"New Orleans music is a big label that covers many styles and that is because there are so many influences in our city. Check out our Los Hombres Calientes. In one album it can take you from Brazil to Haiti to the Dominican Republic to Cuba to Jamaica and to New Orleans. There is Funk, Rumba, Salsa, Jazz, Blues annd more all in one album."

Mark Samuels: Dance on The Basin Street

Basin Street Records is a Grammy Award-winning independent record label based in New Orleans, Louisiana, that specializes in Jazz, Funk, Blues, Rock, and R&B. Basin Street Records was founded in 1997 by Mark Samuels and Tom Thompson. In mid-1998 Samuels bought Thompson's interest in the company. Basin Street Records began promoting its first project in September 1997, the live recording of Kermit Ruffins’ The Barbecue Swingers Live at Tipitina’s. Six weeks of putting posters on telephone poles and flyers on car windshields resulted in a full house on November 7, 1997 at world famous Tipitina’s, the music venue that helped put artists like Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers and the Radiators on the map. In February 1998 the label released that first record. Basin Street Records went on to sign Los Hombres Calientes (led by Irvin Mayfield, Bill Summers and Jason Marsalis at the time) on March 11, 1998, and began recording their first album the following week. That record was ready to sell one month later at the French Quarter Festival. That year Basin Street Records led all labels in CD sales at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and every year Basin Street Records continues to have top selling CDs at the Jazz Fest.

(Photo: Mark Samuels & Kermit Ruffins)

Basin Street has shared in the success of its artists and has received OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Award for Best Record Label eleven times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017). In addition, Basin Street was named Music Business of the Year at the Best of the Beat Awards in 2003, 2004 and 2013. Labels artists have won 3 Grammys and have been nominated four times. They have been finalists four times for Billboard Music Awards (won once), have been nominated numerous times for WC Handy Blues Awards, have had two CDs hit #1 on the national jazz radio charts, and have had several records reach the top 10 on national radio charts. A Beautiful World, an album by Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield, hit number 1 on the Billboard Jazz Sales Chart in 2017.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has New Orleans music and culture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

I was fortunate to go to school with a number of people from different cultures, different ethnic groups, and different religions in New Orleans. Large numbers of people in the New Orleans area have been here for generations. Our city is one of the older cities in the United States. There are people here from everywhere from Vietnam to Honduras to Brazil to Haiti to Mexico to Africa. My family has ancestors from Germany, Russia and Ireland.. The music that we’ve come to appreciate, roots music, such as jazz and blues was created as a result of these influences from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, all getting together freely to perform. When I travel, I see these influences in those places that I’ve been.

What characterize Basin Street Records philosophy and mission? How do you want the music to affect people?

I represent the A & R department and have since we began in 1997. The music is my taste, and I hope that the artists that we choose to sign become appreciated by people around the world as much as we appreciate their talent. We want people to be happy, and dance, and be able to put their troubles away when they listen to our music.

"I don’t believe that enough kids are playing musical instruments, and they are simply using samples and sounds that were previously generated by people who knew how to play. I’m on the board of the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp Board and have been for over 20 years and it’s programs like that or the Roots of Music which teaches kids to perform in a marching band and helps them with their homework that give me hope that there will be future generations to carry on these traditions. Our most recent artist, Kevin Gullage, of Kevin and the Blues Groovers, is a 23 year old, blues artist who gives me hope and is a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp. He was also a showstopper on the most recent season of American Idol." (Photo: Mark Samuels of Basin Street Records & Phil Frazier of Rebirth Brass Band, New Orleans LA)

Why do you think that the NOLA music continues to generate such a devoted following?

New Orleans music is a big label that covers many styles and that is because there are so many influences in our city. Check out our Los Hombres Calientes. In one album it can take you from Brazil to Haiti to the Dominican Republic to Cuba to Jamaica and to New Orleans. There is Funk, Rumba, Salsa, Jazz, Blues and more all in one album. Davell Crawford covers so much “New Orleans” in his album My Gift to You. New Orleans music whether it is traditional New Orleans Jazz, like our Dr. Michael White, or funk like Jon Cleary, or Bonerama, is true and is the result of people from around the world coming together, perfecting their musicianship and their craft, and creating a sound with roots that go back to their cultures and religions and traditions.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I don’t believe that enough kids are playing musical instruments, and they are simply using samples and sounds that were previously generated by people who knew how to play. I’m on the board of the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp Board and have been for over 20 years and it’s programs like that or the Roots of Music which teaches kids to perform in a marching band and helps them with their homework that give me hope that there will be future generations to carry on these traditions. Our most recent artist, Kevin Gullage, of Kevin and the Blues Groovers, is a 23 year old, blues artist who gives me hope and is a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp. He was also a showstopper on the most recent season of American Idol.

"I represent the A & R department and have since we began in 1997. The music is my taste, and I hope that the artists that we choose to sign become appreciated by people around the world as much as we appreciate their talent. We want people to be happy, and dance, and be able to put their troubles away when they listen to our music." (Photo: Albums by New Orleans' label Basin Street Records)

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

More horns.

Are there any specific memories or highlights as President of BSR that you would like to tell us about?!

I was on a plane back from Cancun (I think) with two of our bands, and Irvin Mayfield and Kermit Ruffins got up out of their seats on the plane and did a trumpet battle. Our great Bill Summers (Headhunters & Los Hombres Calientes) accompanied on percussion.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

As a member of a band, which I first did when I was in fifth grade (age 11), I learned that I needed to blend in most often and allow the others around me to harmonize. I think that early lesson is missing a lot in every day life today. We can’t always shout, or do as we please and expect the results of what we say and do to add beauty or truth to the world.

I was fortunate to be in a high school band with Wynton Marsalis and his brother Delfeayo. I’ve been a friend of the family since 1979 and have known our artist Jason Marsalis since he was 3. Following the Marsalis careers and seeing their work ethic has been inspirational.

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

I would like to be at the recording session for Dream of the Blue Turtles by Sting in 1985. I wore that CD out in the summer of 1985. I was already a fan of The Police, then Sting joins with Branford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland and crew. Amazing.

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