She’s a kitchen mechanic that’s her regular trade She got the best brown Betties that ever was made. —Blind Blake, “I Was Afraid Of That.”
We went down to Frenchman Street to browse the Louisiana Music Factory. I got myself a Slim Harpo T-shirt and three C.Ds by artists, the Flatlanders, Tommy McLain, and Dave Thompson.
Bernie and Hoff have discovered a new coffee spot on Decatur Street, Cafe Envie. It just so happens that I have been a regular customer of that particular cafe since for most of my trips to New Orleans. We all had a late breakfast. Cara and Tahlay met us at the Cafe.
The Louisiana Music Factory has free 45-minute gigs during the off days of Jazz Fest. Bernie is the self-appointed President of the Australian chapter of the John Lisi fan club. I am a big fan as well. We headed back over to “The Factory” for the John Lisi and Delta Funk’s performance. John is a very good musician and songwriter with a kind of Frank Zappaish sense of humor. The band is resplendent in astronaut suites. It was a fun set of songs, mostly about drinking and overindulgence. For example, one song title off his new album is “Too Much Blood In My Alcohol Stream”. The final song in the set was “John Lee Hooker Song”, with that very familiar Hooker boogie and the band adlibbing some hilarious lyrics.
Wendy has wandered off to get another tattoo! Please don’t tell her mother. I just hung around for a while in the Quarter to soak up the atmosphere then headed back home at 3:30.
Tonight Skye has booked us in for a special dinner at the very classy Compere Lapin. Skye dined at this restaurant the last time she was in town and has raved about the food ever since. Pat had joined us for the special occasion, and she told us that she has always wanted to dine here. What a fabulous experience. The service, the decor, and most importantly the food was first-class. As there was a large group of us we had a set menu. Sometimes set menus can be hit or miss. Let me tell you, everything we ate on the night was delectable. A very memorable night of fine dining was had by all. Here is our menu. By the way, the fish of the day was Red Schnapper:
Down in Lake County, in that gumbo mud Where the mosquito bills, keep a-biting through her tub. —Sleepy John Estes, “Mary Come On Home,” 1940
You would think that, after all the driving we have done, another road trip would not be on the agenda. However, I have always wanted to go to Avery Island, the home of Tabasco Hot Sauce.
Our lovely friend, Pat (the best-looking Uber driver in NOLA), picked us up at 8:30 for the two-hour drive to Avery Island and the nearby town of New Iberia. Firstly, we stopped off for breakfast at La Boulanger, a trendy coffee/wine bar. The fantastic smell of freshly baked bread and pastries greets us as we open the door. Hoff and Bernie are off doing their own thing today. We will meet up at Chickie Wah Wah tonight as we have tickets to see Johnny Sansone with guests John Fohl and Anders Osborne. It will be a long day but well worth it. Also today Cara and Taylah will be flying in from their stop-over in Hawaii and they will land around midnight.
Pat said that the scenery may be a bit boring as we drive toward our destination, all swamp and bayous. It is not boring to me as it is not the sort of landscape you see in Victoria.
We arrived at Avery Island around 11:30 and were shown the process to make Tabasco Sauce from go to woe. It is a great set-up and the surrounding grounds are beautiful. We walked a couple of the tracks and found ourselves at a Bamboo Grove. There is a lot of old equipment and vehicles to view. That is after we passed a sign warning us to beware of Black Bears! There are eight buildings to walk through in total.
A history museum that explains how the McIlhenny family got started making the most famous hot sauce in the world. There have been five generations of McIlhennu in all. 2. The hot pepper greenhouse. 3. Barrel warehouse, tabasco is brewed in oak barrels that are made by in-house Coopers. 4. Blending, a huge warehouse where the fermenting takes place. What a smell, I have no nose hairs left. The fermenting process takes three to five years. 5. The Avery experience. 6. A Salt mine diorama (salt is mined at Avery Island). 7. Bottling. 8. Branding. And then on to the mandatory Gift Shop (I now own a Tabasco t-shirt). We tried a sample of Tabasco ice cream and it was surprisingly good.
Avery Island is a huge tract of land. We drive around the tracks of the Jungle Garden. Bayous and huge old oaks abound. Signs saying beware of alligators.
Spot Pat and Rob
The township of New Iberia is 10 minutes away. One of my favorite crime authors is James Lee Burke. His fictional crime fighter Dave Robicheaux lives in the area of New Iberia. I have always wanted to visit the town but it was not as cool as I thought it would be.
