86-year-old returns to New Orleans, fulfilling wish of a lifetime
Her eyes still light up when she talks about New Orleans. When asked the top three reasons she loves New Orleans, she quickly answers with, “the food, the music, but especially the people,” referring to her close friends and the 400,000 friendly locals who make the city what it is.
Food writing at it’s entertaining best. This is the guy (a wonderful character – who else would use the rather naughty The Stranglers’ Peaches as a theme tune) who brought me to Dooky Chase and Paul Prudhomme – I let the latter know of this 20 year journey and he very kindly sent me a lovely inscribed paper table cloth with the words: “Good cooking, good eating, good loving.” Sums up what is important in my world at least. For more on Floyd see this droll documentary.
NOLA is very well represented at this year’s event. This from the Providence Journal.
Dr. John & The Lower 911 featuring ex-Brit Jon Cleary (there are a few of us who are besotted with NOLA), Preservation Hall Jazz Band, with special guests Catherine Russell and Jonathan Batiste.
I’ve been watching James Levine‘s version of Parsifal. Though quite the production, it doesn’t come near the experience of the starker Simon Rattle production I saw at the Royal Opera House some years back in which I thoroughly appreciated Vera Dobroschke’s lighting design (see photo below). Here is the NYT review, far more receptive than the reviews of the 2007 production revamp. Speaking of Levine, I bumped into him on my way to “water the horses” – he wasn’t looking well at all. (An artist friend very kindly invited me to share his Symphony Hall box – I’ve never come across someone so knowledgeable and passionate about music and a very tough hockey goalie as well).
Today is Louis Armstrong’s birthday, in my view a musical titan to match the likes of Wagner. No artist has given me such pleasure as Pops as well as being a perennial symbol or a paragon of dignity in trying circumstances. Below are two of my favourite photos of Pops. I also highly recommend you read two books, the latter author works tirelessly and brilliantly as a keeper of the Pops flame @ The Louis Armstrong House Museum. The world is forever indebted to the Karnofskys.
Terry Teachout’s Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong
Ricky Riccardi’s What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years
It’s been just over a week since Hubig’s Pies burnt to the ground. To get a sense of the importance of this institution here is no less the NYT and the local view from NOLA.com.
Check out the terrific artistry of Paul Rogers (no, not the PR from a rather successful 70s beat combo). Paul’s work reminds me a great deal of Rockwell Kent‘s work – now that is high praise indeed. Paul’s jazz drawings is a world away from the schlock that typically populates Jackson Square. Though I like all of Paul’s work, not surprisngly I particularly like his Jazz and NOLA themed ones, notably the one of “Fats” that Paul has recently done for an album cover. Paul talks about his work process here.
Once one has worked the brashness and tat of Bourbon Street through one’s system the best way to discover NOLA is to take a bicycle tour through the Confederacy of Cruisers. Not only is the owner/operator Jeff Shyman a history buff giving a warts and all appreciation of NOLA but he is also another “character” that has found refuge in the bohemian enclave that is NOLA. And the great thing is that the highest incline (if I recall correctly) is only 6 inches and the bikes have pedal breaks leaving one hand free to knock back a beer as you ride.
We’re fairly simple here at Confederacy of Cruisers…We like to enjoy our city; meaning we like to bike, and we like to drink. We like to give tours and take people to out of the way spots and give them a taste of the neighborhoods of New Orleans, and now we found a way to combine all of that. The drink holders are hooked up to the handlebars and we roll on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at 10:15 AM.
AND there are no civic injunctions to wear a helmet and bubble wrap. And if you are looking for the best recommendations for food and music on a budget, Jeff’s the man to ask.
These tours will give you an understanding of the joy it is to spend a life in one of America’s food meccas. The intersection of flavors from the earliest French settlers, the Africans both free and slaves, along with the waves of later immigrants such as the Italians and our country cousins, the Cajuns all give New Orleans a culture that not only loves great food, but lives it. We’ll bike through the Creole side of town stopping at a few personally picked spots that will let you sample local cuisine. Come hungry, the calories we burn will not even touch the number we consume. And a friendly warning, this tour is not for faint stomaches…we eat a lot and we eat New Orleans style, pigs and seafood make up the bulk of our culinary experience; folks with special dietary needs should let us know in advance so we can see if we are able to accomodate you.
If one can’t let ones “special dietary needs” lapse for one day, then you will miss out on one of the greatest qualic experiences you’ll ever have – even better than congress with your wished-for sexual mate. But if you are there with a foodie paramour, you are in for one hell of a time. One of the greatest days of my life began with a CC tour and through Jeff’s guidance worked my way through the Frenchman Street clubs, typically with no cover. One can walk in just for the music and not spend a dime. And the age demographic is thoroughly mixed: young and young at heart are all drawn by the music and the dancing. Maine’s claim to the tag line “The Way Life Should Be” is even more applicable to NOLA.
According to the distillery blurb:
This whisky is now between 13 and 21 years old. We blended it (50:50) with another ‘special’ whisky we had been quietly maturing. This new spirit was then placed into small quarter casks, enjoying a very intense maturation for seven years. Both whiskies were fine expressions of Laphroaig® in their own right, but when blended together something exceptional emerged as befits this 18th anniversary.
It is 51.2%ABV strength and non-chill filtered, and as I’m sure you can imagine, tastes just wonderful. Here are the notes:
Nose:
With a nose that constantly evolves and is full of flavour, Cáirdeas Origin begins with a quick hint of concentrated orange moving quickly into huge peat flavours, ashy, dusty with hazelnut. It becomes crisp and fresh with cold green apples, grapes and finishing with a fresh cut grassy flavour.Palate:
The flavours evolve slowly on the palate and with great body it begins with white pepper moving into an earthy peaty flavour, some slight salt then purple heather. Huge creamy apricots that last and last, and it ends with some charred damp wood.
Here is one independent review.
According to the author a new book can be expected. In this ever crowded genre I do like the title.
