MUSICAL NOTES FROM LOUISIANAText and Photography by Sandy Katz
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The Louisiana Music Trail takes you down to the heart and soul of jazz, blues/rhythm and blues, rock’n roll (rockabilly), Cajun/ Zydeco, gospel, country/bluegrass and much more. The focus is music.
Music fans can easily follow a route along the bayous and backcountry of Louisiana…. from Shreveport-Bossier City ending in New Orleans at the renowned New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival stopping in Lake Charles and Lafayette and other towns along the way. The Louisiana Music Trail follows the path that meanders through countless cultures and generations of history. Everywhere I went I felt there was an infectious spirit in the music and the joie de vivre of the people of Louisiana. Don’t look for any signs or markers along the Louisiana music Trail. You won’t need them. You’ll know you are on the trail when you hear the brassy sounds of a jazz trumpet on a glorious New Orleans night. You will understand when your pulse quickens and your toes tap out the tempo of a hot Cajun or Zydeco band warming up the crowd on a Saturday night in a Southern Louisiana dance hall. This fascinating trip started on my birthday and true to form of Southern hospitality, I was surprised with a birthday cake - nothing like celebrating Louisiana-style. We |
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were at Baci’s Restaurant that first night and the infectious music of Dorothy Prime and the Wampus Catz filled my soul with gladness! One of the ladies on the tour brought her fiddle from Boston. Susan played with most of the bands on the trip. It was a special thrill to see her performing with the Louisiana bands since she is quite the musician and looks great on stage, too!
Visiting Shreveport Municipal Auditorium was a blast from the past. It was home to KWKH’s Louisiana Hayride. This historic venue has showcased everything from ballet and opera to the Big bands and jazz of the 30’s & 40’s; from circuses and rock concerts to the pageantry of southern cotillions. But it was the weekly country music show, the Louisiana Hayride, and Hank Williams and Elvis Presley that made the auditorium known throughout the nation. (1948-1960) We visited Elvis’ dressing room and it felt as if he was still in the building! It is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration and is considered the finest example of Art Deco brickwork in Louisiana. The Municipal Auditorium is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. That evening we took a one-hour cruise down the Red River on the Spirit of the Red narration by Sam Flood and Dan. The Red River and Cross Bayou were very significant during the Civil War. The logging industry once dominated the Red River in the 1800s. Today, the dockside riverboat casino industry dominated the Red River with five large paddleboats including Harrah’s Shreveport Casino where we spent the night. Early the next morning we attended a Gospel breakfast in Shreveport at the Galilee Baptist Church. Trinity Singers performance was uplifting! Bernice Smith spoke about Martin Luther King Jr.’s association with Galilee.
Later we set off to Lake Charles following the Louisiana Creole Nature Trail. The Bayou State offers more than alligators and marsh. Here there are bodies of salt and fresh water, Civil War and archeological digs and miles of natural beaches and prairie lands that yield an abundance of wildlife and scenic beauty. !-800-456-SWAL www.creolenaturetrail.org Following dinner downtown we went to Rikenjak’s Brew Pub for Louisiana’s Kingfish performance and Cajun dance lessons. It was1998 that marked the creation of this new Cajun band, a blend of Cajun, Rock-n-Roll, Zydeco, Country and R & B. www.visitlakecharles.org This is a great spot to see those Louisiana folks kick up their heels for a jolly good time to the wee wee hours of the morning! The tour continued on to Cretien Point Plantation, (10 miles north of Lafayette) circa 1831 and it was a step back in history. It is now a Bed & Breakfast, located on 20 magnificent acres. The mansion depicts the image of elegant Louisiana plantation life and has 12 rooms and contains the fabulous staircase copied for “Tara” in the movie “Gone With The Wind.” 1-800-880-7050 After touring the mansion, we headed to Eunice for a jam session with Marc Savoy and his very talented wife, Ann. Born in 1940 on a rice farm near Eunice, Marc is a central figure in the revival and preservation of traditional Cajun music. As an accordion player he has recorded with major Cajun music figures as well as well as the builder of the most sought out handcrafted accordions in the world. This couple made some lovely music for us in his backyard where we also had a picnic lunch under the shady trees. After the musical lunch we drove to Vermilionville (a Cajun & Creole living history museum and folklife village) for music, dancing and boiled crawfish. Located on the banks of Bayou, it is one of the most culturally rich regions of the United States. This place authentically portrays a way of life preserved with a distinct French accent. Celebrating the proud traditions and rich heritage of the Acadian settlers of the 18th century, Vermilionville features 23 beautiful acres showcasing carefully crafted period homes that reflect historic Acadian/Creole life. Costumed craftspeople, interpreters and living historians are visible throughout the park, providing vivid demonstrations of arts and skills handed down from previous generations. This was a definite happening.