We head back toward New Orleans taking a slightly different route which will take us to the Cajun town of Thibodeaux. Pat has been told of an excellent Seafood Restaurant (Saphr’s Seafood – Where Catfish is King) where we will stop for a late lunch. I had the Crawfish Pepper Jack Fettuccine and have declared it the best meal I have had on the trip.
We hit Chickie Wah Wahs at about 6:60 PM, as doors open at 7 PM with the show from 8 PM. There is already a line to get in. We wanted to be early as I know there is not a lot of seating at the venue. I went to the bar to get a drink. No Apple Cider but they do have a Seltzer. The bar lady leaned over to me and said that the drink I ordered was the marijuana version. I looked more carefully at the name of the drink and did spot THC in the description!
Johnny Sansone
We saw Johnny Sansone come in and said our hellos and presented him with the WOW 20th anniversary book. The show started a little late but it was worth the wait. Absolutely fantastic show. Each of the three performers sang two songs and then handed over the microphone to the next guy. They obviously enjoy each other’s company and musicianship. Anders and John Fohl have differently styled approaches to playing, but each is a master of their craft. What a great night. I am tired and thrilled at the same time. I ran into Roberto Luti a master guitarist in his own write. I have seen him play many times over the years. He seemed chuffed when I said goodbye and told him how much I enjoyed his playing. If you have ever watched any of the sensational “Playing for Change” music videos you will have surely seen Roberto.
“Give me half a bottle of moonshine, two-three bottles of beer; We gonna pitch a boogie right here.” —Will Ezell, “Pitchin’ Boogie,” 1929
We are not getting any younger and the three days of Jazz Fest have left us all a little tired. A lazy morning is the order of the day. Hoff and Bernie walk around to the nearby Rousses Market for a few supplies. Another great day in ‘the City that Care Forgot,’ with clear skies and no humidity to speak of.
Coffee at 11:30 and then we walk another block on Freret St to Dat Dog. A franchise diner that specializes in all sorts of humble hotdogs/sausages, all loaded with whatever topping takes your fancy. I had the ‘Son of a Saint Dog.’
Today we are catching up with Skye and Scott and their traveling compadres at the popular Bacchanal wine bar. For those not au fait with the Roman God, Bacchus then here is a little history for y’all. The bacchanal in art describes any small group of revellers, often including satyrs and perhaps Bacchus or Silenus, usually in a landscape setting. The subject was popular from the Renaissance onwards and usually included a large degree of nudity among the figures. We are going to be in for a great afternoon. Pat is coming with us as well and she will be the foreigner in a bunch of Aussies. Before I hand over to Bernie for his summary of the afternoon’s frivolity you should check out the wine bar here:
Junior correspondent Bernie takes over – Bacchanal is the ultimate cool wine bar located in a pretty dodgy neighborhood. It is always busy. We arrive around four, and, for the first time, we actually snaffle a seat on the lawn. That is thanks to Skye, Scott, and their crew, who arrived before us and have started on the Spanish Rose. We are joined by Pat, Rob, and Wendy’s friend from NOLA. We take a little time in the wine shop to peruse the selection. Pretty diverse and no shortage of choices. We start with a South African Chein Blanc blend and Wendy goes for a Californian Chardonnay. Rob finds a very good dry Apple Cider. With a cheese platter, it’s a good way to spend an afternoon. We chat with Skye’s crew. They have really packed a lot in on their travels and it is good to swap notes.
Bacchanal – Let The Party Begin
Two bottles down, we realize that it could be a long evening unless we grab some food and slow down on the wine. So, Pat plays chauffeur and we look for an eating place. We end up at a club/bar called Buffas. There is a great little jazz outfit, the Doyle Cooper trio playing traditional tunes. Doyle is a fine trumpeter and has a great voice, so it is easy to listen to.
A little later, guitarist Alex McMurray and pianist, Bill Malchow, take over the stage. They are great and obviously seasoned performers. Alex has the laconic style and dry wit of Randy Newman with a little Leon Redbone thrown in as well. The food is good bar food and we hang in for most of the first set. Although we don’t know these performers, Google informs us that Alex has recorded a dozen albums. No wonder he is such a polished performer. On the drive home with Pat, we tune into husband Bob’s radio show on WWOZ. A real treat.
. . . Your ways is like a crawfish You’ll get all you can an’ doodle back in your hole. —Bo Carter, “Ways Like A Crawfish,” 1938
Today’s weather is looking good. No rain, no humidity, and a cooling breeze. No problems getting to Jazz Fest. Brunch for me is Cajun Chicken over Creole Rice and a homemade Cherry Pie.
