[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Louis Armstrong's New Orleans

[Rebecca Thompson]

Thanks, Bill- for posting this article by John McCusker.  As a side note,
McCusker begin working on Ory's biography before Katrina and hopefully will
be able to finish up that project soon.  He lost everything in the flood,
but had already sent his manuscript to another location.

Jim and I attended the SatchmoFest this year and Tad Jones was deeply
missed.  He always had a new bit of information that he had managed to dig
up.  We went on his tour of Louis' neighborhood several years ago and it was
very enlightening.  Tad's ancestors were native to New Orleans and owned
property in the area we toured.  Really a shame he didn't managed to get the
book written, but hopefully other historians can pick up on the facts he
discovered.

This year we were shown a part of a documentary which is held by (I think)
United Artists and they will not allow the complete movie to be shown... The
Armstrong achieves have tried many avenues and were finally successful in
receiving permission to show two different clips of Armstrong's visit to
Ghana. I thought it significant that the song Louis dedicated to their Prime
Minister (who had been educated in the U.S. and lover of jazz) was "Black
and Blue". 

Musically the best band we heard this time was The Louis Armstrong Society
Jazz Band.  I don't know if this band was put together for this festival, or
if they play together all the time... BUT they were great!  The bass player
was Hank Bartells... Other than that, I didn't recognize any of the other
players.

The first night there we heard Tim Laughlin and Tom Fischer at Snug Harbor.
Fritzels was a big disappointment this trip.  We managed to find Steamboat
Willie and two others playing in the Musician Legend Park in the 300 block
of Bourbon. Other than that, trad music is very very scarce.  Palm Court was
closed for the summer. 

Rebecca
Flower Mound, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Haesler [mailto:bhaesler at bigpond.net.au] 

'A Legacy Worth Saving.
It takes a trained eye to uncover the historic treasures in Louis 
Armstrong's old neighborhood'
by John McCusker
New Orleans Times-Picayune, August 3, 2007