Kicking back in the Big Easy

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Dave and I are in New Orleans till Sunday - he’s attending An Event Apart and I’m the tag-along wife. I’m loving it. Our hotel room overlooks the Mississippi River where I’ve been watching long ships pushed by ferries languidly make their way upstream. It’s so weird looking, like a tractor trailer reversed and on water. I guess it makes sense to have the power and steering at the back of such a long vessel, since that’s where rudders are located on boats and aircraft. These are the things I contemplate while listening to the audio recording of Shadow of the Hegemon on my iPod and munching on snacks pilfered from Dave’s conference.

The last time we were in New Orleans was in August 2007 for my new attorney training. We were here for a week and while I was in session, Dave wandered around the French Quarter and explored downtown in search of photo spots. We never expected to return, much less within one year. So it has been surreal walking around the same square mile we stayed in last summer - the hotel we’re in now is literally down the street from the one that hosted my conference. It has also been exciting to do the things we didn’t get to do last time because we mostly hung out with my co-workers who were more interested in food, drink and dancing than music or culture. Last time we went to the aquarium the day after the conference, and I wasn’t that impressed except that I got to pet stingrays and see a white gator. This time, we’re going to listen to live jazz, take some kind of tour, see the Garden District, and explore the French Quarter more thoroughly.

The best surprise/reprise has been finding a street brass band that I had been sad to leave behind without knowing their name or finding a CD with music sounding even remotely as awesome. Last year we were walking out of the French Quarter along the famous Bourbon Street and were getting ready to turn left on Canal Street to return to our hotel when we heard a cacophony of drums, trumpets, and tuba. For the next half hour, we stood transfixed by a group of young black guys blasting the coolest melodies and rhythms out of three trombones, two trumpets, two drums, a tuba and a saxophone.

Well, who do we see when we walk the same route last night? A familiar looking group packing up their instruments underneath a hand-drawn poster that declared, To Be Continued Brass Band. I looked them up and it turns out they’re on Wikipedia and have their own website named after the documentary being directed about them, From the Mouthpiece on Back. I couldn’t wait to go back tonight and hear them, and sure enough, they play every night at the same corner. There are video and sound clips on the website. I joined their mailing list so that I could be notified as soon as a CD comes out. Yes, I like them that much. It’s the perfect blend of funk, classical, jazz, rap and hip hop.

Tomorrow, I think I’ll try for the Hurricane Katrina tour. It was nice vegging out in the hotel room today but I’m starting to feel like a lump. I should have some interesting photos to share. 

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