tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29098555430471201402024-02-19T23:46:10.363-08:00Southern ImpressionsCreative inspiration surrounds us in the South. It's like no other place.
Our culture is unique and special and our celebrations are many and joyful. We not only gave birth to the Blues and Jazz but we also revel in Mardi Gras, Second-lines, countless music festivals and, of course, the food. Every day is a journey. Join us!Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-3493826967631531442013-05-28T07:19:00.001-07:002013-05-28T07:19:25.818-07:00<br />
I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND<br />
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<br />
That was me standing on a folding chair, screaming my lungs out, tears rolling down my cheeks...<br />
it was 1963 and I was 13 years old, old enough to go to my very first concert by myself and it was<br />
the BEATLES! I guess my mom was cooler than I thought back then because she not only allowed<br />
me to go but bought me the ticket as well! "Meet The Beatles" was also the first record album that I bought. I was out of my mind with joy at that concert that day back in Detroit and I have remained the most loyal of Beatle fans over the years. I have followed and loved their music separately, too, and since then I have seen Paul McCartney in many of his different reinventions and have travelled to other cities to go to his concerts. This weekend's concert in Memphis was probably the best of all, though, not only because I could actually hear the music this time (no screaming) but because Paul's talent has only improved with age. He is a perfectionist and his over- 70 age status has not diminished his talent any little bit. There are not many performers of that age who could be on stage at his energy level for almost 3 hours and you can really see how much he enjoys performing, bringing happiness to his<br />
audience. It was sublime. If you had told my 13-year-old self that I would someday, in the far<br />
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distant<br />
future, get to see Paul McCartney on stage singing Beatle songs, I certainly would have laughed. (Mainly because I didn't believe that either of us could possibly get this old)!Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-11596945865879110412013-05-20T09:03:00.001-07:002013-05-20T09:03:15.244-07:00BAYOU BOOGALOO<br />
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<br />
We certainly have no shortage of free music festivals here in New Orleans and this weekend was no<br />
exception. It was time again for the annual Bayou Boogaloo Festival which takes place on the Bayou St. John. It was hot out there, too, but everyone was having a nice, relaxed time at an event that the<br />
tourists have not really discovered....YET. There were several stages for musical acts, food booths, an art market and other events. The last day pretty much came to a close with the rubber ducky race<br />
on the bayou.....hence the big rubber ducky!<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-67925257669045126842013-05-20T08:54:00.000-07:002013-05-20T08:54:23.478-07:00DALAI LAMA VISITS NEW ORLEANS<br />
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This past weekend I had the wonderful experience of hearing His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama<br />
speak at the UNO Arena. His monks first appeared to chant and prepare the room for His arrival.<br />
He wore a baseball hat, has a great, hearty laugh, an ironic sense of humor and a way of cutting<br />
right to the point in a no nonsense kind of way. The take-away for me was: We are all the same.<br />
We all have the capacity to love and have compassion for other living things. Prayers alone have<br />
not stopped violence. We must look to ourselves to bring peace on this planet. Not a bad day of<br />
lessons. <br />
My seat was not very good so my photos are not either but I am going to include a great photo<br />
that was taken by someone else at the Tulane University graduation where the Dalai Lama appeared<br />
