New Orleans Music in July '04

Subject: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 11:38 AM

I'll be doing a two week gig at O'Flaherty's in New Orlean's French Quarter during the last half of July '04. I've got one or two shows each day from July 16 to 26. If you're in town, please come out and say hello!

I have a new recording project beginning in August with Paul Mills in Toronto (and Brian McNeill) - so I'll be working hard on the songs for that project during the New Orleans shows. But that doesn't mean ya shouldn't bring along a whistle, a harmonica or just a song! We can try a song or two while you're there.

My calendar lists the details - but in truth, if you just stop by the Pub on any late afternoon - I'll probably be there! Also shows in the concert room on Fri, Sat and Sun evenings.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 12:06 AM

one more try, in case we have any New Orleans bound Mudactters in July ...

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: greg stephens
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 06:26 AM

Jed i would love to stop by, but I'm a bit stuck in England right now. Have a nice time. Let the good times rouler.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 04:47 PM

England ought to be a bit more temperate in July. You're probably better off!

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 10:41 AM

Wow - 4 entries, so far and 3 of them are mine!!

I'm heading off tomorrow for a couple dates in Houston, then on to New Orlaans ... so last try for this thread (I was just kidding when I said that last time).

I hope to see a Mudcatter or two in New Orleans over the next couple of weeks.

By the way, the dates have changed a bit. I'm there from July 14 - 29.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 04:30 PM

Before you go you should know that the correct pronounciation of that city is "Nawlins".

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: PoppaGator
Date: 12 Jul 04 - 05:24 PM

"N'walins" is actually closer to the actual pronunciation than the heavily-advertised "Nawlins." That's two-and-a half or three syllables, eliding "noo-AW-lins."

I never ever heard anyone speak the two-syllable "naw-lins" until after various commercial enterprises had begun putting it in print that way about 10 years ago. I think someone's *flawed* attempt at phonetic spelling of actual speech somehow managed to catch on. Now it's become pretty commonplace among strangers, advertisers, and others trying to be cute, but natives and neighbors use several different pronunciations, NOT including "Nawlins." The uptown upper-crust tend to include the most syllables: "Noo-AHL-lee-unz."

The main thing to keep in mind is that "New Or-LEENZ" is incorrect, even though that's the way the city name is usually pronounced in songs, because it usually scans and rhymes more readily than any variation of the correct pronunciation. On the other hand, when the word "Orleans" appears without the word "New," as in Orleans Parish (county), Orleans Avenue, etc., "or-LEENZ" *is* correct. Go figure.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 12:40 AM

Actually, I can manage the pronounciation pretty well ... but ya can't tell that from spelling!

I have noticed the folks who say "Noo-AHL-lee-unz" - and it suits them just fine, but I do not have license to say it like that ... so I'll stick my more subtle "N'walins" - which is just about how it rolls comfortably off my tongue ...

July heat or no, I'll be there for two weeks. I hope to say hello to a few friends I never met, yet ...

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Dead Horse
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 01:16 PM

Mike West, who has a regular spot at Margaritaville in the french Market, will be here in UK for a few weeks, and is playing at 2 local pubs and Broadstairs FF. I was going to suggest you catch his act, but he aint gonna be thar, he be here!!!!

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Dead Horse
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 01:18 PM

http://www.mikewest.net/

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Ship'scat
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 02:28 PM

My understanding is that the high sylabic count "Noo-AHL-lee-unz." version comes from the low life, blue colar YATs (contraction of YOU and AT) of Bucktown (North East of the French Quarter) rather than the Uptown sugar barons. YATs are a matriarchal society and have phrase like "MOM-N-EM" for "Mother and them".

Keep your ears tuned for the YATs, there closer to a Brooklyn, NY or Eastern European dialect than they are to Mississippi where they might be more likely to say "noo-AW-lins."

Hope to see you at O'Flaherty's

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 03:05 PM

I was in New Orleans in April and I miss it so much. Wrote a song on the banks of the Mississippi - Breakfast On Bourbon - sing it regularly, takes me back whenever I want to go back. The one question a Yorkshire boy asks himself when he's sat on the steps in front of Jackson Square, with his feet dangling in the cold Mississippi is 'How did I get here?'

Have fun all who can get there.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: PoppaGator
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 03:31 PM

Ship'scat is correct in that the working class "Yats" tend to stretch out "New Orleans" to the same 4-syllable length as the uptown Mardi Gras royalty crowd. The accents are different, but I can't convey the difference by phonetic spelling.

