[Dixielandjazz] Basin Street History

[Rebecca Thompson]

No, Jim, I didn't mean by the levee.  Bayou St. John connected Lake
Pontchartrain with Congo Square.  Basin Street (I was told) got its name
because of the basin that existed in that area.  Ships were able to bring
goods that far into New Orleans.

I have read several books on the history of Louisiana, and New Orleans in
particular.  I cannot find the exact information but I did find the
following in a book I have.

Quoting from "Storyville, New Orleans" by Al Rose

	Spencer Williams, Lulu White's nephew,wrote Basin Street Blues.
"Williams' background makes it all the more odd that his famous hit song
Basin Street Blues, should so misrepresent both the street and the District.
Musicaly, the song is far more reminiscent of Tin Pan Alley than it is of
New Orleans.  The lyric, indefensible as poetry, is  preposteous as
reportage.  If the dark and light folks every "met" on Basin Street, as the
lyric says they did, it was not in any "welcome's free" sprit of
camaraderie!  Black customers were barred absolutely from all houses on
Basin Street, including its two "octoroon" houses, and it was even against
the law for white and black prostitutes to occupy the same premisis."

	Clarence Williams was quoted in "Hear Me Talkin' To You" about the
mansions on Basin Street, " .. were really something to see, those sporting
houses.....  They were just like millionaires houses.....
Places like that were for rich people, mostly white.  Oh, once in a while a
sailor might come, but generally only the wealthiest would come.

I believe you will find that the cribs were around the corner from Basin
Street.

Rebecca Thompson
Flower Mound, TX