and spoke on Saturday morning. He is shown with two of my other idols....New Orleans music legends, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John. Coincidentally, they happen to represent all three races of Man.<br />
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<br />Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-12608153841141598202013-05-11T15:26:00.005-07:002013-05-11T15:26:53.557-07:00INDIA FEST<br />
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Today Rusty and I decided to check out the first- time- ever India Fest that happened at the New Orleans Museum of Art. It was a slam-dunk. We were surprised at how many people came out for it since it was an unknown event but I think this means that many New Orleanians are ready to try a new kind of festival instead of the usual Gumbo, Shrimp, Cajun, PoBoy or Swamp Fest kind of thing. <br />
The festival featured Indian food, Bollywood dancing, music demonstrations and lectures, Yoga, and other things related to the culture of India. It was fun and we'll do it again. Here is a photo I took of a Sari wrapping demon. We had to give the Saris back!<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-54072980562134656612013-05-11T15:18:00.002-07:002013-05-11T15:18:46.092-07:00BRINGING THE PHUNK<br />
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Jazzfest always brings in all the musicians and many of them either come in early or stay over afterwards, doing gigs and just reconnecting with family, friends and other musicians in New Orleans<br />
before going back out on the road. Louisiana Music Factory always plays host to many bands throughout the two weeks at their in-store shows on their tiny stage in the middle of the store. The place is always packed with people who want to get a chance to listen to the music and meet some of the artists. My favorite gig this year was Dumpstaphunk, led by Ivan Neville who is the son of Aaron<br />
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and featuring his cousin Ian Neville. They rocked it out. They also played a few days later at Lafayette Square to a much larger crowd. All in all it was a Neville Week. The next day I met Charles Neville,<br />
one of the original Neville Brothers, standing in line behind me at the Postal emporium on Magazine Street.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-30346093971848858562013-05-06T15:36:00.002-07:002013-05-06T15:36:54.005-07:00FULL CIRCLE 2013<br />
JAZZ FEST<br />
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So, that about brings you all up to date on me. Doesn't seem like it could actually be a whole year but I guess it is. Lots of other stuff happened also, family illnesses, dramas, etc. but I am not one to post or try to even remember those things so why should I bother you with them?<br />
After painting every spare moment that I could get for the entire winter months, I finally had my first Spring show, the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston, Texas. It went well and I met a lot of nice, new customers whom I now consider to be my new friends. I also met a lot of nice artists there. I always do. I don't have any photos from Houston but my booth shot looks about the same anywhere I set it<br />
up (except that the paintings are always all new) so my new Jazz Fest shot will have to suffice. We just wrapped it up yesterday. It was a strange one this year because of the extreme weather. It is usually beastly hot by now in New Orleans. That is normal. That is what we expect. But this year it rained and rained, the wind blew and blew, the Fairgrounds (where we hold Jazz Fest) became a vast mud pit that never dried out. and then it turned cold. It was like summer in Canada. The temps went down into the 40's and people were wearing coats and shrimp boots. The thing about Jazz Fest, though, is that you can't stop people from having a good time and there is nowhere else I'd rather be!<br />
Here's me in my booth in the Louisiana Marketplace area of Jazz Fest, 1st weekend.<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-68177571985019901792013-05-06T15:24:00.000-07:002013-05-06T15:24:05.053-07:00MARDI GRAS 2013<br />