Jazz Fest Map
We head over to the Gentilly Stage as I thought the Honey Island Swamp Band would be playing. Jazz Fest looks after people who have mobility problems. There is a booth where you can get a wristband that allows you to sit in specially designated areas. Wendy was also able to get a wristband as “my carer”! We met a guy in the stand who picked my accent straight away. He proceeded to roll off the names of Australian bands that he loved, Men at Work, Little River Band, Crowded House, and Midnight Oil. He was astounded when I told him I knew Rob Hirst. The band playing is The Naughty Professor. A little too “jazzy” for me.
We then headed to the Fais Do Do stage for The Creole String Beans. The band is well-known to us. A New Orleans sextet playing NOLA rock ‘n’ roll from the glory days of J & M Studios plus their own originals. The band sure knows how to get the crowd dancing.
We move to the Blues Tent for Davell Crawford with special guest Benny Turner. Not sure what is happening this year with this stage as they are having a lot of technical issues. Davell is the Grandson of the late New Orleans R&B great James ‘Sugarboy’ Crawford. Benny Turner is an 83-year-old bassist/singer and is the brother of Freddie King. Benny was also the band leader for the legendary Marva Wright. Davell is a great entertainer, singer, and keyboard player. Flamboyantly dressed, he overcomes the technical difficulties and leads his terrific band of New Orleans musicians through a killer set. Benny comes on stage mid-set and sings a couple of songs including the Howlin’ Wolf version of ‘Goin Down Slow’. He told the back story of being a six-year-old and seeing ‘the Wolf’ perform this song. He said, ‘I never knew the meaning of the song until I read Howlin’ Wolf’s biography’. This song has always been a favorite of mine.
You know I don't enjoy things that kings and queens will never have
And things kings and queens can never get
And they don't even know about
And good times, mmmmm
I have had my fun
If I never get well no more
I have had my fun
If I never get well no more
Oh my health is fading
Oh yes I'm going down slow
Now lookit here
I did not say I was a millionaire
But I said I have spent more money than a millionaire
'Cause if I had kept all the money then I already had spent
Then I would've been a millionaire a long time ago
And women, great googly moogly!
Please write my mother
Tell her the shape I'm in
Please write my mother
Tell her the shape I'm in
Tell her to pray for her son
Forgive me for my sins
Wendy has volunteered to head out of the Blues Tent to buy three frozen margaritas. Just as she returns our great friend and fellow adventure Gary Jones comes up for a chat. It was so good to catch up with Gary and hear firsthand what he has been up to.
Next up is the 66-year-old Kenny Neal. It will be hard now to get Wendy’s attention as Kenny is her ‘golden child’! Kenny’s band consists mostly of family members. He is the consummate frontman, a great singer. guitarist and harp player. He always has a beaming smile. Front row is his mother and other family members. It is always a joyous feeling at a Kenny Neal show.
We then head back to the Allison Minor stage to see Andrew Duhon. I first saw Andrew perform many years ago at the French Quarter Festival and I have been a fan ever since. Andrew is a very good storyteller and, although his songs generally have a strong message, they are thoroughly entertaining as well. I had my first beer in some six months. I will need to hit the anti-inflammatories when I get home!
There is a dilemma now. Three closing acts on three different stages. Los Lobos, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Marcus King. Who to see? We started with Los Lobos on the Fais Do Do stage. Again there was a delay in starting. The Fais Do Do stage has not got a big enough crowd area for this very popular legendary band out of L.A. We only stayed for a couple of songs before heading to the Blues Tent for Marcus King. I know I hear you say, ‘Why not Tedeschi Trucks’. My reason is I have seen them before and I have not seen Marcus King.
Marcus like ‘the Kingfish’ last evening is a new breed of bluesman that is keeping the flame burning. He is full-on energy and dazzling fretwork. It is good to see that there is a young crop of players keeping the blues alive for us oldies.
We had no problem getting home. Leftover Pizza for tea and a couple of cooling beverages rounded out the first week of Jazz Fest.
