NJ Crawfish Fest

That's me at 2009 Fest

This weekend there is a BIG New Orleans Louisiana event here on East Coast. Its the 23rd Annual Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest in Augusta, NJ. I've been twice before and had a good ol time- not Jazzfest but pretty close if you can't get to the real thing. There is a Main outdoor stage, a smaller Pavillion stage and then an indoor stage that features a hardwood dance floor and features Cajun and Zydeco bands and dancers. Food is just OK; boiled crawfish are real good but everything else I've had there is pretty mediocre in my opinion and cannot hold a candle to food at Fest. BUT, the music lineup is looking really good- especially on Saturday, June 2nd. Performers include Curley Taylor, Terrance Simien, Johnny Sketch, Bonerama and 2 of my NO favorites Glen David Andrews and Dr. John...Not too bad for New Jersey. Go HERE for the deets.

NOJHF 2012 Geronimo Hunters and Creole Osceolas Mardi Gras Indians

More Mardi Gras Indian photos from first Friday at this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. These pics are of a parade featuring the Geronimo Hunters and Creole Osceolas Mardi Gras Indians.

NOJHF 2012 Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indians

Photos taken at Jazzfest 2012 on first Friday at Jazz and Heritage stage. The Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Enjoy.

NOJHF 2012 First Friday Secondline

Jazzfest is a great place to see parades and secondlines.  Here are a few photos from one of the secondlines on the first Friday at Fest. Typically the parade features the Brass Band that just finished up on the Jazz and Heritage stage, and one or sometimes 2 social and pleasure clubs. This one featured the Young Pinstripe Brass Band with the Keep N It Real and We Are One Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs.

Sis Pics from New Orleans

Live from Armstong Park. Bo Dollis and Mr. Okra. There is a Music and Cultural Series sponsored by People United for Armstong Park this spring. Here are a couple of shots taken tonite by my sister who is on the ground in New Orleans. 

NOJHF 2012: More Mardi Gras Indians

Thought I would share more of my photos taken of Mardi Gras Indians at the Jazz and Heritage Stage during Jazzfest 2012. These are from  the Friday of the first weekend. These were actually my first photos of the festival; Each day I rode my bike from my sister's house in Mid-City, parked and locked my bike near Liuzza's By the Track and walked into Fest via the Sauvage Street entrance which brings you onto the Fairgrounds right near the Gospel tent and immediately behind the Jazz and Heritage Stage. Anyway, on Day 1, I headed right for this stage and caught the first "Indian show"-the Semolian Warriors- of the day and then right after, a parade featuring the Black Mohawk and Black Foot Hunters Mardi Gras Indians. The parades start "backstage" from the Jazz and Heritage stage area and continue out onto the Fairgrounds, so if you are at the Jazz and Heritage stage you get the bonus - or lagniappe- of also being around to catch the Mardi Gras Indian parades or the various second line parades that step off from the same place during the day.

NOJHF 2012: Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians

As I have said before, one of my favorite stages at JazzFest is the Jazz and Heritage Stage and one of my favorite things to see at this stage are the Mardi Gras Indians. On the Saturday of the first weekend of this year's Fest, I had the privelege to see one of my favorite Mardi Gras Indian tribes- Big Chief Walter Cook and Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians. Their suits were fantastic and oh so pretty and they put on a great show. Jazz Fest "man in charge" Quint Davis announced the group and danced briefly with them on stage- see if you can spot him in a couple of the pictures in the slideshow below. For me, this show was one of the highlights of this years fest. Hope you enjoy!

2 New NO Recordings



PHJB Vinyl EP Cover

Received 2 new New Orleans recordings of note this week. First up is a limited edition vinyl EP of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band that includes 5 songs recorded live at their 50th Anniversary Concert this past January at Carnegie Hall in NYC. (See NY Times Concert Review here).This recording is very cool for a number of reasons. First, it's PHJB; second its live, third its a limited edition (only 504 copies) vinyl release and last-and maybe coolest of all- I was at the show! (along with my wife and some other East Coast New Orlean-ophiles). To my understanding, a full recording of the show will be released sometimes this year, but for now, this is pretty cool.



PHJB Vinyl EP Back Cover

Next up, I was listening to 'Oz on Friday and local NO musician Alex McMurray was in the studio talking up a record release party for one of my favorite New Orleans bands- the Valparaiso Men's Chorus. If you don't know who this group is you gotta check em out. Go here -their new website- for details. The group includes a large cast of New Orleans musicians including McMurray, Matt Perirne, Washboard Chaz, Rick Trolsen, and Greg Schatz backed by a large supporting "chorus" that is 25+ persons strong and includes among others WWOZ DJ George Ingmire  . They were making a rare appearance last weekend at the Saturn Bar and Mr. McMurray gave a little bit of background and history about the band, the origin of the name and concept. Very interesting- it turns out the group takes their name from the Chiliean port city of Valparaiso which was a major stopover for ships and sailors travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in the early 19th century. Their first CD release-Guano and Nitrates (2007)- is one of my favorite cds. The first time I heard it-on Oz of course- I was blown away (no pun intended). As soon as I heard mention made of the new CD being released I went right to the website and placed my order. Within minutes I received a confirmation email of my order-from Alex McMurray himself- and- blow me down-today I received the CD in the mail- shiver me timbers! Anyway, on first listen this second CD-titled The Straits of St. Claude- is as much fun as the first and I hope someday to be in New Orleans when this group makes one of their rare late night club appearances. It has to be a real blast. Yo ho ho and yeah you right.

Now Posting to Facebook...I think...

Trying to link my NO blog to Facebook..A bit confusing.

Trail Ride Philly Style

View from the trail

Beautiful weather + Bike+ iPhone app+ bluetooth speaker= PRICELESS! I listen to station KRVS out of Lafayette, LA every weekend. This Saturday the DJs happened to be talking about an event that was happening in Southeast Louisiana (aka Cajun Country) over the weekend. For folks who don't know, there are trail rides pretty much every weekend in SE Louisiana starting around this time of year and going into the summer. These are sometimes 2 and 3 day affairs with folks gathering at the trail head with their trucks and horse trailers with a plan to ride horses,camp, party and have a good old time as they ride thru the woods for the whole weekend. There is usually live cajun and zydeco music at the campsites along with food and drink each day and night throughout the event. Now, I dont have a horse, but I do have a bike and I also have a trail near my house that goes thru the woods along a creek. That gave me an idea. So today, when I set out for my usual "trail ride" on my bike, I made sure to first tune into WWOZ's live broadcast of Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie as they played onstage at the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo via my iPhone. As part of my bike set up I have a bluetooth speaker mounted on my handlebars so I can listen to tunes via my iPhone as I ride, so I was able to ride thru the woods on a spectacular spring Sunday here on the East Coast, all the while listening to a live broadcast of cajun and zydeco music live from Louisiana. Now thats what they call passin' a good time down in cajun country . Yeah you right.