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In the middle of all this mayhem in New Orleans (yes, I'm talking about Super Bowl) we actually were allowed to have our Mardi Gras! It is fabulous, as usual, with great parades, beautiful floats, King Cake, Mardi Gras Indians, flambeaux and pure happiness. Notice that I did not mention beads anywhere in the above. My friend, Joy, and I were our usual skeleton selves. Every year we make a new costume and march with the Bywater Bone Boys, an diverse bunch of disorganized people, loosely based on the real Bone Gangs who run through the Treme neighborhood at dawn. We come out a little bit later, we at least let the sun come up. Then we wander throughout the streets of the Bywater, throwing little smoke bombs and banging on garbage cans. It is our chance to be juvenile delinquents for a few hours. We join up with the St. Ann Parade, led by a band, and march into the French Quarter. It is sublime. It is an inexplicable feeling to be encircled by so many people, most of whom you don't personally know, surrounding you with love and confetti. I wish everyone could experience that for just once in their lives. Happy Mardi Gras!<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-14498604954866563322013-05-06T15:09:00.001-07:002013-05-06T15:09:13.436-07:00MY GIRLS SANTA CRUZ<br />
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I managed to sneak out of town for a week to fly out to California to see my two girls: my beautiful daughter, Dominique and her equally gorgeous baby-girl, Amelie. We had a blast together. We shopped, went to gymboree (kids running around and tumbling), ate out, went to the beach and did all kinds of other California kind of things. The highlight was a girly tea party at an English cottage, complete with hats and scones and marmalade. What fun!<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-70103710806508570522013-05-06T15:04:00.000-07:002013-05-06T15:04:11.202-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Autumn was a whirlwind of activity and work-related events. I started at my annual Christmas job really early and it is so great to spend time with another whole set of co-workers and friends whom I only get to see during the holidays. I spent the rest of my time working at my other part-time gallery job and painting, painting, painting for my upcoming show. I get tired just thinking about it. My solo show at the Jean Bragg Gallery this year was about dining in New Orleans so most of the paintings were restaurant-related. Just think: I had to research all of that. Which means I had to eat in a lot of restaurants in New Orleans so I could take photos to turn into paintings. Hard job, huh? Anyway, the show did alright. I guess so anyway because they invited me to do my fourth one, set for early 2014.<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-89528213554468768862013-05-06T14:50:00.000-07:002013-05-06T14:50:10.421-07:00September 2012 VISIT TO DETROIT<br />
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I finally made it back to Detroit to visit my dad and his wife in September. It was great seeing them and going back to Grosse Pointe where they had, of all things, an art show going on. Whew. Glad I didn't have to work it! I also got to meet up with my first ever boyfriend from way back in Teen Time. He and I hooked up on LinkedIn website just a week earlier. I was so happy to meet his wife and to see how great they are together. We had lost contact for around 40 years. Ok, that just aged me but I don't care. Isn't all this computer stuff marvelous! I've found so many dear people that I never thought I'd be able to ever find again.<br />
Anyway, here a cute photo of my dad and his wife.<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-74187171428779138442013-05-06T14:43:00.001-07:002013-05-06T14:43:25.987-07:00JAZZ FEST 2013<br />
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Well, I can't believe how terrible I have been this year! I had vowed to myself to keep up steadily with my blog and to use it as a kind of diary about living in New Orleans but it seems that I have not only fallen off of the cart but UNDER the wheels! It's not that interesting stuff doesn't happen to me....that<br />