We got word that our own beloved musician Broderick Smith has passed away. Such sad news for all of us. Brod was and will always remain one of our country’s best-ever vocalists and songwriters and harmonica players. He was an observer of life and people and his sense of humor always shined through. He never took himself too seriously and was a true friend of WOW. The Dingoes shows at our club as well as his duo performances with Shannon Bourne and Richard Tankard will forever be remembered. I know we will all have our memories of seeing Brod with the Adderley Smith Blues Band, Carson, the Dingoes, and Big Combo. Vale Broderick Smith (17 February 1948 – 30 April 2023)
I was born in Algiers, twelve o’clock at night An’ the moon wasn’t shinin’, and it wasn’t a bit of light. —Charlie Spand, “Evil Woman Spell,” 1929
We awoke to a humid and overcast day and a strong possibility of rain in the forecast. We had no problems with getting an Uber. The driver gave us some very good advice about where to go to get an Uber at the end of the day’s music.
A different country’s cultural heritage is featured each year of Jazz Fest. This year it is Puerto Rico. So, I decided to try a traditional Puerto Rico meal (Trifondo) with pulled pork. It was delicious but, for $12, there was not a lot of it. As we sat and ate, we listened to Conduncto Tipico Samaritano.
Wendy and I again went to the Alison Minor stage and caught the last three songs of Anne Elise Hastings & her Revolving Cast of Characters. Pretty good. She must have had no luck in love as the songs we heard were all about unsavory past boyfriends.
At 12:35 local Lafayette singer/songwriter Lane Mack hits the stage. A strong Blues/Rock set. The weather is closing in and, being a Jazz Fest veteran, (this is my 10th.) we now move to the Blues Tent. The rest of the day’s artists in the Blues Tent are all worth a look and the added bonus is we will stay dry.
Photos: Lane Mack Band
We saw the closing songs of the Charmaine Neville band. Charmaine is always the entertainer.
Next up is Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s. As can be read by the name, we are in for some “rocking delight”. He tore the house down with his New Orleans band which featured the mighty John Fohl on guitar. I loved the set. Boogie Woogie and Jump Blues at their very best.
Bernie went out for a Ya Ka Mein run. He got back just as the downpour hit. So glad we have good seats as the tent quickly fills with people seeking shelter. This year the ushers are very strict and do not allow people to stand in the aisles.
Next up is Sonny Landreth. He played an awesome set. One of the most unique slide-guitarists in the world. Simply amazing. Bernie is having an epiphany next to me, I think I saw a tear roll down his cheek. To think that WOW almost had Sonny at Way Out West but his tour never got off the ground due to illness. Whatever music happens over the next days of Jazz Fest, this set will be hard to beat.
Landreth is best known for his slide guitar playing, having developed a technique where he also frets notes and plays chords and chord fragments by fretting behind the slide while he plays. Landreth plays with the slide on his little finger so that his other fingers have more room to fret behind the slide. He is also known for his right-hand technique, which involves tapping, slapping, and picking strings, using all of the fingers on his right hand. He wears a special thumb pick/flat pick hybrid on his thumb so that he can bear down on a pick while simultaneously using his finger-style technique for slide. (Wikipedia)
We decided to stay put and listen to the Campbell Brothers. The information blurb said they were a little like the Robert Randolph band as they are also a Sacred Steel band. I have to say their musicianship is first class and the female singer has a voice to behold. But they are so damn religious to the point of being annoying. I know this is “church music” but I don’t want to hear a sermon. We all get encouraged to chant “Hell No, Heaven Yes”, then “Don’t Let The Devil Ride, He Will Want To Drive”. Bernie has threatened to abandon the Campbell Brothers and go over with the younguns to see Ed Sheeran!
Campbell Brothers
We stuck with the religious fervor because next up is Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. A twenty-three-year-old blues singer/guitarist who is taking the world by storm. Kingfish has recently toured Australia so I know many of you reading this will know who he is. Buddy Guy is so impressed that he has become his mentor. What a show and what a band he has backing him. I thought of WOW stalwarts Tommy Backus and John Spice back home while the Kingfish was ripping off a killer solo and how I was sure they would have been ‘crying tears in their beers’.
The good news is the rain has cleared as we head out to walk to the location where it will be easier to pick up an Uber. All good and we are on our way back to the apartment. Bad news for those that stayed to see the end of Ed Sheeran as it is pouring rain again.
We headed out to Freret St for Pizza at Midway. Great restaurant. We started with Pigs in a Blanket and then ordered three large pizzas to share. One of them is a Chicago-style deep pan. The waitress shook her head saying that three pizzas may be a little too many for the four of us. She was correct! (see Hoff’s food blog for full details)
And I’m goin’ to where Lordie, water drinks like wine Where I can be drunk-staggerin’, staggerin’ all the time. —Kid Bailey, “Mississippi Bottom Blues,” 1929
It is the first day of Jazz Fest and the weather is looking mighty fine. Minimal chance of rain, a top temperature of around 28C and low humidity. Our accommodation is not close to public transport so an Uber is the best option. We arrive some 40 minutes before the gates open.
