One on One:
Reed Alleman, Musician
by Stacey Paretti Rase
The anniversary of 9/11, which comes so close on the heels of our remembrance of Hurricane Katrina, brings to mind the sound and message of northshore singer/songwriter Reed Alleman. His new release, “Operation Gumbo Drop,” includes tracks that relate specifically to events surrounding Katrina and the tragedy of 9/11. Much of his first CD, “Lake Runner,” was inspired by life as a South Louisianan.
You traveled twice to New York with the notorious “Gumbo Krewe” following 9/11, and you tell of your experiences in the song “Operation Gumbo Drop.” How did those trips affect you and your song writing?
Those types of trips, where you actually see first-hand something like the sight at Ground Zero, make it easy for a writer or a songwriter to walk away with a story or a song. I tried to focus on the positive experience the Gumbo Krewe brought to Ground Zero. We brought a little New Orleans flavor to New York and they loved it.
Your song “You Don’t Even Know Me” is a tribute to our men and women who protect our country. You say: “You’d give your life for me, and you don’t even know me, You fight to keep us free, and you don’t even know me.” What was your inspiration?
That song came from the other trip I made with the Gumbo Krewe. We cooked, and I played music for the Marines and their families at Camp Lejeune, N.C. These were the first Marines returning from Afghanistan. I was amazed at the stories they shared with us, and how young and brave they all were. It made me realize the sacrifices they all make for our country.
What was your inspiration for your first CD, “Lake Runner?”
“Lake Runner” was my first attempt at recording a CD. I think people got a kick out of [the song] “Refinery Blues.” I grew up in Norco, where the big refinery is, and I worked there doing construction while in college. That’s where that song came from. “Look Around” is another one people seem to like. It’s kind of an upbeat inspirational song, written for a friend who was at a low point in his life.
On your latest record, you sing in “What They Doing ’Round Here”: “Well the Pontchartrain they say, she’s dead, and the marshlands are eroding, ruining the oyster beds...If we keep on moving at this pace, probably gonna ruin this human race, sometimes I wonder, what they doing ’round here?” Are you an outdoorsman as well as an advocate?
I do a lot of fishing in Lake Pontchartrain and really enjoy that. I love being so close to the lake here in Mandeville. I grew up hunting and fishing—that’s all we did.
I am also getting ready to help the Coastal Conservation Association raise money. They will sell my CDs at their functions, and I will donate half of all sales. I look forward to getting involved with other local groups to help save our wetlands.
Where can you be seen playing locally?
I play weekly on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Biloxi at The Imperial Palace and will be at the Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington this fall. I’m occasionally at the Covington Farmers Market and at the Columbia Street Tap Room.
