[Dixielandjazz] The Jazz Archivist; great (yes, great) history of Bourbon Street

[Charles Suhor]

If historical things-New-Orleans interest you, the current issue of The Jazz Archivist notes that past issues are now available on line at http://jazz.tulane.edu/jazz-archivist <http://jazz.tulane.edu/jazz-archivist>. Like the IAJRC Journal,  the Archivist isn’t a casual read, but many of us have interests in various arcane aspects of jazz. I’ve always found one or two articles in each issue that I like. If you want to subscribe, just send $25 to the Archive. Press the “About” link to get the Archive’s email and brick-and-mortar addresses. Those of you who are in other countries might inquire about rates for foreign subscriptions.

A new book about N.O. is also noteworthy—Bourbon Street: A History by Richard Campanella. Don’t run away because of the title. It’s a serious, painstakingly researched book going back to colonial times. It brilliantly traces the surprisingly central sociological role the street had in class, racial, and political developments. At the same time, it’s enormously entertaining. Moreso to those who’ve lived there, I suppose, but if you’re familiar with the streets in the Quarter and its environs, you’ll enjoy it; and there are helpful maps, in any case. I’m just now getting into the 1940s and beyond, which are the years when I knew the Quarter well. I’ll be interested in his take on jazz, though his range is far wider than the city’s music. See the reviews on amazon.com <http://amazon.com/>. 

Charlie