Meet me at the secondline

A couple photos from this past Sunday's Uptown Swingers secondline in New Orleans. Thanks goes out to my sister's friend Sylvia for the pix.

From NO to your door

Not sure what took me so long to figure this out but a couple years ago realized I could mail NO food items home to myself vs trying to transport via suitcase or backpack on flight home. Think disappointment- and embarrassment- of having several bottles of NO hot sauce very publicly confiscated by the TSA folks at Armstrong airport in NO a couple years back got me thinking differently. At this point anytime I'm in NO I make sure to make groceries (as they used to say) at Rouse's market gathering up my favorite Louisiana-centric non- perishables. I pack em in a box and mail it to my home back East Where i can enjoy a little bit of Louisiana eatin from a distance. As you can see in photo below, I tend to favor canned goods and condiments along w Zapp's chips . This last shipment included a whole line of Zapp's items. In addition to some chips also grabbed up their spicy bean dip (excellent) and a couple of items I hadn't tried before: jars of Cajun Picante and a Smoky Salsa which I think will become regular items in future shipments. Also included are the requisite red beans (dried and canned) and NO local favorite Blue Plate mayo. I had in the past tried on more than one occasion mailing home one of my favorite NO treats - Hubig's pies- but discovered they do not fair well when shipped via mail so now I bring those home via my carry on bag - they are Homeland security safe! Yeah you right.

Jazzfest 2012 First Friday

Thought I would come back to Jazzfest  2012 and put up pics from that first Friday. As I've written previously I like to move around from stage to stage throughout the day. These pictures are from the Gospel Tent, Blues Tent, Jazz Tent, Fais Do Do Stage , Congo Square Stage and the Jazz and Heritage Stage as well as some random shots from around the festival grounds. Perfomers on Friday included the Young Pinstripe Brass Band, Geno Delafose, Leah Chase, James Andrews, Seun Kuti, BeauSoleil, the Texas Tornadoes featuring Flaco Jimenez and the Real Untouchables Brass Band. Stay tuned for future posts of pics taken on Saturday and Sunday that first weekend.

NJ Crawfish Fest 2012

Boiled crawfish, Curley Taylor, Dr. John, Jon Cleary, Terrance Simien, Glen David Andrews and Bonerama..not a bad way to spend June afternoon in New Jersey.

If it's Monday..

..that means red beans and rice. I recently purchased a case of Blue Runner red beans (via Amazon.com of all places) and now can very easily whip up red beans and rice pretty much any Monday . Today, opened up a can of beans, added some smoked sausage and using some leftover Chinese takeout rice was able to create an East Coast version of this NO classic. Yeah you right!

Cajun Zydeco Festival Live

Despite a rain delay and some initial broadcast feed issues I am now sitting and listening to DL Menard and the Jambalaya Cajun Band live on WWOZ from the Cajun Zydeco Festival down in NO. DL Menard is a Cajun Music treasure and it is always a treat to see or hear him perform. I went back in my vast Jazzfest picture library and found a couple shots of Mr Menard taken in 2006 most likely at the Fais Do Do stage. Etois.

DDBB in Philly

I went to the final concert in the NOLA in Philly series at the Blockley in last nite. NO based up and coming band The Revivalists opened for the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Revivalists played straight ahead rock n roll. Band is a 7 piece set up consisting of a lead singer who also played electric and acoustic guitar, another guitarist, bass player , drummer , keyboardist who also played trumpet , a sax player and a lap steel pedal guitar. Lead singer had a great voice- preferred songs featuring acoustic guitar lead , pedal steel and horns. They played all original songs but looking around there appeared to be more than a few folks singing along to the words. Dirty Dozen came on pretty late - almost 11:30- but they quickly ramped up into a serious groove. Wow- horns created a wall of sound and the drums and sousaphone put down an outrageous bottom. The band bounced from funk to Latin to Carribean based tunes effortlessly and had the dance floor full thru whole 90 minute set . A NO specific mini set featuring traditional secondline numbers and a ferocious version of Saints showed why they are still considered to be the standard for all NO brass bands to be measured against.

More from Zydeco Cajun Fest

Latest pics from sis who is currently "reporting" from festival stage on Esplanade Ave-apparenly just started to pour rain but not stopping the dancing... Pics of CJ Chenier and crowd at Esplanade stage before and during rain...

More from Zydeco Cajun Fest...

Live updates...a couple more pics.thanks Sis!

Sunpie w a young fan and pic of crowd outside Old US Mint currently featuring great exhibit of PHJB history..saw last time I was down there..also saw - in separate exhibit- Louis Armstrong's cornet..including that pic also as lagniappe ..

Creole Tomatoes

You say tomato I say Creole tomato ..NO's answer to the East Coast (ie Jersey) tomato...from WWOZ website re this weekends festival:
The French Market Creole Tomato Festival is a celebration of Louisiana's produce, farmer's and the Pelican State's unique cultural and cuisine offerings, of which the Creole Tomato is emblematic. Originally imported fromt he West Indies, the Creole Tomato thrives in the rich alluvial soil and sub-tropical climate of South Louisiana, especially in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

June in New Orleans means the arrival of Creole Tomato dishes on local restaurant menus, in farmers markets, and at roadside stands. Typically the crop arrives in early June, which is why the French Market’s Creole Tomato Festival is always held the second weekend of that month.

The Creole Tomato Festival is beloved by locals and visitors alike for its quaint and quirky traditions, such as life size tomatoes strolling the grounds handing out tomato shaped fans, and the auctioning off of the first tomatoes of the season to local chefs.

NO Zydeco Cajun Fest Live!

On 'Oz right now ...sis at the Fest..couple pix..Roddy Romero (one of her new favorites) and Rosie Ledet w Dwayne Doopsies's rub board player...

NO Cajun Zydeco Fest Online

This weeknd there is a nice little festival in New Orleans and you can listen to some of it live online via WWOZ. It's actually 3 festivals in one- the Cajun Zydeco Festival, the Creole Tomato Festival and the Louisiana Seafood Festival- that co-occur in and around the Old US Mint at the Esplanade Ave end of the French Quarter. I went to this festival- also known as Vieux To Do- in 2010 and you can check out some pix in a slideshow below. There was a large stage set up on the grass next to the Mint and then another stage set up at the foot of Esplanade Ave. (which actually was in the shade later in the afternoon. We were able to check out Sunpie Barnes, Goldman Thibodeaux, the Lost Bayou Ramblers and Cedric Watson who featured a Senagalese kora player which was one of the highlights (for me anyway) of the music portion of the festival. There was also a small performance space near the French Market where we caught a dance and Mardi Gras Indian performance. We had the pleasure of seeing Big Chief Bo Dollis along with his son and a couple members of his Wild Magnolia Tribe. My wife and I had a great time but it was EXTREMELY hot and humid- probably the hottest weather I've ever experienced in all my trips to New Orleans- which required frequent breaks and lots of hydration.

Go HERE to check out WWOZ broadcast schedule- for my money would catch the Bayou Ramblers on Saturday and DL Menard on Sunday. Etois!

New Orleans in Philly

Saw Stooges Brass Band at the Blockley in Philly last nite. Kind of a late nite for a Tuesday- band took the stage at 11:15- but it was worth it as they put on their usual energetic show. They had the mostly college age crowd dancing throughout with non- NO classics ( Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, oldies covers ) getting best response . Show was part of a "New Orleans in Philly" series that has in past week featured several NO artists- Anders Osborne, Ivan Neville, Stooges - and will also have on Saturday nite the Dirty Dozen BB along w The Revivalists. Planning on making that Saturday show as well .