The amazingly close similarlity of the common urban-New-Orleans "Yat" accent to that of Brooklyn/Bronx/Jersey was explained to me once thusly: the same nationality groups immigrated at about the same time to N.O. and to New York (and other port cities of the northeast), so they exerted the same influence on colloquial American English in both areas, despite the geographical separation. Makes sense to me.

Mike West isn't the only local musician to hit the road for summertime, when it's really hot humid and miserable hereabouts. There's pretty much a mass exodus; in fact, when I first saw Jed's thread-title "New Orleans Music in July '04," I expected to see some local performer's nationwide itinerary, bringing N.O. music to your town, or whatever. It's so bad that several usually-busy nightclub/venues have closed their doors for the next couple of months.

Also, by the way: Mike West, when in town for the cooler 9 or 10 months, gigs regularly not only at Margaritaville, but also at the French Quarter "other" Irish pub besides O'Flaherty's, the Kerry on Decatur Street.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jul 04 - 08:17 AM

PoppaGator and folks,

Here's a nice treament of Yatspeak

http://www.gumbopages.com/yatspeak.html

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: PoppaGator
Date: 14 Jul 04 - 06:52 PM

Thanks, GUEST. The link you provide (to "How to Tawk Rite") is hilarious and 99% accurate, if not moreso. I recommend it to all...

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Celtaddict
Date: 14 Jul 04 - 07:39 PM

O'Flaherty's is one of my favorite places on earth and I am so envious. Say hi to the place/folks for me (assume Danny's away if you are in the Ballad Room weekends, a great but underutilized venue). Danny gave me my Jed Marum CD. Still looking for my next NO fix. (I live 1300 miles from my "regular" pub.)

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: GUEST,jed on a borrowed PC
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 05:52 PM

Yep - it's hot, the crowds are small, but it's air-conditioned inside ... the streets are still fun to walk, the food's still good. I know it's off-season, but it filled the calendar, and I always enjoye New ORleans ... even in the heat!

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Marion
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 06:03 PM

And did you leave your New York City blues behind, Jed?

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 02:09 PM

Yes Marion, I did! I sang the song a time or too, during the visit.

Nice to meet you, PoppaGator. Thanks for coming out and saying hello! I expect I'll be back next year and will certainly be back for the Celtic Nations Festival in Oct.

Celtaddict - where are you, 1300 miles away?

Ship'scat - I guess you didn't make it? Maybe we'll say hello at the Celtic Nations Festival in October.

____________

It was a great trip. Nice folks who run the pub, and I enjoyed the city very much too ... the weather was HOT HOT HOT ... the crowds were small ... and the hustle was on at every street corner - but I truly enjoyed walking the streets and listening to music from the sidewalks.

Bourbon Street wasn't much for my tastes, beyond a mildly amusing and occasional "people watch" ... but Jackson Sqaure and some of the busking performers were damn good, and there was some really fine jazz and blues off Bourbon Street and even outside the Quarter.

I played a lot; every day I did 5 hours, four of the days I did 8 1/2 hours. It didn't give me much time to recover, but I only had a few days of hoarse singing, and managed that OK too.

Every show I met travelers from all over the US, a few from Canada and the UK too. I was surprised to have Danny Boy requested at least twice during every show! But since they were listening to Spancil Hill, Foggy Dew, and Lakes Of Ponchartrain - I played Danny Boy whenever it was requested. I figured it was a fair trade - and I did always talk about the songs origins, too.

I spent a bit of time, including some playing time with my friend Beth Patterson. Beth is a regualr at O Flahertys. She's a very fine performer and gifted musician. It was pleasure to see her again and to play a few songs with her.

I also enjoyed spending some time with Jeff Phillips - another of Flahertys regulars, and a fine performer.

The Pub has a real New Orleans feel, being in the heart of things and in the French Quarter - but with a true interest in providing Irish music, history and culture. I hope every Mudcatter reading this post will get the chance to pay a visit to the place one day ... and listen to some great music over a pint, and maybe a bowl of Danny's Irish Stew!

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: PoppaGator
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 03:35 PM

Glad you enjoyed the visit, Jed; let's get together and have even more fun next time.

Good music "even outside the Quarter," huh? Actually, almost all of the venues featuring the best and most interesting local music *are* outside the Quarter, which caters so completely to the tourist trade (except of course for O'Flaherty's).

The players in all those French Quarter barrooms are highly skilled, of course -- they put in long hours in front of sometimes-unruly audiences, and if they're not already hardened veterans, they learn pretty quick. But later, when they start writing their own music and fronting their own bands, they normally leave the Quarter and start playing venues uptown and all around the town, like Tipitina's, the Howlin' Wolf, Maple Leaf, etc.

