone will still be wheeling us in to hear Tommy and Dave Malone, Raw Oyster Cult, The Last New Beginning, and Papa Gros Funk. No change can occur without a willingness to take the leap into the Unknown, but for me, taking a risk on a guy I met at a Danny O’Flaherty Concert in the Deutsches Haus has led to some of the best times of my life. Now, I’m wearing his ring, but none of this would have happened had I not been willing to take a risk and look to the future with hope.

What makes some people lose hope while they stare into the future with bright smiles and others lose even their desire to live? Who knows? In the newspaper recently, I saw an article about a young woman who gave birth to her first child even after suffering a devastating stroke some years earlier.  Even though she almost died, Sarah Abrusley decided to look to the future.  She and her husband bought a house and had a baby.  Sarah knows she will have to adapt to certain situations not typical of her situation; however, this woman has moved on with her gaze set firmly on the future, thumbing her nose at the skeptics along the way. 

Why do some people lose hope? Recently, the news reported the tragic death of designer L’Wren Scott. Unlike Sarah, L’Wren Scott lost hope. Rumor has it her business was in severe trouble, and the talented woman committed suicide in her apartment.  Rather than face the possibility of defeat and humiliation, Scott wrapped a scarf around her neck and took her life. Her ending is tragic, and I understand her desperation.  Until I concentrated on my writing and moved on with my personal life, I was in danger of stagnating within my sameness.  The people speculating on her death and dancing on her grave should be ashamed.  The loss of hope can envelope us all, but like Sarah Abrusley, I choose to hope. 

Check out Viola Russell at www.violarussell.com. 

Oogum Boogum Review

“Oogum Boogum”--a delightfully Rhythmic Style:

 Ain’t no Cadillac, the debut CD by New Orleans-based Oogum Boogum, is a treasure of pleasant vocals, intricate melodies, and intricately crafted arrangements. Band members are George Felton on guitar and vocals; Donna Schlaudecker on bass and vocals; Chris Polachek on guitar and vocals, and Tom Woodin on djembe. These talented musicians have recreated a collection of old favorites and original music that boasts their own original style and yet—in the case of the covers—retains the spirit of the original piece while simultaneously fitting into the new Oogum Boogum sound.

The CD opens with the delightfully quirky “Deuce and a Quarter,” written by Owen and Gordon. Wonderful guitar riffs intermingle with pleasing vocals throughout the Country/rhythm and blues influenced piece.  Tom Woodin’s djembe provides an appealing percussion sound.  Another standout song is Chuck Berry’s “Nadine.”  The band members do not try to compete with Berry.  Rather, they make the song theirs with a wonderful rhythm and almost country vocal feel.  “Who’s Been Talking’ is a musical gift.  The plaintive vocals and riveting instrumental work honor the acclaimed Chester Burnett without becoming a fawning imitation. “Bob’s Rag” by band member George Felton boasts impressive guitar work by band members as well as guests Mick Schaferkotter and Tommy Malone.  Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” receives a spine-chilling rendering, an elegy of time and place in its sad finality. The song also boasts impressive bass support form Donna Schlaudecker, the lone female band member. 

An impressive guest list adds to this amazing new musical foray.  In addition to Malone and Schaferkotter, David Stocker lends his skillful keyboard playing to “Who’s Been Talking” and Andy Forest adds his harmonica to “Who Do you Love” and “Who’s Got the Katy.” This music is very worth the CD purchase or download. No one will be disappointed.

Review of Mayhawk Rising by Nicole Schlaudecker

Mayhawk Rising Review

Mayhawk Rising is a glorious Arthurian tale by a talented young author, Nicole Schlaudecker.  Actually, calling this glorious adventure a story about Arthur is deceiving. It chronicles the early life of Gawain, the man who would become the king’s loyal knight.  Schlaudecker has recreated the authentic Celtic world and has drawn a host of vivid characters that lend authenticity and humanity to this lushly drawn narrative.

