[Dixielandjazz] Roosevelt Hotel N.O. lives again

[saxymargeaux at sbcglobal.net]

My husband & I went there for the jazz brunch last November.  Tim Laughlin was playing.  Food and service were great.  Tim told us he was playing at Fritzel's that evening with Connie Jones.  We were surprised to see Banu Gibson on banjo with them.
 
Margaret


--- On Wed, 3/17/10, Don Ingle <cornet at 1010internet.com> wrote:


From: Don Ingle <cornet at 1010internet.com>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Roosevely Hotel N.O. lives again
To: "Margaret Squires" <saxymargeaux at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 12:05 PM


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


_______________________________________________
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:

http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz



Dixielandjazz mailing list
Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com