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.

NO Live Broadcasts Today, Tonite and Tomorrow

Today and tomorrow you can listen live to some of the goings ons at the Midcity Bayou Boogaloo on WWOZ so make sure to tune in and turn on.

Tonite Wanda Jackson is live on Tipitinas.com. See and hear the Queen of Rockabilly live from New Orleans.

From Tipitinas.com website:

"When Wanda Jackson, the justly crowned Queen of Rockabilly, recorded “Let’s Have A Party,” a tune she made into a hit of her own in 1958 even after one-time boyfriend Elvis Presley had released a version of it, her delivery of the chorus wasn’t so much a suggestion as a command. As the title – and, more importantly, the contents -- of her latest album, The Party Ain’t Over, indicates, this feisty septuagenarian artist is as galvanizing as ever. Jackson was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, honored with a long-time-coming, Early Influence accolade for her pivotal role in the evolution of popular music, especially where female artists were concerned. As a teenager in the mid-50s, the diminutive Jackson was the first woman to perform unadulterated rock and roll – and she one-upped the boys defining this new genre, Presley included, with her exhilaratingly forthright approach. The young Jackson, an Oklahoma native, came across as both gritty and glamorous; a playfully suggestive growl to her voice matched the daring, handmade outfits she wore, short skirts and fringed dresses that have inspired would-be bad girls for decades to come. A tireless touring artist for more than 50 years, Jackson continues to win over new, young fans, including guitarist-vocalist-White Stripes founder Jack White."

Yes Abita Can in Pa.

My favorite Louisiana beer is now available in cans in Pennsylvania! It was big news in New Orleans this past carnival season when Abita finally made their beers (Abita Amber, Jockamo IPA and Purple Haze) available in cans for the first time. This is a big deal because, altho you can drink pretty much anywhere and anytime in New Orleans, typically alcoholic beverages are only allowed to public events in plastic go-cups or in cans vs bottles. Abita was late to the party in this respect, but now they have "caught up" to the rest of the local beers (NOLA and Bayou Teche ) as well as the national brands that have always been available in cans. I have for the past several years been able to get Abita beer in bottles at my local beer distributor, and when I came back from carnival this year I asked the guy who runs the place if he could inquire about getting Abita cans and lo and behold, last weekend when I went in looking to re-stock my beer supply- there it was: 1 case of each Abita Amber and Jockamo IPA. I bought the Amber and I am hoping when I go back to "re-stock" again that I can snag a case of the IPA. Yeah you right..

Jazzfest Pic of the Day: Indians and Brass Bands

One of my favorite stages at Jazzfest is the Jazz and Heritage Stage..also known as the "Indian Stage","Brass Band Stage" or the "Second Line Stage". As you can tell from the various names this is where each day during Fest you are sure to see Indians  and Brass Bands; it is also the jumping off point for both the Mardi Gras Indian and SecondLine parades that happen throughout the day on the festival grounds. If you want to experience New Orleans music and  culture firsthand this is the place to be. While it does not quite capture the excitement of a brass band in a club, or on the street as part of a second line; and the Indians are not in the "wild" of the streets, it's the next best thing for folks who may not have the opportunity to be in town to chase a secondline on one of the 42 (!) Sundays of the official New Orleans second line season or to see the Indians out in the street on Super Sunday or St. Josephs nite. The picture is not my usual vantage point- I took this either leaving or approaching the stage. I like getting right up close in order to really feel and appreciate the power of the brass bands, the beauty of the Indian suits and to feel the energy, joy and excitement eminating from the stage from the performers and supporting cast of characters that invariably show up to sing, dance and "act the fool" along with the band or tribe up onstage. Yeah you right...

Jazzfest 2012 Pic of the Day: Springsteen

Ok..so let's get this out of the way. Yes I did see Bruce at Jazzfest- kind of. I was not planning on it- in fact was kind of getting sick of hearing about how big of a deal his being at Fest was going to be. Don't get me wrong- I am a Bruce fan or maybe more accurately was a Bruce fan some 20+ years ago. Since then, I've always paid attention to what he was up to musically but was no longer a hard core fan. I did see him at Jazzfest in 2006 right after Katrina- now THAT was a special show (I read somewhere recently that even the Boss himself considers that show in the Top 5 that he has ever done-now thats saying something).Anyway, I tend to stay away from the big stages at Fest as a rule- typically these are national headliners that I could see back home in Philly or NYC if I wanted to. I look at Jazzfest as an  opportunity to see acts and bands that dont tour or dont tour often- especially the local NO and Louisiana acts and musicians. That being said, on Sunday of weekend 1  I had other things on my schedule at the time that Bruce was going to be at the largest stage at the fairgrounds. As it turns out, I ended up coming out of a show that happened to put me on the far back edge of the Bruce crowd (see picture) - could barely see but sound was great even at what must have been 1/4 mile back from the stage- but I figured I might as well stop and give a listen since I was already there. Turns out, I arrived at a perfect time with Bruce just introducing one of my favorites-Dr. John- to the stage. Talk about an omen. So I was hooked- after Dr. John, the band went right into Mary Dont You Weep from the album and show he did right after Katrina. That one gave me goosebumps. Next up was Prove it all Night- another classic. This led into a lesser known (to me anyway) Johnny 99 and then Waiting for a Sunny Day-which had a hilarious moment when the Boss pulled up some kid from the crowd who basically croaked vs sang along with the band..it was a very funny moment. Even in that huge crowd Bruce was in command-he really can still put on a great show..I had to stay for another when the band launched into Promised Land..cue goosebumps one more time...after this one, the band went into a slower number that I did not recognize- here was my chance. If I didnt leave now, I would be stuck for the rest of the afternoon. I made the decision and headed away - it was time to return to my regularily scheduled program so to speak..But, I gotta say it, he sure still is the Boss....

UPDATE: NO Music Online Event Schedule Change

Due to inclement weather in NO area today and tomorrow, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra concert featuring Kermit Ruffins has been moved to Sunday Night (vs tomorrow Saturday). It is a free concert and is supposed to be webcast LIVE (audio only) via the LPO.com website. 

This change in schedule actually works for me b/c I am heading up to NYC tomorrow for a Saturday Night concert at the Jazz At Lincoln Center complex featuring Ellis Marsalis in a concert entitled New Orleans Piano Kings. Along with Mr. Marsalis will be fellow piano players Henry Butler and Jonathan Batiste. Drummer Herlin Riley and bassist Reginald Veal will be filling out the roster of musicians. More details HERE. Should be quite a show.