The story opens with Gawain’s birth. His mother Margaise, the wife of the brave but harsh King Lot, wants nothing more than her husband’s love, but it is the one thing she cannot win no matter what she does.  Even after bearing him a healthy son, Margaise still can’t find genuine favor with her war-like husband. So desperate is she for Lot’s love that she succumbs to the trickery of her sister Morgan, a reputed witch.  When told that her infant son might bring about his father’s downfall, she conspires in the death of her own child, but the baby is rescued by the mysterious Merlin, the advisor of her late step-father, King Uther Pendragon. When Lot learns of the attempt on the child’s life, he places the boy under the care of his kinsman and advisor Eloil and his steadfast wife Liusaidh.  Schlaudecker weaves a spell that draws in the reader. We despise Margaise for her coldness to her son but pity her unrequited love for Lot.  We hate Lot’s treatment of his wife but admire his bravery and love of his children.

And it is here where the story becomes magical. When the young Arthur unwittingly pulls the sword from the stone and is declared king, the tale becomes one of battle and adventure.  Lot, Gawain’s father, does not support the new king, and the story moves from Gawain’s personal tale to one depicting the rise of a king. Schlaudecker has created characters that fascinate us, and her depiction of the ancient Celtic world also draws us in.  We are in the rugged countryside as Lot’s men face the Saxons.  We are in the heat of battle when the young King Arthur’s men go against Lot and his followers.  Let’s hope Nicole Schlaudecker continues with her series and tells her unique rendering of the tale of Arthur and his men.

You can find this book at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Mayhawk-Rising-N-K-Schlaudecker/dp/1492320307

My Writing Process and World

The Writing Process and World:

1.     What am I working on?

My current work in progress is a mystery and involves the murder of a New Orleans high school principal. Tentatively entitled In the Bayou, the manuscript also sees the return of Lt. Etienne Baptiste and his partner Sgt. Duane Morrow, who first appeared in A Fair Grounds Mystery, www.redrosepublishing.com.  They are called to the murder of this popular educator and learn that her death may involve very prominent and respectable members of the community as well as a long-ago unsolved murder. 

2.     How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Like all writers, I have my own style and approach.  I love to craft intricate plots in both my historical fiction and in my mysteries, but what I like to develop very well is character.  No one will keep reading if the main characters are unappealing.  That doesn’t mean they can’t have an evil streak or be challenging, but they have to possess substance and complexity.  Even in my mysteries, my detectives are intricately drawn.  I incorporate their personal lives as well as their demons into the narrative.  I’m a huge fan of James Lee Burke, and he does that very well in his mysteries.  I love reading his plots, but I also want to know what’s happening to Dave Robicheaux, his family, and his friends. 

3.     Why do I write what I do?

Well, for me, writing is therapeutic.  When my mother died, I really immersed myself in writing.  That said, I don’t limit myself to one genre.  I love the research involved in historical fiction.  My background as an academic really helps me there.  I love the challenge of creating a tight mystery, and I also love creating contemporary characters. 

4.     How does your writing process work?

My process varies with the genre.  Historical fiction takes a great deal of research. I love the adventure as well as exotic nature of historical fiction. Love at War involves WWII and the hell of that conflict.  Pirate Woman is the story of Grainne O’Malley and 1500’s Ireland.  From Ice Wagon to Club House is the story of Jude Mooney and his adventures in Storyville, Prohibition, and WWI. I always outline, but I first develop my main characters. 

Idiots, Arsonists, and a Sad Heritage

Idiots, Arsonists, and a Sad Heritage:

Last Friday, arsonists set fire to the abandoned LeBeau Plantation in Arabi, Louisiana.  The building has a storied past complete with tales of ghosts and a sad heritage.  Originally built by Francois Barthelemy LeBeau as a weekend getaway, the plantation was completed the same year the wealthy aristocrat died.  The building remained in his family as a hotel and then casino until 1905. Joseph Mereaux purchased the property in the 1960s; however, the once ornate structure soon fell into disrepair. 

