All that Jazz

Chapter 2

Rollin’ On The River

Mississippi River Cruise 2025

Tuesday, July 15

Though Penny and Stu would arrive today, Mark and I had pre-arranged a morning city tour on a small bus. After breakfast at the hotel, our driver Teddy met us in front of the hotel when found we were to be his only passengers allowing him to give us his full attention on the educational tour.

Being a native, he informed us of the Native, French, Spanish and Cajun cultures and of the city’s founding in 1718. Traveling through several of New Orlean’s districts, the Garden District, French Quarter and others, he pointed out many interesting homes and histories. At the City Park district, we stopped at a branch of the famous Café du Monde and enjoyed two NOLA signature food items – their delicious beignets, heavily dusted with powdered sugar, and, for me, an equally renowned cup of café au lait.

He told about the parishes/districts, boundaries, canals, and how the various cultures blended together helping New Orleans develop its unique style. Parishes, derived from the French and Spanish influences, derives from the term used as the Roman Catholic church boundaries in Louisiana. Most of the US use the term counties (Alaska has boroughs).

As our tour continued to the North into what had been the swampy areas of New Orleans, Teddy began telling us about the massive destruction of hurricane Katrina, 20 years ago.

At the southern end of the huge Lake Pontchartrain, located north of the city, and closer to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, he explained that the lake was overwhelmed by Katrina’s overpowering winds forcing water to surge backward creating a tidal wave back into the canals leading into the city to the south. The dikes did not fail as commonly reported, rather the flood walls along the canals were undercut by the swelling water, collapsed and gave way, allowing flood waters to rapidly sweep into the city. After that storm, flood gates were installed at canal entrances near the lake that can be lowered, blocking any surging waters to break through. The destruction totally wiped-out whole areas, most which have been rebuilt into now well to do neighborhoods. With the new flood gates operational, it is hoped that any future destructive hurricane damages can be eliminated or, at the least, diminished.

Cemeteries:

On a previous visit about 1972 while my brother Elwood attended Tulane University, we visited a cemetery. It was a bit run down and spooky. With the low water table, burials are mostly above ground, many in mausoleums which can be very grand and extravagant. Other burials were in walls built up as compartments stacked upon each other, caskets with bodies then inserted into the openings and sealed with an engraved concrete plaque identifying the occupant. As I remember, many of those ancient tomb plaques had been broken and a person could peer inside to see remnants of a coffin and even bones! Creepy!

In contrast, Teddy’s tour took us to a much nicer cemetery . It was well maintained with some outstanding mausoleum architecture. These are mainly for families. Teddy pointed out many tombs for prominent and/or well known Louisiana families. This cemetery was pleasant and peaceful where, I’m sure, its inhabitants also enjoy their everlasting sleep.

Getting dropped off in the French Quarter, on the shore of the Mississippi River, we shopped in a Christmas store for souvenirs. Along the walk after our city tour, we continued to see those “Keep IV Waste”. Our driver had given us the rundown on what those signs meant.

Keep IV Waste.

Do you remember in Chapter 1 that I mentioned signs we frequently saw in the French Quarter: ”Keep IV Waste”?

This is the story:

Late in 2024 a sanitation company, IV Waste, received a contract for sanitation services that included the French Quarter. This came about when the previous sanitation company, Henry Consulting had changed contractors and a dispute with the New Orleans City Council led to legal battles. The city mayor was also involved by attempting to award the contract to Henry Consulting (at a considerably higher price than the services provided by IV Waste), apparently trying to bypass the City Council. The Louisiana Supreme Court has recently issued an injunction allowing IV Waste to continue to provide their services until the case is resolved. Also, according to businesses and residents in the French Quarter, IV Waste is well liked, providing outstanding service, cleaning trash cans and even spraying a lemon scented deodorant to help things smell sweet and clean. IV Waste’s actions in cleanliness also are helping reduce rodents and insects, according to businesses and residents in the Quarter. I can attest that the French Quarter was very clean, with no foul odors wherever we went.

While not privy to all the issues, from my position outside the city environs, I detect a bit of collusion and favoritism on the part of the mayor and the other sanitation contractor. Cronyism?

It was quite humid, so we slow-poked our way through the French Quarter, scouting out a dinner spot for later when Penny and Stu would join us. With many choices, we chose a corner restaurant, Cornet, asking about dinner around 7 PM. No reservations were required, and they welcomed us to stop later for dinner.

In pursuit of my desire to hear some New Orleans Jazz, we found a place across from the Cornet, Maison Bourbon – Dedicated to the Preservation of Jazz. It looked promising but we also checked out the well-known Preservation Hall on a nearby side street. Hours and prices were posted on the window, but we decided the times for those shows, and the rather steep entry fee, were not compatible with our time schedule. Our first choice then, Maison Bourbon, was where we planned to hear New Orleans Jazz that evening.

Connecting with Penny and Stu back at the hotel, we headed to Cornet for dinner. We dined in an upstairs room from which we could also access their wraparound balcony. There, small tables overlooked Bourbon Street, the entire balcony tables shaded by large multi-colored sun umbrellas. The late afternoon sun illuminated and set those umbrellas ablaze with color.

As none of us were particularly hungry, we chose to simply have appetizers and drinks. The upstairs room turned out to be an excellent choice, with fewer patrons and a waitress that was marvelous – very attentive and funny as could be.

Our leisurely 2-hour dinner was briefly interrupted when, in carelessly gesturing, I totally spilled a full water glass – onto my lap. Front and back of my shorts were soaked. Some who have dined with me at other times, may recall that I seem to have this tendency to spill my drinks in the same way. And I’m not even Italian, who are well known for their wild gesturing.

Although embarrassingly wet, it really was funny.

 Our waitress also took it in stride and helped mop up the spillage as we carried on with our visit. I hoped that I would be dried out sufficiently before we left and went to the Maison Bourbon across the street, which was the case.

Having had such a good time at the Cornet, everyone was looking forward to hearing jazz music. Maison Bourbon opened at 8PM, the precise time we walked into the bar. With open windows and doorways, the music was audible, and visible, to everyone outside and inside. While each of us ordered Bailey’s Irish Cream, the band had set up and began playing.

But we were the only patrons. We could tell right off that the band was going to be good, but wondered why others were not coming in. Since the bar was open to the outside sidewalks, pedestrians could hear music being played, but they could not enter to enjoy the performances UNLESS they bought drinks. It did not take long, however, before more people started walking in filling in the seats. Soon the band was in full blown jazz mode, the vocalist belting out songs as we and the other patrons were getting our grooves on..

Asking for requests I asked for “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Georgia On My Mind”, “Minnie the Moocher”, all of which they played during the 2 sets we sat through. Mark also made a request in honor of his sister Penny playing “Pennies from Heaven”. Boy, that was a really wonderful evening together. Good food, good conversations and laughs, good friends, good jazz music.

Our trip had definitely started on a high note.

One last note from this day:

As we were leaving the Cornet restaurant, (and yes, that is the correct spelling) wall plaques told stories of the place and, surprisingly, we learned that in the beginning of the establishment the owners hired a young negro boy who had a little tin horn to play outside to attract customers. In time that toy horn evolved into playing a real horn. That young man became close friends with the owners and a part of their family. That little boy playing a tin horn was to become a very famous trumpet player. Can you guess who he was?