New Orleans, LA in the French Quarter

1/12-15/11

I try to get to New Orleans at least once a year simply because the music, food and atmosphere charge my battery like no where else on earth. This visit was no exception and I found a lot of old friends and made a few new ones on my musical journeys. One old friend I didn't get to see was Kermit Ruffins who chose to fly to NYC at exactly the same time that I flew into New Orleans. One other annoying aspect of this trip was the temperature. The temperatures were hitting the low 'teens at night which is almost unheard of in Louisiana. The locals were freezing to death and most of the clubs on Bourbon Street have inadequate heating systems and they all leave their front doors open anyway. Most of the following videos were taken in clubs on Bourbon Street or within about a four block radius. Yes, I've seen Treme and I know that Bourbon Street has a well-deserved reputation for tackiness, tourism and often crummy music. But I actually like the tackiness and the truth  is there is a lot of great music on these few blocks (yes mixed in with the strip joints and the tacky tourist traps). You just have to be patient and search it out. For the following videos sometimes I know the name of the band, sometimes I know the name of the club and sometimes I am fuzzy about both--for a variety of predictable reasons.


The video below features Bryan Lee or Braille Blues Daddy as he is sometimes billed. As you might guess, Lee is blind. The strange thing is I saw him at Quaker Steak and Lube in Sharon, PA on  a Monday night about 1 1/2 years ago. I was shocked to walk into this club on  Bourbon Street to find him sitting on the bandstand. I actually knew that Lee had a long previous stint on Bourbon Street but I hadn't realized that he had returned. This video was taken in a new club on the far west end of Bourbon and the place was pretty full which accounts for some of my shaky camera work.

You can tell from  the video below that it was quite cold outside. This band was playing on the street for tips. (Yes, I tipped them.)

This video was shot at the Tropical Isle Bayou Club. I was hoping to see Jimmy Thibodeaux who has moved down to this club from the Krazy Korner but I found out he was in the hospital and had just had surgery that week. I'm not sure of the name of this band but they are a pretty good example of traditional cajun zydeco music. The guy with white hair in the front is playing the spoons. I wish I could make a living playing kitchen utensils.

This video was taken on Thursday morning  in Jackson Square. The lead singer/trumpet player keeps asking people to take their picture with him so he can ask for a tip. (I didn't get a picture and I didn't tip him. He  was too annoying.)

The video below was taken at Fat Catz, a club that generally features R&B as opposed to blues. They seem to have an ever changing group of singers but they are all pretty good.

I wasn't sure of what to make of the band featured in the video below. It was the first time I had heard anything approaching New Wave music in  New Orleans and it was being sung by a group of white men in colorful suits. This band was in a new club and I'm not sure if everyone was on the same page. I didn't stay long but I took the video just because of the suits.

Contrary to popular belief there is still traditional jazz on  Bourbon Street and this video was shot at Maison Bourbon Jazz Club. The video is short because they frown on videotaping and you can see the trumpet player shake his finger at me at the end of the video.    

This band was sort of a zydeco/rock mix but they did a good job of getting people off their feet and attempting the scrubboard.

Probably the prize for most the most powerful band I saw on this trip to New Orleans goes to Dwayne Dopsie and his Zydeco Kings. This video was shot at the Krazy Korner about 10 in the evening when  they had been playing  about six hours straight. Pretty amazing.

Nice version  of a Supremes song here. I don't know the name of the band and I am not sure where I was at. It was getting late. I remember that much.

Debbie and the Deacons at another of the Tropical Isle clubs. They are always worth a song or two. You will notice the cartoon of a hand grenade on the back wall. That is the deadly signature drink of the Tropical Isle.

This jazz swings more toward dixieland jazz which of course was perfected here in New Orleans. This video was shot at Fritzel's Jazz Club. This club is small so people pack into small seats in front of the bandstand.

This video was taken at Sing Sings which has been my favorite club for my last few visits. Unfortunately the house band at Sing Sings changed since the last time I was there. These guys aren't bad but they aren't up to the quality of their old house band and where did the all the great girl singers go?

Another cold street band. I must have saw these guys 20 times over the course of three days. They never stopped playing.

Another house band change at the Famous Door. This is one of the few clubs that features classic rock that I will go into in New Orleans. The main reason is the lead guitarist with the topknot that you see to the left. But I found out on this visit the rest of band left the Famous Door and now are playing in various configurations all over New Orleans. The replacement band members aren't as good and this isn't a particularly good example of the guitarist's work but you can't beat the song.

And last but not least my favorite modern zydeco band on Bourbon Street, The Bonoffs. The Bonoffs have been playing at the Old Opera House for several years and they always know how to get a crowd moving.