We are in just after 11 and make our plans for a meet-up spot at the finish of the day’s music. My day starts with a favorite feed of Ya Ka Mein which I enjoyed to the sounds and chants of the Semolina Warriors Mardi Gras Indians, who are performing on the outdoor Jazz & Heritage stage.
Wendy has saved me a seat in the Blues Tent for Kevir & the Blues Groovers. It must be hard for the first band on day one of a festival. People are still arriving and sorting themselves out. Well, by the end of Kevir’s set, he had the crowd standing and dancing. A very good start with an artist I knew nothing about.
Photo 1. Kevir Photo 2. Kevir’s guitarist is out with the punters
Now for Tommy McLain and C.C. Adcock. Tommy is an 83-year-old pop-swamp singer. On piano, he has Jon Cleary. There was a long delay in the set starting due to technical difficulties with Tommy’s piano. As can be imagined for someone that old his voice is a little raspy. I enjoyed the set.
I noticed that there have been some changes to staff in the Blues Tent. I used to know a lot of the security staff, but not anymore and the long-standing stage announcer is no longer with us.
The Jazz Fest has gone cashless, which has made the lines for food and drinks a lot longer as the new system is bedded in. Strange to see the guys pulling along the mobile beer trolleys and the peanut sellers carrying an EFTPOS machine.
Time for some fresh fruit-salad and a cold brew at the WWOZ hospitality tent.
We decided to take a punt and go to the Alsison Minor stage to see a band I had no knowledge of. Jon Roniger & the Good For Nothing Band. So glad we did, they are very good and we stayed for the full set. The songs are all about New Orleans characters and their foibles. Jon, I learned, is a Nashville singer-songwriter veteran and is seen frequently performing on Frenchman Street.
I know that my fellow WOW members will call Judas on me but I opted not to go and see Charlie Musselwhite but, instead, go to the Fais Do Do stage for Allison Russell, a Canadian singer-songwriter. I have one of her C.D.s. She is a fierce campaigner for women’s rights and a strong proponent of gun control. At one stage she told the audience that if “Australia and Canada can control the use of assault weapons then so can the U.S”. A brave move by her in this part of the world. I enjoyed her eclectic set. We also got to catch up with Skye, Scott, Jamie, and their traveling companions.
Allison Russell
My pick of the acts for today was Robert Plant and Allison Kraus performing at the Gentilly Stage. The crowd is overflowing and we can’t get close. No matter the big screen will suffice and the sound is fantastic. It turned out to be the highlight of the day. Here is what NOLA News said in today’s paper:
‘In front of another big crowd at the Shell Gentilly Stage, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss wove their haunted harmonies across Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore,” equal parts Kentucky holler and misty mountain. Droning fiddles and ominous mallet strikes on tom-tom drums defined a bewitched “When the Levee Breaks“.
Speaking of the crowd, I mentioned to Bernie that I thought the crowd was the biggest I had seen on the first day and the newspaper agreed with me. Probably because Lizzo and Big Freedia are both playing on the big stage today.
So the first day of music ends and we head to where the bus service will take us back to Rampart St and then we will get an Uber to get home. Wrong, the bus service route has changed. We are herded onto a bus to take us Uptown. We get to a stop down the road a bit and the bus driver yells if you want to go to Canal St get off NOW. We did as ordered and then we see Bernie gesturing for us to get back on, so we did. As the bus took off we noticed that both Bernie and Hoff were not on the bus. We rode down to the cemeteries and then tried our luck with an Uber that cost $51 for a short drive. We decided to stay and get on a Street Car and then we got attacked by a swarm of termites attracted to the lights. Time to try another Uber, $25 this time and so we finally made it home an hour and a half after leaving the fest. Well, that sure was an unexpected adventure.
Twenty-five cents will buy a half a pint of my corn You ain’t never tasted no liquor like this, since you been born. —Papa Charlie Jackson, “Corn Liquor Blues,” 1928
I’m back in my spiritual home, New Orleans. It is an overcast day. The first thing we need to do is drop off the hire car, no more driving on the “wrong side” of the road. The other important chore is to pick up our WWOZ Brass Passes for Jazz Fest.
The car was dropped off with only 23 miles left in the tank, great planning.