would be relaxing....it's that I just don't stop for long enough to update anything in my life. So, I look at my blog today and see that I haven't posted ANYTHING for a year now. A full year! Well, here is what I've been up to...just to catch you up: Went to Key West last October. It was heaven as usual. I miss it like crazy and vow to somehow go back to live there at least part of the year. I am not a real Conch but a Freshwater Conch. You have to have lived there for at least 7 years to get that title and I lived there for around 14. They say that once you get that sand in your shoes, or in this case, marl dust<br />
because there is not sand manufactured naturally on the island.<br />
We had so much fun. Can't wait to go back!<br />
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Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-88188319404990491712012-05-05T05:56:00.001-07:002012-05-05T05:56:35.005-07:00Second Weekend of Jazz FestWhew! All set-up and ready to roll on the opening day of Jazz Fest. We are now blessed with perfect weather and good vibes all around. Why would anyone in New Orleans not want to be here?<br />
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Cheers.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-46174089620659563602012-05-02T16:54:00.000-07:002012-05-02T16:54:39.700-07:00Fun-filled Pre-Jazz Fest Rituals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLLFUeDCgixV6_hpozbu_X0AOKRnvkGMbFHRk1x3AwVj1KsqqTOtqeL275qEsz-aK7WwVoDsk1y0lgoXKRHSONXf20CaVqPfLJeTLQ-z1zDctfD03x3v0JZq6s5R4EF8MXzcS6rJFbaM/s1600/DSC03398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLLFUeDCgixV6_hpozbu_X0AOKRnvkGMbFHRk1x3AwVj1KsqqTOtqeL275qEsz-aK7WwVoDsk1y0lgoXKRHSONXf20CaVqPfLJeTLQ-z1zDctfD03x3v0JZq6s5R4EF8MXzcS6rJFbaM/s320/DSC03398.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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So, there's not enough on my plate these days, just two from the opening of Jazz Fest so guess what I spend most of my time doing? Going to music in-stores at the Louisiana Music Factory. I got to escort the musicians to the "Green Room" upstairs again. Always cool to meet Dirty Dozen even if they don't know who I am. That's ok. They really are the best brass band out there. Sorry Rebirth, I know you got the Grammy this year and all that but truth is truth. At least I did my "homework" before I went down to the French Quarter. I made myself finish painting the shutters for my booth decoration so I wouldn't have that hanging over my head.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-38982412434121986562012-04-30T04:50:00.001-07:002012-04-30T04:50:13.847-07:00First Weekend of Jazz FesstWow. What a perfect day. Beautiful weather, Trombone Shorty, good friends from out of town to share the day with, Dr. John, mango sorbet, running into old friends, Lionel Ferbos (age 101 trumpet player<br />
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still killing them), Gary Clark, Jr. (young guitar player from Austin who's at his beginning of killing them), white beans, Mardi Gras Indians, not- so -young couples dancing like they were 20 years old,<br />
iced rose-mint tea and little kids just learning to love Jazz Fest. Oh, yeah, Bruce Springsteen, only if you were able to get within a quarter mile of the Acura stage.<br />
<br />Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-24768455896856397672012-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:002012-04-29T05:10:02.541-07:00Day2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKJA1BvkKdpr7uLfVhvJG1nAYNX8LKxqkChNx2sMM3N21Au8FKF6LfVobL6tH-30V_YkSEdkRaZu4RtfaXfkC0UL7WccgeL9nYD7KFH2iWkHTIKvsTvAyMFtBiRR33IfEtknNNE0lnxo/s1600/DSC03328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKJA1BvkKdpr7uLfVhvJG1nAYNX8LKxqkChNx2sMM3N21Au8FKF6LfVobL6tH-30V_YkSEdkRaZu4RtfaXfkC0UL7WccgeL9nYD7KFH2iWkHTIKvsTvAyMFtBiRR33IfEtknNNE0lnxo/s320/DSC03328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Another beautiful day with perfect weather for Jazz Fest. My good friend, Joy, and I got an early start