[Dixielandjazz] Where was the jazz?

[David Richoux]

A lot of New Orleans bands always hit the road in August because it is 
the worst kind of hot in that city right now. (Nothing new - before 
they figured out that mosquitoes spread Yellow Fever the entire city 
would just about clear out for the whole summer.)

Another thing that has happened in the last 25 years is the great 
success of the JazzFest, French Quarter Festival and WWOZ - all 
creating a "re-birth" of interest in all sorts of new Orleans music, 
including the early styles of jazz. 25 years ago it WAS hiding. I first 
went to JazzFest in 1980 and it seemed there was not much happening in 
the FQ except Preservation Hall, New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot 
Orchestra, George Buck's record store,  and a young Banu Gibson. I 
still kept on coming back each year and every year it got a lot better!

I am not saying everything was perfect in N O before the storm & flood- 
not by a long shot. However, there has been a whole lot of interesting 
OKOM from all parts of the city going on in those years...

Dave Richoux

On Sep 26, 2005, at 4:03 PM, Cebuisle2 at aol.com wrote:

> Guys, has there been a renaissance in N.O. these last few decades? 
> Seems
> most of  the musicians mentioned recently were playing somewhere else 
> when  the
> big water came. Did I miss something on that ill fated trip 25 years 
> ago?
> Where was the jazz hiding?