[Dixielandjazz] Roosevely Hotel N.O. lives again

[Don Ingle]

I was working with Ted Weems in 1954 and we had a one-month stay at the 
N.O. Roosevelt Hotel in November. After months of one-nighters, it was a 
chance to get clean laundry, decent sit down dinners without having to 
rush to load up for the next gig 200 or more miles away. It was 
especially good news for me because I called my bride-to-be Jean and 
told her to get her lovely ass down to N.O so we could get spliced.  She 
did and we were married Christ Episcopal Church on Canal Steet across 
from the Vieux Carre' with Ted Weems as proxy father of the bride and 
the whole band as wedding party. Good N.O. gumbo sticks - we celebrated 
54 years of wedded bliss this past November.
Ordinarily Leon Keller led the house band in the Blue Room, but would be 
off when traveling engagements  were booked in.

Well, GOOD NEWS! The Roosevelt, after decades of being a chain hotel 
under another name and getting to be a frazzled old lady with a shop 
worn look, was bought by a new group, and is again the Roosevelt Hotel, 
with a refurbished Blue Room that will again feature live music, touring 
bands and  a well restored interior and rooms.

We had planned to go down to N.O. to celebrate our 50th, but the 
Katrina's storm hit the area and put a stop to those plans. We hope to 
make it down one year soon while breath and $$ last, but we hope that 
this venture is a big success.

As to those radio broadcasts from there, they were all that kept us 
awake on late night drives from one-nighter to one-nighters. (The sun 
has riz and the sun has set - and we ain't out of Texas yet!) That big 
watt station could be heard in north Michigan as well as Denver and L.A. 
They also broadcast live sets of the Al Belleto (sp?) sextet,with some 
lovely charts and fine players.

So, mentions of the Roosevelt were most welcome - brought many memories 
of happier days for working bands - I thought some might like to know 
that the Grand Old Lady of Canal Street is  back and looking younger and 
pert for her years.

Don Ingle