I am so embarrassed, I sent us all the wrong way down Canal Street after dropping off the car. I had told Hoff and Bernie that once we hit New Orleans that I was in charge of directions. The weather started to close in and I spotted a Fox News storm car zooming down Canal St, coupled with a severe storm warning advice on our phones. The rain did come down heavy but it did not last long.
Hoff and Bernie went off to explore the Quarter while Wendy and I caught a Street Car along the riverfront to the last stop. I wanted to call into the MRB bar and kitchen on St. Philip. William Wiggins my previous landlord of 6 years frequents the place in the mornings. I have been trying to contact William for months with no luck. I was told that he still comes in occasionally but has not been seen for a while. We went around to my old digs on Bourbon St. and left a note in his mailbox.
My Old Bourbon St Digs
We had arranged to meet Hoff and Bernie at the Jazz and Heritage Foundation on Rampart St to pick up our passes and they are now safely in our hands.
We had made a reservation at the iconic restaurant Dooky Chase in the Treme for 1:30. The restaurant is a bit more up-market than the places we have been dining at. We started with a Dooky Chase Passionfruit rum. I will leave the food description to Hoff’s food blog but suffice for me to say the meals were magnificent. Oh, and the rum drink must have been good as Hoff and Bernie had a second. A special mention for our server, she was awesome and joined in with our frivolity. When in New Orleans a meal at this restaurant is essential fare.
I’m goin’ to Louisiana, get myself a mojo hand ’Cause these backbitin’ women, are tryin’ to take my man. —Ida Cox, “Mojo Hand Blues,” 1927
Today is our last road trip. Leland to New Orleans. We must be excited as we are on the road at 7:35. We have to head back toward Indianola before heading to New Orleans. Skye and her group are tracking one day behind us. We are on U.S. 49 South aiming at Yazoo City (45 miles). Bernie explains that there is a method to the highway system. You know you are traveling North or South if the numbers are odd i.e. I49 and you would be traveling East or West with even an even-numbered highway. I think you can find a museum for everything in the U.S., we just passed the Catfish Museum. We are now crossing the impressive Yazoo River and we decided to stop and have morning tea at Kudzu Coffee. Oh, how good was the cinnamon bun? We turn right onto I220 (remember the numbering system)? Hoff takes over the driving duties.
The difference in the landscape between Monument Valley and what we are seeing now is virtually world’s apart. We are on the Bo Diddley Memorial highway and a bit further along we are traveling past a Lynyrd Skynyrd monument.
As we approached the small town of Silver City there was a Sherriff’s van on the grass median strip with lights flashing. A sign warned of a major incident ahead. Once we reached the town itself we noticed that a tornado had been through the area. Trees are stripped bare and one house was completely destroyed.
It is 11:32 and we pass the Welcome to Louisiana road sign. Stopping off in Hammond we hit Lee’s Diner for an early lunch. The waitress was worried about Australia being such a dangerous country, what with our spiders. snakes and fighting kangaroos. Back on the road and our last leg into NOLA. WWOZ is playing on the radio. We could have taken a more direct route (slightly shorter) but instead decide to cross the Lake Pontchartrain causeway, which is a mere 23 miles long.
The traffic is heavy once we reach NOLA. New Orleans drivers are aggressive with regard to their speed and lane changing. The potholes have not gotten any smaller since my last visit. We reached our home which will be our base for two weeks. It is only a block from a great foodies street (Freret St) which is in the area known as Uptown. We have a fantastic two-story apartment. Cara and her friend Tayla will join us here for the second week of Jazz Fest.
Our beautiful friend Pat has organized a welcome to NOLA crawfish boil at her neighbor’s home. It is going to be great to catch up with Pat and Bob ‘Gentily Jnr.’ two very dear friends. I now hand over to my Junior Correspondent Hoff to tell you how the night went:
First night in New Orleans
We’ve made haste today, We are goin’ to a crawfish boil at Rob and Wendy’s longtime NOLA friends, Bob and Pat. Charlie, their neighbor is playing host for us tonight, Ronnie, another local, is doing the boil. Clearly, we are the guests of honor as the Australian flag is hanging in pride of place on Charlie’s porch. Ronnie, an expert at boiling crawfish, is currently cleaning them and has two big boilers on the go. The first already has potatoes cooking and in time will add other vegetables added such as mushrooms, brussels sprouts, sweet potato, onions, corn, and garlic. Crawfish cleaned, and drained are added straight to the boiler.It’s a quick process, we hear no squeals and, hopefully, they feel no pain.