Like many plantations of long ago, the old building boasts a troubled past.  The LeBeau family was rumored to be extraordinarily cruel to the slaves. Rumors abound that some of the family members murdered slaves and then forced the other slaves to bury their comrades.  Still other tales of suicide (apparently some LeBeau members wound up hanging from the rafters by their own hands) and mayhem persist.  Even in the 1970s, the then-rented house was the scene of tragedy when a little girl seemingly was thrown from a window, and rumor circulated that a flesh and blood person was not her murderer.  Lore has it that the ghosts of former slaves haunt the premises.  Lights supposedly switch on and off—even though the electricity has long been non-existent on the property.  Still others have told of a lady in a white dress who passes by the windows. Is she one of the mourning LeBeau ladies?  

The men charged with arson allegedly were smoking weed and ghost-hunting when they set a T-shirt on fire and threw it into a stack of combustibles. Frankly, I think they were on stuff stronger than weed.  Meth, anyone? Maybe their defense could be that a ghost told them to do it. Actually, I don’t mean to belittle anyone.  Some may argue that the old building came to a just end. It was the scene of suffering and torture—a monument to the injustice once visited upon a group of people in this country.  Still, I only can hope that some remnant of that property can rise from the ashes and become a monument—not to injustice but survival.  Wouldn’t it be just if some church or charitable organization could purchase the property and make it a home for troubled youth? Then, the scene of so much misery would become a place of hope like the old Milne Boys Home in New Orleans or like the one-time Penny Lane in Liverpool, England; LeBeau Plantation would rise Phoenix-like from the ashes to save disturbed young people and at least begin to heal past wounds.  While I know nothing can make amends for the horrors slaves faced, maybe their ghosts can rest knowing that the place of their misery is now a place where people try to save young people like those who torch buildings. 

A School Lesson in Steubenville, Ohio

Earlier this year, a great deal of press was given to a shameful incident involving students at a Steubenville, Ohio school.  The case involved the rape of a teenager at a party. The girl was intoxicated, and her attackers were well-respected members of the school football team.  One can only imagine the kind of mob mentality that took over that night.  The girl’s impaired state was no excuse for the behavior of the young men who took advantage of the girl’s diminished capacity, but what is most shocking is the behavior of school authorities that engaged in a conspiracy to protect the football players. 

A school superintendant, a counselor, and a coach have been charged for their various roles in the alleged cover up—and they should rightly be held accountable.  Even if those “adults” did not take part in the crime, their responsibility as school officials and representatives was to report the incident and take the necessary disciplinary steps, not conceal a crime.

Parents and students should feel that teachers, counselors, and other school officials have their best interests at heart.  Protecting the players who attacked the girl helped no one.  Those predators needed to learn a lesson and accept the consequences of their actions.  Some will argue that the girl should have behaved more responsibly, and indeed, she should have.  However, cruel, insensitive people conspired to use her foolishness to their advantage and make her a victim.  “Adults” who should have looked out for her interests and not simply pandered to the local celebrities then betrayed her by protecting those who made her a victim. 

As a teacher, I have long been told what my responsibilities were. Any time a crime against a child is suspected, adults must speak up and see that the proper authorities investigate.  If the suspicions or accusations are proven untrue, the school representative will not be charged—as long as he or she acted in good faith.  If a school authority does not act, the negligent person can be held responsible.  If that official suspects physical or sexual abuse by friends or guardians, he or she must act.  If someone brings a suspicion to that person’s attention, he or she must act.  That school authority cannot protect the teacher, coach, or counselor who may be a friend.  The school official cannot protect the suspected person’s children from scandal.  Students who terrorize or brutalize each other cannot be spared as well.  Playing favorites on such an important issue cannot be tolerated.  The endangered student must be the priority.  Those school officials in Ohio should be removed from their positions and stripped of their licenses.  Some should even face jail time.