Poppagator,

Thanks for your take on Nwa-lins. That's a good way of spelling it!

Jelly Roll Morton, a Nwa-lins native, clearly said New Or-LEENS, whether he was singing or speaking. I can't say for sure that he ALWAYS said it that way, but during the Lomax interviews he said it that way quite frequently; I've heard them many times. Could this either be an older pronunciation or an ethnic one? He was from a (black) creole family. You'd think that would make his accent more French rather than less...