and made the artist rounds before the stages got rolling. We shopped a bit (yeah, jewelry) and gossiped with other Jazz Fest artists. We caught Tracy Thomson sewing her hats and Jennifer Chenevert selling her jewelry; ate some yummy (but probably unhealthy) food; walked around at least a hundred miles to get to as many music stages as we could and finally wound up in the Blues Tent to watch Bobby Rush do his dirty blues best, including the "shimmy" girlsSouthern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-70524554638487681322012-04-28T05:33:00.000-07:002012-04-28T05:33:06.261-07:00Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eEIJshiTXP9WVl1XfRBUH-PLskArBHu1j-AuTi27TLYGHhnqlgK39XrrxOnKyaZSW0Us3-vQHHeGOEQDpgL41xPfefUBLHjP_9RehPkHOdd9xzZhs5LxeC-L7mBbPLr0X0BGeI11U1o/s1600/DSC03320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eEIJshiTXP9WVl1XfRBUH-PLskArBHu1j-AuTi27TLYGHhnqlgK39XrrxOnKyaZSW0Us3-vQHHeGOEQDpgL41xPfefUBLHjP_9RehPkHOdd9xzZhs5LxeC-L7mBbPLr0X0BGeI11U1o/s320/DSC03320.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkQlN_zZJ2xZIw8Q1ZQm9UjsHcNEKD2MmcIznpRh4M2ObR7q6IpzmJMMfeGXyjWbFjLBEwMQEjx7xSvXw_0mip_Dfa8QrTYDw5MKhPpyqVqGHuxCrtuP9WusyYE9t22Wbb8-O-pVI1Wk/s1600/DSC03319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkQlN_zZJ2xZIw8Q1ZQm9UjsHcNEKD2MmcIznpRh4M2ObR7q6IpzmJMMfeGXyjWbFjLBEwMQEjx7xSvXw_0mip_Dfa8QrTYDw5MKhPpyqVqGHuxCrtuP9WusyYE9t22Wbb8-O-pVI1Wk/s320/DSC03319.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Jazz Fest is not only known for its' awesome music and food but for its' great arts and crafts which are very strictly juried. Many of the artists are my friends and it is always a coup to get into the festival and show your artwork to a huge and appreciative crowd. The artists switch out every weekend and next weekend it will be my turn to show my work. In the meantime, here are two of my friends showing out at the festival fairgrounds. Kiki Houston does jewelry and Peter Boutte does photography that has been painted over,Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-14653729733733636302012-04-28T05:07:00.001-07:002012-04-28T05:07:50.810-07:00It's That Time AgainOur favorite time of the year in New Orleans is Jazz Fest. Some might say Mardi Gras but that's like trying to compare Christmas and your birthday. They're kind of equal but you might tip either one way or the other. Anyway, at Jazz Fest all of the musicians who are out there in the world touring and traveling from gig to gig all come home to roost for at least two weeks. It's sort of like a family reunion in that respect because we get to go and see the most successful of the lot right here at home. They always give their best shows here, too, because the audiences are so receptive. From the big stages at Jazz Fest, to the outside arenas in the streets, to the clubs like Tip's and House of Blues to small venues and in-stores, the musicians are everywhere all at once. Cyril Neville, youngest brother of the Neville Brothers, appeared at the Louisiana Music Factory with his new band, the Royal Southern Brotherhood, the other night and rocked the room. This is only the beginning. More in-store performances there continue on Monday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wRzCntvPDv4mpAbPT5b6Y4cCulRz7BubIcAHcl2FlOx2np8C0R2PMaYj67caasE80WrpZKr6uBlfv7ici5xH-ZkvTCwA9GahtdSnHTJH-oRmtl7WEiyEwkx8Mrbi8Y4MlrJVPI49NYc/s1600/DSC03317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wRzCntvPDv4mpAbPT5b6Y4cCulRz7BubIcAHcl2FlOx2np8C0R2PMaYj67caasE80WrpZKr6uBlfv7ici5xH-ZkvTCwA9GahtdSnHTJH-oRmtl7WEiyEwkx8Mrbi8Y4MlrJVPI49NYc/s320/DSC03317.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Meanwhile, out at the Fairgrounds the music never stops. Last set yesterday was a reunion of another sort....the Beach Boys on the Acura Stage at Jazz Fest. What a treat. It's like an all- you- can- eat feast for the ears.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-54289761889652381482012-02-27T17:14:00.000-08:002012-02-27T17:14:49.981-08:00The Green RoomI don't know why they are called Green Rooms as they usually are not. The one at the Louisiana Music Factory is a kind of coral color....like the LifeBoy soap color. The factory was having a party yesterday<br />
