Andy
Honorary Member
After leaving Larry, Jeff, & Rich, I travelled to New Orleans for a few days, & I'm sure I experienced the very best & very worst of live music. I've travelled in the USA many times, but never stopped off in New Orleans.
I was lucky enough to stay in a superb hotel just off Bourbon street, right in the centre of what's going down - or so I thought. Ok, so Bourbon street is the headline act. Full of tourists, & with plenty of live music bars, but mostly tailored to making a fast buck. Strip joints kinda ruin the vibe for me TBH, although many quality restaurant & bar establishments still offer something worthwhile.
I must have seen at least 10 bands in Bourbon street over 3 nights, & I was mostly disappointed. Lacklustre - going through the motions - empty, if you know what I mean. All obviously working that tourist treadmill, & it showed. Don't get me wrong, some reasonable players, & they're putting food on the table, so no criticism there.
On my last night, my host took me to Frenchmen street. OMG!!!! THIS is what I'd been wanting to find in New Orleans. Some wonderful cafe jazz, an amazing 20 piece street band c/w tubas & marching bass drums, & a fabulous chilled street vibe However, the real musical journey started at the Blue Nile with the "New Orleans Rhythm Devils" fronted by drummer / vocalist Mike Paille. A fusion of loose latin, funk, jazz, & blues, Mike lead the band with gusto, but all with a very organic almost improv presentation. Had a great chat with Mike, & he gave me some CD's
We then moved on to D.B.A. to catch "Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters". This band has been together pretty much unchanged for 35 years, & it showed!! Frikkin' unbelievably tight, funky, deep, & grooving. A dream live band - just faultless. Drummer Wayne Maureau was absolutely smoking, & with a blisteringly good bass player, they really were the consummate ideal rhythm section. Here's a clip from the D.B.A. where they have a residency every Wednesday night https://youtu.be/c1EPPacVrd4?t=8m27s This is kinda jamming style, but most of the show I saw was much higher energy brass accent filled than this, but you get the idea
Anyhow, there you go, just a lone Englishman's experience of the full spectrum of live music in N.O. Bolt that onto my time with Larry were we experienced both good & bad too, & I had a great musical "immersion".
I was lucky enough to stay in a superb hotel just off Bourbon street, right in the centre of what's going down - or so I thought. Ok, so Bourbon street is the headline act. Full of tourists, & with plenty of live music bars, but mostly tailored to making a fast buck. Strip joints kinda ruin the vibe for me TBH, although many quality restaurant & bar establishments still offer something worthwhile.
I must have seen at least 10 bands in Bourbon street over 3 nights, & I was mostly disappointed. Lacklustre - going through the motions - empty, if you know what I mean. All obviously working that tourist treadmill, & it showed. Don't get me wrong, some reasonable players, & they're putting food on the table, so no criticism there.
On my last night, my host took me to Frenchmen street. OMG!!!! THIS is what I'd been wanting to find in New Orleans. Some wonderful cafe jazz, an amazing 20 piece street band c/w tubas & marching bass drums, & a fabulous chilled street vibe However, the real musical journey started at the Blue Nile with the "New Orleans Rhythm Devils" fronted by drummer / vocalist Mike Paille. A fusion of loose latin, funk, jazz, & blues, Mike lead the band with gusto, but all with a very organic almost improv presentation. Had a great chat with Mike, & he gave me some CD's
We then moved on to D.B.A. to catch "Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters". This band has been together pretty much unchanged for 35 years, & it showed!! Frikkin' unbelievably tight, funky, deep, & grooving. A dream live band - just faultless. Drummer Wayne Maureau was absolutely smoking, & with a blisteringly good bass player, they really were the consummate ideal rhythm section. Here's a clip from the D.B.A. where they have a residency every Wednesday night https://youtu.be/c1EPPacVrd4?t=8m27s This is kinda jamming style, but most of the show I saw was much higher energy brass accent filled than this, but you get the idea
Anyhow, there you go, just a lone Englishman's experience of the full spectrum of live music in N.O. Bolt that onto my time with Larry were we experienced both good & bad too, & I had a great musical "immersion".