I was speaking to a colleague about Tin having become a music dictator – he has his music and as far as he is concerned, we should listen to ours somewhere else. Trombone Shorty, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, some Brian Eno, Gal Holiday, and Professor Longhair for starters. My part of the conversation was fear we had created a music monster and what my friend said is he envisioned Tin growing up to…
It’s not even the end of January 2011 and so far it feels as if this year has expanded beyond its days, its minutes, its moments to contain unsettling, unexpected, and unexamined events. The year began with a harbinger of what was to be the theme of this year – trust. And that five letter word now pervades every meaning – can we trust government? Should we trust China? How long shall we trust our…
Before I start winding down by cleaning up my desk and figuring out my calendar for next week, let me just say that the season has begun in earnest here in New Orleans – Mardi Gras kicked off on Epiphany, Jan 6th and was underscored by the first parade of the year – Joan of Arc parade. Next up Martin Luther King weekend with marches and memorials a plenty. Do you know some cities don’t…
This weekend is a long one in remembrance of Martin Luther King. Why stop the madness and take some time to honor this man? Well that question is almost akin to asking why New Orleans should be rebuilt, but I’ll answer it and not just because I’m the proud mama of a little black boy, but because Martin Luther King did not fight just for black people, he fought for every people – for you…
Last night, I went to meet a friend at Houston’s in Metairie and I walked in at night, to see so many young faces – servers and hosts and cooks – that it brought me back to a time in my life that seems like it was someone else’s life. I worked as a server there when I was in my early twenties. It was when I was with the first love of my life.…
When Tin was around 10 months he started singing this song and it went gunda, gunda, gunda da and now that song has progressed to him using his voice to mime an instrument – he puts the recorder or his drumstick up by his neck, looks in the mirrors in the den and begins his performance, ammmmmm, ummmmmm, ommmmmm – wailing on his horn. Other than picking up our erudite language like fucking jerk and…
I walked through City Park this morning, once more in awe of the beauty at my doorstep. I had been talking to someone that the need to feel restored by nature exists right outside my front door – a contemplative walk around the bayou, a stroll around the Big Lake in City Park, a longer walk through the cypress forests or abandoned golf course in the park, an urban walk to the French Quarter. One…
Offbeat is running their best of the best award and it’s time for everyone to vote. You have to shake your head at this list – it’s like an embarrassment of riches and so many that are still not even on here – no brainers are James Singleton, Trombone Shorty and his Bacca Town album – I even voted him best trumpet player for that solo he does on St. James Infirmary, best clarinetist –…
Caught in a trap – too much to do – no time to do it – and I was supposed to start my homeplay today – meaning my meditation at home – when, how, where? So a thought for the day is all I can offer: I wish there was a censor for everything that wastes my time – I just watched a Colbert Report segment because it said he was endorsing the Black Keys…