to celebrate the store's 20th Anniversary and the owner had invited lots of musicians to come and perform.<br />
There were drinks and catered food in the Green Room where the musicians waited to go on stage. They chat (gossip), tune up their instruments and relax before and after their gig. As Louisiana music goes, these were some pretty great acts: Kermit Ruffins, John Boutte, Little Freddie King, the Stooges Brass Band, Cyril Neville and the Preservation Hall Band. It was fun to get to meet some of them and chat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxwL2tOIYozawrsEBxI3mDI0vX8yZhfV42Yun74N9nfgUlhvsLPpqgvWMAONKQRzhe_2xPu0d6xQn5EHy9dLJ4CawIVx4WL4MhhdYYZq8Z_6F9MiA6aOWCBpwxv5RsoO623KgBBA-tsY/s1600/IMG_1271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxwL2tOIYozawrsEBxI3mDI0vX8yZhfV42Yun74N9nfgUlhvsLPpqgvWMAONKQRzhe_2xPu0d6xQn5EHy9dLJ4CawIVx4WL4MhhdYYZq8Z_6F9MiA6aOWCBpwxv5RsoO623KgBBA-tsY/s320/IMG_1271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I am such a lucky girl. I also got some great pix.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-49057061729997725292012-02-27T17:03:00.000-08:002012-02-27T17:03:58.211-08:00Mardi Gras DayEvery year I march with the Bywater Bone Boys. We are skeletons!<br />
Not just ordinary skeletons, though. We create new costumes every year to enhance our "bones".<br />
One year I was Bona Lisa, last year I wore a black sequin suit with bones appliqued on top and<br />
this year I was a Storyville Skeleton. I dressed like one of subjects in Bellocq's turn of the century<br />
photographs of the Storyville ladies. Appropriate because we march not very far from where the<br />
actual Storyville existed, now gone after the government decided to raze the area to build a project<br />
during the Great Society years.<br />
Anyway, my friends and I go down to the Bywater, not far from the French Quarter, and meet up<br />
at daybreak with other like-minded skeletons. We have a busy and noisy time waking up the residents<br />
to Mardi Gras morning as we parade around for an hour or so. After that we repair to Bud Rip's Bar<br />
for refreshments and wait for the St. Ann Parade to come by with their brass marching band. Then we<br />
all join forces and storm the Marigny and French Quarter. There is no way to explain how good it feels<br />
to be part of something so special and glorious. It's like playing dress-up and going back in time to total<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-27BsPIozyM6ptJ2Jci-wKyWiOKalWomkSrkweJn5lWCLm9DDAJiQ7cicS47WkIKN7ifRYKXiJy47GaAtJNoWducqVVSNSqykBur919hqqJ81EhmxZTp0HEv9ZgbpHCzahmOxAzWAsY/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-27BsPIozyM6ptJ2Jci-wKyWiOKalWomkSrkweJn5lWCLm9DDAJiQ7cicS47WkIKN7ifRYKXiJy47GaAtJNoWducqVVSNSqykBur919hqqJ81EhmxZTp0HEv9ZgbpHCzahmOxAzWAsY/s320/IMG_1164.JPG" width="299" /></a></div>innocence. I can't wait for next year.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-14952245895253694222012-02-27T16:53:00.000-08:002012-02-27T16:53:16.274-08:00All HailOne of the biggest and grandest of the night parades is Bacchus, which rolls on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. The floats are beautiful and the bands are plentiful but everyone goes out to see the celebrity guest who is invited to become the King of Bacchus. It is usually a comedian or movie star and this year they<br />
chose Will Farrell who is in town making a movie. Well, he was spectacular. He was like a little child.<br />
He dug into his pile of dubloons and beads and shoveled them up into the sky with a look of joy on his<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzux04Tx4IA1FYyd_fQMHHP4h1WnvgIa2hkli2SvaYWcdiyrNtT9cL3UHyhhguKTWIulvzJzzQeTaG26aKHshXCoUd2_ejReMczU-AvdWSgaMfU5x_wPi7q6KDQgYSCYFNfohgi9JsCIs/s1600/DSC03235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzux04Tx4IA1FYyd_fQMHHP4h1WnvgIa2hkli2SvaYWcdiyrNtT9cL3UHyhhguKTWIulvzJzzQeTaG26aKHshXCoUd2_ejReMczU-AvdWSgaMfU5x_wPi7q6KDQgYSCYFNfohgi9JsCIs/s320/DSC03235.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>face. I have to say, he was the best Bacchus I ever saw. And, as he him self said "All Hail Me". What a nut!Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-38147122834715033562012-02-27T16:47:00.000-08:002012-02-27T16:47:57.634-08:00The Real ThingSo, there were lots of parades this Mardi Gras, as usual, but the only ones I really ever go to, except for<br />
