Mary said that she knew she'd settled in when she found herself bitching about someone getting killed in her block at 8 in the morning. She was like, "I can't believe they killed the guy at that time of the morning!" NOLA is a bizarre city. I love the place but in trying to describe it to a childhood friend, it was just impossible. It's dangerous in a lot (if not most) places. You hear the people at the bar talking about seeing "their mugger" on the street (I guess everybody gets their own/maybe it's part of some new post Katrina social program). About when another bartender says it's a very safe place but never, I mean never go past Rampart (4 blocks from where we're sitting). Mary moved here 12 years ago when she came here from Calhoun, GA on a week vacation and had put money down on a rental before she left. Back to I love this place. There is art that is incredible and as interesting as any place I've traveled! The old houses and architecture is just as amazing! If you wanna walk down a great street for a coupla hours just walk down Royal Street going NE from pretty much from Canal for about 10-12 blocks! INCREDIBLE "Black and White Gallery" (I call it) at "A Gallery for Fine Photography" (FYI). Anyways, on "Bourbon" from strippers trying to get you to come into their bars (done that a "coupla" times as a kid) to to all the hawkers trying to get you to buy stuff to the young kids walking around lookin pretty damn suspicious to bar after bar of $6.50 Coor's lights I'd head toward Frenchman's street. Frenchman Street is a 12 or so block walk (NE) from Canal St. THIS is the place you wanna go for the more sane version of the great old houses and buildings and cheaper beers, if $4 a beer is cheaper. It's all in context, I guess. It kinda reminds me of the east village in NYC. It's an "Artist community" that became popular back in the 60's, apparently. I went to a few of the more traditional Jazz bars the other night in this area. "The Spotted Cat", to the "Apple Barrel" to "Snug Harbor". I've seen some really great players so far. No bands that have killed me yet (not even at "Maison Bourbon" and "Preservation Hall" on the first night!). Coupla great drummers, a sax player, trombone players here and there. ALL these guys in the various bands have really been great musicians but so far most have been more of the studied musicians than just God given Anders Osborn typa players (though he's not a Trad player, hopefully you'll know what I mean). That probably comes with a greater price than just music lessons and practice. Well, I'm SURE I'll catch some great bands before I leave. Good grief, I mean it's New Orleans!
Sam Cammarata @ Apple Barrel
P.S. the boat in the pic was just really striking to me (the scribbling on the side says it all). It's outside of a soon to be opened "Katrina exhibit" off of Chartres St.
P.S. the boat in the pic was just really striking to me (the scribbling on the side says it all). It's outside of a soon to be opened "Katrina exhibit" off of Chartres St.
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