Les Blank Film Festival in NYC

Drove up to New York to see some Louisiana themed films at MOMA today. Fantastic - saw 4 films "Spend it All" about Cajun culure from 1971, "Dry Wood" focused on black Cajun Creole culture featuring Bois Sec Ardoin & Canray Fontenot , "Always for Pleasure" from 1979 about New Orleans second line, Mardi GRAS , street parades & mardis GRAS indian culture and finally "Yum Yum Yum" from 1990 and featuring the food culture of SW Louisiana. This last film featured a very young Marc Savoy who cooked, played music and told some great stories. It was also funny to see his young sons who went on to found the current Pine Leaf Boys Cajun band. The footage from 20, 30 and 40 years ago was amazing and what struck me the most was although the clothing and hairstyles have changed a lot of the traditions depicted continue to this day..a second line in 1971 looks and sounds a lot like a second line in 2011...Pretty damn amazing .. I would highly recommend all of these films if you are a fan of Louisiana & New Orleans Culture.

GDA & SRBB kick-off Camden Concert series

My wife and I traveled via public transportation (SEPTA to PATCO) across the Delaware River last nite to catch 2 of our favorite New Orleans acts - Glen David Andrews & The Soul Rebels Brass Band- for FREE at Wiggins Park on the NJ waterfront . With Popeye's Chicken, Shrimp, Biscuits and Red Beans and Rice in hand- along with an ice cold Abita Amber beer given to me by a fellow New Orleaniophile - we settled on the grass for some NO food and music.

Aaron Neville On The Waterfront

Philadelphia put on a free show featuring New Orleans great Aaron Neville this past weekend at Penn's Landing on the Delaware River waterfront. The concert came at the end of an all day music and food festival that is part of the 11 day Welcome America Festval here in Philly organized around the 4th of July holiday. A large and enthusiastic crowd was treated to a greatest hits show by Mr. Neville and his band which featured the lead singer's brother Charles on saxophone.

Another FREE show and Live Radio Broadcast: Glenn David Andrews & Soul Rebels BB

Wow...another great FREE New Orleans music show coming up in Philadelphia area. On Tuesday 6/28/11 at 8pm you can see 2 of the biggest music acts from New Orleans: Glenn David Andrews and the Soul Rebels Brass Band for FREE @ Camden's Wiggins Waterfront Park which is across the Delaware River from Downtown Philadelphia. If for some reason you can't make to the show, Philadelphia's Jazz and Classical station WRTI will also be broadcasting the show which kicks off the summer's Sunset Jazz Concert Series. Free world class music, beautiful outdoor riverfront setting- what are you waiting for- as they say on 'Oz, Get out and see some LIVE LOCAL MUSIC!

Aaron Neville FREE Concert in Philadelphia TODAY Sat 6/25/11

Last minute alert. Tonite on Philadelphia's waterfront you can see Aaron Neville put on a FREE show followed by fireworks. Show scheduled to start at 8pm EST. Performance is part of the 11 day long Welcome America Festival that Philly does around the July 4th Holiday. In addition to this headline concert there are all day food, music and other activities at the Penn's Landing site. Go here for more details.

PHJB in Bethlehem ? WTF

So won tickets thru WRTI radio station in Philly to see Preservation Hall Jazz Band in Bethlehem ,PA . Just had some pirogies and drinking a Yeungling draft while waiting for the show . Picture is view out venue window - ArtsQuest art center in the old Bethlehem Steel mill complex. Up the road there is a Sands Casino (again, WTF?) that has 3 Of Emeril's restaurants. Who knew there was a New Orleans - Bethlehem connection? One more time, WTF?

NJ Crawfish Fest Recap

Man...blogging ain't easy...feel like I'm way behind..really have to try and do a little bit each day..Anyway, my wife and I did make it to Michael Arnone's NJ Crawfish Fest a couple weekends ago and had a great time. We went on Saturday June 4th- weather was overcast, cool and looked like rain but held thru the day with only a couple of sprinkles. Music was fantastic. Saw one of my NO favorites The Tin Men -featuring the one and only Washboard Chaz- which was a real treat. Also caught a lot of cajun and zydeco music including Geno Delafose, the Savoy Family Band and best show of the day, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas. The setup for cajun and zydeco bands is really nice with the stage set indoors w/ a dance floor surrounded by chairs-the place was jumpin' and folks were dancin' - especially with Nathan Williams cranking out that "chank a chank". Other highlights included the somewhat wacky but very groovy Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra, great guitar work by Tab Benoit, some excellent blues by Mem Shannon and finally got to check out Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes who were ok but  not really my cup of tea. I had not been to the festival in a couple years and this time, crowd seems to be bigger- think there were a lot of folks there to see the Radiators on their farewell tour. Food was ok-not great (was disappointed last time I went b/c was expecting Jazzfest level food and it was nowhere close). This time around, lowered my expectations somewhat and was pleasantly surprised by some decent boiled crawfish, passable jambalya and some really great fried chicken. We were there more for the music than the food anyway. Overheard more than one group of folks saying that they were'nt able to make it down to NO for Jazzfest , and that this festival was at least a little taste of that vibe here up north.

Chasing Mr. Okra..

So got a text from my sister in New Orleans who heard via WWOZ that today is Mr. Okra's birthday. For those of you who do not know, Mr. Okra is a New Orleans original. He drives his produce truck thru New Orleans' neighborhoods selling his fruit and vegetables "door to door". He lets folks know what he has to sell that day via loudspeaker in a voice and cadence harkening back to the days when it was common to see and hear numerous vendors riding carts pulled by horses and donkeys moving throughout the city and calling out to announce their arrival and to sell their goods. It is a real treat to get to see him in action. Go here for more info and here for a video to see him in action. There was also a documentary film made about him that won some film festival awards. (The photo on the left is a picture of an original piece of art my wife and I purchased from Dr. Bob in New Orleans depicting Mr. Okra in his truck as he goes about his route.)