Let's fly down,
or drive down,
to New Orleans.
That city,
'so pretty,
it's so extreme.
I'll take you,
I'll parade you,
down Bourbon Street.
You'll see all the hot spots,
you'll meet all those big shots,
down on New Orleans.
-- Bourbon Street Parade, 1949© Words and Music by Paul Barbarin
Everyone in the office now knows that I get a bit obsessed over things like large weather catastrophes. Hurricane Katrina, however, is hitting me pretty hard as I recently went on a trip there and fell in love with the city, but espcially - the music.
I went to New Orleans as a college graduation present to myself in 2003. (Now you all know I'm the young one!) Not being the partying type, I went to experience the soul of Dixieland. I'm a clarinet player and had heard about Preservation Hall. In fact, we had performed an arrangement of Just a Closer Walk With Thee in my university concert band, where I played one of the solos. My director kept telling us to make it "more like those guys down south in Preservation Hall." I was in the spirit and wanted to see "those guys" for myself.
I sat on the hard wooden floor of that Hall being serenaded to by the masters of Dixieland. A sign on the wall indicated "Traditional Requests: $2, Others: $5, The Saints: $10" and like the geeky tourist that I am, was tempted to request The Saints...but kept quiet. It was an amazing night of music and musicianship.
But you don't only find music in the tourist traps of New Orleans, because the city thrives on its musical roots. I saw at least 2 jazz funeral processions and one night sat in Jackson Square watching the most amazing jazz clarinetist jam with some friends.
It breaks my heart to no end that this vibrant city now sits under 20 feet of water, with looting, danger, disease and violence everywhere. I hope one day I get to go back to N'Awlins and hear the music of the city. If I don't, it will always beat to its gentle Southern rhythm in my memories.