NOLA Diary

LONGTIMEJOAN OF ARC FAN?

OR JUST PLAIN CURIOUS ABOUT JOANIE ON THE PONY AND HER STORY?

…THEN YOU SHOULD JOIN US FOR THE…

Salon de Jeanne d’Arc (http://stjoankrewe.blogspot.com/) 

Saturday & Sunday May 19 and 20th, 2012

As part of this unique event,take a French Quarter Tour led by James Geraghty, licensed tour guide and Francophile. Experience the storied streets of the Vieux Carré and three hundred years of French presence in the Crescent City. Your tour includes such sites as New Orleans’ birthplace, the Mississippi River; early colonial history at the Ursuline Convent and Madame John’s Legacy; the French Market (America’s oldest public market); Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral; the identical, block-long Pontalba Buildings; the statue of Joan of Arc; and unique locations covering topics such as Degas in New Orleans, French Opera, Jazz, and Creole cuisine.   

90-minute tour leaves Saturday May 19^th at 10:30am from the Bienville House Hotel, 320 Decatur Street, in the French Quarter. Reservations are not required but tour is limited to the first 10 people. Tour is free and open to the public. Questions? Email Amy at joanofarcparade@email.com or call (504) 251-5046. 

To be considered a great American city, Gilded Age New Orleans needed a great art museum like those in Philadelphia and New York City. That was the opinion of the sugar industry baron Isaac Delgado, who donated $150,000 to build a Beaux Arts temple in City Park, in 1911.

Over the years, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) has hosted milestone exhibits of works by Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and others. Recent exhibits include “Femme, Femme, Femme: Paintings of Women in French Society” in 2007, a solo show by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue in 2008 and a selection of works from Walt Disney Studios in 2009.

The museum is currently home to 35,000 works, including collections of African art, fine art glass, decorative arts and Japanese art that are among the finest in the country. The adjacent sculpture garden contains works by Claes Oldenberg, George Rickey, and Louise Bourgeois.  

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, the celebrated jazz musician and entertainer, was born to humble means in New Orleans. He claimed July 4, 1900, as his birth date, but years following his death, researchers discovered records showing his actual birthday was August 4, 1901.

As a boy, Armstrong was exposed to jazz around Storyville (the red-light district) and elsewhere in the city. Following a trail blazed by other musicians, Armstrong moved to Chicago in 1922 to join fellow New Orleanian Joe “King” Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. He followed this with a move to New York, again seeking to advance his career.

With his Hot Five and Hot Seven ensembles, he constructed the template for modern jazz with dazzling improvisations. Recording for various labels and touring at furious pace, he built an international audience. 

In later years, he received as much acclaim for his gravelly vocals as his trumpet heroics. He scored his biggest pop hit with “Hello, Dolly!”, the title song from a 1964 Broadway musical. The sentimental “What a Wonderful World,” the signature song of his latter-day career, followed in 1967. He died in his sleep at home on July 6, 1971. He was 69.

His house in Queens, NY is now a museum. In New Orleans, the park along the northern edge of the French Quarter and the former Moisant Airport are named for him. Each summer, the Satchmo SummerFest celebrates his legacy.

To view the Louis Armstrong statue, as pictured, visit Armstrong Park at 901 North Rampart St. Click here for directions and a map.

In 1854, City Park was created on the site of the former Allard Plantation in New Orleans. But it remained undeveloped for years, serving as a pasture for livestock and a destination for picnickers. 

It was also the site of many duels, particularly underneath two trees that came to be known as the Dueling Oaks. Public opinion gradually shifted against dueling, though, and by 1890 it had disappeared.

Today City Park is among the largest urban parks in the country. Its attractions include a miniature train, flower gardens, a sculpture garden, athletic facilities and many fishing spots. The annual “Celebration in the Oaks” is a holiday draw.

I just finished reading Ignatius Rising, a biography of the late John Kennedy Toole. Without question John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces is a genuine American classic, and this superb biography presents definitive new insights into both the enigmatic novelist and his satirical masterwork. A Confederacy of Dunces captures New Orleans brilliantly; and I look forward to discussing Ignatius Rising on my literary tour.

What a beautiful time it was to experience Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans. Perhaps most memorably for me, I enjoyed the creativity on display in the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods of the city. The above photos were taken prior to the Society of Saint Anne, a krewe that parades each year. Known for stunning and imaginative costumes, they march to Canal Street to meet the Rex Parade, then return into the French Quarter. Overall, it was a fantastic day for the Society of Saint Anne and many others.

It’s Carnival time in New Orleans! And tonight, I headed out to join a couple of friends for the Krewe of Hermes parade, as pictured. Float titles included The Ruby Vintage, The Sultan’s Turret, and The Moon of My Daylight. Flambeaux and masked lieutenants on horseback surrounded over 25 floats. Throws included jeweled goblets, lighted winged headbands, and beads in multiple varieties. 

Tomorrow’s parades include Endymion, one of the largest and most popular during Mardi Gras. Alas, I will be leading tour groups all day…

It takes 15 minutes for the spinning Carousel Bar to do a full rotation. And that’s certainly enough time to order one of the bar’s classic drinks — including the Sazerac, Pisco Sour or Ramos Gin Fizz. Many writers, including Eudora Welty and Ernest Hemingway, were inspired by this fabled watering hole. A favorite of locals and tourists alike, the bar is a great place to experience the unique flavor of New Orleans.

In 2011, the Carousel Bar expanded to include additional space for cocktails and live music. If you’re looking for a memorable time in the French Quarter, be sure to visit the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal Street). Who knows, I might even be there! 

 I just finished rereading Mr. New Orleans, an entertaining ride through the underbelly of a bygone New Orleans. Mr. New Orleans tells the incredible story of Frenchy Brouillete, one of the most notorious gangsters in all of Louisiana folklore. Much like his cousin and protector, the four-time Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards, bodybuilding champion Frenchy lived a life of epic glamour and debauchery during the golden age of the American Mafia in the French Quarter. In Mr. New Orleans, Frenchy becomes the first person to break the code of secrecy in the New Orleans Mafia; and in doing so, he shares the shocking true story of America’s oldest and most mysterious crime family … and its potential involvement in the Kennedy Assassination.  If you’re a fan of James Lee Burke, drop what you’re reading and pick this book up!

That’s right, it’s Carnival season — and this past Saturday, I had the pleasure of catching the ‘tit Rex parade in my Bywater neighborhood. ‘tit Rex is the world’s first Mardi Gras Microkrewe and Live Miniature Parade, as captured in these sample photos. It was a thrill to see so many creative floats on display. Later that night, I caught some art openings in the St. Claude Avenue Arts’ District. What a great night for the Bywater!