Mardi Gras Day, are the night parades. I just love the twinkling lights, shiny glittery costumes and the<br />
magnificent flambeaux. They go way back in history to a time when the floats could not be seen at<br />
night without the illumination of the flambeaux flames. They are now a part of the traditional night parades, especially for the older krewes. The flambeaux not only light the way for the next float but<br />
they also dance around and entertain while balancing a big metal apparatus filled with kerosene and<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKGzKwp-etYPEq7hM64t9G8ObTYRP4R_aKLYInKVqTCNiOIge-bdHQxrKB6QL6D_TzVvTNgHsIfzrd-Sd8qK9jho9HPfoIIiyR-gJUiKqtCg5bYFPxd6CuAFQAtlxQFjhc8Y6ZxWLjiQ/s1600/DSC03195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKGzKwp-etYPEq7hM64t9G8ObTYRP4R_aKLYInKVqTCNiOIge-bdHQxrKB6QL6D_TzVvTNgHsIfzrd-Sd8qK9jho9HPfoIIiyR-gJUiKqtCg5bYFPxd6CuAFQAtlxQFjhc8Y6ZxWLjiQ/s320/DSC03195.JPG" width="202" /></a></div>blasting flames all over the street. You have to see it to believe it!Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-42245284207441947002012-02-27T16:41:00.000-08:002012-02-27T16:41:23.161-08:00Mardi Gras Catch-upSometimes it is hard to think of something to blog about and sometimes I am so over whelmed with<br />
all of the things that I am doing that I hardly have time to sleep let along blog. That is the case this month.<br />
I was busy finishing 35 paintings for my solo show at Jean Bragg Gallery earlier this month. The show<br />
went well enough even though I was faced with the competition of my own subject matter....Mardi Gras.<br />
A gigantic night parade was going on at the same time as my opening party. Ironic, huh?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ffc0_sbwKOapaKSSGoRbcaX9nIuttQ6zQtY_Bdv4QyxEu0DSTjuxJHYxK296sqGKWq8G_tqQpXoK6wVCFaE1EWXb_ql_wwmUfSUOJprIMwb7ubKvJzPIk74u_QjZl7sN4Vw_L4fM_xY/s1600/IMG_1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ffc0_sbwKOapaKSSGoRbcaX9nIuttQ6zQtY_Bdv4QyxEu0DSTjuxJHYxK296sqGKWq8G_tqQpXoK6wVCFaE1EWXb_ql_wwmUfSUOJprIMwb7ubKvJzPIk74u_QjZl7sN4Vw_L4fM_xY/s320/IMG_1129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anyway, the show has been up for a month now and it is almost time to take it down.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-87122878679593252332012-01-11T18:08:00.000-08:002012-01-11T18:08:13.953-08:00StreetcarFor all of you tourists who love to ride our streetcars with wild abandon and no specific destination, today was not the day to ride the rails. The early morning commute was halted when a large truck decided to<br />
"beat" the streetcar. Guess he didn't realize that those old streetcar brakes do not stop on a dime. Crunch.<br />
Can you say "alternate route"?<br />
Then on the return ride home from the French Quarter, it seems that the line lost power so they sent us a lovely bus for the pick-up but during our ride Uptown we were stuck for 20 minutes while an unscheduled parade of Mardi Gras floats meandered cross town....a true consternation to all of us because Mardi Gras parades are not due to begin for a few weeks. After finally finding adequate power in the streetcar line we made the transportation transfer safely and were again arrested by the development of a movie being filmed on St. Charles. Yes, right in the middle of the streetcar tracks.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJqATmRwY89VwHzUIoCBCM7m9zwcqMd32iHktvWgQyV5_3kZSxnqTNSCcnSWKskM9B0YKKl2bKMvJ2xjlQRRE1b2MDLe9XPTkqxoIhUaa8C0uf1DZjpE3YJ5Py2xSXlVL_vMdEfCPHVk/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJqATmRwY89VwHzUIoCBCM7m9zwcqMd32iHktvWgQyV5_3kZSxnqTNSCcnSWKskM9B0YKKl2bKMvJ2xjlQRRE1b2MDLe9XPTkqxoIhUaa8C0uf1DZjpE3YJ5Py2xSXlVL_vMdEfCPHVk/s320/IMG_1037.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> I suppose we didn't look authentic enough for their film. At least you could say that we never have an ordinary day here in New Orleans. The rest of the world must be kind of boring!<br />