There are other guests coming tonight and they include Claudette and her sister Kathleen, Dorothy, and Huey. Huey, a retired butcher, still makes his own snags and he has brought a small selection to barbecue for us… and they are delicious. Meanwhile, Ronnie cooks the crawfish for 5 or so minutes, then it’s time to add the flavor to both the veggies and the Crawfish and just let them soak it up. Spices include a whole bottle of a Cajun Crawfish boil additive, the usual suspects of freshly ground spices, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, thyme, oregano, dry mustard, dill weed, bay leaves. and a fair bit more of that cayenne pepper. You can smell the flavors in the air. We are each given a full tray of crawfish and asked to take a selection of the prepared vegetables. These vegetables are called fixin’s – almost like you would refer to condiments or accessories to the meal. Everybody is digging in. It takes a lot of twisting and peeling and the locals are keen to first suck out the head and then attack the tail.
Photo 2. Homemade Sausage Photo 3. Size of Crawfish plate for each of us!
The conversation is cordial as we stay away from politics, religion, and the contentious second amendment gun rights. Although Bernie does throw out the “Joe Biden” and Rob the “gun” words! There are some cracker homemade brownies on offer for dessert and a cup of vanilla ice cream. After a little bit of cleaning up and some reminiscing by our party of visits to America and some of their party on visits to Australia, we have all loosened up and got to know each other. It’s been a long day and we make a gracious and thankful exit. Southern hospitality lives up to its reputation here in New Orleans.
Sun gonna shine in my back door someday An’ the wind gonna change gonna blow my blues away. —Tommy Johnson, “Maggie Campbell Blues,” 1928
We are on the road at 7:30 in search of coffee. The first stop before the caffeine rush is to pull up at the Riverside Hotel. The hotel was used as a stopping-off point for Blues performers on their way to Chicago. It is also the hotel in which the famed blues singer Bessie Smith died after a car accident. We were pointed in the direction of Yazoo Pass coffee, and we are now ready for the road.
We are on U.S. 49 East/South and we are very surprised the see that there is a road sign saying the Emmett Till Memorial Highway. Wow, that is a change of heart for the state of Mississippi. We found Bryant’s Grocery, now in ruins. There is a Civil Rights memorial marker explaining the history of what happened here. I am sure many of you have recently viewed the Emmet Till movie.
Now on to Greenwood. We stopped off at Robert Johnson’s grave site at the First Little Zion M.B. church. There is some conjecture about the documented site of Johnson’s grave but it does not stop us from paying homage to the legendary Bluesman.
The next stop is the Tallahatchie Bridge, made famous in the 1967 release of Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry. The original wooden bridge collapsed in 1972 after being set alight by vandals. The boulevard into the town is picturesque, tree-lined with many impressive homes.
It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day I was out choppin’ cotton, and my brother was balin’ hay And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat And mama hollered out the back door, y’all, remember to wipe your feet And then she said, I got some news this mornin’ from Choctaw Ridge Today, Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge
Today is a sort of get-in and get-out sort of day as we visit historical sites one after another on our way to our overnight stop in Leland, Mississippi.
Indianola was the birthplace and is now the resting place of the one and only B.B. King (died 14/05/2015, aged 89). He returned every year for his Indianola homecoming. There has been a museum and interpretive center in the town since 2008. The last time I was here Mr. King was still alive. There are now more exhibits to view, including his personal studio, Rolls Royce, ute, and tour bus. When you exit the museum you are directed to a very tasteful memorial to the great man at his final resting place.
We stopped off for lunch at another roadside Mexican diner (when will we learn?) called Los Molcuajettes. Average food, good service, and unlimited Dr. Pepper. At 2:07 we are on our way to Greenville. Bernie is after a couple of long-sleeved t-shirts for bike riding and he wants to find a T J Maxx outlet. We pulled into a Mall and there was the outlet. I tell you without a lie we were nearly the only people in the whole complex. I had to find a rest room which took me to another department store. An older employee looked a little suspiciously at me and asked what I was looking for. I am looking a little unkempt, I know. Anyway, I did what I had to do and, as I exited, I saw a security man waiting for me just to make sure, I guess, that I was legit.
We then stopped off at the Cypress Preserve Trust, a sixteen-acre cypress break in what is known as a slough. A slough is a wetland depression or swamp in which cypress trees grow. the cypress likes slow-moving water. There is a warning sign to be aware of. ‘Leaves of three let be’. It will be poison ivy.