At the Festival International in Lafayette, there was food, fun and lots of music, music, music! From South Africa there appeared on stage Ladysmith Black Mambazo representing traditional culture of South Africa and Tambours de Brazza from the Congo. They presented selections from most traditional to the most contemporary, featuring the western influences of jazz, hip-hop, break dance and rap music. Representing Quebec was Les Batinses, poised for fame among the many Quebec bands that perform traditional music. From France Segent Garcia (who is all the rage in Parisian dance clubs) cites Bob Marley among his pivotal influences in music. He sings and raps in Spanish and Jamaican patois with amazing fluency and musicality. Louisiana was represented by Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band with accordion, fiddle and tight rhythm section mixing traditional Louisiana French music with original Cajun and Zydeco material. Irma Thomas also represented Louisiana as Soul Queen of New Orleans. She is one of the most enduring soul survivors in contemporary music, a New Orleans icon whose artistry is firmly rooted in her skill as a potent musical storyteller and lyrical interpreter.
The hundreds of performers included Lenny Kravitz, India, Arie, Galactic, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band. Part of this huge festival is Festival Crafts with distinctive crafts, original artwork, clothing, jewelry and much more. The grandstand featured five unique presentation stages - African Heritage, Zatarain’s Food Heritage, Zatarain’s Cajun Cabin, Folk Heritage and Allison Miner Music Heritage. This year’s festival was a tribute to the history, culture and contributions of native people featuring music, exhibits and educational workshops. In 2003 the whole state will be raising the roof with festivals, food, music and dancing to celebrate the greatest real estate deal in history - The Louisiana Purchase. The 1803-2003 bicentennial “Let the Land rejoice, for you have bought Louisiana for a song.” - General Horatio Gates to President Thomas Jefferson, July 18,1803. For more information on special exhibits, re-enactments and events in 2003, visit www.LouisianaPurchase2003.com
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Earlier in the day our introduction to the city of Shreveport was with Dan Garner, our very entertaining guide of Dr. Cookie & Louisiana Dan. Whether it is in the intricate harmonies of their original tunes or their gut-level performance of classic rock or traditional blues, you feel the energy that flows between this husband and wife team. It is absolutely contagious! Contact Cookie & Dan at blugoose@softdisk.com
After breakfast, we traveled to Natchitoches where we picked up those famous meat pies! The film “Steel Magnolias” was filmed here and we drove by the house used in the film.
We even met stilted-puppet people Audrey and Camille, the Gris Gris Sisters. Legend has it these “girls” had connection with a hurricane. They rose up from storm and asked, “Where is the party?” Although these “Basin Babes” may look scary, they came only to spread the “joie de vive” of Louisiana all around the country!
After a delightful breakfast at Prejean’s and then we traveled to New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage Festival. Jazz Festival Producer/Director Quint Davis said, “New Orleans is the soul of America, and Jazz Fest is the soul of New Orleans.” There is no better way to renew your soul than through the power of music, food and the art, and especially the loving vibes of the New Orleans Jazz and heritage Festival. Now more than ever, Jazz Fest (www.nojazzfest.com) is shining as brightly as the fire in Wynton Marsalis’ horn.