Glad to be home, though.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-45442814695104856152012-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:002012-01-02T17:41:35.390-08:00Sugar Bowl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMQxZwAKfJXkIPwr7AZJhAhUENRbJDg3gy3eOaxEyTjPXYNi0lNY-0TN2ZnPam1kzT3o5dlWbo_DZz3uRph8fBeR4IYx3bROW6TMUcnTiILZacE5qox7sffTtciRrBUi0QivXEcrUMTI/s1600/IMG_1068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMQxZwAKfJXkIPwr7AZJhAhUENRbJDg3gy3eOaxEyTjPXYNi0lNY-0TN2ZnPam1kzT3o5dlWbo_DZz3uRph8fBeR4IYx3bROW6TMUcnTiILZacE5qox7sffTtciRrBUi0QivXEcrUMTI/s320/IMG_1068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a beautiful. sunny day for a parade in the French Quarter today and the reason for it was to celebrate the Sugar Bowl start-up. There were horses and carriages, bead-throwing, umbrellas and the best marching band in the country...the St. Aug Marching 100. It is so refreshing to see so many teen-agers so dedicated to music and their school. They are well disciplined and talented. Of course, this is really just practice for<br />
them because we are all gearing up for Mardi Gras here in New Orleans and St. Aug will be marching many miles in the weeks to come.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2909855543047120140.post-2656741091812998602011-11-20T10:47:00.000-08:002011-11-20T10:47:37.119-08:00Under the Coconut TreeWell, I'm just back from Key West, my former island home where I lived for 14 years before moving my life to New Orleans. Many happy memories there, I have to say, but things change, as they will, and the old island is no longer the same. Big development, cruise ships and ruinous retail stores have changed<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jR-awph5rvtP1WKDfSJoTacgoiXTS3dvVWJHPlifhaclwf2Sjaoi4_rolwUBpux2Q6M52kXNKxIUZkbTjIRjbWrW3R8HJSXDZyZuMKDATpMR-7cxREhIlM6mGTIMvjVapithTrHtDDA/s1600/DSC03012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jR-awph5rvtP1WKDfSJoTacgoiXTS3dvVWJHPlifhaclwf2Sjaoi4_rolwUBpux2Q6M52kXNKxIUZkbTjIRjbWrW3R8HJSXDZyZuMKDATpMR-7cxREhIlM6mGTIMvjVapithTrHtDDA/s320/DSC03012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaD63oSuOd2caDhn3JsG5KDMTKsEbugcHYTXrGLgXKWgOXz1q2YJPqhHWsOD-b3DPwKxIn41016D-b8JuJpIiowI9-BfIoHeqD290qtnINz4VLVcvtggrFhtgve95lRkV_T1i5xCSYYBA/s1600/DSC03091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaD63oSuOd2caDhn3JsG5KDMTKsEbugcHYTXrGLgXKWgOXz1q2YJPqhHWsOD-b3DPwKxIn41016D-b8JuJpIiowI9-BfIoHeqD290qtnINz4VLVcvtggrFhtgve95lRkV_T1i5xCSYYBA/s320/DSC03091.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>the face of the once laid-back community. Now, don't get me wrong, we always had to work hard just to be there but it never used to be the land for the landed gentry like it is now. I did hop on my bike and cruise around the island to the more residential side of things and there I found more peace and quiet and things as I had remembered them. The houses are still lovely to look at...from the tiny Cigar maker cottages to the big two-story Conch houses with carved gingerbread details. The ocean is still clear and turquoise; the big puffy clouds still hang over the horizon and the sun still melts gloriously into the water every night. I did ride around the beach to a part of the island known as Houseboat Row where I once had a two-story houseboat moored among the mangroves. All of the houseboats are gone now. Hauled off in the name of progress. The sign posted there said "Seagrass Reclamation Project"...another way of saying that they are dredging and putting in a fancy marina. I sat on the seawall and cried a little but then thought about it for a minute. I am so very lucky to have lived there in that time and blessed to have had the opportunity to enjoy something so beautiful and special. A good life lesson. Enjoy what you have because you cannot go back in time and reclaim that moment.Southern Impressionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04425568228416429244noreply@blogger.com1