We make our final stop at Leland. Leland was the childhood home of the Muppets creator Jim Henson and also a young Johnny Winter. The Air BnB is a little older than most of the accommodations we have stayed in but it is clean. The owner left a stack of snacks as well as bacon and eggs. Very nice gesture. She also left little pamphlets around the place about why Jesus is the man! Just to finish up a comment on the billboards we have seen while traveling through Mississippi. They are mostly ads for accident lawyers or religious musings. The most ridiculous one I noted said something like ‘ and God Created the World’ accompanied by a drawing of the classic evolution chain with a big X to cross it out.
Evolution ape to man silhouette illustration concept.
We are on the road by eight o’clock. We are heading to Clarksdale but we will have a detour to check out Oxford. Bernie hopes that the suspension holds for the car as there are some mighty big pot-holes on the road heading to the freeway. We head out on the I20 South. Through Como and then into Oxford, Mississippi by 9:30. Oxford is a university town and the very famous ‘Ole Mis is a prestigious university. It has a football stadium that seats near on 100,000 people. School break is over and the city is buzzing with students.
I went a little crazy at one of the classy bookshops in the Square. Oxford is a beautiful town, very clean, and has a lot of history with regard to the Civil War. The Yankees in fact burned most of the square down.
We also went into the best men’s clothing store I have ever been in. Unfortunately, the price tags were a little on the high side. Our next place to visit was the grave site of the Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner (William Falkner). Mr. Faulkner also has some history in New Orleans. We found the cemetery easily enough but the grave site was another matter. Wendy saw a guy driving a truck and it turned out to be the cemetery maintenance man. Willie was his name, he said hop in and I’ll drive y’all to it. I paid my due respects. I have read three of Mr. Faulkner’s books. Absalom Absalom, As I Lay Dying, and The Sound and the Fury. Mr. Faulkner’s books are difficult to read but you must persevere. His descriptions of life in the South are something to savor. We then went to the home he lived in after returning from New Orleans (Rowan Oak). It is closed on Mondays but we were able to walk around the grounds.
I had been telling my fellow travelers that the Ajax Diner has the best meatloaf in the world. That is because Brian Wise told me that. It was only 11:30 but there was already a line waiting to get in. We all ordered the meatloaf with various sides. Drum Roll – after such a big build-up the meatloaf was very underwhelming.
On the road and on our way to Clarksdale. We are driving through the heart of the Delta, flat land and plenty of crops are underway. We got into town around 2:30 and checked out Cat Head Records. There is still a lot of advertising around the place about the Juke Joint Festival that was held a few weeks back. I know there was a strong contingent of Aussies in attendance. We checked out the famous Crossroads sign and then headed over to the Shack Up Inn to check in.
So here is a special treat for y’all. I am handing over to Bernie to tell you about our night-time adventures
Our evening out in Clarksdale starts badly. We meet for a drink at the Commissary at the Shack Up Inn (described rather accurately by Mohair Slim as Disneyland for Blues fans). An acoustic duo is playing covers, with a schizophrenic sound system. A couple of rednecks decide that they can talk louder than the band. Then, sin of sins, the duo butcher two John Prine songs. It all adds up to a disaster, so we head to town. Our destination is Bluesberry Cafe. Our man at Cat Head Records has alerted us to the show there tonight. He tells us that Watermelon Slim, who graced the WOW stage with Fiona Boyes, may make an appearance as it is his 74th birthday.
We sneak onto the last free table – good timing. The place is buzzing, and the band is setting up, and yes, there is Watermelon Slim. Rob reacquaints himself with the great man. Yes, he remembers bits of his Australian trip. He comes over later to tell us that he is wearing a special shirt with an Aussie indigenous design. He literally swapped shirts with a bloke he met on the street on his trip down under.
The act appearing tonight is Lucious Spiller and band. They are a bit scratchy at the beginning and take a while to warm into the groove. A few songs into the set an acquaintance walks in and suddenly he has Lucious’ guitar and has joined the band. A few songs later, a young guy (dubbed “hopeless case” by us due to his t-shirt design) takes out a harmonica and the once four-piece band is now six players. Then Watermelon sings a song and that makes seven. He then retreats to the bongos. Hang on ….. a guy has pulled out a flute, it is now an eight-piece orchestra! Monday night is clearly jam night at the cafe. The band plays a lot of blues classics – Little Red Rooster, Further On Up The Road, and Sweet Home Chicago. A couple of non-blues songs are added to the set, including Dock of the Bay and Johnny B Goode.
We had a feed of muffulettas – oversized stuffed sandwiches to soak up the beer. But it wasn’t about the food. It was a typical Monday night of music and friendship in the Blues capital of the world.
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