Next time you're in town, I'll have to take you to the amazing one-of-a-kind Rock 'n' Bowl at Mid City Lanes. Also, the late Thursday night jam session at Vaughn's (at its obscure Ninth Ward location) featuring Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 05:23 PM

OK - so I can't kid Seamus Kennedy about touring Alaska in the winter anymore ... here I go back to New Orleans for the second year in a row!

Do it once and you can blame it on ignorance, "I didn;t know it would soooo hot and humid!" ... but twice? Well, you're just a glutton for punishment! But what can you expect from someone who loved living in Houston?

-----

I'll be back in New Orleans for two weeks at O'Flaherty's (see link above) from July 10 - 24. Details are here.

I hope to see a Mudcatter or two, please stop and say hello, if you're crazy enough to visit the Big Easy in the heat of summer!

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 05:25 PM

OK - the details weren't there!!

try here and also:

Event Date: Jul 10, 2005 through Jul 24, 2005
Venue: O'Flaherty's Irish Channel; Ballad Room   
City & State: New Orleans, LA
Time: 8:00 PM to 12:30 AM
Notes: 10-Jul Sun 8:30 pm - 1:00 am Pub
11-Jul Mon 8:30 pm - 1:00am Pub
12-Jul Tue 3:30 pm - 8:30 pm Pub
13-Jul Wed 3:30 pm - 8:30 pm Pub
14-Jul Thu 8:00 pm - 12:30 am Ballad Room
15-Jul Fri 8:00 pm - 12:30 am Ballad Room
16-Jul Sat 8:00 pm - 12:30 am Ballad Room
17-Jul Sun 8:30 pm - 1:00 am Pub
18-Jul Mon 3:30 pm - 8:30 pm Pub
19-Jul Tue 3:30 pm - 8:30 pm Pub
20-Jul Wed no show
21-Jul Thu 8:00 pm - 12:30 am Ballad Room
22-Jul Fri 8:00 pm - 12:30 am Ballad Room
23-Jul Sat 8:00 pm - 12:30 am Ballad Room
24-Jul Sun 4:00 pm - 8:30 pm Pub

Address: 514 Toulouse St.
Phone: [phone]
http://www.CelticNationsWorld.com/oflahertys.htm

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: PoppaGator
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 05:39 PM

As the only Mudcatter (I think!) living in N.O., I'm asking that any and all visitors who might be in town please get in touch with me (via PM) as well as with Jed.

Peggy and I are going on the road for a week's vacation Wednesday through Wednesday (7/13-7/20), but we expect to pop in on Jed (at least briefly) on the weekends before and after our trip out of town.

Too bad we'll be missing Jed's only two evenings off (the two Wednesdays); no opportunity to drag him away from Danny O'Flaherty's influence and really show him around town.

As I understand it, Jed will make a live-in-the-studio appearance on WWOZ's Saturday morning Celtic music program during his visit (either on the 16th or the 23d?). That will be available worldwide on the web between 10 and 11:30 am US CEntral time (GMT minus 6), one Saturday or the other.

By the way, this coming fall I'll be performing at the Celtic Nations Festival, too ~ as a member of the NO Quarter Shantey Krewe.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 06:09 PM

Yes - please do contact PoppaGator - I am leaving twon shortly and my communication will be spotty at best.

Still no confirmation from WWOZ - but I believe O'Flaherty's has been in touch and they may have confirmed things. Also my emails issues have been problematic so maybe that accounst for no response. Anyway - I'll call him once I get into town.

Glad to see you in the line-up for Celtic Nations Festival. I am looking forward to that as well.

See ya

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: JedMarum
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 06:16 PM

... seems my typo skills are spotty at best, too!

town

accounts

...anything else?

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: PoppaGator
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 06:28 PM

Dang, Jed, don't worry about it ~ we can decipher those kinda typos easily enough, even unconsiously.

Now, sometimes one mis-types a word and actually spells another different word with a different meaning ~ that's when I wish this site had that edit-your-own-post capability, like they do over at tweedsblues.net, f'rinstance.

Subject: RE: New Orleans Music in July '04
From: Ernest
Date: 08 Jul 05 - 02:40 PM

Ah again I am missing something I would like to see... hope I can coordinate things better next time. N.O. is a really beautiful place and PoppaGator someone whose recommendations can be trusted!
Good luck
Ernest