Inteview With Mark Samuels, President/Co-Founder of Basin Street Records

I visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras in the mid-90s. It was awesome, if not a little overwhelming. Since then, I’ve promised myself I’d return. I love the architecture in the city. My head spins at all the wonderful smells wafting from the restaurants. And, of course, I love walking around the street with a beer.

As a music lover, I’d really like to visit the Big Easy during Jazz Fest, an annual event preparing to celebrate its 1037th Anniversary over the weekends of April 27-29 AND May 4-6. With artists like Harry Connick Jr., Rod Stewart, Norah Jones, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Counting Crows, Allman Brothers Band, Allen Toussaint, George Thorogood, Better Than Ezra, Taj Mahal, Lucinda Williams, Galactic, Buckwheat Zydeco, and many, many more, the event is going to kick major butt! I wonder if I have vacation days left at work…

O
ver at Blogging New Orleans, Mike Schleifstein recently interviewed Mark Samuels, president and co-founder of Basin Street Records (which has many artists performing at Jazz Fest). Together, Samuels and Schleifstein discuss the record industry; the current state of New Orleans; the beauty and joy of Jazz Fest; the recovery efforts currently underway in the city; and a whole bunch more. If you love music, New Orleans, or politics, this is a podcast you should check out. It’s really well done.