Another Music Weekend
One thing that just makes this city so frickin fantastic is the music. We all know that. In my case, I happen to think it IS the best thing. It is actually everything that comes with the music that makes it so wonderful. It is the food and drink that you can consume while listening to the music. It is the people that come out to hear the music. It is the different kinds of music you get to hear. I heard a nice blend of different music and I found myself falling in love with the city all over again.
On Friday I went out to the Columns on St. Charles to hear my friends play with the New Orleans Helsinki Connection. They played the happy hour set from 5-7. This was almost a perfect setting for them. They played on the grand porch that leads into the hotel. With a drink in hand and the streetcar clanging by, the scent of flowers in the air and the sounds of a nice jazz song ringing in the air made me say "yeah this is the life". However most of the people that were also sitting on the porch didn't care that there was music playing. They were all unwinding from their work week, or were there to try to pick up the opposite sex. Unless you were sitting right in front of the band? You were talking as loud as you could over them. The band didn't have microphones, so anytime there was a vocal either singing or talking? You didn't get to hear them. From where I was sitting, right next to the band, I discovered that my friend Todd hummed as he played his solos. I have seen Todd play in so many different venues and with different people but this was something new I learned about him. That should give you some indication on how close I was to the band. Later that evening there was a plethora of music going on all over town, but like I told NOLA, I was most likely going to the closest place to me. That of course was the Maple Leaf. Took in some Groovesect for a set before calling it a night. A small crowd but the set was nice.
Saturday I journeyed on over to d.b.a on Frenchmen. Normally on a Saturday it is John Boutte's set and I had told myself that have a very long hiatus of attending these Saturday night gigs of John's, that I was going to go. One of my friend's that played on Friday night plays with John on Saturdays and they had been giving me a hard time about not making it for awhile. So come hell or high water I was going to go. I found out on Thursday that John was in fact NOT playing and that Paul Sanchez was filling in. Lee was also going to be playing, and I was extremly excited to be able to see two of my most favorite musicians play together. It was a wonderful evening of music and laughter. I did get a lot of teasing from Lee and his wife, saying the only reason I came was because Paul was playing. It isn't true at all!! (This coming Saturday Paul will be filling in once again for John...and he will have not only Leroy Jones on Trumpet but Shamarr Allen) I ended the evening again at the Maple Leaf hearing Juice. A nice groovy band. A smaller crowd than the night before, but they danced the night away.
Yesterday rounded out my weekend of music. Once again taking in the sounds of Leroy Jones and Katja Toivola at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe. If you ever get the chance to get out there to hear music and eat some wonderful food do it. You won't regret it. Not only were there people there that I did know, but I met some wonderful new people as well. It made for a wonderful end to a fantastic weekend.
One thing that just makes this city so frickin fantastic is the music. We all know that. In my case, I happen to think it IS the best thing. It is actually everything that comes with the music that makes it so wonderful. It is the food and drink that you can consume while listening to the music. It is the people that come out to hear the music. It is the different kinds of music you get to hear. I heard a nice blend of different music and I found myself falling in love with the city all over again.
On Friday I went out to the Columns on St. Charles to hear my friends play with the New Orleans Helsinki Connection. They played the happy hour set from 5-7. This was almost a perfect setting for them. They played on the grand porch that leads into the hotel. With a drink in hand and the streetcar clanging by, the scent of flowers in the air and the sounds of a nice jazz song ringing in the air made me say "yeah this is the life". However most of the people that were also sitting on the porch didn't care that there was music playing. They were all unwinding from their work week, or were there to try to pick up the opposite sex. Unless you were sitting right in front of the band? You were talking as loud as you could over them. The band didn't have microphones, so anytime there was a vocal either singing or talking? You didn't get to hear them. From where I was sitting, right next to the band, I discovered that my friend Todd hummed as he played his solos. I have seen Todd play in so many different venues and with different people but this was something new I learned about him. That should give you some indication on how close I was to the band. Later that evening there was a plethora of music going on all over town, but like I told NOLA, I was most likely going to the closest place to me. That of course was the Maple Leaf. Took in some Groovesect for a set before calling it a night. A small crowd but the set was nice.
Saturday I journeyed on over to d.b.a on Frenchmen. Normally on a Saturday it is John Boutte's set and I had told myself that have a very long hiatus of attending these Saturday night gigs of John's, that I was going to go. One of my friend's that played on Friday night plays with John on Saturdays and they had been giving me a hard time about not making it for awhile. So come hell or high water I was going to go. I found out on Thursday that John was in fact NOT playing and that Paul Sanchez was filling in. Lee was also going to be playing, and I was extremly excited to be able to see two of my most favorite musicians play together. It was a wonderful evening of music and laughter. I did get a lot of teasing from Lee and his wife, saying the only reason I came was because Paul was playing. It isn't true at all!! (This coming Saturday Paul will be filling in once again for John...and he will have not only Leroy Jones on Trumpet but Shamarr Allen) I ended the evening again at the Maple Leaf hearing Juice. A nice groovy band. A smaller crowd than the night before, but they danced the night away.
Yesterday rounded out my weekend of music. Once again taking in the sounds of Leroy Jones and Katja Toivola at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe. If you ever get the chance to get out there to hear music and eat some wonderful food do it. You won't regret it. Not only were there people there that I did know, but I met some wonderful new people as well. It made for a wonderful end to a fantastic weekend.
1 Comments:
Oh, man, out on the Columns' porch on a nice evening. Hard to beat that.
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